Member Owner Appreciation Day a Huge Success

Celebrating Community, Growth, and New Leadership

The Member Owner Appreciation Day on October 3rd was a resounding success, bringing together members, volunteers, and neighbors for a day of connection and celebration. Highlights included:

• A bustling Annual Fall Plant Swap with a huge variety of plants finding new homes.
• Election of a new slate of Urban Roots board members during the Annual Meeting.
• Official launch of our redesigned website, created in partnership with 12 Grain Studio.
• A delicious cider tasting with Chateau Buffalo (the pear cider was a standout!)

Below are photos from the event, followed by the full list of new and returning board members who will guide Urban Roots into the coming year.

Urban Roots 2009-2010 Proposed Slate of New Directors

Peter Ahrens – Private Banker at Key Private Bank; brings finance expertise and strategic planning experience as Treasurer.

Darlie Al-Haqq – Housing Development Specialist at Heart of the City Neighborhoods; extensive grant writing, project management, and community involvement.

Elaine Clutterbuck – Longtime urban gardener and dedicated Urban Roots shopper; committed to ensuring the co-op’s longevity.

Laura Duquette – Writer, organizer, and co-founder of 12 Grain Studio; active in neighborhood revitalization and community media.

Rachel Kranitz – Attorney at LoTempio and Brown; West Side resident with retail management experience and interest in committee-driven leadership.

Proposed Slate of Returning Directors

David Adowski – Director of Food & Beverage at DoubleTree Hotel; founding member of Ashland/Lexington Block Club; Ride for Roswell planner.

Kristin Ahrens, M.D. – Psychiatrist and Medical Director at Horizon Health Services; weekly Urban Roots shopper and West Side advocate.

Leslie Duggleby – Technology Coordinator for Buffalo Public Schools; Vice Chair for third year; 19-year neighborhood resident.

John Lenahan – Business consultant at ESRI; Secretary; grant writing and project management expertise.

Phoebe McKay – Art therapist and substance abuse counselor at ECMC; longtime volunteer and West Side connector.

Onda Simmons – Program Manager at Amherst Systems; incoming Chair; experience in project management, finance, and historic preservation.

Peter Sowiski – Retired Professor of Fine Arts (Buffalo State); professional artist; board member at Big Orbit Gallery and Burchfield-Penney Art Center.

Returning Directors

Dan Keefe – Architect specializing in adaptive reuse and historic preservation; founding block club member; Building Committee lead.

Monique Watts – Director of Corporate Partnerships at Roswell Park Cancer Institute; fundraiser; chicken keeper (please don’t call her “Chicken Lady”!).

Blair Woods – Independent agent for musical acts (Joan Baez, 10,000 Maniacs); City Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Board; co-founder of Urban Roots.

Thank you to all who attended and to our dedicated board—past, present, and future—for making Urban Roots a thriving community hub!