President Sullivan: ‘Hats off’ to Alfred State employees

From parents, to teachers, to nurses, to firefighters, everyone has a number of hats that they literally or figuratively wear every day.

In his Opening Remarks speech for the fall 2019 semester, President Dr. Skip Sullivan spoke to college employees about hats and the different kinds that they may wear in their own daily lives.

“Hats off to you! At the drop of a hat, tip of the hat, putting on a different hat – think of all the hats that you wear in a lifetime,” Sullivan said.

After listing several real and metaphorical hats, from berets, to fedoras, to brother and sister hats, Sullivan spoke about another very notable type of “hat.”

“Most would probably agree that the role of mother or father may be one of the most important hats we wear,” he said. “Does the phrase, ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’ ring a bell with any of you? Have you said that or has it been said to you? Do you ever see yourself in your parents – mannerisms, things you say, how you do things? Probably yes.”

Next, the president spoke about the different “hats” people wear at work, whether it’s boss, colleague, or motivator. One of the most important hats that an employee can wear, Sullivan said, is a customer service hat. This entails a number of qualities, from listening to all sides of an issue, to considering internal and external customers, to being sympathetic.

The president then called upon more than a dozen employees to join him at the front of the room to present them with Alfred State caps, signifying that they are customer service experts.

“We want the name of Alfred State and the college of Alfred State to be synonymous with good customer service,” he said.

Sullivan concluded by telling employees that any time they have an opportunity to work with students or parents to remember the emphasis that needs to be placed at the college on customer service.

“We are an incredible college known for many things,” he said. “Let customer service certainly be one of them.”

Additionally, Sullivan spoke about programs in development, facilities upgrades, athletics, achievements, the college budget, new initiatives, and more.