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The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is honored to recognize Donna DeCarolis as its 2025 Industry Leader Award winner. The recently retired president of National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation spent more than 40 years of service ascending through several different business areas within the company.

Donna has played an important role as a vocal advocate for customer affordability, energy reliability and the overall impact on New York’s ability to maintain its business competitiveness due to the state’s climate and decarbonization legislation. Her active presence in Albany identified real regional differences with policies that might work downstate but could have a harmful impact on upstate New Yorkers.

She has also been active in her support of the community, serving in leadership capacities on the boards of the Business Council of New York, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin Martin House Restoration Complex, Leadership Buffalo, Shea’s O’Connell Preservation Guild, the University at Buffalo’s School of Management, Buffalo Sabres Foundation, Niagara University and the African American Veteran’s Monument.

“We are proud to honor Donna with this year’s Industry Leader Award,” said BNP President & CEO Dottie Gallagher. “Throughout her time at National Fuel, Donna has been a tireless advocate for affordability, reliability and fairness in energy policy, ensuring that the voices of Western New Yorkers were heard in Albany. Her leadership, vision and deep commitment to our community have left a lasting mark on both the business landscape and the region as a whole.”

For playing such a vital role in the Buffalo Niagara region, she will be presented the award at our third annual Economic Development Summit on Oct. 9. The culmination event of the 2025 Industry Leaders Forum (ILF) schedule brings together member companies to strategize for the year ahead.

John Persons, CEO of Tops Friendly Markets parent company Northeast Grocery, was the inaugural winner of the Industry Leader Award. West Herr Auto Group President & CEO Scott Bieler received the award last year.

Click here to learn more about how your organization can get involved in ILF and the Economic Development Summit →

A look back at last year:

• 3 key takeaways from the 2024 ILF Economic Development Summit