The Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University has created a new leadership position, executive director of administration and strategic initiatives, appointing KEVIN COATES, formerly director of budget, finance and business analytics, to the role. The new position is intended to advance the implementation of the Whitman School’s strategic plan. Coates came to the Whitman School in 2016 and previously served in an administrative role at Cornell University, where he was responsible for analytics, financial metrics, and reporting. Coates was instrumental in building a business intelligence team for Cornell’s alumni affairs and development office. He earned a bachelor of business administration degree from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica. The Whitman School has also created another new leadership position, associate dean for global initiatives, appointing EUNKYU LEE professor of marketing. The new position was created to champion and facilitate the school’s many international research and educational efforts. He came to the Whitman School in 2000. Lee has served as Ph.D. program director and chair of the department of marketing while continuing his research on brand-positioning strategies, distribution channel management, and competitive marketing strategy. He also teaches brand-management classes to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a Ph.D. seminar focused on distribution channel management. Lee earned an MBA and Ph.D. in marketing from Duke University.

HEIDI HIGGINS, a resident of Tioga County for more than 30 years, recently joined the Waverly office of the financial services firm Edward Jones as a branch office administrator trainee. 

NICOLE ROGERS, a family nurse practitioner (FNP), has joined the staff of Oswego Health’s PrimeCare office in Fulton. She recently completed the family nurse practitioner program at Upstate Medical University and earned her FNP certification from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. After earning her certification, Rogers delivered primary care services at the Oswego office of Renato Mandanas, M.D. She previously worked at Upstate University Hospital as registered nurse while pursuing her master’s degree. At Upstate, her care experiences included working in various departments such as surgical/trauma/ENT, general surgery, bariatric surgery, and clinical documentation improvement.

ALIVIA JENNINGS, home health aide and JENNIFER TOPER, care transitions manager have joined HCR Home Care’s Onondaga County operations.

Nascentia Health has added the following individuals to its team. The Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA) has added KEISHA BOYD, licensed practical nurse; AMY ERNST, registered nurse; DIANA FARNETI, quality assurance coordinator; RACHAEL GROSVENOR, registered nurse; ANNMARIE MESICK, home care coordinator; LAURA ROBERTS, home health aide training coordinator; DANIELLE SHERIFF, registered nurse; JUSTIN WATERS, physical therapist; and AIMEE WILLIAMSON, registered nurse. The Licensed Home Care Service Agency (LHCSA) has added as home health aides: COURTNEY BROWN, BETH CUNNINGHAM, BILLIE JO FULLER, SARAH GONZALEZ, CHRISTINA GROESBECK, ABU MASSALAY, LYNNESIA MORRIS, ANNA PADILLA, KELSI SHOOP, TINA SPAULDING, NATHANIAL STAHL, and CARLA VAZQUEZ. The Managed Long-Term Care Program (MLTC) has added SHARON JONES, care coordinator; and SELENA NICHOLSON, transportation member services representative.

Bankers Healthcare Group (BHG) recently hired two new employees in its Syracuse office. PATRICK THOMAS has joined as an art director. Prior to BHG, he worked as a creative services manager at Potratz Partners Advertising. TYLER HERRMAN has come aboard as a front-end web developer. Most recently, he worked as a web developer for Mindshare LLC. 

Barclay Damon has launched the firm’s cannabis team, led by attorney SARA PAYNE, a member of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Cannabis Law. The members of Barclay Damon’s multidisciplinary team, which represents individuals and organizations participating in or impacted by legal cannabis operations, have nearly a decade of cannabis-specific experience. Payne represented one of the original five registered organizations authorized to produce and distribute medical marijuana in New York state and has assisted the company since its inception with all aspects of its operations. She is a contributing editor for Cannabis Law Digest, and her recent presentations include “Legislative Developments in Medical Marijuana and Industrial Hemp in New York,” a New York State Bar Association continuing legal education (CLE) seminar presented in May.

TAYLOR L. PROCOPIO has joined Smith Sovik Kendrick & Sugnet PC as an associate attorney to the Syracuse office. She graduated from Christian Brothers Academy and Syracuse University. Procopio attended Fordham University School of Law, where she was a staff writer on the Urban Law Journal and a research assistant at the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice. Prior to joining Smith Sovik, Procopio was an associate at Fried Frank in New York City. She has returned to Syracuse to focus her practice on auto, premises,’ transportation, and labor law liability, and other personal-injury defense including professional and medical malpractice and construction litigation.

Massage Envy of Rochester / Syracuse has hired ZASHALISE MOORE as a wellness consultant in its Fayetteville location, and EMILY CULLEN as an esthetician, also in Fayetteville.