Iona College Names Kyle Byrne ’15, ’20MBA as Inaugural Coordinator for Student & Alumni Engagement in the LaPenta School of Business
Newly created position focuses on advancing students’ professional goals while giving alumni an impactful way to support the next generation of Gaels.
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — As part of its ongoing commitment to forge meaningful connections between students and alumni, Iona College has appointed Kyle Byrne ’15, ’20MBA as its first coordinator for student and alumni engagement in the LaPenta School of Business. In this position, Byrne will act as a bridge between the student body and alumni community, leveraging Iona’s robust alumni network while creating pathways to advance undergraduate and graduate business students’ career knowledge and professional goals.
“We’re so fortunate to be part of one of the most impressive alumni networks in the country, full of highly successful leaders who want to help guide our students in their careers. At Iona we like to say, ‘Gaels Take Care of Gaels,’ and mentorship is an actual way for alumni to make a difference in students’ lives,” said Byrne.
Byrne has spent the past four years in Iona’s Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Office as an undergraduate admissions counselor, working with students applying from across New England, as well as all international students. During Byrne’s time in Admissions, Iona saw a 32 percent increase in enrollment in just the past two years – an impressive feat in the midst of a pandemic.
Prior to working at Iona, Byrne spent two years in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he taught English and developed a media program at a private K-12 school. Upon his return to the U.S., Byrne became a news producer for what was then Verizon FiOS 1 News in Westchester.
This newly created position builds upon the College’s strategic vision of providing mentorship opportunities as a cornerstone of the Iona experience. This past fall, Iona launched its innovative Gaels Go Further Mentoring Program – a platform that matches students with a dedicated alumni mentor who is responsible for guiding them in their career paths.
The announcement also comes as Iona continues to forge ahead on its path of innovation, seeking to build upon the legacy of the newly redesigned LaPenta School of Business. Among its many accolades, the LaPenta School of Business was recognized by the Princeton Review as a “Best Business School for 2021.” In 2021, its accreditation was extended by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), after demonstrating through a rigorous process that the school continues to meet AACSB’s highest standards of business education.
Byrne will work alongside Lynne Richardson, who arrived at Iona in July 2021 as dean of the LaPenta School of Business after serving as business dean of three varied institutions. “I knew as soon as I arrived that we needed a staff member dedicated to helping students enhance their professional goals. Additionally, everywhere I have worked, I’ve learned that alumni want to give back to their alma mater… one of the ways they love to do so is helping students make business connections. Kyle’s background in Admissions and as a two-time Gael himself, makes him a natural choice to lead this effort in the LaPenta School of Business,” she said.
Byrne received a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Strategic Communication in 2015 as well as a Master of Business Administration from Iona in 2020. Byrne also teaches at the College as an adjunct professor of Communication Studies and is a member of the Alumni Board of Directors.
Contact Information
Kyle Byrne ’15, ’20MBA
Email: kbyrne@iona.edu
Phone: (914) 637-2789
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2025 national list of “The Best 390 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.