As the chancellor’s orange hat changes owners from Kenneth A. Shaw to Nancy Cantor next fall, the gavel of the Board of Trustees will also be passed to a new chair.

John Couri, a 1963 graduate of The College of Arts and Sciences, will become the new chairman of the board, replacing Joe Lampe, who has held the position for the last six years.

‘I’m very much honored to have been selected to be the chairman, and I’m looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead – working with the new chancellor, and learning and working with the university going forward,’ Couri said.

Couri’s support for Cantor was pivotal to the chancellor search committee’s selection, said Daniel Mezzalingua, vice chair of the Board of Trustees.

‘His particular vote on her selection was critical because I don’t think they would’ve gone forward if he wasn’t 100 percent in favor of her or couldn’t relate to her,’ Mezzalingua said.

Couri, elected vice chair last spring and designated to take over at the end of Lampe’s current term, has worked closely with Lampe to prepare for the transition.

‘(Lampe has) energized and modernized the board,’ Mezzalingua said. ‘I think he’s brought in governance, and has organized it in such a fashion that everyone is really very much involved, and very dedicated. (Lampe) has brought a touch of professionalism to it. He’s done an excellent job.’

Lampe created an executive committee, which rotates members among the board members throughout the year, that was particularly effective at increasing involvement, said Mezzalingua. Lampe also instituted a nominations system including a new committee that has helped find quality board members.

Couri also praised Lampe’s contributions.

‘We’re looking forward to (Lampe) still being a very active board member, and being involved in assisting with the board nominations committee,’ Couri said. ‘His love for Syracuse University and his dedication and interest have been second to none.’

Couri was confident that he would be able to use his business experience and relationship with Cantor to fulfill the duties of the position and continue Lampe’s work as chairman.

‘Running a university, in many ways, is much like running a corporation,’ Couri said, pointing out similarities such as budget planning, managing employees and the construction of new facilities. ‘All of that we’ve done as part of our business career over the years, and there’s no substitute for experience.’

Couri was involved in the Army ROTC program and the Sigma Nu fraternity while at Syracuse University, where he met Carl Reimerdes, his business partner for 30 years after graduation.

Reimerdes and Couri worked together to form Duty Free International in 1983, a publicly traded company that employed around 2,500 employees.

‘What forms the basis of your foundation?’ Couri said. ‘Your education and the years you spend at Syracuse University.’

Currently, Couri serves as the president of two non-profit organizations: The Couri Foundation, which has sent 1,000 underprivileged or deserving youth to a camp in Bangor, Maine, for a 10-day stay over the last 17 years; and The Ridgefield Senior Center Foundation and Founder’s Hall, which provide services to the elderly.

‘Our philosophy is that you try to give back,’ Couri said. ‘You try to help people and do things that are good for society.’

Couri was awarded the George Arents Pioneer Medal for Excellence in Business in 1993 from SU, which honors alumni for excellence in their chosen career.

Couri was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 22, 1941, and received a bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration from SU in 1963. Following that, he served as a First Lieutenant in the U. S. Army from 1964 to 1966 in southern Germany.

Mezzalingua was very supportive of Couri’s selection.

‘(Couri) has got great charisma and he’s got fabulous contacts throughout the NYC area, and will be more in tune with alumni,’ Mezzalingua said. ‘He brings a very intuitive analysis of decisions, as far as business decisions and the dollars and cents associate with those decisions.’

Couri contributed prominently to fund-raising, recruiting new trustees and creating the budget during his time on the board, Mezzalingua said.

‘We just try to look at each decision, each thing that requires, and try to do what’s right for the university,’ Couri said.

Published on April 14, 2004 at 12:00 pm