Ulbrich Named Director of UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo School of Management has named Thomas R. Ulbrich director of its Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL).

An entrepreneur, Ulbrich is president and CEO of Ulbrich's Garden Center and Mow More Supplies in Alden. He will be leaving the day-to-day operations of his businesses to his general managers as he assumes his new role in the CEL.

Ulbrich is a graduate of the UB School of Management's Executive MBA program, as well CEL's Core program. He has remained active in CEL, serving as reactor in the Core program, a coach in the Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition and on CEL's advisory board.

Ulbrich is active in the National Federation of Independent Business and serves as vice chair of its New York State Leadership Council, where he advocates for small businesses and lobbies state and federal legislative branches on small business issues.

In the community, Ulbrich is a member of several advisory boards and councils, including the Buffalo Chapter advisory board of Students in Free Enterprise and the board of directors of the Alden Chamber of Commerce.

"We are very pleased to have Tom join us. The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership has built incredible momentum in recent years and with Tom's experience, we are well positioned to continue this outstanding progress," said John M. Thomas, dean of the School of Management.

Ulbrich will succeed Althea Luehrsen, now UB assistant vice president of corporate and foundation relations.

CEL was established in 1987 to assist regional economic development. Its 10-month Core program is designed for experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders who wish to grow, refocus or better manage their businesses by developing expertise in strategic planning, employee relations, capital acquisition and marketing.

CEL also runs an advanced entrepreneurship program for Core graduates and oversees the School of Management's Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs program and the Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition.

Nearly 700 CEL alumni employ more than 25,000 Western New Yorkers and are worth nearly $3 billion to the local economy. For more information about the CEL, call 716-885-5715 or visit http://mgt.buffalo.edu/cel.

The Wall Street Journal ranks the UB School of Management No. 9 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.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system that is its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 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.