Faculty services coordinator is a local theater personality

Spend just a few minutes with Matthew Finn and it is easy to see that his infectious energy and warm personality make him a wonderful ambassador of Emerson. The College’s coordinator of faculty services, Finn is a man of many talents. Not only is he the “go to” person for faculty administrative issues at Emerson, but he also loves performing arts and is very active in the local theater community.

Finn has been on the East Coast for most of his life. A Massachusetts native who grew up in Winthrop, he graduated from Suffolk University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and public relations. After completing his studies, he worked in Suffolk’s theater department for two years before moving to Los Angeles briefly to work for a magazine. He returned to Boston after a short time, knowing that he wanted to pursue a career in higher education because he’d enjoyed working in the industry previously.

He became a member of the Emerson community six years ago when he took a position as an executive assistant. Finn knew about Emerson from friends who’d attended and says he was “really excited” about working for a school with such a strong program in performing arts.

Since he first arrived at Emerson, Finn’s title has changed from executive assistant, to senior administrative associate, to coordinator of faculty services—the position he currently holds. His main duties include nearly any and all things faculty related. Among his responsibilities are working on faculty contracts, recruitment, orientations, awards, and expenditures. While preparing for each semester is one of the most stressful aspects of his job, Finn says, thanks to the great people he works with, he enjoys his job immensely.

When he’s not at Emerson, Finn keeps busy acting with various local theater groups. “It’s great because you can have a full-time career, and still do it, and you can still be successful at it,” he says. He got the acting bug when he joined his middle school’s drama club in eighth grade and has been involved in theater ever since. Acting, he says, is his passion. Contemporary theater, musical theater, and comedy are his favorite genres. He’s acted in about 40 plays and performances since college and doesn’t plan to slow down any time soon. He just finished up a reading series called Places that took place in different historical locations around Jamaica Plain, including an art gallery and a historic home. He plans to audition for a show this upcoming spring called The Wild Party.

Though he’ll always love theater, over time, he’s developed a strong interest in higher education, and feels fulfilled by both his job and his outside interests. “I never thought I would end up in a career in higher education, but it’s something I found I’m passionate about as much as theater.”

Liz Montaquila is a graduate Journalism student at Emerson.