Dan Surdam, who served as SUNY Cortland's Associate Sports Information Director Dan Surdam for 24 years from 2000-24, was officially recognized with a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Retirement Award at the conference's annual awards banquet on June 1 in Syracuse. Surdam was unable to attend previous award ceremonies due to personal reasons to accept the honor in 2024 and 2025.
 
Surdam earned the 2021 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) (now College Sports Communicators) College Division Achievement Award. The honor is presented annually to one College Division (NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA, two-year colleges, Canadian/U Sports) and one University Division (NCAA Division I) winner. Recipients are associate or assistant directors in the sports information field with at least 10 years of experience who have made outstanding contributions to the profession and have provided exceptional service to their institution, conference office or intercollegiate athletics affiliated association. Surdam also received the Fraser Stokes Award in 2017 for service and dedication to SUNY Cortland Athletics.
 
Surdam served as the Cortland sports information office's primary media contact for men's and women's soccer, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, field hockey and wrestling. He oversaw the production of the sports information department's athletics publications and produced most of the online historical and student-athlete biographical content for the Cortland Athletics website. He handled public address duties for numerous Red Dragon sports and produced game programs for most of Cortland's home athletic events. Surdam emceed the Cortland Athletics Awards banquet from 2012-24  and was the emcee at the 2008 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Women's Gymnastics pre-championship banquet.
 
A native of Skaneateles, Surdam graduated from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a bachelor's degree in writing for television, radio and film. He came to Cortland with extensive experience in media and public relations, and he earned an Outstanding Radio Commercial Award from the New York State Broadcasters Association in 1997. In addition, Surdam is the author of the mystery/thriller novel "The Presence of Grace" and has penned a number of screenplays.

Archived Broadcast of the Awards Dinner (Dan is interviewed by current Assistant SID Mitchell Binda appx. 1:21 into the broadcast)

SUNYAC Photo Gallery