Stockton University President Joe Bertolino will see a salary increase under a new contract approved by the school’s board of trustees, administrators said.
Bertolino, who took over for former president Harvey Kesselman in 2023, will be paid a yearly salary of $450,000, a $50,000 increase from his current contract, university officials said. The new contract begins July 1, 2026.
Bertolino can earn an annual incentive bonus of $50,000 to $100,000 a year based on his performance starting in 2027, according to the contract.
Bertolino left the presidency of Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven to accept the Stockton position.
The new contract includes a one-year extension option, the university said.
“I’m honored and deeply grateful to the board of trustees for their continued trust and support,” Bertolino said in a statement released by the university. “Serving as president of Stockton University is a privilege, and I remain committed to leading with care, integrity and purpose.”
Since joining Stockton, Bertolino has created a task force to study future uses for the school’s Atlantic City campus, which opened a dorm hall in 2018 and has expanded with additional housing worth $70 million. Bertolino also launched a strategic plan outlining other needs for the school, the university said.
“President Bertolino has proven himself to be a steady, compassionate and visionary leader for Stockton University,” said Jose Lozano, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees. “His deep commitment to student success, inclusive excellence and community partnerships reflect the very best of who we are as an institution.”
The university is also offering the president $5,500 in monthly housing expenses, the contract states.
Stockton will also contribute an additional $70,000 annually to a deferred payment plan for each year Bertolino remains in office, which he can collect at a later date, according to the contract.
Bertolino joined Stockton with over 30 years of experience in higher education, serving in leadership roles at colleges in New York. Before leading Southern Connecticut State University, which he joined in 2016, Bertolino was president of Lyndon State College in Vermont.
Pay for public university presidents vary in New Jersey. Rutgers University agreed to pay newly hired President William Tate IV a record $1.1 million in base pay this year. The contract made Tate Rutgers’ highest-earning president ever.