Bernarda Arias, originating from the Dominican Republic and currently residing in Buffalo, NY, has embraced the American dream from an early age. As the Director of Community, Outreach, and Engagement at Roswell Park, she co-leads the CARES (Community Alliance to Reach, Empower and Sustain) program, enhancing the institution's connections with Buffalo's community. Bernarda organizes various initiatives throughout the year, supporting diverse communities within Buffalo and beyond. The CARES Program aims to provide volunteer labor and project management support for initiatives that positively impact the community. Her role includes planning and organizing events such as turkey drives, food drives, toy drives, and other efforts to meet community needs. Bernarda coordinates community outreach activities with organizations like the Hispanic Heritage Council, The Fruit Belt Coalition, Access VR, The Belle Center, and the Buffalo Employment and Training Center.
Under her leadership, the CARES program has experienced significant growth, fostering collaboration and mutual respect among Buffalo's residents. Bernarda's unwavering dedication to social justice and community building is evident through the numerous partnerships and alliances she has formed. Her efforts have not only increased Roswell Park's outreach but have also created lasting impacts on the local population.
With over 20 years of experience, Bernarda holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Buffalo State University and a certification in Diversity and Inclusion from the Society for Diversity organization. She is also an alumna of UBEOC and obtained her Medical Billing and Coding certification in May 2014. Throughout her career, Bernarda has received numerous professional accolades, including the MLK Community Leadership Award in 2024, Oakk Room Community Honoree in 2023, Arthur O. Eve Community Service and Education Award from the University at Buffalo in 2021, and the 40 Under 40 Latino Rising Stars Award from the Hispanic Coalition of NY in 2018.
Bernarda also serves her community as a Board member for CCNY (Community Connections of NY) and West Side Community Services. She emphasizes the importance of humility, hard work, and giving back to others. As Bernarda wisely states, “Helping one person might not change the world, but it can change the world for that one person.”

Broderick Cason is currently the Community Engagement and Program Manager, Individual Market segments for Univera Healthcare.  His responsibilities include build/foster internal/external relationships, to stimulate prospecting referral sources and strengthen brand awareness. The goal is to increase growth/retention, identify internal process improvements. With a focus customer experience and increase company partnership relations. Support Talent Acquisition Team, to expand Workforce outreach in all communities re: Diversity/Equity/Inclusion.

Mr. Cason is a volunteer member of: Buffalo Niagara Partnership – Talent Pipeline Management Project, Independent Workforce Collaborative, Live Well Erie, Head Start Health Advisory Committee, Compeer -Mental Health Advisory Committee, Community Health Ctr., of Buffalo/Niagara - COVID 19 Pop Up Community Vaccine Project & The Grant Initiative -Systematic Racism / Policy Change, WNY 211 Leadership Advisory Group, Food is Medicine, Advocacy/Policy Think Tank Buffalo Medical Campus. IC Success Entrepreneur Program – Mentor, Buffalo Medical Campus.

Board of Trustees Affiliations: Current Board Member - United Way of Buffalo/Erie County, Spectrum Human Services. Former Board Chair Community Connections of NY, Inc., and Former Board Chair, Arts Services, Inc.– (ended June 2022).                                                                                                                       2024 President’s Advisory Council, Villa Maria College and UB Equal Opportunity Center (EOC)

Employed Part Time -Extra Circular/Passion: Live Entertainment: Front of House Manager, Shea’s Performing Arts Center

NYS Life Health Accident Insurance License

BUSINESS AWARDS AND SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Community Service Award: The Buffalo Club - National Association Negro Business & Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc.

Employee of the Year Award:  Shea’s Performing Arts Center

Volunteer of the Year Award:  Evergreen Health Service, Inc.

Mr. Cason earned his Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Medaille College in Buffalo, New York

Mr. Cason resides in Buffalo, New York

Talisa King is the Live Well Erie Project Coordinator and the 2025 Afterschool Alliance Ambassador of the Year. With more than 24 years of service to Western New York, she brings deep expertise in youth programming, nonprofit leadership, and advocacy for underserved and at-risk populations. A Senior Fellow with the Institute for Nonprofit Practice, Talisa equips nonprofit leaders to make mission-driven decisions that center diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Since 2008, she has been actively involved in the High-Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) system, advancing family-driven, youth-guided care coordination across Western New York.

Talisa is the WNY region’s only certified Arthritis Foundation Connect Facilitator and serves as Walk to Cure Arthritis Buffalo Chair, providing local support and inclusive programming for individuals living with arthritis. Since June 2022, she has served as the National African American Facilitator for Arthritis Foundation support groups, offering culturally responsive outreach nationwide.

Beyond health advocacy, Talisa chairs the Buffalo Black Achiever Scholarship Fund, serves on the Young Entrepreneurs of Color Committee, and sits on the board of the Buffalo Niagara Freedom Station Coalition, advancing preservation of the Historic Michigan Street Baptist Church. Her civic leadership has been recognized with honors including Woman of Distinction in Civic Engagement, the Mary Talbert Civic Engagement Award (Community Changemaker), and the Black Achievers in Industry Award, among others.

Allison Newman is the Director of Guidance and Counseling Services for Buffalo Public Schools, where she leads districtwide counseling initiatives focused on equity, student success, and post-secondary readiness. With more than 25 years of experience spanning K-12 education, higher education, and nonprofit leadership, she has dedicated her career to expanding educational opportunities for underserved and underrepresented students. 

A former school counselor, Allison, has held leadership roles in school districts, college admissions, college access organizations, and youth-serving nonprofits. Her expertise includes college and career readiness, counseling program development, educational leadership, data-driven decision making, trauma-informed practices, and cross-sector collaboration. Throughout her career, she has designed and managed innovative programs that help students successfully transition from high school to higher education and beyond. 

Allison holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan, an M.Ed. in Psychological Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University, and certifications in School Building Leadership and School District Leadership from Canisius University. She is a proud mom to Gideon, a junior at SUNY Purchase, and Hazel, a freshman at Vassar College. 

Frank Pietrowski is a 32-year member of the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local#3 NY .Frank is a trustee on the Buffalo pension / Health welfare and annuity plan. Frank also serves on the Joint Apprentice training committee for the Local. Frank started in the industry as an apprentice then became a journeymen bricklayer building many projects throughout WNY .He then got involved within the local and became field rep / Vice President and currently serves as the Secretary Treasurer. 

Commissioner William Renaldo

Fire Commissioner Renaldo is a 30-year veteran of the Buffalo Fire Department and a former Buffalo Fire Battalion Chief, employed from 1982-2012. He served on active duty in the United States Army for four years (1975-1979), before serving in the United States Army Reserve until 2014. During his tenure as Battalion Chief, he distinguished himself with hard work, dedication to duty and a strong record of performing complex emergency service and administrative work with a broad range of responsibilities from the direction of emergency operations, to review of administrative reports and payroll to ensure accuracy and completeness, to the coordination of overall training, including all aspects of emergency response, disaster planning and fire prevention and education. During his military career, Renaldo has received numerous individual awards and decorations for meritorious acts of bravery, including a Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Action Badge (CAB), Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and many more. Renaldo has a B.S. in Criminal Justice, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Public Management from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Tara Schafer is the Executive Director of Literacy Buffalo Niagara (LBN) and has held this position for ten years.  LBN is the only provider of one-on-one literacy tutoring for adults in Erie and Niagara counties. Their mission is to develop literacy skills by providing free tutoring through engagement and training of diverse community volunteers.  Tara has spent her entire career in the non-profit sector holding executive roles at YWCA of WNY and Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Buffalo.  She is a proud graduate of the Leadership & Innovation MS program at Daemen University.

Michele Taylor is a Workforce Development Professional with over 15 years of experience providing career counseling, leading teams, delivering services to businesses, planning, and facilitating recruitment and job fair events, and forming partnerships with community organizations. She is currently an Employment Service Manager with the New York State Department of Labor where she manages four local Career Centers in the Buffalo/Niagara Region. In this role, she leads staff, develops programming, and partners with organizations to support the local workforce. Michele is a member of two Workforce Development Boards and is committed to creating opportunities and pathways to meet the needs for our ever-changing workforce. Her organization serves many underserved and underrepresented customers and helps connect jobseekers to employment and training opportunities, including apprenticeship programs and on the job training. Michele graduated from the University at Buffalo with a Master of Education Degree in School Counseling. She is a native Western New Yorker, is married, and has three daughters.

Michelle Urbanczyk Chief Executive Officer of Explore and More-The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum.

Raised in Niagara Falls and a 24-year resident of West Seneca, Michelle is a seasoned leader and non-profit executive with over 26 years of high-level fundraising, programming, strategic planning, financial oversight and business management experience. Currently, she is CEO of Explore and More Children’s Museum, with a purpose to provide critically important informal learning experiences through play. Explore and More broke ground on a new museum at canalside opening in early 2019. With strong local roots and advanced knowledge of the Western New York Community, she has successfully held leadership positions with several organizations and cultural institutions within the Buffalo-Niagara region. She served as President of EPIC-Every Person Influences Children a national not-for-profit agency that is committed to helping parents, teachers and community members to raise responsible and capable adults and was the Development Director with the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences where she successful raised funding for both capital campaigns at the Museum and Tifft Nature Preserve.

Prior to the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, Mrs. Urbanczyk was a Project Associate at the University Center for Academic and Workforce Development-Research Foundation housed at the University at Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center and Youth Services Director at the Buffalo Urban League. In these roles, she successfully led her teams to deliver educational and workforce development programs, with many of these programs receiving State and local recognition as “best practice” programs.  

Mrs. Urbanczyk earned her Bachelor’s in Education and Master’s degrees in Vocational Technical Education and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA). Michelle is a global trained facilitator and has conducted numerous workshops and professional development in the areas of business, team building and leadership.  Michelle is a 2022 Leadership Buffalo recipient of the Inclusion Award and a 2011 Leadership Buffalo Graduate. She has been recognized for her work receiving the Business First Women of Influence Award, the University at Buffalo Oxner/Lytle Distinguished Service Award, the SUNY UCAWD Superior Performance Award and Buffalo State Community Leader Award. She has served on several boards, committee and coalitions.

David Zapel came to Gerard Place in 2002 to find a neglected building and lack of resources to serve a high-needs, underserved section of East Buffalo called the Bailey-Delevan Community. By 2004 he was named President/CEO with a strategic goal of re-envisioning Gerard Place to create a thriving community center that would welcome all.

Under David’s leadership, Gerard Place has grown from a single program for homeless families to a busy three-building campus. Critical programing provided to the community includes daycare programs, a food pantry, High School Equivalency education, job training in high demand career pathways, counseling services, and a gym that provides a safe space and mentoring for at-risk youth. David’s partnerships with foundations, M&T Bank, Feedmore of WNY, and other key stakeholders combined with his passion for elevating others provides critical services for hundreds of people of all ages.

Outside of Gerard Place, David serves on multiple Boards in the community including Crisis Services, Buffalo State College, and Family Promise to support many of Buffalo’s anchor institutions. His expertise and impact are grounded in being a servant-leader.

In 2014 D’Youville College awarded David with an Honorary Doctorate Degree for his service to the community. He is also the recipient of the Centennial Award from the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo. David's hard work has made a real difference in the lives of thousands of countless people in Buffalo, and he is a true inspiration to those who know him.