Buffalo, NY – The Canisius Alumni Association presented LaSalle Medals to Thomas R. Emmerling ’75 and the Hon. Robin L. Schimminger ’69, HON ’07 as part of this year’s virtual commencement ceremonies. The LaSalle Medal is awarded to outstanding alumni who have made substantial contributions to advance the interests and mission of the college.
Emmerling is a leader among Western New York’s certified public accountants and financial planners. The 1975 accounting major joined Dopkins & Company during his senior year at Canisius and was named a partner in 1980. Throughout his career, Emmerling has shared his expertise and leadership skills with alma mater as a long-time member of the Board of Trustees, serving on the Executive, Audit, Finance and Facilities committees. A member of the Board of Regents for nearly a decade, Emmerling served as vice chair and chair during his tenure. He is also a long-time member of the college’s Leadership Society and has served as a member, including a term as chair, of the Council on Accountancy for decades.
For his unwavering dedication to Canisius, Emmerling was inducted into the college's DiGamma Honor Society. The Richard J. Wehle School of Business honored Emmerling with the Accountant of the Year Award and the Dr. Joseph R. Coppola Award for exceptional achievement in accounting. Emmerling is also an honorary member of Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society.
Emmerling continues to help build the endowment for the Dopkins & Company Accounting Scholarship Fund at Canisius, working to increase participation in the fund among his colleagues.
Schimminger served the people of Western New York for nearly half a century. His remarkable political career began in the Erie County Legislature and finished in the New York State Assembly, representing the 140th District. Schimminger’s career aspirations were sparked by a political science degree from Canisius in 1969 followed by a law degree from New York University in 1972. He was elected to the Erie County Legislature in 1973 – and again in 1975 – and was elected to the State Assembly in 1976 where he served as chair of the Public Health and Economic Development Committees. During his career in the Assembly, Schimminger enacted more than 400 laws and sponsored numerous measures to strengthen the state’s economic development policies.
While his legislative accomplishments, honors and awards are far too many to list, Schimminger always found time to support Canisius throughout his career. He was responsible for securing more than $1.3 million in funding to benefit the college’s Women’s Business Center, Center for Professional Development and Literacy Center. In 2012, Schimminger, along with Senator Dale Volker ’64, secured $7 million in appropriations for Science Hall. Schimminger served on the college’s Board of Regents and was a member of the Leadership Society. He was inducted into the DiGamma Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society and received an honorary degree from the college in 2007.
One of 27 Jesuit universities in the nation, Canisius is the premier private university in Western New York. Canisius prepares leaders – intelligent, caring, faithful individuals – able to pursue and promote excellence in their professions, their communities and their service to humanity.
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