Keuka College faculty and staff gathered in the Geiser Dining Commons on Tuesday, January 21, to exchange greetings, well-wishes, and a few rounds of applause at the College’s Community Day event.
The gathering enabled employees to reconnect before the spring semester begins on Monday, Jan. 27. Keuka College President Amy Storey, emceeing the event, provided an overview of the College’s enrollment, retention, and financial standing.
The news was positive on all fronts:
- On-campus enrollment increased for the second consecutive year with the College welcoming five first-year, nine transfer, four readmitting, 48 international, and 82 online students for Spring 2025.
- Applications from prospective students for Fall 2025 are up nearly 8% from the same time last year with 20 more deposits in hand than one year ago.
- Retention rates ticked up for the fifth consecutive year and now stand at 85.6%.
- The College finished Fiscal Year 2024 with a $1.9 million surplus, enabling leadership to distribute bonuses.
Assistant Director of Academic Success Initiatives Angelina Champagne M’20, right, embraces Mental Health Counselor Brandi Sears after presenting her with a glass acorn for her dedicated service.
President Storey also shared estimated investments in on-campus capital projects for the next two years, including renovations to Space Hall and creation of a community-facing outpatient health clinic. She noted the significant investments made over the past few years to campus infrastructure, all without taking on additional debt.
Tuesday’s event also allowed the Keuka College community to welcome new employees, celebrate colleagues with milestone anniversaries, and acknowledge sustained and noteworthy accomplishments.
Five-year service awards were presented to:
- Director of the Academic Success Center Catherine Agar
- Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy Kristen Bacon
- Professor of Occupational Therapy Michele Bennett ’05 M’06
- Reference and Instruction Librarian Denise Chambers
- Facilities Coordinator Rachael Wood
Ten-year service awards were presented to:
- Director of Digital Marketing Katie Fitzpatrick ’14
- Custodial Lead Jaci Lyons
- Executive Assistant to the President Tammy Warner
A 15-year service award was presented to Registered Nurse Anita Gaston.
A 35-year service award was presented to Administrative Assistant for Student Accounts BJ Hill.
Forty-year service awards were presented to Mechanical Controls Technician Lewis Stewart and Data Coordinator for Financial Aid Sally Daggett.
Several faculty and staff members were honored with the College’s Acorn Award, which recognizes noteworthy accomplishments throughout the year:
- Administrative Assistant for the Center for Experiential Learning Diedre Anchorstar
- Director of Annual Giving and Advancement Services Harley Carter ’17
- Associate Director of Enrollment Operations Sharon Dawes
- Program Manager for Humanities and Fine Arts Teresa Deacon
- Assistant Director of Admissions Courtney Elias
- Maintenance worker Ron Lucia
- Accounting and Financial Systems Director Justin Miner
- Assistant Director of Event Operations Michael Piccone
Four members of the College were honored with the Oak Award, which recognizes sustained collaborative efforts to further the mission of the College:
- Women’s Softball Head Coach Jamie Burke
- Director of Financial Aid Stacia Dalaba ’18 M’21
- Director of Campus Life Laura Dulski
- Art Director Jared VanOuse
Associate Director of Athletics Jeff Bray received the Legacy Award, which honors sustained outstanding achievement in harmony with the College’s values.
President Storey presents Associate Director of Athletics Jeff Bray with the College’s Legacy Award for his more than 30 years of outstanding service to the College and its student-athletes.
The following faculty members were recognized for completing the ACUE Effective Teaching Practice Framework Course, which is designed to help educators improve their teaching and elevate student success: Catherine Agar, Kristen Bacon, Michele Bennett ’05 M’06, Denise Chambers, Dominique Derminio ’11, Andrew Geragotelis, William Hopkins, Beth Jordan, Megan Lawson-Clark, Gylla MacGregor, Cathy Reed, Mike Smith, Craig Stevenson, Susan Strickland, and Sekai Turner.
Interim Vice President for Student Development Liz Lambert and Associate Provost Malia Spofford-Xavier were recognized as HEDS Student Success Champions for successfully applying to the HEDS Program to develop a Second Year Experience program.
