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News
Dowling Board Presents Robert Gaffney As Candidate For College President
The Dowling College Board of Trustees has announced it will present Robert J. Gaffney, former Suffolk County Executive, and most recently a partner in the law firm of Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, P.C., as a candidate to be the College's fourth president. An appointment is subject to approval by a committee consisting of four College trustees, three faculty members and a student representative. If appointed, Mr. Gaffney would succeed Dr. Albert E. Donor, who has served since 1999 and would be named Chancellor of the College.
"Bob Gaffney brings a high profile and keen knowledge of Long Island to the helm of Dowling. He is among the most accomplished public servants in Suffolk County's history and will be intensely engaged in our fundraising efforts," said David Bonagura, Managing Partner of Ernst & Young's Long Island office and Chairman of the Dowling College Board of Trustees. "As Dowling College moves into the future we are excited about the great depth in leadership that will guide us to success on many fronts, particularly the expansion of our campus in Brookhaven."
Over the past year, the Board of Trustees has been discussing its long-term strategies, which included a succession plan for the Presidency. The succession plan that the Board approved includes Dr. Donor serving as Chancellor for a three-year period ending June 2009. Dr. Donor's day-to-day responsibilities will continue to be very substantial including the development of the Brookhaven Campus.
"Al Donor has done an excellent job as President since 1999. Al took over during a very difficult time in Dowling's history. Over an approximately two-year period, Al engineered a successful restructuring of the College's operations and since that time has enhanced the College's enrollment and academic excellence. He will continue to be a significant leader of Dowling College. I believe that Bob and Al will work well together to allow Dowling to reach heights it has not previously achieved," said Bonagura.
Mr. Gaffney was elected Suffolk County's sixth County Executive in 1992, and held the office for twelve years, being re-elected overwhelmingly in 1995 and 1999. He retired from elective office on December 31, 2003. He was elected a Trustee of Dowling College in June, 2004.
Born and educated in New York City, Mr. Gaffney moved to Suffolk County in 1973, after serving as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in its Detroit and Washington, D.C., field offices. He practiced law in Suffolk, concentrating in real property, litigation, corporate and commercial law.
During his three terms as Suffolk County Executive, Mr. Gaffney played a major role in promoting the interests of the Long Island region on the state and national levels. Mr. Gaffney, who was featured as a "Long Islander of the Century" by Newsday in 2000, has received honors for his work in environmental protection and land preservation from The Nature Conservancy, the Peconic Land Trust, and the Long Island Pine Barrens Society. He was instrumental in the creation of the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission and served as its first chairman.
After serving as Provost and College Secretary at Dowling College for 11 years, Dr. Albert E. Donor was named President in 1999. During his tenure, Dr. Donor led Dowling's fiscal resurgence and spearheaded an extensive revitalization at both of the College's campuses. Prior to his service at Dowling, Dr. Donor worked at Nassau Community College (NCC), in Garden City, NY, from 1960 to 1988, beginning as a Biology professor and eventually being named Vice President, Academic Affairs in 1982.
About Dowling College
Dowling College is an independent, coeducational college that serves more than 6,500 students at
its historic Rudolph Campus on the banks of the Connetquot River in Oakdale, NY, and the 105-acre
Brookhaven Campus in eastern Long Island and a business center located near the Nassau-Suffolk
border in Melville. Dowling offers Bachelor′s, Master′s, and Doctoral degrees in several
disciplines through its four schools: Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Education.
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