Altes, Dr. Jane
TROY — Dr. Jane Altes, a noted educator, combined her passion for adult education with a deep sense of community service. Dr. Altes passed away in Troy on February 3, 2023, after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Jane graduated magna cum laude from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a baccalaureate degree in Sociology. She was a Louis Wirth fellow, graduating with a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Chicago, and received a doctoral degree in public policy from St. Louis University.
Dr. Altes started her notable professional career in education at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, where she spent 23 years in various roles as a tenured faculty member, research center director, and associate vice president for Academic #i·o c
Born on December 22, 1933, in Toledo, Ohio, Jane grew up in Maumee, the only child of the late Lawrence and Anvilla (Foote) Weaver. She is survived by her husband and partner of 57 years, former Capital Region Chamber President, Wallace Altes; her children, Read Schusky, a naturopathic physician in Boston, and Scott Altes, an attorney in Phoenix; her perfect grandchild, Benjamin Owen Altes; and her sister-inlaw, Nancy (Raymond) Reed of Fairfax.
Jane married Wallace “Wally” Altes in 1966 the couple moved to the Capital Region in 1984 when she accepted a role as associate vice chancellor for Academic Programs at the State University of New York (SUNY) Systems Administration. In 1987, Dr. Altes accepted a position as vice president for #µ·³±oµ · ßûç Empire State College. She left SUNY Empire State College in 1996 to pursue consultancy, but in 1998, she was asked to return to assume the role of interim president. Dr. Altes led the college through a critical transition and executive search following the founding president’s departure.
After her retirement from SUNY Empire State College in 2000, Dr. Altes expanded her work as a private consultant in higher education, specializing in academic quality and development, accreditation, and the evaluation and recruitment of university presidents. Her expertise in accreditation was highly sought after and included numerous consultancies. Dr. Altes was appointed by Vice President Al Gore to serve in the Leadership Group to develop policies for enhancing work skills for the 21st Century, was a fellow of the Middle States Association and an editor for Characteristics of Excellence, an institutional candidate guide for meeting accreditation standards for membership to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. She also worked for the United States Department of State as an advisor to the Ministry of Education in Pristina, Kosovo, as well as the Lorenzo de Medici Institute in Florence, Italy, working on specialized projects in higher education accreditation.
Jane and Wally moved to Troy in 2007 where they were early enthusiasts of downtown revitalization and “pioneer” tenants of The