NEW PALTZ -The SUNY New Paltz School of Business will pay tribute to past, present and future leaders of the Hudson Valley business community at the 20th annual Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Wednesday, April 22, from 5 – 8 p.m. at the Grandview in Poughkeepsie, New York.
The Hall of Fame honors the exceptional dedication of New Paltz students and alumni, as well as members of the broader regional business community, who have risen to become leaders in their professions and inspirations to future generations.
The 2020 School of Business Hall of Fame inductees are:
Tracy L. Badgley, CPA, partner, PFK O’Connor Davies, LLP
Badgley brings more than 25 years of experience in public accounting to her clients and in her role on the College’s Business Advisory Council.
She has particular expertise working with women-owned businesses. Other areas of focus include management transitions, financial statement preparation, strategic tax planning for individuals and businesses, not-for-profit organizations and corporate tax structuring. She has significant experience and expertise in Internal Revenue Service representation and negotiating techniques.
Bagley also provides individual divorce advisory services as a financial specialist and board member with the Hudson Valley Collaborative Divorce and Dispute Resolution Association. She is a graduate of the Hofstra University School of Business.
Dean’s Award of Excellence:
Ward D. Todd, president, and CEO, Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce
Todd is a former Ulster County legislator currently serving as the leader of the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce, the region’s largest business-advocacy organization, which includes more than 1,000 members who collectively employ more than 20,000 local workers.
In addition to this full-time position, Todd serves the community through partnerships with several organizations. He currently volunteers as secretary of the Ulster County Economic Development Alliance; treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce Alliance of New York State; trustee of the Memorial United Methodist Church of Shandaken, New York; and board member and secretary of the Sound of Life Radio Network. He is a past president of the Kingston School Board of Education and the Children’s Annex Board of Trustees.
Many Hudson Valley radio listeners will know Todd through his work as morning program host and operations manager at WKNY in Kingston, or his previous on-air roles at WBAZ Kingston, WROW Albany, and WRKL Rockland County.
Todd lives with his wife, Jane, in the Catskill Mountains. They have four children and 11 grandchildren.
Alumnus of the Year:
Fitzarnaz Drummond ’06, executive director, Goldman Sachs
Drummond graduated from SUNY New Paltz as the Class of 2006 Valedictorian, with a dual major in Finance and Management. He was a campus leader throughout his time at SUNY New Paltz, serving as a residence assistant and president of the Residence Hall Student Association.
He has remained involved with his alma mater and currently sits on the board of directors of the SUNY New Paltz Foundation, where he also serves as chair of the finance and investment committee. He was recognized as one of the select few New Paltz alumni in the inaugural class of 40 Under Forty honorees.
Drummond has spent more than a decade in investment banking corporate treasury roles with Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank. Originally from Jamaica, Drummond now resides in London, England, with his wife, Kerica, and their two children.
Student Leader of the Year:
Lonniece McDonald ’20
McDonald, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, is an exemplary student in the School of Business and at SUNY New Paltz more broadly. A two-time recipient of the School of Business Hall of Fame Scholarship, she is a finance major pursuing a career as a business owner and financial advisor.
McDonald balances a number of leadership roles on campus, including as president of the Business Association for Students of Color, founding member of the College’s new campus chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants, vice president of finance in the Student Association, member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Board, School of Business Student Ambassador, and member of the College-wide Diversity Task Force.
She volunteered her time on multiple Make-a-Difference Days, when New Paltz students join together to serve the community, and as a First-Year Intern, an unpaid role through which students gain professional experience working alongside faculty and staff.
In addition to her deep commitment to campus leadership and service, McDonald has proven herself to be an exceptional student academically. She has earned induction and membership in the Honors Program and the Beta Gamma Sigma national honor society for business students. She expanded her horizons during a study abroad experience in Madrid, Spain, during the spring 2019 semester.
All new inductees will be recognized at the SUNY New Paltz School of Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, April 22, 2020, at 5 p.m. at the Grandview in Poughkeepsie, New York.
For more information and to reserve your seat, visit the School of Business online, or call (845) 257-2932.
If you have accessibility questions or require accommodations to fully participate in this event, please contact Lori Nutting at nuttingl@newpaltz.edu as soon as possible.
SUNY New Paltz’s School of Business is an accredited member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the highest achievement available to educational institutions that award business degrees. Less than five percent of the world’s business programs have earned AACSB accreditation.
The School of Business offers Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting, business analytics, finance, general business, international business, marketing, and management, as well as a Master in Business Administration (MBA) and an MBA with a concentration in public accountancy. The School of Business is committed to educating and developing its nearly 1,000 students to thrive as business professionals in a global economy.
