Rockefeller College Honors Seven at Annual Alumni Dinner and Awards Ceremony

Among the Rockefeller College alumni to be honored on May 16 are, left to right, Kimberyly Lyons, assistant VP and analyst with Moody's Investment Service; Phillip McCallion, professor in the School of Social Welfare; and Theresa Pardo, director of UAlbany's Center for Technology in Government.

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 9, 2014) — The University at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy will honor alumni exemplars such as Saudi Arabia’s ambassador and permanent representative to the World Trade Organization, the former chief of staff to the Secretary of the Treasury and the regional CEO of the American Red Cross Northeastern New York at its Annual Alumni Dinner and Awards Ceremony, Friday, May 16, at the New York State Museum in Albany.

In all, seven distinguished individuals will be recognized for their achievements and exemplary service to the public and to the College in the areas of political science, public administration, leadership, and continuing professional development.

“These alumni have been making a significant impact at the global, national, state, and local levels” said Rockefeller College Dean David L. Rousseau. “They have been working on critical issues, including international trade, economic recovery, disaster response, information strategy, and services for the aging. I am so proud of the work our alumni do and the example they set for others, especially our current students.”

The 2014 recipients include:

Rockefeller College Lifetime Achievement Award
Abdolazeez S. Al-Otaibi, MPA '83, PhD '88
Dr. Abdolazeez S. Al Otaibi has been Saudi Arabia’s ambassador and permanent representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva since 2010. In 2013, he served as the chairman of the Council for Trade in Services and the coordinator of the Asian Group of Developing Members. Previously, he served for two terms as coordinator of the WTO’s Arab Group.

Distinguished Alumnus in Political Science Award
Mark A. Patterson, BA '84
Mark A. Patterson is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Perkins Coie LLP, a law firm with more than 900 lawyers and 20 offices across the United States and around the world. He is also a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. Before joining Perkins Coie, Patterson served from 2009–2013 as chief of staff for two Secretaries of the Treasury, Timothy F. Geithner and Jacob J. Lew.

Distinguished Alumnus in Public Administration and Policy Award
Gary Striar, MPA '79
Gary Striar is the CEO of the American Red Cross Northeastern New York Region. The region comprises four chapters serving a population of nearly 1.9 million from the Mid-Hudson Valley to the Canadian border, with chapters in Albany, Glens Falls, Morrisonville and Poughkeepsie. During Striar’s tenure as CEO, the American Red Cross Northeastern New York Region has responded to numerous disasters, including Hurricanes Sandy and Irene and major winter ice storms and flooding in the Mohawk Valley in both 2006 and 2013.

Young Alumnus in Political Science Award
Liam Fitzsimmons, BA '05
Liam Fitzsimmons is chief of staff for U.S. Representative Louise Slaughter. Congresswoman Slaughter, a member of the Democratic leadership, represents Rochester, N.Y. and serves as the ranking member on the House Rules Committee.

Young Alumna in Public Administration and Policy Award
Kimberly Lyons, BA '02, MPA '04
Kimberly Lyons is an assistant vice president/analyst with Moody’s Investors Service, acting as the lead rating analyst for a number of state governments, including Georgia, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Kimberly serves as co-president of Northeast Women in Public Finance, which provides mentoring, career development, educational, and networking opportunities for women in the public finance industry.

Rockefeller College Distinguished Service Award
Theresa Pardo, BA '82, MS '90, PhD '98
Dr. Theresa A. Pardo is director of the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany. Dr. Pardo holds research professorship appointments at UAlbany in the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy and College of Computing and Information.

Distinguished Continuing Professional Education Leadership Award of Excellence
Philip McCallion, MSW '81, PhD '93
Dr. Philip McCallion is a professor in the School of Social Welfare at the University at Albany. He is also a Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar and Mentor and co-director of the University’s Center for Excellence in Aging & Community Wellness.

For more information on this year’s Rockefeller College Alumni Dinner and Awards Ceremony, please visit the Alumni Awards website, or contact Rockefeller College’s Director of Alumni Relations, Andrea Lomanto, at 518-442-3862 or [email protected].

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