Canisius University Citation
D I S T I N G U I S H E D A L U M N I A W A R D
Honorable Acea M. Mosey ‘92
Acea Mosey once described her work with the Erie County Surrogate Court as caring for people who can’t do it for themselves.
Mosey was elected Judge for Erie County Surrogate’s Court 8th Judicial District in 2017, replacing the highly regarded Judge Barbara Howe who retired. Prior to that, Judge Mosey served as public administrator for more than 12 years in the Surrogate Court which handles cases involving the affairs of decedents. Judge Mosey and her staff help people navigate the probate of wills and the administration of estates and trusts. The Surrogate Court also oversees guardianships and adoptions.
Judge Mosey earned her bachelor’s degree in business management from Canisius University and went on to Western Michigan University Cooley Law School for her law degree. She served as general counsel for Great Lakes Collection Bureau, a family-owned business that was sold to GE Capital. She was appointed partner in the law firm of Mosey and Persico and was later founder and managing partner of Mosey & Associates before being elected Surrogate Court Judge. Judge Mosey was the recipient of Attorney of the Year from the Judges and Police Executives Conference of Erie County in 2017.
Throughout her career, Judge Mosey has found time for plenty of community involvement despite a hectic schedule. In 2000, she was the first woman ever appointed to the Erie County Water Authority’s Board of Commissioners. Two years later, she was the Authority’s first Board Chairwoman, appointed by her fellow commissioners. Judge Mosey has also been a Board Member of the Buffalo Zoo and a member of numerous law organizations including the New York State Bar Association, the Erie County Bar Association, and the Women’s Bar Association.
Actively involved as a student at Canisius University, Judge Mosey’s support of her alma mater has never waned. She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees and has served as member of the Leadership Society, the Tulsa Law Society and the Women’s Leadership Council, as well as the Government Relations Advisory Board.
For her continued care for the legal needs of area residents and her inspirational leadership in Erie County, Canisius University is proud to name Judge Acea Mosey, from the Class of 1992, a Distinguished Alumna.
Canisius University Citation
D I S T I N G U I S H E D A L U M N I A W A R D
Catherine A. Bolz ’85, MBA ‘89
Catherine A. Bolz has a world of knowledge on human resources. She is Global Head of Benefits for Bloomberg LP, a media company founded by Michael Bloomberg, an American businessman and former mayor of New York City.
Bolz provides international human resources consulting services to the many business sectors of Bloomberg including designing, developing and managing global compensation and benefits programs. As a senior HR business partner, Bolz also works with lawyers acting for both claimants and defendants to provide employment expert witness reports in connection with various types of legal cases.
After earning an accounting degree from Canisius University, Bolz worked as an audit supervisor at M&T Bank in Buffalo. She went on to earn an MBA at Canisius and her career in HR was launched when she joined Pan American World Airways as a manager in the pension planning and administration department. She then held HR management positions for a number of companies in the financial industry including Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and BlackRock, Inc. Prior to joining Bloomberg, Bolz was an executive client relationship manager for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, consulting with the firm’s largest institutional retirement clients.
While her career has positioned her on the global stage, Bolz has never lost sight of her hometown community in Buffalo. Currently a member of the Canisius University Board of Trustees and Board of Regents, she has also served on the school’s Women’s Leadership Council, acted as an Alumni Ambassador for nearly a decade, and volunteered for the Canisius Fund Campaign. She has been a member of the Canisius University Leadership Society and was named to the college’s DiGamma Honor Society.
Now residing in New York City, Bolz is a member of the Institutional Retirement Client Advisory Council and a member of the advisory board for OutWOMEN in Business. She also supports the Epstein Becker Green Women’s Initiative, a group started by this international law firm to help advance career opportunities for women.
For her accomplishments in international human resources and her leadership in giving back to her alma mater and to her community, Canisius University is proud to name Catherine Bolz, from the Class of 1985, and Graduate Class of 1989, a Distinguished Alumna.
Canisius University Citation
D I S T I N G U I S H E D A L U M N I A W A R D
James D. Basil ‘85
James D. Basil has meant a great deal to the Western New York community.
As president of Joe Basil Chevrolet in Depew, New York, he oversees one of nine locations in the Basil family of automobile dealerships. The enduring business was started by his parents, Joe and Shirley – whose roots in the auto industry trace back to 1953 – and each of their seven children worked at the company while growing up. Instilled with the family spirit of hard work and perseverance, Basil made his way from cleaning showrooms and detailing cars to running one of the leading Chevrolet dealers in Western New York.
Basil earned a bachelor’s degree in management from Canisius University in 1985. He began working at the Chevrolet dealership in the 1990s and purchased the business in the early 2000s. Today, the Basil family of dealerships has locations from Lockport to Fredonia, employing approximately 500 people in Western New York and selling nearly 20,000 new and used vehicles annually.
Under Basil’s leadership, the Chevrolet location has received numerous awards and recognition including its rank as one of the top 10 Chevy dealerships in the nation for 11 consecutive years. The company has also been named as the number one selling Chevrolet dealer in Western New York and was named number one in the country in 2013. Basil was also the recipient of the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award. For the past three consecutive years, Basil himself has been named to the Business First Power 250 List of the most influential people in Western New York, ascending in rank each time.
That influence includes giving back to the community. Basil and his wife, Mary Beth, have co-chaired events for Catholic Charities of Buffalo, the Food Bank of WNY, Nardin Academy, and St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church, to name a few. They are also long-time supporters of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and St. Joseph Collegiate Institute. Basil has also been a member of the Canisius University Leadership Society.
For his leadership and achievements in the local business community and his support of so many causes throughout the area, Canisius University is proud to name James Basil, from the Class of 1985, a Distinguished Alumnus.
Canisius University Citation
D I S T I N G U I S H E D A L U M N I A W A R D
Michael A. Ervolina, Jr. CPA ‘79
Michael Ervolina understands good values, both in monetary and altruistic terms.
As president of Valu Home Centers, a regional chain of home improvement stores headquartered in Buffalo, Ervolina helps bring good values on a variety of products for local do-it-yourselfers. Ervolina also believes in the values that have underscored his company’s success for 50 years – being involved in and giving back to the communities in which they do business.
Ervolina received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Canisius University and worked as a certified public accountant at Price Waterhouse upon graduation. He joined Valu in 1984 as vice president of finance and administration, working with his father, Michael, Sr., one of the co-founders of the home centers. Ervolina Jr. handled all aspects of accounting, finance and administration for the company before being promoted to president in 1996. During his career, Valu grew from 11 to 41 stores, currently employing nearly 900 people in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Equally impressive, over the past 25 years, Ervolina’s company has raised more than $2.5 million to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Valu also provides dedicated support to the United Way, Kids Escaping Drugs, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Salvation Army, as well as local police and fire organizations.
Ervolina mirrors those values in his personal life, supporting a long list of organizations with fundraising and volunteer efforts. He is a Trustee for the Foundation the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo and a member of the Mussomelese Society of Our Lady of Miracles of Western New York. He has volunteered his time and treasure for organizations such as Kevin Guest House, SABAH, St. Joseph Collegiate Institute, Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, and Brothers of Mercy.
Ervolina has added great value to the Canisius University community as well. He is a long-time member of the Board of Trustees, the Board of Regents and a member and volunteer of the Leadership Society. He has also been inducted into the DiGamma Honor Society and the Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society.
For the values he has instilled throughout Western New York and his achievements as a local business leader, Canisius University is proud to name Michael Ervolina, Jr., CPA, from the Class of 1979, a Distinguished Alumnus.
