Robert Gioia confirmed as IJC United States Commissioner

The International Joint Commission (IJC) is pleased to announce that the appointment of Robert Gioia as Commissioner has been confirmed by the US Senate.

A longtime community leader in the Buffalo-Niagara region of New York, Mr. Gioia has guided several community transportation, education and development organizations. Mr. Gioia has spent 16 years as president of the John R. Oishei Foundation, a philanthropic organization supporting safe neighborhoods, sound education and regional development across eight western New York counties.

Additionally, he currently serves as the chair of Great Lakes Health, a nonprofit focused on improving access to, and quality of, health care in the region: chair of the Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology; chair of Great Lakes Health; and as a board member for Daemen University.

Mr. Gioia's previous affiliations include chair of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, where he oversaw the completion of the $120 million Buffalo-Niagara International Airport; chair of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, where he oversaw the revitalization of the Buffalo waterfront; president of Martin House Restoration Corporation; trustee for St. Lawrence University; chairman of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo; and board chair for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mr. Gioia has had a long career in business, joining his brothers in running the Gioia Macaroni Company in 1970, and later serving as vice president of Red Wing Foods before becoming the Principal with the Food Group of Strategic Investments and Holdings, Inc., a respected equity acquisitions firm.

As stipulated under Article XII of the Boundary Waters Treaty, the IJC's foundational document, and common to all Commissioners since 1909, Commissioner Gioia made a solemn declaration that as an IJC Commissioner he will faithfully and impartially perform the duties imposed upon him under this Treaty.

Contacts:
Ed Virden Washington 202-372-7990 [email protected]
Sarah Lobrichon Ottawa 613-794-8592 [email protected]