International Women's Day Celebration

Stephanie Peete is the Sr. Director of Workforce Development at Say Yes Buffalo, where she leads programs and strategies to create equitable opportunities for Buffalo youth entering the workforce. She also created the Employer Think Tank series, an initiative that invites WNY employers and leaders to deepen their understanding of racial equity to create more inclusive workplaces. To date, this initiative has brought more than 400 business leaders and employers together to address the systemic barriers in the Greater Buffalo region.  

 

Stephanie earned a master’s in public administration from Hilbert College and graduated from Canisius College with a dual bachelor’s in urban studies and sociology. Stephanie is passionate about anti-racism, inclusion, and supporting young people in her community. She currently serves on the board of directors for TechBuffalo and Open Buffalo, and as co-chair for the Women of Color Summit. In January 2025 she was accepted in into FSG’s Collective Leadership Advancing Racial Equity (CLARE) program, a national leadership accelerator designed to invest in the capacity and wellbeing of individuals leading collaborative work in their local communities (e.g., “backbone leaders”). Stephanie is also a 2023 ATHENA Young Professional finalist, a 2022 Buffalo Business First IDEA Award recipient, and a 2021 recipient of the Bar Association of Erie County’s Liberty Bell Award. 

 

In 2022 she and her mother, Lisa Queener-Johnson, launched Second Chapter Bookstore, which is a Black-owned small business operated in Buffalo, NY. They don't just sell books! As a mother-daughter duo, they combine their mutual passion for Black culture and love for reading to create spaces and events that cultivate joy, community, and shared learning while centering the Black experience throughout the African diaspora. 

As Chief Legal Officer and Senior Vice President of Global Legal and Brand Protection, Lorrie K. Turner oversees all the global legal and brand protection functions for New Era Cap, LLC and ’47 Brand, LLC.  Lorrie also serves as a Board Member for New Era and as Corporate Secretary. 

 

Lorrie founded the legal department when joining New Era Cap in 2006, fulfilling a complex role that involves her in every facet of the brand’s global business initiatives and legal matters.  She and her team focus on creatively solving business issues while mitigating business and legal risks on matters such as licensing, collaborations, sponsorships, endorsements/appearances, marketing, corporate structure, finance, IT and eCom service agreements, cyber security, logistics, manufacturing, supply/distribution, customs clearance/bonds, IP and brand equity review of every product design, anti-counterfeiting, and third-party marketplace monitoring. 

 

Prior to joining New Era, Lorrie was a Senior Legal Counsel at Rich Products Corporation.  Lorrie started her legal career at Hodgson Russ in the Litigation Department before joining the Corporate and Intellectual Property Department.  

 

Lorrie graduated from Clarkson University as a Presidential Scholar, receiving a B.S. with distinction in Technical Communication and Psychology. She holds her J.D., magna cum laude, from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where she served as Executive Editor of the Buffalo Law Review.  

 

In her spare time, Lorrie is an avid long-distance road cyclist. She is also a passionate fundraiser for cancer research at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and supporter of many dog rescues. Lorrie and her husband, Adam Benigni, have rescued six dogs and currently have two cockapoo rescues from the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter and a cavapoo from the 7 Hearts Maternity rescue.