Buffalo, N.Y., May 20, 2024 – The Board of Trustees of The Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation has appointed three new members and includes Allen Paul Booker, Dr. Marie A. Cannon, and Dr. Jacqueline Hall. The new members will each serve an initial one year term with the private family foundation that serves Western New York and Eastern Massachusetts.
Allen Paul Booker is the founder and college access counselor at Booker College Planning, based in Niagara Falls. He provides students and their families with personalized guidance in the early stages of college planning through the application and financial aid process. He also works with school districts, youth development programs, and community organizations. In addition, Mr. Booker has an extensive background in economic development with the City of Niagara Falls, having previously worked as the former business development and tourism coordinator, and interim executive director of the Niagara Falls Development Corporation. He also served as the minority enterprise and business development coordinator supporting New York State-certified Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) clients and as a community policing liaison with the Niagara Falls Police Department. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Fredonia, and holds a Master of Science in Student Personnel Administration from Buffalo State University.
Marie Cannon serves as the commissioner of the Erie County Department of Social Services, overseeing the largest county department that provides safety net assistance to Erie County residents. The department includes:Temporary Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, Child Care, Employment, HEAP, Homeless and DV services, Adult and Child Protective Services, Children Services, Adoption, Foster Care, Independent Living, a Youth Detention Center, Youth Services division, a legal and human resource departments. She previously was the chief executive officer with the Child Care Resource Network, a nonprofit organization that works to help families find child care, educate, and empower child care providers, and advocate for the children of Erie County and Western New York. She also served as executive director for several not for profit organizations and has over 30 years of executive management experience in community-based organizations that serve vulnerable communities. Currently, she sits on New York State’s Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council and Governor Hochul’s Childcare Availability Task Force. Ms. Cannon is a graduate of Canisius College (now Canisius University) and holds a Master of Social Work from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She recently completed a Doctorate of Social Work from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Jacqueline Hall is the executive director of the Buffalo and Erie County Workforce Investment Board overseeing the development and implementation of workforce policies and Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) funded programs. Ms. Hall has also served as the executive director/family independence at the Erie County Department of Social Services, directing operations of four major program division areas including SNAP, Medicaid, Employment, and Daycare. Her previous experience also includes work with Kaleida Health, the WNY Women’s Foundation, The Community Action Organization, and The University at Buffalo, Center for Urban Studies. She is a graduate of Buffalo State College (now Buffalo State University), holds a Master of Social Work from State University of New York at Buffalo and recently completed a Doctorate of Social Work, also from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Mollie Byrnes, a Tower family member and a trustee who serves on the foundation’s Operations Committee commented, “We are delighted to have these three accomplished and dedicated professionals join the Tower Foundation board. Each brings important perspectives in working directly with young people or with organizations that serve them. We are confident that they will provide guidance and expertise in our grantmaking to continue to bring needed support to children and young adults in our focus areas of intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health issues, and/or substance use disorders.”
The Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation is a family foundation that helps children, adolescents, and young people affected by intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health issues, and/or substance use disorders. The foundation’s goal is to improve the lives of young people in the geographic footprint of Erie and Niagara Counties in Western New York, and Barnstable, Dukes, Essex, and Nantucket Counties in Eastern Massachusetts.