Auxiliary Services

Connolly Named General Manager of the Syracuse University Sheraton

This week, Kris Klinger, Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services, announced that Kevin Connolly has been named the new general manager of the Syracuse University Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center, effective immediately. Connolly has acted as the interim general manager of the hotel since June 2020.

For Klinger, the decision to take away the interim label was simple. “The leadership and initiative Kevin has displayed as the interim general manager made promoting him to the permanent position an easy decision for the Board of Directors to approve,” said Klinger.

Upon assuming the interim general manager role last summer, Kevin faced two immediate challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic: declining hotel bookings and event cancellations and the new task of housing and feeding hundreds of Syracuse University students entering quarantine at the hotel. He and his staff had to adapt on the fly to implement strict health and safety protocols and offer an enhanced level of customer service to students who took up residence in the hotel for 14 days at a time.

Connolly has also taken the lead of the ongoing food and beverage transition at Drumlins Country Club. After its previous café and catering operator left at the end of 2020, the club turned to an insourced solution – merging its food and beverage operations with those of the Sheraton. Kevin leads a group of University employees in legal, real estate, purchasing, trademark licensing, marketing and communications, and food and beverage operations in a charge to install the new café and catering team before the club opens for golf in Spring 2021.

In the months ahead, looking beyond the immediate COVID-19 crisis, Connolly will lead the Syracuse University Sheraton through a renovation to its lobby, restaurant, bar, and conference spaces in an effort to tie the hotel more closely to new University design and branding elements. Visitors will also notice changes to the exterior of the hotel, including in the parking circle, where updates to landscaping and signage will reinforce the hotel’s ties to the University.

“I’m looking forward to leading the hotel into an exciting era of greater cooperation with Syracuse University, and working with my team to create the best hospitality experience in the region,” said Connolly.

Connolly has worked at the Syracuse University Sheraton for two years. Prior to his time as the interim general manager, he worked at the hotel’s director of sales and marketing. Previously, Connolly worked as the director of sales and marketing at other Central New York hotels, including the Ithaca Marriott Downtown and the DoubleTree by Hilton Syracuse. He is a 2017 graduate of the Leadership Greater Syracuse Program.

In year of COVID-19 challenges, SU employees have worked nonstop

Mark Tewksbury recalls seeing just four cars on his way to work at Syracuse University last March.

Tewksbury, who is the director of residence hall dining and Dome operations for Food Services, has been working to deliver meals to students in quarantine and those who had to stay on campus during breaks since the coronavirus pandemic hit. He was among the group of SU employees who continued working even after SU’s campus shut down last spring.

“When the pandemic began back in March, most people were afraid to leave their house,” Tewksbury said. “But our staff just stepped up. There were 600 students on campus who couldn’t get home, and nobody questioned.”

Read the full story at dailyorange.com.

Highlight the Heroes Part 1: Staff Members Display Ingenuity, Determination, Teamwork in Face of COVID-19 Pandemic

As the novel coronavirus took hold in the United States and locally nearly a year ago, many members of the campus community have had to reimagine countless processes, solve new and challenging problems, work together in ways previously unheard of and stepped up in ways large and small to continue protecting the health and well-being of those who call Syracuse home.

The first in a series, here are the stories of just a few people and teams that have risen to the task and shown what it means to be Orange. Do you know someone who has been a COVID Hero? Let us know and we may spotlight them in an upcoming story!

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

What Faculty and Staff Can Discover at the Transformed Schine Student Center

It’s called the “Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center,” but the newly transformed building offers a place for faculty, staff and all the members of the University community to gather, eat, socialize, work and more.

Please note: during the pandemic, Schine Student Center has implemented health and safety protocols to adhere to public health guidelines.

From Decaf to Discounts

Seasoned campus citizens have known it as the Bookstore, but along with its continued focus on academic resources, the renamed and reimagined Campus Store has new University-branded apparel, a late-night food and grocery market and a Dunkin’ coffee stand off the center atrium. One thing hasn’t changed—faculty and staff get a 10 percent discount on many items. The Campus Store also offers education-priced computers and accessories.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Boost Your Immune System With These Expert Tips (and Recipes!)

A healthy immune system is important throughout the year, but even more so during cold and flu season and while we remain at-risk of contracting COVID-19. In honor of National Nutrition Month, celebrated in March, we tapped into campus experts in health and nutrition to gather tips for bolstering your immune system while we await warmer days ahead this sping.

Many of us intuitively reach for the orange juice or crave warm chicken soup when we feel a cold coming on. This could be because our body is craving certain nutrients that can help boost immunity.

According to Ruth Sullivan, assistant director of nutrition management in Food Services, there are several nutrients that play a role in good immune system health.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Explore Winter Activities on Campus

The Orange community is invited to enjoy winter and experience a variety of exciting programs and events. Explore other opportunities to build your unique Syracuse University student experience with the Be Involved Checklist.

“Programs and events welcome all skill levels and often include everything needed to participate. We’ve worked to support students’ experiences in a way that after making a reservation, they just have to focus on having fun,” shares Scott Catucci, Barnes Center at The Arch associate director for outdoor adventure, esports and student development. “With a variety of opportunities throughout the Spring 2021 semester, we encourage students to explore programs, events and to try new experiences.”

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Newly Renovated Schine Student Center Opens Doors to Campus Community Feb. 8

Transformed by an abundance of natural light, warm Syracuse Orange colors and a new vibrant spirit, the renovated Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center will soon welcome students and the entire campus community to discover its redesigned spaces, make fresh connections and appreciate its abundance of features. The Schine Student Center will officially open its doors on Monday, Feb. 8, the first day of classes for the Spring 2021 semester.

Planned in consultation with, and input from, the campus community, the Schine Student Center offers the feel of a home and hub for student life: a place to study; meet up; eat, in accordance with public health best practices; and recharge. Its environs include a generous amount of gathering spaces, new eateries and accessible features, and a vibrant open central atrium that extends from the top floor to the main floor, with a two-story video wall.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Schine Student Center: Spring 2021 Building Access, Hours and Guidelines

With the transformational renovation of Schine Student Center, students, staff and faculty will have access to many new and upgraded spaces throughout the building. In preparation for the official reopening on Feb. 8, campus community members can learn more about accessing and exploring the student center’s many features on the Student Centers and Programming Services website.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

See What’s in Store at the Schine Student Center

Thanks to the renovation of the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center, the Syracuse University community now has a re-imagined campus store. The retail space still places academic resources at the heart of its mission while making room for new University-branded apparel, a late-night food and grocery market, a coffee stand and a student-focused event space.

Central to the store’s revamp is a name change. No longer the Syracuse University Bookstore, the Campus Store now reflects an industrywide shift toward digital course materials and away from printed textbooks, once the mainstay of college bookstores.

Read the full story at syracuse.edu.

Listen to the Newest Episode of City Limits: Winds of Change from WAER

The calls for racial, social, and economic justice that rang out across the nation and in Central New York are echoing through the halls, offices, and boardrooms of corporate America. Those who work in the diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI field have taken notice, and have a renewed sense of purpose to make race part of everyday conversation in the office. In this episode of City Limits: Winds of Change, Scott Willis introduces us to two women who work with company leaders and employees to tackle DEI issues …and who bring personal perspectives to their roles.”

Listen now at citylimitsproject.org