Tom Cetrino ’73

Tom Cetrino credits his SUNY New Paltz professors, particularly Gerald Benjamin and Alan Chartock, with inspiring him to pursue a career in public service. After New Paltz, he went on to receive his master’s degree in criminal justice from SUNY Albany and then embarked on a decades long career in research.

Cetrino has worked as chief researcher for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice and the New York State Senate. His work as a primary researcher and author have led to the passage of several current laws, including the development of a handicapped accessible public transit system in New York City.

Previously, as research director for the New York State Public Employees Federation, Cetrino was the primary researcher and author of several reports that documented the cost-effectiveness of using state employees rather than consultants to handle most of New York State’s engineering and information technology work. His efforts helped lead to the enactment of the Contract Disclosure Law of 2001 which requires consultants hired by New York State to disclose their costs and the nature of their work.

Cetrino also helped to establish the Cetrino Family/Rubin Benjamin Endowed Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship and internship for an outstanding junior who is interested in a career in public service.