Holy Cross Trustees Name New Chair of the Board

Worcester business and community leader Kevin Condron ’67 elected chair; Seven new members join board

WORCESTER, Mass. – The Board of Trustees at the College of the Holy Cross have selected P. Kevin Condron ’67 as its new chair, succeeding Michael F. Collins, M.D. ’77, who had served in that capacity since 2002.

Condron has been vice chair of the board since 2007, and a member of the board since 2001.  He most recently served on the trustees’ executive and finance committees and chaired the buildings and grounds committee.  During a previous term as a trustee (1992-2000), he also led important initiatives, including a 1996 athletics study and the 1998-2000 presidential search.

“Through his outstanding record of leadership, Kevin Condron has consistently demonstrated his commitment to and love of Holy Cross,” said Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J., president of the College.  “He is a wonderful embodiment of the values Holy Cross holds most dear, devoted to family, church and community, while striving for excellence professionally and in everything else he does.  The trustees and I are most grateful for his longtime service and look forward to working with him as we further the College’s mission and implement our strategic initiatives.”

Mary Ellen Jones ’74, senior vice president at the Verenium Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., succeeds Condron as vice chair of the Holy Cross board.

Fr. McFarland expressed gratitude for Collins’ leadership as he departs his post as chair.  “Over the past six years, Holy Cross embarked on many ambitious programs, including a $216 million campaign, major building projects on campus, substantial growth in the faculty and an exciting new first-year curriculum.  He also led a series of reforms of how the board operates.  The impact Michael Collins has made will shape the lives of every member of our community for years to come.”

Condron is chairman and chief executive officer of The Granite Group in Concord, N.H., ranked as one of the top 50 plumbing, heating and PVF wholesale distributors in the United States. The company has more than 450 employees throughout its 26 locations serving New England and eastern New York.

In addition to his work with Holy Cross, he is a director of The Hanover Insurance Group and TD Banknorth, Inc., a financial services company.  He also formerly served as chair of the Worcester Redevelopment Authority, Worcester Area Chamber of Commerce, Safety Fund National Bank, and the Worcester Business Development Corporation, a non-profit business organization that is a leading force in the economic development of the City of Worcester.   He is a board member of Catholic Charities of Worcester and former board member of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation.

Condron lives in Worcester with his wife, Clare.

Trustees of Holy Cross serve two consecutive four-year terms.  In addition to Collins, trustees completing their terms this year are Rev. Gerald F. Cavanagh, S.J., Paula Marie Kane ’80, and John J. Murphy, Jr. ’73.  Erin B. Robert ’06 also completed her two-year term as a representative of a recent graduating class.

The newly elected trustees joining the Holy Cross board are:

Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, S.J., vice president for mission and ministry at Georgetown University; Thomas H. Carey ’66, retired executive vice president of the Omnicom Group; William M. Doran, Jr. ’77, retired managing director of Morgan Stanley; John B. Fisher ’79, president and CEO, Federated Advisory Companies, Pittsburgh; Harry K. Thomas, Jr. ’78, Director General, Foreign Service, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.; and Nancy M. Taylor ’81, President, Tredegar Film Products Corporation, Richmond, Virginia.  Sarah E. Fontaine ’08, teacher at the Nativity School of Worcester, will serve a two-year term.