SUNY BEST Coming to Mohawk Valley Region

Mohawk Valley – The State University of New York today announced that it will replicate Binghamton University’s SUNY BEST (Business and Education Cooperative of the Southern Tier) in the five-county Mohawk Valley region.

By convening meetings of business, education, economic development professionals and labor, SUNY BEST leverages the resources of community partners to focus on revitalizing the economy and quality of life in a region. BEST meetings and events offer a fluid assessment of industry and community needs that can be met through SUNY campus initiatives, programming or partnering among community organizations.

“In bringing SUNY BEST to the Mohawk Valley, SUNY will expand its community engagement, collaboration and partnership, and overall economic impact in the region,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher.

Brian Hutzley, SUNY vice chancellor for financial services and CFO, made the announcement today, at a SUNY BEST meeting at Binghamton University. He presented SUNY’s Entrepreneurial Century Award, which will support the start-up costs for SUNY BEST replication, allowing SUNYIT and Binghamton to develop a platform for sustainability.

“Binghamton University’s SUNY BEST is recognized as a best practice within the system and illustrates the power of SUNY to engage business, education, public and private sector entities, and the labor community,” said Hutzley. “We’re convinced the success at Binghamton can be replicated in the Mohawk Valley, meeting a demand in that region for new partnerships and economic growth.”

SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome (SUNYIT) will collaborate with Binghamton University to replicate the spirit and structure of SUNY BEST with a Mohawk Valley “flavor.”

“Our existing community organizations welcome the opportunity to expand their reach to regional sectors,” said SUNYIT’s Deborah Tyksinski, associate provost for sponsored research and continuing professional education. “The Mohawk Valley is ripe for creation of this neutral platform for collaboration and discourse among various sectors within Mohawk Valley communities.”

SUNY BEST in the Mohawk Valley will be organized and facilitated by the SUNYIT Office of Continuing Professional Education, which already works closely with the business community to provide resources and services.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating approximately 468,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs, and nearly 2 million in workforce and professional development programs, on 64 campuses. There are nearly 3 million SUNY alumni worldwide. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.