New York State Police Sergeant Honored with Friend of Education Award

ALBANY, NY (03/27/2014)(readMedia)-- Sergeant Renise Holohan of the New York State Police has been selected as the 2014 Friend of Education by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS). This award is given to an individual, group, or organization that has consistently contributed to the support and advancement of outstanding public education and the students of New York State.

A highly sought after speaker, Sergeant Holohan has presented at countless educational conferences and panel discussions over the course of the past 16 years. She has also been an active member of the Governor's Task Force on School Safety since 1998. She co-wrote SAVE legislation guidance documents and has authored two school safety DVDs as well as the New York State School Safety Guide. Through her efforts, she obtained several grants for the New York State Police that were responsible for securing the salaries and benefits for 92 school resource officers in schools throughout New York State. She was also asked to serve as a member of the Governor's New York State School Safety Improvement Team per the Safe Act.

In addition to her extensive work, commitment, and dedication to school safety in New York State, Jay Worona, general counsel for the New York State School Boards Association, commented that Holohan "is a marvelous teacher. Whenever she presents to audiences of school board members, administrators, students, or the general public, her underlying message can easily be understood and is always appreciated by those to whom she speaks."

Donald Nickson, deputy executive director of SAANYS, stated that "New York State is very fortunate to have such a friend in law enforcement. Sgt. Holohan has made a significant contribution to the mission of education through her work on school safety. We are fortunate that her career path brought this talented officer to us as a resource."

Holohan received her bachelors degree in elementary education with a minor in psychology from SUNY Geneseo, and graduated from the New York State Police Academy in Albany. Holohan will be honored for her contributions at an awards ceremony on May 9 at the Century House in Latham, New York.

SAANYS represents nearly 7,200 school administrators, supervisors, and coordinators. As a professional association, SAANYS is committed to providing direction, service, and support to the membership in their efforts to improve the quality of education and leadership in New York State schools. SAANYS is affiliated with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

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