New Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan visits SUNY New Paltz for campus tour, meeting with President Christian

SUNY New Paltz welcomed Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan to campus on Wednesday, July 17, marking the beginning of a new relationship between College and county leadership.

Ryan’s visit included a meeting with President Donald P. Christian and other campus administrators, and a campus tour with stops at the new Engineering Innovation Hub, the Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center, Wooster Hall, Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art and the Sojourner Truth Library.

“The success of SUNY New Paltz is directly tied to the success of Ulster County,” said Ulster County Executive Ryan. “I am looking forward to partnering with President Christian and the SUNY New Paltz community to ensure that we are able to offer an economic environment for our students that will allow them to graduate with a good degree and be able to set down roots and start their careers and families here in Ulster County.”

The meeting served as an opportunity to discuss potential areas of collaboration between SUNY New Paltz and the new Executive’s administration. Topics of discussion included background and context about the College and its academic programs, regional economic development, shared sustainability and energy efficiency goals, and internship opportunities for New Paltz students.

“I am in strong support of building and sustaining a mutually beneficial relationship between SUNY New Paltz and our elected representatives at all levels of government” said SUNY New Paltz President Donald P. Christian. “The College shares many constituents with our home county, including students, faculty, staff and alumni. We appreciated County Executive Ryan and his team’s clear interest and recognition of the College’s value as an educational and economic resource in Ulster County, and look forward to his support of the campus and our work.”

Ryan assumed the position of Ulster County Executive last month following his victory in an April 30, 2019, special election. He succeeds Mike Hein, who stepped down in February after 10 years as Ulster County’s first Executive, to accept a role as commissioner of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

Visit the Office of the Ulster County Executive online for more information, and read this March 14 Q&A with Pat Ryan from the New Paltz Oracle student newspaper to learn more about his candidacy and vision for Ulster County.