School & Community News

1966 graduate named to Buffalo's NFTA Commission

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently appointed Buffalo State’s Bonita Durand to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) Commission. Durand, a 1966 graduate of Walnut Hills High School and a 1987 graduate of the Union Institute, Durand moved to Buffalo in 1990.
In 1996, Durand became chief of staff in the Buffalo State President’s Office and secretary to the Buffalo State College Council. She began her two-year appointment with NFTA on June 14 following confirmation by the New York Senate.
The NFTA commissioner position follows a long line of community roles Durand has been offered or has volunteered to take. Recently, she has participated in the Mayor of the City of Buffalo’s 2010 Complete Count Census Committee, the Buffalo Niagara Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, the Buffalo Citizens’ Advisory Commission on Reapportionment in 2011, and the Western New York Women’s Fund Board of Directors. She also is a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., an international public-service organization, in which she has held numerous offices at the local and regional levels.
Durand holds both a master’s of science in applied public affairs and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University at Buffalo. In 2010, she received certification in educational management and leadership from the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University. Prior to earning her master’s degree at UB, Durand received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and curriculum development from the Union Institute.