Getting to know the New Director:(Source: NFTA) - Kimberley A. Minkel to Lead Transportation Agency Buffalo, NY . . .
The Board of Commissioners of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority announced today the selection of Kimberley A. Minkel as the agency’s new Executive Director.
Minkel, 45, started at the NFTA in October 2002 as its Director of Health, Safety, and Environmental Quality. She has over 20 years of experience in the environmental and safety regulations business along with experience in compliance managing. She earned a bachelor of science degree from Niagara University in 1988 and an MBA with a concentration in management from Canisius College in 1995.
Henry M. Sloma, NFTA acting chairman said, “Today’s unanimous vote by the Board speaks volumes about the confidence we have collectively regarding Kim’s ability to lead this multifaceted agency. She is a person of integrity, who knows the inner workings of the NFTA, the community and has the necessary qualifications to move the agency forward.”
As director of the authority’s HSEQ department, she has worked to ensure the safety and protection of its workers, riders, the public and the environment. Recently, she oversaw the completion of an award winning environmental project for the Buffalo Niagara International Airport that uses wetland treatment technology for treating spent deicing fluid in storm water runoff. The BNIA is the first airport in the United States to use such a process. This project was awarded the Diamond Award in the Environmental Category by the NY branch of the American Council of Engineering Companies and a very prestigious Honor Award by the U.S. national ACEC.
“I am honored and humbled at being selected to be the new executive director. I am looking forward to working closely with our 1,500 dedicated employees to ensure that the NFTA is doing all we can to provide the highest quality and safest transportation services possible. I am also looking forward to meeting and getting to know more of our elected officials, and regional stakeholders to make certain that we are engaged at all levels going forward, Minkel said.”
Minkel began her career in 1989 at Sevenson Environmental as the Health and Safety Manager, Data Information Manager, and Quality Assurance Officer. She was responsible for managing all field and laboratory data, initiating system audits, and conducted employee safety evaluations. In 1992, she became Manager of Environmental, Health, and Safety for Washington Mills Electro Minerals Corp. Following this, in 1999 she became Manager of Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Compliance at Xerox Corporation. In both of these positions, she ensured compliance with federal, state, and local guidelines and managed employee accidents, including prevention, investigation, and behavior modification programs.
She is a member of many professional organizations, including Western New York Safety Advisory Committee and Who’s Who of Professional Management. In the past, she served on the Board of Directors for the Peace Bridge Authority, the City of Niagara Falls N.F.B. Development Corporation and she is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Buffalo. She has also co-authored several papers dealing with innovative approaches for managing storm water runoff at airports.
Ms. Minkel resides in Lancaster with her husband and two children.
