Louis Ciminelli Named Niagara Frontier Executive of the Year

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Louis P. Ciminelli, chairman and CEO of LPCiminelli Inc., has been named the 2007 Niagara Frontier Executive of the Year by the University at Buffalo School of Management.

The award will be presented at the 58th annual UB School of Management Alumni Association awards banquet at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 1 in the Millennium Airport Hotel.

Ciminelli was selected by a vote of past honorees and the board of directors of the alumni association, who cited his career success, civic leadership and professional integrity.

"I sincerely thank the UB School of Management for honoring me with such a prestigious award," said Ciminelli. "It is truly humbling to be listed among so many great men and women in our community who have previously received this award."

A 35-year veteran of the construction industry, Ciminelli has combined his civil engineering and construction expertise to establish Western New York's largest construction group. Once a field superintendent in his father's organization, Frank L. Ciminelli Construction Co. Inc., Ciminelli now leads 200 full-time professionals and oversees the vision and overall direction of all LPCiminelli Inc. corporate entities.

Ciminelli is a passionate advocate of free enterprise, participating in several local and statewide business organizations. In addition to creating jobs through the success of his company, his notable contributions to the local and regional economy include his prior appointments with the New York State Power Authority, first as a trustee and then as chair. Ciminelli currently chairs the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and is chairman emeritus of 43 X 79.

When not championing local businesses, he lends his support to numerous nonprofits, including cultural groups, schools and other community organizations. He currently serves on the board of trustees of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and LPCiminelli annually sponsors the BPO's Opening Night Gala.

Ciminelli is a member of the Canisius College Board of Regents and the Niagara River Greenway Commission. He has previously served on the Buffalo State College Council, Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo Foundation and the Regional Advisory Board for Empire State Development.

Ciminelli and his wife, Anne Louise, reside in Buffalo. He has four children and two grandchildren.

Established in 1949, the Niagara Frontier Executive of the Year award is presented annually to an area resident. Past recipients include Robert B. Adam, Harlan J. Swift, Whitworth Ferguson, Robert E. Rich Sr., Robert E. Rich Jr., Seymour H. Knox III, Robert G. Wilmers and Frank L. Ciminelli, the father of this year's award recipient.

For further information about the awards banquet, contact John Shellum, assistant dean of alumni relations in the UB School of Management, at 716-645-3224.

The Wall Street Journal ranks the UB School of Management 10th in the nation among schools with strong regional recruiting bases. In addition, BusinessWeek ranks the school as one of the country's top 5 business schools for the fastest return on MBA investment, and Forbes cites it as one of the best business schools in the U.S. for the return on investment it provides MBA graduates.

For more information about the UB School of Management, visit http://mgt.buffalo.edu.