Herkimer County Community College inducted two notable alumni to the Alumni Hall of Honor during a ceremony held Friday, Sept. 30.
Donald J. Snyder ’04, of West Winfield, is an attorney who served on the College’s Board of Trustees for more than 22 years, including 12 years as chairman.
During his tenure on the board, the College experienced significant growth including the construction of the Technology Center, Wehrum Stadium and Reservoir Run and the expansion of the Robert McLaughlin College Center, Physical Education and Library Buildings.
Snyder was instrumental in securing funding for the Edward Manning and Shirley Augar Gaynor Science Center.
While serving on the Board, Snyder enrolled at Herkimer College and was affectionately known by his classmates as “the kid with white hair.” Snyder said, “After retiring from the court system in 2002, I was privileged to have the ability to fulfill a dream of mine, which was to receive a degree in the field of Fine Arts, which with the assistance of all the wonderful teachers and students here, I was able to do in 2004.”
Dartray Belk ’06, of New York City, earned an associate in science degree in Criminal Justice and continued his education at Hartford University in Hartford, Conn. He is a New York City police officer and a community affairs liaison officer with the 26th precinct in Harlem. A member of the basketball team at both Herkimer and Hartford, he credits his professors and coaches as his main supporters and mentors.
Recognized for his volunteerism, Belk has played an integral role in volunteer projects aimed at weeding out negative actions in communities and replacing them with positive, productive action. In his acceptance speech, Belk said, “Herkimer was the college that gave me an opportunity. With their dedication to student relationships and the community, this school was the perfect fit for me.”
The Alumni Hall of Honor recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers and/or in service to their communities. Snyder and Belk joined 24 other alumni who have been inducted within the past 16 years.
Eleven previously inducted alumni were in attendance at the induction ceremony, which was held during the College’s Fall Fest & Alumni Weekend. They were publicly introduced individually, with a brief description of their accomplishments, as they processed into the ceremony in the Alumni Hall of Honor. At the conclusion of the induction ceremony, a new Alumni Wall of Honor was unveiled in the main corridor of the Robert McLaughlin College Center.
The ceremony was followed by a reception and a special fireworks display in celebration of Herkimer College’s 50th anniversary.
For more information about Herkimer County Community College’s Alumni Hall of Honor, visit www.herkimer.edu/ahoh.