JONATHAN A. DANDES  | Past Chair

Jonathan A. Dandes currently serves as Corporate Vice-President of Rich Products Corporation, having joined Rich Products in 1986. He has served in several roles within Rich’s, most recently as President of Rich Baseball Operations, which also included Canalside Buffalo and the Outer Harbor Management Group.

Jon served as Chairman of the ECMC Corporation Board of Directors from 2017-2021 and is also the Immediate Past Chair of the ECMC Foundation. His long-standing relationship with ECMC began in 2007 when he received a kidney transplant at the institution. Jon served as Chair for the capital campaign to construct ECMC’s KeyBank Trauma and Emergency Department, playing a pivotal role in its successful opening in June 2020. For the first time in its100+ year history, ECMC sought public support for a capital project on its Grider Street health campus. With Jon’s guidance and determination, ECMC raised $15 million of the overall $55 million project for the new state-of-the-art facility.

In addition to his work with ECMC, Jon is currently Chairman of the Board of the Ralph C. Wilson Explore & More Children’s Museum and Immediate Past Chairman of the Buffalo Zoo. He also serves as Vice-Chairman of the Buffalo/Niagara Partnership, having served two terms as Chair, and is the Immediate Past Chair of Visit Buffalo Niagara. Jon also serves on the Board of Shea’s Performing Arts Center, GoBike Buffalo, the Miracle League, Community Action Organization, Artpark & Company, 100 Club of Buffalo, and is the Chairman of the Buffalo Public Schools Foundation.

Recently, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Dandes to his 5th term as a member of the University at Buffalo Council. Jon also is adjunct associate professor at Niagara University where he teaches in the University’s College of Tourism and Sport Management. He has also served as a Trustee of the Nichols School.

Jon was named Buffalo News’ Citizen of the Year in 2018 and is the recipient of the Niagara University Caritas Medal, Hero of Hope Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, UB’s Outstanding Service Medal and the Nichols School Cornerstone Award.

Jon and Marcy Dandes, prior to her passing in 2018, chaired ECMC’s Springfest Gala for a number of years. Together, they also chaired the Theatre District’s Curtain Up event, and Shea’s Gala.

The proud grandfather of Luca and Leif, Jon’s son Leo, and daughter-in-law Lissette are graduates of the UB School of Law. His daughter Arin is a graduate UB’s Theatre & Dance program and is also widely known in Western New York as “Pinkalicious” having appeared in that role numerous times at the Theatre of Youth. His son-in-law, Adam Yellen is a graduate of SUNY Poughkeepsie.

A native of Queens, NY, Jonathan A. Dandes is a proud Buffalonian by choice who, for many decades, has achieved numerous accomplishments and successes that he pursued for the ultimate betterment and improvement of the quality of life for the residents of Western New York.