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Tioga Downs Casino Resort appoints new executive chef
NICHOLS — Tioga Downs Casino Resort recently announced the appointment of Mark Henry as executive chef. Henry brings more than 25 years of experience in the industry to his new role at Tioga Downs in Nichols in Tioga County. He most recently served as the senior executive chef for the National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings. […]
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NICHOLS — Tioga Downs Casino Resort recently announced the appointment of Mark Henry as executive chef.
Henry brings more than 25 years of experience in the industry to his new role at Tioga Downs in Nichols in Tioga County.
He most recently served as the senior executive chef for the National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Henry’s résumé includes leadership positions at four- and five-star restaurants and hotels across North America, per a news release. They include the Seven Feathers Resort & Casino in Canyonville, Oregon; the Plaza Hotel in New York City; Marriot’s Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona; and Eden Roc Resort & Spa in South Beach, Florida.
He puts an emphasis on the farm-to-table philosophy, according to Tioga Downs.
CenterState CEO Voices Support for $280M Project in Clay
[On Sept. 30], I along with CenterState CEO staff and several members, attended the Town of Clay Board and Planning Board joint public hearing on the proposed project to develop a 3.7-million-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility in the town. During the meeting, Andrew Fish, senior VP, and I went on record to voice CenterState CEO’s
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[On Sept. 30], I along with CenterState CEO staff and several members, attended the Town of Clay Board and Planning Board joint public hearing on the proposed project to develop a 3.7-million-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility in the town. During the meeting, Andrew Fish, senior VP, and I went on record to voice CenterState CEO’s strongest possible support for the project. Additionally, CenterState CEO has submitted formal letters of support to the Town of Clay Board, Town of Clay Planning Board, and the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency.
We have long advocated for and pursued opportunities to attract a major warehouse and logistics facility to the region. In more than two decades, there has not been a single project within our region with this level of private-sector investment. The project — with its proposal to employ more than 1,000 people with an annual average payroll of about $30 million — holds the potential to create significant economic impact for our regional economy, with countless opportunities for local businesses to benefit from this massive investment.
As you are keenly aware, issues of unemployment and poverty limit our region from realizing its true economic potential. If we are to truly confront and alter the root causes of these persistent challenges, then we must fully embrace and support projects like this that create meaningful employment opportunities for those often disconnected from the workforce.
This project also plays directly to our region’s infrastructure strengths, and is situated along a corridor with some of the region’s most successful warehouse and distribution assets.
Additionally, this project advances regional strategies outlined in Central New York’s Upstate Revitalization Initiative that call for aligning job demand with available workers, addressing the skills gap, creating access to opportunity by locating jobs in proximity to public transit, and investing in the logistics and distribution industry. The proposed site is situated along Centro bus routes, and the majority of the proposed jobs will have a low-barrier to entry, enhancing the ability of more of our region’s available workforce to directly benefit from these employment opportunities, and to contribute to a thriving regional economy.
Robert M. (Rob) Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This viewpoint is drawn and edited from the “CEO Focus” email newsletter that the organization sent to members on Oct. 3.
The U.S. Congress Spends Like Tomorrow is Just Another Day
Spend like tomorrow is just another day. Our nation faces gigantic debt and unbalanced budgets for decades to come. Let us consider that over-spending. Do you imagine Congress might ever, ever, spend less than what comes in? What are you smoking? You must also imagine that all student drinking is legal. Congress and students behave
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Spend like tomorrow is just another day.
Our nation faces gigantic debt and unbalanced budgets for decades to come.
Let us consider that over-spending. Do you imagine Congress might ever, ever, spend less than what comes in? What are you smoking? You must also imagine that all student drinking is legal.
Congress and students behave the way they do for the same reason: They can. I will come back to that thought.
Congress behaves as did a couple who asked me to play Dutch Uncle for them. (I was their financial advisor.) They were spendthrifts. They had declared bankruptcy twice. They were about to declare again.
Their last bankruptcy judge absolutely prohibited them from using credit cards. But they were now using credit cards — under the name of the man’s brother, behaving like students with fake IDs. They were addicted to spending. Like the people we elect to Congress.
I asked whether their income had gone up over the years. Yes, it had. Many times. But every time they got raises, they upped their spending. It was as if they had a simple budget process. They calculated what their income would be. They then laid out plans to spend more than their income.
This sounds like our dear Congress, doesn’t it? Let us make that stronger. This is our Congress.
Congress recently got a raise, so to speak. Revenues streaming into Washington, D.C. rose 3.4 percent. That should spark a celebration.
Hey, we voted in a tax cut. Like most tax cuts, it revved up the economy. The revved-up economy generated more revenue. Even in the short-term, it did. Even so-called “evil” corporations paid 5 percent more than last year. In 11 months Washington took in $102 billion more than it did the previous 11 months. Remarkable. Let us break out the bubbly.
Congress did. And the bubbly went to their heads. Congresspeople increased spending by 6.4 percent. Yes, they saw $102 billion more come in. They spent all that $102 billion, plus another $169 billion. This is like the bankrupt couple celebrating their $10,000 raise by booking a $25,000 vacation. (Note: I drew the Washington figures from John Merline’s article in Issues & Insights, a terrific online editorial page.)
To be fair, much of the spending increase came from our big entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. But Congress is also too cowardly to rein in or reform such programs.
And to be further fair, they ramped up their defense spending by 7.9 percent. And they juiced up all their other spending by 4.5 percent.
The truth is that Congress is a spendthrift. No different than the bankrupt couple I advised.
Why won’t our politicians curtail spending? Why do they celebrate pay raises by blowing the raises and a hell of a lot more?
Simple. They overspend because they can. No one holds them to account. And, they can always squeeze more out of us. With a few new taxes.
This is so easy for them to do. Are you going to notice if they raise the tax on gasoline by five cents? Nah.
But Tom, the deficit is massive. And the debt they have piled up is mountainous. Where could Congress possibly find such immense amounts? Surely these figures must give politicians nightmares?
Right. Politicians never suffer nightmares. They experience pleasant dreams. Such as a tax on internet traffic. Such as carbon taxes. Those two alone would swamp Washington with new revenue.
Why there would be so much new money coming into Washington the politicians could hardly find ways to spend it all.
On the other hand, that really is a dream. As well as a nightmare.
From Tom…as in Morgan.
Tom Morgan writes about political, financial, and other subjects from his home in upstate New York. You can write to Tom at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com, read more of his writing at tomasinmorgan.com, or find him on Facebook.

Insero & Co. CPAs recently hired NATHAN (NATE) REYNOLDS as a staff accountant in the audit department in its Ithaca office. He is a graduate of SUNY Brockport, where he received his bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance, with an economics minor. Reynolds completed his master’s degree in accounting at Binghamton University. He is part
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Insero & Co. CPAs recently hired NATHAN (NATE) REYNOLDS as a staff accountant in the audit department in its Ithaca office. He is a graduate of SUNY Brockport, where he received his bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance, with an economics minor. Reynolds completed his master’s degree in accounting at Binghamton University. He is part of the school district and not-for-profit audit team at Insero.
The firm has also hired JOSHUA (JOSH) APKER as a staff accountant in the audit department in its Ithaca office. He previously worked at The William George Agency for Children’s Services, Inc., where he was the assistant CFO. Apker brings substantial experience in not-for-profit accounting. He received his bachelor’s degree of business administration in accounting from St. Bonaventure University. Apker is part of the governmental and not-for-profit audit team at Insero.

Pinckney Hugo Group has hired ERIN GAFNER as a senior account manager. She previously worked as director of digital experience at Chartway Federal Credit Union in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Gafner also gained experience in marketing, public relations, and social media at other organizations in Virginia. She has a master’s degree in lifespan and digital communication
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Pinckney Hugo Group has hired ERIN GAFNER as a senior account manager. She previously worked as director of digital experience at Chartway Federal Credit Union in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Gafner also gained experience in marketing, public relations, and social media at other organizations in Virginia. She has a master’s degree in lifespan and digital communication from Old Dominion University and a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from SUNY Oswego.

Tioga County Economic Development and Planning has hired MEGAN GRIFFITHS. She will be specializing in agricultural economic development. Griffiths received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Binghamton University.
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Tioga County Economic Development and Planning has hired MEGAN GRIFFITHS. She will be specializing in agricultural economic development. Griffiths received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Binghamton University.

CenterState CEO has hired two new employees for its innovation and entrepreneurship portfolio: JEFF FUCHSBERG and MIA TOMASELLO. Fuchsberg is entrepreneur in residence for CenterState CEO’s innovation and entrepreneurship portfolio at The Tech Garden. He most recently served as senior director of innovation projects at the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation in El Paso,
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CenterState CEO has hired two new employees for its innovation and entrepreneurship portfolio: JEFF FUCHSBERG and MIA TOMASELLO.
Fuchsberg is entrepreneur in residence for CenterState CEO’s innovation and entrepreneurship portfolio at The Tech Garden. He most recently served as senior director of innovation projects at the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation in El Paso, Texas and previously served as intellectual-property manager at Blue Highway in Syracuse, a spinoff of Welch Allyn. Fuchsberg holds a bachelor’s degree in entomology from Cornell University, and a law degree from Syracuse University College of Law with an advanced certificate in technology commercialization law from the New York State Science & Technology Law Center.
Tomasello is the events administrator for CenterState CEO’s innovation and entrepreneurship portfolio at The Tech Garden. She previously served as communications coordinator for the startup, Vessel, a reusable cup system for cafés and their customers, in Boulder, Colorado. Tomasello holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and communications from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

SOPHIE ALESNA-SABANG, M.D., a specialist in family medicine, has joined the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) New Hartford medical arts office. She earned her doctorate in medicine at the Cebu Institute of Medicine in Cebu, Philippines. Alesna-Sabang completed her residency in family medicine at the St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency Program in Utica, where she
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SOPHIE ALESNA-SABANG, M.D., a specialist in family medicine, has joined the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) New Hartford medical arts office. She earned her doctorate in medicine at the Cebu Institute of Medicine in Cebu, Philippines. Alesna-Sabang completed her residency in family medicine at the St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency Program in Utica, where she was chief resident in her third year. Alesna-Sabang earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Southwestern University in Cebu, Philippines.
YAGNASRI EAGALA, M.D., a specialist in family medicine, has joined the MVHS Herkimer medical office. She earned her medical degree from the American University of Antigua in Osbourn, Antigua and Barbuda and completed her residency in family medicine at the St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency Program in Utica. Eagala earned her MBA and bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.
HERAA CHAUDHRY, M.D., a specialist in family medicine, has joined the MVHS Washington Mills medical office and has privileges at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare. She earned her bachelor’s degree in health science and medical degree from The Medical University of the Americas in Nevis, West Indies. Chaudhry completed her residency in family medicine at the St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency Program in Utica.
ALLYSA PRASHAD, M.D., a specialist in family medicine, has joined the MVHS New Hartford Crossroads medical office and has privileges at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology at Stony Brook University and her medical degree at the American University of Antigua in Osbourn, Antigua and Barbuda. Prashad completed her residency in family medicine at the St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency Program in Utica. She is board-certified in family medicine
JAVERIA SHABBIR, M.D., has joined the MVHS hospitalist group at the St. Elizabeth Campus. She completed her residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center located in the Bronx. Shabbir earned her bachelor’s degree in medicine and bachelor’s degree in surgery from Fatimah Jinnah Medical University in Pakistan.

FLH Medical, P.C. has added two new providers with extensive clinical experience. STACI HOOKER is now seeing patients at FLH Medical, P.C. Finger Lakes Gastroenterology, located in the Geneva Office Park in Geneva. Hooker began her career as a primary and charge nurse in telemetry and emergency care at Geneva General Hospital. She has worked
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FLH Medical, P.C. has added two new providers with extensive clinical experience.
STACI HOOKER is now seeing patients at FLH Medical, P.C. Finger Lakes Gastroenterology, located in the Geneva Office Park in Geneva. Hooker began her career as a primary and charge nurse in telemetry and emergency care at Geneva General Hospital. She has worked as a family nurse practitioner hospitalist for Finger Lakes Health and has served as an FNP for the Willard Medication Assisted Treating Program since 2018. Hooker earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Austin Peay State University, and pursued her family nurse practitioner master’s degree, with a minor in nursing education, at SUNY Upstate Medical University.
LISA MEJIA comes to FLH Medical, P.C. with six years of experience as a registered nurse in varying levels of acuity, from infants to geriatrics. She is now seeing patients at Lifecare Medical Associates in Seneca Falls. Mejia began her nursing career as a registered nurse (RN) at Memorial Pembroke Urgent Care Center and first came to work at Geneva General Hospital in the intensive care unit. She has served as an RN instructor. Most recently, she served as a nurse practitioner at Wound Healing Solutions. Mejia earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Nova Southeastern University. She then earned a family nurse practitioner master’s degree.

JAMES PIERSON has joined MVHS as director of environmental services for Crothall. He brings many years of operational experience in the support services industry in leading housekeeping department operations. Pierson was most recently manager of environmental and transport services at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from American Intercontinental University in
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JAMES PIERSON has joined MVHS as director of environmental services for Crothall. He brings many years of operational experience in the support services industry in leading housekeeping department operations. Pierson was most recently manager of environmental and transport services at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from American Intercontinental University in Chicago, and is a certified health-care environmental-services professional.
ANTHONY J. DOUGHER has joined MVHS as director of environmental services at the St. Elizabeth Campus for Crothall. He has many years of operational experience in the support-services industry in leading housekeeping department operations. Dougher most recently served as environmental-services operations manager at Mercy Hospital in Buffalo. He earned an associate degree in specialized business from the Art and Fashion Institute in Philadelphia.
BRIANNA FLANAGAN has joined MVHS as director for patient transportation for Crothall. She will have direct operations oversight of the patient transport and the service response center departments within MVHS. Flanagan brings many years of operational experience in the patient transport industry. She was most recently the unit director of patient transport at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia. Flanagan received a bachelor’s degree from Quinnipiac University.
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