THE PRENTICE FAMILY FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Leader in Western New York
Aanya Wood is a leader in Western New York's healthcare sector, serving as an educator to clinicians on subjects including infectious disease, gender-affirming care for transgender individuals, harm reduction and drug user health. A City Honors graduate, Aanya returned to Buffalo in 2020 after eight years living in Toronto, Canada to continue her career in patient services and health equity at Evergreen Health. She was named to Buffalo Business First's "30 Under 30" class of 2021 for her work in mitigating health disparities faced by transgender patients. She also leads a pilot project to enhance access to care and supportive services for sex workers, the first of its kind in the region.
As a graduate student in UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions, Aanya studies the intersection of health behaviors, healthcare systems, and disease science. Following graduate studies, she plans to grow her role in the healthcare industry and in improving health outcomes for individuals, particularly LGBTQ+ communities of color, as a healthcare administrator.
In addition to her work at Evergreen Health, Aanya serves on New York State Department of Health's HIV Advisory Body, a statewide panel that guides health policy toward ending the HIV epidemic. When she is enjoying free time, Aanya can be found in her garden or cooking something new at home.
Adam De Arcos is a Western New York native who earned his Bachelor's Degree in Accounting as well as a minor in Spanish from D'Youville University in 2022. Adam is a first-time graduate student in the Masters of Science in Business Analytics program at Canisius College and expects to graduate by the fall of 2023.
During his time at D'Youville University, Adam was very involved with Student Affairs and the Office of Housing and Student Engagement. Over the last 3 years, Adam has spent one year as a Resident Advisor and 2 years as the Assistant Resident Director of Housing where he was responsible for managing and helping a team of RAs develop a welcoming community on their floor. Additionally, Adam also held a work-study with DYU's Cultural Enrichment Center, where he helped plan and execute events on campus geared towards marginalized students and inclusivity.
Since September 2021, Adam has been working as a part-time accounting intern at the Jacobs Institute where he gets the opportunity to gain practical accounting experience as well as work alongside world-class physicians and engineers in developing next-generation technologies in vascular medicine.
Adam plans to use his MS in Business Analytics and his background in accounting to own and operate his own business that focuses on helping Buffalo businesses make smarter decisions through forecasting current market trends and analyzing historical relevant data.
Born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico and raised in Buffalo, New York, Adrián Y. Guadalupe studied business administration with a concentration in marketing at the University at Buffalo. A member of both the Daniel Acker Scholars Program and the inaugural class of the Buffalo Public Schools Partnership Scholars Program, Adrián graduated cum laude in 2012 from the UB School of Management. In the years since graduating, he has been working as a contributor and marketing coordinator for a developing, independent graphic novel entitled Dusk. Adrián has returned to UB's School of Management to pursue an MBA and plans to continue his concentration in marketing. He hopes to use his professional education to highlight the rich and vibrant culture of the arts found throughout Western New York through several entrepreneurial endeavors that will provide local artists with resources to express their art and collaborate with others.
After living in Mexico for 21 years, Andrea is proud to call Buffalo her home now. She has been a Prosperity Fellow since 2015 and expects to receive a dual degree in architecture and graphic design on spring 2018. During her time as a Fellow, her commitment to strengthening the Western New York region has shaped her as a leader in the areas of architecture and economic development. Today, the impact of her work can be seen in various neighborhoods and buildings around Buffalo. Through this fellowship, she worked as an intern for the Major's Office of Strategic Planning where she actively contributed to the development and implementation of Buffalo's new design guidelines in the recently enacted Green Code. She currently conducts faculty-mentored research and has won international attention from MexSocUk for her work in architectural historic preservation, creating a city ordinance to help restore the historic buildings that give its identity to Buffalo and its residents. She has contributed to the city's progress through her involvement in the due diligence process for the administration of capital investment funds into blighted neighborhoods, and she surveyed the implementation of several of the Buffalo Billion programs. Upon graduation, Andrea will continue striving to bring positive change to WNY by pursuing a dual master's degree in architecture (specializing in real estate development) and an MBA at UB in order to start a non-profit organization to help promote homeownership among disadvantaged families. She is a member of the Hispanic Women League of Western New York, Collegiate Leadership Institute of the Society of Women Engineers, and the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students chapter at UB. When she is not attending classes, Andrea enjoys bike rides around Buffalo and drinking coffee from local roasters.
Andrea grew up in Kenmore, NY and is a member of Canisius College's class of 2018, majoring in Biology and Psychology.
Andrea is actively involved both on and off campus. She serves as a Class of 2018 Senator in the Undergraduate Student Association, is a member of the Finance Board and Public Health Committee, and serves as the treasurer of the Alpha Theta Chapter of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society. Further, she is a rower on the Canisius Women's Rowing team, works for Campus Ministry as a Chapel Sacristan, has participated in several service immersion experiences over her winter breaks, and is a former Resident Assistant for the Office of Student Life. Andrea is an All-College Honors student and was awarded the Trustee's Academic Scholarship to attend Canisius College.
Off campus, Andrea works at Garwood Medical Devices, LLC, which is a start-up company housed at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus that is developing a line of devices to promote wound healing and control orthopedic implant infections.
After she graduates from Canisius College, Andrea plans to pursue graduate school at the University at Buffalo in either business or public health and is enthusiastic about continuing to live and work in Buffalo.
Andrew is a WNY native from Lewiston, NY. He graduated from Canisius College with a BS in Computer Science, minoring in Business in 2023. Andrew is working towards a Master's Degree in Cyber Security in 2024.
Throughout his undergraduate years at Canisius, Andrew was a member of the Cross Country and Track and Field teams, as well as serving as a SAAC Representative for the teams for 4 years. Andrew was also elected the President of the Computer Science Club in the 2022-23 school year, bringing the club back for the first time since 2019-20.
Andrew has interned with M&T Bank in the technology department since June 2022,
working on ETL pipelines for Marketing Technology. Through this experience, and his
undergraduate degree, Andrew has formed a passion for technology and software. In the future, Andrew aspires to start his own tech company in WNY, and help other companies use technology to grow their business
Anna-Kay Adamson-McDonald moved to Buffalo in 2017 to complete her undergraduate degree and fell in love with the city of good neighbors. She earned a bachelor's and a master's degree in Biological Sciences from the University at Buffalo in 2019 and 2021 respectively. She will be returning to UB this fall to pursue her Doctor of Medicine degree at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
While attending school, Anna-Kay was involved in activities both on and off campus. She was a Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) scholar, an adjunct instructor for a biology course, and was a member of pre-health professional clubs. Anna-Kay also served as a research apprentice for an NIH-funded study at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and as a research associate in the Department of Emergency Medicine, where she supported the research team by enrolling patients in faculty-initiated, federally-funded, and industry-sponsored clinical studies within local emergency eepartments.
Currently, she is a research program manager with UBMD Emergency Medicine, where she is the supervisor for the research associates in the department and a research coordinator on select studies.
As a native of a developing country, Anna-Kay has firsthand experience of the crippling effects that lack of access to basic resources and quality healthcare can have on communities, and her future plans involve working to eliminate these inequities. After medical training and gaining experience in her field, she plans to establish a healthcare facility specializing in women's health in an underserved area in WNY.
Antonio Deemer is from DuBois Pennsylvania and attends Canisius College. Upon moving to Buffalo New York, he quickly fell in love with the city and its people and intends to settle in the area after graduation. At Canisius, he studies Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation with a minor in Biology. He is graduating in 2023 where he intends to further his education at D'youville or the University of Buffalo to achieve his Doctorate of Pharmacy degree.
While at Canisius, Antonio plays an active role as a student leader. He is a resident assistant and works in the tutoring center. He is also a member of a number of societies on campus. He plays active roles in the society of pre-health professionals and Tri-Beta, which is the biology student honors society. Off campus, Antonio works as a Pharmacy Technician. In the future, Antonio hopes to start his own pharmacy in the Buffalo area.
Ben Michalowski is a native of East Amherst, NY. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona in 2022 with a BS degree in biomedical engineering. Ben is currently a 2024 master of business administration candidate at the University at Buffalo. His MBA concentration is in the areas of healthcare management and analytics.
Ben's passion lies in developing innovative, low-cost solutions that improve patient access to evolving technology, particularly in the field of cardiology. He has gained valuable project experience, highlighted by a successful research effort developing a fetal heart monitor using magnetocardiography. As team lead nominated by his sponsors and peers, this experience equipped him with a unique skill set combining technical expertise and business acumen. This project resulted in a successful and innovative solution that addressed an unmet need in cardiology.
Ben continues to build on his leadership traits at the University at Buffalo through various activities. He is a member of LeaderCORE, which challenges him to expand the boundaries of his current leadership capabilities. Ben currently leads a team developing new sleep apnea technology, which can possibly revolutionize the way we diagnose and treat this common condition. Through this work, he continues to develop business leadership skills by leading a strong team and strategically planning for potential business growth.
Ben is currently working toward establishing a cardiac medical device company in Western New York, where he hopes to make a positive impact on the lives of many local and regional patients and their families.
Brad was born in Buffalo and grew up in the small local town of East Aurora. Brad is currently studying Finance in the Wehle School of Business at Canisius College and is very eager to begin working more in his field of study. From the time Brad set foot on campus, he did his best to get involved and partake in as many on-campus events and organizations as he could. For example, during his freshman year, Brad joined CEO, or "Canisius Entrepreneurs Organization." Since then, he has been elected the Vice President and been given a position on the CEO board. Additionally, Brad is a member of the Men's Rugby Club and frequently attends school functions to support his fellow classmates and teammates. Some noteworthy scholarships that Brad has been so fortunate to receive over the years include: Dean's Academic Scholarship, Dr. John Demerly Scholarship, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and the WNY Prosperity Scholarship.
Job Titles:
- Member of the All College Honors
Brandon Lehner is a Buffalo, NY native pursuing a major in history with a minor in business and creative writing at Canisius. He expects to complete his undergraduate degree in the spring of 2022.
Brandon is a member of the All College Honors program and is very involved in campus activities. During his time at Canisius, he served as vice president of marketing for the Collegiate Entrepreneur Organization and worked on the Quadrangle Magazine. This year, Brandon was accepted to Phi Alpha Theta, an honors society specifically for students of history, and was recently awarded the college's Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship in recognition of his community volunteerism.
Off campus, Brandon volunteers for The Teachers' Desk, which provides school supplies for teachers and students in underprivileged communities, and has served in many individual events with his family and church. In addition to working part-time at Wegmans, Brandon also works for The Movement, a social platform designed to help small businesses affected by the pandemic by connecting them with local college students. Following graduation, Brandon plans to get a full-time job at a local WNY business while building up his own enterprise, with the goal of making a positive economic impact on the WNY community.
Job Titles:
- Member of the WNY Prosperity Fellowship
Brannon is a Buffalo native and 2017 Canisius College graduate with majors in psychology and human services and a minor in communication studies. He is now pursuing his MBA and plans to graduate in 2020.
Brannon is passionate about education and service to humankind, which he has demonstrated as a dedicated volunteer at Canisius and in his community. He served as president of the Teacher Education Club and spent two years working at a local after-school program assisting K-8th grade students. Brannon also interned with Campus Ministry providing coordination of service events. Through Campus Ministry, Brannon participated in Canisius service trips to New Orleans and New York City to aid in hurricane disaster relief efforts, initiated a local partnership to connect Canisius students with refugee children, organized the campus-wide day of service, and led a team of students to Chennai, India to learn about the caste system and related social injustices.
As a senior, Brannon became a member of the WNY Prosperity Fellowship. Through the Fellowship, he became a communications intern for the Westminster Economic Development Initiative, a nonprofit in Buffalo's West Side. He also held an internship at Rich Products, working as a communications intern. For the past year, Brannon has been working as a human resources assistant at Child & Family Services in Buffalo.
Brannon feels strongly connected to the fields of human resources, organizational development, change management, and employee engagement. His overarching goal is to transform how people experience work and how organizations empower their people.
Celine Keefe, a native of Buffalo, NY, is pursuing a master's of business administration focusing on marketing and consulting. Previously, Celine graduated summa cum laude from Niagara University, where she studied political science and theatre. Prior to entering graduate school, Celine served as an AmeriCorps Builds Lives through Education member, working with at-risk youth in the city of Buffalo. She currently serves as a member of the UB School of Management Graduate Giving Council, member of the Buffalo MBA Consulting Group, and assistant director of the Management Volunteer Program and graduate student assistant at the UB School of Management's Career Resource Center. She is extremely engaged in the Buffalo startup community, working as an educational outreach Intern for 43North and will be joining BAK USA as a marketing intern this summer. Her interests include innovation and entrepreneurship, community development, and loyalty to all of Buffalo's sports teams. Celine is dedicated to the Western New York region and plans on pursuing her interest in entrepreneurship and community involvement in the future.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Board and Staff
- President
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Board and Staff
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board and Staff
- Vice Chair
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Board and Staff
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Board and Staff
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Board and Staff
- Secretary
Bob has served since 1995 as President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Merchants Mutual Insurance. Bob joined Merchants, a property and casualty insurer, in 1985 after a career in public accounting. He also serves on the Boards of Directors of Manning & Napier, Inc. (NYSE: MN), a provider of investment management solutions based near Rochester, New York, and of Rand Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: RAND), a Buffalo, New York based venture capital firm. He also serves as a director or trustee of the following organizations: the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Management Dean's Advisory Council; Buffalo State College Council; 100 Club of Buffalo and Western New York, Inc.; Buffalo Niagara Enterprise; and National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies Property Casualty Conference.
A graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Bob earned Bachelor of Science and MBA degrees in Accounting and Economics. He is a native of Western New York and lives in Buffalo with his wife, Margaret. They have three grown sons.