Dennis Murray to Step Down as Marist President

In a letter sent out today, Dennis Murray has announced that he will step down as President of Marist College.

Murray has served as president for 36 years. During that time the college has grown and evolved in so many ways that it is almost unrecognizable from what it once was. New dorms, a state-of-the art library and an ever-growing footprint that has increased the size of the campus clear across Route 9 are just some of the improvements that the college has seen over the past 3 decades.

According to the letter Murray will step down after his current contract expires on June 30, 2016. After that, he has accepted an offer to continue to work for Marist as President Emeritus and Professor of Public Policy.

Murray's letter goes on to say:

As a college president, I couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated faculty, harder-working staff, more talented students, or more engaged alumni.  I’d particularly like to acknowledge those long-serving faculty and staff members who have played a crucial role in Marist’s transformation over the past three decades.  I do want to thank the Board of Trustees for their outstanding leadership; they give unselfishly of their time and resources because they believe in the work we do here.  Let me also recognize the Marist Brothers, who laid the foundation upon which we have built.  Finally, I’d like to thank the people of the Hudson River Valley for their support over the years.  I can’t think of a better community in which to build a great college.

The board, lead by Chair Ellen Hancock will have 18 months to find and hire Murray's successor.