8人荣获哈德逊谷2023年杰出校友和总统遗产领袖奖
October 9, 2023
The Hudson Valley Community College Foundation's annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Brunch was held on Saturday, Oct. 7 in the college’s Bulmer Telecommunications Center.
该项目旨在表彰校友在其职业领域和社区中做出的杰出贡献. This year, a new President’s Legacy Leader award was also introduced, to mark the accomplishments of an alumnus who is leading the way in creating a legacy of steadfast commitment to a strong future for Hudson Valley Community College.
The inaugural President’s Legacy Leader is Neil Kelleher ’91. 今年的杰出校友奖得主是87届的奥维尔·亚伯拉罕博士. Sohaib Chekima ’04, Manik Elahi ’17, Dr. 91届的盖尔·希利，93届的苏珊·麦克多诺，05届的布莱恩·萨诺和小乔治·惠伦. ’69.
“祝贺我们的2023年杰出校友和我们的第一位校长的遗产领袖。. Roger Ramsammy, President of Hudson Valley Community College. “We are pleased to honor each of these individuals for their service, commitment, and contributions to our students, college and community. 校友的成功是一所大学质量的证明, 我们很自豪有这么多哈德逊河谷校友回馈社区, representing the college, and setting an example for current students to aspire to.”
2023年校长遗产领袖和杰出校友奖得主
NEIL KELLEHER ‘91
Neil J. 91岁的凯莱赫来自特洛伊，是哈德逊山谷社区学院董事会主席. An alumnus and former employee of the college, he has served on the board since 2011 and was elected chair in 2015 following two years of service as vice chair.
Kelleher retired from Hudson Valley in 2010 after 23 years as physical plant supervisor and special assistant to the president for capital projects. 从1990年到2010年，他是伦斯勒县立法机构的成员, serving the last 14 years of that time as its chair. In his role as a legislator, he worked with the college on capital projects, budgets and master plans.
Kelleher has served as the opioid recovery coordinator for Rensselaer County since 2018 and is an advocate for addiction recovery services, 他在哈德逊莫霍克康复中心的董事会工作了20多年, 他还积极参与其他社区服务和组织. He is also a New York State Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA).
A 1991 graduate of Hudson Valley, 2000年，凯莱赫因其在公民和慈善方面的诸多成就获得了杰出校友奖. This year, he is being honored as the President’s Legacy Leader for his decades of leadership in creating a legacy of steadfast commitment to a strong future for Hudson Valley Community College. 他是已故国会议员、前特洛伊市市长尼尔. Kelleher, 他在纽约州立法机构工作了30年，并激励他的儿子也从事公共服务.
ORVILLE ABRAHAMS ‘87
Orville Abrahams ‘87 serves as deputy commissioner for business advocacy and engagement at the New York State Department of Labor, where he is currently building a new department devoted to assisting businesses with challenges and issues arising from Department of Labor assessments, reviews, investigations, audits, and other matters that are difficult to resolve.
亚伯拉罕在哈德逊山谷获得副学士学位，并获得学士学位和硕士学位.B.A. from the University at Albany. He been a public service employee for more than 30 years, and has worked in community development for the Capital District YMCA and served honorably in the United States Army Reserve. He is a community activist with an interest in historical trends and how they have impacted various constituencies, 他还在几个关注社会和种族平等的非营利组织的董事会任职.
Abrahams and a team of volunteers developed the African Heritage Parade in 2019 with the goal of showcasing the cultures, achievements, and contributions of the African diaspora around the world. Today, it is the only parade of its type celebrating the diaspora in the Capital Region and is a proud and cherished cultural fixture of the area. The parade has consistently grown and become more inclusive; 2023 represents the third parade, and participants range from Ghana and Puerto Rico to countries throughout Asia and all the nations in the Americas.
Abrahams resides in Colonie with his wife Carra. They are proud parents of three children, Jamarrah, Khaleed, and Karina; and proud grandparents of granddaughter Jade.
DR. SOHAIB CHEKIMA ‘04
Dr. Sohaib Chekima ' 04是奥尔巴尼Annur伊斯兰学校的校长. Upon graduating from Hudson Valley in 2004, Dr. Chekima transferred to the University at Albany to pursue a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Business before going on to earn an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in International Business.
While working on his Ph.D., Dr. Chekima在哈德逊山谷、奥尔巴尼大学和联合学院教阿拉伯语. He left teaching to work in the field of relief and development in 2015 before being asked to return to Albany and serve as president of Annur Islamic School in 2016, a position he had held ever since.
Dr. Chekima currently serves as the volunteer advisor to Hudson Valley Community College’s Muslim Student Association, as well as to the local Albany Inter-MSA, a body of all the Muslim student associations in the Capital Region. 他继续通过分享他在筹款方面的专业知识来服务社区, life coaching, public speaking, and counseling. He is a Khateeb, or preacher, and leads prayers at mosques both locally and nationally; he also volunteers with the Schenectady Police Department as a police chaplain and is involved in interfaith work.
Dr. Chekima is a husband and a father of four, and considers his family the best gift and achievement in his life.
MANIK ELAHI ‘17
Manik Elahi ’17 serves as outreach manager for U.S. Congressman Paul D. Tonko, and is responsible for strategic outreach, community affairs, 并担任纽约首都地区(NY-20)的八届国会议员的地区大使。.
After moving to the U.S. 18岁时，为了上大学，伊拉希获得了A.S. in Computer Information Systems from Hudson Valley in 2017. He was very active in campus life during his time at the college, 并被同龄人选为学院董事会的学生受托人. He also served on the executive board of the Student Senate and as an elected executive committee member of the SUNY Student Assembly, the SUNY-wide student government organization.
These experiences kindled a passion for public service in Elahi, and he enrolled at Rockefeller College at the University at Albany, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. During college, he gained experience in the offices of then-Lt. 州长凯西·霍赫尔、纽约州立大学SAIL研究所和纽约州参议院. Upon graduating from the University at Albany, 他带头为纽约州参议院多数党党鞭办公室立法, 在整个州的立法机构中，工作的立法组合最大. He continues to serve as an active member of several civic, political, and advocacy organizations to advance the causes he believes in, and hopes to continue to work toward equity in the community, civility in politics, and a scientific and data-driven approach to public policy.
DR. GAYLE HEALY ‘91
Dr. Gayle Healy ’91 is the dean of student development and director of the Center for Careers and Transfer at Hudson Valley. Her own experience as a first-generation college student, along with lessons learned from working with current students, 指导她的工作，并告知她关注所有哈德逊山谷学生的全面发展和成功.
Healy entered Hudson Valley with a major in data processing, but through trial and error, decided to pursue her associate degree in Liberal Arts. Upon graduation, she worked full time at the New York State Department of Labor while earning her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Russell Sage College, where she found her passion for psychology and education. 在纽约州儿童和家庭服务办公室工作时, 希利成为了一名职业区培训师和全球认证的职业发展促进者和培训师. Healy earned her master’s degree in Education with a concentration in School Psychology from the College of St. Rose. Years later, Healy earned her doctorate degree in Education with a concentration in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University.
Healy has volunteered with the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention Capital Region chapter since 2010 and has served as a board member and chair of the chapter’s education committee, 努力去污名化精神疾病，最终减少自杀. 她目前与丈夫汤姆和他们的狗莫莉住在不伦瑞克.
SUSAN MCDONOUGH ‘93
Susan C. McDonough ‘93 received her associate degree in Criminal Justice from Hudson Valley Community College in order to follow her dream of becoming a state trooper. Early in her career, 她发现在动物虐待法方面缺乏教育和培训, 并对这一领域的官员进行了严格的教育. Thanks to her expertise, 当时的众议员吉姆·泰迪斯可在起草纽约虐待动物重罪法时咨询过她, better known as Buster’s Law, in 1998, 导致其他几十个州也通过了类似的保护动物的法规.
A longtime leader of the New York State Humane Association, McDonough has successfully lobbied for legislation combating animal abuse and has worked tirelessly to have New York’s animal cruelty crimes codified in the penal code instead of in agriculture and markets law.
Over the course of her career, 苏曾担任纽约州刑事调查局的调查员, spearheading animal cruelty cases for hundreds of animals. She has taught police, animal control, animal shelter employees, SPCA officers, and veterinarians how to recognize, report and investigate animal abuse crimes. She co-authored the training manual “How to Investigate Animal Cruelty in NY State” and was instrumental in the creation of the Animal Law, Ethics and Enforcement micro-credential at Hudson Valley to help educate students on legal issues surrounding animal cruelty.
McDonough has retired from the New York State Police, but has become the “go-to” person statewide for police, 人道执法和动物控制官员处理需要专家观点的具有挑战性的案件, 她在全州各地旅行，分享她的知识和专业知识. She is currently involved in efforts to establish an animal shelter in Rensselaer County to protect and care for animals who have no voice of their own.
BRIAN SANO ‘05
Brian Sano ’05, of Troy, 是国家电网纽约州北部东部分部的区域主管, working with the communities served by National Grid to ensure safe, reliable energy service is provided to more than 600,000 customers in the region during both storms and “blue sky” days. 他和他的团队与社区领袖和大型商业客户合作，以加强经济增长, promote energy efficiency and move National Grid’s sustainable energy strategy forward to the benefit of all the communities they serve.
After graduating from Hudson Valley in 2005 with an associate degree in Electrical Construction and Maintenance, Sano spent the first eight years of his career in the field. He then began working for National Grid, first as a meter reader, 后来晋升为天然气运营总监现在是区域主管. Altogether, he has been with the company for 22 years and has consistently sought out opportunities to gain experience and involvement in each aspect of the company.
佐野还抽出时间通过参与一些慈善和社区组织来回馈社会. 他担任the United Way of the Greater Capital Region的董事会副主席, as a board member for the Center for Economic Growth, and as president of the board of the Frear Park Conservancy in Troy. When not at work or giving back to the community, he can be found spending time with his wife and three children.
GEORGE WHALEN JR. ‘69
George W. Whalen Jr. ‘69 was born on May 23, 1949 in Troy and grew up in West Sand Lake, attending West Sand Lake and Averill Park schools as well as St. 在1967年进入哈德逊河谷大学学习银行之前，他在伦斯勒的约翰学院学习, insurance and real estate. 1969年，他从这所大学毕业，后来在商界取得了成功, first at the Bankers Trust Company in Albany and then at George. A Fuller Construction, 他在奥尔巴尼的南广场项目中担任项目经理, which is now the Empire State Plaza. He then decided to pursue his passion for the automotive industry, working for Hickey Ford and Bumstead Chevrolet and Subaru in Troy before purchasing the Jim Patrick Chevrolet Oldsmobile dealership in Greenwich in 1981. One of the youngest new car dealers in the state, he worked alongside his brother Timothy at the Greenwich dealership, now known as Whalen Chevrolet, for 40 years, until 2021, 当时他把公司卖给了萨拉托加斯普林斯的麦基汽车集团.
惠伦曾在雪佛兰全国经销商委员会任职数年, and also served as chair of the New York State Automobile Dealers Association and chair of the regional new car dealer organization ENYCAR. He remains active as a volunteer, supporting several charities and local organizations, including Families of SMA, 一个资助治疗脊髓性肌萎缩症研究的组织. He is an active supporter of Hudson Valley’s automotive programs. He and his wife Tami reside in Greenwich, 他们在那里与四个孩子和六个孙子一起度过退休时光.
More Information
For more information on alumni activities at Hudson Valley, contact the college’s Alumni Association at alumni@wangan-sanpo.com.