Three to receive President’s Distinguished Service Award; one to receive University Council Medal at 154th Commencement celebration
Buffalo State University will bestow the President’s Distinguished Service Award on three notable individuals during the university’s 154th Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 16, in the campus Sports Arena.
The President’s Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals or groups who have made significant sustained contributions to Buffalo State University or the larger community that educate the individual, serve the public good, and enrich the broader community.
In addition, Buffalo State University alumnus and Buffalo State University Council Member Emeritus Charles J. Naughton, ’85, will receive the University Council Medal. The University Council Medal recognizes individuals who have made significant, sustained contributions to Buffalo State University and the community through their service on the Buffalo State Council. Recipients are selected by the President, upon recommendation of a committee of faculty and staff. The President considers the following criteria in making the award: educating the individual, serving the public, and enriching the community.
Judy Elliott, Ph.D., ’82
PRESIDENT’S DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND APPLIED PROFESSIONS COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
9:00 a.m. Ceremony | School of Education and Applied Professions
Judy Elliott, Ph.D., is the former chief academic officer of the Los Angeles Unified School District, where she was responsible for curriculum and instruction from early childhood through adult, professional development, innovation, accountability, assessment, afterschool programs, state and federal programs, health and human services, magnet programs language acquisition for both English and Standard English learners, parent outreach, and intervention programs for all students.
Before that, she was the chief of teaching and learning in the Portland Public Schools (Oregon) and, prior to that, an assistant superintendent of student support services in the Long Beach Unified School District in California. Elliott also worked as a senior researcher at the National Center on Educational Outcomes at the University of Minnesota.
She started her career as a special education classroom teacher and then school psychologist. During this time, she was an adjunct professor at Buffalo State University, where she taught graduate courses in curriculum and instruction and applied behavior analysis in the Exceptional Education Department. In 2012, she was appointed by Commissioner John King as the first New York State “Distinguished Educator” to help support and oversee the Buffalo City School District Priority Schools.
Elliott continues to assist districts, cooperatives, schools, national organizations, and state departments of education in their efforts to update and realign systems and infrastructures around curriculum, instruction, assessment, data use, leadership, and accountability that includes all students and renders a return on investment. Her research interests focus on systems change and leadership, equitable and accessible effective instruction for all students, data-based decision making, and accelerated student achievement.
She has trained thousands of staff, teachers, and administrators in the U.S. and abroad in areas of integrated service delivery systems, multi-tiered system of supports, effective use of data, linking assessment to district and classroom instruction and intervention, strategies and tactics for effective instruction, curriculum adaptation, collaborative teaching, and behavior management.
Elliott has published more than 51 articles, book chapters, technical/research reports, and books. She sits on editorial boards for professional journals and is active in many professional organizations. She is nationally known for her work in multi-tiered system of supports/response to instruction and intervention. She has led many successful projects in this area and actively continues to support school districts and national organizations in this work.
Scott Bieler
PRESIDENT’S DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
1:00 p.m. Ceremony | School of Arts and Sciences
Scott Bieler, a native of Orchard Park, New York, began his career with the West Herr Automotive Group in 1975 as a salesman and was promoted to sales management in 1980. In 1981, when he was promoted to general manager, the group had only one dealership—West Herr Ford of Hamburg. He was named president in 1997 and has been principal majority owner since 2000, along with his partners, Brad Hafner, John Wabick, and Bill Loecher. Employing more than 3,100 people, he has helped grow the company to become the largest automotive group in New York State and one of the largest privately owned auto groups in the country.
Bieler’s community involvement has been extensive through the years. He currently serves as vice chair of the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation Board; member of the board of directors of Invest Buffalo Niagara; member of the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable; member of the board of director at Daemen University, where he received the honorary degree of doctor of humane letters. His past board positions include the Upstate New York Federal Reserve Regional Advisory Board for five years; Buffalo Zoo; Buffalo Niagara Partnership; Hilbert College, where he received the honorary degree of doctor of humane letters; and the Invest Buffalo Niagara board of directors.
His civic efforts have been recognized numerous times, including the Theodore Roosevelt Exemplary Citizenship Award; Outstanding Citizen by the Buffalo News; Canisius University Distinguished Citizen Award; Roswell Park’s Katherine Anne Gioia Inspiration Award; National Conference for Just Communities Citation Award; Outstanding Philanthropist through the Association of Fundraising Professionals; Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo’s Hope, Care & Dignity Award; Ford Dealer Hall of Fame Inductee; Business First Hall of Fame; Buffalo Renaissance Foundation Man of the Year; Buffalo History Museum Red Jacket Award; and University at Buffalo Executive of the Year.
West Herr was founded in 1950 and since then has sold over 1.5 million vehicles with 41 dealerships in Erie, Niagara, Monroe, Ontario, and Onondaga counties, representing 27 franchises and over 3,100 employees. West Herr has been awarded Buffalo Business First’s “Best Places to Work in WNY” recognition for the last 24 years, has been named the “Top Workplace” by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, and also has been honored by the Better Business Bureau. The West Herr Automotive Group is dedicated to absolute excellence in customer service provided by honest, responsible, and respectful people. West Herr supports individual pride, company spirit, and community involvement.
The Scott Bieler Family Foundation was established by Bieler to support causes that make a meaningful impact on the lives of Western New Yorkers. The foundation focuses its giving on health care, education, and services for vulnerable populations, especially children and families. Through thoughtful philanthropy, the foundation aims to build a stronger, more compassionate community for all.
Hon. Rose H. Sconiers
PRESIDENT’S DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
5:00 p.m. Ceremony | Master’s and Advanced Graduate Certificates
Honorable Rose H. Sconiers was born and raised in Newport News, Virginia. She attended Howard University for two years and received her bachelor of arts degree in political science from Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York. She received her juris doctor degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) Law School and has taught undergraduate courses at UB and Niagara University.
On July 8, 2010, she was appointed as a judge on the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department; she retired from that position in 2016. Over the years, Justice Sconiers has enjoyed the distinction of being many “firsts” in her profession: first African American female outside of New York City elected to the New York State Supreme Court; first African American female outside of New York City appointed by the Governor of New York State to the Appellate Division, Fourth Department; first female appointed by the Chief Judge of New York State to chair the statewide Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission on Minorities; first African American female to serve in the Corporation Counsel’s Office in the City of Buffalo; and first female CEO of the 70-year-old Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo Inc.
Justice Sconiers has served in numerous leadership positions including, but limited to, chair of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission on Minorities in the Unified Court System; past president of the Association of Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of New York; past presiding officer of the New York State Bar Association, Council of Judicial Associations; past president of the Supreme Court Justice Association–Eighth Judicial District; past president of the Buffalo Law Alumni Association, UB; past president of the National Bar Association, Buffalo Chapter; and past president of the Erie County Chapter of The Links Incorporated.
Active in the community, she has served on the board of directors/trustees for the American Heart Association, Buffalo/Niagara Chapter; Artpark & Company Inc.; Council for Unity; Children’s Hospital of Buffalo; St. Mary’s School for the Deaf; New York State Defenders Association; American Red Cross, Buffalo Chapter; Longview Protestant Home for Children Vestry Board; and St. Philip’s Episcopal Church.
She has earned a wide array of awards for her community service including induction into Western New York Women’s Hall of Fame; UB Law School Alumni Distinguished Service Award; G.W. Carver High School Alumni Award; Judicial Excellence Award from the Association of Justices of the Supreme Court of New York State; Outstanding Jurist from the Bar Association of Erie County; and Woman of the Year Civil Rights Award from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., among others.
Charles J. Naughton, Class of 1985
UNIVERSITY COUNCIL MEDAL
9:00 a.m. Ceremony
Charles J. Naughton, Esq., is a distinguished attorney, public servant, and alumnus of Buffalo State University whose career spans more than four decades of leadership in municipal government, labor relations, public safety, and private legal practice.
Naughton earned his bachelor of arts in political science, summa cum laude, from Buffalo State College while working full time as a firefighter with the City of Niagara Falls Fire Department. He went on to earn his juris doctor, cum laude, from the University at Buffalo School of Law in 1988. Following his admission to the New York Bar, his legal practice focused on family and governmental law, along with broader experience in civil, criminal, and administrative matters.
Naughton served the Niagara Falls Fire Department for 25 years, rising through the ranks to battalion chief before retiring in 2003. In that role, he directed fireground operations and led the department’s Training Division, overseeing firefighter education, safety compliance, and emergency preparedness initiatives. Notably, he balanced his legal career with active duty in the fire service for many years.
In public service, Naughton held numerous senior leadership positions. He served as Niagara County human resources director, overseeing personnel and labor relations for more than 1,800 employees, and as Niagara County risk manager, administering self-funded insurance and safety programs. He also served as town attorney for the Town of Wheatfield, director of labor relations for the Town of Tonawanda, and labor relations consultant for the Town of Hamburg, providing counsel on municipal, labor, and land use matters, collective bargaining, and employment compliance.
A committed advocate for education and public service, Naughton served on the Buffalo State College Council, now the University Council, from 2008 until January 2025. His contributions supported student affairs, governance, and the continued advancement of the institution.
Naughton is married to Deborah Deuro-Naughton, who holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Buffalo State and is a teacher in the Niagara Falls School District. Together, they have raised two children, one of whom is also a graduate of Buffalo State.
Naughton’s career reflects a lifelong dedication to public service, professional excellence, and his community.
Bieler and Sconier headshots courtesy of subjects; Elliott and Naughton headshots by Buffalo State Marketing & Communications.
