Cafarella elected as Chairperson of the SUNY Niagara Board of Trustees

June 21, 2021

Newly elected SUNY Niagara Board of Trustees Chairperson Jason Cafarella

SANBORN, N.Y. – At the board meeting on June 15th, Jason Cafarella was elected as the chairperson of the SUNY Niagara Board of Trustees, with Gina Virtuoso being elected as vice chairperson, Kevin Clark being elected as financial secretary and Bonnie Sloma retaining her position as secretary for another term.

Chairperson Cafarella will be replacing outgoing chairperson, Gina Virtuoso who was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2009 by New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.  Virtuoso served as chairperson for one term, and received statewide recognition in 2019 for receiving the Marvin A. Rapp Award for Distinguished Trustee Service given by the New York Community College Trustees (NYCCT).   Cafarella will assume leadership of the board as COVID-19 restrictions ease, and more in-person classes and activities resume on campus.  The board will continue to make recruitment initiatives a priority and focus on several capital improvements on campus, including the renovation of a cafeteria, upgrades to athletic facilities and the creation of new welding facilities and an E-gaming center on campus.

Chairperson Cafarella previously served as financial secretary, and was appointed to the board in 2015 by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.  A lifelong resident of Niagara Falls, Cafarella is an alumnus of SUNY Niagara, graduating in 1998.  He went on to complete his education at SUNY at Buffalo Law School, receiving his Juris Doctor in 2005.  Cafarella currently specializes in family and real estate law, and serves as primary counsel for the Niagara Falls Housing Authority and as a prosecutor for the Town of Niagara.  In addition, he is a full-time Fire Captain and has been employed by the Niagara Falls Fire Department since 2004.