The Tompkins Cortland Community College Board of Trustees has presented the 2026 Friend of the College Award posthumously to Regina Grantham. The Board unanimously approved the award at its February meeting. It Is the first time since 2019 that the College has given a Friend of the College Award. 

Grantham was the chair of the TC3 Foundation Board when she passed away in January 2025. She was an associate professor emerita at SUNY Cortland, having taught there for nearly 30 years, including serving as chair of the speech-language pathology department for 17 years. Prior to joining the TC3 Foundation Board, she first interacted with TC3 as a founding member of Cortland County Community of Color (C4), a collaborative venture between SUNY Cortland and TC3 that focuses on building connections between college faculty and staff of color and the local community.

SUNY Cortland President Erik Bitterbaum accepted the resolution, thanking the Board of Trustees for recognizing a dear friend who meant so much to the entire community. “She was an institution unto herself,” he said. “Those that got to know her realized what a very special and caring person she was.” 

The Friend of the College Award was created in 1987 to recognize the contributions of members of the community who have provided exceptional service to TC3. It is not given every year, with 32 people having won the award prior to Grantham.

Photo caption (left to right): TC3 Board of Trustees Chair Judy Davison, SUNY Cortland President Erik Bitterbaum, TC3 President Amy Kremenek