At a glance
Erland “Erkie” Kailbourne decided to give to the Major Gifts Campaign because he knows first-hand the value of an ASC education.
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles highlighting donors who have contributed to Alfred State College’s Major Gifts Campaign.
Erland “Erkie” Kailbourne decided to give to Alfred State College’s (ASC) Major Gifts Campaign because he knows first-hand the value of an ASC education.
Kailbourne, a Wellsville native, graduated from Alfred State’s business administration program in 1961 and enjoyed a remarkable 37-year career in business, during which he also held numerous leadership positions in his field and his community. He is currently the chairman of Albany International, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange company, and Rand Capital, a NASDAQ company.
“The education I got here in just two years was outstanding and allowed me to basically be very active in the business community in the State of New York,” he said.
For Kailbourne, one of the best aspects of an Alfred State education is how well students are prepared for their careers.
“I think that’s what Alfred State College is all about, whether it’s on the Alfred campus or over on the vocational campus in Wellsville: an opportunity to really take the skills that are taught and take them into real-life experiences in the real world as they mature and become a very important part of our communities,” he said.
Kailbourne was one of the first to donate to Alfred State’s Major Gifts Campaign, which launched in September to raise $8 million for athletics, new programs, scholarships, technology, and the greatest needs of the college.
After graduating from ASC in 1961, Kailbourne joined the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, serving in various capacities in the US and abroad through 1966. That year, he joined First Trust Union Bank in Wellsville and served in various positions there until he was elected president in 1977.
After First Trust Union Bank joined Security New York State Corp. in 1973, he was named a director of Security New York State and later president of Security Trust Company of Rochester in 1981. Norstar Bancorp acquired Security New York State in 1984, and Kailbourne was named chairman and CEO of Security Norstar.
In 1987, Kailbourne became chairman and CEO of Norstar Bank, N.A. when it merged its Buffalo and Rochester banks. In 1993, he was named chairman and CEO of Fleet Bank, an $11.1 billion banking subsidiary of Fleet Financial Group, based in Albany. Kailbourne retired on Dec. 31, 1998.
In addition, Kailbourne has worked for a range of professional and civic organizations. He chaired “Business Backs the Bills,” a successful campaign to keep the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo. He was also previously vice chairman of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (SUNY), chairman of The John R. Oishei Foundation in Buffalo, a director of the New York ISO, and chairman of the Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation in Rochester. Mr. Kailbourne was chairman of Financial Institutions, Inc. and Five Star Bank.
Kailbourne has also served as a national director of Robert Morris Associates, director of the New York Business Development Corporation, and chairman of the New York Bankers Association. Additionally, he is a member of Alfred State’s Hall of Excellence.
For more information on Alfred State’s Major Gifts Campaign, contact Major Gifts Officer Jay Wilder at 607-587-4010 or at wilderjj@alfredstate.edu, or reach out to Director of Development Jason Sciotti at 607-587-3936 or at sciottjm@alfredstate.edu.