Charging Buffalo Award

Neil Chatterjee grew up in Buffalo where the city’s blue-collar spirit and close-knit neighborhoods shaped his outlook on life and leadership. The son of Indian immigrants, he came of age in a community that celebrated hard work, loyalty, and perseverance—traits he would carry into public service. Like so many Buffalonians, he grew up rooting for the Bills and Sabres, learning early the city’s unique brand of resilience and optimism. 

Chatterjee attended Calasanctius academy and the Nichols school before moving midway through high school to Lexington, KY when his parents left Roswell Park to take positions at the University of Kentucky. But he didn’t stay away for long returning to upstate New York a few years later to attend St. Lawrence University where he went on to receive a BS in 1999. He then headed back to Northern Kentucky to get his JD from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. 

Upon graduation he moved to Washington DC first starting as an intern with the House Committee on Ways and Means before moving across the Capitol to serve as energy policy advisor to Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY). After nearly a decade in the Senate he was nominated by President Trump and confirmed unanimously by the Senate to serve a term as Commissioner and Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  

In his time on the Hill and at FERC Neil built a reputation as a bipartisan operator who built alliances and cut through red tape with an eye on always promoting innovation. While at FERC, Neil championed several strategic initiatives, including streamlining and improving FERC’s liquified natural gas application review and approval process, bolstering power grid reliability and resilience, and boosting renewable resources’ ability to compete in regional power markets and for the reduction of carbon emissions.

Neil is a policy reformer who broke down market barriers for the entrance of new technologies, particularly for low-carbon technologies. He has been an advocate for harnessing technology to mitigate physical and cyber threats to critical energy infrastructure. 

Today he serves as the Chief Government Affairs officer at Clean Tech company Palmetto, as an industry advisor to KKR, as an advisor to the Climate Leadership Council, on numerous corporate and non-profit boards and as a frequent commentator on various news outlets.  

Even as his path has taken him to Washington and beyond, Buffalo remains central to his identity, grounding his work ethic and sense of purpose.

2024 – Jerry Zremski, Buffalo News, Washington Enterprise Reporter

2023 – Julie Pace, American Journalist

2019 – Jamie Stachowski, James Beard Chef and Owner

2018 – Peter M Cuviello, Senior Client Partner (Retired Alumnus), Deloitte Advisory, Defense Segment, US Federal Services; Deloitte & Touché LLP

2017 – Margaret Sullivan, Media Columnist for the Washington Post

2016 – Kim Keenan, President and CEO of Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC)

2015 – Megan Smith, US Chief Technology Officer

2014 – H. David Jay, Architect

2013 – The Honorable Tom Reynolds, former Congressman

2012 – Jim Militello, Radio Sports Reporter for Associated Press Broadcast

2011 – Tracy O’Grady, Owner and Executive Chef, Willow

2010 – Erik Brady, Sportswriter for USA Today

2009 – Donald E. Will, President and CEO of Will Poultry Company

2008 – Charles W. Roesch, Owner of multifaceted restaurant and catering business

2007 – The Honorable Bill Paxon, Buffalo area Congressman and lobbyist

2006 – Michael A. Fitzpatrick, General Secretary, International Association of Iron Workers

2005 – Tom Toles, Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist for the Washington Post

2004 – The Honorable Jack Quinn, Buffalo area Congressman

2003 – The Honorable(s) Jack Kemp, John LaFalce, and Hank Nowak, Buffalo area Congressman and Buffalo Nite founders

2002 – Gwen Ifill, Managing Editor and Moderator, PBS Washington Week

2001 – Scheduled for September 12, cancelled

2000 – The Honorable Daniel Patrick Moynihan, U.S. Senator, State of New York

1999 – Marv Levy, Head Coach of the Buffalo Bills

1998 – James T. Molloy, Doorkeeper, U.S. House of Representatives

1997 – The Honorable Thomas A. Constantine, Administrator, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

1996 – David O. “Doc” Cooke, Pentagon administrator

1995 – Wolf Blitzer, CNN television correspondent

1994 – Mark Russell, Political satirist

1993 – Tim Russert, Moderator of Meet the Press, NBC Washington Bureau Chief