Peoples, Lockheed Martin to Be Honored at UB Business Partners Day

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Assemblywoman Crystal D. Peoples and Lockheed Martin will be honored at the University at Buffalo's Business Partners Day luncheon to be held at noon on June 14 in the Adam's Mark Hotel.

Peoples will receive the Igniting Ideas Award for her leadership in support of UB and economic development in Buffalo Niagara. Lockheed Martin will receive the Vital Partner Award, the highest honor bestowed on a company by the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, in recognition of its longtime support of and collaboration with UB Engineering.

Steve Holliday, CEO of National Grid, will be the luncheon's featured speaker and will discuss energy delivery and global climate change. One of the world's largest utilities, National Grid has committed to delivering a 60 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for all of its processes, operations and offices in the United Kingdom and the U.S. by 2050.

Holliday's talk is the final event of UB's semester-long "Greener Shade of Blue" initiative to raise awareness about climate change and celebrate the university's longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship.

UB Business Partners Day celebrates successful and productive relationships among industry, government and UB by bringing together leaders from each sector to hear a national speaker.  The annual event honors business and civic leaders who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in support of UB and Buffalo Niagara

Coordinated and organized by UB Engineering, the luncheon will be hosted by Marsha S. Henderson, UB vice president for external affairs, and Harvey G. Stenger Jr., dean of UB Engineering.

UB President John B. Simpson said Peoples has been a very effective and valuable partner with UB in efforts to positively impact the Buffalo Niagara economy and community.

"Since she began service in the Assembly in 2002, Crystal Peoples has worked hard to improve the economic, environmental, cultural, academic and health conditions for her constituency," Simpson added. "We are especially appreciative of Assemblywoman People's support of UB's plans to grow and her understanding of our positive impact in Buffalo Niagara, especially within Buffalo's urban core."

Peoples was elected in 2006 to her third term in the New York State Assembly, where she represents the 141st Assembly District, a diverse section of the City of Buffalo.

Peoples chairs the subcommittee on Oversight of Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises and serves on several Assembly committees: Alcoholism and Drug Abuse; Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus; Environmental Conservation; Governmental Operations; and Health, Insurance and Social Services.

Steve Lubniewski, president of Lockheed Martin Enterprise Solutions, will accept the award on behalf of Lockheed Martin.

"Lockheed Martin's many partnerships with UB Engineering exemplify the extraordinary benefits that are gained by faculty, students, corporate partners and the community when industry and academic work together," Stenger noted.

Lockheed Martin's relationship with UB Engineering includes partnering on federal systems contracts for the U.S. Postal Service with the school's Center for Excellence in Document Analysis and Recognition (CEDAR) and sponsoring supply-chain management research conducted for the company by UB's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Lockheed Martin's philanthropy has supported the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the company actively recruits UB Engineering graduates and participates in the school's co-op program. Additionally, Lockheed Martin sponsors UB career-services job fairs and an annual honors employment dinner held by the school's national honor society chapter, Tau Beta Pi New York Nu.

To reserve a seat at the luncheon, go to http://www.ubevents.org/event/business.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB's more than 27,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.