Senate Resolution No. 1327

BY: Senator DEFRANCISCO

COMMENDING James Cody upon the occasion of his
retirement after 17 years of distinguished service
as Director of the Syracuse VA Medical Center

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
honor the distinguished careers of those esteemed individuals within our
midst whose lives have been committed to the pursuit of excellence and
who bring great pride to the citizens of our Empire State; and

WHEREAS, The quality and character of life in the Central New York
community has been ably served and uniquely enriched through the
selfless dedication and benevolent concern of James Cody; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commend James Cody upon the occasion of his retirement after 17 years of
distinguished service as Director of the Syracuse VA Medical Center; and

WHEREAS, James Cody has served 40 years as a federal government
employee, including 38 with the Department of Veterans Affairs; and

WHEREAS, In 1976, James Cody completed his Bachelor of Science
degree in health education from the State University of New York at
Cortland; additionally, he earned a Master in Public Administration
(MPA) with a concentration in health administration at New York
University in 1981; and

WHEREAS, In 1977, James Cody initially entered federal service with
the Department of Agriculture; one year later, he took his first job
with the Department of Veterans Affairs as a safety specialist at the VA
hospital in Brooklyn, New York; and

WHEREAS, James Cody held additional positions within the VA system
before settling in Syracuse, New York; he has worked at the VA Central
Office in Washington, DC and at VA Medical Centers in Baltimore,
Maryland; Lyons, New Jersey; and Providence, Rhode Island; and

WHEREAS, James Cody, the longest-serving director of the Syracuse VA
Medical Center, was appointed to the position of director in January
2000; under James Cody's direction, the Syracuse VA Medical Center
continues to be among the highest-ranked VA Medical Centers in the
nation for patient satisfaction, and has achieved significant growth
both in veteran patient population and infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, Today, the Syracuse VA serves more than 150,000 veterans in
Central and Northern New York; along with the main complex in Syracuse,
the agency operates eight additional Community Based Outpatient Clinics
(CBOCs), including sites in Auburn, Binghamton, Carthage, Cortland,
Ithaca, Massena, Oswego and Rome; and

WHEREAS, Over the past 17 years, James Cody has spearheaded several
projects at the Syracuse VA Hospital, including the construction of a

$90 million, 30-bed spinal cord injury center which opened in June of
2013; and

WHEREAS, As the Syracuse VA Medical Center's leader, James Cody
successfully administered an annual operating budget of $280 million and
has managed a staff of 1,700 employees; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of his outstanding service to veterans,
James Cody was presented with the Presidential Rank Award for
Meritorious Executives in 2010 by the Deputy VA Secretary Scott Gould;
he received this prestigious honor for consistently demonstrating
leadership, integrity, and commitment to his work and his service to
veterans; and

WHEREAS, James Cody's experiences includes: member of the University
Hill Corporation Board in Syracuse, New York; President and Treasurer of
the Healthcare Executive Group of Rhode Island; member of the Senior
Health Care Executive Society of New Jersey; member of the DC Hospital
Association Planning Committee; chairperson of an advisory committee to
the Group Health Association HMO in Washington, DC; part-time professor
at the University of Maryland in the Health Care Management Program; and
a fellowship from the American College of Health Care Executives; and

WHEREAS, Upon his retirement, James Cody will have more time to
spend with his family, especially his wife, Lois, and two daughters,
Chrissy and Eileen; he will continue to devote his time to health care,
public service, and academia; and

WHEREAS, James Cody, in every capacity in which he has served, has
left a permanent mark on the upstate New York community, and he will be
forever remembered as a determined, innovative and genuinely concerned
expert in his field; James Cody will officially retire from his post on
April 21, 2016; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend James Cody upon the occasion of his retirement, and wish him the
best in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
presented to James Cody.