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, the Board of Trustees of the Niagara Lutheran Health Foundation, and the Board of Industries for the Blind of New York State, 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 is director of operations for the DL&W project and a vice president of Savarino DL&W Development LLC. She brings strategic clarity, operational discipline, and creative thinking to the complex and collaborative effort of re-envisioning the terminal’s second floor
Her background spans business operations, property management, restaurant and retail management, marketing, and event production. For a boutique commercial development firm, she managed a 675,000-square-foot mixed-use property outside Boston, overseeing dozens of national and regional tenants, a full calendar of events, staff, vendors, capital improvements, leasing support, and a multimillion-dollar annual budget.
As a marketing strategist, she has guided website architecture, brand identities, and multichannel campaigns, and consulted for restaurateurs, developers, and nonprofits on business plans, systems development, and marketing. Through her company, Feed Your Soul, Glennie produced sold-out food events, including the ten-season cooking competition Nickel City Chef, and connected Buffalo Niagara’s hospitality community with local farms through conferences and farm tours. By building a relationship with the James Beard House, she helped numerous local chefs and restuarants earn dinners and other recognitions from the organization.
Christa has also held editorial roles and writes for regional and national publications, and currently serves as Buffalo Spree magazine’s food editor.
A Seattle native and proud Buffalonian, Glennie is a public member of the American Culinary Federation’s Accreditation Commission and serves on the board of the Homeless Alliance of Western New York. S
Her honors include the National Travel and Tourism Beacon Award from Visit Buffalo Niagara, the Western New York Hospitality Ambassador Award from SUNY Buffalo State, and the Unsung Hero Award from Our City Action Buffalo.
Visit Christa's LinkedIn.
Luke Cusack, Director of Leasing
Luke Cusack is the director of leasing for Savarino DL&W Development, a New York State–licensed real estate broker, and a Licensed Property Manager with more than 20 years of experience 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.
Visit Luke’s LinkedIn.
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.
Visit Josh’s LinkedIn.
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.