Mercy University adds two trustees from public service and medicine

Mercy University has named New York child services chief DaMia Harris-Madden and Columbia surgeon John A. Chabot to its Board of Trustees. The appointments add leadership experience in family services, healthcare and medical innovation as the university expands its governance bench.

Why it matters: - Mercy University is adding trustees with deep experience in state government and academic medicine. - The appointments are meant to strengthen the board’s ability to guide the university’s strategy and mission. - Harris-Madden brings public-service and youth-and-family advocacy experience. - Chabot brings healthcare leadership and medical innovation experience.

What happened: - Mercy University announced the appointment of Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden and Dr. John A. Chabot to its Board of Trustees on July 22, 2026. - Harris-Madden is commissioner of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. - Chabot is chief of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and David V. Habif professor of Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. - Mercy said the two appointments add expertise in public service, youth and family advocacy, healthcare leadership and medical innovation.

The details: - Mercy President Susan L. Parish said the trustees’ careers have been defined by service, innovation and commitment to their communities. - Parish said their expertise will help guide Mercy’s strategic direction and support the university’s mission of empowering students to transform their lives and communities. - Harris-Madden called the board role a homecoming, noting she is a Mercy alumna. - Harris-Madden earned a Master of Science in Human Resource Management and a Master of Business Administration from Mercy. - Harris-Madden leads OCFS, a state agency with more than 3,500 employees and a budget of close to $8 billion. - OCFS is responsible for promoting the safety, permanency and well-being of children, families and communities across New York. - Harris-Madden is an appointed member of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration. - Under Harris-Madden’s leadership, OCFS is advancing evidence-informed reforms across childcare, child welfare, juvenile justice and related human services. - Harris-Madden has also helped implement Hochul’s plan to expand access to childcare across New York State. - 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 holds a B.A. in English and African American Studies, an M.B.A., a master’s degree in human resources management, a doctorate in education in executive leadership and an honorary doctorate in humane letters. - Chabot founded and directs the Pancreas Center at Columbia/NewYork-Presbyterian, which was established in 2006. - Mercy said the center is one of the world’s largest and most effective clinical cancer programs. - The center serves as both a treatment facility and a research hub for new pancreatic cancer therapies. - Chabot has performed more than 2,500 complex pancreatic procedures. - Chabot spent his entire career at Columbia/NewYork-Presbyterian, starting as an intern in 1983 and later becoming 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 a board emphasis on public-sector policy, healthcare systems and student-outcome leadership. - The mix of trustees suggests the university wants voices that reflect both community service and high-acuity medical expertise. - Harris-Madden’s alumni status adds an institutional loyalty angle to the appointment.

What's next: - Harris-Madden and Chabot will join Mercy’s governing body as the university continues to emphasize academic excellence, innovation and service. - Mercy said their perspectives will support its mission of preparing students to transform their lives and communities. - More information is available in Mercy University’s announcement.