UFS President Keith Landa Welcomes New SUNY Chancellor Dr. John B. King, Jr.

​by Jan Trybula, SUNY University Faculty Senate Vice-President / Secretary

Upon the announcement of the appointment of Dr. John B. King, Jr. as the next chancellor of the State University of New York, SUNY University Faculty Senate President Keith Landa released the following statement.

​"I am pleased to welcome Dr. John B. King, Jr. as the 15th Chancellor of the State University of New York. This search has been a long process, but well worth the wait. I am confident we have found the right candidate to move our System forward over the next decade and to lead SUNY to meet the vision set out in Governor Hochul’s last State of the State address.

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"​Dr. King brings an understanding of the landscape for public higher education through his work as former Secretary of Education in the Obama administration and as President of the Education Trust foundation, plus an understanding of New York education policy as Commissioner of Education, all of which will allow him to hit the ground running as our newest Chancellor. Throughout his career he has had a focus on student equity and success that will serve us well as we recruit and graduate upcoming cohorts of students. In our interview conversations, he spoke thoughtfully about the role of the Chancellor, and how the Chancellor can work with executive and governance leadership on our campuses to raise the profile of SUNY and make it more than just a collection of campuses. Through his experience as member of the Harvard University Board of Overseers and as a practicing faculty member at University of Maryland College Park, he understands the role of flagship institutions and what is needed to raise research and scholarly profiles. At the same time, he has worked through the Education Trust to replicate models of success for community colleges, liberal arts campuses and technical institutes across the nation. His contacts in federal and state government, the business community, and philanthropic organizations will help him work with campus presidents to raise the resources needed for SUNY to thrive. And finally, he brings a compelling personal story that exemplifies the critical impact that public K-12 and higher education can have in transforming people’s lives.
 
"I want to commend the Board of Trustees for conducting a thorough and inclusive search process that attracted a diverse pool of national candidates. Critical stakeholders (faculty, staff, students, and alumni; government, civic, and business leaders) were brought together at the start of the process to help define what we were looking for in a new Chancellor. As UFS President and Trustee, I had the honor to serve on the search committee from start to finish - discussing strategy with the search firm, reviewing applicant materials, and interviewing candidates remotely and in person.
 
"I look forward to working with Dr. King to make SUNY the premier state system of public higher education in the nation."
 
Keith Landa
President, SUNY University Faculty Senate
Member, SUNY Board of Trustees