Sean Ryan Assembles Experienced Transition Team To Build Administration
Mayor-Elect to Rely on Diverse Team of Experts, Community Leaders to Help Shape Administration Focused on Building a Better Buffalo
Ryan Launches BuildABetterBuffalo.com to Recruit Candidates for More Than 90 Positions in City Government
Mayor-Elect Sean Ryan
BUFFALO — Buffalo Mayor-Elect Sean Ryan today announced that he has assembled a transition team of policy experts and community leaders to identify the most qualified candidates to serve in his administration. The group reflects the diversity of Buffalo, including community leaders from the business, labor, and nonprofit sectors.
“Building a better Buffalo means doing things differently than the way they’ve always been done,” Ryan said. “By convening dozens of local experts with diverse professional backgrounds to lead a nationwide search, we’re going to leave no stone unturned in finding the most qualified candidates for every position in my administration.”
The transition team has been tasked with conducting a broad national search while also recruiting top local talent for Ryan’s administration. He has appointed two co-chairs to lead the transition team: Trini Ross, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York, and Dr. Marie Cannon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Action Organization of Western New York. In addition, Mayor-Elect Ryan has appointed John Maggiore, a Buffalo native with over 30 years of government experience, to serve as executive director for the transition, overseeing all aspects of the process.
In total, the transition team is made up of more than 65 local leaders with many years of personal and professional experience across a wide variety of fields. In addition to the co-chairs, the team includes eight vice chairs who will combine to lead seven subcommittees, each focusing on a subset of senior-level positions in Ryan’s administration. Each subcommittee is tasked with identifying and screening candidates to recommend to the mayor-elect, ultimately recommending candidates for more than 50 senior level positions.
Ryan, who campaigned on breaking from the status quo by brining new energy and accountability to city government, also announced the launch of BuildABetterBuffalo.com. The website will host job postings for more than 90 positions in his administration and allow residents to stay updated on the transition process. Postings include the senior-level roles that the subcommittees are recruiting, as well as dozens of other exempt positions across city government. Existing employees whose jobs will be posted are eligible to re-apply for their positions or other roles.
MAYOR-ELECT SEAN RYAN’S TRANSITION TEAM
Co-Chairs Trini Ross and Dr. Marie Cannon
COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT SUBCOMMITTEE
Dr. Barbara Seals Nevergold (Vice Chair)
Ba Zan Lin
Melissa Brown
Ray Ganoe
Rev. Dr. Dennis Lee, Jr.
Melissa Leonard
Dr. Henry Louis Taylor
Yuki Numata-Resnick
David Rust
EMERGENCY SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE
Joseph Gramaglia and Charlie Torres (Co-Vice Chairs)
Ron Barrett
Donna Berry
Pat Cray
Rev. James Giles
Rev. Dr. James Lewis III
Steve Keohane
Brian Ross
Mike Swanekamp
FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE
Ken Kruly (Vice Chair)
Donna Estrich
Eva Hassett
Lavonya Lester
Jim Milroy
Chiwuike Owunwanne
Janet Penska
Tracy Woodrow
LAW SUBCOMMITTEE
Jeremy Toth (Vice Chair)
Lauren Breen
Deanna Eason
Nathan Feist
Sam Magavern
Honorable Robert T. Russell, Jr.
Nazmus Sakeeb
Karen Welch
PLANNING, PERMITS, & PARKING SUBCOMMITTEE
Jessie Fisher (Vice Chair)
Brandi Barrett
Paul Ciminelli
Chris Dirr
Brenda McDuffie
Rev. George Nicholas
Christina Orsi
Melvin Taylor
Rocco Termini
Kayla Zemsky
Steve Zenger
PUBLIC WORKS/PARKS SUBCOMMITTEE
Bill Geary (Vice Chair)
Jomo Akono
Jodi Battaglia
Paul Brown
Betsy Constantine
Katie Campos
Michael Galligano
Ted Rymarczyk
Noemi Waight
WORKER RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE
Debbie Hayes (Vice Chair)
Denise Abbott
Brian Bray
Maurice Brown
Dr. Jacqueline Hall
Jim Jarvis
Jim Lakeman
Robert Mootry
Louisa Pacheco
Josh Pennel