MVCC Anne Bushnell Award

Board of Trustee David Mathis was awarded for his work and achievements over the years.

UTICA, N.Y. >> Mohawk Valley Community College’s Board of TrusteeDavid Mathiswas awarded the New York Community College Trustees’ (NYCCT) Anne M. Bushnell Memorial Award for Special Achievement this September. The Bushnell Award is the most prestigious award for community college trustees awarded by NYCCT.

Its namesake was a nationally recognized trustee of Ulster County Community College for 19 years. Bushnell was the first recipient of NYCCT’s Award for Special Achievement in 1986. NYCCT renamed the award in her honor after her passing in 1990. Only one such award is granted in any given year, and the award is only presented in years when there is an honoree whose achievements are especially outstanding examples of community college leadership. NYCCT is a non-profit consortium representing the appointed board memberswho govern SUNY and CUNY community colleges.

Mathis has served as a member of the Mohawk Valley Community College Board of Trustees successively since 1977, acting as vice president of the Board from 2002 to 2004 and 2011 to 2013, and has been chair of the Board of Trustees three times, with terms held from 1983 to 1987, 2004 to 2006, and 2013 to 2015.

“David continues to volunteer and accept new responsibilities in his trustee role at the College because he cares so deeply about helping our students succeed and supporting the faculty and staff here,” said MVCC President Randall VanWagoner.

Named a “Living Legend” by the Oneida County Historical Society, Mathis has been director of Oneida County Workforce Development since 1986. Incredibly active in his community, he sits on numerous other boards including Stanley Center for the Arts; New York State Workforce Investment Board; The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter; Insight House; Association of Community College Trustees; the Oneida County NAACP; Mohawk Valley Community College Alumni Association; and the OneidaHerkimer-Madison BOCES School & Business Alliance Program.

He was elected to serve a one-year term as secretary/ treasurer to the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Board of Directors’ Executive Committee during the 2017 ACCT Leadership Congress in Las Vegas. He also was re-elected as northeast regional director for a three-year term in 2016.

As a testament to his commitment to this community and MVCC, Mathis also has received many awards. Among them are United Way “Hero Award,” Oneida CountyNAACP Achievement Award, Utica College Outstanding Alumnus Award, Mohawk Valley Community College Alumni of Merit Award, New York State Governor’s African Americans of Distinction Award, American Red Cross-President’s Fund Award for Cultural Diversity, Association of Community College Trustees Northeast Leadership Award, the M. Dale Ensign Trustee Leadership Award, and the Joseph R. Carucci Legacy Award.

Mathis earned an associate degree in retail management from MVCC and a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Utica College.

David Mathis