Bonita R. Durand
Bonita R. Durand is an American higher education administrator who served as the tenth president of Buffalo State University, part of the State University of New York system. She was appointed officer in charge of Buffalo State by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. on May 31, 2023, and was confirmed as interim president by the SUNY Board of Trustees on June 6, 2023. On April 28, 2026, SUNY announced that Durand would be recognized as Buffalo State's tenth president through the end of her tenure on June 30, 2026.
Early life and education
Durand was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and attended Walnut Hills High School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and curriculum development from the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio. She later earned a Master of Science degree in applied public affairs and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in higher education administration from the University at Buffalo, with a concentration in institutional advancement. In 2010, she received certification in educational management and leadership from the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.
Career
Durand worked at Buffalo State for more than two decades before her retirement in 2018. During that period, she served as chief of staff and secretary to the Buffalo State College Council and worked under five Buffalo State presidents. She was also a member of the university's graduate faculty in higher education administration, teaching courses on the history of American higher education, strategic planning, and finance in higher education.
At Buffalo State, Durand held leadership roles on several campus committees and working groups, including the Middle States accreditation steering committee, presidential inauguration support committees, facilities master planning committee, and presidential search advisory committees. She also served as faculty adviser to the collegiate chapter of the National Council of [...] Women and as campus adviser to the Gamma Kappa Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
Interim presidency of Buffalo State
Following the retirement of Buffalo State president Katherine Conway-Turner at the end of the 2022–2023 academic year, Durand was appointed officer in charge of the university on May 31, 2023. She was confirmed as interim president by the SUNY Board of Trustees on June 6, 2023. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education reported that Durand would not be a candidate for the permanent presidency.
During her interim presidency, Buffalo State faced a structural deficit and began a financial sustainability process. In 2024, WKBW reported that Durand and campus officials discussed program cuts, workforce reductions, enrollment stabilization, and a hiring freeze as part of the university's financial sustainability plan. Durand stated that the university's task was to balance the workforce while increasing and stabilizing enrollment.
In March 2024, after SUNY rescinded the appointment of a previously selected president, Durand agreed to continue leading Buffalo State while the university resumed its search process.
Recognition as president
On April 28, 2026, SUNY and Buffalo State announced that Durand would be recognized not merely as interim president, but as the tenth president of Buffalo State University through the end of her tenure on June 30, 2026. Buffalo State stated that the recognition ensured Durand's portrait would be displayed in Rockwell Hall alongside previous presidents of the institution.
The same day, the SUNY Board of Trustees appointed Jennifer L. Burris, then provost and vice president for academic affairs at Lenoir-Rhyne University, as Buffalo State's next president, effective July 1, 2026.
Community service
Durand has been active in civic and community organizations in Western New York. She served as secretary of the City of Buffalo Citizens Advisory Commission on Reapportionment in 2011 and was a member of the Mayor of Buffalo's 2010 Complete Count Census Committee. She was also a charter member of the Buffalo Niagara Economic Development Corporation board of directors and served on the board of the Western New York Women's Fund.
In 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Durand to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Board of Commissioners, where she served until 2020. She also joined the board of directors of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo in 2015 and chaired its Communities of Giving Legacy Initiative.
Awards and honors
Durand received the Bernice Poss Award from Western New York Women Leaders in Higher Education in 2012. In 2016, she received the Community Leader Award from the National Federation for Just Communities and the Women Touching the World Award from Unlimited Possibilities Overcoming Poverty Ministry.
Personal life
Durand was married to Henry J. Durand, a longtime educator and administrator at the University at Buffalo, until his death in 2018.