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OPINION: NATO still relevant, still facing challenges
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the largest peacetime alliance in the world and has been arguably the most successful such alliance in history. It has had remarkable success in achieving its basic goals: containing Soviet expansion, checking the rise of nationalism, and helping integrate Europe. NATO provides a model for multinational cooperation — something […]
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the largest peacetime alliance in the world and has been arguably the most successful such alliance in history. It has had remarkable success in achieving its basic goals: containing Soviet expansion, checking the rise of nationalism, and helping integrate Europe.
NATO provides a model for multinational cooperation — something we desperately need in today’s complex and dangerous world. And it has shown an admirable ability to adapt to changing needs and circumstances.
“The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine poses a real problem for NATO.”
Three decades ago, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was possible to think NATO had outlived its basic mandate. But it found new and important responsibilities in combating ethnic violence and civil war, as in the former Yugoslavia, and countering terrorism. The alliance maintains an array of peacekeeping and training activities in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Africa.
Today, the crisis over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine presents new challenges to the alliance while reinforcing the fact that NATO is as relevant as ever. It is essential to the security of our allies in Europe; and because their security is closely tied to our own, it’s essential to the United States.
In a sense, NATO rose from the ashes of World War II. Europe had been devastated. An estimated 36.5 million Europeans had been killed, more than half of them civilians. Millions of people were displaced. America, throwing off its history of isolationism, created the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe’s economy. But Western leaders worried about the region’s military security. Would the Soviet Union seek to extend its dominance into Western Europe? Would nationalist militarism bubble up and lead Europe back toward war?
To address those threats, a dozen nations, including the United States, signed the North Atlantic Treaty in April 1949. In the treaty’s best-known section, Article 5, the members declared that “an armed attack against one of them … shall be considered an armed attack against all of them.” It was a pledge for mutual self-defense.
Within months, the Soviet Union exploded an atomic bomb, putting an exclamation point on the need for deterrence. The Korean War and the Soviet invasions of Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968 tested NATO, but the alliance held. It was a measure of the treaty’s success that NATO forces were able to avoid military conflicts throughout the Cold War.
Over the decades, NATO expanded. Today it includes 30 member nations, three of them former Soviet republics: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It also claims partner relationships with nearly 20 European countries. NATO calls its partnership with Ukraine one of its “most substantial” and says cooperation has increased since 2014, when Russia invaded Ukraine and seized Crimea.
Ukraine has expressed interest in joining NATO. Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who views Ukraine as part of “historical Russia,” portrays that prospect as an existential threat. With an estimated 100,000 troops massed near the Ukrainian border, Russia is demanding a guarantee that NATO won’t let Ukraine join the alliance.
The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine poses a real problem for NATO. President Joe Biden said [recently] that “there are differences” among alliance members about how forcefully to respond, depending on what Russia does. Putin is likely to try to exploit those differences. The best way to resolve this crisis, of course, is through tough, clear-eyed diplomacy, with a clear message that Russia will face consequences if it invades. But it’s harder to negotiate from a position of strength when all your allies may not be on the same page.
NATO has achieved remarkable success in maintaining peace and security throughout its 72-year history. It has demonstrated, probably better than any other organization, the importance of multinational cooperation. But as the Ukraine crisis shows, its challenges are far from over.
Lee Hamilton, 90, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.

Herkimer County Community College has appointed SAMUEL J. SALAMONE as coordinator of international academic programming. Salamone will be responsible for developing and managing international academic programming, including study abroad, faculty, and student-exchange programs, and travel courses. On average, Herkimer College has about 100 international students enrolled per year from more than 20 countries. Salamone previously
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Herkimer County Community College has appointed SAMUEL J. SALAMONE as coordinator of international academic programming. Salamone will be responsible for developing and managing international academic programming, including study abroad, faculty, and student-exchange programs, and travel courses. On average, Herkimer College has about 100 international students enrolled per year from more than 20 countries. Salamone previously worked as a regional admissions counselor at SUNY Oswego. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in computer applications from SUNY Cortland.

STEPHANIE MEEKER recently joined On Point for College (On Point) as a career advisor in Oswego County. In this role, she provides counsel to On Point students and graduates in Oswego County on career opportunities and employment that aligns with their skills and education. Prior to joining On Point, Meeker worked most recently as a
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STEPHANIE MEEKER recently joined On Point for College (On Point) as a career advisor in Oswego County. In this role, she provides counsel to On Point students and graduates in Oswego County on career opportunities and employment that aligns with their skills and education. Prior to joining On Point, Meeker worked most recently as a supervisor and case specialist at Elmcrest Children’s Center in Oswego, an adoption counselor at Adoption STAR in Buffalo, and as a visitation supervisor for Catholic Charities of Oswego County. She obtained a master’s degree from University of Phoenix and a bachelor’s degree in education from SUNY Oswego.

Barton & Loguidice, a Salina–based engineering, planning, environmental, and landscape-architecture firm that serves clients in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, has added JAYME BRESCHARD as senior managing community planner, where she will serve as a climate-action specialist. She has 20 years of experience working for national and regional technical firms and public planning organizations. Breschard
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Barton & Loguidice, a Salina–based engineering, planning, environmental, and landscape-architecture firm that serves clients in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, has added JAYME BRESCHARD as senior managing community planner, where she will serve as a climate-action specialist. She has 20 years of experience working for national and regional technical firms and public planning organizations. Breschard has extensive experience tackling sustainability, climate and flood resiliency, stream restoration, water quality, and hazard-mitigation projects through planning support, capacity building, funding application/administration, public/private/regulatory agency partnership coordination, and design/construction of infrastructure projects. She earned a master’s degree in historic preservation planning from Cornell University and a bachelor’s degree in geography and historic preservation from Mary Washington College.

St. Joseph’s Physicians has added urogynecologist KEILA MUÑIZ, M.D. to St. Joseph’s Women’s Health Services in Syracuse. Dr. Muñiz is a board-certified, fellow-trained urogynecologist specializing in the treatment of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ pro-lapse, and general pelvic medicine. Prior to joining St. Joseph’s Physicians, she completed a three-year fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School
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St. Joseph’s Physicians has added urogynecologist KEILA MUÑIZ, M.D. to St. Joseph’s Women’s Health Services in Syracuse. Dr. Muñiz is a board-certified, fellow-trained urogynecologist specializing in the treatment of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ pro-lapse, and general pelvic medicine. Prior to joining St. Joseph’s Physicians, she completed a three-year fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where she received extensive training in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. Muñiz earned her doctor of medicine degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx and holds a bachelor’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Muñiz completed her residency at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell on Long Island. Dr. Muñiz is bilingual in English and Spanish and has participated in surgical gynecologic trips to El Salvador and the Dominican Republic.

HealthWear Rental — an Endicott–based supplier of medical linens, patient gowns, medical uniforms, lab coats, and professional mat service on a rental basis — has promoted JESSICA KIESECKER to general manager. She has worked in various departments at HealthWear, most recently as plant manager. Kiesecker will be involved in all executive and administrative facets of
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HealthWear Rental — an Endicott–based supplier of medical linens, patient gowns, medical uniforms, lab coats, and professional mat service on a rental basis — has promoted JESSICA KIESECKER to general manager. She has worked in various departments at HealthWear, most recently as plant manager. Kiesecker will be involved in all executive and administrative facets of the business.
JIM FULLER has been promoted to route and service manager. He started his career at HealthWear as a route-service representative, and will now oversee the servicing of existing accounts, along with new business development.

Attorneys ANNA PUTINTSEVA and GREGG D. ERIKSEN have been elected members of the law firm of Bousquet Holstein PLLC. Putintseva joined the firm in 2016 and is part of its business, corporate transactions, and immigration practice groups. With expertise in mergers and acquisitions, corporate-governance matters, commercial transactions, and business immigration, she provides representation to businesses
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Attorneys ANNA PUTINTSEVA and GREGG D. ERIKSEN have been elected members of the law firm of Bousquet Holstein PLLC.
Putintseva joined the firm in 2016 and is part of its business, corporate transactions, and immigration practice groups. With expertise in mergers and acquisitions, corporate-governance matters, commercial transactions, and business immigration, she provides representation to businesses and individual clients on a broad range of legal issues. Prior to joining Bousquet Holstein, Putintseva practiced law for over a decade at the Kyiv, Ukraine office of an international law firm, where she advised multinational and Ukrainian companies on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and various business transactions. Putintseva received her master of laws’ degree from the University of Washington School of Law and an international law and international relations’ degree from the Kyiv International University.
Eriksen joined Bousquet Holstein in 2017 and is part of the firm’s litigation, appellate, wineries/vineyards law, and government relations practice groups. His range of experience includes contract disputes, employment matters, government investigations, and legal and medical-malpractice defense. Eriksen has worked in a variety of settings, ranging from state and federal appellate matters to state administrative proceedings to federal district court, state supreme court, and various town courts. He earned his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law and bachelor’s degree in political science from Middlebury College in Vermont.

MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, announced that ASHLEY STOLTZ has joined as a workforce-development specialist. She will support MACNY’s New York State Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship Program (NYSMIAP). Stoltz will play an integral role in maintaining relationships with new and existing companies participating in NYSMIAP, while also coordinating related instruction and on-the-job training for apprentices. She will
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MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, announced that ASHLEY STOLTZ has joined as a workforce-development specialist. She will support MACNY’s New York State Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship Program (NYSMIAP). Stoltz will play an integral role in maintaining relationships with new and existing companies participating in NYSMIAP, while also coordinating related instruction and on-the-job training for apprentices. She will also be actively engaged in workforce-development initiatives supporting the expansion of the current apprenticeship program, MACNY’s Career and Talent Platform, and OnRamps program. Additionally, she’ll assist with new initiatives that support critical industry sectors such as the semiconductor and green energy supply chains statewide. Most recently, Stoltz was an enrollment specialist at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. Prior to that, she spent several years working in human resources and recruitment. She studied psychology at Keuka College.

The Everson Museum of Art has hired ADAM CARLIN as director of learning and engagement. In this newly-created senior leadership position, Carlin will develop a pedagogical strategy that aligns with the Everson’s commitment to DEAI values, with a focus on expanding access to meaningful learning opportunities across the museum experience — onsite, in the community,
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The Everson Museum of Art has hired ADAM CARLIN as director of learning and engagement. In this newly-created senior leadership position, Carlin will develop a pedagogical strategy that aligns with the Everson’s commitment to DEAI values, with a focus on expanding access to meaningful learning opportunities across the museum experience — onsite, in the community, and virtually — for all ages and abilities. Carlin will direct a department that encompasses youth and family programs, adult classes and events, community engagement and outreach, and an established docent-led tour program. Carlin will also provide staff leadership to the equity & engagement committee of the board of trustees. An educator, administrator, and social-practice artist, Carlin comes to the Everson from the University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG), where he held the dual position of director of Greensboro Project Space, an off-campus contemporary-art center, and director of community engagement for the College of Visual and Performing Arts. There, he created and supported community engagement programs and advanced partnerships between UNCG and the community. Carlin holds a bachelor’s degree of fine arts from the California College of the Arts and a master’s degree on fine arts in art and social practice from Portland State University.
Two new sales representatives, RICKY BLACKBURN and MICHAEL SCHMITT, have joined the business development department at Northland Communications. Blackburn joins the Northland team with more than five years of communication experience, having worked as a news producer, anchor, and reporter in Montana, and then most recently here in Central New York. Schmitt brings over 12
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Two new sales representatives, RICKY BLACKBURN and MICHAEL SCHMITT, have joined the business development department at Northland Communications. Blackburn joins the Northland team with more than five years of communication experience, having worked as a news producer, anchor, and reporter in Montana, and then most recently here in Central New York. Schmitt brings over 12 years of experience in the entertainment industry, previously working as the entertainment manager and production supervisor at Turning Stone Resort Casino.
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