Need Senate's Okay
Tap McCall, Hayden For SUNY Board

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

Governor Spitzer last week nominated former State Comptroller H. Carl McCall, former State Regents Chancellor Carl T. Hayden and an IBM senior vice president, Linda Sandford, to the State University of New York Board of Trustees.

CARL McCALL: SUNY board nominee.

The nominees must be approved by the State Senate for the unpaid posts.

Mr. Hayden was nominated to chair both the board and a committee that will conduct a nationwide search for a permanent SUNY Chancellor. For the past four years, he has been a director of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity. Mr. Hayden was elected to the state Board of Regents in 1990, became Chancellor in 1995, and was nominated Chancellor Emeritus in April 2002. He is a former president of the Elmira City School District Board of Education.

McCall's Background

Mr. McCall, who was President of the old city Board of Education from 1991 to 1993, served as State Comptroller from May 1993 to December 2002 and ran unsuccessfully for Governor in 2002. Prior to that, he served three terms as a State Senator, representing upper Manhattan. He previously was an Ambassador to the United Nations, a Commissioner of the Port Authority and a Commissioner of the New York State Division of Human Rights. He is presently Chairman of the Public Higher Education Conference Board.

Officials at the United University Professions praised Mr. McCall's nomination. "His forceful advocacy on behalf of public higher education," UUP President William E. Scheuerman said in a statement, "plus his extensive experience in state government make him an ideal candidate."

Mr. Scheuerman also endorsed Mr. Hayden's candidacy. "His record of achievement as Chancellor of the Board of Regents bodes well for what he can accomplish as the SUNY board's next chairman," he said.

The third nominee, Ms. Sanford, is a co-chair of the Business Council of New York State and serves on the Board of Directors of the Partnership for New York City. She is currently senior vice president for on-demand transformation and information technology at IBM. Previously, she was senior vice president and group executive in charge of IBM Storage Systems Group, and served as General Manager of IBM's S/390 Division.

The Board of Trustees oversees the running of the SUNY system, establishes new campuses, has the authority to appoint the Chancellor and the Presidents of the state-operated colleges and universities, and approves the appointments of community college Presidents. It also is charged with regulating student admissions, tuition, and curricula.