about President Michael E. Hill
Michael E. Hill is Randolph-Macon’s 16th president. He assumed the office in 2025 after a robust nationwide search.
Dr. Hill has spent the first months of his presidency engaging with the greater Randolph-Macon community and laying the groundwork for a new strategic plan as the college looks toward its bicentennial in 2030. He launched a new presidential initiative to heighten the importance of the humanities as part of a Randolph-Macon education and recently named task forces for artificial intelligence, first generation student support, and the intersection of interfaith engagement and service learning. In February, he announced the creation of the RMC Pluralism Project to help all RMC students heighten their skills in engaging dialogue across difference, an effort that has defined his academic and professional work for almost two decades.
Dr. Hill was President of Chautauqua Institution, immediately preceding his service to Randolph-Macon. The nationally renowned educational community is dedicated to engaged dialogue and cultural enrichment, hosting cultural programs and learning experiences on its campus in western New York and in virtual settings. Dr. Hill led a transformation of the 150-year-old institution through new partnerships, new funding sources, and a bold new vision that extends its reach nationwide. While there, he completed the Institution’s largest campaign ever, Boundless, a $150-million effort to bring new facilities and increased endowment support, ending the campaign 18 months ahead of schedule and eclipsing its goal.
Dr. Hill is a first-generation graduate of St. Bonaventure University, the nation’s oldest Franciscan liberal arts college where he was a staff member early in his career. He served on the University’s Board of Trustees, culminating his service as the Board’s Secretary and co-chair of its most recent presidential search committee. He earned a master’s degree in arts and cultural management from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, and a doctorate in education from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. He has lectured frequently on nonprofit management to international audiences, trade organizations, and as a visiting lecturer for Georgetown University. He is a member of the Robert H. Jackson Center Board of Directors and a member of the Leadership Network of the American Enterprise Institute. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for ChamberRVA, which champions economic and business development in the Richmond area.
Dr. Hill previously led the non-profit Youth for Understanding USA and served in senior roles at United Cerebral Palsy, Washington National Cathedral, and The Washington Ballet. He was a founding faculty member at George Mason University’s Master of Arts Management program, where he taught in an adjunct role for more than a decade and was named faculty member of the year in 2011. His career comes full circle back to this region, as he served as a Dow Jones Fellow at the Richmond Times-Dispatch 30 years ago.
Michael and his husband Peter live in Ashland, where their golden retriever Wilbur was elected “Dog Mayor” in 2026.