MIDDLETOWN—The SUNY Orange Foundation recognized individuals in a gala ceremony on April 14 for promoting the arts in business and in the community.
The 10th Annual Leadership Awards given out at the Middletown campus also recognized alumni who have distinguished themselves in the arts.
Focus Media, Inc.’s CEO, Josh Sommers, brought a large contingent of the company to the stage to accept the award for leadership in business. The company is one of the largest public relations and advertising agencies in New York State outside of New York City.
Dorothy Szefc, the college’s cultural affairs coordinator, was honored for her leadership in education. Szefc has made SUNY Orange, at both campuses, a center of cultural events for visual arts, dance, music, and literature for the area. “Each event provided by cultural affairs has an educational component. If the program happens to entertain, that’s fine,” Szefc said in her acceptance speech.
Leadership in Community went to the Storm King Art Center. The Edward A. Diana Alumni Leadership Award was given out to Matthew Dorcas, class of 1998, for producing award-winning media and community involvement, and Tony Meola, class of 1974, for a distinguished career in sound design for hits on Broadway.
Dr. Christine Young, president of the campus since last August, attended the ceremony for the first time. The chair of the SUNY Orange Foundation Leadership Awards Committee, Karen Miller was the MC. Congratulatory proclamations arrived for the honorees from elected officials.
The SUNY Orange Foundation was established in 1987 to provide resources and learning opportunities for students and the community.
During the 2015-16 academic year, the Foundation expects to award more than $320,000 in scholarships to help SUNY Orange students. Foundation members were shown a recent, 30-second commercial showing a student helped by a scholarship.
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