Mike Braun will serve as the 2018-19 President of the SUNY Student Assembly (SUNYSA) and Trustee on the SUNY Board of Trustees. Mike is entering his second year as a graduate student at Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University at Albany.  He is pursuing his Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) with a concentration in Politics, Policy, and Institutions. 

His passion and interest in public service began at a very young age when he volunteered as a community outreach coordinator in his hometown of Elmont, Long Island.  Despite beginning at SUNY Cortland as a Kinesiology major, Mike’s interest in public service led him to switch his major to Political Science his freshman year. This focus sparked Braun’s attraction to advocacy and leadership.  After involving himself in a wide array of student leadership experiences, Mike was elected to serve as the Student Government President in the 2016-17 academic year. As SGA President, Braun was able to bring together student leaders from across the campus community to enhance the overall student experience. This included working with campus officials to increase student representation on administrative and faculty committees, being a vocal supporter to enhance campus climate and the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and recreating the organization’s structure to more effectively represent the student body.

Throughout his tenure at Cortland, Braun was a recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, the Outstanding Senior Award, the Outstanding Achievement in Public Administration and Public Policy Award, the Outstanding Student Leader Award, awarded at the American Collegiate Moot Court Association Eastern Regional Tournament as one of the top competitors in the Eastern Region, the Junior Portfolio Award, and the Greek Chapter Leadership Award. Braun is also a member of the national political science honor society, Pi Sigma Alpha.  Braun also worked as an intern with North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) in Washington D.C. and the United University Professions in Albany, NY

In the 2017-18 academic year, Mike served as the Chief Financial Officer of SUNYSA.  In this role, he presented comprehensive monthly financial reports, directed record-breaking fundraising efforts- doubling revenue from years prior, provided in-depth analyses to student leaders on the 2018-19 Executive Budget, and negotiated the largest budget increase in the history of SUNYSA.  In 2016-17, as SGA President, Braun was also involved in SUNYSA. He was a member of the Chancellor Search Student Advisory Committee and the Legislative Affairs Committee. He attended advocacy days in both Washington D.C. and Albany with other student leaders from across the state and received the Assembly’s “Best Advocate Award” at the spring 2017 Conference.  

Mike has been challenged throughout his life in multiple positions leading him to develop the skills, temperament, and perseverance necessary to succeed as a leader.  These positions led Mike to develop a passion for advocacy and public service. Mike has a serious commitment to bring diverse leadership to the forefront of student engagement.