WHITESBORO — U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, both Democrats from New York, recently announced $47,620 in federal funding for the Whitesboro Fire Department in Oneida County. 

The money was allocated through the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program and will be used to replace a diesel exhaust system, which will help remove harmful chemicals and particles from the department’s fire truck engines to ensure clean air in the station, the senators said in a release.

“The fire department is excited to be able to secure the grant to install the diesel exhaust system. This project will considerably reduce carbon monoxide exposure which will ultimately keep our firefighters safer,” Whitesboro Fire Chief Peter Sobel said in the release.

WARSAW, N.Y. — Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI), parent company of Five Star Bank, recently announced it has appointed Valerie C. Benjamin as its chief human resources executive.

Benjamin is an experienced human-resources leader, most recently serving as associate dean and chief human resources officer (CHRO) at Cornell University’s School of Labor and Industrial Relations, according to a Financial Institutions news release. She previously was CHRO at EarthLink, an IT services company. 

At Financial Institutions, Benjamin succeeds Paula D. Dolan, former director of human resources and enterprise planning at the banking company. Dolan stepped down from her role as HR director in July, but to help with the transition she will continue to serve as human resources project manager through her retirement on Dec. 31, according to the release.

Benjamin’s career also includes 11 years as a global human capital consultant at Accenture, a worldwide management consulting and professional services firm. Benjamin earned a master’s degree in organizational psychology from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in labor relations from Cornell. 

Financial Institutions, Inc. — headquartered in the town of Warsaw in Wyoming County — provides financial services through its subsidiaries Five Star Bank; Scott Danahy Naylon, LLC; Courier Capital, LLC; and HNP Capital, LLC. It employs about 700 people total. 

Five Star Bank has more than 50 offices throughout Western and Central New York. Its Central New York branches include offices in Auburn, Geneva (2), Seneca Falls, Ovid, Elmira (2), and Horseheads.     

HOUNSFIELD — U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer recently announced $700,000 in federal funding for the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency (JCIDA) and the Town of Hounsfield. The money was allocated through the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and will be used to construct public infrastructure to attract businesses to a new 100-acre business complex at Watertown International Airport. 

The EDA funding seeks to help JCIDA and the Town of Hounsfield to install water, sewer, stormwater management, and fiber-optic cable necessary for business development at the complex. Schumer said in a release that he has “long advocated for this vital funding for Jefferson County,” and in March 2017, sent a letter to the U.S. Commerce in support of JCIDA’s application.

“This is great news for Jefferson County. This federal investment in the exciting, new Business Complex at Watertown International will help Jefferson County attract good-paying jobs by creating shovel-ready sites needed to push the region’s economy into the future,” Schumer contended in the release.

David J. Zembiec, deputy CEO of Jefferson County Economic Development, said the federal money will help the county provide “shovel-ready site options that the county needs in order to compete for new business development in today’s global economy.” He said the location of the business complex adjacent to Watertown International Airport and near Interstate 81 and the Canadian border make it “a logistically attractive location.” 

The EDA provided this grant through its Local Technical Assistance Program, which “assists eligible recipients in developing economic-development plans and studies designed to build capacity and guide the economic prosperity and resiliency of an area or region,” the release stated.

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration is now accepting nominations for the agency’s 2019 National Small Business Week Awards, including the annual Small Business Person of the Year.

The local office will take in nominations for small businesses located in upstate New York counties that include Albany, Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Warren, and Washington. 

In addition to the national-award categories, the SBA Syracuse district office also invites nominations for the SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which will be presented at the district level. The individual must serve as a majority owner and operate or maintain principal responsibility for operating a small business. The business owner must have been under the age of 30 as of June 1, 2018. 

Complete details on eligibility and criteria are available at https://www.sba.gov/content/sba-invites-nominations-2019-national-small-business-week. 

For all award categories, please contact Rachael Stanton at rachael.stanton@sba.gov or (315) 471-9393 ext. 244. Nominations should be mailed to the SBA Syracuse district office at 224 Harrison St., Suite 506, Syracuse, NY 13202 by Jan. 9, 2019. 

The SBA will recognize winners in an awards ceremony during National Small Business Week, which is scheduled for May 5-11, 2019.

Since 1963, National Small Business Week has recognized the “outstanding achievements of America’s small businesses for their contributions to their local communities, and to our nation’s economy,” the SBA says.

“This is a great opportunity to recognize those small businesses that have contributed significantly to their local communities, developed creative products or made advances with innovative technologies,” SBA Administrator Linda McMahon said in a news release. “A National Small Business Week award is one of the nation’s highest honors for small business achievement. I encourage you to visit our dedicated website www.sba.gov/nsbw to download forms, criteria and guidelines for submitting a nomination. I look forward to your nomination and wish you the best of luck.”       n

The NFIB, a national small-business association, on Aug. 28 named Syracuse University graduate Ashley Ranslow the assistant state director for New York state.

NFIB says it advocates on behalf of more than 10,000 small businesses in New York and represents 325,000 members nationwide.

The organization describes Ranslow as a “business-advocacy veteran” in Albany, having served the past four years as manager of government affairs for the Northeast Retail Lumber Association (NRLA). Her duties involved advancing the interests of the lumber industry and NRLA’s members in Albany and Washington, D.C. 

“Ashley brings years of business advocacy and association management experience to NFIB and possesses a keen understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities small business owners are facing across New York State,” Greg Biryla, NFIB’s state director in New York, said in a news release. “Ashley’s skill set and passion for NFIB’s mission are the perfect fit for our organization and its members.”

Ranslow’s experience at NRLA has allowed her to establish “vital” relationships with employer-advocacy partners across New York and within the New York State Legislature. 

Her previous experience also includes time with J Strategies, an Albany–based firm that focuses on communications, government affairs, and alliance development, according to its website. 

“I am very excited to be part of the NFIB team and work with Greg Biryla. For the last five years, I had the privilege of representing independent businesses in the lumber and building materials industry across the Northeast,” Ranslow said. “From my experience, I understand the challenges New York’s small businesses face on a daily basis and look forward to continuing to advocate for the independent businesses that drive and grow our economy and support our communities. I am thrilled for the opportunities and challenges ahead and am ready to represent NFIB members as we advance the small-business legislative agenda in Albany.” 

A native of New Hampshire, Ranslow currently lives in Niskayuna in Schenectady County with her husband, Ted. 

Ranslow, who graduated from Syracuse University in 2010, serves as president of the university’s Albany alumni club and is active with the Empire State Society of Association Executives.       n