President Ettling to Retire After 2018-2019 Year

Campus Community,

Several months ago, I let Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson know that I would like to retire following the 2018-2019 academic year. And so, today, I am publicly announcing my intention to retire next June.

My initial impressions have held after 14 years of service. This is a wonderful college in a beautiful natural setting. The consistent dedication of faculty and staff to student success remains a source of great satisfaction to me. Plattsburgh would not be what it is today without you and those who help support us. Year in and year out, our alumni, friends and community leaders provide gifts and time to support what we do here.

Simply put, I am proud of the excellence of SUNY Plattsburgh and see a bright future.

Chancellor Johnson will soon appoint a presidential search committee. It will include representatives from a range of campus constituencies. If all goes as planned, you will know early in 2019 who your next president will be.

As we prepare to head into the new academic year later this month, I want to share with you some other leadership team changes:

— Dr. Mike Morgan, who has served as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs for the past year, is returning to his faculty position in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Mike stepped in to serve as the interim provost and effectively engaged the campus in many initiatives over the past year. He will continue to serve the college and our students to secure a strong future for SUNY Plattsburgh, as he has for the past 19 years in leadership positions on campus.

I appreciate Mike's additional service to the college over the past year and his ongoing commitment to support our strategic vision and the values of the institution.

— Dr. David Hill has assumed the role of interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. It is a one-year appointment.

Dave served as dean of education, health, and human services from 2004 to 2010. Upon taking the post, he worked with faculty and staff to revitalize our teacher education program and led it to gain accreditation. Under his guidance, a redesigned and widely respected program took shape. He later served as dean of the branch campus in Queensbury.

Believing in a communal style of leadership, Dave tries to involve all members of the faculty. I look forward to his renewed contribution.

In other roles, he served as dean of the professional and graduate studies division at Keene State College in New Hampshire. He has also held positions on the education faculty at Keene and The Ohio State University. He holds both a master’s and a doctorate in special education from Temple University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Allegheny College, both in Pennsylvania.

— Portia Turco, coordinator of the Mental Health Counseling Program and director of the Ward Hall Counseling Clinic, will serve as interim chief diversity officer. Concurrent with this appointment, we are launching a national search to fill the position permanently.

She brings a deep understanding of social justice and cultural contexts to the position as an educator, counselor and activist. Her work will be crucial at this time of transition.

Portia earned a master's degree in college and agency counseling at SUNY Plattsburgh in 2005 and bachelor's degrees from the University of South Africa in 2001 and 2003. She is a welcome addition to our leadership team.

As we look ahead, please plan to attend the President’s Welcome on Friday, Aug. 24, at 8:30 a.m. in the E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium. We will greet new colleagues and recognize the newest SUNY Distinguished Professor and recipients of the SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence, along with other campus awards.

John Ettling
President