Dennis C. Vacco (of Counsel) – As the first Republican in 16 years to hold the position of New York State Attorney General, Dennis Vacco has made significant strides in serving the vested interests of the citizens of New York. Under his leadership, the Attorney General’s office was successful on both a State and Federal level, in which they won a landmark case presented before the United States Supreme Court prohibiting physician-assisted suicide. Dennis also served as one of the lead negotiators in the multi-state lawsuit against the tobacco industry, and through his efforts, New York State was awarded the single largest share of the $200 billion settlement awarded to the States. Since the end of his term as Attorney General in 1998, Mr. Vacco has held the prominent positions of Regional/Area Vice President and President with Waste Management Inc., one of the nation’s largest refuse haulers. Under his leadership, Waste Management Inc. consolidated three operating regions in New York State to create one region and significantly enhanced their profitability and organized management in New York City. As chief operating officer of Waste Management’s New York assets, Mr. Vacco was responsible for over $700 million in revenue, nearly 3,000 employees and over a dozen operating sites across the State. Additional career accomplishments held by Mr. Vacco include being appointed as the United States Attorney for the Western District of New York State by President Ronald Reagan. He continued to serve in that capacity during the Presidencies of both George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton. Under this title, Mr. Vacco served as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the Attorney General on Environmental Enforcement, and created the first environmental task force in the nation to join State, local and Federal resources. Mr. Vacco holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Colgate University and earned his Law Degree from the University of Buffalo Law School. He resides in Buffalo with his wife Kelly and two children