Joel Giambra

Joel A. Giambra joins Park Strategies, LLC after serving 8 years as Erie County Executive. Mr. Giambra emerged as upstate New York’s most articulate voice for government reform and regional development. His work on coordinating and consolidating local government delivery systems includes every service from law enforcement to park maintenance to water systems. Some of his policy initiatives include creating the region’s first-ever Cultural Tourism marketing campaign; the region’s first-ever multi-institutional health care planning effort; and the bi-national region’s first-ever working group of business leaders and government officials. In 2003, the New York State Legislature passed Mr. Giambra’s legislation to create a new governance structure for the Erie County Medical Center. Three years later, the medical center turned a profit for the first time in its history. In 2006, Mr. Giambra was responsible for creating the largest urban wind mill farm in the United States as the Steel Winds project was constructed in Lackawanna. This wind energy facility provides 20 megawatts of electricity, enough to provide power to 6,000 homes. Before being elected County Executive in 1999, Mr. Giambra served ten years as Buffalo City Comptroller. As Comptroller, he oversaw the financing of $624.557 million in municipal bonds, implemented performance auditing, oversaw the implementation of the MUNIS system and created the Joint School Construction Board. Prior to becoming City of Buffalo Comptroller, Mr. Giambra served as Niagara District Council Member for four two-year terms. During his tenure on the Common Council, he served as President Pro Tempore and chaired the Economic Development, Claims, Off-track Betting and Taylor Law Impasse committees. Mr. Giambra lives in Erie County and is the father of four children, Gabriella, Nicholas, Dominic and Joel Jr.