Steven J. Weiss, Esq., Williamsville East High School, Class of 1983   (Inducted 2017)

Steven J. Weiss is one of the founding partners of Cannon Heyman & Weiss LLP, a boutique law firm concentrating in the areas of affordable housing and community development transactions using various tax incentives such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits and Historic Tax Credits. 

Mr. Weiss has testified before the United State House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee and before the New York State Assembly Committee on Housing regarding the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. He served on the Housing Transition Committee for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and was nominated by Governor Cuomo to serve on the Board of Directors of the New York State Housing Finance Agency, which appointment was confirmed by the NYS Senate on June 7, 2011. During his tenure with the HFA, through June 15, 2017, he served as its Vice Chair and Chair of the Governance Committee.

Dedicated to community service, Mr. Weiss is President of the Buffalo Jewish Federation and serves on the Boards of Directors of the Jewish Federations of North America and Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He previously served as a Board Member of the Jewish Community Center, Temple Beth Zion, and the Hillel Foundation, and as a Trustee and Board Chair of Preservation Buffalo Niagara, and was a Board Member and Chair of the Public Policy Committee for the Preservation League of New York State.  He also participated in Leadership Buffalo, and was named to Business First of Buffalo’s “40 Under 40.”

He holds bachelor’s and MBA degrees from the SUNY at Buffalo School of Management and a juris doctorate from the UB School of Law.  He is a member of the American Bar Association Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, and the New York State Bar Association Real Estate Committee. Mr. Weiss served as an adjunct professor at UB Law School and currently serves on the Dean's Advisory Counsel.

Mr. Weiss resides in the City of Buffalo with his wife Ellen Romer Weiss (Williamsville East class of 1986). Their daughters Cayla and Miranda are also graduates of Williamsville East.