For the first time ever, the NAWBO Buffalo Niagara and New York City chapters united for a joint visit to the New York State Capitol in Albany—bringing their collective voices directly to lawmakers in support of women business owners.

This collaboration, held on March 26, was the brainchild of Sherrie Barr Mack, past president of the Buffalo Niagara chapter and immediate past chair of NAWBO’s Presidents’ Assembly Steering Committee. “I joined NAWBO in 2017 and kept saying, ‘Let’s go to Albany,’” she says. “It had been on our NAWBO bucket list for years. With everything going on now and the voice of women business owners more important than ever, we finally said—we’ve got to go.”

Drawing on her background in public affairs and longtime involvement with advocacy issues like economic development and financial literacy, Sherrie helped coordinate the visit to align with the state legislative calendar. “We wanted to go after the election season and after the dust settled from a new administration taking office,” she explains.

The group scheduled meetings with lawmakers between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.—carefully planned to maximize impact within a tight one-day window. “We were moving between offices,” says Sherrie. “It was intense, but incredibly energizing.”

During the day, members met with:

 Senator George Borrello (R), a small business owner whose wife co-owns their restaurant and bar. “He immediately connected with our mission and was excited we were bipartisan,” Sherrie says. “I told him, ‘Your wife should check out NAWBO!’”
 Senator James Sanders (D), head of the Senate Task Force on Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) and Committee on Banks. “He’s a longtime champion for MWBEs,” says Sherrie. “I am working with his office on an event in Buffalo for him to hear directly from our NAWBO community business owners.”
 Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D), chair of the Assembly Committee on Small Business and a woman business owner herself. “She owns a Christmas tree farm,” shares Sherrie. “She even invited us all to visit!”
 Assemblywoman Karen McMahon (D), chair of the Assembly Ethics & Guidance Committee and a big supporter and friend of the Buffalo Niagara chapter.

Though Senator Patrick Gallivan (R) was unavailable during the visit, Sherrie notes, “He’s always very accessible and supportive of our chapter, and we’ll be following up locally with him.”

The chapters developed questions in advance, inspired by NAWBO’s national advocacy agenda but tailored to local and state-level concerns. “This was great preparation for Advocacy Day in Washington, DC this June,” adds Sherrie, who has been part of this national event every year (except one) since she joined NAWBO.

What stood out most to her about this joint chapter visit to Albany? The mix of experience and fresh perspective. “Some attendees had never been to Albany before—never advocated before,” she says. “It was new to them, but they were excited and inspired.”

The visit sparked more than just good conversations. Sherrie believes it may have encouraged a bipartisan collaboration between Senators Borrello and Sanders around business issues affecting women and minority-owned businesses. “That would be a huge win,” she says. “We’re going to pursue that.”

Follow-up is already underway. The chapters sent thank-you emails and personalized cards—including a photo of the group—to legislators. They’ve also identified four key takeaways to share across their memberships and plan to continue engaging with officials in both formal and informal settings. “We even told Senator Borrello we’d visit his restaurant with some members,” she said. “And we’ll be inviting him to one of our NAWBO dinner meetings or a coffee meet and greet.”

Sherrie hopes their Capitol visit inspires other chapters to take action. “If you want something, step forward and suggest it,” she advises. “Don’t wait. Do your research. Make that call. Legislators want to meet you—and they need to hear your voice.”

Members Representing NAWBO in Albany

Representing the Buffalo Niagara chapter were Lisa Coppola (immediate past national board chair), Stephanie Kennedy (incoming president), Jeanne Hellert (administrator), and Joan Seamans (longtime member). The New York City contingent included Neena Dutta (president), Jaclyn Tacoronte (advocacy chair), and Margaret Hernandez (VP membership).