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ReNU Niagara director named to Business First's '30 Under 30'

by jmaloni

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Mon, Jul 21st 2014 11:15 am

Tom Lowe, director of ReNU Niagara, has been named to the 2014 class of Buffalo Business First's "30 Under 30" honorees, the newspaper announced last week.

The award recognizes 30 Western New Yorkers in the early stages of their careers who are achieving at high levels at work and in the community.

Among the factors considered are career achievements, leadership and initiative, community engagement and each nominee's potential to become a community leader on a grand scale.

Two Niagara University graduates - Kathleen Heim and Shannon Patch, both Class of 2007 - also were named to Business First's list.

Business First will honor this year's winners during a cocktail party and awards ceremony from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the USS Little Rock at the Naval & Military Park, 1 Naval Park Cove in Buffalo. To purchase tickets, visit www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/ event/99461 or call 716-541-1631.

Lowe, 28, is active in numerous community-building programs through his role with ReNU Niagara, an outreach office established by Niagara University in 2006. He manages the GreenRoots Leadership Development Program, projects in the Highland Community and the Vacant Lot Coalition. He also assists with the City of Niagara Falls' "LiveNF" program, and sits on the boards of Greenprint Niagara, the Main Street Business and Professional Association, the Niagara Beautification Commission, the City of Niagara Falls Youth Board and the Hyde Park Babe Ruth Baseball Association. 

A Youngstown native, Lowe graduated from Lewiston-Porter High School in 2004 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in arts administration from SUNY Fredonia in 2009, before returning to Niagara County to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA with ReNU Niagara. He became director of the program in June 2013.

Lowe has received additional training from the Grantsmanship Center, Concept Systems and the Clean Air Coalition's Lois Gibbs Fellowship program.

ReNU Niagara, a branch of the Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M. Institute for Civic Engagement at Niagara University, engages, empowers and educates diverse community stakeholders to mobilize their collective capacity and resources to improve Niagara Falls and the surrounding areas.

"Tom Lowe is one of the primary reasons that the economic and social redevelopment of Niagara Falls has gained some really positive momentum in recent years," noted Dr. David Taylor, director of the Levesque Institute. "Tom is the kind of person who prefers to keep his nose to the grindstone - he certainly doesn't seek out accolades - so it's nice to see his great work in the community celebrated with this award."

For more information on ReNU Niagara, visit www.niagara.edu/renu.

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