POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Marist College is pleased to announce the appointment of Daryl Richard, Marist Class of '97, to serve as its first Vice President of Communications and Marketing, effective October 24. Richard brings to Marist extensive experience in both higher education and the private sector, most recently serving as Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Quinnipiac University.

In this new leadership role at Marist, he will help drive the College’s marketing and communications strategy and lead a team focused on highlighting distinctive stories and building Marist’s national reputation. Richard will report directly to Marist President Kevin Weinman and serve as a member of both the President’s Cabinet and Advisory Council.

“I am grateful that Daryl has decided to return to Marist to lead our newly centralized communications and marketing function and look forward to working with him to enhance the institution’s profile,” said President Weinman. “Daryl is an extremely accomplished communications professional and leader who will help showcase the many reasons we have become a top place to study, teach, and work. He also will be instrumental in introducing Marist to new audiences while helping keep our current Red Fox community engaged and informed.”

“I am humbled and honored to be asked to come home to Marist at this pivotal time in the College’s history,” said Richard. “The school had such a profound impact on my own personal growth, professional development, and career-readiness, and I am eager to help future generations of students know how this first-class institution will prepare them for lifelong success while making the Marist brand a household name.”

While at Quinnipiac, Richard launched the university’s first-ever message platform and brand campaign. He also helped deploy a digital news and content marketing platform that has now become a top driver of traffic to the university website and put greater emphasis on data analytics to help guide the university’s digital marketing and public relations strategies.

Richard began his professional career in journalism, working as a reporter for the Hartford Courant and Time magazine. He then spent nearly two decades in various executive leadership roles overseeing communications and public affairs at Fortune 100 companies UnitedHealth Group and The Travelers before transitioning into higher education.

Richard graduated magna cum laude from Marist in 1997, majoring in communication with a concentration in journalism and minoring in political science. While a student, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Marist Circle student newspaper, and also worked for the renowned Marist Poll.