SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher Welcomes Julie Gondar as New Student Trustee

Albany – State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher today welcomed SUNY Student Assembly president Julie M. Gondar as the newest member of the SUNY Board of Trustees. Gondar was sworn in at 11:30 a.m. by interim university counsel Marti Anne Ellermann and will officially take office on June 1, 2010.

"Students are at the center of everything SUNY does, and having a student representative as a voting member of the Board of Trustees speaks to that commitment," said Chancellor Zimpher.  "Julie was a tremendous asset to our strategic planning process, and I look forward to our continued working relationship as she begins her tenure as Student Assembly president."

“The student voice is one we recognize, appreciate and consider strongly,” said Carl T. Hayden, chair of the SUNY Board of Trustees. “On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to welcome Julie as SUNY embarks on one of the most exciting times in its history. Students are ‘the power of SUNY,’ and Julie will be an excellent representative for their input.”

A native of East Greenbush and a senior public policy major at the University at Albany, Gondar was elected president of the SUNY Student Assembly on April 17, 2010. By virtue of being president, she will also serve as student trustee. This past year, Gondar was secretary of the Student Assembly and was a member of the “Group of 200” that played a key role in developing SUNY’s new strategic plan, “The Power of SUNY.” In addition, Gondar was an intern for Assemblymember Deborah Glick in the spring 2010 legislative session.

“My responsibility as president of the Student Assembly and as the student trustee is to ensure that the student voice is heard loud and clear by SUNY and by decision makers in our state,” said Gondar. “New York is in tough times right now, and students – the future – will have some of the answers. I am honored to be serving as a representative for students throughout the state and am looking forward to working with Chancellor Zimpher, the Board, and my fellow students to make a real difference we can all appreciate.”

Student opinion has been a priority for SUNY over the past year – having had substantial representation on the strategic planning steering committee as well as the “Group of 200.” The Student Assembly has also endorsed the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act.

About the SUNY Student Assembly

The Student Assembly of the State University of New York is an organization created by Article XVII of the guidelines of the SUNY Board of Trustees. Empowering students throughout the state, the SUNY SA is committed to student life and ensuring the representation of its members on the state and national level as well as throughout the SUNY system. For the latest SUNY SA news, visit www.studentassembly.org.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating nearly 465,000 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu 

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