When George Lukowicz, ’63, decided he wanted to teach, he knew education would transform his life. He credits Buffalo State with laying the foundation for his success, but in ways he never expected.

“I wanted to become an industrial arts teacher and did two stints as a student teacher. That helped me learn how to deal with kids, peers, and superiors. Both situations were great. I was lucky,” he said.

He still remembers his supervising professor, the late Leonard Poleszak, as being particularly influential. “I had Professor Poleszak for one or two education classes. He was a good mentor who taught me how to do things better. I was learning a lot!”

By the time he graduated, the Vietnam War was escalating, and Lukowicz felt compelled to serve his country. Accepted as an officer training candidate, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. For the next four years, Lukowicz served in the Strategic Air Command, attaining the rank of captain.

“I made a decision to go into the military with the thought of a career but later changed my mind. I felt business was a better path for me, rather than teaching or serving in the military. I never regretted my decision.

“Those were the days when you went to work for a company and remained until you retired,” Lukowicz recalled. “In 1968, I started with the New York Federal Reserve, where I stayed for 25 years.” During this time he also earned his M.B.A. from Adelphi University on Long Island.

He recognized that new technology was going to forever change the way people worked, though at the time, “computers were in their infancy; there were no such things as desktops or laptops.”
Lukowicz became responsible for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s computer systems at a time when a computer “took up an entire room.” After running the data center operations at New York, which included a contingency center in Upstate New York, he joined the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond as a vice president.

Over the course of a 34-year career, he engaged in groundbreaking work, including a project that brought accolades to Lukowicz and his staff from Alan Greenspan, then chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

“I oversaw the consolidation of all computer systems and equipment across the 12 Federal Reserve Banks,” he explained, “and formed an automation company within the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond that offered computer processing services to the banks.”

Always looking toward the future, Lukowicz said he is eager to return to Buffalo State for his 50th reunion. “When we went back for my 45th reunion, I could not believe the changes to the campus. I could make out the old quad, but the campus is just amazing today and is still growing.”

Retired since 2002, Lukowicz is busy with his family in Brentwood, California, where he and his wife enjoy traveling, golfing, and making their own wine. Yet he has never forgotten his alma mater and remains a staunch supporter through his generous gifts to the Annual Fund at Buffalo State.

“I donate because I believe the college helped me get started in my career,” he said. “I feel it does an excellent job in preparing young people for the future. Buffalo State certainly did it for me!”