Olinsky Law Group has added KIMBERLY MACDOUGALL as a Social Security disability hearing representative. This addition strengthens the existing team for Olinsky Law Group’s practice of Social Security disability law before the Social Security Administration and in federal court. MacDougall is a graduate of the University at Albany. Prior to joining Olinsky Law Group, she worked as a Social Security claimant representative for North Country Advocate in West Leyden, and The Antonowicz Group, in Rome. At North Country Advocate, she was self-employed and successfully operated her own organization for 11 years, where she represented individuals seeking disability benefits. MacDougall is a member of the National Organization of Social Security Representatives (NOSSCR), National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), and National Association of Disability Representatives (NADR). 

AMANDA RICE has joined MACNY, The Manufacturers Association as the finance & contract administration specialist. In this role, she will oversee, coordinate, and manage MACNY’s state and federal grants. Additionally, she will source and administer various funding opportunities that align with MACNY’s mission. Previously, Rice was the economic-development specialist at the Fulton Community Development Agency (FCDA). Prior to that, she interned with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Market Characterization & Evaluation Team. Rice is a recent graduate of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at State University of New York (SUNY) he University at Albany with an MPA degree and a dual concentration in public economics & finance and environmental politics & policy. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from SUNY College at Geneseo.

AMY STAGE has joined MACNY as the manager of apprenticeship & workforce development. In this role, Stage will provide statewide support for MACNY’s New York State Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship Program (NYSMIAP) and other national workforce initiatives. As an accomplished workforce-development professional with over 13 years of experience, Stage specializes in a wide range of job seeker services including individual employment planning, career-pathway development, job-search strategies, and career coaching. Stage currently serves as a subject-matter expert for registered apprenticeships focused on equity and access for Jobs for the Future IDEA-M grant. Prior to joining MACNY, she was the workforce manager at CNY Works, where she led and managed the adult, dislocated worker and youth workforce services cross-functional teams. Stage holds a master’s degree from SUNY Oswego in Human Service/Community Counseling. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Mary Washington.

CARRIE DIMARIA has joined the Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI) as the new human-resources manager. DiMaria brings over 22 years of human-resources experience, including 17 years of executive-level experience. She holds a master’s degree in industrial/organization psychology. DiMaria is also nationally certified as a senior professional in human resources (SPHR) and as a SHRM senior certified professional (SHRM-SCP). The majority of her human-resources experience has been in the warehouse distribution industry; however, she has also worked in the health & fitness, human services, and telecommunications industries. 

The Central New York Conservancy recently appointed GINA PEARCE as its new executive director. Pearce, an experienced development, marketing, and event management professional, has a strong nonprofit background, working with the Boilermaker and as a founding board member of Kristin’s Fund, a non-profit organization she started in 2017. As executive director, she will work with the Central New York Conservancy board of directors to advance the CNY Conservancy’s mission of preserving, restoring and beautifying Utica’s Olmsted-designed parks and parkway system during its 20th anniversary year and beyond. The Olmsted-designed parks in Utica include F.T. Proctor Park, T.R. Proctor Park, Roscoe Conkling Park, and the Memorial Parkway, all of them historically significant cultural assets designed by renowned American landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. In 2008, the CNY Conservancy succeeded in having Utica’s Olmsted-designed parks and parkway system listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since then, the Conservancy has continued to help improve the parks, create awareness, and encourage their use by the community.

JEFF PHILLIPS has been named quality-assurance specialist at Fiber Instrument Sales, an Oriskany–based affiliate company of Giotto Enterprises that is a supplier of telecom fiber-optic products. In his new role, Phillips will be responsible for monitoring, inspecting, creating audit reports, and documenting various quality-assurance-related activities. A native of the Mohawk Valley, Phillips joined the company in 2006 and has previously held key positions in its manufacturing, sales, and product rentals departments.