Dr. Kimberly DeSimone, professor in the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University, will be honored Sept. 14 with a Woman of Influence Award from Buffalo’s Business First.

The weekly business magazine will honor 25 area women for their contributions to the community. DeSimone was honored in the Inspiration category. More than 170 women were nominated.

The Women of Influence awards will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens.

The 17th annual awards recognize the business acumen and community spirit of these women.

“The panel chose these women based on their ability to rise above a very talented pool of competitors,” said John Tebeau, Business First publisher. “We’re honored to recognize their accomplishments.”

The creator of the Advancing Women podcast, DeSimone is a passionate advocate for advancing women and women’s workforce success. She is a former president of New York State Women Inc. (Buffalo/Niagara Chapter); its mission is to build powerful women personally, professionally and politically and to make a difference in the lives of working women.

DeSimone is also involved in numerous women’s advancement organizations including The American Association of University Women (AAUW), The National Association of Female Executives (NAFE), The National Latina Business Women’s Association (NLBWA), The National Association of Professional Women (NAPW), and Buffalo/Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives (BNSME).

She is the director of SBU's master's in leadership program.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. St. Bonaventure was named the #5 regional university value in the North in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 college rankings edition.