Gene M. O'Hara

Eugene M. O’Hara is the epitome of a self-starter who transformed his dreams into success as both a business leader and a public servant. He began his career in the auditing department of Prudential Insurance Company in 1955 and worked his way up the company ladder while attending University College–Newark in the evening. He was named vice president of accounting at Prudential in 1971, and in 1982, he became senior vice president and comptroller. Ten years later, he was named Prudential’s first chief financial officer. He retired in 1995 after a 40-year career with the company, but he has not retired from the many organizations he’s been involved with for years. O’Hara has selflessly given his time to Rutgers, having served as chair of the university’s Board of Governors and on the Board of Trustees, the Rutgers University Foundation Board of Overseers, and the President’s Council. He has also been chair of Cathedral Healthcare System in Newark and a member of the boards of Monmouth University and Monmouth Mental Health Association. O’Hara currently is chair emeritus of the Board of Trustees for St. Benedict’s Preparatory School, his alma mater. Through his inspiration and support, a significant number of St. Benedict’s graduates attend Rutgers, especially the Newark Campus, each year.