The Rockefeller Institute Will Partner with UAlbany’s NYS Writers Institute to Complete Memoir

McCall also to Join Rockefeller Institute of Government’s Board of Advisors

Albany, NY — H. Carl McCall, chair emeritus of the State University of New York, will join the Rockefeller Institute of Government as an author in residence to complete his memoir about politics, social justice, and education. McCall will work with Paul Grondahl, director of the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany and award-winning Times Union journalist, to complete and publish this important book.

“Chairman McCall’s 50 years of public service have been outstanding and laden with many accomplishments, and what inspires me the most is hearing him share his own personal narrative about what access to high-quality education has meant to him and his career,” said SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson. “Through this memoir project, the masses will be able to learn more about one of New York’s finest advocates, leaders, and mentors, inspiring future generations for years to come.”

“It has been an honor to serve New York State in a number of capacities over the last half century, and it is my hope that this memoir will reflect all of the moments and opportunities spanning my life and career that led me to where I am at today,” said Chairman Emeritus McCall. “I am grateful to the Rockefeller Institute, University at Albany’s NYS Writers Institute, and Paul Grondahl for their support of the memoir, and I am looking forward to our work together.”

“Chairman McCall has had an extraordinary career and his memoir will serve as required reading for those looking to enter public service,” said Jim Malatras, president of the Rockefeller Institute. “The Rockefeller Institute of Government is thrilled to welcome the chairman while he works with the talented Paul Grondahl and the NYS Writers Institute to share his story with others.”

“I am honored that Carl McCall asked me to work with him on his memoir. He has a remarkable story to share and I look forward to helping him tell it,” Grondahl said. “It is a privilege for the New York State Writers Institute at UAlbany to partner with the Rockefeller Institute on this important project. Carl’s memoir will offer a personal portrait of a dedicated public servant, whose distinguished career will inspire the next generation of diverse leaders in the Empire State.”

McCall will also join the Rockefeller Institute’s board of advisors to provide strategic advice and direction as the Institute continues its groundbreaking public policy research.

McCall officially retires as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York on June 30, after serving on the board for 12 years and as chairman for the past eight years. In that time, he oversaw the installation of two chancellors, a comprehensive expansion of SUNY’s academic offerings, and the diversification of the system’s senior administration and student body. Prior to joining SUNY, McCall served as New York State comptroller from 1993 to 2002. In his expansive career in public service, he has served as a New York State senator, ambassador to the United Nations, commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, commissioner of the New York State Division of Human Rights, and president of the New York City Board of Education.

Paul Grondahl has served as director of the NYS Writers Institute since 2017, building on his career as an author and award-winning journalist at the Albany Times Union, where he worked for 32 years. He has written or edited three books covering the lives of former Albany mayor Erastus Corning, Theodore Roosevelt, and author William Kennedy. Among other awards, he has received the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award for Feature Reporting for a series on transgender people and the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award for a project on the impact of HIV/AIDS.

About the Rockefeller Institute of Government

The Rockefeller Institute of Government is the public policy research arm of the State University of New York. The Institute conducts cutting-edge research and analysis to inform lasting solutions to the problems facing New York State and the nation.

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