Buffalo Niagara Ambassador Awards Celebrates Industry Professionals, Students

The 22nd annual Buffalo Niagara Ambassador Awards will be held on Wednesday, April 20, at 5:30 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center's Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Auditorium. The Buffalo State College community is invited to attend.

Kevin Mulcahy, chair and associate professor of hospitality and tourism, will offer welcoming remarks.

In addition to honoring the contributions of local industry professionals and the accomplishments of Buffalo State students, the event will celebrate the Hospitality and Tourism Department’s history and upcoming plans with a "Back to the Future"-themed reception at Campus House, which serves as a teaching laboratory for hospitality students and social club for the college community.

"Our team of students, staff, and faculty take inspiration from the hospitality industry's future and our department's future home in Caudell Hall," said Kathleen O' Brien, lecturer of hospitality and tourism and director of Campus House. "We reflect on the notion that the possibilities of the future are limitless and expect that our applied-learning experiences will strengthen our students’ engagement in the community."

This year's Ambassador Award recipients are community leaders that provide strong examples to hospitality student managers. Honorees are David Anastasi, partner at Lake Effect Sales and Marketing; Therese Forton-Barnes, owner of Events to a Tee; and Joseph Heary, executive director of Friends of Night People Inc.

Student scholarship awards from the Buffalo State Hospitality and Tourism Department; the New York State Chapter of the Club Managers Association of America; the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association; the New York State Restaurant Association; Hart Hotels; and Pano's will also be presented.

Working under the direction of the Campus House management team—Josh Blumberg, general manager; Krista Constantino, guest services manager; and chef Sue Sims, kitchen manager—students in the food and beverage management course and hospitality operations practicum will demonstrate their knowledge and skills with a menu of international cuisine and wine pairings.

Reflecting the "Back to the Future" theme, spaces in Campus House will be transformed through displays depicting culinary greats of the past; the farm-to-table movement of the present, and the department’s future facilities. "As Doc Brown said in the movie, 'Where we are going, we don't need roads,'" said O'Brien. 

Reservations are required. Please call Constantino at 878-3300 for more information.