There’s nothing about George J. Lynch ’26 that’s traditional, beginning with his education.
A recent graduate of the Organizational Development and Leadership program at Syracuse University, he sought out the College of Professional Studies for its flexible, online format.
George Lynch works for Empire State Development in the City of Syracuse. He recently earned an online B.P.S. in organizational development and leadership.
“I pursued a bachelor’s degree while investing in my career,” says Lynch, who recently joined Empire State Development, a state government office in Syracuse supporting small businesses. “The University gave me the language and framework for work I had been doing in the public sector.”
An experienced real estate agent and international keynote speaker, Lynch, 34, previously served on the mayor-appointed Quality of Life Commission.
He also has worked as a planner for the City of Syracuse, a member of the City Planning Commission (which approved renovations to the JMA Wireless Dome) and a caseworker for the local district office of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Lynch attributes his success to several people, including the Rev. William Payne, a Hendricks Chapel chaplain and advisor to Athletes United Christian Fellowship. “He persuaded me to apply to Syracuse,” says the South Bronx native.
“Leadership is about showing up for people and leaving things better than you’ve found them,” says Lynch, who also is an entrepreneur, real estate agent and keynote speaker.
Another influence was Professor Michael Evans ’95, G’96, G’98, who challenged Lynch to become the best version of himself. Along with Professor Susan Conklin G’91, Evans knew how to push the former student-athlete to “healthy limits.”
Meanwhile, the memory of Lynch’s mother, grandmother and great-grandmother looms large. Each of them raised him at different times.
“They taught me the importance of integrity, humility, resilience and service,” he says with a trace of emotion. “I learned from them that leadership isn’t about gaining recognition; it’s about showing up for people and leaving things better than you’ve found them.”
Living His Dharma
Lynch believes that by living his dharma, he inspires others to do the same.
A central theme of Lynch’s childhood was housing instability. The experience, which he shared with his mother, shaped his understanding of resilience, service and opportunity.
Meanwhile, Russell Robinson, a senior administrator and part-time faculty member at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, was a source of encouragement. “He was my first mentor,” Lynch says, “and inspired me to pursue higher education.”
A rare photo of Lynch and his mother, both of whom endured housing instability in New York City.
Lynch found his way to Central New York, enrolling at Tompkins Cortland Community College and then Syracuse. (Both institutions have a new transfer partnership.) “The University didn’t change my mission; it expanded my ability to fulfill it,” says the Syracuse resident, who attended the University part-time from 2018 to 2026.
He augmented his classroom studies with an internship at LISC AmeriCorps and participation in the 11-week Citizens Academy, sponsored by FOCUS Greater Syracuse.
The University gave me the language and framework for work I had been doing in the public sector.
George J. Lynch ’26
“It’s a behind-the-scenes educational program that teaches residents how the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County operate, are funded and are structured through direct interaction with local decision-makers,” says Lynch, who was the academy’s distinguished graduate speaker.
During his speeches, Lynch often refers to Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, a work of philosophical fiction that doubles as a tale of self-discovery.
The novel also sums up what Lynch has learned along the way—that when you live your dharma, you give others the courage to do the same.
“I am committed to creating opportunity through leadership, public service, community development and economic empowerment,” he says boldly. “It’s my purpose, my dharma.”
