Payne Named 'Man of the Year' for Collaborative Work with West Side

For the past two decades, Hal Payne, Buffalo State’s vice president for student affairs, has quietly worked with a West Side nonprofit business organization to help improve the quality of life for the college’s nearby neighbors. His dedication to the organization—the West Side Business and Taxpayers’ Association (WSBTA)—and to the business owners and residents of the West Side resulted in WSBTA naming Payne as its 2012 Man of the Year.

In an awards dinner October 27, the WSBTA honored Payne along with other award recipients from this organization and the Forest District Civic Association Inc. and the Grant-Amherst Business Association.

"I was surprised and honored," said Payne, who has worked with the organization in his role as vice president since 1990.

Founded in 1903, the WSBTA has collaborated with the Forest District Civic and Grant-Amherst Business associations to promote neighborhood and business improvement and better government. The WSBTA has approximately 130 members, and throughout the years, membership has included Buffalo mayors, state assembly members, and judges.

Most recently, Payne played an integral role in improving relationships between Buffalo State students and West Side constituents through his work as chair of Buffalo State’s Committee on University and Community Relations. The committee stemmed from a task force Buffalo State President Aaron Podolefsky formed in the summer of 2011 to create trust between the community and Buffalo State.  

"We developed a real dialogue between our students, landlords, and residents of the neighborhoods surrounding Buffalo State," Payne said. "The purpose is to resolve problems."

The committee is not static and anyone from the community is invited to attend the monthly meetings. One important element, he noted, is that representatives of the University Police and Buffalo Police departments have attended meetings and participated in the dialogue.

Payne said his involvement has helped him know the community better. In turn, West Side residents understand our students better.

According to WSBTA President Ron Carnevale, "the specific focus of this (committee) has already proved successful in addressing key issues of community safety as it affects student and area resident life, including off-campus partying, street crime, and most importantly, the safety of female students."

Carnevale said he hopes to make more connections with Buffalo State in the future.

Throughout his career at Buffalo State, Payne has served in several key community roles. In May 2010, then New York Governor David A. Paterson appointed Payne to the New York State Council on the Arts. Payne currently serves as commissioner with the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority and on the board of Read to Succeed Inc., among other organizations.

Payne is a member of the Leadership Buffalo Class of 1995, the Alpha Kappa Boule chapter of Sigma Pi Phi fraternity, and The Buffalo Club.

Pictured left to right: Payne; Bonnie Durand, chief of staff to Buffalo State President Aaron Podolefsky and secretary to the Buffalo State College Council; and Ronald Carnevale, president of WSBTA.