Niagara University restructures center, appoints Michael Jeswald director

Niagara University's Center for Events and Management Development is now known as the Center for Conferences & Events. Additionally, Michael Jeswald has been promoted to director of the center.

The office restructuring is intended to enhance the university's efforts to attract audiences composed of undergraduate and graduate students, business leaders, artists, scholars and the general public.

Jeswald, who possesses nearly 30 years of experience in hospitality and event management, has been a Niagara University employee since 2005. He was formerly the director of convention services and sales for the Buffalo Convention Center and worked directly with the Buffalo-Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau to secure conventions.

As director of the Center for Conferences & Events at NU, Jeswald is responsible for managing all high-profile functions associated with the president's office and cabinet, including the President's Dinner, graduations, convocations and other special events. He is also the administrator of the university's Web-based room scheduling software.

The Center for Conferences & Events offers planning and logistical support to Niagara students, faculty and staff for events such as dinners/fundraisers, and alumni and admissions activities. It also contributes to revenue generation and student recruitment by coordinating conferences on campus during the summer.

Jeswald is supported by office coordinator Roxanne Cardone and a graduate assistant, presently Henrietta Nagy, an MBA student from Romania.

"Mike and his team have demonstrated a wonderful proficiency for providing exceptional services and tools to support events on our campus while upholding Niagara's integrity, Vincentian values and inclusive engagement," said Mary E. Borgognoni, who oversees the center through her role as NU's senior vice president for operations and finance. "The success that they've had coordinating major events, such as the presidential inauguration in 2014, has earned the Center for Conferences & Events a reputation for being a valuable resource for Niagara's on- and off-campus communities."

To learn more about Niagara University's Center for Conferences & Events, visit www.niagara.edu/cce.