John Delate

Vice President of Student Services, SUNY Niagara Community College

John Delate serves as Vice President of Student Services at SUNY Niagara community college. He has been a higher education administrator at community colleges and four-year public institutions in SUNY and the New Jersey system for over 30 years. John is also an adjunct professor of Communications and History at Purchase College. Earlier in his career John served as a teacher in the Peace Corps in Liberia, West Africa, as well as coached college football.

John earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in American History from Clark University and an M.S. in Education and B.S. in Social Sciences from Mansfield University.

John also has obtained certificates in leadership, negotiations, artificial intelligence, and communication.

John and his teams have spearheaded the development of a comprehensive Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Plan, leading to growth in adult learner enrollment; negotiated a key partnership with Barnes & Noble, implementing the First Day Books program to support student success; been awarded the prestigious Lumina grant to enhance adult student enrollment and retention; oversaw a $3 million student success scholarship fund significantly improving student retention; championed the launch of a comprehensive laptop distribution program during the pandemic to ensure equitable access to technology; co-chaired a college-wide committee that developed strategic initiatives aimed at addressing food and housing insecurities among students; and delivered over 450 hours of training and professional development, impacting both students and employees across the college.

John and his family have resided in upstate New York since 2018.