Lou Jean Fleron

Lou Jean Fleron credits her family for the belief that a strong democracy requires strong active citizens – and that belief guides her personal and professional lives. A third generation educator, her teaching, research and civic lives merge to advance democracy and a sustainable, fair economy in her own community. A member of Cornell University ILR School faculty since 1977, Ms. Fleron currently directs High Road Fellowships, putting Cornell students to work to revitalize the Greater Buffalo economy. 

Ms. Fleron served as Cornell ILR’s statewide director of workforce, industry and economic development, and founded the Institute for Industry Studies. Nationally recognized, these programs provide applied research and education to employers, unions and policymakers in industries from auto and metals to telecommunications and the arts. Her original research, Champions @ Work, was a benchmark for labor-management cooperation and innovative workplace practices in Western New York. A tireless advocate for quality jobs and workers’ rights, she served as the first Chair of the City of Buffalo Living Wage Commission. 

Ms. Fleron also co-directs the Partnership for the Public Good (PPG), a community-based think tank which unites more than 185 organizational partners to build a more just, sustainable and culturally vibrant Buffalo. PPG develops an annual agenda of policy planks, hosts a weekly radio show, and produces publications and other resources to give the non-profit community and citizens a stronger voice in public policy. In 2013, she served as Project Director for a collaborative that earned the Open Society Foundation’s long-term investment in Buffalo, one of only three sites in the United States. 

Residing in Buffalo with her husband, Jack Williams – a retired president of United Steelworkers Local 593 – Ms. Fleron is active in politics and community affairs. She and her husband enjoy their family of three children, numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren – all heirs to the active citizen legacy.