SUNY Cobleskill President Marion Terenzio has been named one of the Capital Region Chamber’s 2024 Women of Excellence honorees, recognizing her record of higher education service and leadership spanning more than 44 years.
Dr. Terenzio is being recognized in the category of Professional Management, acknowledging her achievements in “maximizing organizational effectiveness and sustainability through decisive action, empowerment of her team, and the implementation of creative solutions to overcome challenges and seize opportunities.”
The Capital Region Chamber’s selection committee is comprised of prior Women of Excellence recipients, a recognition that is now in its 33rd year.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to be recognized among the distinguished women who have in the past, and who will in the future, be called Women of Excellence by the Capital Region Chamber,” Dr. Terenzio said.
“I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to contribute to the higher education and economic development landscapes, and it is a privilege to join the ranks of women who have dedicated themselves to service and leadership. Together, we continue to empower our communities and shape a brighter future.”
Inaugurated in April 2015, Dr. Terenzio is the 12th president of SUNY Cobleskill.
Recognizing the College’s potential to enhance its standing as a premier school of agriculture and technology and as a regional economic development anchor, in 2017 she created the Institute for Rural Vitality at SUNY Cobleskill, now designated as one of only a few USDA-funded Agricultural Innovation Centers, promoting entrepreneurship and food security in the Mohawk Valley and beyond.
Dr. Terenzio was selected in 2023 to receive a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award in Agricultural Education from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
As a Fulbright Scholar, she traveled to France in October 2023 to begin developing collaborative initiatives that will serve to elevate agriculture education programs in New York and create a robust international curriculum at SUNY Cobleskill.
Dr. Terenzio currently serves as co-chair of the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council, the Board of Directors for the Bassett Healthcare Network, the New York State Rural Ambulance Task Force, and the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics.
Her community engagement and advocacy for rights of students includes her service on the NYS Blue Ribbon Commission on K-12 reform and her most recent work as the co-chair for SUNY’s Task Force on Empowering Students with Disabilities.
The Capital Region Chamber will celebrate Dr. Terenzio and five other Women of Excellence honorees at its annual awards program on Friday, May 10, at Marriott Albany.