Blythe T. Merrill

Blythe is the Executive Vice President and serves as The Foundation’s senior programmatic leader and oversees the planning, development, and implementation of key Foundation initiatives. She collaborates with local and national leaders to identify, cultivate, and drive the introduction of proven models to the Western New York area. Blythe oversees the Foundation’s education-related grants and programs, including a $10 million scholarship program. She was a major driver in the efforts to bring “Say Yes to Education” to Buffalo and serves on the local operating committee. She also played a significant role in the development of the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology, and in The Foundation’s support of the 2011 National Trust for Historic Preservation conference in Buffalo; she continues to be engaged in neighborhood revitalization efforts across the city.

Blythe joined The Foundation in 2004. She has a diverse background that includes many years in preservation planning, community development, and technical advising through earlier positions with Flynn Battaglia Architects, the Landmark Society of Western New York, the Steel Industry Heritage Task Force and the Mon Valley Initiative in Pittsburgh, and the Municipal Art Society in New York City. For over a decade, she served as a grant reviewer/program officer/funding strategist for numerous well-known organizations such as the Preservation League of New York State, New York State Council on the Arts, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and the Howard Heinz Endowment in Pittsburgh. She is a graduate of Skidmore College and was a Loeb Fellow through the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and Environmental Studies.