Oakley begins second stint with QU Board of Trustees

QUINCY — Quincy University’s Board of Trustees has elected Ralph Oakley ’80 as its newest member. He began his board service in February.

Oakley became the president and CEO of Quincy Media Inc., formerly Quincy Newspapers Inc., in 2009 after working for the company in various operational and management positions since 1970. He retired when the company was sold in 2021.

“We are honored and privileged to welcome Ralph Oakley back to the board,” said Del Mitchell, chair of the QU Board of Trustees. “Ralph is one of our city’s most respected community leaders and is a wonderful advocate for the university. He will certainly bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and leadership to our board.”

QU announced in September it received a gift from the Oakley family of $6.5 million, the largest single philanthropic investment in the history of the school. The money represents a substantial investment in student scholarships and institutional funds, as well as an improvement for some QU academic facilities. The university renamed its school of business as the Oakley School of Business. 

The gift came less than two months after Gray Television completed a $925 million acquisition of Quincy Media, Inc. and its divestment of ten QMI stations in the seven Gray/QMI overlap markets to Byron Allen’s Allen Media Broadcasting, LLC.

An active member in the broadcast industry, Oakley served as a trustee on the National Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors and its political action committee, the NBC Television Affiliate Association, the Television Bureau of Advertising and the ABC Television Affiliate Board of Governors. He also served as past president of the State Leadership Chairman of the Illinois Broadcast Association. Oakley was named the 2012 Vincent T. Wasilewski Broadcaster of the Year.

Oakley has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Quincy University. He was chairman of the QU Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2004.

“Quincy University is a vital part of our region for so many reasons,” Oakley said. “It has been a great resource for thousands of people, including me. I am pleased to be returning to the board and look forward to helping further its mission.”

The Quincy University Board of Trustees currently has 29 members, 18 of whom are alumni of the university. Some trustees live in or near Quincy, while other trustees live throughout the United States. Five members are Franciscan friars, and five QU trustees have been full-time university faculty members.