Meg Benke has been named provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at SUNY Empire State College.
Benke, of Saratoga Springs, first joined the college in 1991, and previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs, 2011-12, as a member of the faculty and a department chair with the college’s School for Graduate Studies. Most recently she has been serving as provost on an interim basis.
She is nationally and internationally recognized for her expertise in individualized learning, educating adult students, online learning, and as an award-winning scholar.
Benke held several leadership positions with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an accrediting organization that assures academic quality and integrity in higher education.

The Adirondack Thunder has announced the schedule for the 2019-20 season.
Spanning 72 regular season games, the Thunder will take on 12 different opponents, and face three teams that they have yet to see in their four previous seasons as a member of the ECHL.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will run a series of community events during the official countdown to the 150th running of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers.
The most famous race at Saratoga Race Course will be held Saturday, Aug. 24.
The City of Saratoga Springs, the Downtown Business Association and the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce worked with NYRA on the celebration that will feature downtown events leading up to the summer season’s marquee race.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced plans for the creation of the Marylou Whitney Pavilion at the Saratoga Race Course to honor the late prolific philanthropist and racehorse owner and breeder.
The governor made the announcement Aug. 3 in an appearance at the track.
Whitney was known for her support of local charities and Saratoga Race Course backstretch workers. In recent years, she and her husband, John Hendrickson, began sponsoring a series of functions for the backstretch workers who care for the thoroughbreds at the Saratoga Race Course, including hosting and attendingSunday dinners in a temporary tent every racing season.
The Marylou Backstretch Pavilion will replace the temporary tent used by Mrs. Whitney and Mr. Hendrickson with a permanent building that holds up to 400 people. The Marylou Whitney Backstretch Pavilion is expected to be completed in July 2020.

US Light Energy, a solar energy company specializing in the development of solar electric and community solar systems, is constructing a solar park in Clifton Park.
The Sugar Hill Solar Farm, on 40 acres of land on the Sugar-Hill/Sugar-View Farm on Sugar Hill Road, will be the first community solar farm developed in Clifton Park, according to the company.
The 7-megawatt (MW), ground-mounted solar project will encompass nearly 20,000 solar modules. Officials said when fully operational later this year, it is expected to produce more than 8.6 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy annually—enough electricity to power up to 600 homes and businesses.

Saratoga Economic Development Corp. (SEDC) on June 28 announced the next step in their initiative to empower leading-edge integrated circuit and electronic system design in Saratoga County and the Capital Region.
This industry cluster, to be supported by SEDC’s SPARK Saratoga accelerator and the Electronic Design and Innovation Initiative (EDI2 Saratoga), announced a new strategic partnership with Cadence Design Systems Inc.