Join us for a unique mash-up of a Buffalo Talk AND Walk on December 5th! We will hold this month’s Buffalo Talk at the historic Shea’s Seneca location (NOT the library). Join us to learn about this repurposed gem in South Buffalo at 2178 Seneca Street. Schneider Development Services has created a multi-use building out of the former theatre. We will hear directly from Jake Schneider about the process and then he will give us a tour of the building. Hope to see you there!
We are looking for our next round of candidates! The deadline for submissions is Monday, October 15, 2018 at 4:00 pm. Click the link below for additional details.
Due to an emergency, the speaker had to cancel for today’s Talk. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause!
In Buffalo, wildlife is reclaiming an unused rail corridor. For a mile and a half, through the First Ward, the Valley, and the Perry Neighborhood, this land connects the DL&W Terminal in downtown Buffalo near Canalside to the Buffalo River across from Solar City. Since the fall of 2017, the Western New York Land Conservancy has been meeting with neighbors and community leaders to start a conversation about creating an inspiring and environmentally-friendly linear park and multi-use trail along this rail corridor. Come listen to Alicia Fahrner from the Land Conservancy fill us in on where this initiative is currently.
The event was held at Tewksbury Lodge, located at 249 Ohio St, Buffalo, NY. The keynote speaker was Norah Fletchall, President and CEO, The Buffalo Zoo. She shared with our members and guests her vision for the zoo, their conservation mission, and their strategic plan for the future.
The 2018-2019 Officers and Board of Directors was elected as follows:
President: Shannon Sutton
Vice President: Sherri Wierzba-Falck
Secretary: Richard Doetterl
Treasurer: Megan Morris
Board of Directors
Kate Bukowski, Dawn Csati, David DeBoy
Jackie Jonmaire, Sarah Hopkins,
Diane Pietraszewski, Carolyn Powell,
Beth Sardina, Alexis Webster, Mary Young
In addition to electing the 2018-2019 Board Members and Officers, WFD was proud to present awards to four deserving recipients. This year’s awards are:
The Fernbach Award was initiated in the early 1980s and originally named the Bright Spot Award. The Fernbach Awards are given to organizations or individuals whose efforts have resulted in the aesthetic revitalization of Downtown Buffalo.
Awarded to:
Theatre District Assocation
Accepted by Lisa Ludwig
The Joan K. Bozer Award was initiated by WFD in 1995 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to improving Downtown Buffalo. The award is named after Joan K. Bozer who was instrumental in the creation of WFD.
Awarded to:
Lynn Waclawek
M&T Bank
The Cornerstone Award recognizes a company or organization in Western New York that has shown support of working For Downtown and shares its mission to promote and improve the quality of life in Downtown Buffalo
Awarded to:
Allpro Parking, LLC
Accepted by Richard Serra
Membership Recognition Award: WFD is proud to honor one of our members for his contributions to the organization, and for his efforts in making Downtown Buffalo a better place to live, work, and play.
Awarded to:
Richard Doetterl
Allpro Parking, LLC
Join us on Wednesday, August 8th for a walk at the Queen City Bike Ferry and Outer Harbor. We will start this walk at the Central Wharf at the Queen City Bike Ferry dock where Rich Hilliman will begin the tour talking about the progression of the ferry route. Then we will take a ride on the ferry over to the Outer Harbor and meet up with an Erie County Harbor Development representative who will talk about the projects in progress as we take a walk around the area.
We had a great group on Wednesday, July 18th for our Buffalo Walk at WNED/WBFO Studios. View our photo gallery to see what you missed and be sure to sign up for our next Buffalo Walk on August 8, 2018 at the Queen City Bike Ferry Canalside station and a ride over to the Outer Harbor!
We will start at the Downtown Central Library to learn about the Reading Park planned for the entrance area of the Library and then join us for a walk along the Literary Corridor with Laurie Dean Torrell as our tour guide.
Registration at 5:15 PM and the tour will begin at 5:30.
For reservations by email, please contact Debbie DiMatteo at ddimatteo@mtb.com
We are looking for our next round of candidates! The deadline for submissions is Monday, May 14, 2018 at 4:00 pm. Click the link below for additional details.
Join us Tuesday, June 26, 2018 for our Annual Meeting, Awards Ceremony and Election of Officers. This year’s full breakfast will begin promptly at 8:00 am with registration starting at 7:45 am and will end at 9:00 am at the Tewksbury Lodge located at 249 Ohio St, Buffalo, NY 14204. Parking is free in the lot and along Ohio Street.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Buffalo Zoo President and CEO, Norah Fletchall. Norah will provide an update on recent completed projects, upcoming exhibit renovations, and their newest animals. She will also share with us her vision and strategic plan for the zoo’s future.
We will also present our annual awards to those individuals and organizations that have made a significant difference in our community.
This year’s awardees are:
Fernbach Award recipient
Theatre District Association
Joan K Bozer Award recipient
Lynn Waclawek, M&T Bank, Assistant Vice President
Cornerstone Award recipient
Allpro Parking, LLC
Membership Recognition Award recipient
Richard Doetterl, Allpro Parking, LLC, Business Intelligence Analyst
Thank you to BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York for sponsoring our next Buffalo Meets event on April 25th at Sato Brewpub from 5 – 8PM. Come out and mingle! Can’t wait to see you there!
