UTICA —    Utica College’s business programs have been awarded accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners.

“The accreditation certifies that the teaching and learning processes within the undergraduate and graduate business programs offered through the Department of Business and Economics at Utica College meet the educational standards established by ACBSP,” Candace Grant, associate dean of business programs at UC, said in a release.

ACBSP accreditation evaluates aspects of leadership, strategic planning, relationships with stakeholders, quality of academic programs, faculty credentials and educational support, said Stephanie Nesbitt, director of the college’s MBA program.

ACBSP has accredited nearly 3,000 programs around the world, including those at Morrisville State College and the College of Saint Rose in Albany.

“Utica College has shown a commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process,” said Steve Parscale, ACBSP chief accreditation officer.  “This accreditation is evidence that Utica College is committed to providing the highest quality business education for its students.”

SYRACUSE — M&T Bank announced it has appointed Melissa F. Zell to its Directors Advisory Council for the Central New York region. 

The 10-member council meets regularly throughout the year to provide M&T Bank management with insight on a wide range of business, client, and community matters, the bank said in a news release.

Zell is the president and chief operating officer of the Pioneer Companies, a Syracuse–based real estate development and property management firm. In this role, she has led a number of projects, including turning the upper floors of the 21-story State Tower Building, the tallest in the city, into high-end apartments, per the release.

“Melissa brings a wealth of experience, from knowledge of local real estate to an understanding of the needs of the community, as well as the insights that come from running a successful real estate business. She will be a great addition to our council, helping us to continue our commitment to being an advocate for community growth,” Allen Naples, M&T Bank regional president for Central New York, said.

Zell first worked for the Pioneer Companies in the early 1990s as a construction manager and later as a project manager, before leaving to pursue a career in architecture. As an architect, she worked in New York and California on large institutional and corporate projects. Zell then worked as a sole practitioner, completing several residential projects throughout the United States and France, where she lived with her family for 10 years. She returned to Pioneer as an asset manager and later was promoted to her executive position.

In addition to Zell, M&T Bank’s Directors Advisory Council for the Central New York region includes James V. Breuer, Hueber-Breuer Construction; Carl Byrne, Byrne Dairy; Mara Charlamb, United Radio; James (Jim) Fox, O’Brien & Gere; Karyn Korteling, Pastabilities; Robert (Luke) Lewis, Lewis Custom Homes; Robert H. Linn; formerly with Ernst & Young; Joseph Mancuso, Hancock & Estabrook; and Richard J. Zick, Utica First Insurance.

BINGHAMTON — Janeen F. Schrann, partner with Piaker & Lyons CPAs in its Binghamton office, was recently elected vice president of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), the accounting firm announced.

Schrann will serve a one-year term that started on June 1 and extends through May 31, 2019, according to a Piaker & Lyons news release. The NYSSCPA was founded in 1897 and represents more than 26,000 members.

Schrann has been with Piaker & Lyons since 1994, after previously working at KPMG Peat Marwick, according to her bio on the Piaker & Lyons website. The firm admitted her as a partner in 2009. 

She developed and implemented Piaker’s mentoring program. Schrann is chairperson of the firm’s marketing committee and website committee.

Schrann is a CPA in both New York state and Pennsylvania. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania.