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VHS nurse-aide training program eases workforce crunch
HERKIMER, N.Y. — Valley Health Services (VHS) is overcoming a workforce shortage with its nurse-aide training program that helps resident assistants become certified nursing assistants

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s son to speak at Syracuse MLK virtual event on Jan. 30
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Martin Luther King III — a civil-rights activist, global humanitarian, political leader, and eldest son of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

People news: Arc Herkimer names chief information officer
HERKIMER, N.Y. — Arc Herkimer has appointed Peter Bizzari as its new chief information officer (CIO). As CIO, Bizzari will lead the management of the

Upstate Medical, SCHC to develop urban family-medicine residency program
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Syracuse Community Health Center (SCHC) is working with Upstate Medical University to develop an urban family-medicine residency program. The federal Health

People news: SUNY Oswego names Cadogan interim chief diversity and inclusion officer
OSWEGO, N.Y. — SUNY Oswego has appointed Kendra Cadogan as the school’s interim chief diversity and inclusion officer. Cadogan will also serve as interim director

Katko announces retirement from Congress
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) announced Friday morning that he will not seek a fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives in

Syracuse College of Law dean named chair of Everson board
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Everson Museum of Art announced that Craig M. Boise, dean of the Syracuse University College of Law, has taken over as the new chair of the museum’s board of trustees, effective Jan. 1. Boise has served on the Everson board since 2017 and has been dean of the Syracuse law school
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Everson Museum of Art announced that Craig M. Boise, dean of the Syracuse University College of Law, has taken over as the new chair of the museum’s board of trustees, effective Jan. 1.
Boise has served on the Everson board since 2017 and has been dean of the Syracuse law school since 2016. Before that, he led the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University.
“The Everson is a cornerstone of the Syracuse arts and culture community, and I’m pleased to continue my engagement with Board of Trustees as chair,” Boise said in an Everson news release issued on Jan. 11. “I look forward to building on our growing reputation — locally and nationally, leveraging art to celebrate human diversity, and building community in Syracuse and across the region.”
The previous chair of the Everson board of trustees was Jessica Arb Danial, who completed her term at the end of 2021. She was the first female board chair to serve since the early 1970s, according to the Everson. Danial was also the youngest in the role. She has been a trustee since 2016 and helped lead the Everson through many challenges and successes during her tenure, the museum said.

MACNY adds workforce-development specialist
DeWITT, N.Y. — MACNY, The Manufacturers Association recently brought aboard a new workforce-development specialist that will help it implement a key apprenticeship program and other initiatives. In her role, Justyna Valencia will support MACNY’s New York State Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship Program (NYSMIAP). She will play an integral role in maintaining relationships with new and existing
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DeWITT, N.Y. — MACNY, The Manufacturers Association recently brought aboard a new workforce-development specialist that will help it implement a key apprenticeship program and other initiatives.
In her role, Justyna Valencia will support MACNY’s New York State Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship Program (NYSMIAP). She 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, MACNY said in a news release.
Valencia will also be actively engaged in workforce-development initiatives supporting the expansion of the current apprenticeship program as well as new initiatives that support critical industry sectors such as the semiconductor and green-energy supply chains statewide.
Most recently, Valencia was the customer-success agent and onboarding specialist at StorySlab, a Syracuse–based software firm that caters to B2B field sales teams. Prior to that, she spent 13 years at JADAK, A Novanta Company, in several roles, including manufacturing operator, documentation technician/quality assurance assistant, and senior marketing-communications specialist. Valencia holds an associate degree in applied science, with a concentration in early childhood education, from SUNY Cobleskill.
DeWitt–based MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, represents more than 300 companies in a 26-county region in Central and upstate New York. The more than 108-year-old organization provides human-resource services, training, workforce development, purchasing solutions, networking opportunities, and advocacy support for its members.
New York egg production drops nearly 3 percent in November
New York farms produced 143.7 million eggs in November, down 2.7 percent from 147.7 million eggs in the year-ago period, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently reported. The number of layers in the Empire State averaged 5.74 million in November, a decline of 1.6 percent from 5.83 million in the same month in
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New York farms produced 143.7 million eggs in November, down 2.7 percent from 147.7 million eggs in the year-ago period, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently reported.
The number of layers in the Empire State averaged 5.74 million in November, a decline of 1.6 percent from 5.83 million in the same month in 2020. November egg production per 100 layers dipped 1.1 percent to 2,503 eggs from 2,532 eggs in November 2020.
In neighboring Pennsylvania, farms produced 779 million eggs in November, up nearly 6 percent from more than 737 million eggs a year earlier.
U.S. egg production totaled 9.37 billion eggs in November, up 0.5 percent from almost 9.33 billion eggs in November 2020.

Tompkins appoints Lee to CNY community bank board
ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins Financial Corp. (NYSE: TMP) announced it has appointed Angela Lee, VP of human resources and chief diversity officer at Baxter, to its Community Bank Board of Central New York. Lee brings more than 30 years of human resources and talent-development experience to the board, having served in various leadership roles throughout
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ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins Financial Corp. (NYSE: TMP) announced it has appointed Angela Lee, VP of human resources and chief diversity officer at Baxter, to its Community Bank Board of Central New York.
Lee brings more than 30 years of human resources and talent-development experience to the board, having served in various leadership roles throughout her career. “Her innovative leadership style, and ability to foster connections between team members and organizations, will ensure that Tompkins continues to deliver on its promise to help the communities it serves prosper and grow,” the Ithaca–based banking and financial-services company said in a release.
Greg Hartz, president of the Central New York region at Tompkins, added, “[Lee’s] expertise in diversity and inclusion, talent development, and human resources as a whole will help make Tompkins an even better place for our people to grow, making our customer experience even stronger along the way.”
Lee is a graduate of SUNY Empire State College and holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and economics. Prior to Baxter’s acquisition of Hillrom, Lee most recently served as chief talent and diversity officer. She was previously VP of human resources, for front line care and talent development. She began her career at Welch Allyn before its acquisition by Hillrom in 2015, where she held key positions including overseeing a team of global human-resources partners and leading acquisition and divestiture activities. As recognition of her leadership, Lee was named one of the “25 Influential Black Women in Business” by Network Journal in 2019.
Founded in 1836, Tompkins serves the central, western, and Hudson Valley regions of New York, and the southeastern region of Pennsylvania. In addition to its community banks, the company offers insurance services through Tompkins Insurance Agencies and wealth-management services through Tompkins Financial Advisors.
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