BUFFALO, NY - Life is ‘suite’ for Christopher P. Devine ’98. The certified public account from Milton, MA, oversees nearly $6 billion in assets as chief financial officer for the Pyramid Hotel Group, one of the largest hotel management companies in the U.S.
Surely, Devine says, his accounting degree from Canisius yielded high returns. But he credits his college education for teaching him more than number crunching.
Devine describes his role as editor-in-chief for The Griffin as “an invaluable experience.” He learned persistence, time management and leadership – “many of the dynamics that make up today’s business world.”
Then, there were those hard-won lessons he learned about writing, communicating and editing from Melvin W. Schroeder. The late associate professor of English and moderator of The Griffin became a longtime mentor and friend to Devine, and was “instrumental” to his personal and professional development.
Grateful for Schroeder’s guidance, Devine recently made a multi-year commitment to the Mel Schroeder Memorial Scholarship. Established in 2012 after Schroeder’s passing, the scholarship provides funding for two students to attend the Yeats International Summer School in Sligo, Ireland. A newly-elected member of the Board of Trustees, Devine is also a loyal donor to the Canisius Fund, and similarly made a multi-year, unrestricted commitment to the annual giving campaign, which provides essential funding for tuition and scholarship assistance. Of his benevolent giving at Canisius, Devine says he “wants to invest in the education that invested so much in him to help ensure similar successes for the next generation of Canisius students.”
