DANBURY, Connecticut — For an institution to be successful, it’s best if people with disparate viewpoints talk to each other. In an effort to bring several departments together, WestConn has created a new position that oversees daily and long-term efforts to make sure the university’s buildings are up to date, that technology serves all needs, events are fully coordinated, and the money is managed in order to pay for it all.
Michael Moriarty was named the vice president for operations and chief operating officer, a new position for the university.
Most recently, Moriarty served as interim president of Charter Oak State College, the online college that is part of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, as is WestConn. He also has been Charter Oak’s vice president for administration and chief financial officer since 2016.
Reporting to him will be WestConn’s chief financial officer, chief information officer, director of innovation, events & production, director of auxiliary enterprises, and the associate vice president for facilities management & planning.
What makes Moriarity ready for these wide-ranging responsibilities?
“Being able to lead various elements of campus that are all interrelated provides a really unique opportunity to make things seamless between each other,” Moriarty said. “Both our students and our employees expect good service, and that’s what we want to deliver. There’s a lot of excitement about where WestConn goes in the future. The university is important to the region and the state, and we want to see investments made in our campus that reflect its significance to the area. I’m excited to be part of that.”
Dr. Jesse Bernal, WestConn president since June 2025, said Moriarty’s background within CSCU will benefit the university.
“Mike’s experience and approach are exactly what we need — someone who knows the system, understands the challenges, and is committed to working collaboratively across campus,” Bernal said. “His track record at Charter Oak, especially on the operational and financial side, will be a huge asset as we build on our WestConn Rising goals.”
Moriarty said he tackles difficult issues by ensuring every group has a voice in decision making.
“Two-way communication and the relationships that we develop is really what drives success,” he said. “It’s not one person’s contribution. It’s not one leader’s contribution. I’m a really firm believer that folks should enjoy what they do. One of the reasons I enjoy leadership is that you get to develop relationships with the people across an organization. To be successful, which is making sure the students are set up to achieve their goals, you have to listen to the folks who are responsible for those things on a daily basis.”
Gianna M. Ruby-Dasilva, a Criminal Justice major and vice president of the Student Government Association, was the student representative on the search committee for the vice president position. She endorsed Moriarty’s approach.
“It was apparent to me that Mike Moriarty has an approach that prioritizes service,” she said. “At his previous institution, despite it being an online campus, he made it clear that he was invested in the students’ experience and meeting them where they were. I believe that his passion for higher education, his experience in our state university system and his dedication to our institution will have a positive effect on our community.”
Before joining Charter Oak, Moriarty spent more than a decade at Deloitte leading domestic and international teams on financial and regulatory projects. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from the University of Connecticut and is a certified public accountant. He grew up in the Waterbury area.
Dr. Stephen Hegedus, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said Moriarty’s positive outlook will help him succeed.
“I’m looking forward to his collaborative, team-based approach to advancing our academic mission and portfolio,” Hegedus said.
Moriarty acknowledged that WestConn faces a financial deficit, many years in the making, that must be closed while the WestConn community continues to invest and improve in its buildings and systems across the two campuses.
“The university has been through challenging financial times,” he said, “and one way that will help us work through it is to listen to each other. We’re going to grab this thing by the horns and work together on it. I take a lot of pride in being able to help lead an organization out of a tough situation. I was part of the team that did the same at Charter Oak. I take a lot of pride in that, and I’m very hopeful I could influence the same for WestConn. It would mean the world to me to be able to help lead us through that.”
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.