Niagara University College of Nursing Dean Named to Buffalo Business First Power 200 Women

Dr. Christine Verni, dean and professor of Niagara University's College of Nursing, was among the honorees included on Buffalo Business First's 2025 list of Power 200 Women, a group of local leaders whose talent and influence are fueling economic, social, and cultural growth throughout Western New York.

Dr. Verni, who joined Niagara University in 2021, has taken an innovative and holistic approach to re-imagining NU's nursing programs. Under her leadership, the undergraduate nursing curriculum was revamped to align with the evolving healthcare environment and incorporate a focus on personal and nurse resiliency; the students' pass rate for the state RN licensure exam increased over 30% in cohorts within the first year and a half of her tenure; she has secured millions of dollars for nursing education at Niagara and has spearheaded the development of new graduate programs in family nurse practitioner and nursing education. She empowers her team to use their individual and collective expertise to produce highly qualified nursing graduates at all levels of study and allocates resources to upskill those entrusted with preparing the future nursing workforce to ensure they are well-positioned to address the challenges of healthcare across the globe.

Committed to using her leadership acumen and a collaborative approach to advance the nursing profession, Dr. Verni actively serves on boards and in leadership and stakeholder roles for academic and clinical nursing locally and regionally at St. Bonaventure, SUNY Niagara, SUNY Empire, and Kaleida Health. She is an active member of the NY Council of Deans, NY Organization of Nurse Leaders, Professional Nurses Association of WNY, Sigma's Internation Honor Society for Nursing, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and American Nurses Association.

Four Niagara University alumnae were also listed.

Joanne Israel, '06, general manager at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, has led the Seneca Gaming Corporation's largest gaming and entertainment resort property since 2022. She joined the organization in 2011 after five years in public accounting and has held roles as corporate director of finance, casino controller, and general manager at Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino. She was named assistant general manager at Seneca Niagara in 2018, where she helped manage and facilitate the $40 million Seneca Arrival Experience project, which completely renovated and re-imagined the east entrance to the resort.

Kimberley Minkel, '88, executive director of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, is the first woman to hold that post. She is responsible for managing a transportation system that includes light rail, bus, paratransit, and two airports within Western New York. Under her leadership, the NFTA earned a coveted Gold Standard award from the Transportation Security Administration for the authority's overall high security standards and practices. She previously served as director of risk, health, safety, and environmental quality for the NFTA, providing functional leadership within those areas.

Anne Musynske, '10, executive vice president, head of Western New York retail banking at M&T Bank, joined the organization when she was selected as a participant in its Management Development Program. She spent the first 10 years of her career working her way through management roles within the bank's branch network in Buffalo, Baltimore, Md., and New Jersey, before accepting an opportunity to learn call center operations back in Western New York. In 2022, she was promoted to her current role, leading WNY's retail branch network, which includes seven regional managers across 86 branches.

Kathleen Neville, MAIS'15, chairperson of the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, is a nationally known authority on sexual harassment, gender equality, discrimination, and misconduct in the workplace, schools, and sports. She is also known for her extensive expertise in reputation management. In addition to her work with the Bridge Commission, she has served as a senior advisor to the National Football League's EVP of football operations on major social issues for the past 16 years. She is the author of two books on sex discrimination and sexual harassment.

Buffalo Business First has compiled a list of the most powerful women in Western New York for the past 11 years.