Former SUNY Niagara Trustee Joan Wolfgang Receives State Award Posthumously

SUNY Niagara Trustee Jerald I. Wolfgang (l) accepts the NYCCT award for Trustee Leadership on behalf of his late wife, former Trustee Joan Wolfgang, at the annual meeting held in Saratoga Springs, NY. Also attending the conference was SUNY Niagara President William Murabito (r).

Joan W. Wolfgang, former SUNY Niagara Board of Trustee Chairperson, was honored this past weekend as the posthumous recipient of the Donald M. Mawhinney, Jr. Trustee Leadership Award at the annual meeting of the New York Community College Trustees (NTCCT), held in Saratoga Springs.  Wolfgang was appointed to the SUNY Niagara Board of Trustees by the Niagara County Legislature in 1982.   She served as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees for three different terms during her tenure, which lasted twenty-six years.   She was the second-longest serving member of the SUNY Niagara Board of Trustees.   While serving on the SUNY Niagara Board of Trustees, Wolfgang was instrumental in bringing to fruition many of the college’s higher-profile projects, including state-of-the-art campus housing on the Sanborn campus.  Joan Wolfgang passed away in 2010, leaving a legacy of the lasting impact of service and leadership on her community and SUNY Niagara.

The Donald M. Mawhinney, Jr. Trustee Leadership Award is presented to a trustee who demonstrates a significant commitment to the community college mission through exceptional leadership, inspired vision, and outstanding professional contributions to support their local institution.