Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Appointed to the United States Naval Academy from the State of New York, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science and was commissioned an Ensign in June 1978. He was later awarded the degree, Master of Public Administration, from The University of Memphis in 2000.

 

His Navy experiences included seven years of sea duty on four ships, as well as significant leadership assignments ashore in training, recruiting, and as an investigator / Inspector General, including as the Dean of Students (Regimental Officer), U, S. Naval Officer Candidate School, Newport, RI, and later, command of Navy Recruiting District, Nashville (one of 31 Districts nationwide; encompassing parts of six States).

 

Commander Fitzgerald has served as a member of the Siena College community, both as a faculty member and as an administrator since 2002, following his retirement from the U.S. Navy in 2001, after 23 1/2 years on active duty. At Siena, he was the recipient of the Siena College Award for Excellence in Administration, AY 2009-2010. His teaching and research interests include: Public Policy, American History, Political Theory, Governmental and Non-Profit Administration, Leadership, Labor Relations, and Ethics. He has taught the following courses: Management, Marketing, Labor Relations, Business Communication, Leadership in Organizations, Ethics in Business and Society, and Gateway to Health Studies. Additionally, he taught the two semester, inter-disciplinary course required of all Siena Freshmen for four years. During the Siena College School of Business’ AACSB Initial Accreditation efforts in 2005 / 2006 and subsequently, he has served as AACSB Coordinator on the staff of the Dean of Business. From November 2005 until January 2014, his primary administrative position was Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs (Operations). During AY 2014-2015, he served as the consultant to the Siena College / Albany Medical College Program in Science, Humanities and Medicine, developing a comprehensive Transition Plan for the upcoming retirement of its Founder and Director since the program’s inception in 1986. Since 2015, he has served twice as interim Associate Dean of Business; Coordinator of the newly implemented Major in Business; and Coordinator, Health Administration Track, Major in Health Studies. Since Summer 2020, he has been the interim Director, Health Studies Program, an interdisciplinary program of the College, supported by all three Schools – Science, Business, and Liberal Arts. He retired from Siena College on June 30, 2023.

 

Professionally, he is a member of the American Society for Public Administration, the U.S. Naval Institute, and the Military Officers Association of America.

    

In the local community, Commander Fitzgerald remains a longstanding member of the Board of Directors, Wildwood Programs, Inc., a non-profit organization supporting individuals living with complex learning disabilities, autism, and other neurological disorders. He has served in a variety of positions, including President and Vice President for multiple terms. Previously, during the mid-1990s, he had served as Vice President, St. Coletta Society of Northern Virginia, the governing Board of Directors for St. Coletta School, Arlington, VA, a school for “special needs” children, now located in Washington, DC. His focus on Disability Services and Special Education in his volunteer work is in tribute to his late son, Christopher. 

 

Additionally, from 2015 - 2018, he served as a member and President of the Board of Directors of Friends of Fontaine, Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 2011, to support Siena graduate, Pierre-Louis Joizil, in his endeavors to build and sustain a middle / high school, St. Gabriel’s School, in his native village of Fontaine, Haiti, while also providing health services to the Fontaine community.

 

Finally, Commander Fitzgerald has been a member of the Albany Academy Alumni Association Board of Directors, currently serving as President (2022-2025). Previously, he served as Vice President and Chair, Athletic Hall of Fame Committee.

 

Commander Fitzgerald is married to the former Eva Marie Pearce; they reside in North Greenbush, NY.