FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jesslyn A. Holbrook Assumes Leadership as President of the Erie County Bar Foundation
July 15, 2026 – The Erie County Bar Foundation is pleased to announce its 2026-2027 Officers and Board of Directors. Jesslyn A. Holbrook has succeeded Helen Ferraro-Zaffram as President. Mary Moorman-Penn is now serving as Vice President. Andrew M. Wilson and Larry E. Waters, Jr. are the Foundation’s Treasurer and Secretary respectively. New Directors serving a three-year term are Christopher J. Grover, Linwood Roberts, Jr., and Bridget M. O’Connell.
Ms. Holbrook brings a distinguished record of public service and legal advocacy to the role. A graduate of the University at Buffalo, she holds a Juris Doctor, a Master of Social Work, and a Bachelor of Arts — a combination that has defined her career at the intersection of law and compassionate service. She currently serves as an Administrative Law Judge with the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and previously held multiple roles at the Center for Elder Law & Justice in Buffalo, where she worked to advance justice and dignity for vulnerable populations navigating complex systems.
Ms. Holbrook was recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2022 and received the Louis H. Swartz Memorial Award from the University at Buffalo School of Social Work for her profound impact at the intersection of law and social work. She has served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors for several years, having previously held the roles of Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice President.
Upon becoming President of the Foundation, Ms. Holbrook reflected, “The Foundation has been a quiet but vital source of support for the lawyers of this community for nearly seven decades. I am honored to serve as its President, and I look forward to continuing that important work — ensuring that attorneys who dedicate themselves to serving others have somewhere to turn when they need help themselves.”
During her tenure, President Holbrook will be collaborating with the Bar Association of Erie County to support lawyer wellbeing, including programs to combat isolation and stress. These efforts reflect Foundation’s enduring mission and the work of the President to lead a board dedicated to ensuring that lawyers have proper financial and mental health support when they encounter unexpected career disruption, loss or trauma.
ABOUT THE ERIE COUNTY BAR FOUNDATION
The Erie County Bar Foundation was formed in 1957 by a small group of concerned lawyers who wanted to help a friend in need. Over the decades, hundreds of attorneys in Erie County have benefited from the timely assistance of the Foundation, the only bar foundation in the United States dedicated solely to helping members of the profession in times of crisis. Today, funded almost exclusively by lawyers in Erie County, the Foundation remains committed to helping lawyers and their families who are in crisis or having trouble in their career, often due to change or unexpected life circumstances. The Foundation also partners with community organizations to holistically support lawyer wellbeing.
For more information, contact:
Anne M. Noble, Executive Director
716.852.8687, x119 | anoble@eriebar.org