WHO WE ARE

Buffalo Place’s staff is led by Executive Director Michael T. Schmand and Deputy Executive Director W. Morgan Smith. The staff includes nine professional and administrative staff members, eight Buffalo Place Rangers, and 12 operations crew members. Departmental managers lead a team of associates. These managers and associates focus on positioning Downtown Buffalo as the premier district in the region. The staff of Buffalo Place works to make Downtown clean, safe, and fun. ​ ​

​ ​ EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM ​

Michael T. Schmand
Executive Director

W. Morgan Smith
Deputy Executive Director ​ ​ ​

​ ​ PLANNING ​

Debra Chernoff
Manager of Planning

Angela M. Keppel, AICP
Project Planner ​ ​ ​

​ ​ ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT ​

Mary Crocker
Records Administrator

Rachel Southard

Executive Assistant

​ ​ MARKETING ​

Jackie Jonmaire
Marketing Manager

Marisa Groom

Marketing Assistant

Leadership & Board of Directors

Buffalo Place’s executive management team is led by a 15-member volunteer Board of Directors. The Board includes eight property owner representatives elected by the property-owner members and five public officials, including the sitting Mayor of the City of Buffalo, the Erie County Third District Legislator, a Buffalo Common Council Member designee, and designees appointed by the Erie County Executive and Niagara Frontier ​ Transportation Authority.

BUFFALO PLACE INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Anthony J. Baynes

Chairman - A.J. Baynes Group

Keith M. Belanger, Chairman
Senior Vice President - M&T Bank

Steven J. Carmina, Vice President
President & CEO - Carmina Wood Design

Commissioner Dan Castle

Erie County Department of Environment & Planning

Paul F. Ciminelli, Vice President
CEO - Ciminelli Real Estate Corporation

Anthony J. Colucci III, President & Vice Chairman
Managing Attorney - Colucci & Gallaher, PC

Barbara A. Danner, Treasurer

Director - Freed Maxick

The Honorable Christopher L. Jacobs, Secretary
President - Avalon Development LLC

The Honorable Howard J. Johnson, Jr.

Erie County Legislator - 1st District

Daniel Misko

Senior Vice President of Business Development - Pegula Sports & Entertainment

Carl P. Paladino

Chairman Emeritus - Ellicott Development Company

Common Council Appointee - To be finalized

Rocco Termini
President - Signature Development Buffalo, LLC

NON-VOTING OFFICERS

Sandra Barnes, Counsel

Michael T. Schmand, Vice President

Executive Director - Buffalo Place Inc.

W. Morgan Smith, Assistant Secretary

Deputy Executive Director - Buffalo Place Inc. ​ ​ ​

​ ​ MARKETING ​

The Buffalo Place marketing department, led by Jackie Jonmaire, works to position Downtown as the premier district in the Western New York region. As lead marketing organization for Downtown, Buffalo Place promotes the district through the management and production of special events and initiatives, commercial advertising, and media relations. These include the Downtown Country Market, Thursday & Main Happy Hour series, Downtown Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration, free ice-skating season at Rotary Rink at Fountain Plaza, and the New Year’s Eve BallDrop. The marketing department provides logistics guidance for new and existing annual events held Downtown. The marketing team participates on the board of directors of the Theatre District Association and serves an advisory capacity in the production of the annual Curtain Up! event. The department works with the Buffalo Police Athletic League & Mayor’s office on the Annual New Year’s Eve celebration at Roosevelt Plaza. They also work closely with Buffalo Urban Development Corporation on an annual Queen City Pop Up giveaway promotion that generates revenue and encourages visitation to Downtown restaurants, retailers, and other small businesses.

​ ​ OPERATIONS ​

The Buffalo Place operations department, led by W. Morgan Smith, works on a daily basis to manage, regulate, and maintain public space. The work serves as a tool to position Downtown as a premier destination for businesses, tourists, families, and entertainment seekers. Twelve operations team members work every day to maintain the corridor and its overall curb appeal, keeping it free from snow in the winter, well landscaped in the summer, and clear from litter and free from graffiti all year long. The operations department is charged with oversight of Fountain Plaza/Rotary Rink on behalf of the City of Buffalo. This includes maintenance of the reflecting pool in the summer months and the ice skating surface during the winter.

​ ​ PLANNING ​

The Buffalo Place planning department, led by Debra Chernoff, works on a wide range of projects and initiatives designed to enhance function, use, and understanding of Downtown. Planning projects are both short and long term, and some involve extensive collaboration with other agencies working toward long-range goals. The planning department collects and maintains data to help make informed decisions about Downtown.

​ ​ SECURITY ​

The Buffalo Place security department is charged with managing and addressing safety issues and concerns Downtown. The Buffalo Place Ranger Program works alongside the SecureNet Radio System, which connects 25 Downtown properties. The security department leads a security committee comprised of representatives from the Buffalo Police Department, Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps, and building owners and property managers. The committee meets monthly to share information and address quality of life issues. ​ ​

Contact Us

We appreciate your questions and comments about Buffalo Place and Downtown Buffalo. If we can be of any assistance, please send us a message.

Buffalo Place
671 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 856-3150

Photography by Mike Shriver
at
Buffalo Photo Blog.

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Contact Us

We appreciate your questions and comments about Buffalo Place and Downtown Buffalo. If we can be of any assistance, please send us a message.

Buffalo Place
671 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 856-3150

Photography by Mike Shriver at Buffalo Photo Blog.

Follow Us

Email Newsletter

Send Buffalo Place a Message

Contact Form - COPY