District announces Hall of Fame Class of 2022

Induction ceremony planned Saturday for classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022

The City School District of Albany will add five new members to the Hall of Fame on Saturday when the Class of 2022 joins the classes of 2020 and 2021 for an induction ceremony at Albany High School. 

Saturday’s induction will be from 9-11 a.m., kicking off the day’s Homecoming activities. The district is inducting three classes during this year’s ceremony because in-person events for the classes of 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the pandemic.

You can read more about all of this year’s inductees, as well as past classes, in our Hall of Fame section.

We are excited to announce the members of the Class of 2022, selected earlier this fall: 

• The late Richard Bruni, Philip Schuyler High School Class of 1954 – Bruni was the most decorated Albany student-athlete of his era and one of the most decorated in the history of the City School District of Albany’s athletic programs. He was a three-time all-city selection in basketball, and a two-time selection in football.
• Kirk Daniels, Philip Schuyler High School Class of 1968 – Daniels enjoyed a career of more than 50 years in television and video production in the Capital Region. He as the first African-American technician hired at WTEN when he began there in 1968. He went on to an impressive career that spanned 45 years at WTEN. He also served for eight years as the studio coordinator for Channel Albany, the city’s public-access television station, and as media coordinator for more than a decade at First Israel AME Church, one of Albany’s oldest African-American churches.
• Coach Carmen Duncan, Albany High School Class of 2002 – Duncan is the chief coach and founder of Mission Accomplished Transition Services. She has spent the past decade developing this career coaching and training agency. Mission Accomplished works with millennial adults who are early in their careers, helping young professionals develop their passion and skills into meaningful and successful career paths. In addition to this work, she has served as an adjunct professor at Siena College and the University of Albany, and also served the community in a variety of volunteer roles.
• Zach Korzyk, Albany High School Class of 2002 – Korzyk is the founder and CEO of DeltaMath, an online program used by millions of teachers and students internationally, following a 13-year career as a highly regarded math teacher in New York City’s public schools. Korzyk has led the growth of DeltaMath to reach 7 million students and 100,000 teachers worldwide over the past year.
• The late Eugene Toney, Albany High School Class of 1952 – Toney was a standout in football, track and basketball at Albany High. He was a co-captain in basketball as a senior in 1951-52 and the only African-American student-athlete on the team that season. He averaged 22 points a game his senior year and dominated the voting for that year’s all-city basketball team. Toney declined a basketball scholarship to Syracuse University to serve his country in the Air Force, where he also led his base basketball team to a division championship. Following two terms of service in the Air Force, Toney went on to a highly successful career in the trucking industry.

Previously announced, the members of the classes of 2021 and 2020 are:

Class of 2021

• John A. Carmello, Albany High School Class of 1984 – Superintendent of the Troy City School District
• Ward Dales – Retired Albany High School teacher and theater director
• Patricia Fahy – New York State Assembly member, former City School District of Albany Board of Education president
• Philo Germano, Albany High School Class of 2013 – Cross country champion
• The late John Harris, Philip Schuyler High School Class of 1970 – Longtime district employee, community volunteer
• Margaret Lamar King – Retired district teacher, coach and theater director
• Emia Willingham-Hurst,  Albany High School Class of 2013 – Basketball champion

Class of 2020

• Doris Bedell, Albany High School Class of 1956 – Retired district teacher and administrator
• Tracie Killar, Albany High School Class of 1981 – Founder of the South End Children’s Café
• Onnolee Smith – Former president of the Albany Fund for Education, community education advocate
• Theresa Swidorski – Former Board of Education president, Albany Fund for Education board member, community education advocate
• Theresa Vaughan – Albany Fund for Education founding member, community education advocate
• Kimberly Wilkins, Ed.D. – Retired New York State Department of Education deputy commissioner, former district interim superintendent and longtime principal

The district established the Hall of Fame in 2009 to recognize accomplished graduates, exceptional district staff people and community members whose efforts support Albany’s public schools. Each year, new Hall of Famers are inducted in conjunction with Homecoming Weekend after being nominated by the public and selected by a committee of district staff and community members. 

Nominations for the Class of 2023 are welcome through Feb. 1, 2023.