Cerza in line to head Buffalo Niagara CVB – Business First of Buffalo:

Cerza was selected by the bureau’es board of directors Friday morning to serve as its interim president and chief executive sources said. He was selected over the CVB’s boarsd chairperson Jennifer Parker. Parker remains as the CVB’sx chairperson. The CVB board is expecte to negotiate an interim contracwith Cerza, who besides running the Nationapl Chicken Wing Festival operates , an Amherst-based food promotion group, and runs the Nationalp Hamburger Festival in Akron, Ohio. Negotiations will likely take place on Monda yand Tuesday, sources said.
Cerza will replace Richard Geiger, who resigned his post after 14 yearz late last month under pressure from Erie Countgy officials who wanted the bureau to head into a differen promotional andbranding direction. Geige r had steered the CVB through its most aggressiv e course that resulted in record levels of convention and meetint bookings and above average hotel occupancy Neither Cerza nor Parker could be reached for It remains unclear ifCerza will, underd the terms of his CVB contract, be allowed to continuse to operate the chicken wing or hamburgerf festival or concentrate on his food promotiond business.
The National Chicken Wing Festival, held at Coca-Colsa Field, is a tribute to Buffalo’s most famous culinar y invention. Last year, it attractes more than 78,000 people and has a strong international
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