Alumna Enjoys Successful 50-Year Career in Government and Public Affairs
Patricia M. Reilly ’74C, ’75G always wanted to attend St. John’s University, but came of age when college was not the traditional path for many women. However, her passion and motivation won out, and today she is a proud double alumna who enjoyed a 30-plus year career in state and local government and another 20 as a lobbyist and consultant. Today, she advises candidates for political office and is a Vice Chair of the New York State Democratic Party. She is a board member of the New York State Mentoring Program and Eleanor's Legacy.
They provide an opportunity to everyone, no matter what their background. Those opportunities wouldn’t have been available to me otherwise—and that’s the real reason I became involved in politics and government.
“My parents were very old school. They didn’t believe girls should go to college,” Ms. Reilly recalled, adding that she worked in a supermarket for nearly a decade to save for tuition, often as much as 60 hours a week.
Eventually, Ms. Reilly realized her dream of attending St. John’s, majoring in government and politics. A year later, she earned her master’s degree in public administration.
At St. John’s, Ms. Reilly encountered faculty “who saw things in me that I didn’t.” “I really began applying myself, so I did better and better, and became very engaged with on-campus activities,” she explained.
Ms. Reilly also credits St. John’s with providing her internship opportunities, which fostered her passion for government work. “They provide an opportunity to everyone, no matter what their background. Those opportunities wouldn’t have been available to me otherwise—and that’s the real reason I became involved in politics and government.”
One of Ms. Reilly’s predominant memories of St. John’s was her involvement with the Kappa Phi Beta sorority. “We were very serious. We weren’t party girls,” she recalled. “We did a lot of charitable work and were serious about school and our responsibilities.”
One of Ms. Reilly’s proudest accomplishments is her tenure as Deputy Commissioner at the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) from 1987 to 1995. “It was called the worst-run department in the world. Everyone had DMV jokes. Governor Mario Cuomo tasked us with changing how we did business—being more customer friendly, introducing technology, etc. What we did became a national model.”
She also served as Executive Director of the Nassau County Traffic and Parking Violations Agency for several years. “The transportation field is very important to me,” she explained. “For 13 years, I was a government affairs specialist, and we did many great things with traffic safety, red light cameras, and school bus safety.”
She added, “Before I retired, I introduced school bus cameras into 12 New York State counties, and they’re all still operating and saving lives.”
Ms. Reilly believes the St. John’s family is as vibrant today as it was 50 years ago, and she maintains a strong connection to the institution. For 10 years, she was an adjunct professor who taught several government-related courses.
“It was tough to get in front of students,” she recalled. “Many of them helped me overcome that fear, and several are still really good friends of mine 50 years on.”
In 2024, she served as a Commencement speaker of the Graduate-Level Commencement Exercises for St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. “That was a great moment,” she recalled.
Ms. Reilly works diligently with Teresa Delgado, Ph.D., Dean and Professor, Theology and Religious Studies, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as part of the St. John’s College Leadership Council. She has also participated in the Alumni Insider’s View… trips to Albany, NY, providing sponsorships and participation as a panelist on what is now a two-day program.
She reflected, “That’s what I’m most proud of—mentoring young people and helping students navigate this crazy world and achieve their goals.”
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