Uncrowned Community Builders

Shirley J. Hamilton was born and raised in Niagara Falls, NY. She is the first of two children born to the late James and Mary Hamilton.


Upon graduation from Niagara Falls High School, she attended the SUNY at Buffalo for Electrical Engineering, Cornell University School of Labor Studies, and is a Licensed Practical Nurse.


Shirley is a graduate of Elim Christian Fellowship through Northeastern Seminary, Sound of the Genuine; a graduate of Buffalo State College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Justice; and a graduate of Northeastern Seminary with a Master of Science Degree in Theology and Social Justice.


Ms. Hamilton has been employed at the New York State Power Authority (NYPA) Niagara Project, since 1979. She quickly rose through the ranks from a Seasonal Groundskeeper to be promoted as the first woman to work on the Ice Boom, the first woman Warehouse person at the Niagara Project and is currently the only woman Senior Operator employed at NYPA throughout the entire State of New York. NYPA employs approximately 3,200 employees at its 16 generating facilities across the state.


On April 9, 2019 Shirley will celebrate her 40th year of employment at the facility, having the most seniority of any employee at the Niagara Project. She has worked in every union classification in operations and has over 39 years of operational experience at the facility.


A born again Christian, she is a member of Elim Christian Fellowship, under the leadership of Bishop Troy Anthony Bronner.


Shirley is the current President of the Niagara Falls Branch of the NAACP, which hosted the 81st NYS NAACP Annual Conference Convention in 2017 in the City of Niagara Falls, for the first time in the history of the NAACP NYS Annual Conference.


While 1st Vice President of the NAACP, 2008 - 2010, the Niagara Branch worked with the New York State Attorney General's Office which put reforms in place resulting in the implementation of a Consent Decree against the City of Niagara Falls Police Department for the use of excessive force primarily against African American residents. The City of Niagara Falls was also required to hire an Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance Officer due to its' dismal record of hiring and promoting people of color.


An active member of the Niagara Falls community, Shirley has served as the Secretary to the Niagara County Workforce Investment Act, Youth Council, the NYS Environmental Justice Inter-agency Task Force, the Environmental Justice Committee for the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the first woman and African American to Chair the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency, the board of the Economic Development Group, she was appointed by United States Senator Charles Schumer to the Niagara River Toxins Committee and the Lake Ontario Lake wide Management Planning Committee, the board of the Buffalo/Niagara Mentorship Program.


Shirley was the former President of the Board of Directors of the Niagara Community Center Association, former Vice President of the Niagara/Orleans Labor Council, served on the Executive Board of the AFL-CIO Western New York Area Labor Federation, former Benefits Liaison for the IBEW Local 2104 at the NYPA Niagara Project, served on the Western New York Compensation Committee, member of the board of directors for the Western New York Council of Occupational Safety and Health (WNYCOSH), member of the Niagara Falls Music Workshop Choir, member of Niagara County Commission on the Status of Women, served on the Committee to Build Strong Futures, Jobs 2000, member of the Niagara County Minority Advisory Committee, Assistant Coach for the Girls Basketball team at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, a member of the Niagara Falls Wrestling Club, and was a former teacher of children's church at Trinity Baptist Church.


Ms. Hamilton is the recipient of numerous awards including the Community Cares Service Award for Economic Development for Niagara County by former Wheatfield Town Supervisor, Timothy E. Demler, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Civil Rights Achievement Award, AFL - CIO Earl A. Frampton Community Service Award, National Coalition for Community And Justice (NCCJ) Sister/Brotherhood Award, Every Woman Opportunity Award of Excellence, Trinity Baptist Church Community Service Award, Woman's Award of Excellence for Labor from former NYS Senator Antoine Thompson, NAACP President's - Political Action Advocacy Award, God's Woman "I Shall Wear a Crown" Award, and the Lion of Judah Award from Dominion Life Christian Center.


Shirley Hamilton is the proud mother of two children.