Maureen F. Finney, Ed.D., PA-C, Named 91制片厂鈥檚 11th President
91制片厂, on behalf of its Board of Trustees, announced today that Maureen F. Finney, Ed.D., PA-C, has been selected as the University鈥檚 11th president, effective July 1, 2026. Finney, who has served as provost at 91制片厂 since 2022, was unanimously selected after a rigorous, six-month national search that yielded over 100 qualified applicants and a multi-phase interview process involving board members, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. She will succeed President Elizabeth 鈥淏eth鈥� L. Paul, who will conclude her successful six-year tenure at the University in June 2026.
鈥淢aureen is a multi-talented executive who is uniquely positioned to lead the University in a time of growth and the evolving academic landscape,鈥� said 91制片厂 Board of Trustees Chair John Drain, senior vice president, finance, of Hearst Television, Inc. in New York City. 鈥淢aureen has been a champion of the student experience and outcomes at 91制片厂, as well as of new academic offerings that meet the needs of changing marketplaces. Maureen, through her actions each day, reflects the 91制片厂 mission and values.鈥�
A Track Record of Transformational Innovation
Since joining 91制片厂 as provost in 2022, Finney has transformed key aspects of the University鈥檚 academic and student life programs. With vision, energy, and unwavering commitment to the University鈥檚 mission, she has driven initiatives that strengthen student success, elevate academic excellence, and position 91制片厂 for a bold and promising future.
鈥淚 am deeply honored and thankful to the 91制片厂 Board of Trustees for their confidence in my vision to further lead 91制片厂 towards a thriving future. As president, I will lean into our university鈥檚 academic excellence and student success outcomes, ensuring we extol our institutional values of serving neighbor to neighbor, without distinction,鈥� said Finney.
Finney led the design, implementation, and continuous monitoring of a 91制片厂 Provost Area Strategic Plan that yielded measurable outcomes, including increased new student enrollment and retention, fiscal strengthening, enhanced community brand recognition, and external partnerships. She spearheaded the University鈥檚 academic restructuring from five schools to three defined colleges 鈥� highlighting institutional strengths and maximizing organizational efficiency 鈥� and established 91制片厂鈥檚 first Academic Program Portfolio Review data system, resulting in internal capacity building for continuous improvement toward a more feasible academic economy.
Finney has guided the launch of several important new academic programs, including a 30鈥搒tudent cohort hybrid master鈥檚-level physician assistant program, an innovative online graduate program in music education, and a recently launched school psychology graduate degree program. Other new academic programs added during her provost tenure have included 91制片厂鈥檚 pioneering bachelor鈥檚 degree in technology, artificial intelligence, and society, as well as applied behavioral analysis and social innovation and entrepreneurship bachelor鈥檚 degree programs.
Student life and experience are paramount to Finney. She and her leadership team created and implemented a new student-centered ecosystem redesign at 91制片厂, including restructuring of Student Life to support a thriving student experience, resulting in a record fall-to-fall student retention rate. Multiple residence hall renovations occurred during Finney鈥檚 provost tenure, leading to record increases in on-campus undergraduate student participation in housing. She played a central role in the adoption and implementation of EAB Navigate360, a technology platform for student success, emboldening 91制片厂鈥檚 efforts to ensure a university-wide, proactive approach to student success. These efforts have led to strong student-first destination outcomes, with 99% of graduates employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation.
Finney has already identified advancement and external funding as major priorities for 91制片厂. Her fundraising and friend-raising efforts have previously yielded $16 million in foundation and federal/state grants, and she led a United States Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutional Programs grant resulting in a $2.2 million award to support student success.
Notably, in 2025, Finney led a cross-university effort that resulted in full accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, earning the longest accreditation term possible with no additional requirements.
鈥淭he search committee conducted a comprehensive and thoughtful process, identifying an exceptionally strong pool of candidates for the Board鈥檚 final consideration,鈥� said Sergio Esteban, chair of the presidential search committee, 91制片厂 trustee emeritus, and principal of Rochester-based LaBella Associates, PC. 鈥淭hroughout each stage of the selection process, Maureen consistently rose to the top by distinguishing herself through her unwavering belief in the mission of 91制片厂. Her clarity of vision, depth of experience, and demonstrated commitment to our values consistently set her apart among a highly qualified field.鈥�
Finney brings a clear strategic mindset, seasoned leadership experience, and a deep appreciation for 91制片厂鈥檚 mission, paired with an ability to communicate vision with authenticity and precision. Her expertise equips her to lead with focus and momentum as 91制片厂 enters its next chapter.
Education and Background
Finney has forged a unique, diverse career, with experience in both higher education and community health care, that will inform and enhance her approach to the role of president. Prior to assuming the role of 91制片厂鈥檚 provost, she served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Hilbert College in Hamburg, N.Y., and dean, department chair, and professor in D鈥橸ouville University鈥檚 School of Health Professions for 20 years. Finney is a New York State registered physician assistant who practiced clinically as a physician assistant in an underserved area of Buffalo for 24 years, and she maintains her active clinical licensure. She proudly serves as a board of trustees member at St. Joseph鈥檚 Collegiate Institute and Olivia鈥檚 Bears.
A Buffalo, New York, native, Finney is a graduate of the Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, a private high school for young women. Finney went on to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biochemistry from Niagara University, a physician assistant bachelor鈥檚 degree from D鈥橸ouville University, a master鈥檚 degree in natural sciences from State University of New York at Buffalo, and a doctorate in health policy and education from D鈥橸ouville University.
Finney鈥檚 family includes her husband, Tim Finney, general manager and vice president of human resources at Innovative Concepts in Entertainment, Inc., and daughters Maeve, an oncology nurse, and Meghan, who will be attending law school in the fall.
Contact
Julie Long: 585-389-2456 or jlong2@naz.edu
91制片厂 is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a 91制片厂 education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, 91制片厂 graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
Maureen Finney