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Affiliation | Republican |
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2020-01-01 |
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Name | Christopher L. Jacobs |
Address | 196 Stonehenge Dr Orchard Park, New York , United States |
Email | None |
Website | None |
Born |
November 28, 1966
(57 years)
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Contributor | RMF |
Last Modifed | RBH Jan 09, 2021 09:00pm |
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Info | Chris Jacobs has strong ties to our community. As a lifelong resident of Western New York, he has been a vocal advocate for expanding local business development and improving our educational system. His efforts have led to proven results through his development company, Avalon Development, LLC, and the successful creation of the BISON Scholarship Fund, which has provided scholarships for more than 17,000 students in Erie County.
Through Avalon, which he founded in 2002, Chris has redeveloped seven buildings and 250,000 square feet of space in Western New York, earning him several preservation and revitalization awards.
Chris has been actively involved in local educational advocacy for the last 15 years. In 1995, he started the BISON Scholarship Fund, a private charity raising tuition dollars for low-income children. The BISON Fund has raised over $12.5 million dollars in private donations and provided scholarships for more than 17,000 low and moderate income children throughout Erie County.
In 2000, he co-founded the South Buffalo Charter School, one of the first charter schools in Western New York. Now educating more than 800 children annually, the school has been recognized as one of the best performing charter schools in all of New York State.
Chris was elected At-Large member of the Buffalo Board of Education in 2004, and continues to serve on the Board today. He has worked to reduce average class sizes, put more than 200 new teachers to work, and extend the school day and school year to provide extra help for struggling students.
In 2006, Chris was appointed by then Governor George Pataki as New York’s Secretary of State. He was charged with many responsibilities similar to those he will take on in the County Clerk’s Office; preserving state records, administering local government policies, overseeing state ethics, and regulating a variety of professions that require licensing. As Secretary, he also served as the Chairman of the New York State Real Estate Board and as Chairman of the Wireless 911 Emergency System Board. Chris took an active role in the development of the Niagara River Greenway. He resigned from his State position in 2007 and returned to the Western New York community, having maintained his service as a member of the Buffalo Board of Education.
As the current Board of Education’s Vice-President for Student Achievement, Chris has increased expectations for student performance and staff accountability. Students increased their state test scores by 90% in Math and 43% in English during the past two years.
Recently Chris has also served as Chair of the Finance and Operations Committee and as a Member of the Joint School Construction Board, which is charged with administering the $1 billion dollar renovation of Buffalo Schools. He has been an active force in negotiated union contracts that have improved efficiencies and cut district costs, and as a board member he helped save the district $40 million in health care costs for personnel.
Chris received a law degree from SUNY Buffalo, a MBA from American University in Washington, DC, and a BA from Boston College.
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