Many thanks to the students and alums who have taken the time to share their accomplishments, achievements and job promotions with the department. If you'd like to share something with us in the next E-newsletter, send your information to padmin@brockport.edu.

Barbara Darbey '88 is executive director of Pre-Trial Services Corporation, a Rochester non-profit criminal justice agency. Darbey was recently named "Member of the Year" by the National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies at their annual conference in Houston, TX. She serves on the National Diversion Committee, the National Pretrial Release Standards Committee, as well as National Institute of Corrections Pretrial Focus Group. Darbey has been with Pre-Trial Services Corporation for 20 years and was named executive director in 2001.

Robert VonBuskirk '04 has been appointed director of nursing services at Aaron Manor Rehabilitation and Continuing Care Center. VonBuskirk was formerly the assistant director of nursing at Monroe Community Hospital.

Shannon Frenyea '05 recently began a new position with the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Washington, DC. Frenyea says, "I am so grateful and lucky to have such a great opportunity before I even graduated!!! I work in the IT Information Management Division as a program auditor. I love my job. Basically I audit how they manage software programs within DHS and includes the Coast Guard, FEMA, INS, and Customs and Border Patrol. I have a great opportunity to serve my country and a job that I had dreamed of obtaining even before I started the program. Things came together quite nicely. I am looking forward to using the skills and education I gained from the MPA program. It will be very useful."

Ellen W. Jenkins '04 is director of Development at Action for a Better Community, Inc., where she is responsible for the annual campaign, special events, volunteer coordination and communications for the agency.

Margaret M. DelPlato is a business development analyst with the Monroe County Department of Planning and Development. DelPlato researches and prepares financial data for analysis and reports, services business start-up, expansion and relocation projects, and markets financial programs offered by the Economic Development Division.

Cynthia Elliott '95 was elected to the Rochester Board of Education in the November 2005 general election. As commissioner, Elliott will serve a four-year term and assist in policy development, budget development, the hiring of the superintendent and representing the views of the community, particularly those of the poor and disenfranchised.

Thomas F. Hanney '79 graduated from SUNY Brockport when the program was called Urban Administration. After earning his master's degree, Hanney worked for six years for the City of Rochester. Later, he was executive director of Plaza Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, P.C., a Rochester medical company. In 1996, he started working as a consultant, primarily as a writer. Hanney still serves on Plaza Sports Medicine’s Board of Directors and continues to work as a writing consultant. He is also an adjunct professor at RIT, teaching writing and public relations courses.

Ron Adams '00 recently completed the 10-week Citizens Police Academy presented by the Irondequoit Police Department. One of the speakers was fellow MPA graduate, Captain Mark Bonsignore '99.

Tamara Jones '04 is working for the Center for Youth Services as employment case manager for the "Learn 2 Earn 2" program, which helps out- of-school youth find employment, obtain their GED (if needed), obtain vocational training, and/or get secondary education. Jones also assists with providing workshops on money management, youth leadership, communication and other skills that can help prepare teens/young adults for employment. Formerly, Jones worked for the Rochester-Monroe County Youth Bureau as the "Youth As Resources" coordinator, where she ran a youth philanthropy program.

Tom Kuryla '04 was promoted in January to deputy commissioner of human services for Seneca County. Kuryla was formerly the director of social services for Seneca County and reports, "I’m proud to say that, because of my Master’s in Public Administration from Brockport, I’m being promoted in January to deputy commissioner of human services in Seneca County. There’s absolutely no way I would have been considered for this promotion without obtaining the MPA. Like I’ve told all of you before, thanks very much for the knowledge. I hope you continue to enjoy your teaching endeavors. You’re all great individuals and talented educators."

Lori VanAuken '05 is director of community partnerships at the Children's Institute in Rochester.

Shannon Doolin '03 recently relocated to Maryland where she is now the marketing manager at the School of Business and Education at Johns Hopkins University.

Curtis Birthwright was identified as one of 26 emerging African-American leaders of Rochester in a special section of the February 19, 2006, edition of The Democrat and Chronicle, titled, "A Celebration of Black History Month: Rochester's Emerging African-American Leaders."

Sophea C. So '04 currently works for the Hospital League/1199 SEIU Employment, Training and Job Security Program (ETJSP) in the Training & Upgrading Fund (TUF) Department as the field coordinator/program specialist for the Rochester region. So is responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of Rochester area fund-sponsored educational services, adult education, grant-funded skills training programs and activities in the Unionized Health Care industry.

Ed Downey, associate professor

• is currently revising the PAD/EPS 666 Computer Applications course by surveying MPA faculty to determine the computer skills required in PAD courses. This course will be offered in the fall 2006 semester. Click here for a link to the department's tentative three-semester schedule.
• will be offering a Scholars Day presentation at the MetroCenter titled "The E-Value Project: The Extent to which Public Service Web sites Promote Civic Engagement" with students in his course PAD/EPS 610 Public Service Web sites Analysis. Scholars Day is Wednesday, April 12, from 8:30 am-5 pm, on the main Brockport campus, and 6 pm-7:30 pm at the Metro Center in downtown Rochester.

Jim Fatula, associate professor and chair

• was guest speaker on Need to Know with Michael Caputo, WXXI-TV, December 2, on the topic of Medicaid reform.
• was guest speaker on Bob Smith’s 1370 Connection, WXXI radio, December 9, March 7 on the topic, "Rising health care costs," and February 8, on"The President’s proposals for health care reform in the State of the Union Address."
• was guest expert in Kathy Driscoll’s Managers at Work column, Rochester Business Journal (20 January 2006), in an article titled “Agenda should be clear indicator of board’s role”

Gregory Saxton, assistant professor:

• is presenting a paper, “The Participatory Revolution in Public Management: The Emerging Participatory Society and its Implications for Public Sector Organization, Governance and Management,” at this spring’s annual meeting of the American Society for Public Administration in Denver, CO.
• had an article accepted for publication in Nationalism and Ethnic Politics entitled “Structure, Politics, and Action: An Integrated Model of Nationalist Protest and Rebellion.”

• For more information about the MPA degree at SUNY College at Brockport, visit our Web site at http://www.brockport.edu/pubadmin.
• Course schedule and online registration information may be found at http://www.brockport.edu/pubadmin/schedule.htm.
• MPA Alums: Visit SUNY Brockport's Alumni Web page at http://www .brockport.edu/alumni/.