Chiwuike Owunwanne Joins KeyBank As Corporate Responsibility Officer and Community Relations Manager for Buffalo and Rochester

KeyBank announced that Chiwuike "Chi-Chi" Owunwanne has been named Corporate Responsibility Officer and Community Relations Manager for its Buffalo and Rochester markets. Owunwanne takes over for Kawanza Humphrey who recently left KeyBank to pursue an opportunity out of state.

Owunwanne has more than 17 years of economic development and management experience and will oversee KeyBank’s broad community engagement strategy. This includes CRA compliance and execution of KeyBank’s $40 billion National Community Benefits Plan in Western New York. Since 2017, KeyBank has made more than $729 million of investments in the Buffalo Market and more than $499 million of investments in Rochester through this plan, supporting small business and home lending in low- and-moderate income communities, affordable housing and community development projects, and philanthropic efforts targeted toward education, workforce development, and safe, vital neighborhoods.

Most recently, Owunwanne was Program Director of the University at Buffalo Regional Institute’s East Side Avenues Initiative. During his time at UB, he helped coordinate disbursement of $8.4 million in pooled funds from Western New York foundations and banks, including KeyBank, that funded this program that is providing targeted support and economic benefits to people working and living in this neighborhood. He has also spent time as a Loan Officer for the U.S. Small Business Administration in Buffalo, Economic Development Analyst for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development, and as a Policy Reporting Specialist with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion, and Small Business Opportunity.

“We are very fortunate to have found someone in Chi-Chi who is connected to the Buffalo community and also invested in and committed to seeing this area grow and succeed,” said Michael McMahon, KeyBank Buffalo Market President and Commercial Sales Leader.

“I look forward to working with him as we continue our long-standing commitment to responsible banking, responsible operations and responsible citizenship and investment in Rochester,” added KeyBank Rochester Market President and Commercial Sales Leader Phil Muscato.

“Chi-Chi is driven by a deep passion for impactful engagement and partnership that results in sustainable, equitable, inclusive and resilient communities,” said Eric Fiala, KeyBank’s Head of Corporate Responsibility and Community Relations. “We are so glad and fortunate that he has brought his career to KeyBank.”

Owunwanne holds a Master of Public Administration and a Certificate in Economic Development and Growth from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from SUNY at Geneseo. Born and raised in Nigeria, he considers Buffalo his home and is happy to be making a positive impact in Western New York where he lives with his wife and their two young children.