BUFFALO, NY—Matthew Miraglia, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Buffalo Field Office, awards Kathleen Kanaley, Supervisory Social Worker at the Center for Elder Law and Justice, with the FBI’s 2023 Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA). Kanaley’s dedication to helping victims of Elder Abuse and Elder Fraud is just one of the reasons she deserves this national award. Her active support of educating seniors, along with those who work with the elderly, spans throughout Western New York. Kanaley also advances the cooperation of law enforcement, including the FBI, within this vulnerable population.

“Kathleen Kanaley’s determination to prevent elder abuse and elder fraud showcases why she’s FBI Buffalo’s Directors Community Leadership Award recipient,” said Matthew Miraglia, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office. “Kanaley understands the physical, emotional, and financial impact fraud can have on the elderly community. Her educational efforts and kind heart are why she is so admired throughout Western New York.”

On April 19, 2024, FBI Director Christopher Wray honored the 2023 DCLA winners in a special ceremony, at FBI Headquarters, emphasizing the importance of community partnerships in keeping our shared communities safe. “Our success as both a law enforcement and an intelligence agency hinges on our ability to foster and maintain genuine partnerships with people in all communities,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “People like this year’s Leadership Award recipients not only identify what others need, but they are willing to roll up their sleeves and provide services. They are building bridges and relationships while putting in the work to have hard conversations and find common purpose. They do it out of kindness and compassion with a sincere belief that justice—in its many forms—requires all of us to do the right thing in the right way.”

The FBI established the DCLA in 1990 to publicly acknowledge the achievements of those working to make a difference in their communities through the promotion of education and the prevention of crime and violence. Each year, one person or organization from each of the FBI’s 56 field offices is chosen to receive this prestigious award. The partnerships, exemplified by every DCLA recipient, have led to a host of crime prevention programs that protect the most vulnerable in our communities, educate families and businesses about cyber threats, and work to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods. Learn more by visiting: Director’s Community Leadership Award, the FBI’s Outreach Efforts, and Buffalo Field Office.