James A. Dowd -- who currently serves Pathfinder Bank as president and chief executive officer of the company and bank -- will keynote SUNY Oswego's December 2025 Commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 13.

December Commencement will begin at 10 a.m. in the Marano Campus Center's Deborah F. Stanley Arena and Convocation Hall.

A 1989 SUNY Oswego accounting graduate and certified public accountant, Dowd is known for his leadership contributions toward the Oswego-based Pathfinder Bank's success as well as a significant amount of community involvement.

He joined Pathfinder Bank in 1994, as controller and has since held many prominent roles within the organization. In 1999, he was promoted to chief financial officer followed by his additional appointment as chief operating officer in 2017. 

Most recently, Dowd held the position of executive vice president and chief operating officer until his appointment to chief executive officer in 2022. He has played a significant role in the physical expansion of the bank into Onondaga County, overall deposit growth and the bank’s increased brand recognition and enhanced reputation in its new markets. 

Dowd currently serves as the treasurer of the Board of the Oswego County Land Bank, an active board member of CenterState CEO and as vice president of the Board for Riverside Cemetery and is a board member for the Oswego Renaissance Association. In addition, he spent 13 years in a leadership role with Oswego Harbor Festivals Inc., including two years as the festival’s president. He was also a long-term Board member of Arts and Culture for Oswego County.

After graduating from SUNY Oswego, Dowd started his career with Coopers & Lybrand, the public accounting firm in their Syracuse office. He spent more than five years with the company and left the firm as a business assurance manager.

SUNY Oswego's December Commencement ceremony will honor hundreds of undergraduates and graduate students in front of family, friends and supporters both in person and via live stream on the university's YouTube channel, youtube.com/sunyoswegovideo.

For more information, visit oswego.edu/commencement.