Chief of Staff and Vice President of Board Affairs
Meet Michael S. Shanley, MBA, MPA, PMP
Mike is the Chief of Staff and Vice President of Board Affairs at Belmont Abbey College, where he serves as a principal strategic advisor to the President and a trusted partner to the Board of Trustees. He leads the Office of the President, oversees executive operations, and coordinates strategic initiatives across the institution to strengthen alignment, governance, and execution while advancing the College’s Catholic and Benedictine mission.
As the executive responsible for Board Affairs, Mike oversees governance operations and serves as the primary liaison between the President and the Board of Trustees. He helps translate institutional priorities and executive direction into coordinated action across the College.
Mike is a senior executive leader with 30 years of experience leading and aligning organizations around strategic priorities and advising senior leaders in both the public and private sectors. Commissioned as an Army officer in 1996, he recently retired as a Brigadier General after serving in a variety of command and staff positions. Throughout his military and civilian careers, Mike has led organizations, enterprise operations, and performance improvement initiatives, and he has extensive strategic advisory experience. He has commanded U.S. Army organizations from platoon through division level, leading change by clarifying priorities, building trust, and fostering accountability and collaboration. His steady, mission-focused leadership enables him to align diverse stakeholders, translate executive vision into action, and deliver operational results.
Prior to joining Belmont Abbey College, Mike served as the Commanding General of the 85th Army Reserve Support Command, an organization of 4,100 personnel with a $30 million annual operating budget and subordinate elements across 25 states. He was also the Director of Corporate Development at Halvik, a government contractor specializing in information technology solutions and support. Prior to those roles, Mike served as the Deputy Commanding Officer and Chief of Staff at the U.S. Army’s Innovation Command, where he synchronized staff operations and facilitated innovation and modernization efforts across the Army. His military decorations include two Legions of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and six Meritorious Service Medals.
Mike holds a Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University, a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame, and a Graduate Certificate from Syracuse University in Leadership in International and Non-Governmental Organizations. His professional credentials include Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Defense Financial Manager with Acquisition Specialty (CDFM-A), and Defense Financial Management Certification (Level 3).
Mike and his wife, Krista, have three children.
