Durand Named Officer in Charge of Buffalo State

SUNY Chancellor John B. King today announced the appointment of Bonita R. Durand as officer in charge of Buffalo State University pending her appointment as interim president, which is to come before the State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees at its upcoming June meeting.

Durand will serve in the interim role during the ongoing nationwide search to identify a permanent president to replace Katherine Conway-Turner, who retired from Buffalo State at the end of May. Durand will not be a candidate for the permanent position.

During the presidential search process, SUNY System Administration has put in place a team that is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for the success of the interim president as well as the incoming president.

Donna Linderman, senior vice chancellor for student success, will serve as the point of contact to provide support to Durand during this period. Zulaika Rodriguez, assistant vice chancellor for presidential searches, will serve as liaison to the search and transition process.

About Bonita R. Durand
Bonita Durand retired in 2018 after 22 years of service to SUNY Buffalo State, where she served as chief of staff and secretary to the Buffalo State College Council. Durand served under five presidents at Buffalo State during her tenure. In addition, she was a graduate faculty member in the university’s Higher Education Administration Department, where she taught courses on the history of American higher education and strategic planning and finance in higher education.

Durand provided leadership to countless committees and working groups at Buffalo State, including the Middle States accreditation steering committee, the presidential inauguration support committees, the facilities master planning committee, and the presidential search advisory committees. She has also served as the faculty adviser for the collegiate chapter of the National Council of Negro Women and the campus adviser for the Gamma Kappa Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

An active member of the Western New York community, Durand has dedicated her time to numerous organizations across the city and region. She was secretary for the City of Buffalo Citizens Advisory Commission on Reapportionment in 2011, a member of the Mayor of the City of Buffalo’s 2010 Complete Count Census Committee, a charter member of the Buffalo Niagara Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, and a member of the Western New York Women’s Fund Board of Directors.

Durand earned a doctor of philosophy from the University at Buffalo with a concentration in higher education administration and a focus on institutional advancement. Durand also holds a master of science in applied public affairs from the University at Buffalo and a bachelor of arts in business administration and curriculum development from the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2010, she received certification in educational management and leadership from the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.

Media Contact:
Laurie Kaiser, Interim Media Relations Director
Marketing and Communications Office
Buffalo State University
Cleveland Hall 307
(716) 809-0583