[Important Information for Employees] Update on Clinton Community College Transition

[Office of the President]

Dear Cardinals,



I am writing to share important updates on the Clinton Community College
transition to our campus -- news that is transformational for our
institution. A copy of a coming media release from Clinton is below.



SUNY has approved a plan to move forward for Redcay Hall and 133 Court
Street as the new location for CCC, ready for their classes in fall 2025.
With this, we will be able to reimagine and remake the west end of campus,
turning Algonquin Dining Hall into a central admissions and welcoming
facility and tearing down Adirondack and Banks Hall for a new greenspace to
support campus activities. Funds formerly slated for the prior Redcay plan
will be used for other capital purposes on campus as we take a fresh look
at our priorities and possibilities over the coming months.



This path forward is a great benefit to future generations of students and
an inflection point for this campus.



As we plan, we will also work closely with those departments moving from
Redcay and 133 Court to ensure a smooth transition. To those directly
affected, please know we see you, we know these are uncertain times, and we
will work to ensure you continue to be successful supporting students at
SUNY Plattsburgh and are located into spaces well suited to your needs,



Specific details on timing and other aspects of the transition will be
developed over the coming weeks and months.



Two other important changes to share:

·  Chief of Staff Ken Knelly, who has additionally served as a special
advisor to SUNY for the Clinton Community College transition, has been
named by the Clinton Community College Board of Trustees as
administrator-in-charge, succeeding former President John Kowal. Ken will
be directing all operations at Clinton through their move to our campus and
then until a new president is identified. Ken has played a pivotal role in
advancing the transition to date and in working for what we have available
for a future here as a campus. While Ken will no longer be at SUNY
Plattsburgh, his line will remain here for him to return when this
responsibility is over. The chief of staff duties will be reviewed and
redistributed over a coming period of time. Ken will begin his work at
Clinton on Thursday, May 23.

·  Holly Heller-Ross '84, formerly dean of library and information
technology services currently working out of the Feinberg Library, will
serve as the SUNY Plattsburgh campus coordinator for the Clinton Community
College transition. In this role, Holly will serve as the main point of
contact to manage logistics on this campus as we provide for the new
locations in Redcay Hall and 133 Court Street. With the location now
known, and the commitment of the system, there is no longer a need for a
special advisor to SUNY. Holly has wide knowledge across divisions at this
campus, making her well suited to this. She will start this work on Monday,
Jun. 3.


As we reflect on our wonderful commencement events held last Saturday, we
have much to celebrate about our future as well. More to come through the
summer.



Alex



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*Knelly Named Administrator in Charge at Clinton Community College, Site
Determined for New Location*



The Clinton Community College Board of Trustees has named Ken Knelly
administrator in charge, succeeding John Kowal as president. Knelly,
currently chief of staff at SUNY Plattsburgh and Special Adviser to SUNY
for the Clinton Community College Transition, has been leading the work of
planning for a new location by the college's fall 2025 semester. His
appointment is effective Thursday, May 23.



The board on Wednesday accepted the resignation of Kowal, who was named
president in March 2022. Kowal joined the college in 2018 as vice president
for academic affairs. He served as administrator in charge from late 2021
to his appointment, after the departure of former President Ray DiPasquale.



Clinton Community College Board Chair David Favro said, "Ken is the right
person at the right time for this role. He has led us to the point of an
identified location and through other key steps. The job of getting Clinton
Community College healthy and completing the work of locating on the SUNY
Plattsburgh campus is emerging as a single leadership task, and he is up
for the role. We also thank John for his efforts on behalf of the college
and wish him the best in the next stage of his career."



*Site Determined for New Location*

After a thorough evaluation of potential sites, including Algonquin, Banks
and Adirondack Halls, SUNY has approved plans to move forward for a new
Clinton Community College location at Redcay Hall on Beekman Street and an
adjacent house at 133 Court Street. This choice allows Clinton to maintain
its distinct identity while providing SUNY Plattsburgh with opportunities
to reallocate significant resources and repurpose existing facilities.



The decision enables SUNY Plattsburgh to retain and strategically
reallocate substantial funds and priorities in a timely manner. Algonquin
could be repurposed into an admissions-focused area, adjacent to housing,
residence halls, dining centers, and parking. Additionally, the removal of
Adirondack and Banks Halls, unoccupied former residence halls, will create
new greenspace areas and reimagine the west-end of campus in a generational
change.

The consolidation of all of Clinton into a single, edge-campus
location will streamline activities while requiring only limited lab use
and minimal upgrades. The adjacent 133 Court Street house is also included
as a part of the planned transition, which would involve Clinton moving in
by summer 2025.



*About Ken Knelly*

Knelly began his career at SUNY Plattsburgh in 2014, leading an integrated
university marketing and communications team. He moved to the Office of the
President in 2017, adding administrative responsibilities and later as
chief of staff under President Alexander Enyed. He has served as Special
Advisor to SUNY for the Clinton Community College Transition since February
2024. He earned an A.A. in Business from Essex Community College in
Rossville, Md., a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of
Minnesota-Duluth, and a M.A. in Public Policy from West Virginia University.

At SUNY Plattsburgh, he led the university's external relations, served as
a member of the president's leadership team and co-chaired the university's
self-study committee for its reaffirmation of accreditation by the Middle
States Commission on Higher Education in 2020-2022.

Knelly's past experience includes more than a dozen years as a print
journalist as a reporter, editor and newsroom leader. Locally, he is the
immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Plattsburgh and led a
grassroots effort to bring high school girls lacrosse to Clinton County. He
is a native of Baltimore, Md.
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