College Honors Four Distinguished Alumni During Homecoming Weekend
September 23, 2025
Hudson Valley Community College held its annual Homecoming weekend festivities Friday, Sept. 19 and Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, with the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards taking place on Saturday.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards program celebrates alumni for notable contributions within their career fields and communities. This year’s event honored Jerilee Beaudoin '92, Karen Campbell '83, Dan Casale '10 and Shelby Kleniewski '14.
“Congratulations to our 2025 Distinguished Alumni awardees. It is our honor to recognize them for both their professional accomplishments and their contributions to the college and the community,” said Hudson Valley Community College President Dr. Michael Brophy. “These honorees represent a perfect example of the difference a Hudson Valley education can make, and we are exceptionally proud of their success and their commitment to giving back to others.”
Jerilee Beaudoin is the president and CEO of Sunmark Credit Union, a position to which she brings more than 34 years of experience in the financial services industry, including more than 18 years spent in financial institution management. After earning her associate degree from Hudson Valley, Jerliee went on to earn two more degrees in business administration, including an MBA from the University at Albany. She joined Sunmark in 2020 as chief lending officer and, during her tenure with the company, has led the ideation and implementation of strategic objectives and spearheaded key initiatives related to continued member and employee growth and development. Jerilee has served on numerous non-profit boards throughout her career, and was a 2023 Capital Region Chamber Nonprofit Business Award honoree, receiving the Nonprofit Board Service award for her work with the Epilepsy Foundation of Northeastern New York, Inc. She is an active member of the Women’s President Organization and the Forum for Executive Women in Albany.
Karen M. Campbell received her associate degree in Engineering Science from Hudson Valley Community College and her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She retired in 2018 after more than 32 years in the aerospace and defense industry, first in manufacturing and then in program management. She is proud to have led the team which developed the F-35 radar and retired as vice president of marine systems for Northrop Grumman, where she was responsible for submarine and aircraft carrier propulsion and power generation. Now residing in Cape Cod, Karen enjoys spending time with family and giving back through volunteering. She serves on the board of the Monomoy Dollars for Scholars scholarship program and mentors local students in their pursuit of higher education. She is also active in local volunteer activities with the Family Pantry of Cape Cod, Housing Assistance Corporation, and Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands. She is the proud aunt of 18 nieces and nephews.
Dan Casale is a lifelong resident of Rensselaer County, currently residing in the Town of Brunswick with his wife Darlene and their children, Lia and Patrick. After Hudson Valley, he went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree from Utica College of Syracuse University and has spent a large portion of his career in politics, first as a director of constituent services for New York State Senators Daphne Jordan and Kathy Marchione, and currently as district director and director of intergovernmental relations for New York State Senator Jake Ashby. Dan also served for 13 years as a Brunswick town councilman and worked for more than 20 years as a manger for a large construction company in the Capital District. As a Rensselaer County legislator, he serves as chairman of the Education and Environmental committees and the Rensselaer County Energy Management committee, and serves on the Veterans and Youth committee as well. Dan is also an active member of several community organizations and has served on several community boards; he is currently serving on the Hudson Valley Community College Foundation board and the Commission of Economic Opportunity (CEO) board in Rensselaer County. In 2024 he was named Man of the Year for the Friends of 112th Street.
Shelby Kleniewski has lived in the Capital Region her whole life, growing up in Melrose, and now resides in Mechanicville. She began pursuing her career in Dental Hygiene by attending Hudson Valley Community College, and upon graduating with her associate degree, decided to further her education at SUNY Empire State College, where she earned a bachelor’s in Health Sciences, followed by the University of Bridgeport, where she earned a dual degree in Dental Hygiene Education and Public Health. She now returns to Hudson Valley each year to share her knowledge of orthodontics with current Dental Hygiene students, and coordinates with the department to offer affiliation opportunities for students. In addition to working full time, Shelby volunteers hundreds of hours per year as coordinator of the Capital Region Toys for Tots, the largest Toys for Tots chapter in the world. She has earned the distinction of becoming the first woman to be named coordinator of the chapter, which serves 14 counties around the Capital Region and impacted the lives of more than 680,000 local children in 2024 alone. Shelby has won several awards for her service to her community, including presidential community service awards and senate awards.