Legislature Elects New Member to Board of Regents

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate and Assembly Education Committee Chairs Shelley Mayer and Michael Benedetto, and Senate and Assembly Higher Education Committee Chairs Toby Ann Stavisky and Deborah Glick today announced the Legislature’s election of Dr. Roger P. Catania to the New York State Board of Regents.

The Board of Regents is comprised of 17 members elected by the Legislature for five-year terms. One member is elected from each of the state’s 13 judicial districts and four members serve at-large.

Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins said “Dr. Roger P. Catania will be an excellent addition to the New York State Board of Regents, and I congratulate him on his well-deserved appointment. The Legislature has an important responsibility to elect an individual who brings diverse experience and a deep understanding of the issues at hand. Dr. Catania has worked across the field of education as an educator, school counselor and administrator. I look forward to Dr. Catania’s continued efforts to help ensure a high-quality education for all New York students.”

“I am pleased to announce the election of Dr. Roger P. Catania to the New York State Board of Regents,” said Speaker Heastie. “The strength and promise of New York is reflected in our commitment to the education and empowerment of the next generation. The Assembly Majority remains committed to ensuring that the Board of Regents continues to be comprised of experienced and diverse leaders dedicated to providing the best possible education for our children.”

Senator Mayer said “I am pleased that Dr. Roger P. Catania will represent Judicial District 4 on the Board of Regents. He is a distinguished educator who brings both the gravitas and the real world experience that this job requires. Dr. Catania will be a strong voice for the North Country and rural schools.”

“As the supervisory body which oversees all educational activities within the state, the Board of Regents works to ensure that all students have access to a quality educational system in New York,” said Assemblymember Benedetto. “Dr. Catania brings with him a breadth of academic and leadership experience that will make him an excellent addition to this distinguished body.”

Senator Stavisky said “Dr. Catania brings both rigorous academic scholarship and practical experience as a school superintendent in the North Country to the Board of Regents. His career has taken him from the classroom to the board room and now the people of our state will benefit from his commitment to excellence.”

“I wish to congratulate Dr. Roger P. Catania on his election to the Board of Regents,” said Assemblymember Glick. “His extensive experience and commitment to academic excellence will be an asset to the Board as it continues its work of securing for our great state a quality educational system for all New Yorkers.”

Dr. Roger P. Catania (Judicial District 4) is an educational practitioner and scholar with a doctorate’s degree in Social Foundations of Education and the History of Education. Mr. Catania served as superintendent of schools for the Lake Placid Central School District for over eight years overseeing all aspects of the school district including instruction, curriculum, budgeting, construction projects, transportation and human resources. Throughout his long career, he has also served as a social studies teacher, school counselor, and a college instructor and has written extensively on an array of educational issues.