Former New York State Education Commissioner and U.S. Education Secretary John King has been tapped to be the next SUNY chancellor.
Politico first reported the former Cuomo administration official will replace interim SUNY Chancellor Deborah Stanley, who stepped into the role following Jim Malatras’ resignation a year ago.
At a special meeting of the SUNY Board of Trustees Monday, King was appointed to lead the system beginning January 17th. King spoke following his unanimous approval.
"As chancellor, I'm excited to create better alignment between SUNY's offerings and regional workforce demands," he said.
Governor Kathy Hochul cheered the appointment in a statement:
"I applaud and congratulate the SUNY Board of Trustees on their selection of a truly outstanding chancellor in John King. His professional experience at every level of our education system, including as Secretary of Education to President Obama, combined with deep New York roots, make him an ideal leader for the SUNY system. I look forward to working with him on our ambitious goal of transforming SUNY into the top statewide system of public higher education in the country. I'm grateful to SUNY leadership, particularly Board Chair Merryl Tisch, Vice Chair Cesar Perales and Interim Chancellor Deborah Stanley, for their work during this transition period, and to the board for undertaking such a thorough and successful search."