First Woman to Lead SUNY ESF is Attorney and Former Local Government Official Joanie Mahoney

When Joanie Mahoney was appointed as the 5th President of SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in November 2020, she became the first woman to lead the College. She joined ESF in 2018 as the Chief Operating Officer, and she was also a special advisor to SUNY Upstate Medical University. At the time Mahoney switched her professional focus to higher education, both ESF and Upstate Medical were undergoing tumultuous times.

A graduate of Syracuse University College of Law, Mahoney served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office and then worked in private practice with the law firm of Harris Beach. Immediately prior to joining ESF, Mahoney served on Syracuse Common Council (2000-2002) and as the Onondaga County Executive for 11 years (where she was also the first woman to hold that position). She also served as chairperson of the New York State Thruway Authority and was a Trustee of the New York Power Authority.

In announcing her appointment, the SUNY Board of Trustees noted that Mahoney had helped ESF expand, ““... as an instrumental partner with government to address pressing issues like climate change and intrusion of invasive species in our waterways, and functions as point person on Covid matters and preparedness." The Chancellor, in acknowledging her work as county executive said that it, “... demonstrates her abilities to form coalitions and achieve results -- exactly the outcomes we’re hoping to see at ESF.” Mahoney commented, “I used the network that I built over the years as one of the assets that I bring to ESF, not simply by virtue of the network, but as evidence of the skill set that ESF needs right now,” She noted that she would apply her government experience and passion for solving environmental issues as president. Mahoney has been described as a good listener with a unique interest in the people around her and as a consensus builder.

This President Was a White House Counsel and Deputy U.S. Solicitor Before Career in Higher Education

Marvin Krislov, President of Pace University since 2017 also served as President of Oberlin College from 2007 to 2017. He entered academic administration in 1998 at University of Michigan as vice president and general counsel. During his time at Michigan he led the University of Michigan’s legal defense of its admission policies, resulting in the 2003 Supreme Court decision recognizing the importance of student body diversity.

A Rhodes Scholar, President Krislov is a thought-leader who writes frequently in the press about higher education issues. No prior academic experience before joining the University of Michigan, Krislov joined a growing group of college and university general counsel who stepped up into campus presidencies.

Upon his graduation from Yale Law School, Krislov clerked for Judge Marilyn Hall Patel of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. He found a career in government for ten years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice (where he focused on Civil Rights), Associate Counsel for the White House, and then Acting Solicitor and Deputy Solicitor for National Operations at the U.S. Department of Labor. Krislov’s commitment to Civil Rights began as he grew up in Kentucky and saw segregation and its impacts. He saw education as the path to help achieve this.

Krislov accomplished much during his ten-year tenure at Oberlin including development of a new strategic plan and the completion of a successful campaign. At Oberlin, Krislov “…led collaborative, consensus-driven efforts to make the college more rigorous, diverse, inclusive, and accessible to students from every socioeconomic background.” Krislov is also credited with raising Oberlin’s international and national profile while championing the value of a liberal arts education.

In an interview on WorkplaceTV, President Krislov as asked what three pieces of advice he had for young lawyers who wanted to pursue leadership roles in higher education. He offered: 1) Be really good at what you do, work hard and learn a lot. He mentioned that when studying law, one needs to understand different perspectives, and this is an important skill. 2) He suggested people find mentors who can help them. 3) He recommends looking for opportunities to grow at your workplace. He offered that you can do this by mentoring others and looking to volunteer for opportunities to stretch yourself and learn new things.

Krislov was not the first lawyer president at Pace University. His immediate predecessor was Stephen Friedman, who served for 10 years from 2007 to 2017. Prior to that he was the Dean of Pace Law School. Prior to becoming dean, he was a, “…senior partner and co-chair of the Corporate Department of Debevoise & Plimpton LLC. He has served as Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Capital Markets Policy at the United States Treasury Department, as executive vice president and general counsel of the Equitable Companies Incorporated and the E.F. Hutton Group Inc., and as law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr.”

After a Start in Big Law, Colgate President Brian W. Casey Switched to Higher Education

By the time Brian Casey was appointed to his second presidency at Colgate University (2016-present) in Hamilton, New York, he had a presidency at DePauw University (2008-2016) under his belt as well as having served as an assistant provost at Brown University (for the legendary E. Gordon Gee) and an associate dean for academic affairs for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard.

After earning a JD from Stanford Law School, Casey worked for the global law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell where he practiced law in New York City and traveled to London and Beijing. After four years, Casey knew he was not happy practicing law. He recalled time spent on the campus of Yale University to watch a swim meet with his dad as a child, and then time observing campuses as a student, all culminating in the realization that higher education was his passion. He decided to leave the practice of law and he attended Harvard University, where he earned his PhD in the history of American civilization focusing on the development of American Colleges. His dissertation examined "Nostalgia and the Campus: Emotion and American Higher Education, 1880-1940." Those that knew Casey well knew that this is where he belonged. In fact, he recalled that for law school graduation, one of his classmate’s gave him a copy of Paul Venable Turner’s tome Campus: An American Planning Tradition.

Among his accomplishments at Brown University, Casey, “…spearheaded an initiative to introduce students to a multidisciplinary approach to the study of commerce and entrepreneurship, and to support faculty research in commerce, organizations, and entrepreneurship. He was also a key figure in efforts to develop academic programs with Brown's institutional neighbor, the Rhode Island School of Design. He also helped to develop a multi-departmental program that brought faculty, students, and visiting fellows together who were involved in the study of America's past via an international seminar that highlighted and strengthened faculty work across Brown's departments of history, English, American civilization, anthropology, Africana studies, and the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America.”

In announcing his appointment at DePauw, the Chair of the Board of Trustees stated, "Brian Casey is a dynamic, thoughtful, energetic and erudite individual. We're confident that, as a leading voice for the virtues and relevance of a liberal arts education, he will bring increasing national recognition to DePauw and Indiana by enhancing our acclaimed programs and building upon our rich traditions."

At DePauw University, among other things, President Casey led, “…an intense, comprehensive, and successful period of growth…efforts to develop a comprehensive campus master plan, and, with the faculty, established a new general education curriculum. Under his leadership, DePauw has made major investments in academic programs, campus projects, student advising and postgraduate planning, as well as DePauw’s home city, Greencastle, Ind., and established and secured more than $56 million for The DePauw Trust, a dedicated endowment to support need-based financial aid.” He proved to be an adept fundraiser, and in less than a year into the public launch of a major capital campaign, the university had raised more than $220 million toward a $300 million goal. He was also credited with six straight years of balanced budgets and a 51 percent increase in the University’s endowment during his tenure.

Casey is fascinated with architecture and landscaping, particularly as it relates to college and university campuses, and he uses his knowledge and love of building design and use and landscaping to create a vision for meaningful growth and development of the campuses he leads. This was evident when he became president of DePauw University as he turned the President’s house into the hub of meaningful academic campus conversation and socialization for faculty, students and other stakeholders.

In describing Brain Casey in the announcement of his appointment at Colgate, the following comments were offered: “…He possesses a strong creative vision, coupled with an extraordinary record of collaborative leadership…” and “He recognizes the opportunities and challenges facing higher education, and he persuasively argues that academic excellence is the cornerstone of Colgate’s future. A strong supporter of faculty, he understands that the symbiotic relationship between teaching and scholarship is the bedrock of that excellence. Brian is a great unifier and creative leader — thoughtful, conversational, connected, and intellectual. He combines a sense of wonderment with a practical, analytical, and realistic understanding of how institutions of higher education operate.”

While President Casey’s legacy is still being written at Colgate, perhaps the boldest initiative he spearheaded is the Colgate Commitment, offering free tuition to eligible students with a family income of less than $80,000; and a sliding scale for students with family income between $80,000 and $125,00. For students with annual family incomes of up to $175,000, their federal student loans will be replaced with grants. Casey’s fundraising acumen, receiving $432.8 million so far for the Campaign for the Third Century, has enabled him to expand the program.

Casey is not the first lawyer president at Colgate. That distinction belongs to Albany Law School graduate George William Smith who served as Colgate’s 5th president from 1895-1897. At the age of 33, Smith was one of the youngest college presidents at the time. He resigned due to an illness at passed away in 1900.