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Stephanie Belasik
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716.852.8687, x115
sbelasik@eriebar.org
Maura K. O’Donnell Takes Office as 120th President of the Bar Association of Erie County
July 15, 2026 – The Bar Association of Erie County (“Bar Association”) is pleased to announce that Maura K. O’Donnell was sworn in as its 120th President. Ms. O’Donnell’s father, The Honorable John F. O’Donnell (ret.) administered the oath.
Ms. O’Donnell brings a distinguished career in public service and corporate law to the role. She currently serves as Senior Associate General Counsel at UnitedHealth Group. Previously, she served as the Buffalo Regional Director for the New York State Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Unit and spent a decade as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of New York, where her work earned her the prestigious 2015 FBI Director’s Award for Excellence. A former Assistant District Attorney, Ms. O’Donnell has extensive litigation experience across New York State and federal courts.
An active member of the legal community, Ms. O’Donnell recently completed a term on the Bar Association’s Board of Directors and is a member of both the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York and the Minority Bar Association of Western New York. Deeply rooted in the local community, she is a long-standing board member and former coach for the West Side Rowing Club. She holds both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin, where she was an NCAA student-athlete.
Ms. O’Donnell will serve a one-year term as President, leading an organization of over 3,000 lawyers. Upon assuming the Presidency, O’Donnell stated “Whatever this year brings, the Bar Association of Erie County will be prepared to meet the moment. We will speak with a strong and collective voice to stand up for the independence of our profession, defend the Constitution and the Rule of Law, reject threats to our judiciary, and support the expansion of opportunity for those traditionally underrepresented in our profession — and we will do so with the civility and ethics that define our local legal community.”
The Association’s Officers serving with President O’Donnell are newly elected Vice President Robert C. Brucato, Jr., Treasurer Andrew J. Freedman, and newly elected Deputy Treasurer Elise L. Cassar. Newly elected Directors are Stephanie J. Calhoun, Aalok Karambelkar, Scott Sroka, Christopher Phillips and Jake Cercone.
The following Directors will continue to serve until the expiration of their three-year terms: Ericka N. Bennett, David M. Goodman, Cat McCulle, Erin A. Tresmond, Milton D. Gordon, Linda S. Grear and Patrick J. Long. The Association’s Executive Director is Anne M. Noble, who serves on the Board ex-officio.
About the BAEC
The Bar Association of Erie County (“BAEC” or “Association”), a not-for-profit professional association, was founded in 1887. The Association serves its members by educating, pursuing justice, and fostering camaraderie, well-being, and belonging. The Association is a trusted voice and partner in the community, advocates for professional well-being and inclusion, and provides lawyers with the skills and tools to achieve excellence in the practice of law and pursuit of justice. The BAEC is a nonpartisan association made up of over three thousand lawyers and judiciary from varied practices and backgrounds, including lawyers in civil and criminal practice, corporate and trial lawyers, defense counsel, in house counsel, and those working in government, educational, and nonprofit settings.
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