Torrance Brooks Award Winner
 

2002 Community Leadership Award

Donnald Hensel

Donnald Hensel received this Community Leadership Award for outstanding leadership in community planning and development as Chairman of the City of Salamanca Planning Commission from 1994 – 2000. Donnald Hensel’s leadership included the following planning accomplishments:

Jack Berger

(l-r) Donnald Hensel, recipient 2002 Torrance Brooks Community Leadership Award and Paul R. Bishop, Chairman Cattaraugus County Planning Board. Photo Credit: Jack Berger

  • Wrote a new vision for the community in the form of a Comprehensive Plan, and 

  • Created supporting Zoning Laws and a process for site-plan review in the City.

  • Designed an enforcement program with Code Officer.

  • Led cooperative planning with the County, City and neighboring communities, including 

  • Representing the City in the Route 219 expansion planning process.

  • Led the effort, which made the City of Salamanca the first ever municipality to establish an “opt-out” agreement with the County Planning Board on mandatory zoning referrals for matters of local interest.

Mr. Hensel is a past member of the Cattaraugus County Private Industry Council and the City of Salamanca Industrial Development Agency. He is the Co-founder of Greater Salamanca School-to-Work partnership which obtained over $500,000 in Federal grant dollars to support business skill related instruction for students in the Salamanca City Central School District.

Mr. Hensel is currently the City of Salamanca Senior High School Principal and CEO of a family commercial and residential real estate development company in Salamanca.