Tuesday, Sep 10, 2024
After serving for nearly a decade, Dell’Omo will retire July 31, 2025
Rider University President Gregory G. Dell’Omo, Ph.D., who has served the University with distinction since August 2015, has announced that he will retire from the presidency at the conclusion of his current contract on July 31, 2025. This will mark his 20th year as a university president, having served as president of Robert Morris University for 10 years prior to his appointment at Rider.
“Since my arrival back home to New Jersey nearly a decade ago, I have had the extraordinary privilege of working alongside the impressive Rider University community of scholars, educators, staff and students,” Dell’Omo says. “My decision to retire did not come easily, as this has been one of the most fulfilling chapters of my career, but I look forward to spending more time with my family as a new leader assumes the great honor of serving Rider into its future.” Dell’Omo is only the eighth president in Rider’s nearly 160-year history.
Joan C. Mazzotti, ’72, current chair of the Rider University Board of Trustees, says, “President Dell’Omo has been a dynamic leader: maximizing opportunities, championing diversity and steadfastly guiding our University through a rapidly changing higher education landscape — always keeping student success as our North Star. We will deeply miss his leadership, but we understand and respect his decision and are profoundly grateful for his dedicated service and many significant contributions to Rider.”
Under Dell’Omo’s leadership, Rider has introduced a new strategic plan, undergone major campus renovations, expanded its academic portfolio with numerous new programs, and raised millions of dollars to support campus improvements, student scholarships, and grow its endowment. He has been a champion of transformational student initiatives, including the University’s Engaged Learning Program, Lifting Barriers and the Cranberry Investment.
The Board of Trustees will conduct a search for a new president. Trustee Joseph F. McDougall will chair the search.
McDougall is a 1993 graduate of Rider University and has served on the Board of Trustees since 2022. He received his MBA from The Pennsylvania State University. His professional career includes 20 years as a human resources leader for large, multinational enterprises. For the last decade, he has managed businesses and served in a private equity leadership role. Mazzotti says the Board is confident that McDougall’s expertise, coupled with his commitment to and love for Rider, makes him uniquely suited to lead this important process.
Dell’Omo remains fully committed to serving Rider University throughout the remainder of his tenure. “We have much work to do, and my dedication to our University, our students and our mission is as strong as ever. I will continue to work diligently to ensure a smooth transition and to advance the goals we have set together. With the support of our talented leadership team, faculty and staff, I am confident that we will continue to make significant strides. There is much to accomplish, and I am eager to see those efforts through.”
One of Dell’Omo’s top priorities is the successful completion of Rider’s current $100 million comprehensive fundraising campaign, Transforming Students — Transforming Lives.
Launched in 2017, the campaign seeks to increase scholarship support, build Rider’s endowment, update campus facilities and fuel student success by strengthening the Annual Fund. To date, the campaign has raised $92 million, including the largest gifts the University has ever received. These include a $10 million gift from Norm ’64 and Elaine Brodsky, which led to the naming of Rider’s Norm Brodsky College of Business, a $4 million gift from Mike Hennessy ’82 to support the sciences, and a $5.5 million unrestricted gift from Tom Lynch ’75.
Mazzotti, who also serves as vice chair of the fundraising campaign, says, “I am hopeful that as the year progresses and we have opportunities to thank President Dell’Omo for his tireless service to Rider, we also will be celebrating the completion of the campaign. We are so close to our goal of $100 million. Gifts to the campaign at this time will demonstrate our community’s appreciation for President Dell’Omo’s many contributions, show our love for Rider and play a vital role in the future of the University.”
Mazzotti and her husband Michael Kelly have generously contributed $1 million to the campaign to establish an endowed scholarship.
More information about Transforming Students — Transforming Lives can be found at rider.edu/transform.
Dell’Omo says, “I am deeply grateful for the support, dedication and friendship I have received during my presidency. I look forward to all the opportunities this upcoming year will bring to celebrate and reflect on all we have achieved together.”
President Dell’Omo’s personal message to the University community can be found here.