80 Leadership Niagara members convene in Canada for binational relationship building

Focusing on best practices on creating and sustaining cross-border communities

Leadership Niagara will travel to St. Catherines, Ontario, for a daylong session on binational relationship building and best practices on creating and sustaining cross-border communities with their Canadian counterparts, Leadership Niagara of Ontario.

Since 2012, Leadership Niagara USA and Leadership Niagara Canada have been working together to build relationships and discuss issues that are unique to the binational region. The session will include discussions with industry experts, as well as training in creativity, innovation and problem solving in the context of transnational and global communities.

Regional Chairman of Niagara Gary Burroughs, Leadership Niagara USA Executive Director Molly Anderson and Leadership Niagara Canada Executive Director Mario De Divitiis will welcome members of both organizations to Hernder Estate Wines where the session will take place beginning Friday morning. Guest panelists will include: Greg Wight, president and CEO of Algoma Central Corp.; Ken Franasiak, CEO of Calamar; Kithio Mwanzia, director of policy and government of Greater Niagara Chamber (Canada); and Bryan Roth, manager of CanAm at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

"Binational relations is vital to our economy, security and quality of life," Anderson said. "As leaders, it is our job to work together, to build and sustain our cross-border community, and ensure that our national border continues to be the strongest in the world."

The Leadership Niagara USA 2014 class represents 38 leaders with diverse backgrounds, including business, law, education, military, law enforcement, media, and nonprofits from Buffalo, Niagara and Southern Ontario. The 2014 class is in its fourth month of a year-long graduate level program designed to reinforce leadership concepts and principles, and provide understanding of regional issues such as manufacturing and workforce development, tourism and regional economic development, and leading change and transformation. Leadership Niagara is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

More than 1,200 leaders have graduated from Leadership Niagara since 1984.

For more information on Leadership Niagara USA, visit www.leadershipniagara.org.

For more information on Leadership Niagara Canada, visit www.leadershipniagara.ca.