MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – The Faculty Council of Community Colleges (FCCC) recently presented SUNY Orange President Dr. Kristine Young with its 2026 FCCC Distinguished Service Award during the organization’s annual Spring Plenary at Westchester Community College.

The FCCC’s Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals whose work has made a meaningful difference in higher education, in community colleges, and in the lives of students. The FCCC is the statewide faculty governance body for all 30 of SUNY’s community colleges.

Now in her 11th year as president at SUNY Orange, Young is widely viewed as a collaborative leader who has aligned with colleagues and external partners to grow enrollment and reshape the daily experience for the community college students of today, particularly those at SUNY Orange.

In a letter announcing the award, FCCC President Candice Vacin offered the following assessment: “What I find especially meaningful about this recognition is that it reflects not just what you have accomplished, but the way you have accomplished it. The nomination speaks so clearly to your respect for faculty, your commitment to shared governance, and your belief that institutions are strongest when people are brought together in thoughtful and genuine partnership. That kind of leadership matters. It creates trust, strengthens colleges, and makes it possible for good work to happen in ways that are both lasting and consequential.”

The awards dinner featured remarks from SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr.; Ronalyn Wilson, representing Valerie Dent, SUNY vice chancellor for community colleges; Vacin; Dr. Erika Hackman, SUNY Orange provost; Liz Carris, president of SUNY Orange’s shared governance body; and Michelle Tubbs, the College’s delegate to the FCCC.

Young was presented with a framed copy of the FCCC resolution which formally recognized her award. The resolution included the following passage: “throughout her tenure, Dr. Young has exemplified the kind of leadership that strengthens institutions, elevates the contributions of others and advances the mission of public higher education for the benefit of students, faculty, staff and the communities SUNY Orange serves.”

“The award presentation was an emotional and genuinely memorable evening for me,” Young said. “I found the remarks from each of the speakers deeply moving and humbling, and I am very grateful to FCCC for considering me worthy of this wonderful recognition.”

Coming off the College’s 75th anniversary year in 2024-25, Young continues to be a visionary community college leader whose trailblazing approach has transformed SUNY Orange into a national model for student success, innovation, and access. Under her leadership, the College earned the prestigious 2026 Bellwether Award (considered one of the highest honors in community college education), recognizing scalable, student-centered reforms that are shaping the future of the sector.

SUNY Orange is in the midst of a period of extraordinary growth, with enrollment increasing for 13 consecutive academic sessions and rising 27.5 percent since 2022, evidence of Young’s strategic focus on access, retention, and momentum. Her commitment to innovation extends to initiatives like SUNY Orange Plus, expanding flexible academic and training offerings and broadening opportunities for diverse learners.

She has also positioned SUNY Orange to better serve students and the community-at-large. New degree and microcredential programs are creating pathways to career opportunities for students, and the College has recently expanded its renowned nursing program on the Newburgh campus by 50 percent to help address growing shortages of skilled nurses in the Hudson Valley. An expansion and relocation of the Radiologic Technology program to the Newburgh campus is on the horizon as well.

Young’s impact is not limited to the College’s Middletown and Newburgh campuses. She recently concluded a two-year run as president of NYCCAP, the New York Community College Presidents (2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years). She continues to serve as co-chair of the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council, having been named to that post in February 2022 following five years of service on the Council. From 2019-22, Young served on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Board of Directors, holding membership on its executive committee as well as leading two commissions.