Cuomo picks new leader for SUNY board
ALBANY, N.Y. >> In New York state government news, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has picked an experienced education official to lead the board that governs the State University of New York system.
Meanwhile, 25 local governments across New York face critical financial problems, according to a new report from the state’s comptroller. A look at stories making news: NEW SUNY LEADERSHIP: Merryl Tisch is Cuomo’s choice to lead the State University Board of Trustees, the 18-member board that oversees 64 SUNY campuses around the state.
Tisch, who had been the board’s vice chairwoman since March 2018, previously served as chancellor of the state’s Board of Regents from
2009 to 2016.
“Dr. Tisch is one of the nation’s leading education experts and her decades of experience as a teacher and administrator combined with her deep commitment to New York students make her the perfect person to help guide SUNY into the future,” Cuomo, a Democrat, said last week in a statement announcing Tisch’s appointment as SUNY board chair.
She is a former elementary school teacher and earned a doctorate in education from Columbia University. She is active in philanthropy, having founded the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital and serving on the boards of several cultural and charitable organizations.
Her husband, James Tisch, is CEO of Loews Corporation, a New York Citybased conglomerate.
Cesar Perales is Cuomo’s pick to be the board’s vice chair. Perales formerly served in Cuomo’s administration as secretary of state and is the co-founder of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, now known as LatinoJustice PRLDEF. He held past positions under former Gov. Mario Cuomo and ex-New York City Mayor David Dinkins.
The SUNY board is responsible for filling top SUNY positions such as chancellor and campus presidents. It also sets tuition and fees and oversees the granting of diplomas and degrees.
STRUGGLING MUNICIPALITIES: State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office regularly examines the fiscal health of local governments around the state, conducting financial “stress tests” to see if towns, cities and counties are managing their finances well and are prepared for a downturn.
The latest round of tests found eight counties, nine cities, seven towns and one village that are considered “fiscally stressed.” The situation was deemed “significant” in 10 cases.
Some big counties were included: Nassau and Suffolk on Long Island, as well as Westchester County outside New York City. Cities and towns making DiNapoli’s list include Niagara falls, Poughkeepsie and Elmira in the Southern Tier.
“Nearly six million New Yorkers are living in a community struggling with fiscal stress,” DiNapoli said. “For those in fiscal stress, effective long-term planning is critical for charting a better path.”
As part of the analysis, DiNapoli’s office looks at fiscal indicators such as cash reserves, short-term borrowing and deficits as well as population trends, poverty and unemployment.