AMHERST, N.Y. – Daemen College President Gary Olson and several college trustees have been selected for the 2019 Buffalo Business First Power 250, an annual ranking of the most influential people in the Buffalo Niagara region.

“We extend our congratulations to President Olson and to our distinguished trustees for being named to the Power 250 list,” said Dr. Thomas Stewart, chair of the Daemen Board of Trustees. “To be included among the most prestigious leaders in Western New York is a testament to the positive influence each of them has on our region.”

Power 250 features the most powerful people in the region’s eight counties and lists area leaders that span a range of organizations and industries. Olson is ranked No. 121 on the newly released roster, a move up from No. 134 on last year’s list.

Members of the Daemen Board of Trustees named to the Power 250 list are Gary M. Bichler, Arthur G. Wingerter, and John R. Yurtchuk. Several members of the college’s Community Advisory Board are also on the list, including Scott Bieler, Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown, Matthew K. Enstice, Scott Friedman, Congressman Brian Higgins, Candace Johnson, Brian Kulpa, Thomas Quatroche, Jr., Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, and Rocco R. Termini.

The Power 250 is limited to individuals who live and work in Western New York and are described as those who “wield the most clout in the eight-county” region. Business First reporters and editors nominate individuals for the list, and rankings are based on extensive research and in-house discussions.

“Influence means different things to different people, but most of us all agree to this – we know power and influence when we see it,” said Donna Collins, managing editor at Business First. “In the end, we came up with 250 power brokers for this list.”