William “Bill” H. Turner, III, Trustee

Bill Turner has served on the Bloomfield College Board of Trustees since 2011 and has led the Board as Chair since 2015. Bloomfield has benefited from his vast expertise as a finance and banking professional, an educator and fundraiser.

“When I was first approached about serving on the Bloomfield College Board of Trustees about 10 years ago, saying yes was an easy decision for me,” said Turner. “The Bloomfield mission and student demographic of hard-working and motivated first-generation students was extremely appealing. I was already involved with numerous other non-profit boards, was established as a faculty member at other institutions and I knew that I could contribute to the institution’s outcomes.”

Turner’s interest in education has been a large part of his life since very early in his career when he first started teaching accounting soon after graduation. Since then, he has served as Adjunct Professor at numerous institutions including Queens College, Stony Brook University, Montclair State University, Bifröst University in Iceland and FH Joanneum University in Graz, Austria. His lineup of courses also grew to include finance, banking organization and strategic planning.

“One of my favorite parts about teaching was when I would bring guest lecturers into the classroom to enhance students learning,” remembers Turner. “The students would easily connect and engage with the speakers while gaining real-world tips from our scheduled visitors, many of who were my personal colleagues.”

For nearly 35 years, Turner was associated with Chase Bank and its predecessor, Chemical Bank, serving in many capacities including Senior Vice President of the International Division-Middle East and Africa, Chief Administrative Officer of the Corporate Banking Division, Executive Vice President and head of the Retail Banking Division, and Vice Chairman and Director of the Corporation where he was responsible for Chemical’s regional banking. After the merger, he assumed the position of Vice Chairman of that institution. He later served as President and Co-CEO of Franklin Electronic Publishers, and President and CEO of PNC Bank, NJ.

Following his retirement from banking, Turner focused further on the education sector. He was the Founding Dean of the College of Business at Stony Brook University and later assumed the role of Acting Dean of the Business School at Montclair State University. In addition, for more than 45 years, he has served on the board of International College of Beirut, including the role of Chairman for the past 35 years.

A respected leader in the array of communities in which he has become involved, Turner has served as Chairman of the Atlantic Health System, Chairman of New Jersey Network, President of the Montclair Art Museum, and has served as Councilman in Montclair, NJ. He has also served as a Trustee of Trinity College and the Southern Vermont Art Center, and as Director of several NYSE companies including Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc., Standard Motor Products, Inc., Volt Information Sciences, Inc., New Jersey Resources, Inc., Ameriprise Financial, Inc., Chemical Bank and the Grow Group.

“Right now, it’s time to give someone else the opportunity to lead on the Bloomfield College Board,” said Turner. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my role in recruiting trustees, and have loved meeting with students and learning about their goals and aspirations. I encourage students to find ways to not only learn the academic skills they need for their majors, but to also choose liberal arts electives that help them hone their communication skills such as improved writing and teamwork abilities. The liberal arts will give you a better-rounded view of the world in which you will live and work,” he advised.

As Trustee Chair Turner departs Bloomfield College, he offered additional words of wisdom for our students. “Be inquisitive,” he urges. “Read as much as you can to build your traits for becoming a good leader. And most of all, find balance. Your education is very important, yet do not forget that there’s a family life out there too.”

Having earned a BA from Trinity College in 1962 and an MBA from New York University in 1966, Turner also attended the Aspen Institute and completed the Advanced Management Program of the Harvard Business School.