Cindy Bennedum-Kashan never imagined that she'd work at SUNY Sullivan (Sullivan County Community College) for 21 years.

What made her stay was the love of the job and the interactions she had with community members, donors, and students.

Earlier this month - after more than two decades of service to the college - Bennedum-Kashen officially retired as Dean of Community Outreach.

During her time at SUNY Sullivan, she has worn many hats, from Executive Assistant to the President, to working with the SUNY Sullivan Foundation to also writing grants on behalf of the college.

She even wrote the Workforce Development portion of Empire Resorts winning casino license application, which financially benefitted the College Foundation. Eventually, she started to handle all the public relations and marketing for the college.

She has worked for at least five different administrations at the college and said she had seen the college face some tough challenges.

“It's always hard when there are financial issues,” said Bennedum-Kashan.

Over the years, she has worked with various presidents to develop strategies and craft messages that went out to the community to address these issues and to help maintain and restore the positive image of the college.

Bennedum-Kashan now enters retirement but has no plans to slow down.

“I have been working since I was 13 years old and never had a break,” said Bennedum-Kashan.

She plans to travel the world and already has her schedule set.

“I am looking forward to waking up and seeing the turquoise water of the ocean and not doing any work!” said Bennedum-Kashan.

She does leave with a heavy heart because she has many fond memories of the college. Throughout the years, she was visited by many students after they had received scholarships to express their gratitude.

She also has fond memories of working on the SUNY Sullivan Foundation Galas and the blood, sweat, and tears that went into organizing those fundraising events.

When she started working for the SUNY Sullivan Foundation, she didn't really know anyone in the community, but now she can proudly look back and say that many of those people on the Gala committee have become lifelong friends.

One of the final projects she is excited about was being able to help secure a donation of $225,000 to help purchase equipment for the college's healthcare programs.

She is married to her husband Eric and has a stepson Sean, who is married and has a child of his own.

When she looks back at her time at the college, she said, “I have to say, for the most part, it's been a wonderful time. You never know when you're going to have an impact on a student's life.”

“The college is so valuable,” she continued. “I'm glad that the community recognizes that.”

How it all began

Born in Lake Huntington, Cindy attended the Narrowsburg Central School. After high school, she wanted to fulfill her dream of becoming a news reporter.

“That was my passion,” said Bennedum-Kashan. She went to Marist College and received her bachelor's degree in communications and later her Master's degree in Public Administration, also from Marist.

Bennedum-Kashan said that Marist provided so many opportunities for her, from internships at the Times-Herald Record and IBM to, more importantly, the meaningful friendships she developed.

“The years at Marist were one of the absolute best times of my life,” said Bennedum-Kashan.

When Bennedum-Kashan started looking for work, she would take the train from Poughkeepsie to New York City for job interviews, and eventually landed a position at an ad agency as a receptionist. She quickly moved up the ranks to become an administrative assistant working for creative directors, copywriters, and graphic designers.

Finally, she got promoted to be a copywriter. “I stayed in the city for several years, and I loved it,” said Bennedum-Kashan.

She moved back to Sullivan County in 1995 and began working as an account executive at WSUL. After some time, she moved on to do public relations for Catskill Regional Medical Center, but she returned to WSUL and worked in various areas of the station.

“I did advertising sales, wrote commercials, and did some on-air work as well,” said Bennedum-Kashan. She also participated in live remote broadcasts, providing coverage from campaign headquarters on election nights.

She then learned about an opening at Sullivan County Community College (SUNY Sullivan) for a Director of Community Relations.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Well wishes

Throughout the years, Bennedum-Kashan has worked with many people throughout the county.

Professor Emeritus Mary Sudol from SUNY Sullivan said, “Cindy had a tremendous presence in the Sullivan County Community. Through the many relationships, she developed and fostered, Cindy was able to obtain a great deal of funding and support for SUNY Sullivan throughout her tenure. It was a pleasure to work with her for over 20 years. I have fond memories of our recruitment trips to the SUNY Welcome Center in Manhattan, where we were able to collectively bring the college's academic services to potential students in the Metropolitan area.”

Roberta Byron-Lockwood,President and CEO of the Sullivan Catskills Visitors Associations said, “I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Cindy Kashan since I arrived in the Sullivan Catskills. We have worked together on several successful projects over the years, with the most recent being the Catskill Hospitality Institute and the College Foundation. Her professionalism and warm attitude made each experience a positive one. I wish Cindy much happiness as she embarks on her retirement…she will certainly be missed!”

SUNY Sullivan President Jay Quaintance said, “Cindy was a great help to me when I first came to SUNY Sullivan. In the 21 years that Cindy worked at the college, she held many positions and accomplished a great deal; the fruits of labor are evident all over campus. I learned so much about the institution, the community, and could always depend on her to provide me with the background I needed. Her commitment to the college and our students is evident in many ways. From working with the College Foundation in raising over $1M for student scholarships to working to secure a $1M capital match during the campaign to build student housing, many students have benefitted from Cindy's efforts! Cindy's departure is going to put a huge dent in our collective institutional knowledge and expertise! While I certainly will miss working closely with Cindy, I wish her the best in a well-earned retirement!”

Dr. Bill Murabito, SUNY Sullivan's Interim President from 2011 to 2013, said, “She was a key employee. She was an excellent Public Relations [person] and fundraiser. She was a critical part of the executive team.”

SUNY Sullivan's Immediate Past Foundation Chairperson and current Foundation Board Member Helena Manzione said, “We have worked together for a long time, I have known her for over 25 years. We met when she started working at WSUL, and we have done a lot together, and she is a great person, and I wish her the very best. I consider her a great friend.”

Former State Senator John Bonacic said: “As Dean of Community Outreach at Sullivan County Community College, Cindy has been a tremendous asset to the college and her community. It has always been a pleasure to work with her, and I wish her the best.”