Cesar Perales was appointed a member of the SUNY Board of Trustees on June 21, 2019, and reappointed in June 2021. His term expires on June 30, 2028. On September 25, 2019, Perales was designated vice chairman of the Board. Perales grew up in New York City and earned a bachelor’s degree from City College of New York and a law degree from Fordham Law School. Most recently, he served as New York State’s secretary of state, where he was a leader in the state’s economic development, community revitalization, and anti-poverty efforts. He also established the New York State Office for New Americans and the Empire State Fellows Program.