John F. Murray Jr. ’79 has been confirmed as the new chairman of the Siena College Board of Trustees.
Murray was formally elected chair for a two-year term in March, and oversaw his first trustees’ meeting on May 16. He presided at Siena’s commencement ceremony on May 12.
He originally joined the Siena board in 2000, after serving on the College’s Board of Associate Trustees (now the Board of Advisors) from 1992 to 1999. He was the associate board’s chair from 1997 to 1999.
“I am deeply honored to be named chair of Siena College’s Board of Trustees,” said Murray. “As a Siena alumnus, I know firsthand what an excellent experience the College provides its students, and the loyalty bestowed on it from thousands of alumni. As a longtime board member, I look forward to helping guide the College through the second half of its five-year strategic plan “Tradition. Transformed.” and helping to provide a new generation of Siena students with the Education for a Lifetime.”
Br. F. Edward Coughlin, O.F.M., Ph.D., president of Siena, said, “I am pleased to welcome John Murray as our new board chair. His business acumen and experience, his dedication to his alma mater, and his devotion to serving the Capital Region community will serve Siena well as we address the current challenges in the higher education marketplace.”
Murray is currently chairman and chief executive officer of Rose & Kiernan, Inc. He joined the firm in 1994 as executive vice president, was elected president in 1998 and chairman in 2003. He also established and serves as a director of the Rose & Kiernan Charitable Foundation to support community activities and charitable works throughout New York.
In addition to serving as Siena’s board chair, Murray serves on the boards of the Business Council of New York State and Fenimore Asset Management, Inc. He is the former chairman and director of the board for Pioneer Savings Bank, past president of the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, a former trustee of Christian Brothers Academy, a former director of Patient Care for Northeast Health System, and former chair and a board member of the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce. This month, he was inducted into the 2019 Tech Valley Business Hall of Fame.
In addition to Murray, Siena’s current board officers are:
- Thomas L. Amell ’89, vice chair
- Thomas J. Baldwin Jr. ’81, vice chair
- Ronald E. Bjorklund ’85, secretary
- Virginia Darrow ’83, treasurer
Murray succeeds Howard Foote ’74, whose second three-year term ended this spring. Foote is managing director and chief financial partner of UHY LLP’s Capital Region office.