BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Members of the 5/14 Memorial Commission are in search of an interim executive director for the 5/14 Memorial facility.
"Help manage it. Someone who is able to write grants, someone who is able to raise money and to look at all of the inner workings of what the commission and what this monument is going to be," 5/14 Memorial Commission Chairman Rev. Mark Blue said.
The meeting took place in a room inside the Apollo Theatre on Monday afternoon.
The Commission is looking for someone to take on the temporary assignment that will last two years, however, the role has the capability of evolving into a permanent role.
Details of the role are still being fleshed out but one thing that is certain is that the person must be a Buffalo resident. They will have at least three months to relocate.
At the last meeting on September 3, it was also shared that the Buffalo Urban League will provide the office space for the hire and will be on the League's payroll to help the Commission save money and not have to start its own payroll.
The salary of this interim executive director will be $130,000 per year, along with benefits. Rev. Blue said the funding for the Executive Director position comes from the City of Buffalo's $1 million commitment to support the 5/14 memorial.
The role has not been posted yet but will be made public once all of the details have been confirmed.
Committee Member Steven Carmina added that there has not been a confirmation that the "Seeing Us" memorial does not have a location just yet.
"We're still finishing up negotiations with some property over to move that property over to the City of Buffalo so that can then be transferred over to the commission," Carmina said.
He told me the committee plans to ensure there are no compromises for the way it is designed.
"This is going to be individual. It's going to be unique. It's going to be a program that is specific to this, much like you had for the 9/11 memorial or other places similar to that. This is very unique in that it needs to contain those things that the public feels that we need to have," Carmina said.
The next meeting is set to take place Monday, Nov. 4.
