Two positions that will help shape UB over the next seven years were filled last week when Jonathan A. Dandes and Gerald S. Lippes were reinstated to the UB Council.
Both members, who have been on the council since the mid-1990s, will serve a seven-year term until 2013.
UB Council is a ten-member group that acts as the primary advisory board for the president and upper level officials. One member is a student that is elected by the student body and serves an annual term. The governor appoints the remaining council members to seven-year terms. The board reviews and advises all major plans at the university.
"Although we don't have the fiduciary responsibilities of a traditional board of trustees," Lippes said, "we are involved in reviewing and advising on most major plans of the university, whether in the area of academics, budget and capital facilities, or student life."
The council will serve a very important role over the next few years due to the steps the university will be taking as part of the UB 2020 plan. Many new plans will be enacted and council members hope to give advice that will steer the project in the right direction, according to Lippes.
"This is an interesting and important time in the university's history, with UB 2020 and the growth plans proposed by President Simpson and the university's leadership team," he said. "There is a significant role for the council to play in the coming years, providing advice to the university and advocacy for these plans with individuals and organizations."
Lippes has been a member of the council since 1997, when Governor George Pataki appointed him. He is a UB Law Alumni, as well as a recipient of the Jaeckle Award, the highest honor given by the UB Law Alumni Association. He is a founder of the Lippes, Mathias, Wexler, and Friedman law firm and serves as director for a number of organizations.
Outside his university involvement, Lippes has an extensive history of community service. He is currently a board member for both the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the NYS Council on the Arts.
"Some of my volunteer activities have been focused on healthcare and the arts," Lippes said. "While that might seem like a disparate set of interests, each of the organizations for which I provide volunteer support contributes in a meaningful way to the quality of life in the Buffalo Niagara region."
Dandes was originally appointed to UB Council in 1994 by Governor Mario Cuomo and was reappointed by Pataki in 1999. While a student at UB, he served as the president of the Student Association. After receiving his bachelor's degree in 1974, he became the president of the UB Alumni Association.
He is currently the chairman of the Buffalo/Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau, and a member of the Town of Amherst Recreation Commission.
Dandes was recently appointed president of Rich Baseball Operations, after working his way up through the food services division. He has also acted as the president of the New York State Restaurant Association.
The next council meeting will be on April 30 at 2 p.m. in 505 Capen Hall. The council will discuss current UB 2020 plans and address other student issues.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
