The Saint Vincent College Board of Directors announced a change in its leadership on Monday following the retirement of J. Christopher Donahue, who has served as the Board's Chair since 1999.
Donahue, who announced his retirement at the Board's quarterly meeting on June 11, will be succeeded by the Board's Vice Chair, Steelers President Art Rooney II.
"We thank Chris for his diligent work on behalf of our College these some 25 years, and 22 as Chair of the Board," said Archabbot Martin de Porres Bartel, O.S.B., Saint Vincent College chancellor, "and we look forward to our continued relationship with the Rooney family and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Art will continue the tradition of strong Board leadership here at Saint Vincent College."
"On behalf of the entire Saint Vincent College community, including our students, faculty, and administration, we are grateful to the incredible work that Chris Donahue has provided us as a longtime member and Chair of the Saint Vincent College Board of Directors" said Father Paul R. Taylor, O.S.B., Saint Vincent College president. "His steady leadership, keen insights, incredible generosity and unrelenting commitment to the success of our institution has contributed to a period of unprecedented growth that will continue to sustain our success at Saint Vincent."
Donahue, the president, CEO, chairman and director of Pittsburgh investment manager Federated Hermes, first joined the Saint Vincent College Board of Directors in 1996.
"Even board chairs graduate," said Donahue. "Thank you, Saint Vincent College, for the opportunity to serve. Gratitude to all who have supported our mission and I wish all the best for the future. With Father Paul, Art Rooney II and Archabbot Martin Bartel, O.S.B., at the helm, Saint Vincent is in great hands."
Donahue has presided over the Saint Vincent College Board of Directors throughout an era of sustained growth for the College, during which its endowment, enrollment and academic offerings have consistently and significantly grown.
"We look forward to continuing our longstanding friendship and will always appreciate the dedication and passion for Saint Vincent, our students and the monastic community that Chris has so proudly displayed these many years," said Father Paul. "We wish Chris, Ann and their entire family the very best, and sincerely thank them for all that they have done for Saint Vincent."
Rooney joined the Saint Vincent College Board of Directors in 2014 and was appointed Vice Chair in September 2020.
"We are excited to welcome Art Rooney II into this new role as Chair of the Saint Vincent College Board of Directors," said Father Paul. "His contributions as a member and Vice Chair of the Board provide a foundation upon which Saint Vincent will continue to move forward. We are blessed to further benefit from Art's leadership and expertise and we are grateful that he has embraced the opportunity to serve the College in this capacity at such a pivotal time in our history."
"I am honored to be named Chair of the Board at Saint Vincent College," Rooney said, "and I want to thank Chris Donahue for his outstanding service as Board Chair for the past 22 years. He is leaving a tremendous foundation for the College and the Board to continue to build upon. I am excited to work with the Board and the entire Saint Vincent community to help lead efforts into the future for such a respected and important Catholic college."
"With a relationship that dates back more than five decades," said Father Paul, "the Rooney family and the Pittsburgh Steelers are very much part of the Saint Vincent community and have long been advocates for the mission of the College. We look forward to the ways in which Saint Vincent will continue to grow under Art's guidance and through the support of our entire board of directors."
