Longtime UB Council member Jonathan Dandes dies at 72

Jonathan A. Dandes, UB alumnus, longtime UB Council member and friend to the university, died Sunday. He was 72.

Dandes was the longest-serving member of the UB Council, first appointed in 1994 by Gov. Mario Cuomo, and twice reappointed by Gov. George Pataki. He was appointed to his fourth consecutive term on the council by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2013, and to a fifth term by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

A 1974 graduate of UB’s School of Management, Dandes also graduated from the Harvard Business School Management Development Program in 2003.

“Our hearts are heavy with the news of Jon Dandes’ passing,” President Satish K. Tripathi said. “For more than five decades, Jon’s wisdom, warmth and unwavering commitment to UB greatly enriched our university community. He was the quintessential UB champion: unfailingly proud of his alma mater, deeply engaged and resolutely focused on advancing our mission of excellence and impact.

“Jon brought thoughtful leadership and genuine passion to every discussion and decision, and he worked tirelessly to strengthen UB’s role as a driver of opportunity, innovation and public good,” Tripathi said. “We are profoundly grateful for his friendship, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones, and to all who had the privilege of working alongside him.”

“I had the pleasure of serving on the UB Council with Jon for three decades,” said UB Council Chair Emeritus Jeremy M. Jacobs. “He was somebody I could always count on, which is why we asked him to play a leadership role in numerous presidential and other consequential searches.

“The university is stronger today for his participation,” Jacobs said. “He was a great champion for UB who will be dearly missed.”

A. Scott Weber, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said he felt fortunate to have worked with Dandes on important university searches and on the UB Council. “He was devoted to making UB and Buffalo a better place. I deeply valued his advice and counsel, as well as his kindness and friendship,” Weber said. “He was one of a kind, and his passing leaves a big hole in the UB community.”  

Corporate vice president of government relations and special projects for Rich Products Corp., Dandes had served as president of Rich Baseball Operations from 2001-18, overseeing Rich Products’ subsidiary companies including Buffalo Bisons Baseball, Northwest Arkansas Naturals Baseball, Jamestown Jammers Baseball, National Baseball Congress and Palm Beach National Golf & Country Club in Lake Worth, Florida.

Dandes joined Rich Products’ Food Services Division in 1986 as product manager and was soon appointed director of restaurant operations. He was named vice president/general manager of Stadium Services Inc. in 1988, and executive vice president of the Rich Entertainment Group in 1996.

Dandes also served as an adjunct professor at Niagara University in the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management and taught in Niagara’s Sport Management Program.

An active civic leader, Dandes was a vice chair of the Buffalo Zoological Society, chair of the Upstate New York Transplant Services Foundation and a director of the National Kidney Foundation. He served on the board and was a chair of Visit Buffalo Niagara. He also had served terms as chair of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, vice chair of the Buffalo-Niagara Enterprise and chair of Erie County Jewish Family Services.

He was chair of Erie County Medical Center’s Board of Directors (2018-2022) and the ECMC Foundation Board of Directors (2014-2018), serving as a member of both boards for over 15 years.

In the education arena, Dandes was a director of the Buffalo Public Schools Foundation, a past president of the UB Alumni Association board, and a past trustee of the Nichols School in Buffalo.

Within the hospitality profession, Dandes was a past president of the New York State Restaurant Association and a member of La Chaine des Rotisseurs, Les Amis du Vin, the National Association of Concessionaires and the Stadium Managers Association. In 1994, he was designated as a certified Foodservice Management Professional by the National Restaurant Association.

Dandes was a chair of the Erie County Sheriff’s 21st Century Foundation and also served on the board of the Erie County Law Enforcement Foundation and the 100 Club of Buffalo. He had served as chair of the Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission and as a director of the Amherst Junior Football League and Lou Gehrig Youth Baseball.