POTSDAM -- The White House says it sent a nomination to the U.S. Senate for Clarkson University President Tony Collins to be a member of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Advisory Board.

With Senate consent, Collins would join a five-member Advisory Board appointed by the President which reviews the general policies of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and advises the Administrator Betty Sutton.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation is a wholly owned government corporation created by statute in 1954 to construct, operate and maintain that part of the St. Lawrence Seaway between the Port of Montreal and Lake Erie and to enhance Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System utilization and trade.

Currently serving as Clarkson's 16th president, Collins is a regional and national advocate for higher education, industrial partnerships that couple research discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise for commercialization and economic development with a focus on advancing sustainable energy solutions and environmental technology innovation.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Collins in July 2011 to serve as co-chair for the North Country Regional Economic Development Council.