After receiving her degree in elementary education, Norma went on to have a fulfilling career as a teacher in Nyack, NY. Now retired, Norma loves to travel, and she continues pursuing her passion for art by running a small business for her fiber art pieces. Inspired by her college experience, Norma also established a scholarship at SUNY Cortland for students majoring in the arts. When asked, she shared, “I am fortunate to be able to makes these donations, and that is rewarding enough for me.”
What is your favorite Cortland memory? “My best memories of college days are the good friends that I made. I still keep in touch with some. It was a small campus then, only 2,400, so it was easy to make friends.”
Victor has been a generous supporter of SUNY Cortland since graduating with a degree in economics. Spending his career in finance in New York City, Rumore has given back to the university in various ways. He has helped SUNY Cortland students secure internships in the financial field and donated computers for an economics lab in Old Main. He also established the Lenora J. Rumore Scholarship — in honor of his mother — for education majors who participate in the C.U.R.E. program. Rumore previously served as treasurer and chair on the Cortland College Foundation Board of Directors and has been active with the foundation since 1997.
Cortland College Foundation board member Anthony Moon ’86 received his M.B.A from Columbia University after graduating from SUNY Cortland with a degree in economics and management science. He worked at General Electric, MUFG Americas and Bankers Trust Company before assuming the role of chief risk officer for wealth management at Morgan Stanley in 2015. In 2022, Anthony began his role as executive vice president and chief risk officer at Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTCQB).
Joel studied economics at SUNY Cortland before going on to lead a successful career in research and investments for some of the most important business media in the country. During his time spent at Lehman Brothers, he rose from an entry-level employee to a senior vice president. He then went on to serve at Buckingham Research and the Bank of Montreal, where he retired after 10 years as the managing director. Joel is a generous supporter of SUNY Cortland, and in November 2022 he joined the Cortland College Foundation Board of Directors.
Gerald has made his Cortland Challenge match in memory of his parents. Gilbert and Shirley Brown both graduated from SUNY Cortland, Class of 1951. After military service in Germany where Shirley taught in the DoD school system, they went on to travel the world in the service of international education, in such areas as Rio, San Jose, Hanoi, Djibouti and Ulan Baator. Gil was the head of the Association for the Advancement of International Education on multiple occasions, with colleagues from Abidjan to Zurich. What would you share with a future Cortland student? “Both departed and dearly missed, I’m sure [my parents] would say ‘Get educated locally then educate globally. When the opportunity comes to go abroad, take what Cortland has provided for you and us, and go! You’ll never regret it.’”
The late Michael C. Holland was the executive assistant to the vice president for student affairs. Prior to that, he had long-served as director of residence life and housing at SUNY Cortland. During his tenure, he played an important role in bringing the Multicultural Life and Diversity program to SUNY Cortland. Students were his number one priority and they found him to be a stalwart advocate. He encouraged all the students that he met to get involved on or off their campus community because he believed that a person’s character was shaped by their experiences. Mike passed away in the fall of 2011 while returning from a volunteer trip with members of the campus EMS to provide assistance to flood recovery in the Southern Tier. In the spirit of the his generosity, the Michael C. Holland Emergency Fund for Students was established to financially assist students experiencing critical needs for basic living expenses including food, medical needs, transportation, temporary housing, utilities, clothing and more. At the time this fund was created through a partnership with the Interfaith Association, there were no other mechanisms to provide quick financial assistance for students facing emergencies. Funds were raised through private donations in Mike’s memory, and over the years, annual campus events donated to this fund to keep it in place. Proceeds from several Body Appreciation Week “wear jeans” days and proceeds from several Student Affairs Midnight Breakfast events that collected donations generously kept the fund going.
For nearly 10 years, this fund provided monetary gifts of up to $150 per student per semester, with no expectation of repayment for students experiencing a critical need. Over the years, $3,500 in emergency gifts have been given to students in need. Recipients were encouraged to pay it forward in the future when they were in a position to help someone else in need. Matching funds for the 2024 Cortland Challenge are coming from a consolidation of the Interfaith Association's Michael C. Holland Emergency Fund for Students to combine campus efforts to best assist students.
Girish is a professor of history at SUNY Cortland, and earned his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. He joined the Cortland History Department in 1992. He teaches classes on Russia, world history, modern Europe, and central Asia. He always likes to support our students, but he especially enjoys encouraging and helping them to study abroad. He and a Cortland colleague established a semester study abroad program in South India a number of years ago, and they travel with students every year to orient them and get them settled before they begin classes. Girish gives to the Cortland Fund and International Study Abroad.
Cheryl Barredo M ’81 recently retired as a teacher of English literature and theatre arts costumer from Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, N.Y., following a career spanning 45 years in public, private and college-level education.
Why do you give to SUNY Cortland? “Without the education I received at SUNY Cortland, I would not have had the career I did. I am happy to be able to give back.”
The following members of the President’s Cabinet have contributed to the Academic and Campus Department Challenge awards: Erik Bitterbaum, Richard Coyne ’07, Lorraine Lopez-Janove, Ann McClellan, C. Gregory Sharer, April Thompson and Mark Yacavone ’94.
Marcia Anderson ‘73, is a charter patron of the Lynne Parks ’68 SUNY Cortland Alumni House and long-time supporter of several SUNY Cortland programs, including the Marcia Anderson ’73 Wilderness First Responder Award. This award is an endowed fund that supports one student annually with the cost of the wilderness first responder course tuition. Marcia is an active member of the Arethusa Sorority and enjoys spending time with her sisters at various gatherings, including their annual summer pilgrimage to Raquette Lake and summer reunions in Cortland. Marcia graduated with a degree in mathematics and worked as an information systems program manager for the Internal Revenue Service/Department of the Treasury in the Washington D.C. area.
Sheri began her career in advertising at Lintas Worldwide before becoming one of the founding partners of Gotham Inc. After 35 years in the industry, she launched her own consulting and advisory service, SB Strategy & Branding, in 2015. She is a proud supporter of SUNY Cortland and serves as a Cortland College Foundation board member and co-chair of the development committee.
What is your favorite Cortland memory? “Hard to find one favorite, but there are two I would consider most meaningful. The first was the day I arrived at Cortland, entering Clark Hall filled with anxiousness and anticipation. The second was the day I left, knowing I had just experienced the greatest four years of my life. Giving this opportunity to others is the best way to honor the impact Cortland had on my life.”
Dr. Bond retired as a pediatric dermatologist and medical director of Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, the largest medical organization of its kind in the U.S. He founded the David F. Berger Summer Research Fellowship that is awarded annually to a student in psychology, chemistry or biology. Most notably, Michael established the Bond Science Symposium that is held each fall for students across multiple disciplines.
A proud graduate of SUNY Cortland’s History Department, Rob is a recognized leader of the New York hospitality industry and a founding partner in one of the state’s premier alcohol regulatory law firms. He is a nationally recognized expert on nightlife business and organizational issues and is a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences. He joined the Cortland College Foundation Board of Directors in 2018.
What would share with another SUNY Cortland donor? “If you feel like I do – that your time spent and education received at Cortland was transformative – then there is no better time than now to help the next generation of students.”
Louise is a former chair of the Cortland College Foundation Board of Directors with campus roots that are more than a century deep. She is the granddaughter of Francis J. Cheney, the second principal of the Cortland Normal School, and the daughter of graduates Rollin McCarthy 1916 and Clara Cheney 1917. A licensed psychologist from Princeton, N.J., Conley has offered countless hours of her time to SUNY Cortland and a transformational amount of financial support.
What would you share with a future Cortland student? “Welcome to Cortland. Study hard. Join campus activities. Enjoy being in a happy place.”
Barbara served as a physical educator for 36 years within the Islip School District on Long Island. Throughout her career, she was a contributing author for multiple adaptive physical education textbooks. In 2019, the Barbara A. Galpin ’68 Greater Good Scholarship was established to support students engaged with service-learning. She is a life-long champion who likes to say, “I help those that need a little push or have lost their way.”
David is a professional geologist with more than 35 years of experience in petroleum exploration, field development and project management in the U.S. and over 26 countries across the globe. He retired from ConocoPhillips in 2015 and currently serves as an independent geological consultant and runs the family cattle ranch in east Texas. He joined SUNY Cortland’s All In Capital Campaign Executive Committee in 2018 and the Cortland College Foundation Board of Directors in 2020.
Ernie began his career teaching English in New York City schools before being appointed principal of a middle school in Brooklyn. He would go on to be elected to leadership positions in the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, serving as the President of the organization from 2006 until his retirement in 2017. He was later elected president of the American Federation of School Administrators and vice president of the AFL-CIO in 2018. Ernie has been a member of the Cortland College Foundation Board of Directors since 2013 and currently serves as co-chair of the Development Committee.
Why do you give to SUNY Cortland? “I give to Cortland because Cortland gave so much to me. Cortland became a game changer in my life.”
A SUNY Cortland professor of chemistry and Cortland College Foundation board member, Frank earned his Ph.D. in chemistry and chemical biology from Cornell University. After working with two biotech start-up companies, he came to Cortland in 2006 to pursue his interest in teaching at the undergraduate level. Frank is passionate about creating undergraduate research opportunities in the sciences and spends his summers working with student researchers. In 2015, he received SUNY Cortland’s Outstanding Achievement in Mentoring Undergraduate Research award.
Charles chose to attend SUNY Cortland to follow his sister, Laurett Bocklet Meddis ’56. While in college, he majored in recreation; was a member of the football, swimming and baseball teams; and met his wife, Connie Weaver Bocklet ’58. Charles went on to work as a stockbroker, and was eventually appointed as the vice chairman of the NYSE, the highest level non-paid NYS employee. The Bocklet family maintains their longstanding history with the university, being generous supporters and staying connected with Cortland athletics. Charles also earned an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2002 from SUNY Cortland.
David earned all-American honors for the Red Dragon wrestling team and was a two-time conference champion. He is owner of Supra Inspections (Mahopac, NY), a multifaceted inspection company specializing in home inspections, mold assessment and remediation, commercial inspections, radon testing an experienced Home/Commercial Inspector, Construction Superintendent, and Safety Professional in New York City and the Hudson Valley. David earned his undergraduate degree in health science and graduate degree from the CUNY School of Public Health in Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety. David has an NYC Construction Superintendent (CS) License along with an NYS Home Inspection License and is recognized as an Associate Safety Professional (ASP) governed by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP).