JOSH COOK and CHRISTIAN SAMARA, of Dermody, Burke & Brown, CPAs, LLC, have been named senior associates in the tax department. Cook started at the firm as an associate in 2014. He received both his bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from Le Moyne College. Samara joined the firm as an associate in 2016 and provides a wide range of services to clients. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Le Moyne College and is a CPA. JOSHUA LEWIS and SEAN MCKENNA have been promoted to senior associates in Dermody’s auditing & accounting department. Lewis started with the firm as an associate in 2016. He received both a bachelor’s degree in accounting from SUNY Brockport and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Rochester Institute of Technology. McKenna joined Dermody, Burke & Brown as an associate in 2016 and serves a variety of not-for-profit, manufacturing, and employee-benefit plan clients. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. John Fisher College and his MBA from Le Moyne College. 

ALEXIS MARTIN has joined Ambient Environmental, Inc. as an environment, health, and safety (EHS) consultant. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a broad range of experience in EHS regulatory compliance, and risk management for the manufacturing and heavy highway construction business sectors. Martin has strong knowledge of the state and federal regulatory process and has experience developing environmental and pollution prevention plans necessitated by the various regulatory agencies.

ROBERT SCHOLEFIELD has been appointed to the new role of executive VP of facilities and real estate for the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS), which includes the responsibility for the construction of the new, regional medical center in downtown Utica. He became chief operating officer of MVHS after the affiliation of Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare and St. Elizabeth Medical Center (SEMC), where he had been serving as COO. A graduate of the St. Elizabeth College of Nursing, Scholefield served as a nurse and later as the chief nursing officer at SEMC. 

Bankers Healthcare Group (BHG) has added two new employees to its Syracuse office. TERRI GEORGE joins as a collections specialist. She previously managed more than 300 accounts in her role as credit and collections supervisor at NEMF. She has a bachelor’s degree from Limestone College and associate degree from Herkimer County Community College, according to her LinkedIn profile.

PATRICK MANNION has joined BHG as an account executive. He previously worked in sales at CXtec, where he sold network hardware and telephony equipment in the commercial sector as an account rep. Mannion also previously worked for United Auto Supply Inc. and Onondaga Community College (OCC), among other employers, according to his LinkedIn profile. Mannion received a bachelor’s degree from Coastal Carolina University and an associate degree from OCC.

The Hiscock Legal Aid Society (HLA) has promoted the following employees. GREGORY W. DEWAN has been promoted to deputy executive director and VP. He is a graduate of Emory University School of Law. NICOLE TALEV has been elevated to managing attorney of civil and family court programs. She is a graduate of SUNY Buffalo Law School. TARA L. TRAMMELL has been promoted to family court program supervising attorney. She previously worked in a number of positions including the civil and family programs and domestic violence projects. JASON TORREANO has been promoted to director of development and communications. DANIELLE BLACKABY has been promoted to senior attorney for family court appeals. She is a Syracuse University Law School graduate. ALEXA PARCELL has been promoted to senior attorney. She is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law. AMANDA MCHENRY will continue as supervising attorney for the HLA parent defense practice that handles Article 10, TPR (termination of parental rights), and child-support cases. She will also serve as OVS (Office of Victim Services) project attorney, representing victims of domestic violence who face neglect charges.

BEN ROBBINS has joined Hartman Enterprises, Inc. and its subsidiary B&M Machine Company as director of business development. He has more than 25 years of manufacturing experience in sales and operations. In his new role, Robbins will be responsible for sales and leading the development of marketing strategies that will strengthen existing customer relationships and provide new opportunities in the aerospace, energy, transportation,  medical, oil and gas, and other industries. 

Massage Envy of Rochester / Syracuse has hired the following employees: AUDREY SWING as a wellness consultant in the Fayetteville location; JENNIFER SWANK as a wellness consultant in Clay; MICHAEL FOCHTMAN as a licensed massage therapist in Clay. LAKEISHA BRANKER as a wellness consultant in Clay; MADISON POIRE as a wellness consultant in the Fayetteville location, and COREY SMITH as a licensed massage therapist in Fayetteville.

PETER F. ALEXANDER has joined the Syracuse office of Cushman Wakefield/Pyramid Brokerage Company as a commercial real-estate salesperson. He previously worked as a financial-services advisor with Merrill Lynch. Alexander is a certified clinical hypnotist, a secondary school teacher, and has a degree in business administration from St. Bonaventure University. His focus will be in the acquisition, disposition, and re-development of industrial properties.

GLENN WEISIGER, a licensed broker, has joined CBRE/Syracuse as a senior broker, bringing 30 years of experience in landlord and tenant representation to the commercial real-estate firm. He received a bachelor’s degree in geology from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and an MBA in corporate finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Hackensack, New Jersey. In 1990, Weisiger began his career in commercial real estate — working for Hampshire Management, Wilmorite Companies, Westfield Corporation, Pyramid Companies, and Brixmor Companies.