Gioia confirmed as new International Joint Commission rep

May 3—A prominent Buffalo civic leader has been confirmed as a new member of a bi-national commission that helps regulate water flows on Lake Ontario, other Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-New York, announced Friday the confirmation of Robert Gioia as a commissioner with the International Joint Commission, which was established by the Boundary Treaty of 1909 to prevent and resolve disputes over the U.S. and Canada's shared waterways.

"It's critical to have a New Yorker like Robert Gioia as one of the three U.S. IJC Commissioners because the IJC's decisions impact New Yorkers every day from Buffalo to Rochester to the North Country," Schumer said. "Lake Ontario and Lake Erie are vital resources that provide drinking water to millions and drive commerce, economic development, tourism, recreation, and the ecological health of the region. It's vital to safeguard the Great Lakes by advancing the IJC's work from the current expedited review of Lake Ontario's Plan 2014 regulations to protecting wetlands and shorelines from erosion, and so much more.

Schumer said Gioia, the former president of The John R. Oishei Foundation, "embodies what it means to make the world a better place and is truly one of Buffalo's best and finest."

"He will make a world of difference with his years of experience serving our community and I know he will bring dignity and excellence to his new role," Schumer said.

Gioia has been a civic leader in Western New York for nearly 50 years. Schumer's office credited him with helping advance the construction of the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, the current expansion of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and bringing the John R. Oishei Children's Hospital and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus. Gioia also helped establish the local education group, Say Yes Buffalo, and spearheaded improvements to the city's waterfront.

Gioia served as chairman of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority board for much of the 1990s. He is also a three-time Buffalo News Citizen of the Year

While Gioia retired in late 2021, he has remained civically active with Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology, Great Lakes Health, and as chairman of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, among others. The University at Buffalo graduate has also served as board chair of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, as a trustee of St. Lawrence University, board president of the Martin House Restoration Corporation and board president of Nichols School.