The Daemen University Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Brian Higgins and Gail Mitchell to the university’s board.
Higgins serves as the President & CEO of Shea’s Performing Arts Center where he will oversee an expansion of the campus and work to revitalize Buffalo’s historic theatre district.
Prior to this role, Higgins served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2005-2024, representing New York’s 26th and 27th congressional districts. He was a member of both the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on the Budget and was a co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus, Historic Preservation Caucus, Northern Border Caucus, Revitalizing Older Cities Task Force, Great Lakes Task Force, and the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition.
Higgins also served on the Buffalo Common Council and in the New York State Assembly.
A graduate of SUNY Buffalo State University, Higgins earned a bachelor of arts in political
science and a master’s degree in history. In 1996, he received a master of public administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
“It’s an honor to welcome Brian Higgins to our Board of Trustees,” said John R. Yurtchuk, chairman of the board. “Throughout his long tenure in Washington, Congressman Higgins’ belief in the value of higher education was reflected in the way he continuously supported Daemen University. I look forward to now working with him in this capacity as we continue to strengthen Daemen’s reputation as a university of national distinction.”
For Mitchell, this is her second stint on the Daemen Board of Trustees. She was originally appointed in 2014 and would go on to serve three terms. After a year off, she was once again nominated for a seat on the board.
“Gail’s reappointment to the Board of Trustees is well-deserved,” Chairman Yurtchuk added. “Her experience and insight are invaluable as we continue to move the university forward.”
For more than 20 years, Mitchell served in the Office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of New York. From 1995-1997 and 2002-2017, she was appointed as Assistant United States Attorney. She served as the Chief of the Financial Litigation Unit from 1997-2001.
Mitchell also worked as an assistant attorney general for New York State and was an assistant city solicitor in Philadelphia.
Currently, Mitchell serves on the boards of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Institute and the Minority Bar Foundation of Western New York. She previously served on the boards of Buffalo Prep and Elmwood Franklin School. Mitchell also volunteered as a facilitator for Racial Healing Circles and mentored students through Lawyers for Learning.
She is a graduate of Columbia University School of Law and Brown University.