November 3, 2016
Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw, Ph.D., President of St. John’s University, was recently ranked sixth on the City & State New York “Queens Power 50” list, and was a featured panelist at a networking breakfast celebrating the honorees.
The “Queens Power 50” list is published by City & State New York, a must-read media publication that covers government and politics and business in New York. The list features leaders of private industry, business executives, members of the public sector, nonprofits, leaders in higher education, labor organizers, and local community activists. With a focus on borough leaders who are not elected officials, the list represents and celebrates the diversity that is a trademark of the economic vitality of Queens County, which is often referred to as “The World’s Borough.”
In the citation highlighting Dr. Gempesaw, City & State wrote the following:
“The Catholic Church is a powerful institution in all five boroughs. In Queens, its influence is seen best in the Church’s jewel of higher education, St. John’s University. It is the nation’s third-largest Catholic University with more than 20,000 students, most of them on the Queens Campus. But while its Catholic ties are important, the school has impact far exceeding its Vincentian mission. The hiring of Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw in 2014 signaled a shift in the history of the University. He is the first professional educator and lay person to run the institution, focusing heavily on improving the educational environment for students as well as expanding on partnerships with the community and abroad. The campus is an anchor of economic development in the heart of the borough and Gempesaw had made integration of the campus and the community a key part of his vision for the school.”
—City & State magazine, October 31, 2016
At the standing-room-only breakfast held fittingly in the shadow of the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge at the Ravel Hotel in Long Island City, Dr. Gempesaw participated in the breakfast “Power Panel.” He shared how Strategic Priority 4: Expand global and community partnerships is a testament to the ongoing commitment of the University and its Catholic, Vincentian mission to reach beyond our gates and beyond our borders.