Althea Luehrsen Named Director of UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Althea E. Luehrsen of Williamsville has been named director of the Center Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) in the University at Buffalo School of Management, effective July 1.

Luehrsen has worked in business development for the school since October 2001. In that role, she was responsible for developing new business, expanding current sales and promoting awareness of many School of Management offerings, including executive education programs, the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Executive and Professional MBA programs, computer training and the Jacobs Executive Development Center.

She previously worked in sales and sales management in the region's hospitality industry. Prior to joining UB, Luehrsen was director of sales for Hart Hotels/Holiday Inn in Amherst. She also has worked as the director of sales and marketing for the University Inn and Conference Center in Getzville and as corporate sales manager and executive meeting planner for the Buffalo/Niagara Marriott in Amherst.

Luehrsen also brings entrepreneurial experience to the position. In the 1990s, she created, developed and operated her own local delivery company, Entirely Errands, which served more than 100 residential and commercial accounts in Western New York.

Courtney J. Walsh, assistant dean of the UB School of Management and director of the school's Center for Executive Development, announced Luehrsen's appointment.

"With her past experience and her first-hand knowledge of CEL, Althea will help the school continue its commitment to entrepreneurs in Western New York," Walsh noted.

Established in 1987, the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership is tailored for small-to-medium-sized private businesses. CEL alumni employ more than 15,000 Western New Yorkers and are worth nearly $2 billion to the local economy.