Senate Resolution No. 5310

BY: Senator PHILLIPS

CONGRATULATING Michael Braun upon the occasion of
being named 2018-2019 President of SUNY Student
Assembly

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay tribute to those young people within the great Empire State who have
made strong contributions to their communities and who serve as role
models for their peers; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
congratulate Michael Braun upon the occasion of being named 2018-2019
President of SUNY Student Assembly; and

WHEREAS, A second year graduate student at Rockefeller College of
Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, Michael Braun is a
perfect example of the next generation of leaders and agents of change;
and

WHEREAS, Michael Braun ranked ninth in his class at Elmont Memorial
High School where he was an active student and excelled in athletics;
after graduating, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political
Science magna cum laude from SUNY Cortland in May of 2017; currently, he
is working towards his Master of Public Administration with a
concentration in Politics, Policy, and Institutions; and

WHEREAS, A well-liked and respected member of the student body,
Michael Braun will serve as the 2018-2019 President of the SUNY Student
Assembly (SUNYSA) and Trustee on the SUNY Board of Trustees; and

WHEREAS, At a young age, Michael Braun began his life-long quest of
serving others as a Community Outreach Coordinator in his hometown of
Elmont, Long Island; as a student at SUNY Cortland, he was elected to
the position of Student Government President during the 2016-2017
academic year; and

WHEREAS, As President, Michael Braun was instrumental in bringing
together student leaders from across the campus community to enhance the
overall student experience by working with campus officials to increase
student representation on administrative and faculty committees; being a
vocal supporter to enhance campus climate and the promotion of
diversity, equity, and inclusion, and recreating the organization's
structure to more effectively represent the student body; and

WHEREAS, Michael Braun was a member of the national political
science honor society, Pi Sigma Alpha, and worked as an intern with
North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) in Washington D.C. and
the United University Professions in Albany, New York; and

WHEREAS, For his steadfast and unremitting commitment to the SUNY
Cortland community, Michael Braun was the recipient of numerous awards
and accolades including the Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence,
the Outstanding Senior Award, the Outstanding Achievement in Public

Administration and Public Policy Award, the Junior Portfolio Award, and
the Greek Chapter Leadership Award, and the Outstanding Student Leader
Award which was presented to him during the American Collegiate Moot
Court Association Eastern Regional Tournament as one of the top
competitors in the Eastern Region; and

WHEREAS, Upon arriving at Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and
Policy, University at Albany, Michael Braun quickly immersed himself in
student government, serving as the Chief Financial Officer of SUNYSA; in
this capacity, he presented comprehensive monthly financial reports,
directed record-breaking fundraising efforts, provided in-depth analyses
to student leaders on the 2018-2019 Executive Budget, and negotiated the
largest budget increase in the history of SUNYSA; and

WHEREAS, On April 7, 2018, Michael Braun was elected in a unanimous
vote of student leaders to the title of President of SUNYSA; when he
assumes office on June 1, 2018, he will be the top student government
representative for a network which boasts 64 campuses and more than
600,000 students, making it the largest comprehensive public university
system in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Michael Braun will serve as the lone student representative
and a voting member of the 18-person SUNY Board of Trustees, as well as
a crucial student voice on topics such as college accessibility and
affordability, food insecurity among students and the quality of public
education in New York state; and

WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an
individual for the benefit of others which Michael Braun has displayed
throughout his life; and

WHEREAS, With his sense of civic duty and his commitment to others,
Michael Braun represents the best development of the potential which is
inherent in our most precious resource, our youth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate Michael Braun upon the occasion of being named 2018-2019
President of SUNY Student Assembly; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Michael Braun.