Meet the staff and board of directors responsible for continuing the mission of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper.
Jill Spisiak Jedlicka
Executive Director & Waterkeeper
Jill Jedlicka has been with Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper since 2003 and has served as the Executive Director since 2012. Throughout Jill’s career, she helped secure and implement over $150 million in investments towards local initiatives impacting Western New York that have contributed to the region’s waterfront and economic resurgence. Under her leadership, the organization has been recognized regionally, nationally, and even internationally through the International Riverprize for excellence in watershed and river system management.
Jill has been named one of Western New York’s “Power Women” for the last six consecutive years, and most recently she was named a “WNY Woman of Influence” in 2022. Jill has been recognized globally as a Waterkeeper Warrior, and also represents New York State on the board of the Great Lakes Protection Fund. She is a Western New York native, and along with her husband and two children, is dedicated to protecting and exploring the region’s natural resources.
Waterkeeper Staff
Kelly Mayer
DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & OPERATIONS
Kerrie Gallo
DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
Jeanne Beiter
SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER
Ecological Programs
Elizabeth Cute
SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER
Community Engagement
Charles Oddo
PROJECT MANAGER AND SENIOR DESIGNER
Ecological Programs
Juliann Parker
ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER
Administrative Operations
Jarrett Steffen
Environmental Justice Grant
Program Administrator
Katherine Winkler
SR. PROGRAM MANAGER
Waterway Revitalization
Adam Zaremski
MARKETING MANAGER
Digital Communications
Waterkeeper Board Members
Chanel McCarthy
CHAIRPERSON
Partner, Gross Shuman P.C.
”The Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper Board of Directors works to advance our mission and steer the organization towards a sustainable future. Comprised of professionals from a variety of backgrounds, their collective skill and experience enables us to access a broad knowledge base and identify opportunities to restore nearshore environments, engage communities, and inspire a sense of shared responsibility to protect our freshwater resources.
Alyce Notaro
TREASURER
BNW Board of Directors
Principal
Tronconi Segarra & Associates LLP
Mary Ann Rogers
Secretary
BNW Board of Directors
Professor – School of Management
University at Buffalo
Emmanuel Frimpong Boamah, PhD
BOARD MEMBER
BNW Board of Directors
Associate Professor – Department of Urban and Regional Planning
University at Buffalo
Dawn Cody
BOARD MEMBER
BNW Board of Directors
Employment and Training Counselor- Youth Outreach
Niagara County Employment and Training
Rick Galas
BOARD MEMBER
BNW Board of Directors
Brand Mentor
Creo451
Dennis Horrigan
BOARD MEMBER
BNW Board of Directors
Former President and CEO
Catholic Medical Partners
Erin Komorowski
BOARD MEMBER
BNW Board of Directors
Director of ESG and Sustainability
M&T Bank
Kirsten Shelly
BOARD MEMBER
BNW Board of Directors
Consultant
Environmental Economist
Brian Smith
BOARD MEMBER
BNW Board of Directors
Associate Executive Director
Citizens Campaign for the Environment
Lauren Suttell
BOARD MEMBER
BNW Board of Directors
Senior Associate
Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP
Megan Toohey
BOARD MEMBER
BNW Board of Directors
Director of Government Relations
University at Buffalo
Board Emeritus
Thomas DeSantis
BNW Board of Directors | Emeritus
Planning Department
City of Niagara Falls
Barry Boyer
BNW Board of Directors | Emeritus
Professor Emeritus
UB Law School
Lynda Schneekloth
BNW Board of Directors | Emeritus
Director of Landscape Architecture
The Urban Design Project
