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SUNY Niagara Board of Trustees Secretary Bonnie Sloma and Chairperson Gina Virtuoso

July 7, 2020

At the board meeting on June 30th, Gina Virtuoso was elected as the chairperson of the SUNY Niagara Board of Trustees, with William Ross being elected as vice-chairperson, Jason Cafarella being elected as financial secretary, and Bonnie Sloma retaining her position as secretary for another term.

Gina Virtuoso

Newly elected SUNY Niagara Board of Trustees Chairperson Gina Virtuoso

Chairperson Virtuoso will be replacing outgoing chairperson, William Ross who was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2005 by the Niagara County Legislature.  Ross served as chairperson for two consecutive terms, and received statewide recognition in 2019, receiving the Donald M. Mawhinney, Jr. Award for Trustee Leadership given by the New York Community College Trustees (NYCCT).   Virtuoso will begin leading the board at a challenging time, with the development of many new policies and procedures to ensure the health and safety of the campus community throughout the continually evolving COVID-19 pandemic.  Additionally, student recruitment will become an even greater focus with hopes that more students will choose to stay local during these times of uncertainty.  SUNY Niagara has adapted coursework for remote learning and prepares to launch a hybrid plan of in-person and virtual learning options for students in the fall semester.

Chairperson Virtuoso previously served as vice-chairperson and was appointed to a 7-year term on the board in 2016 by Governor Andrew Cuomo.  She led the SUNY Niagara Middle States Accreditation Committee and served as co-chairperson of the Presidential Search Committee.  Virtuoso has been a strong advocate for capital projects at SUNY Niagara, including the opening of the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute in 2012, and the Learning Commons in 2018. Virtuoso is retired from the Occidental Chemical Corporation, where she worked for 20 years, holding the position of Senior Corporate Accountant, as well as other accounting positions. In 2019 Virtuoso received the Marvin A. Rapp Award for Distinguished Trustee Service by the New York Community College Trustees (NYCCT).


Media Contact Information

Sara Harvey
Assistant Director of Public Relations and Event Management
Phone: 716-614-6220
Email: saharvey@niagaracc.suny.edu