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Governor Cuomo Announces 204th Session Graduation from the State Police Basic School

Written by Long Island News & PR  |  14. October 2016

Albany, NY - October 13, 2016 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today congratulated 226 new members of the New York State Police on their graduation from the 204th session of the New York State Police Academy's Basic School.

"After 26 weeks of hard work and perseverance, these Troopers will join the honorable tradition of serving and protecting the people of New York," Governor Cuomo said. "I commend these men and women for their pledge to keep New Yorkers safe and congratulate them as they start their careers in the New York State Police."

The graduation ceremony was held at the Empire State Plaza Convention Hall in Albany where the new troopers marched into the convention center in a procession led by the New York State Police Pipe and Drum band. The National Anthem was performed by Trooper Elizabeth Fallon and the ceremony included a video presentation of the training received by all members of the 204th Basic School Session.

"Six months ago these outstanding men and women answered the call to serve, and after the rigors of training they are ready to join one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the world," said Lieutenant Governor Hochul. "This class chose the motto ‘Protecting New York to the core, we are the 204’, and nothing could speak more to their courage and sense of dedication. I’m honored to take part in today’s commencement, and wish all the graduates the very best as they enter an exciting and noble profession."

"After months of training, the 204th Basic School join the ranks of one of the finest police agencies in the world," said New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II. "For nearly 100 years the State Police have served and protected the citizens of New York. I congratulate all of our new Troopers and thank them for their continued dedication to the State Police and the people of New York."

In addition to honoring all graduates from the 204th Session of Basic School, Superintendent Beach presented the following awards:

Academic Achievement Award
As a special incentive for all students attending the State Police Academy Basic School, the Superintendent sponsors the awarding of a firearm for the attainment of the highest level of academic performance during Academy training.

The winner of the Academic Performance Award is Trooper Joseph A. Sparacino, a 27-year-old resident of Tonawanda, New York. Prior to joining the New York State Police, he was a Police Officer with the Town of Tonawanda Police Department. Throughout the Academy training program, he achieved an outstanding overall academic average of 99.3. He will be assigned to Troop E.

Firearms Proficiency Award
The New York State Trooper Foundation has sponsored the awarding of a firearm for the attainment of the highest level of performance in all phases of firearms training.

The winner of the Superintendent's Firearms Proficiency Award is Trooper Michael R. Beck, age 30, of Auburn, New York. Prior to joining the New York State Police, he served as a corporal for nine years with the Cayuga County Sherriff’s Office. During firearms training, he fired an average score of 250 out of a possible 250. He will be assigned to Troop D.

Investigator Joseph T. Aversa Physical Fitness Award
The New York State Police Investigators Association has sponsored the awarding of a firearm for the attainment of the highest degree of physical fitness during the Physical Training Program at the Academy. This award will be presented in memory of deceased Investigator Joseph Aversa. Investigator Aversa made the ultimate sacrifice in New York City on March 5th, 1990, during a narcotics investigation while serving as a Member of the Joint Drug Enforcement Task Force. Investigator Aversa was a six-year State Police veteran who believed that physical conditioning was an integral part of being a Trooper.

The winner of the Joseph T. Aversa Physical Training Award is Trooper Jeffrey Blazek. He is 27 years old and resides in New Hartford, New York. Prior to entering the New York State Police Academy, he graduated from Utica College with a Bachelor Degree in Economic Crime Investigation. During the physical agility testing, he achieved the highest score of all 226 Members of the 204th Session, a tribute to his superb physical conditioning. He will be assigned to Troop B.

Student Representative
The New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association has sponsored the awarding of a firearm to the Member of the class who is selected by his or her peers to represent them during these exercises. The PBA presents the award in memory of Trooper John J. McKenna IV, who was killed in action in 2006, while serving his country as a Marine in Iraq.

Trooper Avery Katz has been chosen as the class representative. He is 34 years old and resides in Yorktown Heights, New York. Prior to joining the New York State Police, he graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice. He is currently an Executive Officer in the United States Marine Core Reserves. He will be assigned to Troop F.

Video sound bites with the members listed directly below are available on the New York State Police YouTube channel.

Trooper Joseph Sparacino – Tonawanda
Trooper Sparacino will be assigned to Troop E.

Trooper Daniel Arcadi – St. Regis Falls
Trooper Arcadi will be assigned to Troop B.

Trooper Arron Whitney – Endwell
Trooper Whitney will be assigned to Troop C.

Trooper Jeffrey Blazek – New Hartford
Trooper Blazek will be assigned to Troop B.

Trooper Olivia Beck – Rochester
Trooper Beck will be assigned to Troop D.

Trooper Edward Donohue – Middletown
Trooper Donohue will be assigned to Troop F.

Trooper James Oliveto - Ballston Spa
Trooper Oliveto will be assigned to Troop K.

Trooper Avery Katz – Yorktown Heights
Trooper Katz will be assigned to Troop F.

Trooper Kyle Shillingford – West Hempstead
Trooper Shillingford will be assigned to Troop F.

The new troopers will report for field duty on October 20, 2016. For the following 10 weeks the new troopers will be evaluated under a field-training program supervised by senior Field Training Officers.

Below is a list of field training Troop assignments where graduates will begin field duty supervised by senior training officers. Included are the hometowns of the graduates.

Troop B – Plattsburgh
Daniel J. Albee
    Hudson Falls
Daniel K. Arcadi
    Saint Regis Falls
Kurt W. Becker
    East Meadow
Matthew C. Bishop
    Dickinson Center
Jeffrey A. Blazek
    New Hartford
Brendan G. Bolis
    Canton
Alfred M. Brassard
    Champlain
Ryan J. Carrow
    Potsdam
Dylan K. Dawson
    Lake Clear
James D. Dew
    Ithaca
Salvatore C. Dilegge III
    Bay Shore
Brandon M. Drews
    Hamburg
Mark D. Eggleston
    Plattsburgh
Joshua E. Gushlaw
    Plattsburgh
Shane R. Harridan
    Chateaugay
David Hennessy
    Nassau
Kale C. Hitchman
    Madrid
Derek E. Jubert
    Altona
Ryan J. Kennedy
    Albany
Zackery M. Leader
    Lake Placid
Derrick A Leonard
    Black River
Taylor A. McCarthy
    Watkins Glen
Christopher Meliti
    Scarsdale
Kayla L. Messier
    Troy
Michael L. Milbauer
    Bayshore
Joseph Mistretta
    Shirley
Erin W. Mulcahy
    South Glens Falls
David A. Nash
    Latham
Juan D. Olarte
    Rensselaer
Kevin D. Peterson Jr.
    Buffalo
Alex C. Phelps
    Amsterdam
Kimberly M. Pikarsky
    Clay
Joshua M. Porcell
    Latham
Joseph T. Port
    Queensbury
Joshua W. Prashaw
    Norfolk
Ryan C. Reid
    Morrisonville
Jeremy Reynolds
    Cornwall-on-Hudson
Michael B. Roman
    Watertown
Craig M. Samiof
    Troy
Srdjan Simic
    Buffalo
Matthew A. Stivala
    Yonkers
Alex E. Stuart
    Tupper Lake
Aaron W. F. Sulkey
    Queensbury
Charles E. Szablewski II
    Queensbury
Jennifer Terpstra
    Gouverneur
Dustin J. Thomas
    Dexter
Jasmin Veiz
    Utica
Maurice H. Walker
    Bronx
Bradford T. Wiggins
    Manlius
Shawn M. Windoloski
    Bombay
Angela Yacobucci
    Henderson
Troop C – Sidney
Sean M. Ancker
    Rochester
Joshua R. Bannister
    Blasdell
Michael R. Boice
    Buffalo
Brian D. Brinkman
    Williamsville
Diane K. Caraballo
    Rochester
Jake T. Catalano
    Fredonia
Adam Cernauskas
    Richmondville
Mark A. Ciccotti
    Horseheads
Jennifer Daignault
    Rome
Samantha L. Dayton
    Tonawanda
Andrew N. Dlugosz
    Lackawanna
Nicholas K. Dziamba
    Troy
Paul A. Evans
    Elma
Christopher R. Gibbs
    Bernhards Bay
Daniel J. Goldrick
    Nyack
Dylan R. Goodrich
    Elma
Samantha Hartmann
    Remsen
Edward T. Hernandez
    Oneonta
Matthew M. Hourihan
    West Seneca
Michael D. Kline
    Liverpool
Matthew J. Kowal
    Dunkirk
Jenna M. Kozel
    Amherst
Herbert Maldonado
    Central Islip
Ryan J. McConnon
    Canandaigua
Justin C. Miller
    Guilford
Jevon C. Pakkala
    Newfield
Mariella C. Pantano
    Buffalo
Derek T. Peschieri
    Greenfield Center
Aaron D. Quinitchett
    Elmira
Shaun M. Reynolds
    Lockport
Daniel H. Schuler
    Holland
Matthew P. Schwandt
    North Tonawanda
Keith G. Sciarratta
    Rochester
Cory A. Sprague
    Clinton
Justin P. Statt
    Rochester
Tyler J. Stevens
    Depew
Rachel R. Stockholm
    Fairport
Nathan C. Strange
    Johnson City
Andrea M. Swanger
    Rochester
Christopher M. Thayer
    Dolgeville
Eric J. Tomczak
    Cheektowaga
Cody C. Towner
    Batavia
Adam T. Vargeson
    Corning
Carolina Vergara
    Yonkers
Joseph F. Vogel
    Buffalo
Jared Vonderheide
    Goshen
Aaron R. Whitney
    Endwell
Cansu Zaim
    West Hempstead
Troop D – Oneida
Olivia R. Beck
    Auburn
Michael R. Beck
    Auburn
Andrew P. Caldiero
    Buffalo
Jason T. Cleason
    Hamburg
Jeffrey J. Gmerek
    Cheektowaga
Nathan M. Horner
    Liverpool
Waleed Javed
    Seneca Falls
Jacob W. Klock
    Wellsville
Richard T. Kosakowski
    Lee Center
Drew H. Lewandowski
    Tonawanda
Brian E. Locastro
    Auburn
Eric M. Lojba
    Herkimer
David W. Lyubezhanin
    Oriskany
Kyle J. Meyers
    Penn Yan
Timothy K. Nanry
    Rochester
Kyle M. Ready
    Boonville
Donald T. Schug III
    Camillus
Eric L. Sherman
    Oswego
Michael T. Siegfried
    Utica
William J. Siwy III
    Derby
Kyle L. Smith
    Wolcott
Ronald J. Solem
    Hamburg
Justin B. Weakley
    Cold Brook
Christopher Wyant
    Lockport
Troop E – Canandaigua
Peter M. Koschuk
    Lancaster
Robert F. Leunig
    East Northport
Steven H. Papponetti
    Albion
Zachary S. Penhollow
    West Seneca
Joseph A. Sparacino
    Tonawanda
Troop F – Middletown
Brian T. Anderson
    Massapequa
Chanel D. Beasley
    Uniondale
Anthony G. Bluman
    Schaghticoke
Megan A. Bologna
    Stillwater
Meg H. Brown
    Lindenhurst
Arielle A. Caban
    Montgomery
Robert J. Casino
    Scotia
Staci N. Chadwick
    Troy
George A. Cook
    Sparkill
Connor B. Cornine
    Campbell Hall
Nicholas A. D’Angelo
    Mount Sinai
Kyle I. Dawson
    Monroe
John M. Degregoria II
    Glasco
Kalyn M. Deso
    Schenectady
William C. DiDiego
    Wappingers Falls
James L. Di Stasi
    Highland
Edward N. Donohue
    Middletown
Sean M. Drown
    Neversink
Samantha A. Gau
    Pine Bush
Andrew Giga
    New City
Robert E. Glas
    Pine Bush
Thomas P. Goebeler
    Smithtown
James E. Gomiela
    Rockville Center
Alexander J. Grant
    South Floral Park
Cody W. Harder
    Hurley
Blake A. Hasbrouck
    Middletown
Massiel Hernandez
    Bronx
Kevin A. Jacks
    Westtown
Kristina M. Jenkins
    Slingerlands
Kenneth L. Kadar
    Coram
Avery Katz
    Yorktown Heights
Daniel J. Kokulak
    Bardonia
Lauren A. Krogh
    Troy
Zenel S. Lulanaj
    Valhalla
Dominic Mangiapane
    Locust Valley
Cameron R. Manley
    Fort Plain
Nicole E. Mannino
    Selden
Shane T. McLoughlin
    Washingtonville
Colleen E. McNamara
    White Plains
Thomas J. Mozer
    Glen Cove
Curt J. Natalizio
    Port Jervis
Claris Ortiz
    Yonkers
Gabrielle A. Platt
    Wurtsboro
Cory D. Quimby
    Middletown
Ronald Raymond
    Suffern
Daniel J. Ritz
    Altamont
Jessica Romero
    Brooklyn
Catherine J. Savoia
    Haverstraw
Brittany L. Schurko
    Lagrangeville
Kyle S. Shillingford
    West Hempstead
Taylor A. Simpson
    Livingston Manor
Brandon D. Smith
    Livingston Manor
Adam Szlejter
    Riverhead
Adrian Szlejter
    Riverhead
Joshua T. Thomsen
    Schenectady
Robert A. Troy II
    Seaford
Nathan H. Valle
    Saugerties
John G. White
    Schenectady
Jason T. Wurtz
    Gardiner
Troop G – Latham
Michael W. Flynn
    Saratoga Springs
Ashley J. Puro
    Cobleskill
Daniel J. Riggi
    Scotia
Brian C. Torres
    Albany
Jonathan H. Vanwie
    Hagaman
Troop K – Poughkeepsie
Romel Arias
    Albany
Tatiana I. Bedoya
    Bronx
Dean M. Borgese
    Smithtown
Leonard J. Brown IV
    New Lebanon
Meghan A. Calhoun
    Union Springs
Carlo G. Castro
    Bronx
Carmine F. Coglitore
    Bronx
Robert Costa
    Wappingers Falls
Christopher J. Fitton
    East Patchogue
James P. Flynn-Kocourek
    East Meadow
John R. Havens
    Hampton Bays
Kyle T. Jackson
    Port Cehster
Tyler W. Knapp
    Mahopac
Justin M. LaVarnway
    Plattsburgh
Gregory W. Lewis
    East Nassau
Leonard D. Lynott
    East Hampton
Chad M. Martin
    Lowman
Christopher C. Mastroianni
    Levittown
Ryan J. McCabe
    Massapequa Park
John E. Moore
    Germantown
James D. Oliveto
    Ballston Spa
Joseph E. Penniman
    Thornwood
Francis W. Rush IV
    Putnam Valley
William J. Ryan
    Levittown
Paul J. Sabo
    Levittown
Alison C. Sanzi
    Hudson
Cody Scales
    Port Jervis
Jacalyn M. Sommer
    Massapequa
Andrew P. Stamatis
    Fresh Meadows
Aaron Tiso
    Hopewell Junction
Fotini Vartholomeos
    Commack
Stephen D. Wrobel
    East Patchogue

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