I first want to begin by thanking the Alumni Association and in particular Brian Fessler, Mike Christakis, and De’Shawn Wright for their nomination for this honor.  It is a great privilege to stand before you, and see so many friends, colleagues and classmates.

In the months since I first learned of this award, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the University at Albany--why I ultimately decided to enroll, what my experiences were, and how have they impacted my career.

One theme kept coming to mind, and perhaps one that is familiar to many of you: we came to Albany for the proximity to power, and stayed out of a sense of service--specifically, for a career in public service.