Terryl L. Brown serves as Vice President and General Counsel. She joined the university in July 2025.
Ms. Brown will serve as a member of the senior leadership team, an officer of the Administration, have a range of leadership responsibilities and be responsible for the University's legal operations, which includes providing counsel to the university, its officers, directors, faculty, administrators, and staff, as well as providing legal advice and counsel on the broad spectrum of legal issues that arise in the operation of the university.
Ms. Brown is a seasoned attorney with extensive legal, leadership, and management experience in the city and state government and private sector. Most recently, she served as Vice President and General Counsel at Pace University. Before joining Pace University, Ms. Brown served as Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs and Administration for the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), where she oversaw operations and legal matters for a department comprised of 17,000 employees.
A native New Yorker, Ms. Brown graduated from Pace University with a bachelor's degree in political science; earned a master’s from Villanova University; and a JD and MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed an advanced finance program at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Theology at St. John's.
Ms. Brown is a member of the New York State Bar and holds court admissions in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the Eastern District of New York, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Ms. Brown is a member of the Queens Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
With a multidisciplinary background, an accomplished career as a practicing attorney in the public and private sectors, and a higher education experience in a metropolitan environment, Ms. Brown is committed to providing high-quality legal services on a broad range of business, academic, and statutory issues to the St. John's community and supporting the university in its strategic goals and initiatives.