As Miss New York 2010, Claire Buffie traveled the state with an advocacy platform of LGBTQ+ equality, speaking to schools on behalf of PFLAG NYC and partnering with Marriage Equality New York, Empire State Pride Agenda where she was the recipient of the Douglas W. Jones Leadership Award, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD and Broadway Impact to fight for the eventual passage of marriage equality. Keynote addresses included UBS, JPMorgan Chase, PepsiCo, Syracuse University, Ball State University. Claire was America's Choice and placed in the Top 12 at Miss America 2011. She has been a local director, member of the state prep team for NY, judge, sponsor and photographer in the Miss America Organization, seeing all sides of the organization.

After her year as Miss New York, she used her scholarship money to obtain her Master's in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University. With DEFINE, she has coached and mentored over 140 women across 40 states in MAO, including 4 Miss Americas, 2 MAOTs and 27 state titleholders.  Claire is currently the Creative Director for Dance Lab New York and resides in New York City and the Catskills with her husband, Nathan.