Mercy University adds two leaders to its board of trustees

Mercy University named state children’s services Commissioner DaMia Harris-Madden and Columbia surgeon John A. Chabot to its Board of Trustees on July 22, bringing public service, healthcare leadership and medical innovation to the governing body. The appointments deepen the university’s ties to alumni, New York state government and academic medicine as it pushes its mission of student success.

Why it matters: - Mercy University is adding leaders with deep experience in state government, family services, healthcare delivery and surgical innovation. - The board appointments support Mercy’s push to guide strategy, expand opportunity for students and strengthen its mission of academic excellence, innovation and service. - The move also brings an alumna back to the university and links Mercy more closely to public policy and medical leadership in New York.

What happened: - Mercy University announced on July 22, 2026, that Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden and Dr. John A. Chabot joined its Board of Trustees. - Harris-Madden is commissioner of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and an appointee in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration. - Chabot is chief of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and the David V. Habif professor of Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. - Mercy President Susan L. Parish said the two leaders will help guide the university’s strategic direction and its mission to empower students.

The details: - Harris-Madden leads a state agency with more than 3,500 employees and a budget of close to $8 billion. - OCFS is responsible for children, families and communities across New York, including childcare, child welfare, juvenile justice and human services. - Harris-Madden has more than 20 years of executive leadership across state government, local government, education and the nonprofit sector. - Before joining Hochul’s administration, Harris-Madden worked in the cabinets of the Westchester County executive and four mayors in Mount Vernon, New York. - Harris-Madden earned both a Master of Science in Human Resource Management and a Master of Business Administration from Mercy University. - Harris-Madden also holds a B.A. in English and African American Studies, another MBA, a master’s in human resources management, a doctorate in executive leadership and an honorary doctorate in humane letters. - Chabot founded and directs the Pancreas Center at Columbia/NewYork-Presbyterian, established in 2006. - Mercy described the Pancreas Center as one of the world’s largest and most effective clinical cancer programs and a research hub for new pancreatic cancer therapies. - Chabot has performed more than 2,500 complex pancreatic procedures. - Chabot has spent his entire career at Columbia/NewYork-Presbyterian, starting as an intern in 1983 and later serving as chief of hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery and vice president of ColumbiaDoctors. - Chabot earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science from Tufts University and a Doctor of Medicine from Dartmouth Medical School. - Chabot is a member of the American Medical Association and the American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.

Between the lines: - Mercy is signaling that it wants trustees who can contribute beyond traditional higher-education governance. - Harris-Madden brings public-sector experience tied to children and families, a core constituency for a university focused on access and social mobility. - Chabot adds clinical and research credibility at a time when healthcare education and workforce needs remain central in the New York region. - The board additions also reflect Mercy’s effort to pair institutional loyalty with outside expertise.

What's next: - Harris-Madden and Chabot will help shape Mercy’s board-level decisions on strategy, mission and institutional priorities. - Their backgrounds suggest continued emphasis on student opportunity, healthcare training and community impact. - Mercy says the appointments will support its commitment to diverse perspectives and accomplished leadership on the board.

The bottom line: - Mercy University is betting that public-service leadership and medical expertise will help strengthen its governance and advance its mission.