Rev. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM
President of Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, New
York
President Emeritus, Siena College, Loudonville, New
York
The Rev. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, began his service as the fifth
President of Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY, on June 30,
2008. Among early accomplishments, he facilitated a five-year
strategic plan with benchmarks; oversaw the successful conclusion
of a $10 + million capital campaign, including a $600,000 Kresge
grant; initiated four major capital projects (dining hall
reconstruction; residence hall reconstruction; turf field/tennis
courts; purchase of the Dominican Center properties); and added 17
new faculty, including a new chair of business.
He has served as a Commissioner for the Middle States Commission
on Higher Education (2005-2011), and a member of the NCAA Division
III Chancellors/Presidents Advisory Group (2010-2012), and also
presently serves as: a Trustee for the Commission on Independent
Colleges and Universities of New York State; member of the Advisory
Committee to the Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher
Education (Boston College), member of the Board of Directors of the
Orange County Chamber of Commerce; chair of the Skyline Athletic
Conference; member of the Board of Directors of Pattern for
Progress in the lower Hudson River Valley; member of the Board of
Directors of the Greater Newburgh Partnership; and member of the
Board of Directors of the Newburgh Armory Unity Center, Inc.
A priest in the Order of Friars Minor, Province of the Most Holy
Name of Jesus, Rev. Mackin was born in Brooklyn, NY. He first
served at Siena College during the 1970s, as an assistant and
associate professor of religious studies, chairman of the
department and guardian (leader) of its 50 member Franciscan
community.
In 1982, he was appointed president-rector of Christ the King
Seminary, a graduate theological school in East Aurora, NY. During
his tenure there, he chaired the Seminary Department of the
National Catholic Educational Association, Washington, DC.
Rev. Mackin was assigned in 1988 to direct development and
public relations for the Franciscans of the Province of the Most
Holy Name of Jesus, based in New York City. He held a number of
positions in the province, including member of the Board of
Directors and education chairman.
Rev. Mackin has pursued his religious and professional education
throughout his career. He originally earned a bachelor’s degree in
philosophy from St. Bonaventure University and a master’s in
history from Siena College, and holds four credentials from
Catholic University of America: a bachelor’s degree in sacred
theology, a master’s in religious education, a licentiate of sacred
theology, and a doctorate in sacred theology cum laude. He is an
alumnus of the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education, completed
courses in fund raising at the National Society of Fund Raising
Executives, Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, and the
Institute for Charitable Giving, and also studied at the Instituto
Mexicano Norteamericano in Mexico City, Mexico; Laval University in
Quebec City, Canada; Georgetown University in Washington, DC; and
the World Council of Churches, Geneva, Switzerland.
Rev. Mackin has lectured on a variety of subjects, including the
Bible, Christian theology, contemporary Catholic and Protestant
thought and the Gospels. His writings include the book In
Search of the Authentic Christian Tradition, 1976. He has also
given presentations to evaluation teams regarding accreditation of
colleges and universities, and at workshops for area fundraisers.
He co-hosted a weekly radio program for the Franciscans in markets
in three states, and did radio programs for Siena College,
broadcast in New York’s Capital Region and on the Internet.
Rev. Mackin was the ninth president of Siena College from June
1, 1996 to May 31, 2007 and was appointed President Emeritus there
by the Board of Trustees. During Rev. Mackin’s tenure, Siena
College reached unprecedented growth in its offerings, with several
state-of-the-art additions: including the Standish Library, Sarazen
Student Union, Key Auditorium, Serra Dining Hall, Morrell Science
Center and a synthetic turf field. The College substantially
increased technology, e.g., the Hickey Financial Technology Center.
Siena created a college-wide honors program, with 25 major fields
of study, including Biochemistry, Creative Arts, and Computational
Science. Other newsmaker programs included Siena’s excellent
Pre-Law program, undergraduate nanotechnology courses, a
Globalization Studies Program, Broadcast Studies and the Center for
the Study of Government and Politics. The endowment grew from $80
million to over $130 million.
Rev. Mackin has served on various national, diocesan, Franciscan
and educational committees, including reaccreditation teams and
papal visitation teams in the United States. He served as a
Commissioner of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education,
an organization that accredits more than 500 colleges and
universities. He also served on the board of directors of the
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, an organization
of over 200 institutions that promotes and strengthens the mission
and character of higher education in the United States.
He chaired the Association of Franciscan Colleges and
Universities and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Council of
Presidents, and belongs to the Association of Governing Boards of
Colleges & Universities. In the State of New York, he once
again serves as a Trustee of the Commission on Independent Colleges
and Universities.
He was a member of the board of directors of the Albany-Colonie
Chamber of Commerce, and the advisory board for KeyBank National
Association's Capital Region district. He shepherded Siena’s
membership in the Center for Economic Growth, and other
associations.
He is affiliated with the Catholic Theological Society of
America, and the Association of Fund Raising Professionals. He has
appeared in the International WHO’S WHO of Professionals.
Rev. Mackin has received numerous awards and recognitions,
including the Monsignor Burns Memorial Award (2008), the Tech
Valley Business Hall of Fame Award (2007), The State of New York
Legislative Resolution Honor (Senate No. 2243) adopted in Senate on
May 15, 2007, The Department of the Army's Commander's Award
for Public Service (2007), The Marketer Executive Citizen Award of
Eastern New York (2006), The Teresian Community Service Award
(2005), The Dr. James M. Bell Humanitarian Award (2003) and Irish
Education 100 (2010, 2011).