Dear Colleagues:
At its Sept. 25 meeting, the college’s Board of Trustees approved changes within Academic Affairs that I am sharing with faculty and staff.
Penny Hill, Associate Dean at TEC-SMART, has been promoted to Dean of Economic Development and Workforce Initiatives. In this new position, she will act as Hudson Valley’s liaison to business, industry and non-profit organizations; public agencies and coalitions; government entities and SUNY offices interested in connecting with the college on specialized training and/or economic development initiatives. Penny also will oversee the college’s Workforce Development Institute, interfacing with academic departments and Hudson Valley’s Foundation to increase program offerings and financial support for the college. The college anticipates this change will better reflect the rising importance of its many community-based partnerships and will expand opportunities for economic development initiatives.
As you may know, Penny has a significant amount of experience in workforce training and economic development. Prior to joining the college, she served as the regional director for the Troy Workforce Development Institute. While at TEC-SMART, she led Hudson Valley’s successful START-UP NY partnerships and several career training programs, including the Manufacturing Technology Pathways Project.
Associate Dean Rich Bennett, who has overseen WDI for more than a decade, will take on new responsibilities as well. In addition to implementing creative strategies to grow Hudson Valley’s non-matriculated student population, Rich is charged with expanding the college’s off-campus footprint for credit-bearing study, increasing both course offerings and enrollment during fall, spring, and summer terms. He also will serve as the college’s evening administrator and will be the primary point of contact for students, faculty and staff on campus after 4 p.m.
Finally, an update to President Ramsammy’s recent announcement on the new Dean of STEM position: Deans and department chairs are currently discussing various models to determine the most effective and appropriate structure for this new academic leadership position. Additional updates will be sent as they become available.
Thank you,
Dennis Kennedy
Executive Director
Communications and Marketing
Published: Fri, 28 Sep 2018 11:48:33 +0000 by d.kennedy1