Fust Charles Chambers LLP has hired the following individuals as audit associates to help service the firm’s manufacturing, health care, not-for-profit, other professional service, and family-owned businesses.

SANDY CHEN received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and master’s degree in I.S. from Le Moyne College. She is currently working to complete the examination requirements to earn her certified public accountant (CPA) license.

SEAN GONZALEZ received his bachelor’s degree and MBA in public accounting from SUNY Oswego. He is currently working to complete the examination requirements to earn his CPA designation.

JACQUELINE GREER received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and her master’s degree in I.S. from Le Moyne College. She is currently working to complete the examination requirements to earn her CPA license.

SARAH MATTICIO received her bachelor’s degree in marketing and accounting from SUNY Oswego. She is currently working to complete the examination requirements to earn her CPA.

KATHERINE VICAT received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and her MBA from SUNY Oswego. She is currently working to complete the examination requirements to earn her CPA license. 

KIERNAN BRIGGS recently joined Dermody, Burke & Brown as an associate in the firm’s New Hartford office. He works in the tax department at the firm. Briggs received a bachelor’s degree in risk management and insurance and an MBA in professional accountancy from Utica College. Prior to joining Dermody, Burke & Brown, he interned in the tax department at the firm. He is working to complete the certification process to earn his designation as a CPA.

Bowers & Company CPAs, PLLC has named STEVE KELLEY an audit supervisor in the firm. With more than nine years of experience in accounting/auditing, Kelley joins the firm as an audit supervisor in the Syracuse office. His experience includes nine years at Firley, Moran, Freer & Eassa, CPA, P.C., where he started as a staff accountant and advanced to the position of in-charge accountant. Kelley received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. John Fisher College and his MBA from SUNY Oswego. He brings a broad range of industry experience, including in construction and working with financial institutions.

JAMES BLIGH has been promoted to branch manager of Pathfinder Bank’s Pike Block Office in downtown Syracuse. He joined Pathfinder Bank in 2018 as the assistant branch manager of the newly opened Clay office and held that position until this recent promotion. Bligh’s new duties will be developing retail and commercial business in the Syracuse region, while managing the day-to-day operations of the branch. Bligh holds a bachelor’s degree in history from SUNY Brockport.

MORGAN FLACK has been promoted to residential mortgage lender at Pathfinder Bank. Her prior experience is in residential-loan processing, constriction loan management, and customer service. In this new role, Flack will originate residential mortgages and promote the financial institution and its lending services to the community. She will be based in the Pike Block office and will be working to grow residential mortgages in Syracuse and greater Onondaga County. Flack joined Pathfinder Bank in 2012 as a part-time teller and later began her career in lending in 2014 in the loan servicing department. She was promoted to closing coordinator in 2018 and held that title before her promotion to mortgage lender. Flack graduated from SUNY Oswego with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in coaching. 

JOSEPH S. CICCI has been named president of corporate apparel and government contracting for American Fashion Network (AFN). He is also CEO of his own private consulting firm, Javelin Strategic Consultants. Cicci is a 25-year C-suite industry veteran who has successfully created multiple B2B marketing models and served as an entrepreneurial consultant to institutional investment firms in the decorative supply chain industry. Cicci will be helping Jackie Wilson, founder and CEO of AFN, which produces corporate apparel. Cicci holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Hobart & William Smith Colleges.

PHIL ALLEN has joined C2C Construction Solutions LLC as an estimator/project manager for the Butler Building and Renovations Departments. He previously owned Allen Construction, which he managed for seven years as a contractor/owner. Prior to owning his own business, he worked as a project manager for National Building & Restoration Company in Utica.

TAYLOR ENGLISH has joined C2C Construction Solutions LLC as an estimator/project manager for the Custom Vacation Home and Renovation Departments. He previously owned English Contracting, which he managed for seven years as a contractor/owner. Prior to owning his own business, English worked as a project engineer for Hayner Hoyt Corporation in Syracuse and Murnane Building Contractors in Utica.

Strategic Financial Services, Inc. has added three new associate advisors to its team. They were chosen to be part of Strategic’s advisor-development program, where they will develop the critical skills necessary to guide clients toward their financial objectives. They’ll will also be working to become certified financial planner (CFP) professionals.

SOPHIA TSOUPELIS is a graduate of Providence College in Rhode Island with a bachelor’s degree in finance. She was previously a wealth-management intern at Merrill Lynch in Utica, and a corporate-actions income and tax intern for Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., a financial-services firm in Boston.

KYLE DEMPSTER holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester and an MBA from Utica College. He comes to Strategic after serving as a financial-aid counselor at Utica College for six years.

CODY CARNAYA attended SUNY Plattsburgh, where he received a bachelor’s degree in ecology. Most recently, he worked at Equitable Advisors in Syracuse, where he passed his New York State life & health, SIE & Series 7 licensing exams.