November 29, 2021—Healthcare executive Dirk McMahon ’82 and entrepreneur and author Kristin Noto ’91 are the latest distinguished alumni to join the Marist College Board of Trustees.

The Marist College Board of Trustees recently welcomed two new members, both of them Marist alumni.  Dirk McMahon ’82, president and chief operating officer of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), was elected to the Board at its February 2021 meeting, while Kristin Noto ’91, an entrepreneur and author with extensive experience serving not-for-profit organizations, was elected at the November 2021 annual meeting.  McMahon took part in his first meeting in November, and Noto’s participation will begin with the Board’s February 2022 meeting. 

McMahon, who graduated from Marist with a BS in finance, has held senior leadership positions across both UnitedHealth Group business platforms – UnitedHealthcare and Optum.  Most recently, he served as chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer.  Prior to that, he was president and chief operating officer of Optum, a global health services company, and head of airport operations worldwide for Northwest Airlines.  In addition to earning his undergraduate degree from Marist, McMahon received an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.  He and his family reside in Minnesota.

“I’m honored to be elected to serve on the Marist Board of Trustees,” said McMahon.  “My time at Marist represented an important start to my career, and I look forward to doing my part to help improve the educational experience, and support future leaders.”

Noto received a BA in psychology from Marist in 1991, and her father is also an alumnus of the College.  She is the author of Live E.P.I.C.: Invest in Yourself. Cultivate Character, and Embrace the 7 Moral Virtues that Lead to a Happier Life, as well as an inventor with several registered patents on houseware products.  Noto also serves on the West Coast Advisory Board for the Child Mind Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children, families, and communities affected by mental illness and learning disabilities.  She is a former executive board member of the USA Lacrosse Foundation.  Noto and her family live in Northern California.

Said Noto, “I am honored and humbled to have been given the opportunity to serve as a member of the Marist College Board of Trustees.  Marist was such a formative part of my life.  I am pleased to be able to give back to the College, and will strive to have a positive impact on its future.”

Marist President Kevin Weinman commented that both McMahon and Noto bring valuable perspectives to the Board.  “Dirk and Kristin are dedicated alumni who offer expertise in a variety of areas of strategic importance.  They also expand the geographic range of our Board, which will enhance the College’s ability to serve alumni in those parts of the country, as well as attracting the best and brightest new students from those regions.  I’m grateful for their willingness to work with us as we position Marist to succeed in an increasingly competitive higher education landscape.”