Eric Mower + Associates (EMA) recently promoted several employees in its Syracuse office. JENNIFER KEEM was promoted to senior project supervisor. She joined EMA in 2011. Keem has managed complex campaigns in both legacy and digital formats for clients, large and small, including FirstEnergy, WestRock, and Carestream Dental.

JOHN LACEY was promoted to director of public affairs. He joined EMA in 2006 and has experience with both nonprofit and profit sectors. At EMA, Lacey has worked with NextEra Energy Resources, Honeywell International, and the American Civic Association, among others. Prior to joining EMA, he was the communications director for Americans for Gun Safety.

DIANA COMERFORD was promoted to VP of project management. She joined EMA in 2007 and was previously director of project management. Comerford will continue to supervise project managers across five of EMA’s branches. Internally, she serves on the agency’s leadership committee.

MARGIE FREER was promoted to talent-acquisition manager. She joined the firm in 2014 with more than 10 years of recruitment experience. Prior to EMA, Freer worked for local companies, including SRC, Inc. and Welch Allyn. Most recently, Freer was in the role of an HR generalist, but will now focus on all aspects of talent acquisition.

BRUCE WODKA was promoted to manager of information services. He has been with EMA since 2003 as an IT administrator, after working at AppliedTheory. Wodka has helped update EMA’s technology to cloud-based systems and multi-office connections.

JARED KERSCHNER was promoted to web-development supervisor. He joined EMA in 2012 after working as a web developer at 2ndNature. Kerschner provides strategic planning and web development, and also helps to manage the agency’s internal website and application needs.

MIKE WHEELER was promoted to VP, design director. He joined EMA in 2008 as a part of the combination with Mark Russell & Associates, where he had worked as the director of design since 2004. 

MARLENE RIZZO recently joined SWBR’s Syracuse office as an administrative assistant. She brings more than 14 years of specialized administrative support experience, most recently with Aspen Dental Management and Port & Company CPAs. Rizzo received a certification in human resources from Bryant & Stratton College and an associate degree in business administration from Onondaga Community College. 

Bartell Machinery Systems, LLC announced that DEAN LELAND has joined the company as an electrical programming engineer. Prior to joining Bartell Machinery, he worked at International Wire Group as an electrical engineer. Leland obtained his associate degree from Butte College and has more than 26 years of electrical experience.

Prudent Engineering has hired FREDERICK BURGWARDT and CHRISTOPHER LAMA as senior project engineers. The firm has also hired CHRISTIAN WESSELS in the marketing department as assistant proposal writer.

Burgwardt joins the firm’s design department. He spent the majority of his career working for the New York State Department of Transportation, most recently as the bridge design squad leader. Burgwardt earned his bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from Clarkson University.

Lama most recently worked for Wendel Companies in Western New York as senior transportation engineer. He joins the firm’s design department. Lama’s background in highway engineering will provide experience in the design and management of highway and interdisciplinary design projects. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil-engineering technology from SUNYIT in Utica.

Wessels recently completed his master’s degree in creative writing from Boston University. 

ANGELA NASWORTHY has joined Carthage Area Hospital’s Carthage Behavioral Health team as a general therapist. Before joining Carthage Behavioral Health, she worked as a senior prevention educator and employee-assistance counselor at Pivot Prevention & Health Services, Watertown, from 2011 until last month. Nasworthy graduated from Keuka College with a bachelor’s degree in social work. In 2017, she completed the Greater Rochester collaborative master of social work program and is also a certified alcohol substance-abuse counselor in training.

NBT Insurance Agency has promoted several employees. Employees who received promotions in the CNY region include: JOY INTHANONGSAK (Vestal) promoted from commercial lines customer-service representative to executive commercial lines customer-service representative; AUTUMNE PIKE (Sherburne) promoted from personal lines customer-service representative to executive personal lines customer-service rep; BETSY COOK (Syracuse) promoted from commercial lines executive customer-service representative to commercial lines manager; DANIELLE DUFOUR (Norwich) promoted from policy records and resources team lead to agency automation administrator; LEAH FOWLER (Norwich) promoted from training specialist to senior training specialist; LEXI WILCOX (Norwich) promoted from marketing coordinator to communications & marketing manager. 

The law firm of Getnick Livingston Atkinson & Priore, LLP, announced that JUSTIN T. ATKINSON has joined the firm as an associate attorney. A native of New Hartford, he graduated from SUNY Cortland and received his law degree from the University at Buffalo Law School in 2015. He is a member of the Oneida County and New York State Bar Associations and concentrates his practice in the areas of matrimonial law and domestic relations.

Human Technologies has appointed DON SMITH as VP of business development. He as previously in charge of developing federal business for a large State Department supplier, Atlantic Diving Supply, where he worked for seven years. He has held positions as the VP at Territorial Mint and a senior systems engineer at CACI, which provides information solutions and services in support of national security missions. Smith spent 14 years in the U.S. Air Force, where he trained pilots for five years, then moved to the National Military Command Center and worked for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon in its nuclear ops/command and control areas.