IONA FOREVER
True to Our Past, Committed to Our Future
On September 19, under the beloved ginkgo tree in the campus quad, Iona College announced its largest-ever fundraising initiative – Iona Forever. The announcement of this campaign came on a monumental date in the College’s history – 75 years, to the day, when Brother Cornelia stood on the steps of what is now Cornelia Hall and officially opened Iona College.
Iona Forever is a comprehensive and ambitious campaign that invites the Iona community to invest in the future of the College through increased endowed scholarships and faculty chairs, enhanced academic centers and institutes, and advanced campus infrastructure and learning environments. Led by campaign co-chairs Michael Hegarty ’66 and David McCabe ’80, the campaign boasts a milestone $150 million goal, and to date, Iona’s Board of Trustees, campaign cabinet, alumni and friends have raised more than $67 million toward that goal. With its ambitious goals, Iona Forever will prove to be a transformational initiative that will secure educational opportunities for Iona students of today, and future generations. At the launch event, President Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D., evoked the past and described the College’s strategic vision for the future, which will be possible through the success of the Iona Forever campaign. “Together we can reach new heights of academic excellence, secure educational opportunities for future generations of students, and create a lasting legacy for Iona’s next 75 years,” said Nyre. Learn more about the Iona Forever campaign, its goals and ways to participate at iona.edu/IonaForever.
MEET THE CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS MICHAEL HEGARTY ’66
At Iona, Michael Hegarty ’66 majored in history and was a member of the crew team and Boarders Club. He then served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years, including 13 months as an infantry officer in Vietnam. Returning to New York, Hegarty entered a management training program at Chase Manhattan Bank that set him on a 27-year course culminating in the position of vice chairman. In 1998, Hegarty joined AXA Financial, serving as senior vice chairman and chief operating officer, then president and COO of its subsidiary Equitable Life Assurance Society, until 2001. Hegarty’s dedication to Iona College led him to serve on the Board of Trustees from 1991 to 2002 and from 2011 to present. As an Iona Forever campaign co-chair, Hegarty chose to make a leadership gift to establish the Hegarty Family Endowed Scholarship Fund. “I feel strongly about providing an affordable Iona education for first-generation students,” he said. “I am honored to do my part toward creating opportunities for these students to join our next generation of leaders.” Professionally, Hegarty remains involved in investment management, real estate and corporate leadership as a trustee of MFS Funds and a director of Rouse Properties and Capmark Financial. He is also involved with numerous charitable organizations including the Marine Corps Association, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, Community Preservation Corporation, Historic Hudson Valley, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center. He and his wife, Anita, live in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.
DAVID MCCABE ’80
Earning his bachelor’s degree in economics from Iona in 1980, David McCabe was continuing a family tradition: his father, the late Hugh J. McCabe Jr. ’49, served as Iona’s registrar for more than 20 years starting in the 1950s; his mother, Catherine H. McCabe ’71MA, taught religious studies for more than 30 years and earned a master’s in pastoral counseling; his brother, Hugh McCabe ’71, ’75MBA, recently retired from the School of Business faculty; and his five other siblings — Thomas ’73, Mary Walsh ’76 (d. 2012), Mark ’79, Lawrence ’84 and Catherine ’85 — all graduated from Iona. In 2003, David led a family effort to establish the Catherine H. ’71MA and Hugh J. McCabe ’49 Endowed Scholarship to honor his parents. As a student at Iona, McCabe held leadership positions in the Student Government Association and played on the rugby team. He continued his involvement on the Alumni Board and then joined the Board of Trustees in 2006. “I have witnessed firsthand Iona’s accomplishments over the past several years, and the College’s vision for the future is incredibly compelling,” he said. “I can see that my leadership investment in Iona will truly make a difference.” McCabe is senior partner and chair of the Private Clients Group at the New York-based law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, where he focuses on estate planning and administration for high-net-worth individuals and their families. He has also volunteered with non-profit organizations such as the Central Park Conservancy, Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, City Harvest, Ursuline School, and Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle. He and his wife, Evelyn, live in New York City.
26
Iona College Magazine/iona.edu