Pamela Shea-Byrnes’86SVC, ’90G,
D.Min., serves as the Vice President of University
Ministry and University Events. She oversees Ministry and
University Events staff and activities at all St. Jonn’s locations,
including all New York campuses and sites in Rome, Italy, and
Paris, France. In this role, she is central to the integration of
mission into the University’s campus culture.
Dr. Shea-Byrnes is responsible for all University and
presidential events including convocations, commencements and
Institutional Advancement events. In both capacities, she leads
strategic planning and assessment, as well as financial and
resource planning and allocation. She is a member of numerous
University committees, which includes serving as chair of the
University’s Commencement Committee, the Mission Council, the
Executive Planning Committee, the Student Affairs Committee of the
Board of Trustees and the Mission Committee of the Board of
Trustees. She served as a member of the core team that guided the
building of St. Thomas More Church on St. John’s campus in Queens,
NY.
In her leadership role within University Events, she led St.
John’s to a single commencement on the Queens campus. This event
welcomes more than 20,000 people annually to the campus to
celebrate the achievements of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral
students. She is also responsible for the overall coordination of
all institutional fundraising events including the Capital
Campaign, the President’s Dinner and major University
celebrations.
She is responsible for the animation of faith, service and
reflection at all University locations. In this capacity, Dr.
Shea-Byrnes has developed several foundational programs to embed
mission and values into the St. John’s experience. She is the
founder of the Vincentian Initiative to Advance Leadership (VITAL)
— a four-year developmental program integrating the best of
corporate leadership training with Vincentian values. She has
also inaugurated the Catholic Scholars program, which helps
students to develop leadership skills as they prepare for their
future. This program is the foundation of a wider Catholic
Scholarship initiative. Conscious of the tremendous diversity of
our campus community, Dr. Shea-Byrnes has developed an equally
strong suite of programs to animate the faith of our entire
community.
As the University’s liaison with the local dioceses, Dr.
Shea-Byrnes serves our local church in several capacities. She has
facilitated workshops for the principals, teachers and parish team
members of three local dioceses. She regularly presents on
spirituality, prayer and other related topics in the metropolitan
area. She serves as a member of the joint seminary board for the
Dioceses of Brooklyn and Rockville Centre and the Archdiocese of
New York, as well as a member of the Board of Directors at All
Hallows College, Dublin, Ireland.
Mindful of our Vincentian tradition, Dr. Shea-Byrnes is a member
of the Board of Directors of St. John’s Bread and Life Soup Kitchen
and the St. Vincent de Paul Young Adult Center in Germantown, PA.
She is a key collaborator with the Vincentian community, serving on
several committees and boards. She also served with the
Vincentian community as a member of the Vincentian Service Corps.
Prior to her work at St. Johns, Dr. Shea-Byrnes was the Diocesan
Retreat Director and Youth Minister at St. James Cathedral in
Brooklyn, NY.
Dr. Shea-Byrnes received a Bachelor of Science in Communication
Arts and a Master of Arts in Theology from St. John’s University.
She earned a Doctor of Ministry from the Seminary of the Immaculate
Conception. Her dissertation was entitled, “The Transmission of
Mission at Vincentian Universities in the United States.” She has
been the recipient of numerous awards, including The Partnership
for the Homeless Award, Johnny’s Angels Award, recognition as St.
John’s University’s Woman of Distinction and the President’s
Medal.