by Joseph H. Radder
Lynn Millane was honored recently as the New York State Senate’s 2003 Woman of
Distinction. The award was presented by Senator Mary Lou Rath in Albany. Those who know
Lynn Millane were not surprised. She has indeed distinguished herself with a lifetime of
service to her fellow citizens.
Listening, helping, problem-solving are the words that come to mind when one looks back on
her career in volunteerism and as an elected official. Prior to serving as supervisor of
the Town of Amherst, she had been deputy supervisor and a member of the Town Board since
1982. Lynn Millane was the first woman to hold these positions and is clearly proud of her
trail-blazing role.
Since retiring from elected office and, except for a short stint as a liaison between
Senator Rath’s office and the UB Law School’s Family Violence Clinic, Lynn has
made a full-time job of volunteerism.
She currently serves as a Trustee at Daemen College, where she is a member of the Student
Affairs Committee and was Co-Associate Chair of the Major Gift Division in Daemen’s
1983-84 Capital Campaign. She is a life member of the UB Alumni Association, and served on
UB’s Community Advisory Council for twelve years.
Her many other volunteerism achievements are too numerous to mention. Some of the
organizations served include ECMC, the Erie County Bar Association, the Buffalo
Philharmonic Orchestra, the Amherst Symphony, Fans for 17, and Zonta International.
Always a champion of senior citizens issues, Lynn Millane has been chair of the Aging
Services Advisory Committee to the New York State Office for the Aging since 1996. She was
a member of the Amherst Senior Citizens Foundation Board, director of the Network in
Aging, served on the the Blocher Homes 90th Anniversary Committee, and most recently for
the Red Cross, has been involved in the Greater Buffalo Chapter’s Services to Older
Adults and its LIFE project.
“A very, very interesting current activity,” she says proudly, “has been to
serve as a commisioner on the New York State Ethics Commission”. She was appointed to
this post by Governor Pataki in 1999. Well-suited to this position, Lynn worked with the
Town Attorney to rewrite the Town of Amherst’s Code of Ethics. She also designed the
guidelines for the town’s new ethics committee.
Millane credits her dedication to service to her parents who were great believers that
“people should give back to the community.” She apparently took this advice
early. “As I look back, I have been a volunteer since I was a teenager” she
remembered.
As liaison to the Amherst library system, one highlight stands out as she recalls her
service on the Amherst Town Board. “We needed another library, so I applied for a
federal construction grant. With the help of Senator John Sheffer, the town’s
planning department and the director of the Amherst library system, our second attempt was
successful,” she says, reflecting the thrill of the moment. “I was so excited I
almost went through the roof.” The result, of course, was the new main library on
John James Audubon Parkway.
One of Millane’s most memorable personal moments was on a trip to Europe with the
Hope for Tomorrow Foundation when she met Poland’s president, Lech Walesa. She asked
him if there were any women in Poland’s government. “No,” he said,
“they talk too much.”
Turning to the subject of family, she said “My children are my biggest
accomplishment.” And Lynn is quick to credit much of her success to her late
husband’s support. “He was the one who encouraged me to run for office. He told
me I could accomplish anything I set my mind to.”
Lynn and J. Vaughan “Bud” Millane were married in 1952 at St. Joseph’s New
Cathedral. They had five children, three daughters and two sons. Daughter Maureen is an
assistant dean of external business programs at Canisius College, Michele is an advisory
special agent with the FBI, and Kathleen, a teacher, is busy raising her family in
Virginia. Her son, Sean is a practicing local attorney and a retired Marine Corps major.
Son Mark, is a certified mechanic. There are sixteen grandchildren and Lynn feels very
fortunate that nine of them live in the Buffalo area. “I have been truly
blessed,” she said.
Lynn Millane has always been very family-oriented. Her father, Robert Schermerhorn, a CPA,
set a great example for her in terms of volunteerism. Her mother, Justine was a medical
secretary.
A voracious reader, she belongs to the University of Buffalo Women’s Book Club. And
“I love to play bridge, I enjoy music and the theater and I work the New York Times
crossword puzzle every Sunday,” Lynn says.
Philosophy? Lynn remembered she once read “what makes someone a good person is what
has been recorded in the ledger of his daily work.”
When one looks over the ledger of Lynn Millane’s life there’s only one
conclusion that can be reached. She truly is a good person. Her lifetime of service proves
it.
Joseph H. Radder, a frequent contributor to Living Prime Time, is author of a
new book, Young Jesus, the Missing Years. For more information, phone 1-888-280-7715 or
visit www.istbooks.com