Matthew Miraglia, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Buffalo Field Office, awards Reverend Mark E. Blue, President of the Buffalo Branch NAACP and Pastor of Second Baptist Church in Lackawanna, New York, with the FBI’s 2022 Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA). Reverend Blue’s dedication and support to the Buffalo community are just some of the reasons why he is being honored with this award.

“Reverend Blue deserves this award for many reasons, such as being the co-chair of the committee for the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund,” said FBI Buffalo Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matthew Miraglia. “Rev. Blue’s faith, action, and commitment to justice, is why he’s admired as a leader in Western New York. His efforts not only encourage and support his family, friends, and parishioners in the City of Buffalo, but keep ‘Buffalo Strong’.

On May 5, 2023, FBI Director Christopher Wray honored the 2022 DCLA recipients at a ceremony held at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. “Like the 38,000 employees of the FBI,” Director Wray told the honorees, “You don’t do what you do for fame—and certainly not for fortune. You do it out of kindness, out of compassion for others, out of a hope and a dream for safer communities, to leave your towns and cities better places than when you got there. And that’s how I’ve defined success here within our organization, too. Success to me is if everyone leaves the FBI a better place than they found it.”

Throughout the year, dedicated, selfless individuals and organizations make extraordinary contributions to their local cities and towns across the United States. Each year, the FBI honors the best among them with its Director’s Community Leadership Award. Award recipients are from different backgrounds, professional fields, and parts of the country. The issues each face may vary; however, they all have the same motivation: a desire to make lives better. It’s a large goal, but these people make valiant efforts.

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