Maritime College Student Kevin Rea Sworn In As SUNY Trustee

Albany – State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher today welcomed SUNY Student Assembly president-elect Kevin Rea as the newest member of the SUNY Board of Trustees. Rea is a graduate student at SUNY Maritime College who recently earned his bachelor’s degree at the campus.

“Students are at the very center of SUNY’s greatest achievements, from the research breakthroughs that occur in our classrooms and labs to the leadership roles our alumni take on in New York’s workforce and across the globe,” said SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman H. Carl McCall. “Their voice on the Board, as represented by a new student trustee every year, has always been critical and influential to our work. We are pleased and enthusiastic to welcome Kevin Rea.”

“SUNY students statewide have much to be proud of as Kevin Rea is sworn in as a member of the SUNY Board of Trustees today, and as he takes office as president of the Student Assembly,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Kevin has shown impeccable leadership at Maritime College throughout his enrollment and he is certain to represent SUNY’s students with distinction as we seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges of the coming year.”

Chairman McCall and Chancellor Zimpher also thanked current Student Trustee Kaitlyn Beachner for her year of service on the Board.

Rea was sworn in this afternoon by SUNY General Counsel William Howard and will officially take office Friday, June 1. Following today’s ceremony, Rea met with senior staff at SUNY and with the presidents of the University Faculty Senate and Faculty Council of Community Colleges to discuss the critical role of shared governance and how it can move SUNY forward over the coming year.

“It is an honor to have been asked by my fellow students to represent them at a statewide level,” said Rea. “Student engagement in critical issues facing higher education is at an all time high and I am confident that, by working collaboratively throughout the coming academic year, the Student Assembly will deliver the effective and articulate representation it has consistently brought to the table. I look forward to working with Chairman McCall, Chancellor Zimpher, and the many stakeholders across the state as we strive to improve the college experience for all SUNY students.”

The Student Assembly of the State University of New York is an organization of student leaders elected by their peers from all SUNY campuses. The Student Assembly is committed to empowering SUNY students throughout New York State and nationally as well as ensuring the highest quality of student life on each of the system’s 64 campuses.

The Student Assembly president is elected annually in the spring by his or her peers from across the SUNY system. In addition to serving as president, the student elected also serves as a member of the SUNY Board of Trustees with full voting privileges, as well as a voting member of the board for the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), best known for administering the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for June 12, 2012.

About Kevin Rea

Rea, 21, is a native of Plainview. He received his bachelor's degree from SUNY Maritime this past May and is currently enrolled in the school's International Transportation Management graduate program. Prior to being elected president of the Student Assembly, Rea served as the group's vice president, responsible for overall operations and, in particular, the comprehensive planning of meetings and semiannual statewide conferences. On campus, Rea advocated for his classmates as a student senator and member of the Academic Curriculum Committee, and was elected president of the Maritime chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership fraternity. He will be the first Maritime student ever to hold the position of Student Assembly president.

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 468,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses with more than 3 million alumni around the globe. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.