LOCH SHELDRAKE, NY — SUNY Sullivan has a new president.

Dr. David Potash was appointed by the State University of New York Board of Trustees this week for a term to begin on or before July 1.

Since 2013 he’d served as president of Wilbur Wright College, an 85-year-old community college in Chicago. A statement announcing his appointment said Potash brought to Wright College “significant increases in student success, new programs and certificates; sustained efforts at equity, community service, civic engagement, career, workforce, and apprenticeships; served the community’s growing Hispanic population; and led the creation of a Center of Excellence in Engineering and Computer Science.”

Before that Potash was the chief academic officer at the four-year Curry College in Massachusetts, and held administrative posts at Hunter and Baruch colleges in the City University of New York system, where he worked on curricula development and student enrollment.

“I am very excited to join SUNY Sullivan, a growing institution with a crucial mission,” said Dr. Potash in the statement. “Throughout the search process, I have been deeply impressed with everyone’s deep commitment to student success.”

Dr. Potash majored in English and philosophy at Rice University. He has a master’s in art in history from New York University and a doctorate in history from Cambridge University.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. lauded his appointment. “The SUNY Sullivan Board of Trustees has chosen a president who, throughout his career, has demonstrated a focus on rigorous academics, service to an increasingly diverse student population, and keen attention to wraparound services to ensure student success,” he said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Dr. Potash during his tenure as we continue to build on the fantastic offerings at SUNY Sullivan.”

He succeeds Jay Quaintance, who left his position quietly in July 2023, citing personal matters. Dr. Casey Crabill served as interim president.

Accreditation in jeopardy

Dr. Potash joins at a time when SUNY Sullivan, like those of other community colleges across the state, is struggling. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which offers accreditation to colleges that meet its standards, sent SUNY Sullivan a notice of noncompliance in November pursuant to a team visit to the campus over two days last August. The notice warns that SUNY Sullivan’s accreditation “may be in jeopardy because of insufficient evidence that the institution is currently in compliance with” its standards regarding “educational effectiveness,” its system for evaluating students’ work, and its planning and budgeting processes “to support its educational purposes and programs.”

In 2022, a former SUNY Sullivan employee brought to the county legislature a bill from the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) showing the college had a $6 million backlog in health insurance premiums. Then-president Quaintance said at the time that NYSHIP raised the cost of its plans around 12 percent a year while the college’s expenses rose, revenues stayed flat, and enrollment declined.