Retiring Salve Regina employee Bill Hall leaving school better than when he arrived
NEWPORT — Bill Hall will leave Salve Regina University in far better shape than when he arrived more than 35 years ago.
The longtime chief financial officer, who took on a multitude of roles during his tenure, is set to retire at the end of the week, capped by a sendoff event Friday night at Ochre Court.
“The school is in great shape finically,” Hall said during a phone conversation this week.
Hall was at the private firm Arthur Young & Company (now known as Ernst & Young) in 1986 when he left to take the financial reins at Salve Regina College, which was one of his clients.
A decade later, he was given a promotion and a new title: Vice president for business and financial affairs. In 2005, he became the vice president for administration and CFO.
As Hall put it, he oversaw pretty much everything at the school with the exception of academics and fundraising. Everything else was on his radar.
When he looks back on his time at the school, the changes are apparent. The endowment fund was $1.5 million he arrived and currently stands at roughly $88.6 million. Then there are the physical additions to the campus, including the renovation to the O’Hare Academic Building and the construction of the Rodgers Recreation Center.
To make all of this happen, Hall said there was great “teamwork” from many parties.
Hall also noted the partnerships the university forged to make for a better experience for students, among them with the town of Middletown to revamp the athletic field at Gaudet Middle School, with the International Tennis Hall of Fame to renovate the Casino Theater, and Sail Newport.
“These are relationships that last forever and put Salve in the community,” Hall said.
At 63 years old, Hall said he still wants to help institutions of higher learning as they struggle from a financial standpoint. He said he could see himself in some type of a consulting role.
“They’re really battling right now,” he said. “Enrollment is down, inflation is up and they need help.”
His wife, Judy, was a longtime teacher at the Pennfield School and is now heading up the local chapter of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library alongside the Bazarsky Family Foundation. Hall’s two children, Caroline and Will, are in their 20s and live outside of Newport County.
A Portsmouth resident of 28 years, Hall served as president of Portsmouth Little League, is treasurer of the Star Kids Scholarship Program and a 30-year member of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. Hall, a consistent blood donor, said he’s looking forward to playing more pickleball in his spare time.
So who will fill Hall’s shoes at the university? It’s a familiar face. Michael Grandchamp was hired by Hall back in 1987, and “he’s been with me ever since,” Hall said. “He’s taking over most of my role.”
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Salve Regina, Newport RI, longtime CFO Bill Hall set to retire
