Community Bank names CNY market regional president

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DeWITT, N.Y. — Community Bank N.A. announced it has promoted Lindsay Weichert to the role of regional president of the bank’s Central New York market in Syracuse. In her new position, Weichert is responsible for leading business development and community-engagement activities while ensuring effective communication across all bank and non-bank lines of business in the […]

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DeWITT, N.Y. — Community Bank N.A. announced it has promoted Lindsay Weichert to the role of regional president of the bank’s Central New York market in Syracuse.

In her new position, Weichert is responsible for leading business development and community-engagement activities while ensuring effective communication across all bank and non-bank lines of business in the region.

“Lindsay’s leadership and wealth of experience in commercial real estate finance have been a key factor in our growth and strong reputation across our Central New York region,” Chief Banking Officer Jeffrey Levy said in a news release. “As Community Bank continues to grow in size and geography, remaining close to our customers and communities is more important than ever. I am confident that Lindsay’s effective leadership, passion for community service, and her steadfast commitment to our customers will further support this mission, and I look forward to her continued success in this new role.”

Weichert, who has more than two decades of banking industry experience, joined Community Bank in 2022 as senior VP, commercial banking group manager, where she oversaw commercial-banking operations for the region. She has completed Community Financial System Inc.’s inaugural Leadership Council program.

Prior to joining Community Bank, Weichert worked for M&T Bank and Fitch Ratings, where she specialized in commercial real-estate lending.

Outside of work, Weichert is active in the community and volunteers with several organizations. She is treasurer of the Downtown Syracuse Foundation, a board member of Syracuse City Ballet and the United Way of Central New York, and a member of several local economic-development task forces and working groups.

Weichert holds a master’s degree in real estate with a concentration in finance and investments from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in multi-language, with minors in economics and mathematics, from St. Lawrence University.

Community Bank N.A. is the banking subsidiary of Community Financial System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU), a financial-services company based in DeWitt. Community Bank has 200 branches across New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Massachusetts.

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Le Moyne working with NYC firm to raise $40 million for athletics, wellness

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Le Moyne College has entered into a five-year agreement with the firm Legends to raise $40 million to support the upcoming renovation of the Thomas J. Niland Jr. Athletic Complex. “This partnership will benefit the entire campus community,” Le Moyne President Linda LeMura said in the school’s announcement. “The planned renovations to

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Le Moyne College has entered into a five-year agreement with the firm Legends to raise $40 million to support the upcoming renovation of the Thomas J. Niland Jr. Athletic Complex.

“This partnership will benefit the entire campus community,” Le Moyne President Linda LeMura said in the school’s announcement. “The planned renovations to the Niland complex will add to and upgrade our fields, fitness and wellness facilities used by students, faculty and staff, as well as those living in the neighborhoods surrounding campus. Working with Legends will allow our advancement and innovation team to continue to focus on academics and other key areas of fundraising.”

Mike Behan, who graduated from Le Moyne in 2005, is the president of Legends’ college division, the school noted.

Founded in 2008, New York City–based Legends describes itself as a “premium experiences company” with six divisions that include global planning, global sales, hospitality, global partnerships, global merchandise, and Legends IQ.

Legends launched its philanthropy practice in 2017 and has built a “successful fundraising track record,” Le Moyne said.

The firm has worked with the University of Notre Dame, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Southern California, Villanova University, and the Rose Bowl. All told, the company has assisted in maximizing revenue associated with more than $2 billion in new and renovated facility projects.

The company’s IQ division provides the “business intelligence driving and informing its work.”

“I’m excited that we are bringing in a global leader to help us achieve our goals in the athletics, fitness and wellness areas,” Jim Joseph, VP for advancement and innovation and dean of the Madden College of Business and Economics, said in the school’s announcement. “Working seamlessly as one team, advancement and innovation and Legends will also procure resources for athletic scholarships and other athletic-focused endowment funds.”

In addition to working on donations to fund the immediate athletics needs, the Legends approach is to develop a “sustainable fundraising model” to provide for annual gifts going forward, “building a culture of athletic philanthropy that will develop a pipeline” for major gifts in the future.

“It brings me great pride that Legends has the privilege to partner with Le Moyne, my alma mater,” Behan said. “This is a transformative time for Le Moyne given its recent move to Division I. We look forward to supporting the College in reaching new heights!”

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OnaJava Coffee & Soul Café holds soft opening in long-vacant South Salina Street building

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — OnaJava Coffee & Soul Café held a soft-opening event on Friday in the redeveloped former Sumner Hunt building at 1555 S. Salina St. in Syracuse at the intersection with East Kennedy Street. The event represented a “revival” of the original OnaJava on the city’s South side 20 years ago. It “will be

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The event represented a “revival” of the original OnaJava on the city’s South side 20 years ago. It “will be a space focused on building community through food, coffee, music, poetry, and art,” the City of Syracuse said in its advisory about the Friday event.

The coffee house will begin operations serving breakfast, lunch, and coffee in mid-August, per a Home HeadQuarters Inc. announcement about the OnaJava project.

Home HeadQuarters developed the mixed-use property into new affordable apartments on the upper level. It also selected owner and neighborhood resident Reggie Pickard to occupy the updated commercial space on the main level with OnaJava.

“We were so captivated by his vision for this building,” Kerry Quaglia, founder and CEO of Home HeadQuarters, said in his remarks at Friday’s event.

The OnaJava coffee house is part of Home HeadQuarters’ effort in redeveloping the 1,600-square-foot property that also includes two 3-bedroom apartments on the second level. The City of Syracuse, Empire State Development, and the Allyn Family Foundation provided funding for the project.

The coffee-house project has a total value of more than $225,000, per the City of Syracuse website. The city also awarded the initiative $50,000 in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Pickard grew up around coffee, food service, and entertainment. His mother owned a restaurant in Syracuse in the early 1990s. Before that, his family managed entertainment at the Pan American Village at the New York State Fair. He also operated the original OnaJava Coffee & Soul Café on the city’s Southwest side 20 years ago, per the Home HeadQuarters announcement about OnaJava.

“My heart goes out to everyone that’s here today. The spirit is great. I just love it,” Pickard said in addressing the gathering at the Friday soft opening.

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