POUGHKEEPSIE - Technology executive Ellen M. Hancock has been elected chair of the Marist College Board of Trustees, succeeding businessman and philanthropist Robert R. Dyson, who held the position for 16 years. Hancock will chair her first meetings of the board on February 4 and 5.
(Media-Newswire.com) - POUGHKEEPSIE - Technology executive Ellen M. Hancock has been elected chair of the Marist College Board of Trustees, succeeding businessman and philanthropist Robert R. Dyson, who held the position for 16 years. Hancock will chair her first meetings of the board on February 4 and 5.
Hancock joined the Marist board in 1988 and is the first woman to serve as chair. Hancock has been a pioneer in the field of technology, rising to senior executive positions with IBM, National Semiconductor Corporation, and Apple Computers before becoming chief executive officer of Exodus Communications, Inc., then president of Jazz Technologies, Inc. She serves on the corporate board of Aetna, Inc. and Colgate-Palmolive Company. Hancock serves as chair of the board of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies, a trustee of the Pacific Council on International Policy; Springboard Enterprises, a women's venture capital catalyst; and is on the advisory board of the nonprofit RAND Corporation.
Hancock and her husband Jason, residents of Ridgefield, CT and Los Altos Hills, CA, were the lead donors for the Hancock Center, a $35 million, technologically-advanced academic and economic development center nearing completion in the heart of the college's Hudson riverfront campus. The building was designed by the prestigious firm of Robert A. Stern, dean of the Yale School of Architecture. In announcing her gift for the center, Hancock stressed the importance of combining outstanding faculty with state-of-the-art facilities to create a world-class college or university.
Dyson is chairman and CEO of the Manhattan-based Dyson-Kissner-Moran Corporation and president of the Dyson Foundation. The longest-serving board chair in Marist history, he led the college through an unprecedented period of growth in academic programs, new facilities, and enhanced national reputation. During his tenure, Marist constructed a new library, a classroom building that is also home to the college's School of Liberal Arts, four student residential complexes, a tennis complex and a riverfront park; added a fitness facility to the James J. McCann Recreation Center; converted a former steel plant into a center for visual arts and art gallery; and renovated the chapel, residence halls, chemistry labs, and Student Center.
Dyson also played a lead role in the college's current capital campaign, which has raised more than $141 million toward its $150 million goal, with new endowments for scholarships, faculty chairs, and physical plant improvements. Over the past 16 years, Marist has seen applications double to more than 10,000 for 950 seats in each year's freshman class. The college became significantly more selective, from accepting approximately three-quarters of its applicant pool in 1994 to what is expected to be an acceptance rate of just over one-third this year. Marist also added numerous programs for adult learners and graduate degrees, opened a branch campus in Florence, Italy, and expanded its virtual campus globally through a wide array of online programs.
"Rob Dyson's leadership has brought us to the point where we have gone from a regionally known college to an internationally recognized institution of higher education that has made a name for itself in using technology to enhance teaching and learning," said Marist President Dennis J. Murray. "To get us to the next phase of our development, there is no one with greater vision for what can be accomplished than Ellen Hancock."
Dyson, who is the second longest-serving current board member, was appointed a Marist trustee in 1975 and will remain on the board as immediate past chair.
"I have served on many corporate and nonprofit boards in my life and I have never worked with a more dedicated group of women and men who truly have the interests of the people they serve at heart," said Dyson. "Each member of the Marist board works diligently to make a great college even better in every aspect of its mission and operation. When you look at where Marist is now, each person connected to this college, as a student, alumnus, faculty or staff member, donor, or friend, can take pride in the advancements we've made and the graduates we produce. And it will only get better under Ellen's leadership."
"For 16 years, Rob Dyson's skilled leadership was matched by his passion for Marist, higher education, and the college's role in the community," said Hancock. "Marist does not rest on its laurels. I very strongly believe the college will continue to improve and show leadership through the dedication of the board, President Murray, and every constituency on and off campus. I am honored to be able to participate in that wonderful endeavor."
Ross A. Mauri, a 1980 Marist alumnus from Lagrangeville, NY, and vice president for Enterprise Process Transformation for the IBM Corporation, was elected board vice chair. Thomas J. Ward, retired CEO of Maidenform, Inc., and a resident of Miami Beach, FL was re-elected treasurer. Ward is a member of the Marist Class of 1969. James R. Barnes, of West Hartford, CT, an alumnus from the Marist Class of 1984 who serves as chairman of FM Facility Maintenance, was elected board secretary. Elizabeth M. Wolf, an active community volunteer and retired educator from Pleasant Valley, NY, was re-elected assistant secretary.
For further information, call the Marist College Office of Public Affairs at ( 845 ) 575-3174.
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