At its May meeting the Ithaca College Board of Trustees elected David I. Stewart '67 and William Roberts '98 as new alumni and student trustees, respectively. Stewart will serve a five-year term, Roberts for two years.
Stewart
has had a lengthy professional career in higher education, the past 17
years at Cornell University. Currently Cornell's director of community
relations, he had previously served posts as associate director of university
relations and manager of news and feature services. From 1971 to 1979 he
was assistant to the president at Tompkins Cortland Community College.
His media background includes news reporting and management positions at
several radio and television stations in the region.
A phonathon volunteer while a student at Ithaca, Stewart earned a bachelor of science degree in television-radio. He has attended every reunion since his graduation and has been involved in admissions and fund-raising activities on behalf of the College. A member of the alumni association board of directors since 1985, he serves as chair of the membership committee. Stewart also has an extensive record of community and professional involvement, holding leadership positions with the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, Community Fireworks Committee, Empire State Games Local Organizing Committee, New York State Urban Development Corporation Community Advisory Committee, and Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, among others.
Roberts
is majoring in health and physical education, with a minor in outdoor recreation.
A graduate of Orchard Park High School near Buffalo, he has packed a résumé's
worth of activities into his first two years of college. His freshman year
he served as president of the hall council, assistant to the president
of the residence hall association, and representative to the residence
hall and student government associations. He also played on the junior
varsity baseball team and volunteered with the Ithaca College Adaptive
Games. While working as a residence assistant this past year, he served
as an instructor for the residence assistant training and selection class,
as an alcohol peer educator, and as a member of the leadership advisory
committee.
For his activities at Ithaca College, Roberts has won a National Association of College and University Residence Halls First-Year Experience award and was named to the National Residence Hall Honorary society. In high school he earned the Orchard Park Teachers Association Award for Excellence, Orchard Park Pride Award, U. S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award, and Orchard Park Varsity Club Sportsmanship Award. Roberts has worked at the Cayuga Nature Center, the Town of Orchard Park recreation department, the Buffalo School of Baseball, and has held internships with MOOG, Inc., and the Buffalo Bills.
Board members approved resolutions of appreciation for departing alumni trustee George Patte '67 and student trustee Yecenia Villar '96. Patte was cited for contributing his "distinct perspective and wisdom as a loyal alumnus of Ithaca College, and keen insight and judgment as a distinguished member of the legal profession," while trustees acknowledged Villar's "outstanding leadership, enthusiasm, and commitment to her duties, and . . . exceptional measure of devotion to her college and her peers."
The board reelected Herman E. Muller Jr. '51, Mary Ann Barr '69, and Sam Shmickler '77 to five-year trustee terms. Board chairman Muller, vice chairman David W. Sass '57, and secretary Nancy Pringle were reelected to one-year terms as board officers.