The Professional Services Awards Jury for the American Institute of Architects New York State Excelsior Awards recently announced the 2024 recipient of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Award is Dr. Karen King, the commissioner of Erie County’s Department of Public Advocacy.
The award, which comes during a year with a record-breaking number of nominations, is intended to recognize members of the public who made contributions to architecture. Dr. King was nominated and deemed the award winner for her tireless leadership and coordination of the Trailblazing Women of Western New York Monument Project. The purpose of the project is to highlight and celebrate the significant contributions of women in the development of this region and the country. It was initiated in 2017 by the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women in collaboration with several community partners, including the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission, the Mary B. Talbert Civic and Cultural Club, Inc., Seneca Nation, University at Buffalo Gender Institute, the Buffalo History Museum, Seneca Gaming Corporation, and the American Institute of Architects New York State.
Progress of the project includes the recent placement of two of three trailblazing women statues at Old County Hall on Franklin Street in Buffalo: Louise Blanchard Bethune, and Geraldine “Gawo:sid-Tah” Green. The third statue of Mary Burnett Talbert will be installed in August 2024. In addition to the monuments the project also includes a narrative exhibit of Living Trailblazing Women of Western New York in collaboration with the Buffalo History Museum.
The prestigious honor will be presented as part of an annual awards ceremony that will be held in partnership with the Associated General Contractors of New York State’s Jeffrey J. Zogg Build New York Awards on Thursday, May 9 at the Albany Capital Center in Albany.
As commissioner of Public Advocacy, Dr. King oversees the Commission on the Status of Women and the division of Consumer Protection and is acting director of the division of Equal Employment Opportunity.
For more information:
About the Erie County Department of Public Advocacy, visit www.erie.gov/publicadvocacy
About the Trailblazing Women of WNY Monument Project, visit www.erie.gov/trailblazing-women-western-new-york
About the American Institute of Architects’ New York State chapter, visit www.aianys.org
