FSA director retiring after 28 years

Anthony O’Connell
News Editor

Ann Carrozza will be retiring this year as executive director of the Faculty Student Association after 28 years of service.

“This has been a great place to work,” said Carrozza. “I know I’ve done a lot here but the organization has done a lot for me as well [and] I will be forever grateful for that.”

The FSA is a non-profit organization that operates free from certain restrictions that the college must follow.

This includes running the daycare, bookstore, food service and vending, student activities and more. The FSA has also contributed over $1 million to the Outdoor Athletic Complex, sponsored student projects, events on campus and funded renovation for the football locker room.

Carrozza believes that her most rewarding and enjoyable experiences with the FSA have been collaborations with students.

“What the FSA does is more entrepreneurial in nature than what the college does,” said Carrozza. “We run businesses on campus for the benefit of students and the college.”

Under Carrozza, the FSA has bought and sold land twice with one of these two purchases expanding the campus’ entrance.

One of these purchases involved a property located on the north end of route 4 which was offered to the college by the estate of a dead man. The county blocked the college from accepting the land, but Hudson Valley was able to obtain the property through the FSA’s purchase of the property.

“The entrance that you see now did not exist many years ago, it was just two little lanes which caused constant traffic jams,” said Carrozza.

Carrozza told the FSA Board of Directors that she wanted whoever takes over her position to be more successful than she was. “You don’t work here for as long as I did and not want it to continue and get better,” she said.

At their January board meeting, Alycia Courter was named the new FSA executive director. Courter has worked on the FSA for nearly 20 years, starting her career as a student hire at the college at 19-years-old.

“My goal is to continue with the FSA being as successful as Ann has made it over her tenure,” said Courter.

Working with Carrozza for almost 20 years, Courter believes she has learned everything she knows from Carrozza.

“We are very much alike, we are always thinking about what’s the next best thing,” said Carrozza about Courter.

“She’s very well positioned; she has not only the skills, but the confidence from being here for so long to do the job just fine.”

Due to Courter’s experience with the FSA, she believes the transition will be easier for everyone.

“I know how the organization runs [and] I know the procedures that are in place; it’s just a matter of learning new projects that I haven’t taken part in before,” said Courter.

Courter is grateful for the support Carrozza has given her during the transition. “Without the support of the FSA and Ann in particular, I probably wouldn’t of been able to do [the job],” said Courter.

As for Carrozza, she has plans to relax and enjoy her free time. “I’ve been working for 36 years almost 29 at Hudson Valley,” said Carrozza. “I want to clean out my closets [and] clean my house.”

“I think the faculty is outstanding, as long as [the FSA] continues to keep the students first, it’s only going to get better,” said Carrozza.