Carol Dumka ’75 of Liverpool, N.Y., Honored with 2024 Donald L. Tompkins Distinguished Service Award from SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association
Carol Dumka ’75 of Liverpool, N.Y., seen at right, is the recipient of the 2024 Donald L. Tompkins Distinguished Service Award from SUNY Potsdam’s Alumni Association. SUNY Potsdam President Dr. Suzanne Smith (left) presented the award at Reunion 2024.
The SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association recently honored Carol Dumka ’74 of Liverpool, N.Y., with the Donald L. Tompkins Distinguished Service Award during Reunion 2024.
The Donald L. Tompkins Distinguished Service Award is presented to alumni who have made exceptional contributions to the Alumni Association and/or the College. It was renamed in 2022 in honor of former Alumni Board Trustee Donald Tompkins ’68.
Dumka was honored for her distinguished career in public school music education, service to and leadership of the Julia E. Crane Alumni Association over the past 12 years, and the multitude of ways she serves the college in outreach and recruiting of students to Crane.
About the recipient:
Carol Dumka ’75 is an absolute portrait of service. She is always willing to share her time and skills to give back to SUNY Potsdam, and clearly believes strongly in being an active part of the tradition of excellence. The Crane School of Music can boast of one of the country’s most vibrant, active and dedicated alumni bases; Dumka is one of the exemplars of that dedication.
A member of the Crane Alumni Board since 2012, Dumka has served as the organization’s president for the past eight years. In her roles with the Crane Alumni Board, she has been diligent about getting to know committee members and Crane and SUNY Potsdam students, staff and faculty. She regularly attends meetings (in person, despite the travel time required), and organizes opportunities to with meet with campus leadership to share Crane alumni concerns.
The growth that the Crane Alumni Board has shown under Dumka’s guidance is remarkable. She is excellent at identifying strengths and finding the right people to do each job. Her role also entails service on the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association Board of Trustees, where she has been an outstanding member. With the Alumni Association, she is always willing to do what is needed to ensure the best opportunities are available to help students succeed.
Dumka completed her Bachelor of Music degree in music education at Crane, before going on to earn a master’s degree in performance from Northwestern University and later completing a Certificate of Advanced Study in educational leadership at SUNY Cortland. After beginning her career as a music educator, she entered administration as a principal and currently serves as the arts in education coordinator for Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES.
To find out more about SUNY Potsdam’s committed alumni, visit www.potsdam.edu/alumni.
About SUNY Potsdam:
Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.