President

President Daly walking with students

Meet President Kenneth D. Daly

President Daly assumed his position as the ninth president of St. Thomas Aquinas College on July 1, 2020, right at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has successfully led the College through the pandemic and flourishes as a mission-driven leader who energizes students, faculty, and staff alike.

Exciting things have been happening under Mr. Daly’s his leadership. He has:

  • Passionately committed that financial need will never be a barrier to students receiving a quality education.
  • Developed and implemented the College’s 3-year Strategic Plan with a focus on Access & Affordability, Student Success, Student Engagement, Experiential Learning and Lifelong Learning.
  • Implemented a comprehensive student-centered Pledge.
  • Launched the Center for Social Justice, which includes the Justice Studies Institute and the Social Justice and Equity Forum. These initiatives expand and reinforce our commitment to the ideals of justice and equality.
  • Spearheaded the significant renovation of the Romano Student Alumni Center, including a new floor plan and upgraded technology.
  • Expanded St. Thomas Aquinas College’s footprint by 30% through the purchase of 12 acres adjacent to campus, as well as 4 acres through the long-term lease agreement at the former St. Agnes Gymnasium and open field.
  • Introduced new academic offerings including the development of the STEM School and Graduate Pathway programs – which includes establishment of new, five-year master’s programs.
  • Created and launched a refreshed brand effort “Ignite Your Passion” to reflect the institution’s unique offerings.
  • Developed several key initiatives ensuring Career readiness and success – including “STAC Your Future Month”, on-campus internships, Summer Skills Immersion program, and more.
  • Strengthened and improved the College’s fundraising efforts to reach record high engagement and giving levels.
  • Oversaw and led the “Eye to the Sky” SKAE Astronomy Center on campus, which will include a state-of-the-art Telescope Observatory, as well as a classroom for astronomy and astrophysics programming.

Prior to joining St. Thomas Aquinas College, Daly held a 30-year career in clean energy with National Grid and its predecessor companies, KeySpan and Brooklyn Union, serving local New York communities, supporting students, and leading emergency response plans. He completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard, earned an MS in Human Resource Management from New York University, an MBA in Finance from St. John’s University, and a BA in English from St. Francis College, and earned the distinguished Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Daly is a mission-driven leader and passionate educator, having chaired and served on the boards of several colleges while teaching in the classroom as an adjunct professor at St. Francis College since 1992. Across his career, Ken has fostered strategic relationships with academia, supporting research and workforce development programs at colleges and STEM education programs in New York schools, which have resulted in innovative new programs, educational resources for under-served communities, and hundreds of jobs for the students.

He was a member of the Board of Trustees at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, his alma mater, from 2011 to 2020, serving as a member of the Executive Committee and Chairman of the Finance Committee and previously serving on the Academic Affairs Committee. He also previously served as Chairman of the Business Advisory Council. Through his work on the Development Committee, he has raised millions of dollars for St. Francis and personally funded four scholarships. He was an Adjunct Professor of Management at St. Francis since 1992 and has also lectured at Harvard, MIT, New York University, St. John’s University, and in England, Italy, and Canada.

To support his clean energy agenda at National Grid, Daly launched the Institute of Gas Innovation and Technology (IGIT) at Stony Brook University, empowering students to research and develop new clean gas technologies and alternatives to natural gas. He served on the Board of Directors of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC) at Stony Brook and as an advisor to the university’s Center for Integrated Electric Energy Systems (CIEES). Earlier, after having served as Chairman of the Kingsborough Community College Foundation Board, Ken launched a Customer Experience Management Academy (CXM) at Kingsborough, which gave students customer service experience at National Grid while they completed their college studies.

Addressing changes in workforce demographics, he strengthened electric line worker academies at community colleges in Albany, Syracuse, and Buffalo and opened the industry’s first natural gas technician college academies in Long Island and Brooklyn—programs that have led to National Grid jobs for 500 students. He also played a key role in the launch of Energy Tech, a STEM high school for under-served students in Queens, and the innovative Brooklyn Tech STEM Pipeline program for under-performing middle schools in Brooklyn, while serving as commencement speaker at Energy Tech and Brooklyn Tech graduations.

LEADERSHIP

CHAIR

Mr. Dominic F. D’Adamo

VICE CHAIRS

Dr. Jack Kopnisky
Ms. Irene Pappas

SECRETARY

Mrs. Virginia Ripp, ’73

TRUSTEES

Ms. Alexa Bisignano
Mrs. Janet E. Charles, Esq.
Ms. Maureen R. Coen, Esq.
Dr. Lanny S. Cohen
Mr. Kenneth D. Daly
Ms. Natasha Deschene
Dr. Hasan Dewan
Ms. Mary L. Duffy
Dr. Susan Dunn, O.P.
Sr. Irene Ellis, O.P.
Mr. Paul C. Fitzpatrick
Dr. James J. Freeman, Jr., Esq.
Ms. Nydia Gaffey
Br. Michael J. Harlan, OFM
Mr. Patrick Loftus, Esq.
Mr. William Madden
Dr. Charles J. Maikish, Esq.
Mr. Lawrence A. Marsiello
Mr. Anthony Mattia
Mr. James McCue
Dr. James Mooney
Sr. Nancy Richter, O.P.
Mr. Daniel Rifkin
Sr. Margaret M. Sweeney, O.P.
Mr. William Trust
Mr. Peter Unanue

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Dr. Frank J. Borelli, Sr.
Dr. James G. Costello
Dr. John J. Ferguson, Esq.
Mr. John D. Kerin
Dr. William M. Mooney
Dr. Patricia A. Murphy
Mr. Patrick O’Malley
Dr. Donald J. Riley

PRESIDENT EMERITA

Dr. Margaret M. Fitzpatrick, S.C.

Dr. Michael DiBartolomeo, Ed.D., Vice President for Enrollment Management
Dr. DiBartolomeo joined the College in 2017. He is responsible for all enrollment strategies at the undergraduate and graduate level, supervises the office of campus communications and marketing; admissions; financial aid; international students; high school programs; and degree programs for active duty military personnel and veterans. He works with the Deans of the four Schools as well as the Director of the Honors Program; the HEOP program; and the Pathways Program on strategies to grow student enrollment.

Joseph Donini, M.B.A., Treasurer and Vice President of Administration & Finance
Mr. Donini joined St. Thomas Aquinas in 2006 as Vice President of Administration. He was subsequently promoted to Treasurer and Vice President of Administration & Finance in 2010. In this role, Mr. Donini is Chief Financial Officer responsible for financial management, budget, banking and investment, risk management, business services and financial aspects of auxiliary enterprises. He oversees the activities of the Business Office and Human Resources. Mr. Donini is also a senior administrative official responsible for construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of physical plant facilities, and management and implementation of the college’s facilities master plan. In addition, Mr. Donini oversees Information Technology and has met the challenge of keeping STAC on the cutting edge in an ever-changing environment.

Mr. Thomas Flood, Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Mr. Flood joins us with over 30 years of college, high school, and Catholic fundraising experience. Mr. Flood has always focused his initiatives on the life-changing gift of education: “There is only one thing better than receiving the gift of education, and that is giving it. I am looking forward to the opportunity of dreaming and working together on how we collectively can help the College expand its reach and impact, building more hope for the tomorrows to come for individuals and families who attend and are served by St. Thomas Aquinas College.” Mr. Flood looks forward to working across campus with other departments to grow philanthropic partnerships, raise awareness, and open the doors of access and opportunity for those we serve today, tomorrow, and for many years to come.

Robert D. Murray, Ph.D., Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs
Before becoming Provost, Dr. Murray served as the Dean of the School of Arts and Social Sciences and, prior to that, as Chair of the Division of Humanities; in addition, he holds the rank of Professor of English at the College. He also served as Director of the Writing Program. Dr. Murray joined the faculty of St. Thomas Aquinas College in 1998 after teaching at the Virginia Military Institute, Princeton University, and Rutgers University. He received his Ph.D. in English from Rutgers University.

Dr. Murray’s areas of research include 19th Century American Literature, especially the work of Nathaniel Hawthorne, as well as literary realism and naturalism and African-American literature. He has published work on composition theory, specifically on the topic of race and asymmetrical power relationships within the context of a college classroom.

Mr. Kevin A. Nesbitt, Vice President and Dean of Student Development
​Kevin joins the STAC family with over 20 years of experience in Higher Education with a wide range of experiences in Student Success and Engagement, focused on creating inclusive environments for students with close working relationships and support from faculty, staff, and alum

The President’s Council is a dynamic and talented group of alumni, business professionals, and community leaders who provide thoughtful counsel and leadership to help the College fulfill its educational mission.

Kenneth D. Daly, President

Courtney Boniface, Esq., Cane & Boniface, P.C. – Co-Chair

Vincent DeLucia ’87, Sterling National Bank – Co-Chair

MEMBERS

  • Vincent Abbatecola, Abbey Ice & Spring Water
  • Michael Beckerle, Beckerle Lumber Co.
  • Frank Borelli, Jr., The Ducey Agency
  • John Carroll, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
  • Daniel Castrillon, Scirocco Financial Group
  • Greg Chimenti, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
  • Melissa Cobuzzi, M & R Energy Resources
  • Robert Conenello, DPM, FACFAS, Orangetown Podiatry
  • Stephen DeGroat ’76, County of Rockland
  • Lynn M. Donovan-Krakaur ’78, MBA, Montefiore: The University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  • Manuel Fernandes
  • Brian Fontana
  • Sam Fratto, I.B.E.W Local Union 363
  • James Hanley ’79
  • Philip Liebman, Vistage Int. & Strat 4
  • Michael Monahan ’74, GE Healthcare
  • Samuel Mufson ’89, DMD, Chestnut Ridge Dental Assoc.
  • Mary Murphy
  • Michael Nugent ’86, CPA, Kleinberg & Nugent, CPAs
  • Daniel O’Kane, Jr. ’79, Hudson Valley Security and Data
  • James Schneider ’86, KPMG
  • Leslie Skae
  • Kate Torpey
  • Barbara Wallenstein ’90, All-State Exterminating

PresidentIAL Publications

  • Cultivating Greatness Podcast Series. The podcast hosted by Leadership Coach Deb Hordon shares President Daly’s inspiring story – and roadmap – for aligning your work with your purpose and mission in life. Listen Here
  • PLEXUSS Presidential Podcast Series. President Daly and the host discussed a variety of topics related to Higher Education as well as STAC’s recent successes and current news. Listen Here
STAC Main Entrance

HiSToRY OF
PRESIDENTS

  • Mary Beatrice Murphy, O.P., 1952-1954
  • Mary Kevin Sullivan, O.P., 1954-1966
  • Evangelist Marie Naughton, O.P., Ph.D., 1966-1967
  • Mary Lucille Collins, O.P., Ph.D., 1967-1970
  • Mary Ann Biller, O.P., Ph.D., 1970-1974
  • Donald T. McNelis, Ed.D., 1974-1995
  • Patricia Ann Reilly, O.P. Interim President, 1988-1989
  • Margaret Mary Fitzpatrick, S.C, Ed.D., 1995-2020
  • Kenneth D. Daly, Current President, 2020-present
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