Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney has dedicated her career to elevating excellence and expanding opportunities in Buffalo. Crystal is an attorney, Navy veteran, and longtime public servant with extensive experience in local government, higher education, and healthcare.

Currently, she serves as Senior Vice President & Chief Employee Advocacy & Fairness Officer, Associate Counsel at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. In this role, she leads efforts to promote belonging, advance fairness, and reward excellence within the cancer center and throughout the communities it serves.

A proud Buffalo native, Crystal joined Roswell Park in June 2023 after serving as First Deputy Mayor and Chief of Staff for the City of Buffalo where she played a central role in then-Mayor Brown's response to the May 14, 2022, racially targeted mass shooting on Buffalo’s East Side. Prior to this, she was the Chief Diversity Officer and Chief of Staff at SUNY Buffalo State University from 2018 to 2022, under the leadership of Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner.

Crystal's impact has been recognized both regionally and nationally. In April 2024, she received the Minority Bar Association of Western New York’s Excellence in Promoting Diversity Award, honoring her exceptional commitment to fostering fairness and excellence within the legal profession. Shortly thereafter, she was appointed to the American Cancer Society’s Chief Diversity Officer Roundtable, a national panel addressing the unequal burden of cancer in diverse and multicultural communities.

Crystal holds an Advanced Certificate from Cornell University in Diversity and Inclusion and an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education. She earned her BA in Social Sciences from California State University San Marcos, and her JD and LLM from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law.

Beyond her professional achievements, Crystal is deeply committed to Buffalo. She serves on various boards and councils, including the New York State Cannabis Control Board, The Park School Board of Trustees, Canisius University Board of Trustees and as the City of Buffalo Director for Western Region Off-Track Betting Corporation, better known as Batavia Downs. She is also a proud member of the Buffalo (NY) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Crystal is a proud mom of four beautiful children and a City of Buffalo resident where she resides with her husband, Buffalo City Court Judge Phillip Dabney, Jr.