SUNY trustees vote down nomination of Maria Conzatti to lead Nassau Community College

Trustees of the State University of New York took the unprecedented step Friday of formally voting down the nomination of Maria Conzatti to lead Nassau Community College, escalating a fight that’s lasted more than three years.

The SUNY trustees unanimously approved a resolution that, without further comment, stated: "The appointment of Dr. Maria Conzatti as President of Nassau Community College, by the Nassau Community College Board of Trustees, be, and hereby is, disapproved."

A SUNY official said this was the first time the trustees have formally rejected a presidential nominee. The vote was 12-0 with three absences.

Later Friday, after the vote, SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said NCC needed to begin a formal search for a new president.

"Consistent with this vote, I am writing because it is the responsibility of the Nassau Community College Board of Trustees to restart the search process to identify the college's next president," King wrote, adding that SUNY officials would soon follow up.

The trustees' action appears to put the situation in uncharted waters.

Nassau Community College board of trustees President Dr. Jorge Gardyn called the SUNY decision “unfounded” and an overreach — and vowed Conzatti is staying.

“Dr. Conzatti will continue to serve as chief administrative officer pursuant to her existing contract with the college, which remains in full force through December 31, 2028, and pursuant to the applicable provisions of the New York State Public Officers Law,” Gardyn said in a statement to Newsday.

But Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, whose appointees lead the NCC board, blasted SUNY: "This is a slap in the face to every local board in New York State. Maria has done an excellent job educating our children and increasing enrollment at our college."

SUNY declined to comment further.

Conzatti has been leading the school in an interim or acting capacity since January 2022 — even though SUNY guidelines say temporary appointments should last no more than six months. But the NCC board said in spring 2023 that it had given Conzatti an "iron-clad" five-year contract and requested SUNY approve her appointment.

The standoff occurs amid a long-running, increasingly bitter fight with NCC’s faculty union, which includes the elimination of department chairs, consolidation of departments, alleged blocking of tenure appointments and a faculty union contract that expired in August.

The union sued the college a year ago, saying the elimination of 15 academic department chairpersons violated state regulations. A local judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying the union failed to show the college violated state procedures when it shrank the total number of departments from 21 to 6. The union has appealed to the Appellate Division, New York’s mid-level court.

NCC has been without a permanent president since 2022. 

Over the period Conzatti has been leading the Uniondale school, her title has been changed to "administrator-in-charge" by SUNY, an NCC official said, though she remains the top executive.

She wasn't among the initial finalists advanced by a search committee when predecessor Jermaine Williams departed in 2022 but eventually was backed by the NCC board.

The NCC board gave Conzatti the five-year contract in 2023 and asked the trustees to approve her appointment. SUNY records show Conzatti’s contract lists a $240,000 annual salary.

In June, SUNY trustees began the process of implementing a rule limiting interim appointments of an administrator-in-charge to one year and blocking Conzatti from continuing in her role. NCC essentially said no thanks and repeated its request for SUNY to approve her as president.

The parent union of the Nassau faculty applauded Friday's vote.

"The Board of Trustees’ decision today is a responsible and necessary step toward restoring stability and confidence in Nassau Community College leadership. Visionary, sustainable leadership cannot be built on prolonged interim arrangements," Melinda Person, president of New York State United Teachers, said. The NCC faculty union is a local unit of NYSUT.

Person said students and faculty "deserve a president who is chosen through an open process."

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy