Senate Resolution No. 31

BY: Senator BRESLIN

HONORING Joseph Storch upon the occasion of his
designation as recipient of the Nancy Burton
Straight But Not Narrow Award by the Pride Center of
the Capital Region

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body recognizes the profound impact of
those exemplary individuals within the great State of New York who
proactively work for the enfranchisement of minority communities, and
the importance of such work for the benefit of all citizens of this
State, and indeed, all citizens of the Nation; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Joseph
Storch upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Nancy
Burton Straight But Not Narrow Award by the Pride Center of the Capital
Region to be celebrated at its Annual Awards Gala on Friday, October 19,
2018, at the Albany Capital Center, Albany, New York; and

WHEREAS, This auspicious event benefits the Pride Center of the
Capital Region and celebrates the important contributions of individuals
who work hard to empower the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
queer/questioning (LGBTQ) community; Joseph Storch is one such
individual; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Storch is receiving the Nancy Burton Straight But
Not Narrow Award for his demonstrated leadership and support of the
LGBTQ community; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Storch is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of SUNY Oswego
where he served as Vice President of the Student Association; he went on
to obtain his Master's degree in Public Policy from the University at
Albany; and

WHEREAS, After graduating from Cornell University Law School where
he served as Moot Court Board Chancellor, Joseph Storch was a clerk for
the New York State Appellate Division, 3rd Department; and

WHEREAS, Today, Joseph Storch serves as an Associate Counsel in the
SUNY Office of General Counsel and Chair of the Student Affairs Practice
Group; in this capacity, he represents the SUNY campuses at Cortland,
Morrisville, and Oswego and concentrates his practice on student
affairs, intellectual property, and campus safety; and

WHEREAS, In addition, Joseph Storch serves as Principal Investigator
on more than $8.5 million in grants to fund innovations in violence
prevention and response on campuses and in the community; he has
provided live training to tens of thousands of higher education
professionals in over 25 U.S. states; manages a webinar series which
reaches thousands of professionals annually; furnishes technical
guidance to numerous education institutions, organizations, and
associations; and provided expert testimony before the United States
Senate; and

WHEREAS, In 2015, Joseph Storch served as a technical adviser to the
Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, helping to develop comprehensive
legislation enacted in July 2015 as Article 129-B of the Education Law
(also called "Enough is Enough"); and

WHEREAS, Since 2016, Joseph Storch has coordinated SUNY's Got Your
Back Program which has donated well over 28,500 comfort bags to victims
and survivors of violence; recently, the Program received a nearly $5
million grant to expand and serve more New Yorkers; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Storch's team also organized SPECTRUM, the nation's
largest education conference dedicated to preventing and responding to
violence against members of the LGBTQI+ community, with over 600
attendees from 25+ states; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Storch is a member of the Appellate Division, Third
Department Committee on Character and Fitness and on the Board of the
Daughters of Sarah Nursing Home Foundation and Executive Editor of the
Student Affairs Compliance Report and Analysis; this remarkable man is
also the author of more than 60 articles and book chapters in various
law reviews, practitioner journals, and popular media, most centering
around campus safety or copyright law; and

WHEREAS, For his many and valuable contributions to humanity, Joseph
Storch was the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including the
2014 Commissioner's Award by the State University Police, the 2015 First
Decade Award by the National Association of College and University
Attorneys, and the 2017 Unsung Hero Award by the One Love Foundation;
and

WHEREAS, Our society is greatly benefited by the purposeful efforts
of individuals who unite for the cause of improving the quality of life
for others, and who proactively work toward the goal of dignity for all;
and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a
long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Joseph Storch upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of
the Nancy Burton Straight But Not Narrow Award by the Pride Center of
the Capital Region; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Joseph Storch.