The 18th Annual Alumni Awards Dinner

The 18th Annual Alumni Awards Dinner was held on October 4, 2007 at The Fox Hollow Country Club. It was an evening of success, recognition, and remembrance as the awardees spoke on behalf of their fondest memories attending SUNY Old Westbury College. They realized without the experience attained at the college they would not be in the position they are in today.
President Calvin O. Butts, III of Old Westbury was encouraged and looked forward to the event. He expressed his great wish is that each year the alumni association would grow larger to attract more of the alum to support the state university. “Alumni support is very important to the ongoing progress of the school, and especially using the alumni as they have made significant contact in the larger world.” Most importantly he wants the alumni to support the spirit of the school and having them attend this function plugs them into it. Surprisingly, 17,000 alumni have not been tapped into due to lack of accurate records with earlier administration.
SUNY College at Old Westbury Alumni Association president Mary D’Antonio stated how important the evening was for her because it shows how many of the alum have excelled. The event “honors the faculty and it’s the best part of Old Westbury.” She looked forward to having a good time and celebrating their greatness.
Larry Engel, treasurer of the Old Westbury Alumni Association, spoke of how wonderful it felt to be at the awards dinner. “People of all ages, people of all ethnicity, that’s one thing about Old Westbury we are a definite mix and everybody comes together, because we appreciate the education we received here and it’s important to highlight the school, as well as each one of us.” Engel was on hand to give the award of 2007 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year to 1985 Business and Management graduate, Jim Tinnelly. Tinnelly did not want to talk about himself and whether he was a success or not, but actually about what Old Westbury did to change his life. It was a pivotal time in his life when he attended the school because after a 16-year hiatus the school gave him a second chance. “Teachers were dedicated with positive attitude and drive,” he expressed. When asked how it felt to be honored with the Alumnus of the Year he stated “It felt flattering and humbling.” He enjoyed the event tremendously and was surrounded by the support, warmth and friendship of so many people who helped him get there.
Other awardees included Excellence in Art, 1980 Visual Arts graduate, Marta Chilindron, Excellence in Education, 1977 American Studies graduate, Dr. Virginia Quiroga Metaxas, Excellence in Mathematics, 1992 Math-Adolescence Education graduate, Toni Anne Summers, and Excellence in Education in Chemistry and Physics department, Dr. Judith Weinstein-Lloyd. It was an exceptional night to celebrate the honorees and their accomplishments thanks to their education at SUNY Old Westbury.
-Shelley Mendoza