Buffalo City Mission announces leadership transition

CEO & Executive Director Aubrey Calhoun to step down

√ Board appoints Marilyn Forcucci as interim CEO and executive director

Buffalo City Mission Press Release

The board of directors of the Buffalo City Mission announced the appointment of Marilyn Forcucci as interim CEO and executive director, effective April 23. This transition follows the decision by current CEO and Executive Director Aubrey Calhoun to step down after nearly two decades of dedicated service to the organization.

Forcucci joined the City Mission in 2017 and has served as chief operating officer since 2023. In 2024, she also assumed the responsibilities of chief program officer.

In addition to Forcucci’s interim appointment, the board is launching a formal executive search for a permanent CEO and executive director, as well as for a newly established chief development officer position.

“Marilyn is a trusted leader at the Mission, and we are confident in her ability to step into this role during the transition,” said Grace Huff, president of the board of directors. “The board is committed to conducting a thorough and thoughtful search process to fill both critical leadership positions and ensure the long-term sustainability and vitality of this important organization.”

Calhoun has been with the City Mission since 2006 and has held several leadership roles. In 2022, she became the first female CEO and executive director in the agency’s century-long history, succeeding Stuart Harper. Prior to that, she served as associate executive director and played a key role in the Mission’s successful $15 million “Next Century” capital campaign, which led to the opening of the Alfiero Family Center of Hope and Promise. The new community center expanded the agency’s capacity to provide community-based prevention programs, emergency shelter, restoration services, transitional housing, and recuperative care for individuals experiencing homelessness.

“The board fully supports Aubrey in her decision and is deeply grateful for her passion, dedication, and the transformational impact she has made,” Huff added. “She has worked very hard to achieve the goals we set more than a decade ago, and leaves a lasting legacy that will be felt by everyone who passes through our doors for years to come.”

More about Buffalo City Mission

Founded in 1917, the Buffalo City Mission is a nonprofit organization providing preventative, emergency and transitional housing programs to thousands of people experiencing homelessness and poverty every year. The agency now includes the Alfiero Family Center of Hope and Promise, a women and children’s shelter (Cornerstone Manor) and the Dick Road Thrift Store, all of which serve the Western New York Community. For more information, visit www.buffalocitymission.org or call 716-854-8181.

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