Bill Text: NY K00826 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourning the death of Sister Ann Sakac, OP, devoted member of her community, and longest-serving president of Mount Saint Mary College

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-02-05 - adopted [K00826 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-K00826-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 826

BY: M. of A. Maher

        MOURNING  the  death  of  Sister  Ann  Sakac,  OP,
        devoted member of her community, and longest-serving
        president of Mount Saint Mary College

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York  whose  lifework  and  civic  endeavor
served  to  enhance  the  quality  of life in their communities and this
great Empire State; and

  WHEREAS, Sister Ann Sakac of Newburgh, New York, died on  Wednesday,
January 24, 2024, at the age of 91; and

  WHEREAS,  Sister  Ann  Sakac distinguished herself in her profession
and by her  sincere  dedication  and  substantial  contribution  to  the
welfare of her community; and

  WHEREAS,  Serving as president of the college for 32 years beginning
in 1976, Sister Ann Sakac was part of the college community  since  1969
as a professor of English and assistant dean of students; and

  WHEREAS,  She  stepped  down from her role as president in 2008, but
continued to be a part of the college community for the next  15  years;
and

  WHEREAS, Sister Ann Sakac's commitment to excellence, and her spirit
of  humanity,  carried  over  into  all  fields of enterprise, including
charitable and civic endeavors; and

  WHEREAS, Under her 32-year leadership at  the  college,  Sister  Ann
Sakac   oversaw  much  of  the  college's  expansion  from  a  fledgling
institution to a pillar of the community;  some  of  the  highlights  of
Sister  Ann Sakac's tenure as Mount president include the development of
the college's first master's degree program; a new residence hall called
Sakac Hall and renovations  to  Guzman  Hall;  and  the  renovation  and
development of the Mathematics, Science and Technology Center in Aquinas
Hall; and

  WHEREAS,  Under  her  leadership,  Montefiore  St.  Luke's  Cornwall
Hospital began accepting Mount Nursing students for fieldwork, and local
companies like IBM in Poughkeepsie and  Affron  Fuel  Oil  Inc.  in  New
Windsor helped the college to develop and thrive in the 1970s and 1980s;
and

  WHEREAS,  Through  her connections to generous local businesspersons
of the community, Sister Ann Sakac was able to secure  funding  to  make
improvements  to the campus under her purview; the improvements included
the Elaine and William  Kaplan  Recreation  Center;  the  Kaplan  Family
Library and Learning Center; The Kaplan Field; and more; and

  WHEREAS,  The Sister Ann Memorial Endowed Scholarship which supports
incoming students who have financial need and the academic  aptitude  to
succeed  at  the  college  was established in December 2023, thanks to a

gift from Penny Ducker, Class of 1973, serving as an  admirable  tribute
to the legacy of the former president; and

  WHEREAS,  A  wish of Sister Ann Sakac's was for all Mount Saint Mary
students, past and present, to embody the ideals of  service,  spreading
the  importance and impact of such service far beyond the borders of the
college; and

  WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a  sense  of
compassion,  Sister  Ann  Sakac  leaves  behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
she served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
mourn  the  death  of  Sister  Ann  Sakac,  OP,  devoted  member  of her
community, and longest-serving president of Mount  Saint  Mary  College;
and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Sister Ann Sakac.