KRISTEN (KRIS) PATEL has been named the new Donald P. and Margaret Curry Gregg Professor of Practice in Korean and East Asian Affairs at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. She returns to Maxwell directly from HSBC’s Compliance Office in Asia-Pacific, based in Hong Kong, where she built and managed the regional financial-crime intelligence capability for one of the world’s largest banks. In her new role, Patel will serve as faculty member in the Policy Studies Program and teach undergraduate courses in policy studies and graduate courses in public administration and international affairs. In addition, Patel will be a research associate in Maxwell’s Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) and contribute to Syracuse University’s Intelligence Center Community of Academic Excellence. Her public-sector career also includes more than two decades in increasingly senior management positions in the U.S. federal government. That includes serving as deputy director of intelligence at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in the U.S. Department of Treasury, where she focused on high-priority illicit finance challenges. Patel also served in management and training roles at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), including as manager of the largest analytics training program at the CIA’s Sherman Kent School. She has also served as chair of a National Security Council (NSC) sub-group and provided daily intelligence briefings for senior NSC staff and White House advisors. Patel graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and policy studies, holds a master’s degree in economics from Duke University, and has a certificate in international finance from Georgetown University. Patel will be in residence at the Maxwell School in Syracuse starting in the fall of 2021.

LAURA DAVIES has been appointed the new chief of staff in the president’s office at SUNY Cortland, effective Jan. 1. She is currently an associate professor of English who directs the university’s writing programs. In her new role, Davies replaces Virginia Levine, the university’s longtime chief of staff and VP for policy and accreditation, who died on March 29. Patricia Francis, a former SUNY Cortland Psychology Department faculty member who also served from 1997 to 2004 as Cortland’s executive assistant to the president, returned to her former institution in early April to serve as chief of staff on an interim basis. Davies has directed the university’s Writing Programs since she joined the university in 2014 as an assistant professor. She was promoted to associate professor in 2017. Davies received her bachelor’s degree in history and English from Le Moyne College in 2004, her master’s in English from the University of New Hampshire in 2005, and her Ph.D. in composition and cultural rhetoric from Syracuse University in 2012.

JIMMY OLIVER has been appointed by Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner to be the Syracuse Police Department’s first director of community engagement. Oliver, who has been deputy commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Youth Programs since June 2018, will join the department in a civilian role responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementing community engagement programming. In his new role, he is charged with helping the department to build community trust and with creating avenues to listen and respond to neighborhood needs. Oliver will focus on improving the department’s relationship with the Syracuse community, particularly with minority and underserved communities, advocacy groups and other key stakeholders. Among his specific assignments will be creating a nationally-affiliated Syracuse Police Department Police Athletic League (PAL), a program dedicated to preventing juvenile crime and violence by providing mentorship, community service, athletic, recreational, enrichment, and educational opportunities. Oliver will coordinate Chief Buckner’s District Advisory Group activities and will manage the work of the City of Syracuse-Onondaga County Coalition to Reduce Gun Violence. He will report to Chief Buckner. Oliver attended Cazenovia College and Le Moyne College. He worked at the Boys & Girls Club of Syracuse from 2002 to 2012 and held senior positions at the Boys & Girls Clubs in Greater Lynchburg and Metro Richmond and served as senior recreation specialist for the Lynchburg Parks and Recreation Department from 2016 to 2017. 

CHRISTOPHER HOULE has been named director of pharmacy at the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS). He previously was a clinical pharmacy coordinator for MVHS, where he oversaw the development of clinical pharmacy services, led the team of clinical pharmacists, and provided supervisory oversight to operational staff. He also previously held the position of consultant pharmacist at Omnicare in New Hartford. Houle is currently enrolled at Louisiana State University for his master’s degree in business administration, and completed his doctor of pharmacy degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.

The Central New York Community Foundation has hired a new accountant. KYMBERLE BENDERSKI recently joined the organization. She is responsible for day-to-day accounting activities and assists with the Community Foundation’s financial reporting. Benderski received her accounting degree from SUNY Brockport.