Chairman H. Carl McCall announces Retirement from The State University of New York’s Board of Trustees
April 10, 2019
New York City – H. Carl McCall announced his plans to retire as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The State University of New York. Chairman McCall was appointed to SUNY’s Board in 2007 and has served as the Board’s Chairman since 2011. During his tenure, he has overseen the installations of two separate chancellors and more than fifty university and college presidents. His administration has been marked by a comprehensive expansion of SUNY’s academic breadth, elevation of SUNY’s national and international brand, and diversification of SUNY’s senior administration and student body. Chairman McCall’s ardent advocacy of higher education has led to substantial gains for SUNY’s students.
Chairman H. Carl McCall said, "After ten years of service, I have decided to retire as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The State University of New York. I believe that it is time for me to pursue other interests and allow new vision to take SUNY to even higher heights. I want to thank the Governor, trustees, faculty and New York's future leaders, our students, for their endless support as I have served in such a consequential office."
"Serving as SUNY Board Chairman has been one of my greatest joys and I could never thank Governor Cuomo enough for the opportunity," said Chairman McCall. "It has been both rewarding and challenging to help direct the academic fates of our nation’s brightest stars. Thanks to wonderful colleagues on the Board and two outstanding Chancellors, we have carried out this charge with unbridled commitment, integrity, innovation, and compassion."
Chairman McCall’s retirement will become effective on June 30, 2019. He will continue to fully execute his duties as Board Chairman and remain engaged in the affairs of the university until then. After retirement, he will teach a course at the University at Albany while completing a memoir that explores his more than fifty years of public service. "SUNY has always been a beacon of light in New York State,” reflected Chairman McCall. “Manning this lighthouse has been my deepest honor."
SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson said, "Chairman McCall has been a staunch advocate for the people—all people—throughout his esteemed career in public service. We have been fortunate at SUNY to have his leadership, intellect, expertise and deep commitment for the students we serve while leading our Board of Trustees. He leads by example on our most impactful policies including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Ban the Box; and Enough is Enough. Personally, I admire Carl and have valued his counsel, his support, and friendship. In the coming months we will celebrate him as a true champion of public higher education and New York State, and we will see a lasting impact of his legacy in the years thereafter."
Chairman McCall has had an unparalleled career as a public servant. He served as Comptroller of the State of New York from 1993 to 2002. He served three terms as a New York State Senator representing the upper Manhattan district of New York City; as an Ambassador to the United Nations; as a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; and as the Commissioner of the New York State Division of Human Rights and President of the New York City Board of Education from 1991 – 1993. Chairman McCall was educated at Dartmouth College, Andover Newton Theological Seminary, and the University of Edinburgh.
A committee is in formation, co-chaired by Mr. Dennis Mehiel and Mr. Lloyd Williams, to organize a retirement event in June as a tribute to Chairman McCall’s more than fifty years of public service.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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