Markiewicz Selected as Fall Commencement Speaker

Markiewicz Selected as Fall Commencement Speaker 

D’Youville announced today that Joyce Markiewicz ‘80 will speak at its Fall Commencement Ceremony on Friday, December 13. There ceremony will be held at the College Center at 2:30 PM.  

Markiewicz, the executive vice president and chief business development officer for Catholic Health, will address the cohort of students along with their family and friends at the ceremony.  

“I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with the graduating class from the college that gave me the knowledge and confidence to have an amazing career,” says Markiewicz. “As an alumna, I have such a strong foundation from my nursing education and it has lead me in many directions.”

A lifelong Buffalo native and the youngest of six children, Markiewicz received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from D’Youville in 1980 and her executive Master of Business Administration degree from the University at Buffalo in 2003.   

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Joyce Markiewicz '80, executive vice president and chief business development officer for Catholic Health.

Markiewicz has a knack for developing partnerships for Catholic Health, including one that hits close to home with D’Youville’s Health Professions Hub and her work is helping to ensure that project becomes a reality.  

“Catholic Health and D’Youville have strong missions and it is important for organizations like ours to be sure that we not only live our mission within our walls but we also share our gifts with the community,” says Markiewicz. “Providing educational opportunities to the community as a hand up instead of hand out and aligning that with a welcoming site for primary care is foundational to a healthy community.”  

Speaking with Markiewicz, one can see the passion she has for helping those in the most vulnerable populations and why she was named Business First Women of Influence for nonprofit leadership in 2012 as well as earned a spot on the Business First Most Powerful Women List from 2014-2019. 

Markiewicz credits her education at D’Youville for her better understanding of all of the different needs of the patient, not just biologically, but psychologically, socially, and spiritually. “This is what really elevated me as a clinician,” she says. “These are the components of care delivery that have remained at the core of all of my experience in healthcare. As a bed side nurse or chief business development officer, understanding these aspects of care delivery leads to better outcomes and better patient care.” 

When asked to speak at her alma mater, the decision for Markiewicz was an easy one. She hopes that students walk away with something valuable. “Healthcare changes every day — it is no longer transactional but requires commitment to improving our communities,” she reflects. “Today is just the beginning and the possibilities are only limited by imagination and drive. The power of education and knowledge is the foundation. Each of these new graduates now have the ability to do more than find a job, they have the tools to find their calling.”  

When Markiewicz isn't managing hundreds of employees or acquiring new partnerships, she is all about her family.

“When I’m not working, I focus on my family. I could never have done all that I have without my husband Frank’s ongoing support,” says Markiewicz. “He has often been doing far more than his share for the past 38 years in order to give me flexibility and time to commit to my career."

“My children are all adults and we try and spend as much time together as possible. I travel to Chicago a few times per month to spend time with my two-year-old granddaughter,” she adds. Even executive vice presidents need to wind down. “I love to read and cook and occasionally binge watch something on Netflix.”