UB Law Alumni Association elects 2016-17 officers and directors

Brian D. Gwitt ’98 has been elected 2016-2017 president of the UB Law Alumni Association. Gwitt is a partner in the litigation department at Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP in Buffalo. His practice involves business and commercial litigation including contract disputes, Uniform Commercial Code, corporate governance, intellectual property/trade secret litigation, bankruptcy litigation, real estate litigation and debtor/creditor matters. He is a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, and a director of the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County. He also coaches various youth sports teams including basketball, soccer and baseball.

Pietra G. Lettieri Zaffram ’01 of Harris Beach PLLC is the new president-elect. Vice presidents are: Christopher E. Copeland ’02 of M&T Bank; Melissa A. Foti ’03 of Kenney Shelton Liptak Nowak LLP; Anne E. Joynt ’05 of Lipsitz & Ponterio, LLC; Stephanie A. Saunders ’00 of the Buffalo Public Schools; and Andrea Schillaci ’82 of Hurwitz & Fine, PC.

Treasurer is Scott C. Becker ’93 of Kavinoky Cook LLP; secretary is Amy P. Herstek ’04 of the University at Buffalo’s Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach; assistant secretary is Marc W. Brown ’99 of Goldberg Segalla LLP and secretary emerita is Marion K. Henderson ’65, retired.

Immediate past president is Robert P. Heary ’91 of Barclay Damon LLP. Vice Dean for Alumni, Public Relations and Communications Ilene R. Fleischmann of the University at Buffalo School of Law, continues as executive director. Lisa M. Mueller ’93, Assistant Dean for Alumni and Communications, serves as assistant director.

New directors elected for terms ending in 2019 are Thomas C. Burnham ’03 of Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria LLP; Megan A. Gomez ’05 of Univera Health Care; Thomas M. Gordon ’05 of Gross Shuman Brizdle & Gilfillan, PC; Rachel M. Hezel Rzayev ’07 of Cannon Heyman & Weis, LLP; Erika M. Marabella ’04 of Rich Products Corporation; Melissa Hancock Nickson ’97, Confidential Law Clerk to Hon. John M. Curran; and Dennis K. Schaeffer ’99 of Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC.

Other directors include: Beverley S. Braun ’07 of HSBC Bank USA N.A.;  Jaime C. Gallagher ’02 of the New York State Liquor Authority; Kenneth M. Gossel ’91 of National Fuel Gas; Christopher M. Grant ’05 of Axiom Strategies; Amy L. Hemenway ’01 of Harter Secrest & Emery LLP; Elizabeth A. Kraengle ’07 of Duke, Holzman, Photiadis & Gresens LLP; Tiffany R. Perry ’00 Erie County Family Court; Brendan J. Rich ’05 of Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP; Elizabeth M. Savino ’92 of CTG, Inc.; Jeffrey C. Stravino ’97 of Hodgson Russ LLP; Jason G. Ulatowski ’07 of Rupp Baase Pfalzgraf Cunningham LLC; Dr. Sylvia Valentín ’97 of Niagara University; Pauline Costanzo Will ’96 of Bennett Schechter Arcuri & Will LLP; and Preston L. Zarlock ’92 of Phillips Lytle LLP.

Officers and directors of the Law Alumni Association’s GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Group, an arm of the Association focused on organizing educational, social and networking opportunities to assist recent graduates as they transition from student to attorney, were also elected. Jeffrey P. Gleason ’08 of Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP will serve as 2016-2017 GOLD Group president.

President-elect is Ryan K. Parisi ’10 of the Niagara County District Attorney’s Office; Immediate past president is Michael J. Hecker ’09 of Hodgson Russ LLP; treasurer is Elizabeth R. Blazey-Pennel ’11 of the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service; treasurer-elect is Cristin L. Murray ’12 of Hodgson Russ LLP; secretary is Marnie E. Smith ’09 of Harris Beach PLLC; and secretary-elect is Lydia H. Beebe ’12 of Barclay Damon LLP. Patricia L. Warrington of the University at Buffalo School of Law serves as assistant director.

Other GOLD Group directors include: Teia Marie Bui ’08 of Clover Management  Inc.; Heather L. Dechert ’10 of Webster Szanyi LLP; Jessica M. DeMichiel ’11 of Caitlin Robin & Associates; Andrea K. DiLuglio ’15 of Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP; Sarah M. Draper ’16 of Connors LLP; Joshua E. Dubs ’08 of the Law Offices of Joshua E. Dubs;    Patrick D. Leavy ’16 of Rupp Baase Pfalzgraf Cunningham LLC; Vincent M. Miranda ’10 of Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP; Melissa M. Morton ’07 of Gibson, McAskill & Crosby, LLP; James M. O’Keefe ’07 of the William Mattar Law Offices; Caitlin E. O’Neil ’15 of Connors LLP; Seth D. Pullen ’09 of Hodgson Russ LLP; Nicholas A. Romano ’13 of Connors LLP; Emily M. Rudroff ’15 of M&T Bank; Christopher S. Safulko ’13 of the Erie County District Attorney’s Office; Aaron M. Saykin ’13 of Hodgson Russ LLP; and Henry A. Zomerfeld ’14 of Kenney Shelton Liptak Nowak LLP.

Chairs of the Association’s regional alumni chapters include: Caroline B. Brancatella ’07 of Greenberg Traurig LLP and Kevin M. Grossman ’04 of the New York State Governor’s Office of Employee Relations, co-chairs of the Albany Chapter; Sam M. Tamburo ’68 of the Law Office of Sam M. Tamburo, chair of the Central New York Chapter; Daisy A. Tomaselli ’13 of Jackson Lewis PC, chair of the New York City Chapter; Michelle A. Daubert ’07 of Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. and Helen K. Root Scalia ’11 of United Technologies, co-chairs of the Rochester Chapter; and Michelle M. Radecki ’96 of Grace Studios, LLC and Nate T. Yohannes ’12 of the U.S. Small Business Administration, co-chairs of the Washington, D.C. Chapter.