Commencement Speakers
Graduate Ceremony: Byron W. Brown, Mayor of Buffalo
Mayor Byron W. Brown, the 58th Mayor of the City of Buffalo, came into office emphasizing greater accountability and efficiency in City Hall, improving the quality of life for all city residents and a commitment to strengthening and expanding the city's economic development activities. A surge of economic development activity has also followed Mayor Brown's election, including over $4.5 billion in planned, ongoing or completed development projects occurring throughout the City since 2006.
During Mayor Brown's tenure, New Era Cap Company opened its international headquarters in Downtown Buffalo; Labatt USA relocated its national headquarters from Connecticut to Buffalo; BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York relocated its regional headquarters, along with 1,200 employees, to downtown Buffalo; the $120 million new federal courthouse project has commenced opposite City Hall on the City's historic Niagara Square; and the $275 million Inner Harbor waterfront mixed-use development project has been initiated, including a Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World retail anchor store.
Prior to his election as Mayor of Buffalo, Mayor Brown served five years in the New York State Senate. He was the first African-American elected to the Senate outside of New York City. He also made history by becoming the first minority member of the New York State Senate to represent a majority white district. He was first elected to represent the Masten District on the Buffalo City Council in 1995.
Mayor Brown started his career holding key staff positions with the President of the Buffalo City Council, the Chair of the Erie County Legislature, and the Deputy Speaker of the New York State Assembly. Mayor Brown also served as Erie County Executive Dennis Gorski's Director of the Division of Equal Employment Opportunity.
A native of Queens, New York, Mayor Brown came to Buffalo as a college freshman, earning a dual Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Journalism from Buffalo State College. Mayor Brown also completed a certificate program for senior executives in state and local government at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
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