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Syracuse acting AD French: It’s “not uncommon” to hire AD who hasn’t served in position
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — It’s “not uncommon these days” to hire an athletic director (AD) who has never had the job before. That was part of

People news: RMS hires Benn as business development coordinator
BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. — Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS) announced it has hired Christine Benn as the firm’s business development coordinator. Benn, who joined RMS

Syracuse University hires ESPN executive as its new athletic director
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud today announced the school has selected John Wildhack, a Syracuse alumnus who has worked for ESPN for

Syracuse University invests $9M in classroom, technology improvements
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University announced it is investing more than $9 million in classroom and technology improvements as part of its “campus framework” plan.

Hancock International, North Country airports get funding for equipment
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded Syracuse’s Hancock International Airport a federal grant of $720,000 to buy snow-removal equipment. North Country airports in Watertown,

Report: START-UP NY created 332 jobs in 2015
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s START-UP NY program created 332 jobs during 2015 and a total of 408 net new jobs in the program’s first two years.

People news: Hurley, Tietje join Erie Canal Museum board
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Dan Hurley and Sarah Tietje were recently elected to three-year terms on the board of trustees of the Erie Canal Museum in
KRISTY LEE WITT has joined Fusion Advertising as social media & marketing manager on its marketing team. Witt brings 10 years of experience to the position, including knowledge of digital design, marketing, advertising, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit management. Currently, she is also the social media & booking manager of the Miss Syracuse Organization and co-founder of
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KRISTY LEE WITT has joined Fusion Advertising as social media & marketing manager on its marketing team. Witt brings 10 years of experience to the position, including knowledge of digital design, marketing, advertising, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit management. Currently, she is also the social media & booking manager of the Miss Syracuse Organization and co-founder of Salt City Legacy Scholars, Inc. Witt holds a bachelor’s degree from Wells College and an MBA.
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CenterState CEO has hired LAUREN DEVENDORFas its new account manager for the Benefit Specialists of NY (BSNY) group. Previously, she served as policy owner services coordinator for Northwestern Mutual where she worked directly with clients to connect them to the company’s services. In addition to her client relations experience, she also brings a diversity of
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CenterState CEO has hired LAUREN DEVENDORFas its new account manager for the Benefit Specialists of NY (BSNY) group. Previously, she served as policy owner services coordinator for Northwestern Mutual where she worked directly with clients to connect them to the company’s services. In addition to her client relations experience, she also brings a diversity of knowledge of the insurance and legal fields. Devendorf is a graduate of SUNY Oswego. She earned degrees in public justice and history.
Contact The Business Journal News Network at news@cnybj.com

JOHN STELMACK, JR. has joined Preferred Mutual Insurance Co. as a liability claims representative. He brings more than 11 years of claims experience to Preferred Mutual, having most recently served in a similar capacity at a national insurance carrier. Stelmack earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Hartford and a master’s
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JOHN STELMACK, JR. has joined Preferred Mutual Insurance Co. as a liability claims representative. He brings more than 11 years of claims experience to Preferred Mutual, having most recently served in a similar capacity at a national insurance carrier.
Stelmack earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Hartford and a master’s degree in history from Long Island University.
XX JEFFREY SMITH has joined Preferred Mutual Insurance as a senior internal auditor. He previously worked for 21 years as a senior lead auditor at KeyCorp. Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Siena College and is a certified internal auditor.
Contact The Business Journal News Network at news@cnybj.com
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.