Our Team
We’re working together for Buffalo.
Our mission is to transform Buffalo’s landmark DL&W terminal into a vibrant urban hub that connects visitors to community, commerce, and history.
Sam Savarino, CEO
For over 40 years, Samuel J. Savarino has been responsible for developing and constructing projects in Western New York, the Carolinas, and Florida, including academic institutions, sports facilities, telecommunications infrastructure, historic restorations, and affordable housing.
Savarino is the CEO of Savarino Construction Services LLC, a full-service contracting and construction management firm. Through Savarino DL&W Development LLC, he is leading the adaptive reuse of the former DL&W train terminal on Buffalo's downtown waterfront. As CEO of Savarino Properties LLC, he owns and manages a portfolio of properties and provides full-service asset/property management. He also serves as an advisor to the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning.
Savarino holds a BA in history from the University at Buffalo and is a certified Construction Documents Technologist (CDT) and Certified Construction Contract Administrator (CCCA).
Active in the community, Savarino has twice chaired capital campaigns for the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County and has chaired campaigns for the Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center and the Food Bank of WNY. He also serves as Chairman of Explore & More Children's Museum's annual Touch a Truck event at Canalside, a role he has held since the event's inception.
He has served on boards for many organizations over the years; current positions include Investigative Post, Buffalo Institute of Contemporary Art (BICA), Buffalo Electric Glass, and Friends of Night People. Past board positions include the Buffalo History Museum, Children's Hospital of Buffalo, YMCA Buffalo-Niagara, the Board of Regents of Canisius College, D'Youville University, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, the Buffalo Legacy Foundation, the Board of Trustees of Medaille College, and the Board of Trustees of the Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation, among others.
Savarino's leadership has earned him numerous accolades, including Leadership Buffalo's Community Values Award, AFRP Philanthropist of the Year, UB College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award, Business First C-Level Executive Honoree, Buffalo Spree's Friend of the Arts Award, and being named a Community Hero and torchbearer for the 1996 Summer Olympics. He has also received humanitarian and community service recognition from the Food Bank of WNY, D'Youville College (2005), the Healthy Community Alliance (2006), the Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation (2007), and the Olmsted Parks Conservancy (2000).
Visit Sam’s LinkedIn.
Christa Glennie, Director of Operations
Christa Glennie serves as Director of Operations for the DL&W project and as a Vice President of Savarino DL&W Development LLC. She brings a combination of strategic clarity, operational discipline, and creative thinking to complex, collaborative initiatives.
Glennie’s background includes business operations, property management, restaurant and retail management, marketing and brand development, event production, and community building. In addition to her leadership roles, Glennie has consulted with restaurateurs, developers, consultants, and nonprofits on a range of strategic initiatives, including business plan viability and systems development.
From 2018 through 2021, she worked for a development firm specializing in sophisticated mixed-use commercial projects. During that time, she managed a 675,000-square-foot property just outside Boston, MA, overseeing dozens of national and regional retail, dining, and entertainment tenants, as well as a full slate of curated events and activations. Her leadership spanned vendor oversight, staff supervision, marketing, tenant relations, capital improvements, leasing support, and managing a multimillion-dollar annual budget.
Before her current role, she served as a content strategist, guiding web architecture and supporting the creation of brand identities and multi-channel campaigns. From 2008 to 2018, she ran Feed Your Soul, producing sold-out, food-focused events that ranged from chef competitions to food festivals. During this period, she also fostered connections between Buffalo/Niagara’s hospitality community and local farms through conferences and farm tours.
From 2010 to 2018 and again from 2022 to 2025, Glennie held editorial leadership roles and worked as a writer at various publications, including national media outlets. This aspect of her career often coincided with her work with farmers and chefs. Both felt like a natural outcome after many formative years spent in restaurant and retail management.
A Seattle native and proud Buffalonian, Glennie is deeply committed to building community and creating opportunities for others. Currently, she is a public member of the American Culinary Federation’s Accreditation Commission and serves on the board of the Homeless Alliance of WNY. She is the founder and host of MIX, a monthly networking group for women; co-founder of Cake Club, a twice-annual event for bakers; and founder of Le Social Club, a seasonal meetup for singles and people looking to make new friends that drives guests to local, independent restaurants in winter.
Glennie’s contributions to Buffalo/Niagara’s hospitality and tourism sectors earned her the WNY Hospitality Ambassador Award and the National Travel and Tourism Beacon Award from Visit Buffalo Niagara. In 2025, Our City Action Buffalo acknowledged her efforts with the Unsung Hero award at The People’s Party in 2025.
Visit Christa's LinkedIn.
Luke Cusack, Director of Leasing
Luke Cusack is the director of leasing for Savarino DL&W Development and a New York State–licensed real estate broker and a Licensed Property Manager with more than 20 years of experience in leasing and managing commercial and residential properties.
A Western New York native, Cusack spent two decades in New York City, including 12 years on the management and leasing team at 500 Fifth Avenue—a 685,000-square-foot, 59-story tower in midtown Manhattan. There, he oversaw capital projects such as the build-out of a 20,000-square-foot Zara store tied to a $50 million retail lease and managed tenant relations for more than 100 office and retail tenants. During his tenure, he helped increase NOI by 55% and effective gross revenue by 36%, while driving tenant satisfaction rates from 55% to 98% through a robust program of amenities and community-building initiatives. Over the same period, tenant perceptions of value for price doubled, even as rents rose 27%.
Since joining Savarino Properties in 2015, Cusack has partnered with ownership to expand operations by more than 200%. Under his leadership, the company has become known not only for delivering complex historic renovation projects but also for fostering strong, lasting communities within and around them. Savarino Properties brings a personal touch to leasing and management, creating spaces where the company succeeds only when its clients do.
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Josh Holtzman, Strategic Advisor – Events and Entertainment
Josh Holtzman brings over fifteen years of experience in the music and event management industry to the DL&W project in his role as a strategic advisor. His areas of expertise include site operations, talent booking, event production, marketing, financial oversight, and staff management. Holtzman is the CEO and co-founder of Twenty6 Productions, a full-service event production company that has grown into a trusted leader in live events, handling everything from national tours to complex multi-day festivals and private activations. He is also the co-owner of Buffalo Iron Works, a live music venue he helped build from the ground up. Under his leadership, Iron Works has become a cornerstone of Buffalo’s live entertainment scene, hosting hundreds of concerts, fundraisers, and community events each year.
Holtzman has played a key role in shaping both companies into successful, community-driven businesses known for innovation, collaboration, and delivering top-tier experiences. As a lead in business development, he has been instrumental in securing high-profile clients, such as the Buffalo Bills, M&T Bank, Highmark, and the Buffalo Sabres, among others. As part of his ongoing work with Twenty6 Productions, he now supports ticketed and special events for the DL&W project.
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Grace Vesneske, Strategic Advisor – Events and Entertainment
Vesneske serves as Strategic Advisor – Events and Entertainment for the DL&W project, where she applies more than a decade of experience producing concerts, festivals, private events, and corporate functions. She is also the president and co-founder of Twenty6 Productions, an event firm known for managing complex, high-capacity events throughout the region. In addition, Vesneske is a co-owner of Buffalo Iron Works, a prominent live music venue that has become a staple in Buffalo’s entertainment scene.
Vesneske’s career spans roles in talent coordination, sponsorship, food and beverage operations, site logistics, and creative concept development. She holds a degree in communications and marketing from Buffalo State College and has planned and produced events for more than fifteen venues and organizations. Recognized for her organization, attention to detail, reliability, and creative leadership, Vesneske has earned a reputation for delivering consistently high standards in both event execution and design. Through her leadership at Twenty6 Productions and her role with the DL&W project, she continues to shape events that reflect operational strength and a clear vision for audience experience.
Visit Grace's LinkedIn.