Dr. Brian W. Caputo, President of College of DuPage
Brian W. Caputo became the President of College of DuPage in July of 2019. He brings to the presidency more than 35 years of strategic management and leadership experience drawn from a broad range of senior-level positions in higher education, local government, and the military. Prior to his appointment to the position of President, Dr. Caputo served for two years as the College’s Vice President for Administrative Affairs & Chief Financial Officer.
Upon assuming the College presidency, Dr. Caputo embarked upon an aggressive planning process to chart the course of the institution through 2026. The process culminated with the establishment of a new Strategic Long-Range Plan. The plan established student success; arts, culture, and community engagement; economic development; and organizational culture as the College’s strategic pillars.
Dr. Caputo has sought to advance student success at the College through focused implementation of its Guided Pathway Initiative. Guided Pathways is a framework designed to help students effectively choose, enter, and complete a program of study that aligns with their goals for employment and further education.
Equity is of the utmost importance to Dr. Caputo. In early 2020, he led the College in the development of its first equity plan. The plan seeks to close achievement gaps currently existing for students of color and those who are under-resourced by 2025. Dr. Caputo serves as the presiding officer of the College’s Equity and Access Team that is supporting the implementation of the equity plan.
A strong advocate for regional economic development, Dr. Caputo has been deeply involved in the College’s Project Hire-Ed. Project Hire-Ed is a workforce development program that will better align post-secondary education with workforce skill requirements through partnerships with area employers. Moreover, Dr. Caputo was a member of the executive team at the College that supported the creation of Innovation DuPage, a business incubator-accelerator designed to promote economic growth by leveraging partnerships with public and private entities. Presently, he serves as a Director of Choose DuPage, the county’s economic development agency.
Dr. Caputo’s teaching experience includes positions as a full-time faculty member at Central Michigan University and an adjunct professor at Northern Illinois University. He has also been a lecturer in numerous academic and professional capacities. Dr. Caputo regularly teaches classes in accountancy at College of DuPage.
Before coming to College of DuPage, Dr. Caputo served as the Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer of the City of Aurora, Illinois for nearly 19 years.
In 2015, Dr. Caputo became a Board Member on the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). The GASB is a seven-member board responsible for establishing and improving accounting and financial reporting standards for state and local governments in the United States, including public institutions of higher education.
Dr. Caputo is a peer accreditation reviewer with the Higher Learning Commission. He is also a member of the Commission on Structured Pathways of the American Association of Community Colleges. Dr. Caputo represents College of DuPage on the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents and serves on the council’s Finance Committee.
A fervent supporter of youth development, Dr. Caputo has worked as a volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for decades. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1977. Currently, Dr. Caputo serves on the Executive Board of the Three Fires Council of the BSA as the council’s President-Elect. In 2021, the National Eagle Scout Association recognized Dr. Caputo with its Outstanding Eagle Scout Award for distinguished service to the community.
In 2020, Crain’s Chicago Business recognized Dr. Caputo as a Notable Veteran Executive. The Greater Chicago Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration recognized Dr. Caputo with its Model Administrator Award in 2018. Additionally, The Daily Herald Business Ledger named him the 2014 Government CFO of the Year.
Dr. Caputo holds a B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point, an M.S. in Accountancy from DePaul University, and an M.P.A. from Northern Illinois University (NIU). He earned a Ph.D. degree from NIU with fields of study in public administration, public policy, and government finance. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Public Finance Officer.
In 2004, Dr. Caputo retired from the United States Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel. During his more than 22 years of active and reserve military service, he specialized in financial and human resources management.
Dr. Caputo and his wife, Karen, have lived in Community College District 502 since 1998. All three of their children attended College of DuPage.
Contact Information
Office of the President
College of DuPage
425 Fawell Boulevard
Glen Ellyn IL 60137
Email: officeofthepresident@cod.edu