Henderson Named Vice President at University at Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Marsha S. Henderson, KeyBank Western New York District president, has been appointed to the newly created position of vice president for external affairs at the University at Buffalo by UB President John B. Simpson. Her appointment is effective Sept. 26.

Henderson, a UB alumna who holds a bachelor's degree in geography, has a longstanding record of involvement in the university and in the community. Widely recognized as a leading member of the Buffalo business community, she holds numerous key board appointments in the region, including service on the UB Foundation Board, where she is treasurer of the board of trustees, and on the Buffalo Niagara Partnership Board of Directors, of which she is the chair. In 2004, she was named Niagara Frontier Executive of the Year by the UB School of Management. 

Enumerating the qualifications and credentials Henderson brings to the position, Simpson noted, "As one of our most distinguished and most dedicated alumni, Marsha has long been a valued and vital member of our university community, and we are tremendously fortunate that we can continue to benefit from her leadership and commitment in this very important new capacity. As a major Buffalo business leader, she has long been strongly invested in UB's future, and very mindful of the university's potential for enriching the community. As vice president for external affairs, she will play a vital role in fostering the campus environment and community relationships that will help UB to fulfill this great potential."

"Marsha brings to this position a truly dynamic blend of assets, not the least of which is her very clear vision of the importance of this role in advancing UB's mission as a leading research university of the 21st century," Simpson added. "UB is committed to pursuing a course of academic excellence that will enable us to better lives and strengthen communities locally, nationally and globally, and Marsha has the leadership skills and top-level experience that will enable UB to pursue this mission through building vital, strategic partnerships with industry, with alumni, with government and with business and civic leaders throughout the communities we serve."

Henderson noted, "With President Simpson's leadership and the UB strategic planning process underway, I look forward to collaborating with the UB faculty and staff to develop and implement strategies that will support the newly defined areas of excellence for the university."

She added: "UB is a tremendous asset and influence in the community. Through the new community engagement effort that my office will oversee, the university will focus its efforts to strengthen its relationships with existing partners and reach out to and engage new partners, increasing its leadership in the areas of community engagement and public policy."

Henderson was praised by George Emmons, president of community banking at KeyCorp.

"Marsha served as an outstanding leader and role model as our district president in Western New York," he said. "With the strong support of her management team, she helped to differentiate Key and its continued commitment to the community. Her expertise in business and success as a highly talented civic leader will bring great value to the University at Buffalo. We wish her well and have already launched a search both internally and externally for a successor."

Simpson appointed a search committee, chaired by Dean John M. Thomas of the UB School of Management, to conduct a national search to identify leading prospects who would bring to the new senior leadership position of UB vice president for external affairs significant expertise in external relations, as well as the ability to position the university to retain and expand its leadership role as a major national research university.

"I am absolutely convinced that Marsha Henderson is the best person we could have to fill this new, very important role in the university," said Thomas.

As vice president for external affairs, Henderson will have oversight of the university's offices of advancement, alumni relations, communications and government affairs, and its newly created community engagement unit. Responsible for creating and chairing a Council of Corporate Partners comprised of leaders in the business, legal, science, technology and medical communities UB engages with, Henderson will coordinate the university's outreach activities and initiatives within all of the external communities it serves, including alumni groups, the regional community, and the national and international academic communities. In addition to building and maintaining effective governmental relations at the local, state and federal levels, she will be charged with providing leadership for all university philanthropic activities, university communications initiatives and public relations strategies.

Henderson, who also holds an MBA degree from Canisius College, has served as KeyBank Western New York District president since 1998, overseeing the bank's operations at 41 branches with a total of approximately 1,000 employees, located in four counties in the region. Prior to her leadership at KeyBank, she served for eight years as senior vice president and marketing manager of Fleet Financial Group's Private Clients Group for Upstate New York, and served for 18 years previously with M&T Bank, where she became vice president and manager within the bank's Western New York Commercial Banking Division.

In addition to her leadership on the boards of the UB Foundation and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Henderson has served on a number of professional, civic and philanthropic boards, including the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, the Independent Health Foundation, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kaleida Health Foundation and the Erie County Industrial Development Agency.

Named among the 47 top "Women of Initiative" by the international publication Profiles in Diversity Journal in 2005, Henderson has received numerous honors for her professional leadership and community service, including a citation from the National Conference for Community and Justice, an Athena Award, recognition by Buffalo Business First among the 40 most influential Western New York residents. Elected to the board of the National Women's Hall of Fame, Henderson also was appointed by Governor Pataki to the Commission Honoring the Achievements of Women, and has been named to the Western New York Women's Hall of Fame.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York.