President Lisa Vollendorf Named Among Women of Excellence for Leadership and Community Impact

(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — May 9, 2025) The Capital Region Chamber of Commerce Women of Excellence Awards, celebrating 34 years of honoring outstanding women in the region, will recognize six distinguished recipients on Friday, May 9. Among them is Dr. Lisa Vollendorf, the sixth president of Empire State University and a dedicated advocate for expanding access to higher education. 

Vollendorf, who will receive the chamber’s Excellence in Management award, was selected based on criteria that include initiative, innovation, and the ability to drive organizational growth.  

“I am committed to authentic and inclusive leadership. For me, that means showing up as being true to the person you are. Leadership requires a lot of self-reflection, insight, empathy, and compassion for those around you,” Vollendorf said.  

With over 30 years of experience as an educator, scholar, and university leader, Dr. Vollendorf has demonstrated exceptional management and leadership skills. Since joining SUNY Empire in July 2022, she has rapidly positioned the university as one of the fastest-growing public institutions in the state by emphasizing high-quality online education. Under her leadership, SUNY Empire has experienced record enrollment in Fall 2024, reversing previous declines and serving 17,000 students of all ages and backgrounds through over 125 flexible academic programs. 

Vollendorf said, “I find this award to be very humbling. I look at the past recipients and think how fortunate I am to be considered excellent alongside so many incredibly empowering women.” 

To learn more about President Vollendorf’s management style, view her Women of Excellence video here.