LAURA MATTICE has been promoted to CRA and community development officer at Community Bank, N.A. In her new role, she will be responsible for developing and administering all aspects of the bank’s efforts to comply with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), a federal law designed to encourage commercial banks and savings associations to help meet the needs of borrowers in all segments of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Mattice will use her experience to build and maintain relationships with charitable and nonprofit organizations across the bank’s footprint. She will also maintain communication with the bank’s CRA committee and compliance officers on emerging CRA trends. Mattice is actively involved on Community Bank’s internal activities committee and helps to set up various donations and volunteer efforts for the bank’s corporate office including Food Bank of Central New York, the Samaritan Center, Chadwick Residence, and many others. For more than 20 years, Mattice has dedicated her time to supporting Syracuse city youth through her work as a youth and young adult group leader, she is also a committee member of the local Blessings in a Backpack program for Delaware Elementary School and prepares and serves meals regularly at Brown Memorial. She is a founding member of Sweat for Habitat. Mattice received an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Le Moyne College.

KYLE VANDERLIP has been named new director of the Jim Dooley Center for Early Learning by Finger Lakes Health. She replaces Kathy Brown Ryrko, who served as director of the center since it opened in 1989 and is now retiring. Vanderlip earned her master’s degree in school counseling from the University of Rochester and earned her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, with a concentration in education, from St. John Fisher College, near Rochester. Prior to joining Finger Lakes Health, she was the director of KinderCare Education, near Rochester. Vanderlip was formally known as Kyle Simon and has recently returned to the area.

Oswego Health recently promoted JESSICA LEAF to director of women’s services. She is a registered nurse and graduated from Cayuga Community College in 2007 and immediately pursued a career of nursing as a med/surg nurse at A.L. Lee Memorial Hospital. In 2009, Leaf joined the Oswego Health family and quickly transitioned in 2010 to the maternity department, where she has remained since then. 

MELODY PONZI has joined the finance team at Finger Lakes Health as controller. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester. Ponzi has eight years’ experience in public accounting and more than 20 years in nonprofit/health care. Prior to Finger Lakes Health, she was the chief financial officer at East Hill Family Medical in Auburn. Ponzi previously served as accounting manager at Finger Lakes Health early in her career.

SAMANTHA EDWARDS has recently joined Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc. as a commercial lines account manager. She joins the firm’s growing commercial lines insurance department. Edwards is a New York State-licensed agent responsible for business insurance sales and service. She has more than four years of service and support experience in the retail, health care, and the insurance industries. Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc. is an independent insurance agency that has served the Mohawk Valley for more than 28 years. 

SARA GIANNI has joined Gilroy Kernan & Gilroy Inc. (GKG) of New Hartford as a strategic client manager in the firm’s employee benefits division. She will work with employers across New York to establish and maintain benefits programs that help keep them competitive in their marketplace, attractive to employees, and in control of their benefits expenses. Prior to joining the GKG team, Gianni held dynamic industry positions in the Rochester marketplace. KYLE CAIRNS has joined GKG as a client advocate. He brings more than a decade of experience. Cairns joins the firm’s commercial lines division. He brings experience in both workers’ compensation and account management. Cairns is a graduate of Utica College with master’s degree in health care administration. 

The Syracuse Crunch have promoted ANDREA MARINO to VP of corporate partnerships. Marino joined the Crunch full time for the 2014-15 season as sponsorship services manager after spending the 2012-13 campaign with the Crunch as an intern, contributing to game operations, public relations, and marketing. In her seven seasons with the organization, most recently as director of corporate partnerships, Marino has played an integral role in partnership acquisition and fulfillment. In her new role, Marino will continue to oversee the management and contract fulfillment of more than 100 corporate partners, while maintaining sponsorship inventory. She will also coordinate with public relations, game operations, community relations, and ticketing departments to create and execute sponsor programs along with developing and managing marketing initiatives. Marino is additionally responsible for the team’s luxury-suite management. She graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in integrated marketing communications in 2012 and received a master’s degree in public relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in 2013. The Crunch have also promoted MEGAN CAHILL to VP of communications & digital media. She rejoined the Crunch for the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs as the public relations & digital media manager after spending the 2013-14 season as a public & media relations intern with the team. Before returning, the Central New York native spent the 2014-15 campaign as the communications & community relations manager for the Springfield Falcons, then-AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. In her new role, Cahill will continue to develop and implement the team’s public relations and digital-media strategy in coordination with the corporate partnerships, game operations, and ticketing departments to promote the club and its athletes. She will also maintain management of the Crunch’s social-media accounts and online content, while overseeing all digital advertising. Cahill is additionally responsible for organizing team appearances and serving as the primary media contact to maximize local and national exposure. She received her bachelor’s degree in English with business, writing and communication minors from Siena College in 2013, where she also played on the Division I women’s golf team. Cahill earned her master’s degree in public relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in 2014.