Buffalo, NY

The Buffalo Division has selected Pastor Kenyatta T. Cobb to receive the Director’s Community Leadership Award.

Kenyatta T. Cobb is the pastor of the Hananiah Lutheran Church in Buffalo, New York. In his position, he develops and supports youth and others in the community through his motivational speeches at various events, including youth symposiums, National Night Out events, and community walks. Everyday, he fights against the ills of urban degeneration—even if that means just meeting someone for lunch.

Currently, Pastor Cobb is the senior chaplain for the City of Buffalo Police Department. He works closely with law enforcement officers on city streets as a liaison for families who have been touched by violence, and he offers personal support to officers as they protect and serve. His love for life is apparent as the senior trauma chaplain of the Erie County Medical Center, where he aids victims of crime. Pastor Cobb is committed to the law as the coordinator of the faith-based Department of Justice - City of Buffalo Weed and Seed Initiative, and as a member of the United States Attorney for the Western District of New York's Project Exile.

After graduating from the 2001 FBI Citizens' Academy, Pastor Cobb recognized that there was a need to do more in the community by bringing needed resources together. In late 2001, Pastor Cobb founded the Western New York Law Enforcement Chaplains Association in which 20 clergy of various faiths are trained to provide support for law enforcement officers. Members are catalysts in the community for addressing issues concerning gangs, violence, and drugs.

Pastor Cobb has served as one of Buffalo's youngest African-American historians. Often heard saying at the end of conversations, "See you on the battlefield," he dedicates his energy and passion to the residents of western New York. He continues to work tirelessly to establish community outreach efforts such as a computer technology after-school program, a male mentoring initiative to teach basic skills and responsibilities, and karate and judo classes that focus on discipline.