Chris Jacobs

Chris Jacobs is President of Avalon Development, a real estate development company in Buffalo New York. Avalon focuses on the reuse and redevelopment of historically significant buildings in the City of Buffalo with the goal of revitalizing its downtown core.

Jacobs has served in elected office for many years. Jacobs served in the United States House of Representatives from 2020-2023. Prior to Congress, Jacobs served in the New York State Senate from 2017-2020.

Jacobs was also twice elected Erie County Clerk and twice elected to the City of Buffalo’s Board of Education.

Jacobs also served in appointed positions at the federal, state and local level.  Jacobs worked in Washington DC for Jack Kemp at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He served as New York’s Secretary of State in the Administration of Governor George Pataki and served in Erie County government as Deputy Commissioner of Planning and Economic Development.

Jacobs public service is also manifested in the non-profit sector. At the age of 28, Jacobs moved back to Buffalo to start the BISON Scholarship Fund, a private charity raising private donations to award scholarships to low-and-moderate income families. BISON enables children to attend the private school of their parents’ choice. Over the last 30-years BISON has grown from helping 200 children in its inception year to now helping nearly 2,000 annually.

Jacobs is also the co-founder of the South Buffalo Charter School, one of the first charter schools in the Buffalo community.

Jacobs is a graduate of Boston College, the American University (MBA), and SUNY Buffalo’s Law School.

He lives in Buffalo with his wife Martina and four children.