Schoetz elected to lead Peace Bridge board
A seasoned board member has emerged as the leader of the binational Peace Bridge Authority.
Kenneth A. Schoetz, named to the authority board in April 2003, was elected its chairman Friday by fellow board members from Canada and the United States.
Schoetz, chief operating officer and acting upstate chairman for Empire State Development Corp., will serve the remainder of Paul Koessler’s term as chairman. Koessler died last week.
The Peace Bridge is run by a 10-member board divided equally among Canadians and Americans. The chairmanship alternates annually between the two nations. Koessler was elected chairman in February.
Schoetz said he’s not sure whether he’s in an interim or long-lasting position.
“Obviously, the governor and Senate will place a new board member to replace Paul Koessler,” Schoetz said. “In the interim, there’s a need for leadership. That’s my role. I don’t have an answer to how long it will be.”
The governor has direct or indirect control over the appointments of four of the five American Peace Bridge Authority board members.Gov. David
A. Paterson, like two governors before him, indicated he wanted Koessler as chairman when he extended Koessler’s term.
It could take anywhere from weeks to months for Paterson to nominate a new board member, and he could recommend the new nominee lead the U. S. contingent either as chairman or vice chairman, depending on which country holds the chairmanship.
Koessler was appointed to the bridge authority in November 2000, and he had served as either its chairman or vice chairman for all but the first few months of his tenure.
Eliot Spitzer first appointed Schoetz to the board five years ago, when Spitzer served as state attorney general and Schoetz was his assistant attorney general in charge of the Buffalo office.
More recently, Schoetz has served as state Transportation Commissioner Astrid C. Glynn’s representative to the board. He serves at will, with no expiration date for his term.
“Paul [Koessler] provided wonderful leadership to the board, firm when he needed to be, and friendly and supportive when that was called for,” Schoetz said. “I think his mantra of ‘getting us a good bridge as quickly as we can’ is the one that should guide us as we move forward.”
Winning approval for a bridge design and reconfigured U. S. plaza remain the top tasks for the board. Big decisions are expected in the next several months, including whether the Common Council will go along with taking West Side properties for a larger Buffalo plaza.
“The process has taken longer than anyone wanted but we’re nearing a conclusion,” Schoetz said.
