Mercy University adds two leaders to its Board of Trustees

Mercy University named Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden and Dr. John A. Chabot to its Board of Trustees on July 22, bringing state government, healthcare and medical leadership experience to the school’s governing body. The appointments support Mercy’s push to strengthen strategic oversight as it serves more than 9,000 students across the New York region.

Why it matters: - Mercy University is adding leaders with experience in public service, child and family policy, and major health systems. - The appointments are meant to broaden the board’s expertise as the university focuses on student outcomes, academic excellence, innovation and service. - The new trustees could influence Mercy’s strategic direction at a time when higher education faces pressure to prove value and prepare students for workforce needs.

What happened: - Mercy University announced on July 22, 2026, that it appointed Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden and Dr. John A. Chabot to its Board of Trustees. - Harris-Madden is commissioner of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and a member of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration. - Chabot is chief of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and the David V. Habif professor of Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. - Mercy framed both appointments as additions of expertise in public service, youth and family advocacy, healthcare leadership and medical innovation.

The details: - Harris-Madden leads a state agency with more than 3,500 employees and a budget of nearly $8 billion. - The agency is responsible for children, families and communities across New York, including safety, permanency and well-being programs. - Under Harris-Madden’s leadership, OCFS is advancing evidence-informed reforms in childcare, child welfare, juvenile justice and human services. - Harris-Madden helped implement Hochul’s plan to expand childcare access across New York State. - Harris-Madden is a Mercy alumna who earned a Master of Science in Human Resource Management and a Master of Business Administration from the university. - Harris-Madden has more than 20 years of executive leadership across state government, local government, education and the nonprofit sector. - Before joining Hochul’s administration, Harris-Madden held roles in the cabinets of the Westchester County Executive and four mayors in Mount Vernon, N.Y. - Harris-Madden also holds a B.A. in English and African American Studies, an MBA, a master’s degree in human resources management, a doctorate in executive leadership and an honorary doctorate in humane letters. - Chabot founded and directs the Pancreas Center at Columbia/NewYork-Presbyterian, launched in 2006. - The Pancreas Center is described as one of the world’s largest and most effective clinical cancer programs. - The center also serves as a research hub focused on new pancreatic cancer therapies. - Chabot has performed more than 2,500 complex pancreatic procedures. - Chabot has spent his entire career at Columbia/NewYork-Presbyterian, starting as an intern in 1983 and later becoming chief of hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery and vice president of ColumbiaDoctors. - Chabot earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science from Tufts University and a Doctor of Medicine from Dartmouth Medical School. - Chabot is a member of the American Medical Association and the American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association. - President Susan L. Parish said the trustees’ experience will help guide the university’s strategic direction and support its mission of empowering students.

Between the lines: - Mercy is signaling that its board appointments are not just ceremonial. The university is pairing a policy leader with a top surgical specialist to cover both social service and health-care perspectives. - Harris-Madden’s status as an alumna gives Mercy a homecoming story, while Chabot’s medical profile reinforces the university’s emphasis on health professions. - The mix suggests Mercy wants trustees who can connect academic programs with real-world public service and regional workforce needs.

What’s next: - Harris-Madden and Chabot will join Mercy’s governing body and take part in oversight tied to strategy, mission and institutional growth. - Their influence may be felt in how Mercy positions itself in healthcare education, student support and community engagement. - Mercy said the appointments support its broader commitment to diverse perspectives and accomplished leaders on the board.

The bottom line: - Mercy University is betting that boardroom experience in public policy and medicine will help strengthen its mission and sharpen its future direction.

About Mercy University: - Mercy University serves more than 9,000 students each year across campuses in Westchester, the Bronx and Manhattan, plus online. - The university is a federally designated minority-serving institution and the largest private Hispanic Serving Institution in New York. - Mercy offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs across six schools. - Mercy was founded in 1950 by the Sisters of Mercy. - More information is available on Mercy University’s website.