Dear Fordham Community,

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Travis Proulx as Fordham’s vice president for external affairs, effective January 21, 2025, reporting to the CFO.  

Travis brings a wealth of experience in government relations and external partnerships. He served as vice chancellor for agency and community engagement for the State University of New York (SUNY) system, the largest public higher education system in the United States. In this role, Travis oversaw government relations, policy development, budget and research advocacy, community engagement, and marketing across SUNY’s 64 campuses.

Prior to his six years of service at SUNY, Travis held senior communications and public affairs positions in New York state government and the nonprofit sector. He is a seasoned leader with a deep understanding of higher education, an ability to attract major government investments, and a knack for strengthening relationships between universities and their communities.  

Travis will bring together our Government Relations operation with the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL), creating better coordination of our deep connections in the Bronx, Manhattan, and beyond. He will work with CCEL on the administration of the Fordham EPA grant. And he will bring proven expertise in raising major government funds for academic initiatives.  

As a proud alumnus of the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) at St. Lawrence University, Travis brings a strong commitment to the power of educational opportunity. He has led efforts to expand New York’s investment in access to higher education.

We are grateful to Dr. Michael Trerotola, chief of staff, who chaired the search committee, and to the members of the committee members (listed below) for their outstanding work in identifying and recruiting such a talented individual, and to all of the faculty and administrators who interviewed the finalists. 

Please join us in welcoming Travis to Fordham!

Sincerely,
Tania Tetlow
President

Tokumbo Shobowale
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer

Search Committee:
Dr. Michael Trerotola, Chair
Chief of Staff

Dr. Anita Vazquez Batisti
Associate Dean and Founding Director of the Center for Educational Partnerships, Graduate School of Education

Holly Curtis
Assistant Provost for Corporate Relations

James Felton III
Vice President for Equity and Inclusion

Dr. Christina Greer
Associate Professor of Political Science

Jane Martinez
Director of Media Relations and Deputy University Spokesperson

Nancy Totino
Senior Director of Development, Mission and Public Impact Initiatives

Human Resources Liaison:
Stacey Vasquez
Director of HR Strategy and Operations