Marc Donovan ’05 is director of Facilities and Campus Planning and has been at Union College for 11 years. Being an alumnus and part of a team that is responsible for the care and custody of the institution makes the job very special for him.

“My wife and I cherished our time at Union, where we met, so making a positive impact at the College is personally fulfilling.”

After graduating from Union, Marc and his girlfriend (now wife) moved to Boston, where he began a career in construction as an engineer. Being part of massive building projects ($200M+) was fun and exciting, however, to better balance life and start a family Marc transitioned to facilities management at Union in 2013.

“Here, I get a taste of all worlds—construction, engineering and best of all, higher education culture. It’s truly fantastic.”

Marc and his wife, Betsy McPhail ’05, live in Ballston Lake with their two children, McKenna and Kelsey.

“They keep us quite busy with dance, volleyball, soccer and tons of activities. We enjoy vacationing and visiting our family, which is scattered between North Carolina, South Carolina and New York. Locally, you will find us strolling around Saratoga often, visiting many of the restaurants and scenes.

We also do quite a bit of other traveling throughout the country (being honest mostly east coast beach locations). Now, with our girls getting a little older, we’ll begin international travel with them next year. This year, we’ll be traveling to St. Vincent and we’ll sail off on a Halloween Disney Cruise.”

FIRST APP YOU LOOK AT IN THE MORNING:

Generally, when I wake up, I open up an email, then the campus Building Automation System (exciting I know). After that, I am guilty of TikTok and perhaps Instagram to check in on friends and current events.

GO-TO BREAKFAST:

I’ve never been one to prioritize breakfast. That said I generally am on the run very early in the morning with a glass of water and banana/oatmeal as I head out the door.

WHAT’S THE LAST GREAT BOOK YOU READ?

I read a ton of children’s books nowadays. My 9-year-old and I are starting the Harry Potter books. Personally, my last three books/series were “The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band,” “Inheritance Series,” and “Slowhand: Life and Music of Eric Clapton.”

BEST ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED:

Live life in the moment. If COVID has taught us anything, it’s that we need to all enjoy life a bit more. This is something that is a recent personal goal for me, and the catalyst for me to become healthier as well as to enjoy what is going on around me at this moment.

FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT:

My family has a condo in Myrtle Beach and it feels like home when I’m there. We’re in Cherry Grove, so out of the chaos, but close enough to it that we can adventure into the chaos as much as we want. With a 6- and 9-year-old, we tend to do many things when we are there, however, I enjoy good music and a chair on the beach with my girls.

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING RIGHT NOW?:

This particular moment my wife and I are running dry on shows! The Eras Tour is on my TV frequently on Disney+, but some recent shows we’ve enjoyed: “Death and Other Details,” “Ozark,” “Yellowstone” (where is season 5.5 + 6?!). Some nights we have intense races of Mario Kart on Nintendo Switch!

ONE SKILL YOU WISH YOU HAD:

Carpentry. I have a strong masonry background, however, I’ve never honed my skills as a carpenter and it’s something that always amazes me.

THREE DINNER PARTY GUESTS (living or deceased):

James Hetfield: The creative side of music is intriguing and being the frontman of a band (Metallica) that has been around since I was born has its challenges and I’m sure the stories would be fantastic. Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson has a career path that thrives on hard work and dedication to causes. I’ve admired his portfolio and would love to sit down and chat! Travis and Jason Kelce: They host my favorite podcast (New Heights Podcast) and are hilarious. I’d love for them to come over and host a live show/dinner party. They bring to light the reality of sports that oftentimes does not get discussed (good or bad). If Travis could bring along his girlfriend (Taylor Swift), I’d be nominated for dad of the year.

FIRST CONCERT:

I remember it like it was yesterday because of the furry bunny guitars and long beards -- ZZ Top. I was very young, but my father and I have always listened to great rock music together!

LITTLE KNOWN FACT ABOUT YOU:

I enjoy playing guitar. My mom taught me how to play as a kid and I’ve played ever since. Unfortunately, with young kids, that time has shrunk, but when I can play, it is enjoyable and relaxing.