Catherine M. Braniecki, is the vice president, CRA Compliance Manager for KeyBank, NA. She has enjoyed a 29 year career in the housing and community development field. She currently serves on the boards of the Rental Assistance Corporation of Buffalo, Cazenovia Recovery Systems, Inc. and the Homeless Alliance of WNY. She is a member of Leadership Buffalo Class of 2001 and is President of the board of Trustees of St. Mary's High School in Lancaster.

Mary Ellen Brockmyre is the Director of Funding and Program Development at Community Services for the Developmentally Disabled. She has worked in the field of developmental disabilities of the past 20 years. She has served on the Board of Directors for Black Rock-Riverside Neighborhood Housing Services and All Saints School.

Elizabeth G. Clark, Esq.. is a partner at Hodgson, Russ LLP. She has been involved with HOME over 40 years. Ms. Clark is on the boards of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Foundation and Planned Parenthood of Buffalo and Erie County, which she chairs. She was chair of HOME’s Nominating Committee. Ms. Clark is the 2005 recipient of HOME’s highest honor—The James Crawford Award.

Diana Cooke teaches special education in the Buffalo Public Schools. She has her Masters of Science in special education from D’Youville College and a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Empire State College. She is a valuable contributor to HOME’s Membership Committee.

Susan M. Fayle is the CEO of Trinity Tower of Buffalo, Inc., a senior citizen apartment complex. She is also a Realtor and a certified Retirement Housing Professional. Ms. Fayle is on the board of directors of Concerned Ecumenical Ministry (CEM),The Lutheran Church Home, and the Greenfield Court, and on the board of trustees of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. She is finance chair of the Upstate NY Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Ms. Fayle is also the parliamentarian for the New York State Business and Professional Women’s Clubs. She chaired HOME’s Membership Committee. Ms. Fayle was the 1997 recipient of the James Crawford Award for Service to HOME.

Linda R. Hassberg, Esq. is an associate at Lipsitz, Green, Fahringer, Roll, Salisbury & Cambria, LLP, representing unions as well as individuals in employment discrimination and civil rights matters. Previously, she worked at the Western New York Law Center on a variety of poverty and civil rights issues, including housing discrimination. She is also a member of the Coalition for Economic Justice.

Gilbert R. Hernandez is a labor service representative for the New York State Department of Labor. He also serves on the board of the Shalom Zone and the Erie County Human Services Advisory Council and is the treasurer at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Eunice D. Jackson is a lifetime member of the NAACP, a member of the Erie County Chapter of Links Inc., the Canisius College Scholarship Associates, and serves on the board of LEWAC Associates of WNY, Inc. She is a past recipient of the MLK Outstanding Award for Education from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and was the first African-American president of the Phi Delta Kappa Fraternity. She serves as Chair of National Trends and Services for the Erie County Chapter of The Links, Inc., Vice Chair for LEWAC, and a volunteer at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

Dan Kohane, Esq. an attorney with Hurwitz & Fine, P.C., served on the board from 1986–1998. Since 1998 he has served as counsel to the board. He was awarded the Directors Award for Distinguished Service in the Cause of Fair Housing in 1989, the James Crawford Award in 1993 and the Sarah G. Metzger Human Rights Award in 2000.

Samuel E. Loliger is professor emeritus of Sociology at Niagara County Community College. He is a member of the Anti-Discrimination Task Force of WNY.  He is the NYS Coordinator for the United Church of Christ Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns. Loliger is chair of the national UCC Affirmative Action Council and is also active in the denomination at the local level. Mr. Loliger was the 1997 recipient of the James Crawford Award for Service to HOME.

Janet Meiselman is the principal of Oxford Consulting Inc. and a member of the Erie County Fair Housing Partnership. She chaired the Program, Operations and Planning Committee. Ms. Meiselman was the 2002 recipient of the James Crawford Award for Service to HOME.

Leah R. Mervine spent ten years volunteering and working for AIDS-related causes and performed a one-year tour of duty as HOME’s Coordinator of Development and Member Relations. She currently attends the University at Buffalo’s School of Law where she is working on her Juris Doctor and Masters of Social Work.

Juan Carlos Valentin has almost 23 years experience in Human Services, working with diverse populations and communities. He serves on the boards of  the Erie County Youth Services (Chairman) and Chameleon Community School Project. He is the former Vice President of Hispanic United of Buffalo, Inc. (served nine years) and a former Chair of Diversity for the Erie County Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Mr. Valentin is President of Hispanic Network of WNY, Inc. and a Leadership Buffalo graduate. He is the founder of the Latino Lions Club Branch in Western New York. He also volunteered after the attack of September 11, 2001 in New York City at "Ground Zero" giving much needed counseling to rescue workers.

Yvette Veira is a project director at Research Institute, University at Buffalo. She conducts research on substance abuse and child development, and serves as a facilitator for EPIC.

Scott W. Gehl, Executive Director, is an ex-officio member of HOME’s board. A former community organizer and Buffalo Councilman, in 2002, Mr Gehl was given the first Sarah G. Metzger Human Rights Award in 1997. In 2004 he earned HUD’s second annual Pioneer of Fair Housing Award.

New On Board!

This year HOME welcomes four new board members. Each new member brings unique skills and abilities to help further the mission of HOME.

Rita A. Capezzi, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of English at Canisius College where she has served as a faculty member and administrator for 11 years. She is faculty advisor to UNITY, the College's GLBT and Allies group and a member of the School Based Management Team at BPS #32, the Bennett Park Montessori Center.

Rosalie Covial has been a member of HOME since 1965. She is a retired Administrator for Buffalo Public Schools where she served as Director of Special Education for 19 years. She is a current member of the Buffalo Chapter of The Links, Inc., National Alliance of Black School Educators and Faith Baptist Church. She has volunteered at ECMC as the chapel organist where she received the Council of Churches Service Award. She currently volunteers for the West Side Task Force for Children in Poverty and the African Educational Task Force.

Susan Gaska has many years of experience providing housing to low income women and children, and is a long time advocate, having served on the Erie County Commission on Homelessness for several years. She is the retired Executive Director of the YWCA of WNY, providing human services and public policy advocacy.  Now she is an active volunteer with the Women's TAP Fund, a PAC for local female pro-choice candidates, as well as serving in various roles for numerous community organizations.

Camille S. Hopkins works as a Planner for the City of Buffalo. She directs the City's HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS) Program. She is the founder of Spectrum Transgender Group of WNY and is the WNY Chapter President of NYTRO (New York Transgender Rights Organization). She is a member of the Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence - Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Domestic Violence Committee, the WNY Anti-Discrimination Coalition, PFLAG, and Stonewall Democrats. She received the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation Community Service Award for 2003; Outstanding Community Advocate Award, State University of New York at Buffalo LGBTA , 2003; and the Robert Uplinger Community Service Award from Gay and Lesbian Youth Services, 2000.