Hotel Champlain, built on a bluff high above the west shore of Lake Champlain, opened 1890. A D&H railroad station, located on site, welcomed guests and President William McKinley who used the hotel as his Summer White House. The hotel was badly damaged by fire in 1910, but was restored and ready to welcome guests the following summer. Times changed and the luxurious hotels of the 19th century fell out of favor. The hotel closed in 1951, but the property did not stay vacant for long. Purchased by the Catholic Jesuit order it was renamed Bellarmine College and operated until 1966. Six years later the Clinton County Legislature purchased the property for $1.045 million and it became home to the fledgling Clinton Community College (CCC).
In the March 2020 issue, Strictly Business spoke to then President Ray DiPasquale who gave voice to the ongoing work of the college, “Our mission is to provide ongoing educational opportunities for people in the community — the kind of opportunities that truly empower them to both personal and professional growth.”
As Clinton Community College prepares to move to its new location on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus in time for fall semester classes, SB offers you look at its importance to our community and it goals for the future.
Why Clinton Community College Matters
By Ken Knelly • Photos Supplied
A fixture for nearly 60 years, the institution is moving to new Plattsburgh locations in 2025. The change provides the community with a fresh look at why the college is a critical part of the local landscape.
The imprint of Clinton Community College is everywhere you are in the region. Visit the hospital. Buy a car. Follow the flashing red lights, either pulling someone over or heading to save a life.
People serving in key leadership roles in these areas — and many more — are connected to the college. Alumni range from the chief executive officer of The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physician’s Hospital (Michelle LeBeau) and president of Riley Ford (Joy Vanleuvan) to the Clinton County Sheriff (David Favro) and the New York State Police’s Troop B Commander (Brent Davison).
Over the past 54 years, more than 14,000 students have proudly received degrees. For many, this milestone represented more than just academic achievement, it was a first for their families.
Today, 6,224 alumni live in Clinton County – or about one of every dozen residents. With an additional 918 in Essex County, 268 in Franklin County, and 220 in the northwestern corner of Vermont, the total reaches 7,650 graduates, putting 76 percent of living alumni within an hour’s drive of Plattsburgh.
In short, head to a local ballgame or checkout at the grocery store and you’ll be around a lot of Clinton grads.
These numbers – and a host of other data points, indicators and multipliers – are readily available and help make the case for the value and importance of the college to this community.
Economic Impact
When students graduate from Clinton Community College, they don’t just improve their own lives, they also help strengthen the economy of Clinton County. Their education leads to better jobs, higher earnings, and more money flowing into local businesses.
In short, as the last economic impact study concluded, the college fosters job creation, income growth, and community development. Graduates supply critical workforce needs, ensuring a thriving regional economy. This included:
College-related activities contribute to 765 total jobs in Clinton County and $59.3 million in annual payroll.
Every job at the college supports nine additional jobs in the community, highlighting a vital role in workforce development.
The college’s faculty and staff contribute 4,306 hours of volunteer service annually.
In terms of careers, here is a sampling:
Healthcare: Nurses, medical assistants, and hospital staff help keep our community healthy.
Technology and Engineering: Graduates work in computer systems, cybersecurity, and technical support, helping businesses stay up to date.
Public Safety and Human Services: The college equips people for law enforcement, social work, and family support services, keeping the community safe and supported.
Business and Retail: Graduates work in offices, manage businesses, and keep local stores running smoothly.
The full report is online at clinton.edu/about. Go to the “More College Information” tab and you’ll find all the details.
While such dollars and facts do build a case, they fall short of telling the full story of why Clinton Community College matters so much to this community.
For that, the story is more about the second half of the economic impact report’s conclusion: Without the college, many local residents would lack access to affordable education, leading to fewer skilled workers and economic opportunities in the region.
These aren’t just words. They are the “why” for Clinton.
Changing the Trajectory
Since May 2024, I have served as administrator in charge at Clinton Community College, taking the role after almost a decade at SUNY Plattsburgh. While across town, I was connected to the place of Clinton but not to its heartbeat.
The heartbeat is this: Open access, affordability and care for the whole student.
From my first days at the college, I absorbed the faculty and staff’s commitment to students, their stories and the journeys that brought them here. The work takes extraordinary care and attention.
But it pays off.
Amy Farnsworth, a 2024 Clinton Community College graduate and an alumna of Saranac Central High School, stopped by my office the other day. She and her mother just wanted to say “thank you.”
“Clinton prepared me for my future,” she said. “The support and care that I received in my classes at Clinton allowed me to feel confident going forward in my academic career.”
She called Clinton an “uplifting educational experience.”
There are many, many Amys.
As an open access institution, Clinton provides opportunities for everyone. From student-athletes and transfer students preparing for the next college to those benefiting from a smaller first-college experience or needing a second chance.
We provide that choice and college credits for students, both immediate post-high school and older learners.
In short, we change the trajectory of students who entrust us with this part of their education, giving them a greater opportunity to thrive ahead.
Our employees can tell the story, too, because many of them have lived it.
Jessica Wyser, Clinton’s purchasing clerk, did some college courses through Clinton while in high school.
“It definitely prepared me to go into college in a way I would not have had otherwise,” she said. “I went to SUNY Plattsburgh, but I believe part of my success was having that experience in high school while I had a bit more support at home.
“On a personal level, this is the best place I have ever worked. This has never been a job where I dreaded coming in. I have had a hard time in the past being invested in a work location, but here I have been made to feel like more than just a paper pusher. That matters a lot. I think Clinton matters because not only does it provide education, but it provides jobs that you can feel good about doing. Maybe that is a small thing to a small group, but it is big to me.”
Building the Future
Moving the college from the bluff over Lake Champlain is an emotional jolt for many faculty and staff, students and alumni, and the wider community.
Understandably so. It is an iconic location with countless memories and generations of success.
Colleges and universities across the northeastern U.S. are seeing smaller classes. Some have closed. The physical plant here is simply larger and more expensive to operate than Clinton can afford and still serve students and the community, Spaces at SUNY Plattsburgh and CVPH will serve the next generation of students and the community that is our middle name. Planning for these locations and myriad other details is ongoing, with the August 2025 start of classes still in view. The State University Construction Fund has started work on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus ahead of the move.
This will be an active new location with room to grow. It will continue to serve students from local school districts and solidify a stream of students who continue their education at SUNY Plattsburgh or other campuses.
The future of Clinton Community College is genuinely bright. Fall 2024 enrollment was up about 12 percent. Spring 2025 numbers look to be at that level or higher.
This not only represents an increase in the number of lives we touch, it translates to an important revenue stream that adds to the financial bottom line.
Earning reaffirmation of accreditation through 2029-2030 from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education is equally important. This critical approval had been lacking at the college since June 2022, a gap that jeopardized the entire enterprise.
Through the hard work of the entire college, the gap has been closed and the years ahead secured.
Could Clinton County survive without its community college? Yes, it could. But it would be a branch office existence with gaps no one else would completely fill.
Fortunately, we don’t have to worry about the answer to that question. Clinton Community College not only matters, it is also here for generations to come.
Clinton Community College
136 Clinton Point Drive
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
518 562-4200
Ken Knelly is administrator in charge at Clinton Community College.
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