SCHUMER ANNOUNCES WESTERN NY NATIVE, ROBERT GIOIA, CONFIRMED AS A U.S. JOINT COMMISSIONER TO THE INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION OVERSEEING THE GREAT LAKES AND THE U.S. & CANADA’S SHARED WATERWAYS
SCHUMER ANNOUNCES WESTERN NY NATIVE, ROBERT GIOIA, CONFIRMED AS A U.S. JOINT COMMISSIONER TO THE INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION OVERSEEING THE GREAT LAKES AND THE U.S. & CANADA’S SHARED WATERWAYS
Robert Gioia, A Decades Long Civic Leader In The Buffalo-Niagara Region Has Dedicated His Life To Bettering Upstate NY
Schumer Says Gioia Will Be Strong Leader On The Commission To Protect U.S. & Canada’s Shared Waterways & Protect Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles. E Schumer today announced that Western NY native, Robert Gioia, has been confirmed to the International Joint Commission (IJC), which was established by the Boundary Treaty of 1909 to prevent and resolve disputes over the U.S. and Canada's shared waterways, including the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Schumer said Gioia will be a strong leader on the Commission in regulating flows from Lake Ontario, and ensure the beauty of the region for years to come:
“It’s critical to have a New Yorker like Robert Gioia as one of the three U.S. IJC Commissioners because the IJC’s decisions impact New Yorkers every day from Buffalo to Rochester to the North Country. Lake Ontario and Lake Erie are vital resources that provide drinking water to millions and drive commerce, economic development, tourism, recreation, and the ecological health of the region. It’s vital to safeguard the Great Lakes by advancing the IJC’s work from the current expedited review of Lake Ontario’s Plan 2014 regulations to protecting wetlands and shorelines from erosion, and so much more. Robert Gioia has dedicated his career to making Upstate New York a better place, as President of the John R. Oishei Foundation, through the establishment of Say Yes Buffalo, and by spearheading major improvements to our beautiful waterfront. Gioia embodies what it means to make the world a better place and is truly one of Buffalo’s best and finest,” said Senator Schumer. “I am so proud this Western NY native and Lake Erie homeowner will serve as a leader on the IJC and help protect our region’s beautiful waterways for decades to come. He will make a world of difference with his years of experiencing serving our community and I know he will bring dignity and excellence to his new role.”
Biography:
Robert Gioia has been a civic leader in western New York for nearly 50 years. Throughout Robert Gioia’s career in business, government, and philanthropy, including as President of The John R. Oishei Foundation, Gioia has been integral to the success of countless projects that are part of the fabric of western New York, including the construction of the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, the current expansion of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, bringing the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus, establishing Say Yes Buffalo, and spearheading improvements to the city’s waterfront. Gioia served as chairman of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority board for much of the 1990s, a period when the NFTA built a new terminal at the airport and has earned numerous accolades along the way, including Citizen of the Year from the Buffalo News – three times. While Gioia retired in late 2021, he has remained civically active with Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology, Great Lakes Health, and as chairman of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, among others. The University at Buffalo graduate has also served as board chair of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, as a trustee of St. Lawrence University, board president of the Martin House Restoration Corporation and board president of Nichols School.
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