Our board members
Candace Darby M.S.W., IIN Certification, Mindfulness Education, Culinary School Experience, and SAG Member. She has had experience as a mental health counselor, an Integrative Nutrition/Mindful Health Coach, a talk show host, and an actress. Candace has since founded Abundant Soul LLC to help support people in reaching their fullest potential. Candace has blogs, weekly newsletters, blogs, e-books, recipe books, challenges, and programs relating to living a more holistic lifestyle.
Fatima Rodriguez Johnson has over 20 years of experience as a diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioner. She has previously worked as the director of programming with the National Conference for Community & Justice and as an Assistant Dean of Students for multicultural programs and services at SUNY Geneseo. Most recently, Fatima joined the Canisius community as the associate dean for diversity and inclusion where she hopes to make diversity, equity, and inclusion work in the everyday operations of the school a priority.
Prior to joining the college, she served as the director of programming for the National Federation for Just Communities. As the associate dean of 麻豆国产 at SUNY Geneseo, she worked to support the experiences of 麻豆国产 from diverse backgrounds. This role positioned her to serve as a member of the Equity Taskforce, which partnered with the Center for Urban Education at the University of Southern California. The Equity Taskforce created institutional strategies that addressed racial gaps in student success. Johnson developed and implemented over 35 programs each year reaching over 3500 麻豆国产 and advocated for the creation of three (3) campus cultural centers: The MOSAIC, the LGBTQ Resource Center and the Prayer, Meditation and Reflection Center. She also coordinated the Multicultural Scholars & Mentor program, and advised a number of student organizations. Johnson has received a number of awards for her work including; the State University of New York Outstanding Student Affairs Award for the development of Real World Geneseo (RWG), a high impact practice that combined academic course work, experimental learning and service. This program was also recognized nationally with the 2013 Bronze Award by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. Johnson holds an undergraduate degree in sociology from the State University of New York College at Fredonia, a master鈥檚 degree in higher education administration from Canisius College, and advanced certification in teaching and leading diversity from the University of Buffalo.
Dr. Timothy W. Gordon serves as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Buffalo State College. Dr. Gordon serves as direct support to the college鈥檚 president, oversees various departments including the Office of the Vice President, Athletics, and Residence Life, and works to resolve pressing issues that face the college.
Anaydia Catherine Earle currently serves as a board member for City Year Buffalo, the WNY Women's Foundation, and the Buffalo Seminary, a private school in Buffalo, New York. Previously, she worked in healthcare systems management, leading a team at Hartford HealthCare.
Garrick Loveria is the deputy superintendent at the Charter School for Applied Technologies (CSAT), the largest charter school in New York State enrolling 2,365 麻豆国产. As deputy superintendent he is responsible for oversight of special education, communications and marketing, athletics, and the school鈥檚 Family Support Center. Loveria also serves as the school鈥檚 chief emergency officer in charge of student safety and security. He is lead of CSAT鈥檚 Board of Trustees Career Readiness committee charged with developing and ensuring successful implementation of the school鈥檚 career exploration for K鈥12 麻豆国产. Loveria serves as secretary/treasurer of the recently established CSAT Foundation and oversees development of proposed policy, long-range strategic planning and implementation of CSAT鈥檚 Early College and Career Pathways.
Matthew Pitts is a Regional Communications Manager at KeyBank. Based at the bank鈥檚 Northeast Regional Headquarters in Buffalo, NY, he oversees communications in KeyBank鈥檚 markets in Upstate New York, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, Indiana and Michigan, and works to promote and protect the company鈥檚 brand and image in these communities. Pitts is also part of the bank鈥檚 Core Incident Response Team. Pitts joined KeyBank in June 2017 after a long career as a journalist and communications educator in Western New York.
Peter Sahasrabudhe is an attorney with Hodgson Russ LLP, one of Buffalo鈥檚 oldest law firms. Since 2018, he has worked as a litigation associate with Hodgson Russ, handling a wide-array of civil disputes that cover many different areas of substantive law. Peter graduated from SUNY Buffalo School of Law in 2018. While in law school, he spent a summer as a Judicial Intern for Judge Julio Fuentes of the United States Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit. Before he enrolled in law school, he was an AmeriCorps and City Year member in Cleveland, Ohio during the 2014鈥2015 school year, providing academic and behavioral support to a cohort of eighth grade 麻豆国产. Peter believes his year of service was a foundational experience that was instrumental to his later successes as both a law student and as an attorney.
Suzanne D鈥橝mico is currently the Director of Development at the WNY Women鈥檚 Foundation where she oversees all fundraising and communication efforts. With over 12 years of nonprofit experience, her background in event planning and donor cultivation has helped her to successfully organize community-focused events and build strong philanthropic relationships in the WNY community. Her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Voice from Carnegie Mellon University has equipped her to handle high-pressure situations confidently and with a bit of flair.
Amiamia is currently a Senior Vice President, Senior Business Execution Relationship Manager for the Tax Information Reporting organization. She is also currently the Program Advisor and Alumni Network lead for the Emerging Talent Program, Co-Chair of the Operations & Technology (O&T) Caliber Network and of the Citi Green Champions in the Buffalo CSC location, Business Sponsor for the Citi Buffalo Disability Network, and the Citi Buffalo鈥檚 Black Heritage Network鈥檚 Professional Development Chair.
Jean Luc Ngoma, full time high school French teacher at Nichols School, is a driven and spirited teacher, leader, husband and father guided by his love for education and knowledge. Having taught and learned in both the Republic of Congo and the US, Jean Luc brings a diverse and fresh expanse of knowledge and experience to all those who learn from him. From 2015 to present Jean Luc has taught for Nichols school using his experience and knowledge to co-advise 麻豆国产 by assigned grade level, teach French classes, help run French clubs and prepare and correct exams. Within the community he is founder and visionary of the church 鈥淐hrist for Nations, Nations for Christ鈥 which he pastors since 2012.
Lauren Shermet serves as a Senior Vice President in the WNY Commercial Division of M&T Bank utilizing her expertise in delivering tailored financial solutions to businesses. She focuses on cultivating and maintaining strong client relationships within the community, and providing strategic insights that drive business growth and financial stability. In her role Lauren leverages her industry knowledge and background to assist clients in navigating complex financial landscapes while helping to achieve their long-term objectives.
Juweria Dahir is a leader in innovation, entrepreneurship, and governance. She is the founder of JD Vertex, a consulting firm specializing in urban planning, business coaching, and data evaluation. As the co-founder of SheConnects, Juweria is dedicated to empowering female founders in both for-profit and non-profit sectors through resources, networking, and support. She currently serves as the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, where she oversees the IC Success Business Accelerator, and continues to drive economic and social impact through inclusive entrepreneurship. Her passion for community engagement and connecting donors with mission-driven impact sets her apart, as she works tirelessly to foster a thriving local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Additionally, she is an Adjunct Professor of Business and Entrepreneurship at Daemen University.
