UB's School of Management will recognize Louis P. Ciminelli, CEO of LPCiminelli Inc., as the 2007 Niagara Frontier Executive of the Year at its annual awards banquet on Nov. 1.
According to John Shellum, assistant dean of the UB School of Management, the decision to select Ciminelli as Executive of the Year was made through a poll of past recipients of the award, the dean of the UB School of Management, and University President John Simpson.
"Mr. Ciminelli received the most votes, and that was why he was chosen for the award," Shellum said.
The judges consider a variety of factors before they each nominate a candidate to receive the honor.
According to Shellum, the judges consider not only corporate success but also the candidate's overall impact on the Western New York community. A good candidate should effect positive changes in the community and be ethical in both business and personal dealings.
"The award is based on four criteria," Shellum said. "The recipient's career must be marked by executive success, civic leadership and personal integrity. The individual must also reside in the Buffalo area."
Kevin Schuler, vice president of public affairs at LPCiminelli Inc., believes that because of its nature, this award honors both Ciminelli and the company as a whole.
"The Executive of the Year is a recognition of LPCiminelli," Schuler said. "It recognizes our continued commitment and effort to serve and give back to our community."
Both Shellum and Schuler agree that Ciminelli has done much to deserve this honor. As head of the largest construction company in Western New York, Ciminelli has brought new opportunities to an area of intractable economic decline and population loss.
"Under the leadership and strategic vision of Mr. Ciminelli, our firm has doubled in size in the past two years. We employ approximately 200 people from the local area," Schuler said.
According to Schuler, the many public and commercial projects undertaken by LPCiminelli Inc. may constitute the most long-lasting aspect of Ciminelli's legacy. In its 46-year history, the company has worked on many well-known landmarks in the greater Buffalo area.
At UB, the firm constructed the Natural Sciences Complex (NSC), Ketter Hall (civil engineering) and Ellicott Complex.
LPCiminelli undertook projects to update the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center and Roswell Park Cancer Institute, two organizations with extensive connections to the UB School of Medicine. The company has contributed to Buffalo's cultural and arts institutions through its renovation of the Darwin Martin House and Shea's Performing Arts Center.
It has also added many attractions for tourists. These include the construction of the Seneca Niagara Casino and Hotel, the Walden Galleria Mall, the Observation Tower and Deck at Niagara Falls, and Dunn Tire Park, home of Buffalo's minor league baseball team - the Bisons.
Currently, Ciminelli oversees a billion-dollar renovation project designed to rehabilitate Buffalo's network of inner city schools. New schools will feature greatly improved classrooms equipped with the latest innovations in computer technology.
According to Schuler, a financial agreement with the state government means that this program will not add to the tax burden. Instead, most of the funding will come from the State and local fundraising efforts.
"We are doing what we can to turn the city around," Schuler said. "This program will take many years. However, by the end of it, we will have turned our schools into 21st-century centers of excellence."
In addition, as a trustee and later chair of the New York State Power Authority, the chair of Buffalo Niagara Partnership and a member of the board of trustees for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Ciminelli has devoted his time and energy to his community.
"Mr. Ciminelli's philanthropy extends to Roswell Park, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and hundreds of local and national charitable organizations," Schuler said. "This award recognizes his personal efforts to improve government and promote local arts and culture."
Having begun in 1949, Executive of the Year awards have since been given to many notable business leaders from Buffalo including Frank Ciminelli, father of this year's recipient, who received his award in 1996.
"I think that Frank Ciminelli probably served as a role model for his son," Shellum said. "His work ethic, success in business and philanthropy had a great influence on Louis."
The awards ceremony will be held in the evening at Buffalo's Millennium Hotel. In addition to the Executive of the Year Award, four other awards recognizing excellence in corporate leadership will be given to alumni of the UB School of Management.
E-mail: spectrum-news@buffalo.edu
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
