On the Rise Podcast

About On the Rise Podcast

The "On the Rise Podcast" is brought to you by the Iona University Office of Alumni Engagement, highlighting the wide variety of skillsets and strengths of the alumni community.

Publisher

Iona University Office of Alumni Engagement

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 May 2025

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   40 Years of Service at Iona with J. Kevin Devlin CFC, Ed.D., ’61

   Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Woodside, Queens, New York, Brother James Kevin Devlin’s life has been joyous in teaching and educational administration since 1961. His career has taken him from Montreal, Canada and Warwick, RI to New Rochelle at Iona Grammar School, Iona Prep School and over 40 years at Iona University in a multitude of departments. Two areas of special energy are HOPE Community Services in New Rochelle and formerly Abraham House, in Bronx, New York. Graduating from St. Sebastian’s Grammar School, Power Memorial Academy, and in 1961 from Iona, Kevin earned a master's degree from Seton Hall and an Ed.D. from Fordham University in 1998. Family has brought multiple blessings from mother Ellen and father Louis, brothers Tony and Mike, sister, Ellen, brother-in-law, Roy, nephew, Kevin, and nieces Laura, Cathleen and Beth, all alumni of Iona. And friends continue to bring energy and enrichment every day. Witnessing the magnificence of God’s earth through photography has been a special gift. Participating in the community life of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers and the Chrisitan Brothers’ Schools, especially at Iona, brings unique blessings and joy. The interactions of the Iona community students with one another, faculty, administration, and staff are deeply meaningful. “Teaching and education have been pure gifts from God. There has never been a moment since 1961 that I did not want to teach or work in education. I am most thankful for this joy-filled life as an Edmund Rice Christian Brother and as an educator,” reflects Brother Devlin.

2. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Episode 22 - From Iona to the FBI Seamus McElearny'89

   Séamus McElearney began his distinguished career with the FBI in 1998, joining Squad C-10 of the New York Organized Crime Branch. Tasked with investigating the Bonanno and DeCavalcante crime families—infamously known as “the real Sopranos”—Séamus quickly made his mark. In December 1999, he was assigned to arrest Anthony Capo, a violent soldier in the DeCavalcante family, as part of a sweeping indictment. Not only did he safely execute the arrest, but he also achieved a historic breakthrough: persuading Capo to become the first made member in the family’s century-long history to cooperate with law enforcement. This unprecedented move triggered a domino effect of cooperation that ultimately led to the dismantling of the DeCavalcante family. In all, 71 defendants were convicted, 11 murders were solved, and seven trials transpired. As a result, Séamus and the team received the U.S. Attorney’s Office Director’s Award. Following this six-year investigation, Séamus was promoted to lead Squad C-38, overseeing the Colombo crime family. Under his leadership, the squad dismantled the Colombos through a series of operations—including spearheading the largest Mafia takedown in FBI history. The Bonanno squad was later merged into C-38 under his command. As Supervisor, Séamus oversaw investigations that led to the conviction of more than 200 defendants, the resolution of 20 murders, and nine successful trials—driven by relentless teamwork. Throughout his career as an Agent and Supervisor, Séamus helped convict ten Mafia bosses, recover five bodies, and solve the murder of an NYPD officer. He was part of historic FBI teams that dismantled three organized crime families—an achievement no one else can claim. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the fight against organized crime, Séamus was invited to the White House in 2013, where he was personally commended by the President. His work has earned numerous honors, including: • Service to America Medal Finalist • Federal Executive Board Outstanding Supervisor Award • NYPD Chief of Detectives Achievement Award • Federal Law Enforcement Foundation Investigator of the Year • FBI Medal of Excellence • Irish Echo Top 50 Leader in Law Enforcement · Commendations from the Italian National Police and Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) • Numerous citations from U.S. Attorney’s Offices of the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York After completing his term as Supervisor in 2013, Séamus returned to casework, shifting to violent crime. He led the first-ever RICO indictment against a Mount Vernon street gang, resulting in its dismantlement. In 2016, he transitioned to white-collar, leading numerous fraud investigations until retiring from the FBI in 2019. Currently, Séamus is the Global Head of Corporate Security for a major financial institution.

3. 

   10 Sept 2026

   Inside the President's Bunker on 9/11 with Robert Darling '87

   In October 2007, Lieutenant Colonel Darling retired from the United States Marine Corps with just over twenty years of active-duty service. He flew attack helicopters in Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the first Gulf War and in Somalia, Africa, in support of Operation Restore Hope. In June 1998, he was selected to fly as a presidential pilot with Marine Helicopter Squadron One and in October 2000, was handpicked to work for the White House Military Office, Airlift Operations Department. It was in that capacity that Lt. Col. Darling supported the President, Vice President and National Security Advisor in the President's Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) on September 11, 2001. As a public speaker on crisis leadership and decision making, Bob has addressed numerous academic, government, and military organizations to include Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and as a guest lecturer on the subject of Crisis Leadership and Counterterrorism at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Bob is the author of 24 Hours Inside the President’s Bunker, 9/11/01: The White House. He is the President and CEO of Flash Emergency Management, a crisis leadership training and technology company located in Stafford, Virginia.

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Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.