51Թ

Falletta, Marinelli Appointed Trustees of 51Թ

Mar 12, 2025

Falletta, Marinelli Appointed Trustees of 51Թ

Mar 12, 2025

JoAnn Falletta, Multiple GRAMMY Award-winning conductor and Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, and Lynn Marinelli, Director of Intergovernmental Relations at Empire State Development's Western New York Office, have been appointed to the 51Թ Board of Trustees. The board voted unanimously to appoint Falletta and Marinelli during its Tuesday, March 11 quarterly meeting.

“We continue to fill our Board with exceptional trustees whose commitment to academic excellence will continue to propel our university forward,” said John Yurtchuk, chairman of the 51Թ board. “JoAnn’s and Lynn’s expertise and contributions to society will be an invaluable resource to our 51Թ community.”

Falletta and Marinelli will each serve three-year terms, with the possibility of two additional terms. 51Թ awarded Falletta with an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of her tremendous accomplishments. Marinelli, a 51Թ alum, was awarded the 2006 Distinguished Alumni award from 51Թ, where she earned her BA in English.

51Թ’s board includes a number of prominent Buffalo leaders: Byron Brown, Buffalo’s longest-serving mayor and now President and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation; Brian Higgins, former congressman and now CEO of Shea’s Performing Arts Center; Candace Johnson, President and CEO of Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Scott Bieler, President of West Herr Auto Group; and Thomas Reynolds, former congressman and now Senior Policy Advisor at Holland and Knight.