Senate Resolution No. 372

BY: Senator JACOBS

CONGRATULATING Vice President Hal D. Payne upon
the occasion of his retirement after 27 years of
distinguished service to Buffalo State College on
February 17, 2017

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body seeks to acknowledge those
individuals whose professional lives and civic endeavors serve to
enhance the stature of the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
congratulate Vice President Hal D. Payne upon the occasion of his
retirement after 27 years of distinguished service to Buffalo State
College on Friday, February 17, 2017 at the Campbell Student Union,
Buffalo, New York; and

WHEREAS, Hal D. Payne earned his Bachelor's degree for History at
Western Reserve University in May of 1966; he received his Juris
Doctorate degree from Cleveland State University in May of 1970; he went
on to complete the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard
University in August of 1999 and the Millennium Leadership Institute of
the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) in
August of 2000; and

WHEREAS, Hal D. Payne began his illustrious career in education as a
Senior Associate for the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) in
Washington, D.C.; through the years, he served as Administrative
Assistant (Chief of Staff) to United States Representative Louis Stokes
of Ohio; he went on to Oberlin College as Dean of Developmental Services
and Acting Dean, Associate Dean, and Assistant Dean of Students;
currently, he serves as a consultant to the United States Department of
Education; and

WHEREAS, In February of 1990, Hal D. Payne arrived at Buffalo State
College as Acting-Vice President of Student Affairs; by May of 1991, he
was promoted to the title of full-time Vice President of Student
Affairs; and

WHEREAS, Under Hal D. Payne's luminous leadership, Buffalo State
College has significantly been transformed; renovations were done to the
Moore Complex, Campbell Student Union and the press box at Coyer Field,
as well as turning the Houston Gymnasium into a modern fitness center;
and

WHEREAS, Hal D. Payne has also pushed forward new programs within
the College to benefit the community, such as the Blue Ribbon Committee,
which developed a plan where the students at Buffalo State College could
find ways to focus student legacies on helping the community in which it
is situated; he also promoted the TRIO programs (Upward Bound, Talent
Search, Student Support Services) and was instrumental in the
educational development of disadvantaged youth; and

WHEREAS, Dedicated to his community, Hal D. Payne also worked for
local scholastic programs such as Read to Success, Just Buffalo Literary
Center, the Hillside Family Foundation sponsored by Wegman's and the
Commissioner for the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, which assists
residents of Buffalo in maintaining a higher quality of life; he also
served as a member of the Buffalo Zoological Association and the New
York Council on the Arts; and

WHEREAS, In addition, Hal D. Payne was appointed to the New York
State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) by Governor David A. Paterson; he
serves as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors of Read to Succeed
Buffalo, Inc., and is a member of the Leadership Buffalo Class of 1995,
the Alpha Kappa Boule of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, and the Buffalo Club;
and

WHEREAS, For his service and contributions to Buffalo State College
and the surrounding area, Upward Bound designated a scholarship in Hal
D. Payne's name; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his lifetime, Hal D. Payne has received numerous
awards including the Oberlin Medal, the highest individual honor awarded
annually by Oberlin College, the Walter O. Mason, Jr. Award by the
Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), the Alumni Award by Case
Western Reserve University and the Outstanding Educator Award from the
Urban League of Lorain, Ohio; and

WHEREAS, Hal D. Payne has created and fostered opportunities for his
students, faculty and staff, ensuring pathways for their educational
success as well as their personal and professional growth; and

WHEREAS, Hal D. Payne has clearly had an enduring impact on the
students of Buffalo State College, as well as on the community-at-large,
and accordingly merits recognition and applause for his impressive
dedication to others; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to commend the
efforts of those individuals who work to support our proud traditions of
institutions of higher education by providing their skills and talents
to our colleges; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Hal D. Payne upon the occasion of his retirement after 27 years of
distinguished service to Buffalo State College, and to wish him
continued success in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Hal D. Payne.