Red Hawk Spotlight: Five Questions for Ben Durant

Benjamin C. Durant III joined the University in June as Interim Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President. He provides oversight for Montclair’s nearly $500 million operating budget and core operational areas including human resources, information technology, facilities, finance and business services. Ben comes to Montclair with more than 25 years of experience as a financial and administrative leader in higher education and local government.

Joseph Brennan, Vice President, University Communications and Marketing, recently sat down with Ben to learn more about him.

Tell me about your upbringing.

I was raised by parents who were passionate about public service. My mother taught eighth grade English and Civics in the public school system, and my father served his country as a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. I have two brothers and a sister. As a military family, we moved quite a bit when I was a kid, and we settled in North Carolina just before I entered high school. I ended up going to college and graduate school and starting my career there.

How was the transition from North Carolina to the New York/New Jersey region?

It’s my first time living in the North, and I am still getting used to driving. Just getting on the highway here is probably the riskiest thing I have ever done! One pleasant surprise about this area is the diversity, particularly in Jersey City where I currently live. I love the diversity!

How do you like to spend your free time?

I am a huge sports fan, especially basketball. My favorite teams are the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, and in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors. I really admire their star player Steph Curry, both for his athletic ability and his personal values. My mother loves him too. Oh, and before you ask, I’m not related to Kevin Durant. People confuse my athletic skills with his, but we’re not related.

Favorite book? Native Son by Richard Wright. I discovered it in graduate school. It is a powerful, eye-opening account of what it was like to grow up poor and black in the inner city and how those conditions can systematically alter your life and chances for success.

Favorite movie? Last of the Mohicans, with Daniel Day-Lewis. It’s a compelling story and shows what lengths someone will go to when they love another person, including sacrificing their own life for the person they love.

Recently I watched Air, about the unique partnership that Nike developed with Michael Jordan, which changed the way endorsement deals were done from that point on. For me, the movie was more than a sports biography, as it had a lot of powerful themes. It showed Nike as a company with a strong vision of the future and the willingness to take risks and do the unheard of to bring that vision to fruition. It also stressed how important it is for you as an individual to know your own value and to not apologize for it, but expect to be rewarded fairly and equitably for it. In the end, both Nike and Michael Jordan prospered, and that’s the way it should be. As a basketball fan and a finance guy, this movie really appealed to me.

This interview was edited for clarity and length.