AMHERST, N.Y. -- Daemen College President Gary A. Olson has been named to the 2016 Business First Power 250, an annual ranking of the most influential people in the Buffalo Niagara region.

“We congratulate President Olson on being named to the Power 250 list and commend his commitment to Daemen,” said Dale Demyanick, chair of the Daemen Board of Trustees. “He continues to help raise Daemen’s regional and national visibility.” 

Olson is listed number 150 on this year’s roster, which ranks the most powerful people in the region’s eight counties. Area leaders from a range of organizations and industries are ranked on the list.

“To be included among these other distinguished leaders in our community is an incredible honor and privilege,” said Olson. “I’m immensely proud to serve as president of Daemen and to work with our exceptional administrators, faculty and staff who have contributed to making this a college of national distinction.”

The Power 250 is limited to individuals who live and work in Western New York. Business First reporters and editors nominated individuals for the list and rankings are based on extensive research and in-house discussions.

“In the end, we came up with 250 power brokers. This list is different from last year’s and certainly will change in 2017,” said Donna Collins, managing editor at Business First. “Influence means different things to different people, but most of us will agree to this --we know power and influence when we see it.”