May 31, 2011
Kevin Delaney is not your typical
Development Officer.
Rather than working to raise assistance for a particular college or
program within St. John’s University, Delaney reaches out to an
entire region of alumni – living throughout Long Island and parts
of Westchester and Fairfield Counties – for their support of the
University as a whole.
“Those areas are very important to us,” Delaney said. “We
want to make sure that we keep them actively involved with the
University so they remain connected and supportive.”
Delaney’s favorite part of his job is bringing alumni back to the
Queens campus, showing them how the campus has transformed over the
last 10 years.
“I really enjoy bringing our alumni back, walking them down memory
lane related to their experiences here as students and showing them
St. John’s today,” he explained. “When I visit graduates at their
homes or towns, it’s always a great time. But when you bring them
back here – some of them haven’t been back in 30, 40, even 50 years
– you get to see the joy and pride they have for St. John’s. They
talk with students and are amazed at the beautiful new
campus.”
Like the alumni he works with, Delaney has a similar sense of awe
when walking around the Queens campus. He’s seen it grow firsthand,
having worked at St. John’s from 2003-2011 as Senior Associate
Athletics Director for Compliance.
“I’ve been here eight years, and I’ve seen a lot in that time,” he
noted. “Taffner Fieldhouse, the D’Angelo Center, St. Thomas More
Church, renovations on Carnesecca Arena and cosmetic enhancements
to St. Augustine Hall. We’ve grown by leaps and bounds, and these
new pieces we’ve added to campus are really impressive.”
As beautiful as the Queens campus is, Delaney is convinced that
it’s the people that truly make St. John’s what it is.
“The alumni, the students, my colleagues who work here – everyone
understands that it’s not all about them,” Delaney said. “The
collegiality, people working together for a common goal – that’s
something very special that you see here, and something that really
puts the University’s Vincentian mission into perspective.”
In his new role, Delaney has learned just how fully St. John’s
alumni embody that mission. The graduates’ willingness to give
back, both of their personal time and resources, is a testament to
their acceptance of the Vincentian ideals and their eagerness to
support the University they love.
“The amount of service and the amount of good St. John’s does for
the community is astounding, and the people who go to school here
don’t forget that,” he explained. “While building their own
success, they haven’t forgotten that there are others out there who
need help and support. And that, by far, is one of the most special
things I’ve seen since I’ve been here at St. John’s.”