2017-2018 ANNUAL REPORT

Dottie Gallagher-CohenPresident & CEO, Buffalo Niagara Partnership

Louis P. PanzicaChairman of the Board, Buffalo Niagara Partnership

President & CEO, Power Drives, Inc.

There is a lot of power in a single word. As the region’s chamber of commerce and privately funded

economic development organization, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership is driven by four words outlining

our values.

PASSION | We are deeply committed to our work, our members and the region.

INTEGRITY | We act honestly, ethically and with transparency.

COLLABORATION | We achieve our goals by convening, listening and working together.

COURAGE | We communicate openly, embrace change and confront challenges head-on.

Our members, especially our circle level members recognized on these pages, generously invest in the

Partnership not only because of what we do, but how we do it.

As we present our 2017-2018 Annual Report, a few other words are on our mind: Advance, Influence,

Lead, Elevate, Access and Collaborate. These words describe the benefit our members experience by

being a part of our work. From the region’s largest employers to family-run small businesses to startups

powered by a laptop and ambition, the Partnership serves all Buffalo Niagara employers and, in the

process, serves the community we all call home.

Thank you,

Message from the Chairman and President & CEO Special Thank YouCHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE

| 2017–2018 | ANNUAL REPORT TO MEMBERS 2

Special Thank You The Partnership expresses special thanks to the following members for their investments in our programs and events throughout the year.

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

PARTNERSHIP CIRCLE

AAA Western and Central New York

Aleron

Alexandria Professional, LLC

ASG- Applied Sciences Group

AT&T Services

Athenex

Barclay Damon, LLP

Bene-Care Agency, LLC

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library

Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority

Buffalo Rising

Buffalo State, State University of New York

Ciminelli Real Estate Corporation

Citizens Bank, N.A.

ClearView Social, Inc.

Direct Energy Business

Ecology & Environment, Inc.

enabling ideas

Ernst & Young, LLP

Evans Bank

Evergreen Health Services

FARM, LLC

First Amherst Development Group, LLC

Frey Electric Construction Co., Inc.

Hamister Group, LLC

Harter Secrest & Emery LLC

Hodgson Russ LLP

Hotel Henry Urban Resort Conference Center

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services

Hunt Real Estate Corp.

Hurwitz & Fine, P.C.

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

Key Resource Group

Lawley

LeChase Construction Services, LLC

Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman, LLP

McCullagh Coffee

National Fuel Resources, Inc.

New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.

New York Power Authority

NOCO Energy Corp.

NYSEG

Performance Management Partners, Inc.

Richards & Kruger

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Sodexo

Snyder Corporation

Tesla

The Community Preservation Corporation

Tompkins Bank of Castile

Try-It Distributing Co., Inc.

Verizon

Walsh Duffield Cos., Inc.

Waste Management of Western New York

Watkins Glen International

Wells Fargo

Wendel

West Herr Automotive Group

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE

Nowhere But the Buffalo News

C O M P A N I E S

3thepartnership.org | 3thepartnership.org |

ADVANCE Shape a Better Tomorrow for Buffalo Niagara

The Future of Downtown Buffalo

The signs of progress are apparent throughout downtown Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership is focused on

maintaining the momentum. To drive the conversation about the future of development in downtown, we produced

a data rich, strategy focused report synthesizing the findings of several key studies. Downtown’s future success

depends on the public and private sectors coming together to:

• Align development tools and incentive programs

• Support the market with new initiatives and programs to drive growth

• Focus on specific geographies to create critical mass and build complete neighborhoods within downtown

Adaptive ReUse Works

Lead by the efforts of our Development Advisory Council, the Partnership launched Adaptive

ReUse Works - an advocacy campaign to maintain and strengthen the Erie County Industrial

Development Agency’s Adaptive Reuse policy. Since its inception, the policy has created 1,800 permanent new jobs and helped redevelop and revitalize more than four million square feet of vacant, derelict properties.

Partnership President & CEO Dottie Gallagher-Cohen joined

Kimberly Minkel, Executive Director of the Niagara Frontier

Transportation Authority and Matt Maguire, CEO of OneJet to

announce the company’s new non-stop jet service from Buffalo to

Albany. After almost eight years without direct flights between

the state capital and Buffalo, the Partnership helped secure the

service by demonstrating to OneJet strong interest from regional

employers, especially the ability to travel to Albany for business and

be back the same day.

$ $in abatements leveraged ininvestment

Buffalo to Albany - 55 Minutes vs. 4.5 Hours

| 2017–2018 | ANNUAL REPORT TO MEMBERS 4

27m 638m

INFLUENCE Harness the Collective Power of the Private Sector

David Anderson, President & CEO of

BlueCross BlueShield of WNY talks

with NYS Senator Patrick Gallivan

and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown at

the Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s

annual Advocacy Agenda Rollout

& Public Officials Reception where

hundreds of employers and elected

leaders come together to learn

about our policy priorities at the

federal, state and local levels.

NYS Assembly Member Crystal

Peoples-Stokes joins Partnership

members for our annual

Legislative Luncheon where a sell-

out crowd gathers to discuss the

Partnership’s NYS Budget priorities

and hear directly from the WNY

Legislative Delegation about how

their work in Albany impacts

Buffalo Niagara employers.

Rich Products Senior Vice President

Mary Keiner speaks at the

Partnership’s Advocacy Agenda

Rollout about the importance of

successfully renegotiating the North

American Free Trade Agreement.

Rich Products has done business in

Canada for more than 30 years and

has two manufacturing facilities

across the border.

2017-2018

ADVOCACY WINSWorking with our advocacy partners and issue coalitions, the

Buffalo Niagara Partnership is focused on improving the region’s

business climate and targeting investments to build a better community.

• Preventing expansion of prevailing wage mandate on private projects in NYS budget

• Finalizing first meaningful workers’ compensation reform in over a decade

• Restoring funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

• Blocking deferral/extending key economic development tax credits

• Tripling federal investment in the TIGER grant program

• Restoring Bundy Aid for independent colleges & universities

• Doubling federal funding for mass transit capital projects

5thepartnership.org |

LEAD Help Build the Future of Buffalo Niagara

Employ Buffalo Niagara

Powered by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Employ Buffalo

Niagara is an industry-led coalition working to close the skills

gap and provide more effective pathways for employers to

connect with individuals looking for careers. Employ supports

our industries’ efforts to develop the talent they require for

economic competitiveness and ensures our residents share in the

region’s prosperity.

Employ is recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as one of 15 regions leading the way with new approaches to workforce development

The Employ coalition now totals 96 members, more than doubling from a year ago

Employ’s work is divided into three working groups focused on critical, interrelated issues: Access & Transportation, Career Awareness and Financial Resources

1596

3

ACCESS & TRANSPORTATIONImprove ways workers can access

employment opportunities

CAREER AWARENESS Reach low-wage and under-employed workers

FINANCIAL RESOURCESMaximize public and private resources for pre-

employment, employment, upskilling and retention

To kick off manufacturing month, the Partnership’s

Manufacturing Council brought leading experts on

workforce development to Buffalo to discuss the Talent

Pipeline Management (TPM) model Employ is built on.

Pictured left to right: Jason Tyszko, U.S. Chamber of

Commerce; Mary Margaret Hamilton, Shell Oil Products

Company; Laura Smith, Buffalo Niagara Partnership; Peter

Beard, Greater Houston Partnership.

| 2017–2018 | ANNUAL REPORT TO MEMBERS 6

Connecting, Developing and Empowering Young Professionals

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, BN360 is the region’s premier young professionals

program. BN360 is a critical component of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s workforce

development and talent retention initiatives.

Maximizing the Value of Diversity & Inclusion

Through our role in the Greater Buffalo Racial

Equity Roundtable, the Partnership launched our

Diversity & Inclusion Council to provide employers

with insight and information on how to attract a

more diverse workforce and develop a retention

strategy by creating an inclusive workplace culture.

More than 50 employers have joined the Council.

To fuel these important conversations and

underscore how a diverse workforce is directly tied

to better business performance, the Partnership

brought together more than 125 people for

Maximizing the Value of Diversity & Inclusion with a

panel of business leaders and subject matter experts.

Above: Sue Walter, Vice President Finance, Sodexo; Dottie Gallagher-Cohen, President & CEO, Buffalo Niagara Partnership; Marc Burt, Team Leader, Inspired Global Resources | Former VP & Division Manager of the Office of Inclusion & Diversity, Honda; Errol Douglas, Vice President Human Resource Management, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center; Laura Smith, Vice President, Buffalo Niagara Partnership; Caroline Chan, Associate Director of HR, KPMG; John Somers, President & CEO, Harmac Medical Products.

1,000MEMBERS AND GROWING!

We reached our goal of 1,000

BN360 members setting new

records for both corporate and

individual members in 2018

55% increase in total

members from 2017

1,145 total members

63 corporate members

21 events and programs

throughout the year

We released our 2nd Annual Young

Professional Guide to Networking &

Development in Buffalo Niagara at

Buffalo RiverWorks. Twice the size of

the inaugural edition, the year’s guide

featured information on more than

30 professional organizations and

development programs, along with

practical networking tips directed at YPs

looking to make an impression.

To better understand how YPs view the region

and their future career opportunities, the

Partnership surveyed more than 300 local

YPs. We then published our findings to highlight what the business

community and public sector can do to strengthen the Buffalo

Niagara region as a place where YPs want to work and live. We are

surveying YPs annually to benchmark our progress and gauge trends.

2018 BN360 Spotlight Professionals

Strengthen Your Brand and Grow Your BusinessELEVATE

In the Know

Buffalo Niagara Partnership members demand topical and practical information to improve their bottom line and

the Partnership delivers with our popular Speaker Series. This year’s expanded programs included such hot topics as

content marketing strategies, cybersecurity practices, paid family leave compliance and how to hire the right person

every time. Our Speaker Series also allows Partnership members to share their expertise and demonstrate the value

of their know how.

Peer to Peer

Reaching capacity in 2018, the Partnership is

launching a second Leader Exchange group in

the fall. Designed for developing leaders with a

minimum of seven years of business, industry or

professional experience, Leader Exchange helps

participants hone their skills and learn how to

successfully navigate the business environment

in Buffalo Niagara.

The Partnership’s Executive Exchange is designed

for senior level business leaders to meet, share

experiences and help resolve challenges. Divided

into three dynamic groups, each led by first-class

facilitators, Executive Exchange allow business

owners and C-suite executives to problem solve

and strategize with a peer group committed to

confidentiality and camaraderie.

| 2017–2018 | ANNUAL REPORT TO MEMBERS 8

Open Doors to the Most Influential Business LeadersACCESS

Member Events

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership hosts over 60 events each year which

draw approximately 5,400 attendees. Partnership events offer our

members opportunities to learn, convene, network and more. Here are

the highlights from 2017-2018:

SIGNATURE EVENTS: At Capacity Crowds

• HOBNOB

• ADVOCACY AGENDA ROLLOUT & PUBLIC OFFICIALS RECEPTION

• LEGISLATIVE LUNCH

SCRAMBLE SERIES

+17%ATHENA AWARDS

+16%

BN360 KICKOFF

+15%POWER UP

+15%

KEY EVENTS: Attendance Increases

Art Wingerter incoming Chair with Lou Panzica, current Chair

9thepartnership.org |

Improve Your Visibility and Build RelationshipsCOLLABORATE

CanAm Connections

Building bi-national relationships is at the heart of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s historic strategic membership

agreement with both the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce and the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.

Announced in 2017, this agreement was recently extended for three years offering reciprocal memberships between

the Partnership and each Canadian chamber.

Niagara USA Connection

The Partnership and the Niagara USA

Chamber are coming together to expand

young professional opportunities across

the Buffalo Niagara region. Employees of

Niagara USA Chamber members are now

eligible to participate in the Partnership’s

BN360 program expanding the reach and

commitment of the region’s premier young

professional organization.

of respondents to the Partnership’s annual member survey report have customers or vendors in Canada

This strategic agreement unites three business regions as one, nearly

tripling the size of our reach to over 3,500 area employers

80%

3,500 Bridging Bi-National Business

Mishka Balsom, President & CEO, Greater Niagara Chamber

of Commerce; Keanin Loomis, President & CEO, Hamilton

Chamber of Commerce and Dottie Gallagher-Cohen,

President & CEO, Buffalo Niagara Partnership discuss

the strategic relationship between the organizations at

CanAm Now, the region’s premier cross-border business

development and current affairs forum.

Members of the Partnership’s CanAm Council from both the U.S.

and Canada gather at Big Ditch Brewing Company in downtown

Buffalo for a panel discussion on navigating cultural differences

in conducting cross-border business.

| 2017–2018 | ANNUAL REPORT TO MEMBERS 10

David W. Anderson President & CEO BlueCross BlueShield of WNY

Douglas C. Bean Vice Chairman, Chief Brand OfficerMower

Paul BonaroVP, Data Center OperationsOath

Warren T. ColvillePublisher & PresidentThe Buffalo News

Michael W. Cropp M.D.President & CEO Independent Health

Frank Curci Chairman & CEO Tops Markets, LLC

Jonathan A. Dandes President Rich Baseball Operations

Steven Davis President Tapecon, Inc.

Donna DeCarolis Vice President of Business Development National Fuel Gas Company

Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker President & CEO Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

Jim DentingerPresidentMcGuire Development Company

James P. Domagalski PartnerBarclay Damon, LLP

Julie DottonPresident & CEOApplied Sciences Group

Thomas R. Emmerling (Treasurer) Managing Partner Dopkins & Company, LLP

Matthew K. Enstice President & CEO Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

Ann E. Evanko President & Managing MemberHurwitz & Fine, P.C.

James R. Fashano President Alliance Advisory Group, Inc.

Lynne Marie Finn President & CEOBroadleaf Results, Inc.

Rhonda FrederickPresident & CEOPEOPLE Inc.

Kent P. Frey CEOFrey Electrical Construction Co., Inc.

Dottie Gallagher-Cohen President & CEO Buffalo Niagara Partnership

Robert D. Gioia President The John R. Oishei Foundation

Richard S. GoldPresident and COOM&T Bank

John J. GoldingExecutive Vice President, Business DevelopmentNorthwest Bank

Stewart C. HaneyPresident & CEO Wendel

Frank G. Heard President & CEO Gibraltar Industries, Inc.

William J. Hochul, Jr.General Counsel and SecretaryDelaware North Companies

Paul R. HojnackiPresident MacLean Curtis, LLC

David T. Hore President PCB Piezotronics, Inc. - MTS Systems Corporation

Jed Hunter COOWest Herr Automotive Group

John J. Hurley President Canisius College

Candace S. Johnson, PhD President & CEO Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Laurie Irish JonesCEOIrish Companies

Patrick KalerPresident & CEOVisit Buffalo Niagara

Mike KeatingSenior Vice President, Buffalo DivisionWegmans Food Markets, Inc.

Thomas A. Kucharski President & CEO Invest Buffalo Niagara

Ken M. KujawaRegional Manager, Customer & Community ManagementNational Grid

Tim C. Loftis, Esq.MemberBond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC

Jody L. Lomeo President & CEO Kaleida Health/Great Lakes HealthKaleida Health

Rev. James J. Maher, C.M.President Niagara University

Timothy J. McPolandDirectorFreed Maxick CPAs, P.C.

Kimberley A. Minkel Executive Director Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority

Michael J. Montante Vice President, DevelopmentUniland Development Company

Kevin P. Murphy Northeast Regional Executive, Business BankingBank of America

David J. Murray Partner Phillips Lytle LLP

David J. Nasca President & CEO Evans Bank, N.A.

Michael F. Newman Executive Vice President NOCO Energy Corp.

Benjamin N. Obletz (Secretary) President & CEOFirst Amherst Development Group, LLC

Louis P. Panzica (Chair) President & CEO Power Drives, Inc.

Gary D. Quenneville Upstate New York Regional ExecutiveKeyBank

Kevin B. Quinn Managing DirectorHSBC Bank USA, N.A.

Sharon D. Randaccio President & CEO Performance Management Partners, Inc.

Mary F. Roberts Executive Director Martin House Restoration Corp.

Christopher D. Ross PrincipalLawley

Gregory P. Rustowicz VP Finance & CFO Columbus McKinnon Corp.

John Scannell CEO & Chairman of the Board Moog Inc.

John SomersPresident & CEO Harmac Medical Products, Inc.

Anthony Spada, Jr. President & CEO AAA Western and Central New York

Rocco Surace Partner The Bonadio Group

Dr. Satish K. TripathiUniversity PresidentUniversity at Buffalo

David UbaCEOExcelsior Orthopaedics

Paul J. VallonePartnerHodgson Russ LLP

Paul V. Vukelic President & CEOTry-It Distributing Co., Inc.

Edward F. Walsh, Jr. President & CEOWalsh Duffield Cos., Inc.

Edward Watts, Jr. President Watts Engineering & Architecture, P.C.

Michael Weiner President & CEO United Way of Buffalo & Erie County

Charlie WilliamsVice President, Government AffairsCharter Communications

Arthur G. Wingerter (Vice Chair) President Univera Healthcare

Stephen ZengerPresident & CEOZenger Group

Board of Directors as of publication

2017-2018 Board of Directors

11thepartnership.org |

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The strength of our community is its greatest asset.

When people work together, anything is possible. It’s why we support organizations that bring people within

our community closer. They reinforce the bonds we share and help us celebrate the traditions we hold dear. It’s just one part of our investment in our neighbors and

the community.

KeyBank thanks Buffalo Niagara Partnership for making a difference.