TAYLOR FRIANT has joined the staff of Klepper, Hahn & Hyatt. He is a building-envelope specialist with five years of experience in façade engineering, investigation, and special inspections. Friant studied aeronautical engineering at Clarkson University. 

S.E.E.D. Planning Group has promoted AMY BECK to its client-experience team. In her role, she will be focused on clients of Bloom Tax Partners, a subsidiary of S.E.E.D. Before her promotion, she served as a payroll and bookkeeping specialist for Bloom. 

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh has appointed long-time city employee SAMUEL PERRY as the new public works inspector, focused solely on addressing illegal setouts of trash and debris. In his previous role for the last 12 years, Perry served as the former assistant director of the Division of Code Enforcement. He has an extensive background in construction, owning his own business before joining the city. Prior to being a self-employed contractor, Perry served in the military, which was a catalyst for his pursuit of public service in municipal government. He began his new duties on Oct. 28. Perry will report directly to Department of Public Works Commissioner Jeremy Robinson.

DIANE POTTER has joined the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) as director of education at the MVHS Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. In this role, she will plan and coordinate ongoing education functions of the facility as well as programs for new employees. Most recently, Potter was nurse manager of the Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, where she was responsible for quality, scheduling, customer satisfaction, and patient education. She also developed a process that improved effectiveness of patient-discharge instructions, helping to avoid unnecessary hospital readmissions. She previously served as nurse manager at APEX Surgery Center. Potter earned her master’s degree in nursing education and bachelor’s degree in nursing from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica.

CHISOM UGWUOKE has joined MVHS as the director of the Service Response Center and Patient Transport. Most recently, he served as assistant director and patient flow manager at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Ugwuoke earned his master’s degree from Grand Canyon University in Arizona, and bachelor’s degree in finance and business management from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.

KEVIN MURPHY has joined William Mattar law offices on the firm’s attorney staff. He attended SUNY Albany, receiving a bachelor’s degree in political science. Murphy went on to earn his juris doctorate from Albany Law School in 2019. While in law school, he spent his first summer as a law clerk at William Mattar. During law school, Murphy also worked at the New York State Department of Health in Albany as a research assistant in the Division of Legal Affairs. He also worked at the Albany Law Clinic and Justice Center — serving in the Immigration Law Clinic, providing pro-bono representation and services. 

The Retail Council of New York State’s board of directors recently voted unanimously to select MELISSA O’CONNOR as its next president and CEO. She was elected formally at the Nov. 12 board meeting and will be the first woman to serve in this role since the organization was established in 1931. O’Connor previously served as executive VP and director of government relations for the Retail Council of New York State. She will continue to oversee the Retail Council’s advocacy efforts, while also focusing on her vision for the organization over the next few years. O’Connor succeeds Ted Potrikus, who retired after 31 years with the organization. O’Connor brings more than 15 years of experience to her new role. She joined the Retail Council as government relations associate in 2005 and was promoted to assistant director of government relations in 2010. She has served as executive VP and director of government relations since 2014. O’Connor holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from SUNY Plattsburgh and an MBA from the College of St. Rose.   

MEG GOLOUB has joined the Cayuga Economic Development Agency (CEDA) as its business-development specialist. Her role is to work with entrepreneurs and small businesses to develop business strategies designed for growth and adaptability. Goloub also helps connect businesses with resources and partner programs for education, business development, and funding. She has spent her career in all aspects of business management with a focus on business administration, supply chain, and infrastructure.