School of Business announces 2006 Hall of Fame inductees

NEW PALTZ — The School of Business Selection Committee at the State University of New York at New Paltz is pleased to announce the 2006 School of Business Hall of Fame inductees.

The four inductees – Thomas Sipos, Business Person of the Year; Ira Fusfeld, Alumnus of the Year; Jumpei Onozuka, Student of the Year; and Ann Barber Smith, recipient of the 2006 Dean’s Award for Excellence – will be recognized at the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, at the Wiltwyck Country Club in Kingston.

“The Hall of Fame provides us with the opportunity to recognize the great achievements of our volunteer business leaders, alumni and students,” said Hadi Salavitabar, the dean of the School of Business. “We are very fortunate to have such dedicated people as members of our School of Business family working to improve our educational programs.”

Business Person of the Year, Thomas Sipos, is vice president of Stephen J. Sipos & Sons, Inc., a multi-line, independent insurance agency. He is an alumnus of Arlington High School and Dutchess Community College, and served in the United States Army. An active member of the Hudson Valley community, Sipos has lent his time to such non-profit organizations as the Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board and the SUNY New Paltz Business Advisory Council. He continues to reside in Dutchess County, with his wife, JoAnn Feigenheimer.

Ira Fusfeld (’70) is this year’s Alumnus of the Year. Since graduating from New Paltz, Fusfeld has made a career in newspapers, rising from sports writer to his current position as publisher of the Daily Freeman and Sunday Freeman in Kingston. In addition, he is the publisher of Taconic Press, a chain of eight local papers in Dutchess County. He and his wife, Eileen, a fellow graduate of New Paltz, have two grown sons and a granddaughter.

Jumpei Onozuka (’07), an accounting and finance major, is the 2006 Student of the Year. While at New Paltz, he has served as president of the International Student Union (ISU) and spearheaded such international sporting, cultural and social events as the ISU soccer game. Onozuka is president of the Dean’s Student Advisory Board and lists recruitment, promotions and emceeing to his list of responsibilities. Onozuka, who will intern with the Financial Services Offices of Ernst & Young in Stamford, Conn. this summer, has received a number of business-related scholarships.

The Dean’s Award for Excellence is presented to Ann Barber Smith. She has served the Hudson Valley in many capacities, having worked in the financial, business and non-profit fields. Barber Smith currently serves on the SUNY New Paltz Business Advisory Council, the Board of Community Foundation of Orange County and the Huguenot Historical Society in New Paltz. She has also been recognized as a Woman of Achievement in Orange County.

The Presenting Sponsor for the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is Key Bank.

The Corporate Sponsor is Central Hudson Energy Group, Inc.

The Company Sponsors include: Hudson United Bank, a division of TD Banknorth, N.A.; Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union; Rondout Savings Bank; and Ulster Savings Bank.

The School of Business is committed to excellent teaching, integrated curriculum, teamwork and practical application of business concepts, all of which are demonstrated through the school’s continuous improvement efforts. It offers quality instruction leading to Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting, finance, general business, international business, management and marketing. The M.B.A. program offers six separate concentrations: accounting (C.P.A. Track); accounting (Non-C.P.A. Track); finance; international business; management; and marketing.