COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR GREATER BUFFALO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director, Project
- Director, Project Play WNY
Aaron Hord is the Director, Project Play WNY at the Community Foundation. In this role, Aaron leads Project Play WNY, an initiative launched by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to ensure all children in Western New York have the opportunity to be active through sports and build physical literacy. He also oversees the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund for Youth Sports, one of four endowment funds at the Community Foundation created by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.
Prior to this role, Aaron spent three years working as Director of Client Relations at the Community Foundation, where he worked with clients to understand their philanthropic intentions, shared grant making opportunities which align with their objectives, built long-lasting relationships with clients and assisted them with their charitable planning. Previously, Aaron served as Vice President of Sales at Pointman, LLC, where he was responsible for hiring and overseeing the sales team, managing the business development pipeline and tracking performance metrics. Prior to that, Aaron served in local sales management roles including Dex Media, where he worked for a decade, managing integrated marketing campaigns and leading an inside sales team.
Aaron received his B.S. in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Agnes Farris, Celia Lipton Farris & Victor W. Farris Foundation
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Director, Communications
- Director of Communications at the Community Foundation
Alicia Dziak is the Director of Communications at the Community Foundation. In this role, she manages both marketing and public relations efforts aimed to raise awareness about the Foundation and its mission of connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. Alicia is responsible for all written, verbal and visual content, including press releases, marketing materials and social media posts.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Alicia worked as Managing Editor for the Springville Times and Ellicottville Times, where she oversaw all editorial content, managed a team of writers and served as a contributing writer and graphic designer. Previously, she ran her own marketing and design company. Prior to that, Alicia worked as a Marketing Specialist at Freed Maxick and as a Graphic Designer at Fiserv Lending Solutions.
Alicia received her B.F.A. in Graphic Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Officer
- Senior Program Officer at the Community Foundation
Allie Urbanski is a Senior Program Officer at the Community Foundation. In this role, she works as a member of the Community Impact Team working to promote the goals of advancing education, racial/ethnic equity, the environment and arts and architecture. Allie assists with grantmaking and supports the Foundation's leadership and policy work. She focuses specifically on efforts to improve water quality and accessibility, and represents the Foundation in the Great Lakes One Water Partnership, a consortium of nonprofit organizations located along the shores of the Great Lakes committed to improvement and sustainability.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Allie worked as a Coordinator at Cornell University's Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives, where she managed mentoring programs and developed a strategic plan for first-generation U.S. citizens. Previously, she worked for five years as a Teach for America high school English teacher in Oxford, North Carolina.
Allie received her B.A. in Art History, English and History from the University of Rochester and Masters in Public Affairs from Cornell University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Communications Assistant, Events
- Communications Assistant, Events and Project Coordination
Angelica Gonzalez is the Communications Assistant, Events and Project Coordination at the Community Foundation. In this role, she supports both marketing and public relations efforts aimed to raise awareness about the Foundation and its mission of connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. Angelica is responsible for supporting the team with emails, website, events, social media and media relations.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Angelica worked as Bilingual Marketing Service Associate at Gelia, where she communicated with customers for clients predominantly in Latin America, and translated and proofread Spanish marketing materials.
Previously, she was an Event Supervisor and Videographer at DRC Video. Prior to that, Angelica worked as a Bilingual Onboarding Analyst at Citigroup.
Angelica received her B.S. in Digital Cinematography from Full Sail University. She is an active member of the Hispanic Women's League and a volunteer mentor for Buffalo Prep.
Job Titles:
- Tronconi Segarra & Associates LLP
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President, Community Impact
- Community Impact Associate Vice President
Ba Zan Lin is the Community Impact Associate Vice President, at the Community Foundation. In this role, he manages a portfolio of grantmaking programs focused on the goals of advancing education, racial/ethnic equity, the environment and arts and architecture. His responsibilities include oversight of various grant processes and philanthropic service relationships.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Lin was a Research Associate at Via Evaluation, a Buffalo-based grant writing firm for nonprofit organizations. Previously, he worked as an Environmental Education Manager at Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, an organization dedicated to protecting regional waterways, and as an Adjunct Professor in Environmental Science at Erie Community College. A native of Burma, Lin also served as a Program Director for the Burmese Community Support Center.
Lin received his B.A. in Environmental Studies, Education and Policy and M.S. in Adult Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He serves on the Board of Directors of Burmese Community Services and Partnership for the Public Good and is a Co-Chair of the Buffalo Burmese Water Festival.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- President
Betsy Constantine is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. An innovative and visionary leader, she is creating positive long-term change in her community and beyond. For more than 100 years, the Community Foundation has worked with individuals, families, foundations and organizations to steward their charitable assets. Today, the Community Foundation has grown to more than $800 million and its clients recognize it as a powerful, trusted vehicle to make the most of their generosity.
Betsy joined the Community Foundation in 2009, and in 2011, she was promoted to the newly- created role of Vice President of Giving Strategies. She was named Executive Vice President in 2017 as part of leadership succession planning, where she led the Community Foundation team that works side-by-side with clients to understand what inspires their unique charitable giving and ensure those wishes are carried out today, tomorrow and forever.
Nationally, Betsy works with the Council on Foundations where she trains incoming community foundation professionals around the country. She also works with CF Leads, a national network of community foundations, to advance the practice of community leadership. Locally, she has served on numerous boards including: Say Yes Buffalo; Child & Family Services; Elmwood Franklin School; and WNY Women's Foundation.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Betsy spent 11 years working in New York City in financial services. She received her B.A. in Economics from Franklin & Marshall College and M.A. in Social Work from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Assistant, Digital Marketing at the Community Foundation
- Communications Assistant, Digital Marketing
Cammie Dutchess is the Communications Assistant, Digital Marketing at the Community Foundation. In this role, she supports all digital marketing efforts aimed at raising awareness about the Foundation and its mission of connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. Cammie is responsible for supporting the team with social media, emails, websites and various other digital marketing efforts.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Cammie worked as a Copywriter at LocalEdge, where she wrote SEO-driven content for businesses ranging a variety of industries, edited copy written by other copywriters, and created a cohesive brand voice throughout all digital mediums.
Cammie received her B.A. in Strategic Communication and Visual Arts from St. Bonaventure University.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director
- Senior Director, Policy and Strategic Partnerships
Cara Matteliano is Senior Director, Policy and Strategic Partnerships, at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. She is responsible for working with external partners to achieve the Community Foundation's goals of advancing education, racial/ethnic equity, the environment and arts and architecture. Cara focuses on working with partners from philanthropy, government and the community to ensure healthy housing for families and protect children from lead poisoning.
Job Titles:
- Program Officer
- Program Officer at the Community Foundation
Cara Reynolds is a Program Officer at the Community Foundation. In this role, she manages a portfolio of grantmaking programs that support the Foundation's current community goals of advancing education, racial/ethnic equity, the environment and arts and architecture. As the primary contact for the funds she oversees, she makes grant recommendations, conducts oversight and performs evaluations, and manages a significant portion of the grantmaking activity to support community impact efforts.
Before joining the Community Foundation, Cara worked at Array Behavioral Care, most recently as a System and Data Governance Administrator for Medical Affairs, where she monitored and maintained data integrity within the credentialing system, structured system reports for internal teams and managed clinician processes. Previously, she was an Outreach Care Specialist at Anthem (Amerigroup) focused on behavioral health. She began her career in healthcare as a caregiver and has worked in both clinical and administrative roles over the last 20 years.
Cara received her B.S. in Health and Wellness from the State University of New York at Buffalo and her Masters in Health Care Administration from Utica College.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
- CEPA ( Board Liaison ), Lumsden McCormick LLP
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Associate Vice President
- Assistant to the Associate Vice President, Racial Equity Initiatives
Clara Egemonye is the Assistant to the Associate Vice President, Racial Equity Initiatives at the Community Foundation. In this role, she is responsible for developing, supporting and advancing the Community Foundation's commitment to racial/ethnic equity, and assisting with the work of the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable, a group of more than 350 community leaders from public, private, nonprofit and faith organizations committed to achieving racial equity in Western New York by expanding opportunities for all.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Clara was a Project Coordinator at Tesla, where she analyzed project data, prioritized needs, delegated assignments and assessed, monitored and reported on work progression. Previously, she served as a Project Coordinator at Jericho Road Community Health Center. Prior to that, she was an Assistant Coordinator at the Nigerian Police Academy, NG, where she documented and disseminated information on criminal statistics to the general public, ensured outgoing correspondence and reports were finalized and provided administrative support for the political action contribution.
Clara received her B.A. in Mass Communications from Madonna University in Nigeria.
Job Titles:
- Program Officer
- Program Officer at the Community Foundation
Colin Perry is a Program Officer at the Community Foundation. In this role, he works as a member of the Community Impact Team working to promote the goals of advancing racial/ethnic equity, education, the environment and arts and architecture. Colin assists with various grantmaking processes and philanthropic services relationships as well as special projects and initiatives. He also supports the Community Foundation's grant management system and its efforts to seek funding to further advance its leadership initiatives.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Colin worked as a grant writer throughout Western New York, including at Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. where he assisted with fund development and management for anti-poverty initiatives to support children and families, health, housing and economic development in Chautauqua County.
Colin received his B.A. in English from the State University of New York at Fredonia.
Job Titles:
- Controller
- Controller of the Community Foundation
Colleen Becht, C.P.A., is the Controller of the Community Foundation. In this role, she is responsible for the day-to-day accounting and financial functions of the Community Foundation. Colleen oversees internal and external financial reporting, management of the financial database and the reconciliation of investments.
With more than 25 years of accounting experience in both the public and private sectors, Colleen worked previously as an Assistant Vice President of Finance for HSBC, N.A., where she was responsible for the financial reporting of the US operations by lines of business. Prior to this position, she worked for ten years in financial reporting and internal audit at Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. Colleen started her career as an Auditor for the accounting firm Coopers & Lybrand.
Colleen received her B.S. in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Job Titles:
- CFP®, Waterford Advisors, LLC
Job Titles:
- Director at the Community Foundation
- Director, Community Impact
Darren Penoyer is the Community Impact Director at the Community Foundation. In this role, he manages multiple grantmaking programs that advances the work of the Foundation. With more than 10 years of experience at the Community Foundation, Darren oversees annual giving in client directed, geographic, leadership related and competitive grants.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Darren worked in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors in healthcare, affordable housing and historic preservation.
Darren received his B.A. in Mass Communications from Mansfield University and M.S. in Student Personnel Administration from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. He is a cohort nine graduate of the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York Health Leadership Program, which aims to improve healthcare for vulnerable older adults and young children impacted by poverty.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President, Client Relations and Communications at the Community Foundation
Emily Wyckoff is the Associate Vice President, Client Relations and Communications at the Community Foundation. In this role, she oversees the Client Relations and Communications teams, which promote the Community Foundation's goals of advancing racial/ethnic equity, education, the environment and arts and architecture. Emily is dedicated to working with clients, understanding their philanthropic intentions, sharing grant making opportunities which align with their objectives, building long-lasting relationships with clients and assisting them with their charitable planning. Additionally, her extensive experience in communications enables her to lead marketing and public relations efforts aimed to raise awareness about the Foundation and its mission of connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York.
Prior to working at the Community Foundation, Emily was Senior Director for Development and Strategic Partnerships at Say Yes Buffalo, where she was responsible for comprehensive strategic planning, implementation, management and oversight of all fundraising and donor relations activities for Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship Fund and Say Yes Buffalo, oversight of the Internship and Career Pathways Program, and supervising multiple teams. Previously, she was a contributor and editor for Rachaelray.com, grants manager and development director for King Urban Life Center, and event director for PUCCS Charity Hockey Tournament and Jog for the Jake. Prior to that, she ran her own communications business.
Emily earned her B.A. in English from College of the Holy Cross. She is a graduate of Leadership Buffalo and Harvard Business School Club of Buffalo Not for Profit Management Development Program. Emily served on the boards of King Urban Life Center, Maria M. Love Convalescent Fund Elmwood Franklin School Parent Council and Buffalo Seminary Alumni Association and is on the 5K Committee for Girls on the Run.
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President
- Associate Vice President, Racial Equity Initiatives
Felicia Beard is the Associate Vice President, Racial Equity Initiatives at the Community Foundation. In this role, Felicia is responsible for developing, supporting and advancing the Community Foundation's commitment to racial/ethnic equity. She also manages the work of the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable, a group of more than 35 community leaders from public, private, nonprofit and faith organizations committed to tackling racial equity in Western New York by expanding opportunities for all.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Felicia worked as a Manager at HealthNow New York Inc., the parent company of BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York. In this position, she oversaw the outreach and enrollment of individuals in Western New York into the New York State health insurance program. Previously, she was appointed as the Project Director for YO! Buffalo, an initiative of the Buffalo and Erie County Workforce Development Consortium, Inc. Felicia also served in leadership positions at Fillmore Leroy Area Residents, Inc. and Citizens' Alliance, Inc.
Felicia received her B.A. in Legal Studies and M.S. in Applied Public Affairs from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County. Felicia is also a member of Leadership Buffalo, the Erie County Chapter of Links, Inc., and the Junior League of Buffalo. In 2021, Felicia was appointed as a board member by the Erie County Legislature to the Erie County Corrections Specialist Advisory Board.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Administrative Operations at the Community Foundation
Halimah Madyun is the Senior Director, Administrative Operations at the Community Foundation. In this role, she is responsible for leading the Foundation's operations function, as well as managing business processes, risk assessment, and information and technology systems to assist with efforts to achieve the Foundation's business goals and objectives.
Prior to working at the Community Foundation, Halimah worked at M&T Bank for more than 20 years, most recently as Senior Vice President, Banking Services Support, where she was responsible for managing a quality control initiative to standardize processes for identification and mitigation of risk, as well as establishing measurements of success to leverage data to improve ease of doing business and digital capabilities. Halimah also spent two years working for the City of Buffalo as Deputy Finance Officer, where she was responsible for development and allocation of the City's budget and providing oversight on operational efficiency efforts.
Halimah earned her B.S. in Business Management and Master's in Business Administration from D'Youville University.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Project Play WNY Program Manager
James Ballin is a Project Play WNY Program Manager at the Community Foundation. In his role, he assists with Project Play WNY, a Youth Sports initiative launched by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to ensure all children in Western New York have the opportunity to be active through sports and build physical literacy. James helps coordinate the collective impact model for Project Play WNY with a focus on grants and philanthropy support.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, James worked at Success Academy Charter Schools in New York City where he organized and implemented program logistics, led professional development of a team of coaches, and developed a youth sports network across communities in Brooklyn, Harlem and the Bronx. Previously, he worked as a Senior Coach at the New York Red Bulls, and was an intern at Major League Soccer.
James received his B.A in International Relations from the State University of New York at Geneseo and his M.S. in Sport Management from Liberty University.
Job Titles:
- Project Play WNY Program Coordinator
Jamia Pereira is Project Play WNY Program Coordinator at the Community Foundation. In her role, she assists with Project Play WNY, an initiative launched by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, to ensure all children in Western New York have the opportunity to be active through sports and build physical literacy. Jamia supports the initiative by managing the administrative activities and provides logistical and operational support to the Project Play WNY team. She also works closely with the Project Play WNY Advisory Council and Working Groups to coordinate the collective impact model of the initiative.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Jamia worked at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield as a Customer Service Representative where she provided primary customer support and assessed client accounts by identifying individual needs and benefits. Prior to that, she worked as a Claims Agent at Geico.
Jamia received her B.A. in Communication/Marketing from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Job Titles:
- Special Advisor to President / CEO at the Community Foundation
Jean McKeown is a Special Advisor to President/CEO at the Community Foundation. In this role, she focuses on several major client initiatives.
With more than a quarter century of experience working at the Community Foundation, Jean has seen the organization grow from a staff of three to a staff of more than 40 that awards more in grants in a month than it did in a year back in 1997. Jean was instrumental in developing the Community Foundation's first Strategic plan in 2006 and establishing the Community Foundation's first Community Goals which have evolved into today's leadership initiatives. Jean has also helped expand grant making opportunities, including introducing fee-for-service grant activities which continue to grow.
Prior to her work at the Community Foundation, Jean worked for more than 15 years at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, now the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she coordinated the planning and implementation of a $100 million modernization project. Previously, she worked at the State University of New York at Buffalo Research Foundation where she worked on what later became groundbreaking medical research on Multiple Sclerosis. She received her B.S. in Business, Management and Economics from State University of New York Empire State College.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Director of Client Relations at the Community Foundation
- Director, Client Relations
Laura Dawidowicz is the Director of Client Relations at the Community Foundation. In this role, Laura is dedicated to working with clients, understanding their philanthropic intentions, sharing grant making opportunities which align with their objectives, building long-lasting relationships with clients and assisting them with their charitable planning. Laura's extensive experience in fundraising enables her to identify and align philanthropic opportunities and to facilitate the advancement of each client's unique charitable goals.
Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Laura served in various roles at the State University of New York at Buffalo, most recently as the Associate Director of Advancement, where she was responsible for managing a portfolio of clients as well as researching, developing, implementing and evaluating client relation services, programs and events to engage clients and deliver assistance for their planned giving.
Laura received her B.A in Psychology and Social Sciences Interdisciplinary and her M. Ed. in Higher Education Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and the President, Association of Fundraising Professionals WNY Chapter.
Job Titles:
- Associate, Data & Prospect Research
Laura Schwamborn is the Data & Prospect Research Associate at the Community Foundation. In this role, she provides support to the Giving Strategies team through comprehensive database management and research efforts including prospect and client research, moves management processes, activity tracking and data reporting.
Laura has been with the Community Foundation since 2016, previously serving as the Giving Strategies Associate, providing administrative support for the Executive Vice President and Giving Strategies Team as well as efficiently managing the gift and grantmaking processes.
Laura received her B.A. in Business Administration from Saint Mary's College. She is a volunteer at Beechwood Continuing Care, a nonprofit dedicated to senior citizens.
Job Titles:
- Secretary of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Chief Community Impact Officer / Chief of Staff
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, Gift Planning
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Vice Chair
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Director of Arts and Culture