Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer
Dr. James P. Pellow currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of St. John’s University.
Dr. Pellow joined St. John’s in 1991 after spending several years in public accounting with Coopers & Lybrand in Boston and as a municipal bond trader with Chapdelaine & Co. in New York City.
At St. John’s, Dr. Pellow has served in a variety of capacities, including Chief Financial Officer, and has been instrumental in the development and execution of the University’s plan to increase its presence on the national stage of higher education. Working closely with Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M., President, St. John's University, and the Board of Trustees, Dr. Pellow has led the operational management of the University through a period of historic expansion, record enrollments and the transition from a commuter institution to a residential university that has achieved national and international recognition.
Beyond his achievements at St. John’s, Dr. Pellow has devoted significant time and energy over the past two decades in support of charitable causes and helping others. His focus has been upon childhood literacy and arts education as well as work with the homeless. While in Boston, Dr. Pellow participated in tutoring programs for students in inner-city public schools. In 1996, he co-founded the New York City chapter of After School All-Stars, a national charity founded by the current governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The New York City chapter partners with St. John’s The School of Education, the NYC Board of Education, the NYC Housing Authority and the Mayor’s Office to provide summer literacy programs for disadvantaged inner-city youth. Over the past 10 years, After School All-Stars has raised over $5 million in grants and gifts and has served over 12,000 New York City children.
Dr. Pellow is a strong and avid supporter of the St. John’s Bread and Life Program, Inc. and presently serves as one of its three Board members.
He also serves on several corporate and not-for-profit boards and is on the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee of the Pelham Arts Center.
Dr. Pellow earned an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, his M.B.A. and B.B.A. from Niagara University and is also a Certified Public Accountant.
He resides with his wife and three children in Pelham, New York.