Niagara University’s Holzschuh College of Business Administration is continuing its work to develop leadership talent across Western New York. Through a collaboration with the Buffalo Niagara Partnership (BNP), the college successfully concluded its past two cohorts of BNP GROW, empowering about 50 rising leaders from numerous and diverse Western New York organizations.
A Curriculum Built for Impact
The program features a curriculum rated best-in-class by participants and is designed to bridge leadership theory with practical workplace application. The coursework was co-created by Niagara University’s Human Resources Director Kevin Morse, and faculty coordinator, Dr. Lisa Williams. The objective was to ensure that participants walk away with tools they can implement for immediate impact.
The curriculum is focused on high-impact professional topics taught by expert faculty:
- Foundations of Leadership: Dr. Lisa Williams, Associate Professor of Management
- Emotional Intelligence: Dr. Galina Boiarintseva, Associate Professor of Management
- Communication and Influence: Dr. Krieg Tidemann, Associate Dean of the Holzschuh College of Business Administration and Associate Professor of Economics
- Decision-Making and Leading Change: Dr. Anna McNab, Associate Professor of Management
- Coaching and Performance Management: Joseph Winter, CPA, CFE, CITP, Associate Professor of Accounting and Academic Director of the Niagara University Family Business Center
Executive Inspiration & Real-World Wisdom
A highlight of the recent cohorts was the opportunity to learn from two prominent WNY business leaders: David Nasca (Director of NBT Bancorp and Retired President and CEO of Evans Bancorp and Evans Bank NA), and Jay Galligan (Executive Vice President & Vice President of Fixed Operations, West Herr Auto Group) joined the sessions as keynote guests, candidly sharing their own personal executive journeys, triumphs, and leadership hurdles. Their powerful stories provided invaluable mentorship, leaving participants to champion their own growth and that of their respective companies.
Sponsoring the Next Generation
This impactful partnership continues. The next BNP GROW Cohort is officially scheduled to launch on Sept. 30, 2026.
Alumni looking to enroll their own emerging team members or support local business education can find registration guidelines directly on the Buffalo Niagara Partnership Talent Programs portal.
