2011 COMMENCEMENT - Buffalo State College

PRESIDENT’S DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
John T. and Susan Hoskins
Since John Hoskins was first appointed chair of the Buffalo
State College Council by Gov. George E. Pataki in 1998, he
and his wife, Sue, have displayed an unwavering dedication to
the university. Extremely generous and diverse in their support,
John and Sue Hoskins have together led the way as exemplary
stewards of the institution.
In his remarks upon accepting the council chairmanship,
John said: “We must be the college’s eyes and ears to the
community it serves. We must help garner resources and
support it. We must ensure it is included in community
and government initiatives. We must help open the doors
of opportunity as the college moves toward its future.”
With these guiding principles, John has promoted
campus growth and development for more than a decade.
He and Sue continue their solid support of Buffalo State by
providing educational opportunities for students and career
opportunities for graduates.
The Hoskinses are lifelong residents of Buffalo and owners
of Curtis Screw Company, a leading manufacturer of precisionmachined
components. They have demonstrated their passion
for enriching the Western New York community and for
serving others in numerous ways.
John is the recipient of many community awards, including
the New York State Governor’s Award for Pollution Prevention,
the Community Champion Award from the National Multiple
Sclerosis Society, and the Precision Machined Products
Association’s Merit Award. He also serves on the board of
directors of Merchants Mutual Insurance Company.
Sue has served on the boards of Buffalo Prep, Buffalo
Hearing and Speech, Gilda’s Club, and the Burchfield Penney
Art Center Council. She is a founding member of the Peggy
Balbach donor circle of the Western New York Women’s
Fund, an organization established to raise awareness in the
community of issues affecting women and girls.
In 2008, John and Sue received the Buffalo State College
Foundation’s Leadership by Example award in recognition of
their generous and diverse service to the university, including
making major donations, hosting and sponsoring events,
and establishing scholarships. They are longtime, generous
supporters of Buffalo State’s two biggest annual fundraisers,
the Foundation Scholarship Gala and the Golf and Tennis
Scholarship Classic.
In honor of Sue’s uncle, artist Arthur E. Smith, ’39,
the couple established the Arthur E. Smith-Hoskins Art
Conservation Fellowship. They also established the Curtis
Screw Quality Scholarship Endowment, awarded to eligible
students enrolled in the Technology Department’s quality
program. In addition, for many years, the Hoskinses hosted a
graduation-day gathering for hospitality and tourism majors
and their parents, during which they presented monogrammed
professional cutlery sets to the graduates.
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