At a glance
Celebrating a brand-new facility that honors the achievements and contributions of Alfred State alumni and friends, the college recently dedicated The Wilder and Linneball Hall of Excellence during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Celebrating a brand-new facility that honors the achievements and contributions of Alfred State alumni and friends, the college recently dedicated The Wilder and Linneball Hall of Excellence during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Located in the Student Leadership Center on the Alfred campus, this facility was made possible thanks to a generous contribution to Alfred State College’s (ASC) Major Gifts Campaign through the law firm founded in 2000 by J. Joseph Wilder and his wife, Laura Linneball. Wilder also serves as the college’s major gifts officer.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Alfred State President Dr. Skip Sullivan said, “Jay and Laura, we thank you so much for your dedication and commitment to the college. This Hall of Excellence will be a place to highlight the success of our many alumni and friends and inspire our future Alfred State alumni leaders.”
Linneball then provided a few remarks, saying. “I am humbled by this dedication, and Jay and I were happy to donate to Alfred. We’ve seen how Alfred really does change lives.”
Wilder spoke next, noting that the idea for the Hall of Excellence was inspired by the Shay Family Athletic Hall of Fame in the Orvis Activities Center, which opened last July thanks to the generosity of the late Jon Shay. Located next to the Admissions Office and the Campus Store, The Wilder and Linneball Hall of Excellence features a touch screen monitor that allows students, returning alumni, and visitors to learn more about the inductees and become inspired by their success. The Hall of Excellence can also be viewed on the college website at https://www.alfredstate.edu/hall-of-excellence.
“The purpose of the Hall of Excellence is to recognize alumni and friends of the college who have demonstrated outstanding professional or personal achievements, service to community, or other extraordinary accomplishments,” Wilder said. “We have tens of thousands of alumni and we’ve just started scratching the surface in terms of honoring those who are inspiringly successful. Right now, we have less than 50 people in the Hall of Excellence, but we’re going to be adding a lot more.”
Linneball is a graduate of SUNY Buffalo and the Indiana University School of Law. During her career, she has appeared as counsel in complex civil, utility company, labor, and health care litigation.
Wilder is a graduate of Alfred State College, class of 1977, majoring in industrial technology and broadcasting. He continued his education at Purdue University, and then SUNY Buffalo School of Law. He has been a lawyer since 1984, using his industrial and technology education to represent businesses in complex litigations across the United States. Throughout the years, Alfred State College has held a special place in Wilder’s heart, which is why he and his wife helped create the Hall of Excellence and why he took on a leadership role in ASC’s Major Gifts Campaign.
Several days after the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Alfred State held a Major Gifts Campaign event at the Hill Top Inn in Elmira to update alumni on the latest happenings at the college and the progress that has been made so far on the campaign. To date, this major fundraising initiative has raised $5.75 million. During the evening, the college also paid tribute to Dr. Sullivan, who was making his final appearance at an alumni event as Alfred State president.
