Foundation Raises $100,000 for New Manufacturing Center, Honors President Matonak
October 27, 2017
The Hudson Valley Community College Foundation hosted its annual Gala on Friday, Oct. 20 at the Franklin Plaza ballroom in Troy. This year's event was dedicated to honoring the achievements of President Andrew J. Matonak, Ed.D., who announced his plans to retire after 13 years at Hudson Valley. At the event, President Matonak was honored with the Foundation's Leadership Award for service and dedication to the college and community.
Through corporate and individual philanthropy, the Gala raised more than $100,000, and all proceeds will go to the construction of the college's new Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills (CAMS). In recognition of President Matonak's service to Hudson Valley, the lobby of the new center will be dedicated in his name.
View President Matonak's tribute video.
President Matonak has been a champion of updating and expanding Hudson Valley's services and facilities since he became president in 2005. Under his leadership, the college introduced more than 20 new degree and certificate programs, expanded student support services, and constructed several new state-of-the-art buildings, including the $47.4 million, 100,000-square-foot Science Center, the $13.5 million TEC-SMART extension center in Malta, and a new $4.5 million Outdoor Athletic Complex, to name a few. His efforts to advance CAMS is a fitting end to a presidency focused on building student support systems and expanding college academic offerings and facilities.
When completed, the $14.5 million, 37,000 square-foot CAMS facility will be the largest advanced manufacturing training center of its kind in the United States. Filled with modern equipment, the newest machine tools and the latest technology, CAMS will allow Hudson Valley to double enrollment in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology program and fill the shortage of well-trained, skilled craftspeople in the Capital Region manufacturing industry.
Funds raised at the Gala will provide a crucial push toward making this center a reality. Sponsors of the event included:
Platinum/Dinner Sponsor
The United Group of Companies/College Suites at Hudson Valley
Gold/Cocktail Reception Sponsor
Hudson Valley Community College Foundation Board of Directors
Silver/Entertainment Sponsors
Mosaic Associates Architects
Pioneer Bank
SEFCU
The University at Albany Foundation
Bronze/Award Sponsors
Albany Medical Center
BlueShield of Northeastern New York
CAP COM Federal Credit Union
Capital Region Chamber
CHA Consulting, Inc.
The College of Saint Rose
Hudson Valley Community College Faculty Student Association Board
Hugh Johnson Advisors
M&T Bank
MVP Heath Care
Simmons Machine Tool Corp.
Tri-City ValleyCats
UHY LLP, Certified Public Accountants
Friends of Advanced Manufacturing
Doug Baldrey
The Business Council of New York State
Callanan Industries
CSArch
Neil & Lisa Kelleher
Key Bank
James & Regina LaGatta
The Hon. Conrad H. Lang, Jr.
Marshall & Sterling Insurance
New York Long Term Brokers
Pepsi Bottling Group
For more information about the CAMS project, contact the Hudson Valley Community College Foundation at (518) 629-8012.
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Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 85 associate degree and certificate programs in four schools: Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences; and workforce and academic preparation programs offered through the Capital District Educational Opportunity Center. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, it has an enrollment of nearly 11,500 students, and is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and worker retraining. Hudson Valley has 80,000 alumni.