Castellani Named Chair of UB Foundation Board of Trustees

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Lawrence P. Castellani, president and chief executive officer of Tops Markets, Inc., has been named chair of the Board of Trustees of the University at Buffalo Foundation, Inc.

The foundation promotes the activities and programs of the University at Buffalo by providing support and advice regarding fundraising, managing gifts and grants on behalf of the university, providing a wide range of financial services for various units of the university, developing and managing real property on behalf of the university and providing a broad base of private-sector support for the university through the foundation's trustees and directors.

The board of trustees is responsible for raising the community's awareness of the need for private support for UB, soliciting gifts on behalf of the university and managing assets received by the foundation.

Castellani has been affiliated with the foundation since 1986.

He joined Tops Friendly Markets as a stock clerk in 1962. After holding several managerial positions throughout the company, he was appointed director of operations in 1975. In 1991, he was named president and CEO of Tops Markets, Inc. The company employs 15,000 workers and operates 61 Tops Friendly Markets, 86 Wilson Farms Neighborhood Convenience Stores, 10 B-Kwik food stores and six VIX Deep Discount drugstores throughout Central, Western and Southern New York State and in Bradford, Pa.

Castellani resides in Williamsville.

The foundation also has appointed other officers. They are John L. Hettrick, Sr., chairman and CEO of WSF Industries, Inc., vice chair; Richard E. Heath, of Hodgson, Russ, Andrews, Woods and Goodyear, secretary, and Donald A. Ross, president of Rand Capital Corp., treasurer.

Named to new positions on the board of trustees were Randall I. Benderson, vice president of Benderson Development Co., Inc.; Ellen E. Grant Bishop, Erie County mental health commissioner, and Gerald S. Lippes, a partner in Lippes, Silverstein, Mathias & Wexler.

Reappointed as trustees were Reginald B. Newman, II, president of NOCO Energy Corp., and William H. Pearce, president of Pearce and Pearce, Inc.

Several members of the board of directors have moved to the board of trustees. They are Lawrence P. Castellani; John L. Hettrick, Sr.; Frank L. Ciminelli, president of Ciminelli Development Co., Inc.; Jeremy M. Jacobs, Sr., chairman and CEO of Delaware North Companies, Inc., and Carol V. Kociela, regional executive vice president of Marine Midland Bank, N.A.

Robert J. Wagner, UB senior vice president for university services, and Ronald H. Stein, UB vice president for university advancement and development, have been named non-voting, ex-officio members.

New members of the board of directors, which offers advice and counsel to the board of trustees, are Brent D. Baird, a limited partner in Trubee, Collins & Co.; Jonathan W. Reynolds, chief investment officer of Marine Midland Bank; Sheldon M. Berlow, chairman of Berlow Real Estate, Inc.; Harry R. Stainrook, executive vice president of trust and investments for M&T Bank, and Kenneth W. Paulin, senior vice president for M&T.

Members of the board of trustees who have moved to the board of directors are Kenneth L. Gayles, M.D.; Lawrence D. Jacobs, M.D., head of the Department of Neurology at The Buffalo General Hospital; Ross B. Kenzie; Stanford Lipsey, president and publisher of The Buffalo News; Leonard Rochwarger; William M.E. Clarkson; Northrup R. Knox, chairman of Marine Midland Bank; Robert G. Wilmers, chairman and CEO of M&T Bank; Richard E. Heath, and Donald A. Ross.

Alice M. Posluszny has been named trustee emeritus.