AMHERST, N.Y. -- Daemen University Vice President for Athletics Traci Murphy has been selected as a 2025 Women of Influence by Buffalo Business First. Murphy is one of 25 women in a variety of industries to achieve this prestigious award this year. Murphy and the other 24 honorees will be celebrated at the 19th annual Women of Influence awards luncheon in September. 

The 25 awardees were selected out of over 120 nominees due to their contributions to their companies and the community and were handpicked to receive the award by members of Business First's editorial staff along with five judges. 

In just a short time, Daemen's NCAA Division II athletics program has experienced many successes under Murphy's leadership. Daemen teams have combined for 27 top-three finishes in their respective East Coast Conference standings, including 10 regular season conference championships and seven conference tournament titles. In addition, the men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and women's soccer have each earned NCAA tournament berths. Men's basketball, women's basketball and women's volleyball have each won a NCAA regional to advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight tournament, and women's cross country has gone to the NCAA finals twice. This fall, Daemen was first in the ECC Commissioner's Cup standings for the first time in history. Daemen landed the 39th spot in the Learfield Cup Standings, the highest in department history. Murphy was recently named one of four NCAA Division II recipients of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) 2024-25 Athletics Directors of the Year Award. 

At the conference level, Murphy serves as vice president of the East Coast Conference Athletic Directors' Executive Committee. At the NCAA level she is currently the Division II ADA Second Vice President and previously served on the Board of Directors for two years. She was also on the NCAA implementation committee.  
 
Active in the community, Murphy is a long-time volunteer with Western New York Girls in Sports, which empowers young girls to be healthy and confident through participation in sports and physical activity. She also serves on the advisory council of the Buffalo Sports Commission. 
 
A member of College Women Leaders, she is also a graduate of the NCAA Pathway Program and the NCAA/Women Leaders Institute for Administrative Advancement.

In addition to Murphy, the other 2025 Women of Influence are as follows:

• Abbey Bacak, director, small project execution, Linde Engineering Americas
• Cynthia Bass, chief diversity officer, ECMC Health Corp. 
• Felicia Beard, associate vice president, raciel equity initiatives, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
• Susan Brooks, vice president patient care services, Mount St. Mary's and Lockport Memorial hospitals
• Melissa Brown, executive director, the Buffalo History Museum
• Tara Burgess, CEO, EPIC - Every Person Influences Children
• Molly Carr, CEO, Jewish Family Services of Western New York
• Mindy Vervoni, president and CEO, Community Services for Every1
• Lisa Conrad, head of school, the Park School of Buffalo
• Nancy Cox, partner, the Bonadio Group
• Julia Czerniak, dean and professor, University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning
• Renee Filip, president and CEO, Aspire of Western New York
• Danielle Fleckenstein, owner, Rolly Pollies of Western New York
• Jodyann Galvin, partner, Hodgson Russ
• Nancy Hammond, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Buffalo Toronto Public Media
• Kirsti Hunt, chief administrative officer, NOCO Energy
• Cheryl Jankowski, partner, Lumsden & McCormick LLP
• Kimberly Lombard, associate vice president of grants management and program planing, Evergreen Health
• Ann-Marie John, director of prevention and wellness, Community Health Center of Buffalo
• Nekia Kemp, executive director, Police Athletic League of Buffalo Inc.
• Annette Lock, director of operations, Erie County, the Salvation Army
• Mary Kate Loftus, president, Impressia Bank
• Carol Murphy, president and CEO, Harvest House Buffalo
• Traci Murphy, vice president for athletics, Daemen University
• Lisa Smith, president and CEO, Buffalo Zoo