James Beckwith

ACTING PRESIDENT/chief financial officer

James E. Beckwith, JD, LLM, will serve as Acting President of Southern Vermont College while President Karen Gross is on a 12-month leave of absence in Washington, D.C., from January 17, 2012, until January, 2013, as a Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Department of Education. Beckwith has served as the College’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer since 2007. As COO and CFO, Beckwith has worked closely with President Gross in all areas of the institution and oversaw several departments, including Finance, Operations, Admissions, Athletics and Information Technology.

His Chief Operating responsibilities included managing the day-to-day activities of the institution including the overall design, operation and improvement of facilities. As Chief Financial Officer, Beckwith has been responsible for all financial affairs of the College. He managed the annual operating budget as well as the capital budget and all accounting and financial reporting activities. He has been instrumental in helping the College maintain a balanced budget and unqualified audit opinions for the last four years. 

He has also worked with Admissions to increase student enrollment by 50 percent since his arrival. Most recently, he helped the College secure funding for several important capital projects, including the College’s first new building in 17 years, the 110-room living and learning space, Greenberg Atrium and Hunter Hall.
 
Beckwith has taught math, calculus and statistics in a variety of settings, including at SVC and Stratton Mountain School. Before relocating to Vermont, Beckwith spent 22 years as a Managing Partner for the New York office of Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen, where he headed the firm’s financial and taxation department.

He served on the fund-raising committees for Franklin and Marshall College, the Board of Directors of Northfield School and the conservation commission of Weston Ct.  Beckwith received an L.L.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law, a J.D. with honors from Drake University School of Law, and a double major in mathematics and government from Franklin and Marshall College.

Southern Vermont College is a small, private, affordable, four-year college located in Bennington, Vermont.

Everett Mansion 209
jbeckwith@svc.edu
802-447-6342

area of responsibility

acting President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Adjunct Faculty

Courses taught

  • College Algebra
  • Statistics

academic Research/interests/expertise

Financial services and alternative investments

Why I like working in an academic setting

The interaction with colleagues and students

Favorite Book

It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong

Favorite film/play/dance/exhibit

Apocalypse Now

Best part of being at SVC

Watching the College grow and expand.