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, 2026, bringing state government, child welfare, healthcare and surgical expertise to the school’s governing body. The appointments are meant to support Mercy’s academic, leadership and service mission as the university serves more than 9,000 students.

Why it matters: - Mercy University is adding board members with deep experience in public service and healthcare at a time when higher education is facing pressure to strengthen student support, workforce pathways and institutional leadership. - The appointments also connect the university more closely to child welfare policy, medical innovation and New York State public service.

What happened: - Mercy University announced the appointment of Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden and Dr. John A. Chabot to its Board of Trustees on July 22, 2026. - Harris-Madden is commissioner of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. - Chabot is chief of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and the David V. Habif professor of Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. - Mercy University said the appointments add expertise in public service, youth and family advocacy, healthcare leadership and medical innovation.

The details: - Mercy University President Susan L. Parish said the new trustees will help guide the university’s strategic direction and support its mission of empowering students to transform their lives and communities. - Harris-Madden called the appointment a homecoming and said she looks forward to helping steward the university’s future. - Chabot said he is honored to join the board and wants to support Mercy’s mission of developing future healthcare professionals. - Harris-Madden leads OCFS, which has more than 3,500 employees and a budget of close to $8 billion. - OCFS is responsible for promoting the safety, permanency and well-being of children, families and communities across New York. - Harris-Madden’s appointment reflects her connection to Mercy University, where she earned a Master of Science in Human Resource Management and a Master of Business Administration. - Harris-Madden said OCFS is advancing evidence-informed reforms across childcare, child welfare, juvenile justice and other human services. - Harris-Madden has helped implement Governor Kathy Hochul’s plan to expand childcare access across New York State. - Her career spans more than 20 years across state government, local government, education and the nonprofit sector. - Before joining Hochul’s administration, Harris-Madden served in the cabinets of the Westchester County Executive and four mayors in Mount Vernon, New York. - Her academic background also includes a B.A. in English and African American Studies, a doctorate in education in executive leadership and an honorary doctorate in humane letters. - Chabot founded and directs the Pancreas Center at Columbia/NewYork-Presbyterian, established in 2006. - Mercy described the center as one of the world’s largest and most effective clinical cancer programs and a research hub for new pancreatic cancer therapies. - Chabot has performed more than 2,500 complex pancreatic procedures. - He has spent his entire career at Columbia/NewYork-Presbyterian, rising from intern in 1983 to 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. - He is a member of the American Medical Association and the American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association. - Mercy University serves more than 9,000 students each year across campuses in Westchester, the Bronx and Manhattan, as well as online. - The university is a federally designated minority-serving institution and the largest private Hispanic Serving Institution in New York State. - Mercy offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs across six schools. - Mercy was founded in 1950 by the Sisters of Mercy. - More information is available at Mercy University.

Between the lines: - The board appointments blend policy, academia and medicine, suggesting Mercy is looking for trustees who can support both mission-driven governance and workforce relevance. - Harris-Madden’s state leadership role may help Mercy connect more directly to child welfare and public-service systems. - Chabot’s background in complex surgery and cancer research may bolster Mercy’s healthcare and science-facing priorities.

What's next: - Harris-Madden and Chabot will join the board as Mercy continues to focus on academic excellence, innovation and service. - Their experience is expected to inform the university’s strategic decisions and long-term direction. - Mercy is likely to lean on the pair’s public-sector and healthcare networks as it advances its student and institutional goals.