Rosemary (Roe) Liedke, a secretary at the college’s Cheektowaga location, is the 2015 recipient of the Empire State College Foundation Award for Excellence in Support Service.

“I congratulate Roe Liedke for winning the Empire State College Foundation Award in Support Service,” said Merodie A. Hancock, president of the college. “The large number of candidates, the rigorous selection process and the high standards and accomplishments – in terms innovation and student and community service recipients must achieve – is very impressive. These are people who best represent the aspirations of the college community. They have contributed their talents, passions and, often, their entire careers, to their colleagues, to higher education and adult learning, the communities where they live and work and, most importantly, to the overall success of the college and its students. Roe is an outstanding member of the college’s staff, and is an inspiration to all of us.”

“I was so surprised and honored to receive this award,” said Liedke. “I truly am thankful to those that helped make it happen, and I feel very lucky to be surrounded every day at work by the excellence of the entire faculty, professionals and support staff.” 

Liedke has been at the college for 12 years and in her current position for five. She displays superb performance, flexibility and adaptability and demonstrates excellence in leadership, decision making and problem solving, according to her colleagues who nominated her.

Nan DiBello, the dean of the college’s Niagara Frontier region, said Liedke goes beyond being an exceptional staff member – she is a team player dedicated to helping students, faculty and staff in any way needed. “She is an energetic employee who enjoys what she does and is generous is sharing knowledge,” DiBello said, adding that Liedke streamlined multiple processes and developed procedures and programs for different projects over the years. Her attention to detail and customer-service approach aids in retention efforts and student success. She is viewed as a leader among her fellow support staff and as an asset to the college.

Liedke received her award at the annual All College Conference held in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

About the Empire State College Award in Support Service

The recipient of the Foundation Award for Excellence in Support Service is a person who displays superb performance, flexibility and adaptability and demonstrates excellence in leadership, decision-making and problem solving.

About Empire State College

Empire State College, the nontraditional, open college of the SUNY system, educates more than 20,000 students worldwide at eight international sites, more than 35 locations in the state of New York, online, as well as face to face and through a blend of both, at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree levels.

The average age of an undergraduate student at the college is 35, and graduate students’ average age is 40.

Most Empire State College students are working adults. Many are raising families and meeting civic commitments in the communities where they live, while studying part time.

In addition to awarding credit for prior college-level learning, the college pairs each undergraduate student with a faculty mentor who supports that student throughout his or her college career.

Working with their mentors, students design an individual degree program and engage in guided independent study and course work onsite, online or through a combination of both, which provides the flexibility for students to choose where, when and how to learn.

Students have the opportunity to enroll five times during the year.

The college’s 73,000 alumni are active in their communities as entrepreneurs, politicians, business professionals, artists, nonprofit agency employees, teachers, veterans and active military, union members and more.

The college was first established in 1971 by the SUNY Board of Trustees with the encouragement of the late Ernest L. Boyer, chancellor of the SUNY system from 1970 to 1977.

Boyer also served as United States commissioner of education during the administration of President Jimmy Carter and then as president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

More information about the college is available at www.esc.edu.