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In advance of the launch of Appeal 2025 early next year, Catholic Charities of Buffalo today announced the members of the Appeal 2025 leadership team. This year’s Appeal will be led by Michael Noe, MD, MPH as chair, Daniel Mecca as vice chair, Gina Giese as parish and community division chair, David Wolf as corporate division chair, and Nicholas Knab as corporate division vice chair.

“For more than 100 years, the Appeal has been driven by the dedication of hundreds of faithful volunteers who give generously of their time to help us provide HOPE to so many throughout our community,” said Deacon Steve Schumer, president and CEO, Catholic Charities. “Our Appeal leadership team are instrumental in guiding and supporting our many volunteers to help make Appeal 2025 successful.”

The Appeal 2025 Chair, Dr. Noe, is an emeritus clinical professor in the School of Public Health and Health Professions at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Now retired, he previously served as associate dean for community relations and clinical affairs and as director of the school’s residency program in preventative medicine. Dr. Noe also held various senior administrative positions during his career with Kaleida Health. He is a long-time member of the Bishop’s Council of the Laity and serves on the board of directors at Brothers of Mercy campus facilities, at Harvest House Buffalo, and at The Family Help Center. Dr. Noe resides in Clarence and is a member of St. Gregory the Great Parish in Williamsville.

Mecca is president and managing creative director for Abbey Mecca, a Buffalo-based branding, advertising, and digital marketing firm. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors for several area organizations including the Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation, and the Regional Traffic Alliance. A resident of Williamsville, he is a member of the St. Joseph University Parish community.

As parish and community division chair, Giese works with both parish Appeal teams as well as Catholic schools, parish societies and other local Catholic organizations throughout the eight counties of Western New York. She is a senior vice president and retail regional manager with M&T Bank and serves on the Genesee Community College Foundation board. Giese and her husband, Deacon Walter Szczesny, are members of Ascension Parish in Batavia.

Wolf returns for his second year as corporate division chair to direct a team of volunteer business leaders and develop strategies for seeking contributions from local corporations and small businesses. He is a senior financial advisor with Excelsior Financial. Wolf holds the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM (CRPC®) designation and has more than 25 years of experience servicing both individual high net worth clients and small businesses. Wolf resides in North Buffalo with his family and are members of St. Mark Parish in Buffalo.

Knab, CEO and co-founder of OneBridge Benefits, joins the corporate division as vice chair. He serves on the board of the Foundation for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo and is a member of its audit committee. He is also a member of the Bishop’s Council of the Laity. Knab has also been involved in key fundraising events for the Our Lady of Victory family of organizations, including as a member of the committee for its annual Victory Nite event. He also serves on the board of WNY Heritage Magazine as treasurer. A resident of Williamsville, Knab and his family are active parishioners at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Williamsville.

The annual Appeal kicks off in January and runs through June 30. Funds raised during Appeal 2025 help to support more than 50 programs and services administered by Catholic Charities, along with several ministries through the Fund for the Faith. More than 147,000 people of all ages, faiths and backgrounds were served by Catholic Charities last year. For more information or to donate to Appeal 2025, visit ccwny.org/donate.