CE Metzger Makes Appointments to SUNY Ulster Board of Trustees
Published on November 25, 2025
KINGSTON, NY - Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger has announced the appointment of Tracey Bartels of Gardiner and the reappointment of Anna Brett of Kingston to the SUNY Ulster Board of Trustees. Both appointments are subject to approval by the Ulster County Legislature at its December session and, once approved, will extend through June 30, 2032. In addition, the County Executive has recommended to Governor Hochul that former SUNY Ulster Board Chair Deborah Briggs, who recently completed a seven-year term, be appointed to the SUNY New Paltz College Council.
Tracey Bartels previously served in the Ulster County Legislature for a total of 16 years, including three years as Chair (2019, 2022–2023) and two years as Vice Chair (2020–2021). She served on the Ways and Means Committee as Deputy Chair in 2014, and led several key committees during her tenure, including the Energy and Environment Committee, the Laws & Rules, and Governmental Services Committee. Bartels also chaired the Special Committee to Investigate Cost Overruns at the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center in 2006. During her time in office, she was widely recognized as a champion of open government, fiscal responsibility, and environmental stewardship. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Bartels is also an award-winning filmmaker and a member of the Writers Guild of America.
Anna Brett brings more than five decades of experience in public education, having served as a health educator, administrator, and principal in the Kingston City School District. She holds degrees from SUNY Cortland, Russell Sage College, and SUNY New Paltz, and has served on numerous civic boards and commissions, including the Junior League of Kingston, Friends of Historic Kingston, and the Live Well Kingston Commission. She is being appointed to serve a third term.
“SUNY Ulster plays a vital role in the educational and economic landscape of our county and region, and its Board of Trustees benefits from leaders who bring vision, skills, and expertise that add value to Board decision-making,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “Tracey Bartels is a proven public servant who will bring valuable budgetary and governance experience to the Board, as well as a deep commitment to expanding educational opportunities for our residents and meeting the workforce and professional needs of the local and regional economy. I’m also proud to reappoint Anna Brett, whose decades of experience in public education and deep community roots continue to provide an essential perspective to the SUNY Ulster Board of Trustees."
“The transformative power of education is undeniable,” said Tracey Bartels. “Community colleges, like SUNY Ulster, provide necessary access to life changing tools. I am honored to be nominated to SUNY Ulster’s Board of Trustees and look forward to the opportunity to support the vital role it plays in our community."
“For over 50 years, I have devoted myself to education,” said Anna Brett. “And, for the past 12 years, I have dedicated myself to the SUNY Ulster Board of Trustees. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with the administration, staff and students at SUNY Ulster. I look forward to sharing my expertise, knowledge, and time as I enter my reappointment term.”
Bartels will fill the seat previously held by Deborah Briggs, who was appointed in 2018 by then-County Executive Mike Hein. County Executive Metzger was invited by the Governor's Office to recommend a candidate to the SUNY New Paltz College Council, and the County Executive has recommended Briggs to serve in this new role — a recommendation that is supported by SUNY New Paltz President Darrell Wheeler.
“I want to thank Debbie Briggs for her years of service on the SUNY Ulster Board of Trustees, for her steady presence and commitment to providing higher educational opportunities to our residents,” said County Executive Metzger. “For these reasons, I have recommended Debbie to the Governor for appointment to the SUNY New Paltz College Council, which would greatly benefit from her years of experience on the SUNY Ulster Board of Trustees as well as strengthen the partnership between our two outstanding institutions of higher learning.”
SUNY Ulster is governed by a 10-member Board of Trustees, which includes nine voting members — five appointed by the Ulster County Executive and four by the Governor of New York — as well as one student trustee elected annually by the student body. Trustees serve seven-year terms and play a vital role in shaping the direction of the college. Their responsibilities include appointing the college president (subject to SUNY Board approval), overseeing academic programs and curriculum, preparing and submitting the college budget, managing campus facilities and resources, and ensuring the institution operates in alignment with state education policies.