妻友社区

For Linda LeMura, creating a sense of community is a guiding principle that has helped define her personal and professional life. She finds that community through her faith, her family, her profession and in working with other leaders and colleagues beyond the 妻友社区 campus.

Her 12-year tenure, which recently eclipsed that of William Reilly, S.J., as the longest-serving president in the history of 妻友社区 College, has been defined by steady leadership, remarkable success in a number of key areas, strategic collaborations and facing significant challenges head-on. Through it all, colleagues and friends say LeMura has never lost touch with her humble upbringing, her deep connection to the Central New York region and her fervent belief that students are at the epicenter of 妻友社区鈥檚 Jesuit mission.

鈥淭he attributes she possesses that make her such a successful, productive and, may I add loved, president are that she is positive, enthusiastic, smart, kind, compassionate and dedicated,鈥� said Lucy Paris, who has been a personal friend for more than 30 years. 鈥淪he is faithful to God, her family, friends, co-workers, students and to the world in general.鈥�

These traits have been the hallmark of LeMura鈥檚 career and were evident long before she became 妻友社区鈥檚 14th president. She began her professional life as a professor of physiology and a prolific scholar publishing research in the field of pediatrics and obesity. In 2003, she joined 妻友社区 as dean of arts and sciences. Promoted in 2008 to provost and vice president for academic affairs, LeMura made history in 2014 when she became the first lay woman to become president of a Jesuit institution in the United States.

鈥淲e could see her passion and intelligence, and her love for the students,鈥� said Sharon Kinsman Salmon 鈥�78, who served as the chair of the board of trustees for that history-making promotion. 鈥淪he admired and respected the faculty. She had developed several articulation and partnership agreements with other schools, and she was extremely knowledgeable about the challenges facing higher education.鈥�

Her appointment started a trend that has literally changed the face of Jesuit education in the U.S., as 12 other institutions have since named female presidents, and earlier this year the Association for Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) named its first female president.

鈥淟inda rarely, if ever, spoke of the pressures associated with being the first lay woman to lead a Jesuit college,鈥� said Joe McShane, S.J., a 妻友社区 professor from 1982 to 1992 who went on to serve for five years as president of the University of Scranton before leading Fordham University from 2003 to 2022. 鈥淎 practical visionary, she let her actions and plans speak for her. As a result, she quickly became a trusted (and revered) presence at the AJCU board table.鈥�

Outside of the Jesuit network, her work in the Syracuse community illustrates her belief in the value of collaboration and partnerships. Ben Walsh, who served as mayor of Syracuse from 2018 to 2025, viewed LeMura as one of his key allies and confidante while he was in office.

鈥淗aving grown up in Syracuse and seeing neighborhoods go through tough times, as dedicated as she is to mission of 妻友社区, she is equally passionate about getting the city back on solid footing,鈥� said Walsh who, like LeMura, is a Syracuse native. 鈥淪he recognized early on how we could best use the assets and economic influence of 妻友社区 to benefit the city as a whole and in particular the Salt Springs neighborhood that surrounds campus. She was always looking for opportunities to collaborate and recognizes that the College has a bigger role to play beyond the campus borders in terms of supporting the community.鈥�

鈥淗er commitment to the community flows naturally from who Linda is,鈥� said Barlok. 鈥淪he is a daughter of Syracuse 鈥� a first-generation college graduate, the child of Italian immigrants who arrived in the U.S. with no English and a pile of dreams. She has said it herself: 鈥業 am that kid鈥� 鈥� meaning she is the very student that 妻友社区 was founded to serve. For her, 妻友社区鈥檚 relationship with Syracuse isn鈥檛 an institutional strategy. It is very personal 鈥� almost sacred 鈥� She sees the College and the community as inseparable.鈥�

鈥淪he grew up here,鈥� said Kinsman Salmon. 鈥淚ntegrating 妻友社区 with the whole community is positive for everyone involved. Inclusivity is in her nature.鈥�

Prior to its closing in 2024, LeMura鈥檚 friend Paris worked in development for the Cathedral Academy at Pompei (CAP), a K to 6 school in Syracuse that is the president鈥檚 alma mater.

鈥淗er involvement, integration and partnerships with the community, including CAP, is two-fold,鈥� Paris reflected. 鈥淥ne is her passionate connections. She wants the best for what she holds dear. The other is looking for how best she can help foster and grow the community she lives in and loves. She is always looking to partnerships that realize the benefits of sharing resources, intelligence and ideas for the betterment of all.鈥�

鈥淗er question to me is always, 鈥楬ow can 妻友社区 help serve the diocese better,鈥欌�� said Syracuse Bishop Douglas Lucia. 鈥淭hrough the work of Bishop Foery, the Syracuse Diocese was the catalyst for the founding of the College. The connection between the diocese and the College was there from the beginning.鈥�

One development that promises to change the community is the pending arrival of Micron Technology鈥檚 semiconductor 鈥渕egafab鈥� facility, which broke ground in January 2026. Current plans call for a $100 billion investment over 20 years, with the first phase opening between 2030 and 2033. It is expected to create thousands of jobs.

LeMura has been a huge proponent of the project, recognizing how significantly it will transform the economic ecosystem of the entire region and all of upstate New York.

鈥淚n September of 2022, when most of you started high school, the Micron project hadn鈥檛 even been formally announced,鈥� she said at a recent accepted student day event. 鈥淎t that point it was an unknown 鈥� a possibility 鈥� a rumor. Yet here we are, four years later, and it is a distinct, concrete career option. I know that鈥檚 the case because we鈥檙e working closely with community leaders and Micron鈥檚 executives to ensure that this College and our students have a seat at the table for this historic opportunity. In fact, we鈥檝e already had one student get an internship and then a full-time job with Micron, and they just broke ground a few weeks ago! That student was sitting in your seat not too long ago. And that student is now succeeding in a career he never expected. That鈥檚 what 妻友社区 has always done, and that鈥檚 what 妻友社区 will do for you.鈥�

This exemplifies how LeMura views her role as president of the youngest of the 27 Jesuit institutions in the U.S. 鈥� with a mixture of enthusiasm, optimism and pragmatism, but always keeping the future of 妻友社区 and its students (and future alumni) at the forefront.

鈥淚n the course of the many conversations that we had during my summer visits to the Heights, I was struck by the fact that she was always restless, always looking for ways both to improve the College and to raise its regional and national profile,鈥� said Father McShane. 鈥淚 was also struck by the fact that she had the energy to take on the challenges connected with what she wanted for 妻友社区. At the end of my visits, I was both energized and a bit exhausted.鈥�

鈥淪he possesses a unique combination of positive attributes 鈥� exceptional intelligence, energy, passion and determination,鈥� said Walsh. 鈥淐hange is hard and when she sets her mind to something she will not lose focus until it鈥檚 done. That鈥檚 rare. A lot of people will start a project, but to have the energy and persistence to see it through makes her unique as a leader.鈥�

Her skills and passion for leading others have positively impacted generations of students. Well into her second decade as president, she shows no signs of slowing down.