Bernadette Castro, Commissioner of New York State Office of Parks, Recreation,and Historic Preservation, Will Address Daemen College Class of 2001
April 3, 2001Contact: Mike Andrei
Director-College Relations
(716) 839-8472
Bernadette Castro, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, will deliver the commencement address to the Daemen College Class of 2001. Ceremonies will begin 1 p.m., May 19, 2001, at Shea's Buffalo Performing Arts Center. Commissioner Castro, who was appointed by Governor George Pataki to his Cabinet in 1995, holds a Master of Education in secondary school administration and a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism from the University of Florida. She also holds honorary doctorates from Dowling College and St. Joseph's College.
"We are very pleased that Commissioner Castro has accepted our invitation to speak to this year's graduating class," said Daemen President Dr. Martin J. Anisman. "She has built a distinguished record of service as a member of the Governor's Cabinet and as manager of New York's extensive state parkland. We look forward with great interest to what she will have to say to our graduates."
Commissioner Castro oversees and administers park facilities encompassing more than 167 state parks, 36 historic sites, 17 state heritage areas, and more than 1,400 miles of trails. She manages an annual budget of more than $200 million, and has overall responsibility for staff of over 1,600 full-time and 5,000 part-time employees. She is implementing the Governor's vision for the restoration and enhancement of Niagara Falls State Park, the oldest state park in the country.
Commissioner Castro serves as co-chair of the Empire State Task Force for Land and Water Conservation Funding. She has taken a leading role in providing leadership, state-wide and nationally, as an advocate of the expansion of public-private partnerships. She is a member of the Legislative Committee of the National Association of State Park Directors, and the Board of the National Association of State Outdoor Recreation Liaison Officers, and also maintains an active public speaking schedule.
Selected awards to Commissioner Castro include, most recently, the Theodore Roosevelt Legacy of Conservation Award, presented last month at Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary. Other awards include the New York Sportfishing Federation Achievement Award, given in 2000 inrecognition of her success in enhancing the New York State park system and access to Long Island Sound, and the Environmental Conservation Award, given in 1999 for her efforts in the establishment of Amherst State Park. Commissioner Castro has also received the Spirit of Achievement Award, from Cancer Care, Inc., of Long Island; the Outstanding Service Award, from the New York State Recreation and Parks Association; and the Distinguished Public Service Award, from Advancement for Commerce and Industry; all three awards were given in 1998.
In 1994, Bernadette Castro was a candidate for the United States Senate, against then-incumbent Daniel Patrick Moynihan, winning 43 per cent of the vote and 40 of the 62 counties. Prior to 1994, she was president of Castro Convertibles, a New York-based, family owned furniture company. She is married to Dr. Peter M. Guida, a surgeon at New York Presbyterian Hospital and faculty member of Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Ms. Castro has four children and four grandchildren; Dr. Guida has two children and two grand children.
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