[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 30, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E118-E119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING COLLEEN C. DiPIRRO ON HER RETIREMENT AS AMHERST CHAMBER OF 
                       COMMERCE PRESIDENT AND CEO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 30, 2018

  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Colleen 
C. DiPirro, a visionary pioneer who began her career 35 years ago as a 
single staff person and is now retiring as the President and CEO of the 
Amherst Chamber of Commerce having overseen the explosive growth of 
membership from less than 200 members to more than 3,000, representing 
more than 1,300 businesses.
  She grew its annual budget from $24,000 when she started to more than 
$1.9 million with a full-time professional staff offering 50 plus 
annual events, business services, advocacy, economic development 
strategies and an Emerging Business Leaders forum.
  Colleen's career is filled with firsts. She was the first President 
of the WNY Chamber Alliance, an organization for Chamber Executives 
spanning an eight county region; the first woman honored as the 
Executive of the Year by the Buffalo Sales and Marketing Executives, 
and in 2009, the first woman named the Buffalo Bills Citizen of the 
Year, the second recipient behind Ralph Wilson.
  Colleen is a builder. Her tools were not brick and mortar, but a 
consummate ability to build a business advocacy organization with 
teamwork, tenacity, compromise and consensus and at times, leading with 
only the courage of her convictions. Recognized for her hard work, 
heart, humanity and humor, she was identified as one of the top 100 
most influential people in Western New York by Business First several 
times. In 2016, she was listed in the Top Ten Most Influential Women 
and named Citizen of the Year by Daemen College.
  A leader, a legend and a true friend, Ms. DiPirro's legacy will be 
her tireless dedicated service to her community and beyond its borders. 
I can attest to that as my first interaction with Colleen as a 
Congressman was in 2005 when we took up the fight with the New York 
Power Authority (NYPA). As a first year minority member of Congress, we 
had few allies in this battle. And then a call came from Colleen 
DiPirro who in her role as President of the WNY Chamber Alliance 
invited me to speak to the Alliance Leaders about why I was fighting 
NYPA for the Buffalo waterfront. After our roundtable discussion, 
Colleen asked if I would be willing to debate a NYPA representative 
before the invited membership of the Alliance at WNED studios. That 
November afternoon debate made possible by Colleen's outreach to 
provide a neutral forum to promote understanding of the issue helped 
further galvanize our community to stand up and fight for itself and 
contributed to our ultimate victory of a $300 million settlement that 
continues to fuel the redevelopment of the Buffalo waterfront. I didn't 
represent Amherst at that time but that didn't matter to her as she 
understood what was good for Buffalo's waterfront was good for all of 
Western New York.
  Others have certainly shared my appreciation and respect for her 
abilities as she received the Governor's Award for Excellence in

[[Page E119]]

Business and served on the Board of Directors of New York State Chamber 
of Commerce Executives in 1999. Colleen serves as event and sponsorship 
coordinator and as a member of the Advisory Board for the Buffalo Bills 
Alumni and was selected by Ralph Wilson, the late owner of the Buffalo 
Bills, to serve on the Project 21 initiative. Her engagement in 
developing public policy positions was duly noted on both sides of the 
aisle as she served on the Transition Team for several Erie County 
Executives. Governor Pataki selected Colleen as a Commissioner on the 
Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority and to the State 
Commission on Judicial Conduct.
  Governor Cuomo appointed Colleen to the Western New York Regional 
Economic Development Council, a position she has held since it was 
created to develop a regional strategic plan and ensure its coordinated 
implementation. He also appointed her in 2016 to the Roswell Park 
Cancer Institute Board of Directors. Colleen currently is a member of 
the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of Independent Health 
and was appointed to the Erie County Industrial Development Agency 
Policy Committee by County Executive Poloncarz.
  Her extensive professional and community involvement extends beyond 
her duties as President and CEO as she served on a variety of 
committees, boards and associations in leadership and active roles 
including the WNY Autism Foundation, Hospice Playhouse Project, 
Executive Women International, Buffalo Prep, Unyts, Williamsville Sweet 
Home Junior Football Association and Shea's Performing Arts. 
Additionally, she served as the first Chairman of the University of 
Buffalo Leadership Development Program.
  Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me a few moments to recognize 
Colleen C. DiPirro as the Amherst Chamber of Commerce including staff, 
board members, family and friends gathers on Thursday, February 1st to 
celebrate the work and wisdom of this most influential woman. She is 
most deserving of these heartfelt acknowledgements that reflect her 
career of almost 40 years of helping businesses, countless individuals 
and a growing community reach their full potential. We extend all best 
wishes for continued good health and happiness to Colleen and her sons, 
Kevin and Keith, and her four grandchildren, Joey and Kaylee, Drew and 
Luke, as a new chapter begins for her and the Amherst Chamber of 
Commerce.

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