Congratulate SUNY Student Leader

Senate Resolution No. 5310 BY: Senator PHILLIPS CONGRATULATING Michael Braun upon the occasion of being named 2018-2019 President of SUNY Student Assembly WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay tribute to those young people within the great Empire State who have made strong contributions to their communities and who serve as role models for their peers; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to congratulate Michael Braun upon the occasion of being named 2018-2019 President of SUNY Student Assembly; and WHEREAS, A second year graduate student at Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, Michael Braun is a perfect example of the next generation of leaders and agents of change; and WHEREAS, Michael Braun ranked ninth in his class at Elmont Memorial High School where he was an active student and excelled in athletics; after graduating, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science magna cum laude from SUNY Cortland in May of 2017; currently, he is working towards his Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Politics, Policy, and Institutions; and WHEREAS, A well-liked and respected member of the student body, Michael Braun will serve as the 2018-2019 President of the SUNY Student Assembly (SUNYSA) and Trustee on the SUNY Board of Trustees; and WHEREAS, At a young age, Michael Braun began his life-long quest of serving others as a Community Outreach Coordinator in his hometown of Elmont, Long Island; as a student at SUNY Cortland, he was elected to the position of Student Government President during the 2016-2017 academic year; and WHEREAS, As President, Michael Braun was instrumental in bringing together student leaders from across the campus community to enhance the overall student experience by working with campus officials to increase student representation on administrative and faculty committees; being a vocal supporter to enhance campus climate and the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and recreating the organization's structure to more effectively represent the student body; and WHEREAS, Michael Braun was a member of the national political science honor society, Pi Sigma Alpha, and worked as an intern with North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) in Washington D.C. and the United University Professions in Albany, New York; and WHEREAS, For his steadfast and unremitting commitment to the SUNY Cortland community, Michael Braun was the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including the Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence, the Outstanding Senior Award, the Outstanding Achievement in Public Administration and Public Policy Award, the Junior Portfolio Award, and the Greek Chapter Leadership Award, and the Outstanding Student Leader Award which was presented to him during the American Collegiate Moot Court Association Eastern Regional Tournament as one of the top competitors in the Eastern Region; and WHEREAS, Upon arriving at Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, Michael Braun quickly immersed himself in student government, serving as the Chief Financial Officer of SUNYSA; in this capacity, he presented comprehensive monthly financial reports, directed record-breaking fundraising efforts, provided in-depth analyses to student leaders on the 2018-2019 Executive Budget, and negotiated the largest budget increase in the history of SUNYSA; and WHEREAS, On April 7, 2018, Michael Braun was elected in a unanimous vote of student leaders to the title of President of SUNYSA; when he assumes office on June 1, 2018, he will be the top student government representative for a network which boasts 64 campuses and more than

600,000 students, making it the largest comprehensive public university system in the United States; and WHEREAS, Michael Braun will serve as the lone student representative and a voting member of the 18-person SUNY Board of Trustees, as well as a crucial student voice on topics such as college accessibility and affordability, food insecurity among students and the quality of public education in New York state; and WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individual for the benefit of others which Michael Braun has displayed throughout his life; and WHEREAS, With his sense of civic duty and his commitment to others, Michael Braun represents the best development of the potential which is inherent in our most precious resource, our youth; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to congratulate Michael Braun upon the occasion of being named 2018-2019 President of SUNY Student Assembly; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Michael Braun.