John J. Hurley ‘78 is executive vice president and vice president for College Relations at Canisius College, a position he has held since August 1997. He oversees the college’s advancement operation, which includes development, public relations, creative and Web services, alumni relations and government relations.Hurley led the college’s advancement team during the Imagine Canisius capital campaign which concluded on June 30, 2000 with $39 million raised, 30 percent over goal. He was the architect of the college’s innovative EmployerAssisted Housing program, which offers incentives to Canisius employee who purchase homes in neighborhoods surrounding the college. He also worked with the college’s president, Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., to acquire the HealthNow building on Main Street. Plans are underway to convert the building into a comprehensive state of the art science center for Canisius.
Hurley is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute, Canisius College (BA, English and history, summa cum laude) and the University of Notre Dame Law School. Prior to coming to Canisius, he practiced law for 16 years including 13 years at the Buffalo firm of Phillips, Lytle, Hitchcock, Blaine & Huber.
Hurley was a member of the City of Buffalo’s Charter Revision Commission in 1998-1999. He is a past president of The Buffalo Club, the Canisius College Alumni Association, the St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute Board of Trustees and The Arts Council in Buffalo & Erie County. He has served as Chair of the Taste of Buffalo and Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME).
Hurley was inducted as a Distinguished Alumnus of Canisius College in 2002. He is also the recipient of Business First’s Forty Under 40 Award (1993), the Canisius College LaSalle Medal for exceptional service to the college (1996), HOME’s James Crawford and Director’s Awards for outstanding service to the cause of fair housing (1990, 1997), Notre Dame’s Exemplar Award (1997), and the YMCA’s Toast to Buffalo Award (1997). He was inducted into the St. Joe’s Signum Fidei Society in 1998.