SALAMANCA - Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board members are asking others to join them in honoring Executive Driector Donald R. Rychnowski before his Dec. 10 retirement.

A retirement party for Rychnowski will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 10 at Olean's Premier Banquet Center and will feature entertainment, a buffet dinner, remarks and presentation.

A Buffalo native, Rychnowski majored in landscape architecture at Syracuse University before working for the City of Buffalo for 11 years. He began his career at Southern Tier West as a planner in 1979 and was named director in 1986. During that time, he helped to secure funding to retain the Hornell to Corry, Pa. rail line that was slated to be abandoned and is now operated by the Western New York and Pennsylvania Rail Road. He worked on interstate designation for Route 17, helped to create a local government assistance program and helped secure funding for other projects throughout Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties.

International training programs in which he participated included trips to China, when he served as guest lecturer for the International Symposium of Organization and Management of Company Groups sponsored by the Chinese government and United Nations. He also worked to develop regional planning and development and export trade in Sidney, Australia.

Rychnowski also served in a variety of other roles including being a member of Gov. Mario Cuomo's Blue Ribbon Commission on Local Government Consolidation and as a board member of the National Association of Development Organizations. He also served as past president of the Development Districts Association of Appalachia and past executive director of the National Association of Regional Councils. Serving the local community, Rychnowski is a member of the Salamanca Kiwanis and the parish council of St. Patrick's Church in Randolph.

Those interested in attending the party are asked to make $20 checks per person payable to Southern Tier West. They can be mailed to Ginger Malak at Southern Tier West, 4039 Route 219, Salamamaca, NY 14779 prior to Nov. 27. For more information, contact Mrs. Malak at 945-5301 ext. 201.