Manhattan College’s new chief financial officer and vice president for finance, Matthew McManness, said he already feels at home.

He has spent the last six years at La Salle University, where he first met Manhattan College President Brennan O’Donnell.

“I worked on the board of La Salle University where [McManness] was CFO,” O’Donnell said. “I knew him to be a very accomplished, very experienced CFO.”

McManness brings with him 37 years of experience working in higher education.

“I started out working in student activities and student government,” he said. “I ended up working myself up to CFO about 20 years ago.”

McManness has served as CFO at five colleges or universities, including Dartmouth College and the Maryland Institute of Art. He said he had always admired O’Donnell while at La Salle and was excited to come to Manhattan when he was asked to serve as interim.

“I was at La Salle for just under 12 years,” McManness said. “I was in the process of looking into options around leaving La Salle and when [O’Donnell] called me about the interim position I was flattered and privileged that he would ask me.”

“I’ve known him for six years,” said O’Donnell. “I asked if he would come for the interim position and he liked it, and we liked him so we were fortunate to extend that into a permanent offer.”

McManness was invited to serve as interim CFO in the second week of April and was later offered the permanent position, effective July 1.

“One of my responsibilities as CFO is to build good relationships with faculty, students and alumni,” he said. “And in building those relationships it allows me with my team to provide best business practice toward students.”

McManness said he admires the way that MC embodies the Lasallian mission.

“The same sense and feeling that I received from Dr. O’Donnell is the same welcome I’ve gotten from everyone else,” he said.  “It’s been like going from one home to another, so to speak.”