Marist Master of Public Administration

Congratulations to Chief Stephen Pugner, who retired from the Bethel Police Department (Town of Bethel, CT) this month after 26 years of service. Chief Pugner joined the BPD in April of 2000, and was elevated to Chief of Police in July of 2020.

Marist University
Marist Alumni

Kingston, New York Mayor Steve Noble (Marist MPA '19) was recently appointed to the Executive Committee of the New York State Conference of Mayors, the association for cities and villages in New York.

Congratulations, Mayor Noble!

Read more here:

https://midhudsonnews.com/2026/02/07/kingston-mayor-appointed-to-nycom-executive-committee/

Marist University
Marist Alumni

Marist University is a proud sponsor of the Center for Public Safety Excellence 2026 Excellence Conference. MPA faculty member Dr. Alex Henderson will be there in his role as the chair of the Commission on Professional Credentialing and vice president for the CPSE Center for Innovation, and we'll have a table in the exhibitor section with more information our degree programs for fire and emergency services leaders.

Stop by and say hello!

We’re incredibly excited to welcome Brenda Gellner, PhD to the Marist MPA Program starting in the fall of 2026 as an assistant professor in the Department of Public and Nonprofit Administration.

Dr. Gellner received her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management from the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington, a Master of Public Affairs from the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Northwestern University. Her research focuses on the autonomy and well-being of front-line public service workers in healthcare, and she loves teaching quantitative courses. In her free time, she enjoys board games, coffee, and long walks with her Italian Greyhound, Lloyd.

We can’t wait to welcome Dr. Gellner to the Red Fox family.

Marist University

Congratulations to Eric S. Clifford (Marist MPA '06) on his retirement from the City of Schenectady Police Department. Chief Clifford service the city for 24 years. We wish him the best, and hope he enjoys his well deserved retirement!

Marist University
Marist Alumni

Congratulations to Marist MPA student Haley Ahr on being named in D1Softball's Top 100 Players list!

Read more here:

https://goredfoxes.com/news/2026/1/13/haley-ahr-recognized-in-d1softball-rankings.aspx

Congratulations to Hayley Ahr, who was tabbed as a top 100 player in the nation according to D1Softball 🦊🔥

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/4d9sc4z8

Congratulations to Marist MPA student Adam Renwick, who was sworn in as Chief of Police for the City of Peekskill, New York earlier this month. Chief Renwick was sworn in by Governor Kathy Hochul on January 1st.

Read more here:

https://peekskillherald.com/34641/news/mckenzie-and-council-members-sworn-in-jan-1-by-gov-hochul/

Marist University
Marist Alumni

Congratulations to Marist MPA alumnus Leo Dylewski (MPA '16) who recently retired as Chief of Police for the City of Peekskill, New York (Westchester County) after 25 years of service.

Marist University
Marist Alumni

Congratulations to Brian Shea (Marist MPA '17) on his appointment as city manager for the City of Rye, New York. He previously served as assistant city manager for Rye, as the chief of operations for the City of Albany, New York, and in positions with New York State government and the New York State Assembly.

Read more here:

https://myrye.com/2026/01/rye-city-manager-brian-shea/

Marist University
Marist Alumni

Congratulations to Faith Ann Butcher (Marist MPA '22) on her new role as Executive Director of LUCA, a Westchester County, NY-based nonprofit that supports high-achieving first-generation students as they pursue academic success in higher education.

Congratulations, Faith!

Marist University
Marist Alumni

Congratulations to Major Robert J. McConnell, Jr. (Marist MPA '19) on his appointment as the Troop G Commander for the New York State Police.

Read more here:

https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/state-police-troop-g-new-leader-21261218.php