Published: November 14, 2008 11:12 pm      

PEOPLE PROFILE: Confer, Gaash among '40 Under 40'

Buffalo’s Business First held its annual 40 under 40 luncheon Thursday night to honor this year’s group of successful younger entrepreneurs.

Held at the spacious Buffalo Niagara Conference Center, honoree Cynnie Gaash, 37, was impressed with the efficiency of honoring 40 people in just an hour.

The selections were made this summer by a 6-member panel on behalf of Business First.

“We didn’t have to say a word we just received an award and they talked about us for a bit,” she said. “It was a nice broad range of people working in different fields — it was great. They kind of brag about being so good at it and it’s perfectly done on time.”

Bob Confer, vice president of Confer Plastics in North Tonawanda and columnist for Greater Niagara Newspapers (including the Tonawanda News) also received the award.

Confer Plastics, located at 97 Witmer Road was formed in 1973 and manufactures a wide variety of products such as above-ground pools, sleds, boat seats and anything else you can think of.

Gaash, for one, was noted for her work as a grant writer in Buffalo, where she has worked to find endowments for groups like the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Through her work, she is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas.

She’ll be the first to admit grant writing has little to do with her other specialty — she’s an abstract painter.

“Not a lot except usually you’re doing (the work) by yourself. That’s about it. It’s an independent activity,” she said.

For the last three years Gaash, a transplant to this area from Fredonia about seven years ago, put her grant writing skills to use and started her own business.

Before that, she also wrote grants part-time for a company called Young Audiences of WNY, were she was just recently re-hired as Director of Development.

The group keeps a roster of about 150 area artists and contracts with local school districts (several in the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda area) for supplemental arts education. Programs are also at work throughout Niagara County and in the Twin Cities.

She said she is a big fan of North Tonawanda’s Carnegie Art Center on Goundry Street. The center offers a range of art education programs such as dance classes as well as exhibition space.

But that kind of adaptability, the willingness to work anywhere there is need while still maintaining a focus on passion like art, is likely one of the reasons she sat at the head table Thursday evening.

Gaash described Young Audiences as a company which helps schools keep a focus on the fine arts but is not a replacement for a school’s own faculty and programs.

“We try not to be replacing programs. We really advocate for schools keeping their art and music teachers.”

They do, however, advocate that arts education can help students’ performance in other academic subjects.

“Actually, number of our artists in WNY are able to earn a significant income,” she said.

Contact reporter Neale Gulley at 693-1000, ext. 114.