The president of Onondaga Community College will call it a career and retire after the academic year concludes in May. Dr. Casey Crabill has served numerous roles in higher education for 45 years and has been the leader of Onondaga Community College since 2013.

The lifelong educator has a lot of accomplishments to look back on at OCC.

“This basketball is signed by Breanna Stewart,” said Crabill.

One thing you may not have known about Crabill is that she’s a lifelong women's basketball fan. When it comes to her favorite player, it’s obvious it's local star Breanna Stewart.

“When I was first here, and Brianna was a student at UCONN, she came over to our arena and did a clinic, a basketball clinic for young girls,” said Crabill.

Crabill was able to grab a quick photo with Stewart that day, and it’s one of her favorite memories among many at OCC. As Crabill finishes up her final academic year at the college before retiring, she said it’s the students at OCC she’ll remember the most.

“At the end of this year, these folks, their posters will go to their departments so their programs can continue to use their stories to inspire the new students, and I’ll hang the Class of 2022 up here. And, it’s one of the traditions I like the most,” said Crabill.

Over the last eight years, she has started traditions and guided the SUNY school to adopt new practices. She reconfigured college programs into schools to improve student camaraderie.

Her office is filled with recognition hardware like the Bellweather Award for the creation of the first Box of Books program.

“Box of Books provides students with all of the books they need at a flat dollar fee per credit so it’s $25.50. You don’t have to worry about getting this expensive book and that expensive book, we package it all. And you pick it up at the bookstore at the beginning of the semester, you’ve got all your books and materials,” Crabill said.

Since she took over as president, OCC’s honor society chapter of Phi Theta Kappa has always been important to her. The college’s chapter is part of an elite group that continues to help students build their resumes.

“Our chapter here at OCC has been one of the top five chapters in the world for three years in a row,” she said.

After 45 years in higher education Crabill has held four college president positions across the country.

She’s planning to spend more time with family and friends, and when she looks back at her days at OCC she said she will remember quite a few great people.

“I’m going to remember the people. I’m going to remember the spirit. A real commitment to their jobs, to the students in this area. A real desire to make this community the very best it can be,” she said.

Crabill started her career as an English teacher in 1977. She went in to serve as a college president in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and here in New York. She’s a native of East Greenbush in the Albany area and became OCC's eighth president in 2013.

Crabill has served on numerous community boards including CenterState CEO, Clear Path for Veterans and the Central New York Community Foundation. The OCC Board of Trustees is currently conducting a nationwide search for Crabill’s successor.