SUNY Potsdam Alumni Honor Amy Kellogg '99 with 2016 Distinguished Service Award

Outgoing Alumni Association President Amy Kellogg '99 Recognized for Service at Reunion Weekend Ceremony

Related Media

L to R: SUNY Potsdam President Kristin Esterberg, Distinguished Service Award recipient Amy Kellogg ’99 and incoming Alumni Association President Michael Paestella ’95.

POTSDAM, NY (07/21/2016)(readMedia)-- The SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association recently honored its outgoing president, Amy J. Kellogg '99, with the 2016 Distinguished Service Award at the College's Bicentennial Reunion Weekend.

The Distinguished Service Award is presented to alumni who have made exceptional contributions to the Alumni Association and/or the College. Kellogg was honored for her unwavering devotion and leadership, her dedication as a volunteer and as a generous donor to her alma mater.

In addition to working for one of the top 10 lobbying firms in New York State, Kellogg also serves as president of the Tech Valley Business and Professional Women, the New York State Bar Association's Committee on Women and Law and the Albany County Democratic Committee.

As a student in the pre-law program at SUNY Potsdam, Kellogg was mentored by Dr. Richard Del Guidice, who helped her secure an internship in the New York State Assembly in her junior year and helped her prepare for law school. She attended Albany Law School, where, in her second year, she began working at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP. The firm hired her full-time upon her graduation and successful completion of the bar exam in 2002.

She immediately began taking on what would become a landmark piece of legislation, one that would serve as a nationwide model. In 2004, when the Restaurant Association wanted the New York State Legislature to pass a statewide law banning smoking in restaurants, they hired Harter Secrest & Emery to lobby for the changes, and Kellogg became the lead attorney in the case. Eventually, the law was tied into the Clean Indoor Air Act, which banned smoking in any public place where employees could be exposed to secondhand smoke.

While serving as president of the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association from 2014 to 2016, Kellogg has led the organization in a number of successful initiatives, including the creation of a new Pay It Forward Scholarship. Designed to help SUNY Potsdam's neediest students, the scholarship encourages recipients to one day "pay it forward" when they are able to give back to the College in some way. She also endowed a scholarship for student internships, and is in the process of creating a second endowment, designated for a student leadership award.

Kellogg was presented with the Distinguished Service Award during the annual Award Ceremony and Class Dinner during Reunion Weekend 2016. Michael Paestella '95, the president-elect of the Alumni Association, presented his predecessor with her award.

To find out more about SUNY Potsdam's committed alumni, visit www.potsdam.edu/alumni.

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. As the College marks its bicentennial in 2016, SUNY Potsdam will celebrate a 200-year legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 4,100 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and leadership in the arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community is nearing the completion of Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which has raised $33.5 million for scholarships and programs.

###