KeyBank has promoted KATHLEEN A. SLIFKA to VP, payments advisor in enterprise commercial payments. She has been with KeyBank since 1993, where she’s served in many roles including area retail leader, district operations manager and branch manager. In her new role, Slifka will be serving the entire Central New York market for small business treasury services. KeyBank has also promoted

ADELIA MOSLEY to branch manager, overseeing its Southside and Valley Plaza branches in Syracuse. Mosley has 30 years of banking experience. She rejoined KeyBank in 2017, after working as a personal banker at M&T Bank. Mosley had a previous stint with Key from 1987-2013 as a teller and client service manager/operations manager.

Tompkins County Area Development (TCAD) has appointed CHUCK SCHWERIN as its new managing director of business services. He will be responsible for business retention, expansion, and attraction initiatives, offering direct incentives, and developing relationships with business leaders, entrepreneurs, and a variety of stakeholders. He will provide direct assistance to retain, grow, and attract new business and industry in Tompkins County. The nonprofit TCAD, founded in 1964, is Tompkins County’s economic-development organization. Before joining TCAD, Schwerin was a certified business advisor for the New York Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Binghamton University for three years, where he specialized in advising tech-based companies. There, he was also the New York State coordinator for FAST (Federal and State Technology), a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)-funded program that helps states enhance the use of Small Business Innovation Research grants. Schwerin is a co-founder (and current board member) of a biotech spin-off from Binghamton University. He holds three patents on geographic information technology and received his master’s degree in urban policy and planning from Tufts University, TCAD said. He was an adjunct professor, teaching entrepreneurship, in Binghamton University’s School of Management.

The Hobart and William Smith Colleges board of trustees has named JOYCE JACOBSEN as the schools’ first woman president. Jacobsen is the 29th president of Hobart College and the 18th president of William Smith College. She begins her presidency on July 1. Jacobsen currently serves as provost and senior VP for academic affairs at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Jacobsen will succeed Patrick McGuire, who has been serving as interim president following the resignation of former president Gregory Vincent. Hobart and William Smith Colleges describe Jacobsen as a “renowned scholar of economics, an award-winning teacher and an experienced administrator.” She has degrees from Harvard University, the London School of Economics, and Stanford University, and more than three decades of experience taking on “increasingly complex roles” in higher education. 

SALINA BILLINS was appointed by Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) to the grant-funded position of GEAR UP coordinator and will manage programming and support services for the GEAR UP program. Billins has been with MVCC since 2012 in several capacities, including GEAR UP academic specialist, adjunct instructor, and completion coach. She previously worked at Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency as a family advocate, child development site supervisor, ARRA job training program manager, education manager, and older youth vocational specialist. Billins holds a bachelor’s degree in education from SUNY Buffalo and a master’s degree in science, leadership, and instruction for inclusive classrooms from Utica College. NORMA CHRISMAN was promoted to the position of manager of educational technologies at MVCC. She is responsible for the operations of the college’s Educational Technologies Department, serving faculty, staff, and students; the software administration for all educational technologies initiatives; and actively engaging in technical training for all members of the college community. Chrisman previously held the title of educational technology specialist at MVCC since 2002. She previously worked for Herkimer County Trust as a PC software specialist, computer room supervisor, and IT operations administrator. Chrisman holds an associate degree in accounting from Herkimer County Community College and a bachelor’s degree in business from Bellevue University. JESSICA KACZOR has joined MVCC as a recruitment and employment specialist, a position in which she’ll be responsible for the coordination and implementation of human resource processes and procedures, including recruitment, employment, civil service processing, and payroll. Kaczor previously worked at Family Dollar Distribution as an HR generalist and human resources support coordinator. She also worked at Upstate Cerebral Palsy as a payroll/operations specialist, benefits specialist, and administrative assistant of recruitment. She also served as human resources specialist at Premier Aviation. Kaczor holds bachelor’s degrees in English and theatre from SUNY Oneonta. JEFFREY ZALEWSKI was appointed to the grant-funded position of completion coach in the Mandia Family Learning Commons at MVCC. He will be responsible for guiding, counseling, mentoring, and advocating for student success completion. Zalewski has worked at MVCC in several capacities since 2016, including TASC/GED exam instructor, adjunct instructor, and writing and history tutor. He previously was an exchange traded funds administrator for Bank of New York Mellon and an instructor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Potentia Management Group, LLC — a New Hartford–based firm that offers, LED lighting systems and controls, solar systems, EV charging stations, and cooler and refrigeration controls — announced that DAVE AUSTIN, owner of solar company Great Brook NRG, LLC., has joined its team. Austin has more than 40 years of field experience, both commercial and residential. Potentia will utilize Austin to bring expertise on the solar and electric-vehicle charging side of projects.

Potentia has also added a new project manager, MELINA DANIELS. Her previous role was as a job tech for Potentia. She now will help in the execution of projects. Both hires are part of an effort for Potentia to expand services and regional reach for project incentives.

PAUL HANNA has joined St. Joseph’s Health Cardiovascular Institute’s Oneida campus. Hanna is a medical cardiologist. In this position, he will diagnose and treat heart-specific conditions. Hanna earned his Doctor of Medicine from New York Medical College in Valhalla. and completed his residency in internal medicine at New York University Medical Center (Bellevue Hospital). Following residency, Hanna completed a fellowship in cardiology at Penn State University College of Medicine. Prior to joining St. Joseph’s Health, Hanna worked at a Westchester Medical Center affiliate in Poughkeepsie as a cardiologist. 

Bankers Healthcare Group (BHG) has added four new employees to its Syracuse office. ALICIA AIELLO joins as an account executive. She previously worked in the medical field as a billing specialist for four years. JEREMY CALI joins as a staff attorney. Prior to BHG, he spent 12 years at the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. BHG’s subsidiary company, Capital Collections Management, also hired two employees. ANGELA TERRY joins as a collections specialist. She previously worked in the hospitality, customer service, and collections industries. SHANNON ADAMS joins as an administrative assistant. She previously worked in the customer service industry.

NICKY ADAMS has been named the new head coach of the Syracuse University women’s soccer team, replacing Phil Wheddon, who resigned after coaching his 11th season last fall. Adams comes to Syracuse from Rice University, where she coached Rice to an 87-55-23 overall record and a 57-25-11 mark in Conference USA games. Rice received NCAA Tournament invitations in 2014 and 2017. Adams was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year following both seasons. Adams first joined the Rice coaching staff as an assistant in 2003 and then was promoted to associate head coach in 2006. She was appointed interim head coach for the final 13 games of 2010 and was named permanent head coach after that season. Adams was a soccer star during her college days at Texas A&M University from 1997-2001. She earned her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. 

CoveyCS, a software consulting and development firm, has promoted GARETT BEGNOCHE to software developer from assistant developer. He joined CoveyCS as an intern in January 2018 and was hired full time after graduating from Mohawk Valley Community College with a degree in computer science. CoveyCS has also promoted

RYAN NUDO to software developer from assistant developer. He joined CoveyCS two years ago as an intern from Mohawk Valley Community College while working on a degree in computer science. Nudo started out at CoveyCS writing tests for already existing software. He rapidly moved into bug fixing, implementing features, and learning new technologies for smaller client projects.