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
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
Legislator Lawrence J. Dupre
Erie County Legislator - 1st District
The Honorable Brian Higgins
President & CEO – Shea’s Performing Arts Center
The Honorable Christopher L. Jacobs, Secretary
President - Avalon Development LLC
Stan Makowski
Vice President of Arena Operations - Buffalo Sabres, KeyBank Center
William Paladino
CEO - Ellicott Development Company
Rocco Termini
President - Signature Development Buffalo, LLC
Mayor of the City of Buffalo Appointee - To be finalized
Common Council Appointee - To be finalized
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.
