Dear Alumni and Friends,
While the campus has evolved, one thing has remained a constant for all Pioneers – the strong affinity that our alumni have for Alfred State College. Alfred State has impacted thousands of students since 1908, and we invite you to connect with some of our 66,000-plus alumni from all states in the US and 39 countries around the globe, whether through social media, attending campus events, or by networking with fellow alumni in your area through alumni chapters.
Remember, we want to hear from you! Be sure to visit our alumni page to update your information, get the most recent updates on our events, and take advantage of the benefits provided to you, our alumni.
In the last issue of Alumni and Friends, I thanked all of our alumni working as essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. I would be remiss if I didn’t by close echoing the same sentiment. We couldn’t have made it through this past year without all of you! As President Sullivan stated, “As Pioneers, we can overcome any obstacles we may face if we continue to do our parts and work together to be successful.”
Wherever your path leads, always remember you are a valuable member of the Alfred State community.
Take care and be well,
Roxana Sammons, '08
Institutional Advancement
Director of Alumni Relations
10 Upper College Drive
Alfred, NY 14802
Phone: 607-587-3932
Email: sammonrl@alfredstate.edu
Alumni Chapters Update
The Alfred State College Alumni Chapters program is for Alfred State alumni to connect and engage with one another as well as with the college through leadership and volunteer opportunities, local events, social and professional networking, and philanthropy.
We are excited to announce we now have 14 chapters throughout the country, and we hope to continue this growth. The Alumni Chapters program has the unique ability to engage of alumni, geographically and demographically, while at the same time building a network that celebrates and supports Alfred State alumni and the college.
Our goal is to continue to provide a platform for strategic and sustainable program growth by increasing alumni-to-alumni and alumni-to-college engagement while ensuring overall development of alumni as ambassadors of Alfred State College.
Current chapters and their chair(s) are:
- Atlanta, GA | Seeking a new chair(s)
- Boston, MA | Brian Whitney, '76, Chair
- Buffalo | Josh Torrance, '08, Chair
- Capital District | Julie LaRose, '96; Barry Brown, '64, Co-chairs
- Central Florida | Judy, '58 & Bill, '59 Abraham, Co-chairs
- Charlotte, NC | Seeking a new chair(s)
- Finger Lakes | Gretchen, '80 & Jim, '80 Langdon, Co-chairs
- Houston, TX | Nancy Elliott, '81, Chair
- Long Island, NY | Andy Mulchinski, '87, Chair
- Nashville, TN | Seeking a new chair(s)
- New Jersey | Seeking a new chair(s)
- New York City | Rob Grabel, '10, Chair
- Rochester | Gary Moore, '76, Chair
- Southern California | Mary Lynn Gaddis, '83, Chair
We are also planning to establish chapters in Dallas, TX, Denver, CO, and Myrtle Beach, SC. If you are interested in being on a chapter in one of the regions mentioned or creating one in your region, please be sure to contact Alumni Relations at 607-587-3931 or alumni@alfredstate.edu. We are excited and look forward to hearing from you!
Distinguished Alumni & Outstanding Young Alumni Awards
The Alfred State Alumni Council has established awards to honor alumni who bring distinction to our alma mater and to themselves through their outstanding personal and professional achievements.
We are honored to present the following awards to a group of distinguished alumni who have been nominated by you, the alumni community.
Distinguished Alumni
B. Marlene Johnson
B. Marlene (Bennett) Johnson graduated from Alfred State in 1956 with an Executive Secretarial Science degree. While a student at Alfred, Marlene worked as a clerk and typist for the Registrar in order to pay her tuition and room and board. Additional spending money was earned babysitting for faculty and staff. While a student, Marlene lived at the Alpha Beta Chi (ABX) sorority and served as their chaplain.
As a young child, Marlene was placed in foster care and was eventually transferred to the Thomas Indian School, a residential boarding school for orphaned and destitute Native American children. Considered a “survivor” of the Thomas Indian School, having lived there from 1942-1952, at age 15 Marlene was placed in a wage home and worked as a live-in maid. Today, that home is the residence for the SUNY Fredonia college president.
After graduating from Alfred and getting married, Marlene returned to the Seneca Nation and Allegany territory community. Marlene’s first job with the Seneca Nation was as a tribal advocate. Her responsibilities focused on assisting families in their adjustment to new homes built in the Jimersontown and Steamburg relocation areas following the construction of the Kinzua Dam. During this time, Marlene worked with the elder faithkeepers to secure HUD grant funding to build the community center that would be used to support longhouse activities, as well as assisting the Nation in procuring the funding to support the building of the two Seneca Nation libraries and the Seneca Iroquois Museum. She was also the Allegany territory newsletter (the Ohi:yo’) editor for many years, and also served as an elected tribal councilor. As tribal councilor, Marlene was selected to serve on the Salamanca lease negotiation team and represented the Seneca Nation as it lobbied Congress for funding owed to the nation. Today, her congressional testimony is used in native studies college courses.
Marlene later worked as the first director of the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) at St. Bonaventure University establishing several initiatives that specifically targeted Native American college students. One was called “Bridging Two Worlds,” and became an annual gathering for Native college students to share experiences and gain more insights and support to improve their graduation success. To this day, many Native graduates credit Marlene for providing the support they needed to achieve their college degrees.
In the early 1990s, Marlene was chosen by her peers in Indian education from across New York State to serve as a delegate on the first White House Initiative on Indian Education. Later, she collaborated with the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) to garner their support in establishing the Native American Indian Education Association of New York and was recognized as a founding member in 2018.
Post-retirement, she worked as a long-term guidance counselor substitute for Randolph Union Free Academy, whose goal was to provide education to children that other districts could not or would not work with due to behavioral challenges.
Marlene married Gordy in 1956. Gordy is also an Alfred State graduate (1958). Marlene continues to share her wisdom and knowledge of her heritage with five daughters and several grand and great-grandchildren.
Stewart Haney, PE, PMP, LEED AP
Stewart Haney graduated from Alfred State in 1985 with a degree in Engineering Science and his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University at Buffalo. Stu is currently President & CEO of Wendel, a national architecture, engineering, energy efficiency and construction management firm headquartered in Williamsville, NY. It is his unique combination of technical skills and organizational leadership that have fueled his successful 30-year career in the design and construction industry.
Stu began his career as a Professional Engineer, earning his PE license in 1994. His initial focus as an Electrical Engineer quickly expanded into project management, operations and firm leadership roles over the years. In 2013, Stu was appointed as President & CEO of Wendel and is only the 4th CEO to be named to the company in its 80-year history. As CEO, Stu focuses his time on the firm’s strategy, growth and culture. Since he took the helm seven years ago, he has led the company to nearly double in growth both in staff and revenues.
Under his guidance, the company has opened six new regional offices and made three acquisitions, growing its geographic footprint from 7 to 15 offices. In addition, Stu’s focus on organizational culture is a defining and inspirational quality of his leadership style. This is a chief reason why Wendel maintains a sought-after company culture and is continually named a Best Place to Work. Being named a finalist in the Best Places to Work awards for the past four years in a row is a meaningful accolade for Stu, particularly because the award is based on employee surveys.
As CEO of one of Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 design firms in the US and Architectural Record’s Top 300 firms, Stu is poised for continued success. The firm has continually been recognized by Buffalo Business First as a Top Private Company and Fast Track Company, as well as one of Western New York’s Largest Employers and Healthiest Employers. Under his leadership and guidance, the company continues to evolve, adapt and grow while maintaining focus and core values.
Last but certainly not least, Stu has been committed to his community. He is an active board member of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. He has formerly served on the Board of the Buffalo Niagara International Gateway Organization (ITGO), Amherst Chamber of Commerce, Buffalo State Industrial Advisory Committee and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). When not in the Board Room, Stu can be found on the soccer field as a volunteer coach for Amherst Soccer Association.
Outstanding Young Alumni
Robert Steen
Robert Steen graduated from Alfred State in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Technology. While a student, Rob attended a mission to Honduras during spring break of his senior year. This opportunity made such an impact, he decided to spend the year following graduation to be in Honduras, to assist in building Little Angels of Honduras, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
During his tenure with Little Angels of Honduras, Rob was a Design Intern for healthcare-based projects, as well as a community representative assisting in organizing and leading mission trips. In addition, his responsibilities included establishing affiliated college campus clubs, assembling fundraisers, and creating marketing materials for schools and local communities across western NY. In 2015, Rob worked as a Youth Mentor for New Direction’s Youth and Family Services. In February 2016, he was hired as Architectural Designer at LaBella Associates, and is currently working steadily toward NYS Licensure of Architecture. There, he also currently serves on the LINC board (LaBella in the Community), where the LINC committee plans and coordinates community efforts.
Because of Rob’s professional, educational, and life experiences, he’s developed passions for volunteering. Rob was a volunteer staff member at The Fathers House Church in Rochester where over the span of 2 years he served as the Director of the Middle School Youth group and the High School Youth group - leading 100+ students and volunteers in both ministries each week. In addition to his Director roles, he is now serving on the Guest Experience team. Rob’s passion to volunteer has also led to a partnership with the Hornell Area Concern for Youth Center. There he was also able to use his architectural background, to develop drawings and documents that would assist in receiving funding from both local and global corporations and organizations for much needed renovations to their existing buildings and programs.
Alumni Benefits
We are excited to share with that as an Alfred State alum, you are eligible for group discounts and offers from a variety of vendors!
These include:
- Plymouth Rock | Save on automobile and home insurance by being an Alfred State Alum.
- BJ’s | Membership discount.
- Huledet | All alumni will now receive a birthday message and gifts when their special month comes. Your gifts will include free meals at local restaurants, event tickets, spa treatments and more – all for you to use to celebrate! Make sure we have your updated email address.
- Career Development | Connect with great jobs/careers, access our virtual career success center, perfect your resume, and more.
- Amazon Smile | You can support Alfred State every time you shop at no cost to you!
- Campus Store discount
- SUNY Perks | Alumni are eligible for over 100 discounts!
- Free Webinars
Visit our benefits page for details, as well as helpful tools to locate campus resources for transcripts, continuing education, and updating your contact information.
Show Off Your Talent!
Alumni are invited to contribute original works of art, poetry, and prose to Ergo, Alfred State’s literary and artistic publication. View past issues.
Stay Connected
Facebook | Alfred State Alumni
Be Our Guest
We have several fun upcoming alumni events planned. Watch for one in your area!
June (Date TBD)
Rochester Chapter Event
Letchworth State Park picnic
Saturday, June 26
Buffalo Chapter Event
Buffalo 20th Marathon
Saturday, Aug. 14
Rochester Chapter Event
Mt. Hope Cemetery Cleanup
Monday, Sept. 13
First Alfred State Open Golf Tournament
Hosted by the Class of 1978
Saturday, Oct. 16
Homecoming/Family Weekend
If you don’t receive an invitation via email or mail, please let us know at 607-587-3931 or alumni@alfredstate.edu, as we may need to update our records. Invitations through the mail will only be sent to alumni in the given area the event will be held. However, please remember all alumni are welcome to attend any and all alumni events.
Visit us on Facebook or check our events page for updates.
Alumni Photos
Alumni Chapters Virtual Meetings
Plenty of smiles were to be found during the virtual meetings we held with the heads of our alumni chapters.
Daisy Award
Two Alfred State nursing alumni, Jessica Longwell, ’15 and Kurt Zeltwanger, ‘17, both received the Daisy Award, which recognizes the superhuman work of nurses. Longwell is a registered nurse in the Mary Saunders Beiermann Emergency Department at Noyes Memorial Hospital in Dansville and Zeltwanger is a registered nurse in the Medical-Surgical Unit at St. James Hospital in Hornell.
Diversion Food Drive
The Finger Lakes Alumni Chapter hosted a food drive at the Diversion Brewing Co. in Chemung this past fall, inviting fellow Pioneers to grab a drink and help support The Waverly Blessing Box, a food pantry created by Becky VanSkiver Young ’03 earlier this year. Mike Lucey, ’84 and his company, Mike Lucey Acoustic, provided the musical entertainment for the event.
Fox Run Virtual Wine Tasting
Fox Run Vineyards hosted a virtual wine tasting in March for Alfred State alums, who were able to learn about three favorite wines and understand the unique aromas and flavors of each.
Heron Hill Virtual Wine Tasting
A group of Pioneers celebrated the new year with a virtual wine tasting hosted by Heron Hill Winery.
John G. Ullman & Associates Webinar
Amanda Herrick Smith, CFP ’06 teamed up with Director of Development Jason Sciotti to provide alumni and friends of the college with some charitable gifting techniques to consider during an online webinar.
Phil Trowbridge Presentation
Alfred State alumnus Phil Trowbridge ’76 visited campus to speak to agriculture students about his journey and success with Trowbridge Farms.
Pumpkin Run
Participants in the Virtual 5K Pumpkin Run had a very “gourd” time while raising money for the SOS Emergency Fund.
Tournedos Steakhouse
Alfred State launched its Major Gifts Campaign during a dinner at Tournedos Steakhouse in Rochester. Alumni were able to mingle and learn more about the campaign, as well as the exciting activities taking place at their alma mater.