Longtime Oneida Health board member, Sirchia, dies

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ONEIDA, N.Y. — Oneida Health recently announced that Victor Sirchia, who served on its board of trustees for 28 years, died on Dec. 14. Sirchia was a board member since 1993 and was chair of the board since 2003. Professionally, he was a partner, business advisor/consultant, and CPA for Sirchia CPAs and Financial Advisors since […]

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Boss Meal Prep leases space in building on Northern Boulevard in DeWitt

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DeWITT, N.Y. — Divine Dishes Kitchen, dba Boss Meal Prep, recently leased 1,550 square feet of space in the building at 6780 Northern Blvd. in the town of DeWitt. Don O’Leary and Chris Savage from Cushman & Wakefield/Pyramid Brokerage helped arrange the transaction. O’Leary represented the property owner and Savage represented the tenant in the

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New York milk production slips slightly in November

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering, Regional News, Small Business, Subscriber Only

New York dairy farms produced 1.24 billion pounds of milk in November, down 0.2 percent from 1.243 billion pounds in the year-ago month, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently reported. Milk production per cow in the state averaged 1,975 pounds in November, off 0.5 percent from 1,985 pounds in the year-prior month. The

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Lockheed’s Owego plant to perform half the work on nearly $22M Navy contract

Manufacturing & Engineering, New York News, Regional News, Subscriber Only, Technology

OWEGO, N.Y. — Lockheed Martin Corp.’s (NYSE: LMT) Owego operation recently won a $21.7 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract from the U.S. Navy. This contract provides tear down and evaluation of the P3-C aircraft mission systems hardware, as well as obsolescence studies and technical support to maintain the P3-C mission systems for the government of Taiwan,

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Welch Allyn has a new parent company as Baxter completes acquisition of Hillrom

Health Care, Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only, Technology

Welch Allyn — the medical-device maker in Skaneateles Falls whose presence in Central New York dates back more than a century — has a new owner. Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX), an Illinois medical-products company, on Dec. 13 announced it has completed its acquisition of Hillrom (NYSE: HRC) in a $10.5 billion deal. Hillrom is the

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Welch Allyn — the medical-device maker in Skaneateles Falls whose presence in Central New York dates back more than a century — has a new owner.

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX), an Illinois medical-products company, on Dec. 13 announced it has completed its acquisition of Hillrom (NYSE: HRC) in a $10.5 billion deal.

Hillrom is the parent company of Welch Allyn.

Baxter paid $156 in cash for each outstanding share of Hillrom common stock, per Baxter’s news release.

Including the assumption of Hillrom’s outstanding debt obligations, the enterprise value of the transaction is about $12.5 billion.

Hillrom, a global medical-technology firm, is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, while Baxter International (NYSE: BAX) is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, a Chicago suburb.

Baxter’s proposed acquisition of Hillrom was announced on Sept. 2.

Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. in June 2015 announced plans to acquire Welch Allyn Inc. for about $2.05 billion in cash and stock. Nearly three years later, Hillrom formally dedicated a $12.7 million expansion project that adds about 100,000 square feet to the Welch Allyn campus.

Welch Allyn employs about 1,000 people in Skaneateles Falls, according to CNYBJ research.

“The Baxter-Hillrom combination unlocks the next phase of our transformation, presenting a new wave of potential to drive greater impact for patients, clinicians, employees, shareholders and other communities we serve worldwide,” José (Joe) Almeida, chairman, president and CEO of Baxter, said. “Integrating our complementary capabilities introduces additional opportunities for growth across our broad geographic footprint and also creates remarkable new possibilities for connectivity with leading-edge digital health innovation focused on enhancing care, lowering costs and increasing workflow efficiency.”

The combination unites two med-tech organizations in a “shared vision for transforming healthcare and advancing patient care worldwide.”

Baxter says plans to build on its global footprint, including commercial and service infrastructure, to expand legacy Hillrom and Welch Allyn products into new international markets, and bringing the collective portfolio of products and services to even more patients and providers worldwide, per its news release.

Stanley to transition to SUNY interim-chancellor role

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ALBANY, N.Y. — SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley is heading toward retirement on Dec. 31, but her immediate plans will keep her quite active in the education sector. The SUNY board of trustees on Dec. 20 announced it has appointed Stanley as interim chancellor to lead SUNY after Chancellor Jim Malatras steps down on Jan.

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ALBANY, N.Y. — SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley is heading toward retirement on Dec. 31, but her immediate plans will keep her quite active in the education sector.

The SUNY board of trustees on Dec. 20 announced it has appointed Stanley as interim chancellor to lead SUNY after Chancellor Jim Malatras steps down on Jan. 14.

Malatras announced his resignation on Dec. 9 after documents pertaining to the sexual-harassment probe of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo revealed that Malatras had conversations that included comments about Lindsey Boylan, a Cuomo accuser and a former Malatras co-worker that used language involving an expletive. The New York State Attorney General’s office the previous week had released the documents on the sexual-harassment probe of Cuomo.

Malatras noted in his resignation letter that “the recent events surrounding me over the past week have become a distraction.”

In her new role, Stanley brings nearly 45 years of campus leadership to SUNY and will begin serving as interim chancellor on Jan. 15. She’ll retire as the 10th president of SUNY Oswego at the end of this month after serving in the role since 1997 and as interim president for two years before her appointment to the permanent role.

“…President Stanley is the right educator at the right time to lead this prestigious university system,” Merryl Tisch, who chairs the SUNY board of trustees, said in a release. “With President Stanley’s decades of leadership, commitment to academic excellence, and her unwavering support for students, she is well-positioned to serve our 64 campuses with a proven record of accomplishments, integrity, and intellect.”

Stanley made the following statement about her new assignment:

“During my tenure at SUNY, I have had the great pleasure of collaborating with exemplary leaders at all levels throughout our system, and it is an incredible honor to continue that work with the SUNY Board of Trustees and our campus presidents,” she said. “I do not take lightly our responsibility to make sure we are providing a safe and welcoming environment that allows our students to grow academically and provide the foundation to pursue and reach their goals and dreams. During this leadership transition, their success will be my highest priority, and I look forward to leading this great university system to new heights.”

Fred Kowal, president of United University Professions, called Stanley “an immensely accomplished leader” and hopes she will “effectively lead SUNY through this transition period.”

“Today, we also renew our call for a nationwide search for a permanent SUNY chancellor with a high priority on candidates of diversity, and an open, communicative process,” Kowal said in a Dec. 20 statement. “In the coming year, there is critical work that will need to be done and we look forward to working with the Board of Trustees, Dr. Stanley, and the other unions representing SUNY employees to deliver resources and support for our members, our students, and our patients across New York.”

The SUNY board of trustees also announced it will begin a “global search” in January for the permanent SUNY chancellor. The board plans to work with an executive-search firm to identify, recruit, and encourage potential candidates; review the qualifications of applicants; and verify the credentials of all finalists, per the release.

Versatility Enterprises buys Erie Boulevard building for $400,000

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Versatility Enterprises, LLC recently purchased the 6,720-square-foot, freestanding building located on about one acre at 2700 Erie Blvd. E. in Syracuse. Versatility Enterprises is a licensed and bonded freight shipping and trucking company. The purchase price was $400,000 on this transaction, which closed on Oct. 1, according to Onondaga County’s online property

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Community Bank System appoints Knauss as new independent director

Banks & Credit Unions, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Insurance & Financial Services, People on the Move, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

DeWITT, N.Y. — Community Bank System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU) recently announced it has appointed Jeffery (Jeff) Knauss to its board of directors as a new independent director. His election expands the banking company’s board to 13 directors, 12 of whom are independent. Knauss was also appointed to the board of directors of Community Bank, N.A.,

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DeWITT, N.Y. — Community Bank System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU) recently announced it has appointed Jeffery (Jeff) Knauss to its board of directors as a new independent director.

His election expands the banking company’s board to 13 directors, 12 of whom are independent. Knauss was also appointed to the board of directors of Community Bank, N.A., the company’s wholly owned banking subsidiary. He will serve on the company’s risk and governance committees and as the board’s representative to the company’s technology committee.

Knauss has extensive experience in digital marketing and technology development, having served as the CEO and co-founder of Digital Hyve, a Syracuse–based digital marketing and advertising firm. It was named the 52nd fastest growing private company in the U.S. by Inc. Magazine in 2018 and has remained on Inc.’s 5,000, a list of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the U.S., for the following three years. Knauss and his business partner, Jake Tanner, sold Digital Hyve to Butler/Till, a Rochester–based women-owned, employee-owned, marketing agency, in June.

Knauss also has significant entrepreneurial experience with numerous startup ventures and as an angel investor to several companies. He currently is an investor in several businesses including food-service firms and startups focused on medical research, professional networking, e-commerce platforms, and mobile-payment apps.

“We are pleased to welcome Jeff Knauss as a new independent director to the Board of Directors of Community Bank System, Inc. and Community Bank, N.A.,” said Sally A. Steele, chair of the board of directors. “His knowledge of the digital technology sector and entrepreneurial experience will be an asset to the Board during this age of digital commerce and we look forward to his contributions in the areas of marketing, technology development, and business matters.”

Mark E. Tryniski, president and CEO of Community Bank System, added this comment: “Adding Jeff to our Board of Directors is an exciting opportunity because he will bring new energy and innovative ideas as we continue our transition to digital platforms in our operations and delivery of financial services. His experience in the areas of digital technology, cyber security, consumer-centric marketing, entrepreneurship, and forward-looking perspective, will be an asset as we continue to utilize technology to effectively serve our customers.”

Prior to Digital Hyve, Knauss was an advertising account executive and sales manager with national-affiliated broadcast stations in Central New York and with a media group providing marketing strategies for internet and mobile applications.

Knauss graduated from SUNY Oswego with a bachelor’s degree in public relations, with a concentration in marketing. Knauss lives in Central New York, which is a key geographic region for Community Bank System and devotes substantial time and energy to nonprofit organizations and initiatives to benefit these communities. He is currently a member of the board of directors of CenterState CEO, the Onondaga Community College Foundation, the Loretto Foundation, the SUNY Oswego Foundation, and the United Way of CNY. Since 2016, Knauss has served on the board of directors of Byrne Dairy, Inc., a producer and distributor of dairy products based in Central New York.

Community Bank operates more than 215 branches across upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont, and western Massachusetts. With assets of more than $15.3 billion, the DeWitt–headquartered company is among the country’s 125 largest banking institutions.

Survey: 86% of hotels see supply- chain issues impacting operations

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More than 70 percent face increased costs, lack of availability for key items Supply-chain disruptions are affecting the operations of more than eight in 10 surveyed hotels, and nearly three out four hotel operators say the disruptions are negatively impacting their business revenue, according to a recent survey of American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) members.

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Toale to lead SUNY Oswego during SUNY search for next school president

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, New York News, People on the Move, Subscriber Only

OSWEGO — The leadership transition at SUNY Oswego will include an officer-in-charge as SUNY searches for a new permanent president for the campus. SUNY has appointed Mary Toale as officer-in-charge. Her duties in the role are effective Jan. 1, 2022, SUNY Oswego said in a news release. She most recently served as deputy to the

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OSWEGO — The leadership transition at SUNY Oswego will include an officer-in-charge as SUNY searches for a new permanent president for the campus.

SUNY has appointed Mary Toale as officer-in-charge. Her duties in the role are effective Jan. 1, 2022, SUNY Oswego said in a news release.

She most recently served as deputy to the president, affirmative action officer, and campus safety monitor.

Toale will assume leadership duties following the Dec. 31 retirement of long-serving school president Deborah Stanley. SUNY on Dec. 20 appointed Stanley interim chancellor of the SUNY system, effective on Jan. 15.

Toale has served SUNY Oswego in a number of leadership roles since her arrival in 2014. In addition to her most recent duties, Toale has also served as the liaison to the SUNY employee relations and general counsel’s offices, the school said.

She joined SUNY Oswego in 2014 to create and launch the strategic communication graduate program. Toale has been in higher education for more than 25 years, having spent the past 20 years as a faculty member at schools including SUNY Oswego; West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, West Virginia; and Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, per the release.

“I have been extremely fortunate to work closely with President Stanley, the dedicated members of our President’s Council, administrators, faculty, staff and students across our campus,” Toale said. “As a first-generation Pell grant recipient, I love SUNY Oswego’s mission and learner-centered focus. I am looking forward to the continued partnerships as the SUNY Oswego community searches for our next president.”

Toale has been deeply involved in and advanced all high-level initiatives of the SUNY Oswego President’s Office. She recently partnered with President Stanley and Rodmon King, the college’s chief diversity and inclusion officer, to create the Institute for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Transformative Practice.

SUNY Oswego’s presidential search committee, led by College Council Chair James McMahon, has already started a national search for a permanent president for the campus. The university is working with SUNY and Academic Search — a Washington, D.C.–based executive-search firm catering to colleges and universities — to recruit prospective candidates, the university said.

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