09/14/2021
Mark J. Yacavone ’94, SUNY Cortland’s assistant vice president for enrollment management, has been selected to serve as the university’s new vice president for finance and management, effective Sept. 16.
In his new role, Yacavone will be SUNY Cortland’s chief financial officer, charged with ensuring the university’s financial strength through development, oversight, planning and implementation of appropriate policies. He will provide leadership, vision and direction for the Business Office and Facilities Management and will serve in President Erik J. Bitterbaum’s cabinet.
“Mark brings to the position a fierce loyalty to SUNY Cortland and a keen understanding of the financial challenges facing higher education today,” President Bitterbaum said. “His commitment to SUNY Cortland is clear, and I know his passion for our students and our institution will drive his decisions and his planning. I am confident that both the Division of Finance and Management and SUNY Cortland will thrive under his leadership.”
Yacavone has worked in the Admissions Office at SUNY Cortland since 1997, most recently as the assistant vice president for enrollment management, a position he has held since 2013. In that position, he played a key role in diversifying SUNY Cortland’s applicant pool and student body, which resulted in more than doubling the number of students from underrepresented groups in the past 15 years.
Under his leadership, the Admissions Office has strengthened its first-year student profile and expanded its recruitment of students from outside New York state, accomplishments that have helped SUNY Cortland maintain strong enrollment during a time when many colleges saw significant enrollment declines.
Yacavone is a collaborator who has built strong relationships across the institution. He serves on several key campus-wide committees charged with high-level decision making, including the President’s Advisory Council, the Resource Allocation Committee (RAC), and the Provost’s Cabinet. He has served on the Facilities Master Plan Oversight Committee (FMPOC) for more than twenty years, and through this work, he has helped to both align SUNY Cortland’s facilities master plan with its strategic objectives and transform the campus for current and future students.
"Cortland is a special place for me, and it's been a privilege to serve the university for nearly 25 years," Yacavone said. "I know firsthand that the Division of Finance and Management is crucial to the effective operation of our campus, especially right now given the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to providing leadership, ensuring financial stability and working with many talented people."
Yacavone has been member of the local community for many years and currently lives in Homer, N.Y., with his wife Kelli, and their two sons: Dante, a current SUNY Cortland student, and Dylan.
He was selected following a search and will assume the responsibilities of his new position from Mark Prus, provost and vice president for academic affairs, who has served as interim vice president for finance and management for the past year.