Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz announced that Deputy Erie County Executive Maria R. Whyte has accepted a position at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo as their Chief Community Impact Officer/Chief of Staff. In his message to Erie County employees regarding the change (below) Poloncarz noted the many impacts Deputy County Executive Whyte has had on county government during her seventeen years of public service, including as a former Majority Leader in the Erie County Legislature and as Commissioner of the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning:

“Today, I write with bittersweet news as I announce that Deputy Erie County Executive Maria Whyte has accepted the position of Chief Community Impact Officer/Chief of Staff at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. 

With 17 years in county government, DCE Whyte has been an exemplary public servant.  She joined my Administration in January 2012 as Commissioner for the Department of Environment and Planning after having served six years as the Majority Leader in the Erie County Legislature. In January 2015, I appointed Maria to serve as my Deputy, making her the first female in a generation to hold the title. 

It is clear Maria has left her stamp on County government.  Over the course of 17 years of service, Maria’s influence can be seen on the land, the laws, and the lives of people in this community.  The site of the former Bethlehem Steel property has been transformed into a modern-day business park, in part, because of Maria’s tenacious work.  During our work together, I’ve seen Maria put the real-world experiences of our residents at the center of the programs she championed, crafting innovative strategies to improve lives.  This work was especially evident during the pandemic and her leadership to ensure we have a childcare system that works better for providers, employers, parents, and children.  It was also true in her leadership of Live Well Erie, my comprehensive plan to ensure no one in this community is left behind, an effort to which she will remain committed in her new role. 

Please join me in congratulating DCE Maria Whyte on her new post at the Community Foundation.  She has worked a lifetime at fostering an equitable community, dedicating her talents and energies to upholding racial equity and building an inclusive economy.  I know she will take those talents to the Foundation.

DCE Whyte’s official last day in County government will be Friday, October 14, 2022.  I look forward to announcing the appointment of a new Deputy County Executive in the coming weeks.”

Deputy Erie County Executive Maria Whyte added, “Public service has been my passion and my commitment for the past seventeen years.  I labored over the decision to accept this position and was deeply conflicted about leaving the Poloncarz administration and the incredibly important work we are doing countywide.  However, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo offers an exciting opportunity to expand on that work and serve the public in new ways and I am deeply honored by their faith in my abilities.” 

Whyte, who was not actively seeking new employment, was first contacted by recruiters for the Foundation beginning in late March.  She added, “I want to thank County Executive Poloncarz for his leadership and commitment to building a better Erie County for the future, a commitment that he has renewed and reinforced in multiple ways throughout his time in office. Having worked closely with Mark on many issues over the years, I have seen firsthand his high standards of excellence, long-term thinking and the preparation that he brings to his job every day.  Working as his Deputy has been the highlight of my career.  I not only want to thank him for putting the good of our community first, but also for the tremendous opportunity to serve his administration and our community in this critical role.”

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