AMHERST, N.Y. – Daemen College President Gary A. Olson has been named to the 2017 Business First Power 250, an annual ranking of the most influential people in the Buffalo Niagara region.

“We extend our sincerest congratulations to President Olson for being named to the Power 250 list,” said Dr. Thomas Stewart, chair of the Daemen Board of Trustees. “His strong leadership and commitment to higher education has been influential both regionally and nationally.”

Olson has been ranked number 136 on the newly released roster that includes the most powerful people in Western New York’s eight counties. Local leaders from a range of organizations and industries are ranked on the 2017 list.

“It is an honor to be named to a list that includes such prominent leaders in our community,” said Olson. “I understand this recognition to be not just of me but of the many outstanding faculty and staff at Daemen College whose dedication and talents have had a positive impact on raising the national distinction of our college and our region.”

The Power 250, which is limited to individuals who live and work in Western New York, is “a list of the 250 men and women who wield the most clout in the eight-county region.” Business First reporters and editors nominated individuals for the list and rankings are based on extensive research and in-house discussions.

“Influence means different things to different people, but most of us will agree to this – we know power and influence when we see it. In the end, we came up with 250 power brokers for this list,” said Donna Collins, managing editor at Business First.