Emerging Leaders Class of 2017

Andrea Gonzalez is proud to be back home in Buffalo after living in Mexico most of her life. She has been a student at the University at Buffalo and a resident of Buffalo's West Side since 2013 and expects to receive a dual degree in Architecture and Graphic Design on spring 2018. During her time as a student, her commitment to strengthening Buffalo has shaped her as a consolidated leader among diverse groups in the areas of architecture and economic development. She held an internship at the mayor's Office of Strategic Planning (thanks to the Western New York Prosperity Fellowship), where she contributed to the development and implementation of Buffalo's recently enacted Green Code, and surveyed the implementation of several of the Buffalo Billion programs.

After the Emerging Leaders program, Gonzalez strives to bring positive change to Buffalo by becoming a full-time activist while continuing her education, specializing in economic development to start a not-for-profit organization to help promote home-ownership among disadvantaged families.