Michael Stammel is being inducted into the Hall of Fame for his many contributions to the school, his volunteerism, and longtime governmental service to the city and county of Rensselaer. Mike is an alumnus of the class of 1972.
In high school he was a member of the Drama Club and played varsity football and baseball. He has an Associates in Science Degree from Empire State College in Emergency Management and Fire Service. He has worked for Amtrak in Emergency Management and Corporate Security for 39 years. Mike was Alderman for the city’s fifth Ward from 1994-2000, then he was elected to the County Legislature, representing the City and has held that position ever since. This service won him the Pelletier Institute Award from Cornell University for his accomplishments in local government. As county legislator, Mike has served as Chair and Judiciary of the County Public Safety Committee, the Contract Committee, the Capital District Regional Committee, and for the Capital District Transportation Committee. Mike’s volunteerism is considerable. He has served on the ambulance squad as an EMT for 25 years and as a fireman with the Minks-Claxton Engine #2 for 43 years, and was made Fireman of the Year in 1990. The Rensselaer County Sheriff ‘s Office recognized Mike with a Special Award in 2005 and the Rensselaer County Legislature for coming to the aid of an ill person at the R.O.U.S.E. Picnic. This is an event the county holds for seniors every year. He is a board member for the Little League, The Boys and Girls Club, and has coached both Little League baseball and Pop Warner Football. He was also on the Rensselaer Festivities Committee for the Centennial. Mike was very instrumental in securing funding to keep the Senior Center open when it was slated for closure. Mike is a current member of the Kiwanis, Sons of the American Legion and has served as 1st Commander for Rensselaer County and is a member of the Rensselaer Woods Club. Mike has been very supportive to the Alumni Association whenever asked. He lives in Rensselaer and has 2 children and 6 grandchildren. Mike was nominated by Alumni Association Vice President and alumna, Deborah Irving Reimann ’74.
William Staats is being inducted into the Hall of Fame for his love of family, learning and community, his service to our country, his teaching career, his authorship, and gusto for life.
In high school, Bill was basketball manager and scorekeeper. He sang in chorus and had lead roles in the Operetta “Iolanthe” and the musical “My Sister Eileen”. He wrote for the school’s “Oracle” and was a member of Key Club. Bill graduated in 1950 and enrolled in college. He interrupted his studies to enlist in the Navy serving from 1952-54 as Quartermaster. He completed his undergraduate BS in 1956 and his MS, both in Business Education and both from the NYS Teachers’ College. He holds 75 post graduate credits from the Graduate School of Public Affairs, SUNY Albany. His career in teaching is varied. He taught Business courses at Chatham and Hudson High Schools from 1957-61. He began his college teaching at Hudson Valley Community College in ’61 and was an Accounting Professor and Chair of the Accounting and Business Administration Departments from 1961-95. In between that time, he taught accounting courses for a year (1965-66) at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. In addition, he was an Adjunct Professor in Computer Programming Software at HVCC from 1995-2004. While at HVCC Bill received the NYS Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Bill’s second career is as an author. He has written two books about the region. His first book, “Three Centuries on the Hudson” is about his family’s 1696 homestead owned and occupied by the Staats family for 12 generations. The homestead’s Dutch name is Hoogebergh and is located off Rte 9J on Staats Island on the Hudson River. His second book is entitled “Campus Capers on the Hudson” and is a collection of anecdotes from his nearly 50 yrs of teaching. Bill often gives talks to civic organizations, historical societies, etc., including the Rensselaer Senior Citizens Center and St. Anthony’s residents. Other volunteer activities include being treasurer of the First Church in Albany for 40 yrs and also singing in the church’s choir. Although slowing down a bit now, Bill’s pass times included annual swims across the Hudson River from the homestead and driving his 1931 Model A Ford Roadster daily from 1965-2010. He has organized several of his class reunions. He has travelled extensively world-wide, going to every continent except Antarctica photographing all 50 State Capitols, as well as the Federal Capital in D.C. Bill was married to the late Sandra Reimann and all of their 7 children went to Rensselaer High School, one of whom was inspired by him to become a Mathematics teacher. They have given him 15 grandchildren. He was nominated by all his children who are also alumni: Mark ‘77, Grant ‘78, Jennifer Hoeffner ‘79, Kristina Erby ‘82, Heather Waters ’84, Greg ‘85 and Victoria Staats ’90 and by his classmate, Anne Ryan Marihugh ’50.