SummEr/FAll 2011 - Nazareth College

component to Herkimer Diamond Mines, with science camps operating
onsite. It is also home to one of the largest Boy Scout jamboree in the
Northeast.
Situated under this corporate umbrella are two more allied businesses.
Unlocked Legends is an economic development entity that operates
Gems Along the Mohawk, the premier visitor center of upstate New
York, located on the Erie Canal. Gems Along the Mohawk features a
fine restaurant, a retail outlet that promotes products manufactured in
central New York, and tour boat cruises of the canal. The other subsidiary,
Out of India, imports colored stones from foreign nations that are
sold domestically.
Building up this complex has been a great adventure for Shevat.
“Situationally, my role changes from day to day,” she says. “One day,
I’m a leader, developing vision. Another day, I’m a manager, developing
mission. And always I remain an educator, seeking to instill purpose in
young people. When we run science camps, you’re bound to find me
there, teaching something.”
Shevat was born and raised in Herkimer, where her mother and
father started a commercial construction company. She came to
Nazareth looking for a small school that would feel comfortable but
that would test her and make a difference in her life. “And it did,” says
Shevat. “Nazareth allowed me to become an independent thinker and
to understand how to use grass roots to get things done.” Her lifelong
commitment to service and activism started in earnest at Nazareth,
“Nazareth allowed me to become an
independent thinker and to understand
how to use grass roots to get things done.”
where, in her senior year, she was both the president of the Nazareth
College Student Government and vice president for the Independent
Student Coalition, a statewide organization for all New York private
colleges and universities.
After graduating from Nazareth, Shevat earned her masters in public
administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public
Affairs at Syracuse University and a doctorate from the University of
Rochester that focused on organizational behavior, finance, policy, and
human relations, with an emphasis on higher educational institutions.
She held important positions at the State University of New York at
Potsdam and at Cobleskill Agriculture and Technology College.
Shevat has also enjoyed a full and satisfying family life. Her husband,
Sam Shevat, is retired as the superintendent of the Cobleskill-
Richmondville Schools and remains active with his own consulting
firm. Their two sons—Sam, 26, and Rudy John, 24—are both Cornell
graduates who now work in the financial sector. The Shevats maintain
homes in Cobleskill and Herkimer.
What does this exceptionally goal-oriented individual do for relaxation?
Traveling is key. She must travel often for business (this year
During a recent business trip to Tokyo, Shevat was greeted by Miyuki Hatoyama,
the first lady of Japan.
she’s been to Asia five times), but she always combines business with
exploration. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends,
and is even known to play a bit of golf. But what really “relaxes” her
is community service, for she feels best when she is very busy. “It’s very
important to use your mind and have a sense of strategic purpose,”
she says. “I’ve been lucky enough to have real mentors, and the one
common denominator among the people I’ve looked up to is the ethic
of giving back.”
When Shevat left higher education, she made a commitment to
stay involved; she has also focused her efforts on health care. Shevat
currently serves on the Cobleskill Regional Hospital Board of Trustees,
is the president elect for the Friends of Bassett in Cooperstown, New
York, and, by gubernatorial appointment, has been a trustee of the
State University of New York at Cobleskill. In 2010, she was one of 33
individuals honored at the CICU (Commission of Independent Colleges
and Universities) Alumni Hall of Distinction Awards Ceremony for her
contributions to New York State’s economy and the connections she
has made between higher education and economic development.
Shevat keeps a quote from her hero, Abraham Lincoln, on her desk.
“It goes, ‘It’s not the years in your life that matter, but the life in your
years.’ That’s what I keep in mind as I look toward the future.”
Learn more about Herkimer Diamond Mines at alumni.naz.edu
Alan Gelb is a freelance writer in East Chatham, New York.
Photos courtesy Herkimer Diamond Mines.
www.naz.edu CONNECTIONS | Summer/Fall 2011 41