Susan Grelick

Susan Grelick is currently Counsel and Legislative Director to the New York State Senate Majority Leader.  Susan served as the first woman elected Town of Amherst Supervisor from 1997 through 2005 and served as the first woman elected Town of Amherst Town Clerk from 1992 through 1996.  An attorney with an MBA, Susan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Union College. In addition to a law degree and MBA, she also earned master degrees in Information Science (M.L.S.), and American Economic History (M.A.). She was an adjunct Faculty Member at University at Buffalo Law School from 2007 to 2018.

During her tenure as Amherst Supervisor, Amherst created its first State Park an 80+ acre park in the center of Williamsville. Amherst built a four-rink ice recreational center and a new state of the art Senior Center offering a broader variety of improved Senior services. She created the Amherst Memorial Hill Grove, a living memorial of a grove of 120 oak trees in groups of 9 and 11 dedicated to the victims and heroes of 9/11. She was instrumental in preventing the Williamsville Library from closing during the Erie County, New York Budget Crisis.

As Supervisor she emphasized professionalism, financial reform, regional cooperation and controlling development through adoption of a comprehensive Amherst Masterplan as the centerpieces of her administration. She initiated the Town’s first Vision Summits that were used to help define the town’s comprehensive masterplan that includes neighborhood preservation, traffic control, green space preservation and expansion, re-greening and defining appropriate areas for development.

During her tenure, North Amherst and Clearfield Recreation Centers received major renovations, ten parks were created, a 2.2 mile extension of the bike path was constructed and the Neighborhood News meetings she initiated received record turnouts. 

When she was Supervisor, Amherst was rated one of the best places to live by Money Magazine, was named the safest town in the United States seven out of her nine years as Supervisor, and had the highest bond rating of any municipality in Western New York.

Susan founded the Town of Amherst Diversity Coalition, Amherst International Festival, Celebrate Amherst Arts, Supervisor’s Youth Council, Amherst Women’s Interclub Council, Amherst Conservation, Parks and Recreation Foundation, the Amherst MLK Birthday Celebration, Ice and Golf Oversight Comiittees, an Intermunicipal Parks and Trails Committee, a Pesticide Reduction Committee, a Labor/Management Board, and the annual Town of Amherst September 11th Remembrance Ceremonies at the Amherst Memorial Hill Grove.

Well known for her strong commitment to public service, Susan has been involved with various community organizations in Amherst and throughout Western New York.  She served as President of the Amherst Youth Foundation, President of the Buffalo Amherst Business and Professional Women’s Association, President of the Amherst Dance Club and as the 2008 Chairperson of the Girls’ Town of Italy 45th Anniversary Event. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village, the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Greater Buffalo, UB Alumni Association, University at Buffalo School of Management Alumni Board, Erie County Industrial Development Agency, Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society, and served as Vice President of Finance of the Amherst Symphony Orchestra Association. She was also a member of Amherst Quota Club, Amherst Zonta Club and Williamsville Rotary. As Amherst Supervisor she was the longtime liaison from the Town to the Amherst Industrial Development Agency and the Amherst Chamber of Commerce. 

In 2018 she served on the Town of Amherst Bicentennial Commission and was the Chair of the Amherst Bicentennial Interclub Service Luncheon; and Co-Chair of the Amherst Bicentennial Gala. 

She currently serves as Trustee Emeritus of the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village, as a Board member of the Amherst Youth Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors of the Chautauqua Institution Women’s Club and MusicalFare Theatre. She also currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Amherst Symphony Orchestra 75th Anniversary Celebration. She is a member of the Twentieth Century Club of Buffalo and Brookfield Country Club in Clarence, New York. 

Susan has received numerous awards including: the naming of the Susan Grelick Gallery at the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village and the naming of the Susan Grelick Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village Legacy Society, the Amherst Business & Professional Women (BPW) Woman of the Year Award, the Amherst Women’s Interclub Council Award, the Susan B. Anthony Interclub Council Award, the Daemen College Associates Community Service Award, the Girls Town of Italy Woman of the Year,  the Niagara Frontier Recreation & Parks Society Public Service Award, Region 9 UAW Community Action Award, the Religious Service Award from the Network of Religious Communities, Holy Family Home Award for Greenspace Preservation, Amherst Democratic Woman of the Year Award, was inducted into the Amherst Avenue of the Athletes and is a Paul Harris Fellow.