Plant Engineer Receives SUNY Chancellor's Award
A SUNY Canton employee and alumnus has been selected by SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson to receive the 2019 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service.
Plant Utility Engineer Brett M. Furnia was presented with the honor at the college’s annual Recognition Day event.
Pictured (l to r) are SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran and Plant Utility Engineer Brett M. Furnia. Furnia is a 2012 graduate of SUNY Canton who won the 2019 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service.
Furnia started his career at SUNY Canton in 2002 as a University Police Officer, obtaining the rank of lieutenant. He then began working for the Physical Plant as a utility assistant while taking courses to earn an associate degree in General Technology. After passing the Civil Service examination, he was promoted to plant utility engineer in 2009 and graduated from SUNY Canton in 2012.
Colleagues credit his willingness to proactively seek out professional development opportunities that benefit the college. Most recently, Furnia completed the rigorous requirements to become a New York State-certified code enforcement official (CEO). In this role, he will assist other campus CEOs with keeping staff, students and visitors safe.
He also gives back by serving as vice president of the SUNY Canton Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) chapter and as a member of the association’s Central New York Safety and Health Committee.
In addition to his exemplary job performance, Furnia has distinguished himself by being a positive role model for student workers and junior staff.
“Brett’s contributions to the campus and his commitment to lifelong learning make him the ideal candidate to receive this award,” said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. “His outstanding work ethic, skill in mentoring students and staff, and efforts to promote a safe, welcoming campus environment have created a positive ripple effect that will be felt far beyond our community.”
About SUNY Canton
SUNY Canton is Northern New York’s premier college for career-driven bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY’s leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 18 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The college’s 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also offers varsity esports and cheerleading.
Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college’s career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 22 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.