Ron Fishbeck '80 of Aroda, VA, Named Vice President of Potsdam College Foundation Board of Trustees

Potsdam College Foundation Elects Ron Fishbeck '80 of Aroda, VA as Vice President to Support Giving for SUNY Potsdam

Potsdam, NY (12/21/2021) — The Potsdam College Foundation Board of Trustees selected new leadership at its fall meeting. Trustees elected Amy Kellogg '99 of Albany, N.Y., as president, and Ron Fishbeck '80 of Aroda, Va., as vice president. The alumni will work together with their fellow board members to help the foundation foster giving in support of their alma mater, SUNY Potsdam.

Foundation Board Vice President Ron Fishbeck '80 and his wife, Teresa Fishbeck (Hon. '19), are among the most generous donors to SUNY Potsdam, having given a total of well over $500,000 through two endowed scholarships. The couple met as students in 1979. After graduating with his computer science degree, Fishbeck and Teresa moved to the Northern Virginia area, where he began his career with Computer Sciences Corporation, working on anti-submarine warfare systems, combat control systems and satellite communication networks.

In 1985, Fishbeck joined Presearch Inc. to develop a software engineering competency for the company. In 1986, the couple and their two young children relocated to Syracuse, N.Y. While in Syracuse, Teresa earned her degree in interior design at Onondaga Community College.

In 1990, Fishbeck and a business partner established a computer services company called Systems Made Simple, headquartered in McLean, Va. As CEO of the $350 million company, Fishbeck and his executive management team were successful in helping the company achieve recognition in the Inc. 500/5000's List of Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies, beginning in 2009. The company repeated on the Inc. 500/5000 lists for five years running. The bulk of the company's contractual work was done in service to our nation's veterans through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Under Fishbeck's leadership, Systems Made Simple also was named to the Washington Fast 50 in 2010 and 2012; Top 100 Federal Contractors in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012; the U.S. Office of Management and Budget's ePioneer Award for Innovative Solutions in eGovernment, and NECCC's Cost Reduction and Cost Avoidance Award.

In 2014, the Lockheed Martin Corporation acquired Systems Made Simple, which had become a leader in the healthcare information technology industry under Fishbeck's leadership. Now retired, Fishbeck is enjoying life with Teresa in Aroda, Va., and spending time with their two grown children, Jonathan and Nicole, and three grandchildren, who live nearby in the Virginia area.

About the Potsdam College Foundation:

Established in 1968, the Potsdam College Foundation is a non-profit corporation dedicated to stewarding the continued growth of private giving in support of SUNY Potsdam. Its mission is to secure and manage private financial support and other gifts that build a sustainable future for SUNY Potsdam. To learn more, visit http://www.potsdam.edu/giving/pcf.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit http://www.potsdam.edu.

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Ron Fishbeck ’80 is the vice president of the Potsdam College Foundation Board of Trustees.