The Rev. Craig Damone Pridgen, senior pastor at True Bethel Baptist Church, Niagara Falls, and a senior business and planning analyst at M&T Bank, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of Niagara University. The appointment was announced by the Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., president of the university.

A graduate of Medaille College and Berean Baptist College, Rev. Pridgen has extensive management experience in estate collections, risk management, and regulatory compliance.

“Rev. Pridgen brings a wealth of business and social justice experience to his position on our Board of Trustees,” said the Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., Niagara University president. “He will provide crucial insight and guidance as we continue to develop opportunities for our students to gain the confidence, clarity of direction, and heightened sense of purpose needed to become leaders in their communities.”

Rev. Pridgen has also been recognized for his significant community involvement in Erie and Niagara counties. He currently serves on the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Board of Directors, and on the boards of the National Federation of Just Communities and Literacy New York Buffalo-Niagara, Inc. He has been an organizer of Pastors, Politicians & Police on Patrol, was a Niagara Christian Basketball League mentor, and a former member of the M&T Bank African American Resource Group Leadership Team.