St John's University recently named Adrian V. Kerrigan its new Vice President of Institutional Advancement. Kerrigan, who began his new position on June 4, is responsible for a staff of 80, advancement services, areas of development, alumni relations and communications.
“As the Vice President of institutional advancement, I'm responsible for external relationships,” said Kerrigan. “I want to make sure we are maximizing our potential as one of the great Catholic universities of the world.”
Kerrigan, a product of the Catholic education system, graduated from Boston College in 1984 with a major in communications. While in college, he completed an internship in the financial aid and advancement office which led him to his first job as the director of development at Fordham University.
He went on to become the Director of Alumni Relations at Saint Peter's College in New Jersey, the Vice President of Development at St. Joseph's University in Pennsylvania and the Vice President for Advancement at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, where he secured a $30.5 million campaign. Most recently, he served as chief advancement officer at the University of Detroit Mercy.
Through it all, Kerrigan has been following St. John's since the Big East Championships of the ‘80s. He said that St. John's is in a growth mode and he is very excited to be a part of it.
The 45-year-old is an active parishioner at St. Dominic's Roman Catholic Church in Oyster Bay, volunteers for the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) and mentors those interested in the advancement industry.
He lives in Oyster Bay with his wife Sandra and his three sons, Jake, Nicholas and Liam.
“My wife, three boys and I really believe in Catholic education,” said Kerrigan. “When my parents came here from Ireland, they made sure I attended the best schools and I want to keep that a priority.”
In June, he received the Magis Award from the Jesuit Advancement Administrative Conference in recognition of over 20 years of service in Catholic higher education.
