LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Rocco B. Commisso upon the occasion of
his designation as the 2010 Business Person of the Year and Hall of Fame
Inductee by the SUNY New Paltz School of Business

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities across New York State
are enhanced by the concerned and dedicated efforts of business organ-
izations and individuals that generously contribute to the welfare of
the community and its citizenry; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Rocco B. Commisso upon the occasion of his designation as the 2010 Busi-
ness Person of the Year and Hall of Fame Inductee by the SUNY New Paltz
School of Business; this auspicious occasion will be celebrated on
Thursday, May 13, 2010, at the Wiltwyck Golf Club in Kingston, New York;
and
WHEREAS, The School of Business at the State University of New York at
New Paltz is committed to educating and developing students to be compe-
tent business professionals in a global economy; teaching is its primary
mission, which is complemented by its commitments to acquire and apply
knowledge through scholarly and professional activities, and to serve
its colleagues in the academic and business communities; and
WHEREAS, Rocco B. Commisso's illustrious career in the cable tele-
vision industry spans three decades; he is the Chairman and Chief Execu-
tive Officer of Mediacom Communications Corporation, a company he found-
ed in 1995 in the basement of his home to acquire and reinvigorate cable
systems in the nation's underserved smaller communities; and
WHEREAS, Together with his dedicated management team, Rocco B. Commis-
so took Mediacom public in 2000 and engineered its dramatic growth into
the nation's 8th largest cable operator with annual revenues exceeding
$1.4 billion; with its corporate offices in Middletown, New York, and
4,500 employees in 22 states, Mediacom is the leading provider of
advanced broadband services to 1.4 million customers in over 1,500 small
cities and towns across America; and
WHEREAS, Rocco B. Commisso began his business career at Pfizer Inc.'s
manufacturing facility in Brooklyn, New York; after graduating from
business school in 1975, he spent a decade in the financial community,
initially at The Chase Manhattan Bank and then at Royal Bank of Canada,
where he led the bank's United States lending activities to companies in
the media and communications sectors; and
WHEREAS, From 1986 to 1995, Rocco B. Commisso served as Executive Vice
President, Chief Financial Officer and Director of Cablevision Indus-
tries Corporation; during his tenure there, privately-held Cablevision
Industries grew from the 25th to the 8th largest cable company in the
nation, serving over 1.3 million customers at the time of its merger
with Time Warner; and
WHEREAS, Rocco B. Commisso serves on the executive committees and
Board of Directors of the National Cable & Telecommunications Associ-
ation and Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.; he is also on the Board
of Directors of the National Italian American Foundation and C-SPAN, and
is a member of the Cable TV Pioneers; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Rocco B. Commisso is the recipient of the Ernst
& Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the National Italian American
Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award; in 2007, he was inducted into the
Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame; in 2008, he served as Co-Chair of the
Cable Show, the industry's premier annual event and in 2009, he was the
recipient of the Vanguard Award for Distinguished Leadership, the cable

industry's highest honor, and his company, Mediacom, was named the
nation's best cable company by CABLEFAX MAGAZINE; and
WHEREAS, Born in Calabria, Italy, Rocco B. Commisso immigrated to the
United States at age 12; he earned both a Bachelor's degree in Indus-
trial Engineering and a Master's degree in Business Administration from
Columbia University; while at Columbia, he was co-captain of the varsity
soccer team and was elected president of the business school student
body; in 2004, on the 250th anniversary of Columbia's founding, the
school's daily newspaper listed him as one of its 250 greatest alumni;
and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be recognized by all the citizens of this great Empire
State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Rocco B. Commisso upon the occasion of his designation as the 2010
Business Person of the Year and Hall of Fame Inductee by the SUNY New
Paltz School of Business; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Rocco B. Commisso.