Boldly Buffalo campaign chairs awarded CASE District II volunteers of the year

Daniel Alexander and Gail Alexander, UB’s Boldly Buffalo campaign co-chairs, were awarded the Robert L. Payton Award for Voluntary Service by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II.

The award is given annually to individuals who demonstrate leadership in advancement programs, furtherance of the philanthropic tradition, and public articulation of needs, goals, and issues in education. It also highlights the important role that volunteers play in higher education campaigns.

“No one deserves this award more than Dan and Gail Alexander,” said Rodney M. Grabowski, UB vice president of university advancement. “As our campaign chairs, and proud and dedicated alumni, they use their boundless energy, selfless drive and contagious enthusiasm to promote the future of UB and the City of Buffalo. We are incredibly fortunate to have their leadership, partnership and friendship as we work to secure $650 million to transform our students, empower our faculty and improve our world.”

The Boldly Buffalo campaign — which has the largest stated goal in SUNY history — launched publicly in April 2018 and has raised nearly $500 million of its $650 million goal to date. The Alexanders were named the campaign’s co-chairs in 2018 after serving as members of UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ Build the Vision campaign.

The Alexanders are the founders of Finger Lakes Bone and Joint Center. Dan worked as an orthopedic surgeon and Gail served as practice administrator until they sold the business to Rochester Regional Health in 2016. The couple, who met at UB, have four children and reside in Canandaigua.

The Alexanders were recognized at the District II conference in Philadelphia on March 25, where Dan gave a moving speech about the importance of investing in higher education to ensure that students of all backgrounds have access to a college degree.

“Education is the key. Education opens the doors to breaking the cycle of poverty. And the Boldly Buffalo campaign is an investment in our collective futures,” said Gail Alexander.

At the annual conference, CASE District II also presented UB with a silver award in fundraising for Boldly Buffalo: The Campaign for UB launch program; an honorable mention for fundraising campaigns for Boldly Buffalo: The Campaign for UB; and an honorable mention for individual sub-websites for the Boldly Buffalo campaign website.