Working Together to Change our City's Future
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is a non-profit organization formed in 2002 to facilitate collaboration and address shared issues among member institutions that form the 120-acre Medical Campus and our surrounding neighborhoods.
Our team builds on the assets of our world-class Medical Campus – known for its clinical care, research, and education – to support its mission of furthering economic growth, igniting urban revitalization, and building a strong, thriving community.
We do this through fostering conversation and collaboration among our member institutions, partners, and the community and take a proactive approach to leverage opportunities and to help to solve challenges faced by our overall community so that we can create a better future for all.
Our role is to leverage the collective economic development on the Campus for the benefit of our overall community. Using our MutualCity methodology of collaboration, problem-solving, and resource sharing, we focus our efforts on diverse yet interrelated initiatives. Learn more about each area.
Goal: Increase local hiring and procurement by engaging and connecting member institutions with local businesses, non-profits and residents to ensure a skilled workforce for Medical Campus institutions and economic opportunity for residents.
Goal: Create a dynamic entrepreneurial eco-system to identify, support, and expand new businesses, create new jobs and attract investment in Buffalo.
Goal: Create a healthy, safe and livable community by making it easier to access nutritious, food and active living opportunities for all residents, especially youth.
Goal: Partner with residents to identify, address, and resolve issues that may impact our adjacent neighborhoods including housing density, neighborhood sustainability, transportation and parking, and economic opportunity for residents.
Goal: Providing high quality, continuous energy that defines a global standard for innovation, energy efficiency and modern energy management and meets the needs of the energy-intense Medical Campus
Goal: BNMC’s goal is to ensure a safe, accessible destination for visitors and patients, while creating a sustainable and efficient transportation and access system for employees, neighbors, and the community.
Goal: Our goal is to build an innovative, sustainable environment that promotes a culture of wellness and inspires our community to greatness.
Goal: To share our expertise and our resources in ways to expand knowledge, skill or experience that helps to contribute to the opportunities and future success of young people.
We are dedicated to building a thriving, sustainable community in Buffalo and sharing how we do it with others. Our team is built around the core value: do what you love, love what you do. Learn more about us, and drop a line if you’d like to connect.
Kari Bonaro
Chief Communications Officer
Dayle Cotter
Office Manager / Executive Assistant to CEO & CFO
Matt Enstice
Chief Executive Officer
Harimala Filate
Senior Accountant
Jennifer Flood
Tenant Relations Manager
Lisa Fonseca
Facilities Administrative Associate
Jamie Hamann-Burney
Director of Planning
Sean Heidinger
Curator of Events & dig Buffalo
Patrick Kilcullen
Chief Financial Officer
Elizabeth Machnica
Healthy Communities Catalyst
Sam Marrazzo
Chief Innovation Officer
Mark McGovern
Director of Construction & Infrastructure
Jonathan McNeice
Director of Healthy Communities
Chantele Ross
Receptionist/Administrative Assistant
William Smith
Director of Access & Safety
Kyria Stephens
Community Program Manager
Paul Tyno
Strategic Advisor for Energy Initiatives
Sarah Warner
Marketing & Communications Manager
Kari Bonaro
Chief Communications Officer
Communicating creates progress
Kari leads all external affairs, public relations, and communications for the BNMC. Kari ensures that the BNMC is clearly and effectively expressing its mission and how the organization is contributing to the overall resurgence of the Buffalo area. She has spent her career developing and implementing communications and public affairs strategies for not-for-profits, foundations, universities, and think tanks while living in Washington, DC, New York City and now Buffalo.
Kari is a graduate of Syracuse University S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She also serves on the Advocacy Committee for the Western New York Women's Foundation and is a member of the Executive Committee for the Advisory Board of the Women's Business Center at Canisius College. She resides in the Elmwood Village with her husband and children.
Dayle Cotter
Office Manager / Executive Assistant to CEO & CFO
Great service is a kind of magic
Dayle joined the BNMC in June 2015 serving as the Office/Customer Service Manager, Executive Assistant to the CEO/CFO, and liaison to the Board. Dayle wears multiple hats and is counted on to keep the organization running smoothly and efficiently. Previous roles include Resident Manager for Riedman Development Corporation, and Public Affairs Events Coordinator/Program Assistant, for The Consulate General of Canada in Buffalo, CGI in Toronto, and The Royal Bank of Canada.
Dayle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Fine Arts from Brock University. As a Canadian and U.S. citizen, Dayle spends a lot of time on the Peace Bridge visiting friends and family between her two countries. She loves to travel and enjoys playing golf and tennis. She lives in Orchard Park with her husband Brian.
Matt Enstice
Chief Executive Officer
Empowering ideas for significance
Matt is the President and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., a pioneering organization that has become a powerful engine of revitalization in Buffalo. Matt is focused on the intersection of energy, entrepreneurship & technology, and how it will drive the new economy in Buffalo and beyond.
Matt has led the non-profit organization since its formation in 2002 to address shared issues among Campus institutions. Today, Matt oversees a team focusing on diverse, interrelated initiatives designed to lift the entire community including those in transportation, access and safety; energy, entrepreneurship, health & active living, infrastructure, economic opportunity and youth & education. Under Matt’s leadership, foundations, private enterprise, research labs, local community leaders, hospitals, and educational institutions are collaborating to create a model for re-energizing the city that has application all over America.
Prior to returning home to Buffalo, Matt worked in the entertainment industry in L.A. and New York, for Broadway Pictures and with Lorne Michaels at Saturday Night Live. He is currently active on the boards of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation. Matt also serves as a commission member on the U.S. Commission on Transportation Sector Efficiency, part of the Alliance to Save Energy; and on the Advisory Boards for Niagara University, Daemen College, and the School of Visual Arts Design for Social Innovation in New York City. Matt is married and lives in Buffalo with his family.
Harimala Filate
Senior Accountant
Passion works here
Harimala joined the BNMC as a Senior Accountant in March 2017. In her role, Harimala works with our Controller on a variety of accounting functions, including generating, reviewing, analyzing and reporting financial data. When it comes to general ledger statements, bank reconciliations, payroll entries and closing the books at month and year end, we can count on her to keep it all in line (no pun intended)!
Harimala recently earned a Bachelor in Economics from the University at Buffalo with certifications in Microcomputer & Business Applications and Entrepreneurship & Small Businesses. At 16 years old, she came to the United States with her family from Ethiopia and continues to volunteer as a youth group leader for the Greater Buffalo Ethiopian Community.
Jennifer Flood
Tenant Relations Manager
Leaving you with a lasting impression
Jen joined the BNMC team one year after we moved into the Innovation Center and has really been the “face” of the Suites ever since. As Tenant Relations Manager, she is the main point of contact for daily operations at the Innovation Center. Jen works with a diverse group of tenants and ensures that their workspace needs are attended to every day.
Prior to joining the BNMC in 2011, Jen served as the Supervisor of Volunteer Services at Woman and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo for 13 years where she fine-tuned her customer service skills. She is an active volunteer, serving on the Board of Directors for the Building Owners and Managers Association, and servicing organizations such as the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Lisa Fonseca
Facilities Administrative Associate
Tu mundo es mi mundo
Lisa Fonseca plays a critical role in ensuring that operations at the BNMC’s Innovation Center and other BNMC-owned properties run smoothly. As our facilities Administrative Assistant/Receptionist, she works closely with our facilities manager, providing administrative and operations support. Lisa can also be found in the Innovation Center front desk greeting visitors and assisting tenants.
Prior to joining the BNMC team in 2015, Lisa was the General Manager and Server at the nearby Chocolate Bar where she managed the staff schedule, handled accounting responsibilities, managed inventory and product ordering. Lisa honed her financial skills as a bookkeeper with Tops Friendly Markets and as a teller at KeyBank. Lisa has a Banking and Finance Operations Diploma from MBTO Business Institute in Santurce, Puerto Rico. She is a native of Buffalo and currently resides in the Kenmore/Black Rock area with three of her five children.
Jamie Hamann-Burney
Director of Planning
Creating a framework for success
Jamie leads strategic planning efforts for the BNMC, manages special BNMC projects, and helps coordinate Campus planning and development with BNMC partners. This includes facilitating the development of our organizational strategy, ensuring coordination and collaboration across our teams, and developing planning and implementation frameworks that help us achieve our goals and amplify our impact overall.
Jamie first joined the BNMC in 2011 to help develop transportation demand management programs for the Medical Campus and beyond, including the creation of GO BNMC and GO Buffalo Niagara. He is currently on the City of Buffalo Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Board and is a Board Member of Shared Mobility Inc., creator and operator of REDDY BikeShare.
Jamie is from Buffalo, NY and received a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning. He currently resides in Buffalo with his wife, Elizabeth.
Sean Heidinger
Curator of Events & dig Buffalo
Creating connections creates change
Sean brings a unique background in community engagement and event planning to his current role as Business Development Associate. Sean joined the BNMC team in November 2015 and is the main point person for dig at the Innovation Center, Buffalo’s premier coworking and event space. Within this role, he manages and expands the dig membership, as well as plans and executes a multitude of networking and social events of all sizes and varieties. Sean maintains a professional workspace, provides customer service to dig’s co-working professionals and manages events with a sense of professionalism, energy and fun. He also assists in the development of the Innovation Center’s entrepreneurial ecosystem that provides those with innovative ideas the tools and resources they need to launch and grow their business.
Prior to the BNMC, Sean has held various positions in community relations and event planning for two local newspapers, The Public and Artvoice. In his free time, Sean enjoys working on writing his children’s book, Bacchus Comes to Buffalo, and occasionally hitting the links.
Patrick Kilcullen
Chief Financial Officer
Creating insight, strategy and solutions
Pat joined the BNMC team as the Chief Financial Officer in January 2013, bringing his expertise in finance, human resources, information technology, operations, business development, and entrepreneurism to the BNMC’s operations. Pat offers strategic accounting analysis and management to the team as investment activity increases and the Medical Campus grows.
Prior to joining the BNMC, he served as Vice President of Finance and Administration at Ciminelli Real Estate Corporation, where he oversaw the implementation of a leading real estate software suite and managed financial and tax reporting for nearly 120 real estate investment entities. Prior to that, he was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at the Albright Knox Art Gallery, overseeing accounting, finance, information technology, human resources, security and building operations. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer for a privately held pharmaceutical company where he was responsible for structuring debt and equity financing, research and development and product license agreements, and negotiations for and the sale of company subsidiaries. Pat is currently a member of the Board for the Newfane Central School District and Lockport Ice and Sports Complex, Inc. He resides in Newfane, NY with his wife and three children.
Elizabeth Machnica
Healthy Communities Catalyst
Community collaboration cultivates health
Beth joined the BNMC in November 2016 as our Healthy Communities Catalyst, strategizing procurement of locally produced foods in schools, hospitals, workplaces, and communities on
and near the Medical Campus as well as throughout Buffalo. In her role, Beth helps increase the demand for and access to healthy, affordable foods and opportunities for daily physical activity for residents in Buffalo. In addition, Beth works with Buffalo Public Schools (BPS) Farm To School initiative and supports BPS’ youth advisors council, HYPE (Healthy Youth Positive Energy).
Prior to BNMC, Beth worked at Wellness Corporate Solutions as a Health Educator Dietitian and as a Sports Dietitian in the University at Buffalo Athletic Department. Beth holds a Bachelor’s in Dietetics from SUNY Oneonta and Masters’ degrees in both Clinical Nutrition and Public Health from SUNY Buffalo. In her free time, she enjoys being in nature, hiking, camping and kayaking.
Sam Marrazzo
Chief Innovation Officer
Digital Artisan
As Chief Innovation Officer of the BNMC, Sam Marrazzo is looking to the future. With a focus on driving economic opportunity to position local companies for future growth and attract young people to the area, Sam leads BNMC’s efforts to develop an innovative, reliable and secure information technology environment at BNMC and throughout the community.
Sam develops innovation strategy and fosters collaboration with industry, education and start-ups to help local organizations prepare for, and capitalize on, current and future technologies. Sam is helping local companies re-think their business practices and cultures in order to optimize their positions in a fast changing world.
Sam has broad experience working in accounting and supply chain systems, logistics, sales, transportation and information technology and has worked at Fortune 200 companies including Praxair, Avnet, and McGraw Hill. His roles have included IT Management and Strategy, project management, architecture consulting and development practices. He has lectured on technology for UB and has been instrumental in attracting and organizing technology-focused events to the area including the 2017 TopCoder Open.
He has a BA degree in Business Systems from Daemen College and an MBA from SUNY Buffalo School of Management and served in the United States Navy.
Mark McGovern
Director of Construction & Infrastructure
Coordination, Consultation, Construction
Mark is responsible for project management and contractor oversight on BNMC-owned projects including the renovation of 73 High Street and 640 Ellicott Street, the construction of the Michigan Goodrich parking garage, and the Ellicott Streetscape Project. Mark joined BNMC, Inc. in 2006 as the 5th staff person and has witnessed the growth and development of the Medical Campus first hand. He leads projects to advance the Medical Campus’ Green Initiative, such as the installation of a 141 panel solar array at the Innovation Center and deployment of 21 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations campus-wide.
Mark previously worked for L.C. Whitford Co. Inc. as a Landscape Superintendent, where he was responsible for the design and implementation of commercial landscape projects. Mark has an A.A.S in Landscape Development from Alfred State College and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Alfred University. He also has a Master’s of Urban Planning degree from the University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning. Mark lives in the City of Buffalo with his wife and two daughters.
Jonathan McNeice
Director of Healthy Communities
Reimagining healthy communities
As the healthy communities lead, Jonathan works to help create the Medical Campus into a place that encourages holistic health and wellness. Jonathan joined BNMC, Inc. in June 2014 and has since lead initiatives related to food healthy living and placemaking so that the Campus and surrounding communities become a more vibrant place to work and live every day. An Urban Planner by training, Jonathan’s planning efforts have resulted in the development of a strategic wellness plan that includes healthy workplaces and corner stores, a placemaking program, summer wellness activities, community gardens and mobile markets. Jonathan’s past work experience spans the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
As a student at UB, he co-authored Buffalo’s community gardens plan “Queen City Gardens” which led to a substantial increase in the number of gardens in the city. In the public sector, Jonathan has worked on planning, transportation and public health initiatives for the City of Edmonton and City of Toronto. Jonathan enjoys traveling, gardening and spending time with his nieces and nephews.
Chantele Ross
Receptionist/Administrative Assistant
Greeting all with enthusiasm
Chantele Ross is typically the first face you see at the Innovation Center as she serves as the primary receptionist for the BNMC. Her responsibilities include greeting all guests, customer service for the many and varied visitors to the Innovation Center, answering phones, data entry and general administrative support for the BNMC team.
Chantele has a depth of experience in customer service through previous positions with AT&T mobility, First Niagara Bank, National Fuel and TeleTech, Inc. She also worked as a Community Health Worker in Niagara Falls, identifying and assisting individuals and families in accessing needed preventive and primary health care services. Chantele is also experienced in financial services, having served as a mortgage specialist for First Niagara and in financial aid operations for D’Youville College, working with financial aid advisors, parents, students and college administrators.
A native of Niagara Falls, Chantele is a graduate of Niagara County Community College with an Information Specialist Associates Degree. She is very active in a women’s ministry through her church in her spare time.
William Smith
Director of Access & Safety
Ensuring a safe and accessible Campus
Bill has extensive experience planning for responsible community growth and implementing these plans. He is responsible for overseeing the BNMC’s parking and transportation system as well as improving and developing alternative transportation options to ensure safe, efficient access for patients, visitors and employees. He manages the Campus Ambassadors program and foot patrol, coaching our team on the ground in providing excellent customer service. Additionally, Bill leads the BNMC’s Transportation Management Association with regional partners to plan for the growth of Medical Campus and the city as a whole while improving mobility, access, and transportation infrastructure.
Bill has a BA in Environmental Design and a Master’s in Urban Planning from the University at Buffalo. Prior to joining the BNMC in 2008, Bill worked as a Research Assistant for the Urban Design Project at the UB School of Architecture and Planning. During this time, he was involved in a number of significant planning projects throughout Western New York, including the UB2020 Comprehensive Master Plan. When he is not working on long-term transportation systems for the BNMC, he is singing and playing guitar with a local band. A lifelong resident of Western New York, Bill currently lives in Amherst with his wife and children.
Paul Tyno
Strategic Advisor for Energy Initiatives
EmPOWERing our Campus and community
In his role with the BNMC, Paul is responsible for implementing the campus Energy Innovation Plan developed in partnership with National Grid, member institutions and surrounding neighborhoods. Paul has led multiple energy services companies to become integral resources collaborating with utility companies, RTOs/ISOs, program participants, federal and state regulatory agencies, trade associations, economic development organizations, and affiliate service providers.
A nationally recognized demand response subject area expert and active industry spokesperson, Paul has addressed numerous groups regarding energy management including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Demand Response Collaborative, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), Ireland and the European Energy Commission, Joint Research Center, Italy. Paul currently serves as Chairman of the Peak Load Management Alliance (PLMA) and has served as a member of the Demand Response Committee for the Association of Energy Service Professionals. Paul lives in Amherst with his wife and family.
Sarah Warner
Marketing & Communications Manager
Sharing our dynamic story
Sarah’s creative eye and passion for branding and design is utilized in the day-to-day creation, management and implementation of campus-wide outreach initiatives for the BNMC’s core audiences, including patients, visitors, employees and neighboring communities of the Medical Campus.
Sarah joined the BNMC in December 2015, primarily leading the organization’s digital marketing through the management of BNMC’s website, social media and e-newsletter communications. She has a dual bachelor’s degree in public relations and Spanish from SUNY Buffalo State and a master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications from Canisius College. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing and volunteering in the community. She lives in Allentown with her husband Dan.
Our Extended Team
We can’t do it alone. Our extended team is made up of individuals and organizations that help us achieve our goal of creating an innovative, safe, sustainable Campus. With partners such as GoBike Buffalo, AllPro Parking, Goodwill Industries, and others, we are able to increase our impact, improve our customer service, and provide more just, sustainable transportation options.
Mission
To promote a knowledge-based transformation of Western New York through the biomedical research, education, clinical practice, and entrepreneurship of its member institutions.
Vision
To be a magnet of opportunities – attracting and retaining the best and the brightest.
Principles:
2002 - Founded
Led by then-Mayor Masiello, UB, Kaleida Health. Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo Medical Group, and Hauptman-Woodward Institute, along with the city and Allentown and Fruit Belt neighborhoods, officially form the BNMC Inc. to support collaboration.
2003
The member institutions work together to create a master plan for their shared geography.
2005 - 2006
First Major collaboration leads to significant investment: Buffalo Life Sciences Complex open, housing HWI, UB’s NYS Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, and Roswell Park’s Center for Genetics and Pharmacology.
2007
Awarded Program of the Year by the Northeaster Economic Developers Association
2010
New buildings open: the Thomas R. Beecher Jr. Innovation Center, and incubator to support growing companies, and the UB Gateway opens.
The BNMC and the neighborhoods release “Four Neighborhoods, One Community,” an integrated planning effort based on the premise that as the Campus grows, so should the adjoining neighborhoods, designed to coordinate previous planning efforts and empower community members to speak with one voice.
2011
Installed 21 electric vehicle charging stations across the Campus.
The park along Ellicott & Virginia Streets is completed, a $6.5M streetscape project designed to cultivate a sense of place and purposeful collisions across the Medical Campus
2012
Received the Americas Award from the Alliance to Save Energy and the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance AND the Outstanding Research/Science Park Award from the Association of University Research Parks
2011 – 2013
Gates Vascular Institute and UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center, including UB Biosciences Incubator and the Jacobs Institute, open as a joint development effort of Kaleida Health & UB.
Kaleida’s HighPointe opens.
UB’s Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Center opens.
Garage with 2,200 parking spaces added
2014
Dig opens, offering start-up resources, coworking and event space
Implementation of Start-Up NY program increases number of private sector companies on the Medical Campus
43 North, NYS’s business idea competition, and Z80 Labs, a technology incubator, move into the Innovation Center, adding even more entrepreneurs to this growing hotspot
2015
Local media highlights: “The BNMC is a hotbed of new construction” and “the Innovation Center is the region’s entrepreneurial epicenter.”
Innovation Center Annex opens, housing Buffalo Manufacturing Works and expansion space for ZeptoMetrix
2016
Roswell Park’s Clinical Sciences Center opens
A renovated Allen Street/Medical Campus NFTA station opens as a gateway via transit to the Medical Campus
Conventus, a medical office building that will connect the new Medical School to the new Children’s Hospital, opens with two growing biotech companies, AMRI and Athenex, as its first tenants.
2017
Construction continues on UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Kaleida’s Oishei Children’s Hospital, and a new 1800 car parking garage
Construction begins on the Allen Street Extension, a $4.5M project improving connectivity between Allentown, the Medical Campus, and the Fruit Belt neighborhood.
Board Officers
Anthony B. Martino, Acting Board Chair & Treasurer
James R. Biltekoff, Board Vice Chair
Edward F. Walsh Jr., Board Vice Chair
Candace S. Johnson, Ph.D., Secretary
William L. Joyce, Board Chair Emeritus
Thomas R. Beecher Jr., Board Chair Emeritus
Matthew K. Enstice, President & CEO, BNMC
Board Members
Louis Billitier, Board Chair, Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center
Honorable Byron W. Brown, Mayor, City of Buffalo
Ruth D. Bryant, Fruit Belt Representative
Michael Cain, Dean, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo
Kevin J. Cross, Board Chair, Olmsted Center for Sight
Joseph J. Cozzo, President & CEO, Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center
John G. Horn, Esq., Board Chair, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute
Candace S. Johnson, Ph.D., President & CEO, Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Martha Lamparelli, Board Chair, Unyts
Jody L. Lomeo, President & CEO, Kaleida Health
William Maggio, Board Vice Chair, Kaleida Health
John C. Notaro, Board Chair, Primary Care Department, Buffalo Medical Group
Tammy Owen, President & CEO, Olmsted Center for Sight
Honorable Rev. Darius G. Pridgen, President, Buffalo Common Council
Honorable Mark Poloncarz, Executive, County of Erie
Dr. James D. Reynolds, Professor & Board Chair, Ross Eye Institute
Daniel J. Scully, CEO, Buffalo Medical Group
Mark J. Simon, President and CEO, Unyts
Edward Snell, Ph.D., CEO, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute
Satish K. Tripathi, Ph.D., President, University at Buffalo
Jonathan White, Allentown Representative