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Advancement Updates
Family Ties - The Meehan Family
The son of Irish immigrants, John was extremely proud of his heritage. A lifelong resident of Utica, he loved his community and was a dedicated member and servant of it, with roles throughout the year on numerous boards and organizations
In the 1950s John served in the U.S. Army and after his service, returned to his hometown and with the help of the G.I. Bill, earned a bachelor’s degree in Business from then-Utica College. He put the business acumen he sharpened at Utica to great use as the owner of a State Farm Insurance Agency, and in 1957 he married Betty Eisengrein – a blessed union of more than 63 years.
Long after John graduated, he and Betty remained vibrant and active participants in the Utica University community.
Together, their generous support for the University through the Pioneer Society, the Oneida Square Society, and other initiatives helped to put a top-tier education from Utica University within reach of even more students and potential leaders of tomorrow. Among their numerous legacies is the John and Betty Eisengrein Meehan Scholarship, established in 2010, to provide financial assistance to full-time, first-generation students from Utica’s Cornhill area.
And it’s not just their long history of philanthropy that has cemented their legacy at Utica. They were just as generous with their time. John, a dedicated member and former Chairman of the Utica College Foundation Board, was a longstanding member of the Utica University Board of Trustees as well. In 1988 John received the University Key Award, and in 2008 he was recognized with the Outstanding Alumnus Award as well as a Pioneer Legacy Award in 2013.
And though he passed in June of 2021, John and Betty’s contributions, their legacy, and their dedication to making Utica University a better place live on.
John’s wife, Betty, their son Dan Meehan, as well as their daughters Kathy Angelucci and Susan Smith were onhand June 15 for the dedication of the John and Betty Eisengrein Meehan Conference Room, located in the Cynkus Family Welcome Center, a symbol of the family’s fellowship and commitment to higher education as well as John’s lasting legacy
Jeremy Thurston appointed Board of Trustees Chair
The Utica University Board of Trustees formally appointed Jeremy Thurston ’00 as the new Board chair during its meeting on May 12. He began a threeyear term effective June 1, 2023. Thurston succeeds Bob Brvenik ’77, who completed a four-year term as chair.
The Board also welcomed a new trustee, Christopher Crolius ’80. Crolius, a graduate of the construction management program, is founding principal of MARCH Associates Architects and Planners in Utica. He, too, will serve a three-year term.
Thurston is president of Hayner Hoyt Corporation, a Syracuse, NY-based commercial construction company serving healthcare, higher education, hospitality, entertainment, advanced manufacturing, and other markets.
Like Crolius, he earned his construction management degree at Utica and has been a stalwart champion and benefactor of the program – as well as the University at large – since his graduation. Most recently, he helped establish The Hayner Hoyt Corporation Construction Management Scholarship, which provides $5,000 annually to a Construction Management student, with preference given to female students and those from historically under-represented communities. He also provided leadership financial support to the Jeremy C. Thurston ’00 Center for Career Readiness and the Thurston Hall construction management building, dedicated in honor of his father and the project’s principal donor, Gary ’68.
Thurston joined the Board in 2014, after serving on the alumni advisory board that guided the reestablishment of the construction management program after the major had been discontinued in the late 1990s.
“I had kind of a different path,” Thurston says, describing his journey from the classroom to the boardroom.
“I transferred to Utica when I changed my major from business to construction management, and soon after I transferred in, it was announced that the construction management major was being eliminated. My relationship with the University deepened in the early 2000s when I was approached about championing the restart and the new foundation for the program.
“I really appreciated the opportunity that experience gave me to renew my relationship with the University,” he continues. “I’ve always believed in giving back and trying to support organizations that I believe in. When I was asked to consider the chair position, it wasn’t something I ever thought would happen. My colleagues on the Board having the confidence in me that I would be a good candidate to take on a greater responsibility for the University was an honor and something I don’t take lightly. Honestly, I was a little apprehensive at first, but this is an opportunity I feel really good about, and I very much look forward to working with President Pfannestiel, his administration, and the faculty in moving the University forward.”
Dugout Dedication
Through their passion and their outstanding record of service and giving back to the University, Michael Fitzgerald and The Fitzgerald Family epitomize what it means to be a legacy family. They will now be a part of every good moment that occurs on the field and within the dugout walls following the April dedication of the Michael J. Fitzgerald, Class of 1988, Baseball Dugout.
Seen here at the dedication ceremony is Michael Fitzgerald ’88, Matthew Fitzgerald ’19, Patrick Fitzgerald ’21, Daniel Fitzgerald ’24 (current player) and Michael’s Dad, Mike. Also in attendance were Utica University President Laura Casamento, Provost and President-elect Todd Pfannestiel, Vice President for Advancement and Chief Grants Officer Amy Lindner, Director of Athletics Dave Fontaine, and Coach Joe Milazzo.
