WRVO Community Forum Panelists

Our panelists for the The WRVO Community Forum: Higher Education in the New Economy:

Deborah F. Stanley - President of SUNY Oswego

Robert Simpson - CEO of the Syracuse Metropolitan Development Authority

Peggy Dudarchik - Senior VP of Sensis Corporation

Deborah F. Stanley, President SUNY Oswego

Deborah F. Stanley is the 10th President of SUNY Oswego. Among President Stanley's many significant contributions are the Oswego Guarantee covering cost, class size, and time-to-degree matters, an unprecedented merit scholarship program that includes the Oswego Presidential Scholar Awards, providing almost $2.5 million annually to high-performing students, and a capital improvement plan that has led to more than $408 million in new and renovated facilities. At the heart of the physical transformation is a magnificent new Campus Center-- the central hub for vibrant intellectual, cultural, social and recreational activities on campus.

Stanley's commitment to a learner-centered environment has strengthened SUNY Oswego's academic reputation. The college is now widely recognized for its exceptional quality and broad program offerings. SUNY Oswego has earned a top ranking in America's Best Colleges by U.S. News and World Report, in Princeton Review's guide to The Best Northeastern Colleges, and in Princeton Review's Best 237 Business Schools. Under Stanley's leadership the School of Education achieved NCATE accreditation and the School of Business earned AACSB international accreditation. Other accreditations earned by the college include the American Chemical Society, National Association of Schools of Theatre, National Association of Schools of Art and Design, National Association of Music, and the Council on Technology Teacher Education.

President Stanley has served on the NCAA Division III Presidents Council and as a Commissioner for the American Council on Education. She is a member of American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Women Presidents group, a founding member of the New York State Campus Compact, and a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. She is on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse and Central New York and vice president of the Metropolitan Development Association Foundation. President Stanley is a Director for Alliance Bank. Syracuse University has presented her with its Distinguished Alumni Award, and in 2006 the New York State Senate named her a New York State Woman of Distinction.

Stanley is tenured in Oswego's School of Business. She earned a baccalaureate degree with honors in English and a juris doctor degree from Syracuse University.

Robert Simpson, President & CEO of the Metropolitan Development Association

Rob Simpson serves as president & CEO of the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse & Central New York (MDA). The MDA is a private, not-for-profit business leadership and economic development organization, made up of the chief executives of approximately 200 companies.

Since joining the MDA in 2003, Mr. Simpson has led the organization’s efforts to guide and accelerate the transformation of the Central Upstate economy from a primary reliance on its traditional manufacturing base to a globally competitive knowledge-based economy. Mr. Simpson's principal responsibility has included the strategic planning and implementation of the Essential New York Initiative - a comprehensive twelve-county regional development strategy with programs focused on technology commercialization, workforce development, entrepreneurship and innovation, access to capital, sector-based attraction and retention, and regional marketing.

Programs arising from the Essential New York Initiative include: a regional branding and marketing effort, New York's Creative Core, which has attracted nearly 200 partner institutions; an annual $100,000 Emerging Business Competition, which has drawn regional and national attention to new companies in the Central Upstate region; Grants for Growth, which has awarded more than $3.2 million to 23 university-industry research and commercialization partnerships; Project ION, an internship program that has matched nearly 2000 college students with paid internships in the region; and EssentialNYJobs.com, a unique job search engine which provides one-stop shopping for Central Upstate employers and job seekers.

To promote effective regional economic development and regional cooperation, Mr. Simpson has been a strong advocate of partnerships and coalition building, most notably through the creation of the Central Upstate Regional alliance, with members representing business, academia, and economic development organizations from each of the twelve Central Upstate counties.

Recently, Mr. Simpson led the Metropolitan Development Foundation’s successful effort to secure three grants from the Ford Foundation, a first for the Central Upstate region. These grants stem from work started under the Essential New York Initiative and further the effort to promote sustainable and equitable economic and community development in the region.

Prior to joining the MDA, Mr. Simpson worked as a policy associate and a government relations associate for Defenders of Wildlife and the State Environmental Resource Center, in Washington, DC. He also served as policy director for the State Environmental Resource Center, in Madison, Wisconsin. Mr. Simpson served as assistant legislative director for the Office of Senator John D. Rockefeller, IV, in the United States Senate.

Mr. Simpson is a native Central New Yorker who graduated from Colgate University in 1997. He earned a master's degree in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Rob Simpson and his wife, Corinne Ribble, are residents of Syracuse.

Peggy Dudarchik, Senior Vice President & Chief People Officer

Ms. Dudarchik joined Sensis in 1989 and currently serves as the Senior Vice President & Chief People Officer. In this role, she is responsible for strategic human resources planning, recruitment and staffing, employee development, training, benefits and regulatory compliance.

Prior to joining Sensis, Ms. Dudarchik spent nine years as a systems engineer with General Electric. As a systems engineer, she was involved in the design and development of detection and estimation algorithms for a passive sonar system for the U.S. Navy.

Ms. Dudarchik holds BS degrees in Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Electrical Engineering from University of Dayton and MS degrees in Mathematics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University. She has also graduated from the General Electric Advanced Course in Engineering.