May 31, 2023

Empire State University Announces Alumni Award Recipients

From top left to bottom right: Nichol King '17, James Allan Matte ’76, Jawana Richardson ’16, ’18, ’21, and Melva Visher ’81, ’85, ’96

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Empire State University today announced the recipients of the 2022-23 Alumni Awards. The awards recognize exemplary alumni who are making a lasting impact on their communities and the university through outstanding professional, philanthropic, and volunteer accomplishments. 

The four award recipients for the 2022-23 academic year are: 

*Nichol King ’17 is the recipient of the Emerging Leader Award, which recognizes alumni who graduated within the last five years and demonstrate leadership in their profession, community, or SUNY Empire.  

King, known as “Harlem’s Banker,” is the executive director of community and business development for JPMorgan Chase. She leads a team of 18 community managers across the New York City metro area who connect with people to build their financial health and wealth building opportunities. King started her banking career in 2008 in Harlem, where she was a licensed personal banker, branch manager, and small business relationship manager. She served as the bank’s first-ever community manager and devoted her work to creating a stronger connection between the bank and communities of color, and building trust, relationships, and long-term social impact.  

King regularly contributes or hosts financial health conversations at events such as The Women In The Black Conference, Economic Development Day for “Harlem Week,” and Women Trailblazing in Business. She is also an advisory board member for the New York Urban League’s Small Business Solutions Center and the West Harlem Innovation Network.  

*James Allan Matte ’76 of Williamsville, NY is the recipient of the Veteran Service Award, which recognizes a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces who has made a positive impact on their community, university, and/or fellow veterans.   

Matte joined the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and became an intelligence specialist using his fluency in French to collect strategic information for the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) in France. He subsequently became a special agent of the OSI, conducting criminal, counterintelligence, and personnel security investigations. He later became a special agent of the U. S. Army Criminal Investigations Command.  

After retiring from the U.S. Army, he went on to develop unique polygraph techniques and formats that significantly advanced the discipline of forensic psychophysiology and are still used by polygraphists around the world. His field research resulted in three textbooks, two supplements and more than 50 scientific articles published in peer-reviewed journals.   

In 1983, he used his Matte Quadri-Track Zone Comparison Technique to conduct a televised polygraph examination for Columbia Pictures on Khalil Islam, who was convicted of murdering civil rights leader Malcolm X in 1965. The results showed that Islam was innocent, which apparently encouraged his supporters to continue working on his behalf. Islam died in 2009 and was exonerated in 2021.  

Matte has been president of Matte Polygraph Service, Inc., since 1976. Now in his nineties, he has authored 15 published novels using his real-life experiences in the military and his polygraph practice.  

*Jawana Richardson ’16, ’18, ’21 of Hempstead, NY is the recipient of the Community Impact Award. Recipients of this award demonstrate leadership by providing exceptional service to their community and beyond.  

After losing her husband in a drunk driving accident, Richardson became an advocate for stricter penalties, working with community members to lobby lawmakers in Albany. She continues to work with organizations such as law enforcement agencies, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Families for Safer Streets, and Transportation Alternatives.  

At SUNY Empire, she is the vice president of the Black Male Initiative and alumni ambassador for the Student Government Association. She was also a member of the Alumni Student Federation Board of Governors and served as its secretary. She is a licensed real estate salesperson and notary public and works as an executive administrator for the global commercial real estate company, Cushman and Wakefield. 

* Melva Visher ’81, ’85, ’96, of Buffalo, NY is the recipient of the Distinguished Leader Award, which recognizes a graduate who has provided outstanding service to the university and their community through philanthropic support.  

Visher currently serves on the John R. Oishei Foundation Board of Trustees and is an Advisory Board member at Univera Healthcare. She previously served on the Health Foundation for Western & Central NY.She currently serves on the Empire State University Business Advisory Board and is an emerita board member of the SUNY Empire Alumni and Student Federation Board.  

Visher previously taught as an adjunct professor at Canisius University, Medaille University, Daemen University, and Erie Community College. She retired from Kaleida Health in Buffalo as the vice president for community health after working in hospital and community health systems for more than 38 years. 

The Alumni Awards Program was created by the Alumni Student Federation Board of Governors in 2016 to honor outstanding graduates and illustrate the great value of the academic programs at SUNY Empire. Visit our website to learn more about the Alumni Awards