Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

Founder of insurance agency in Lake Placid elected chair of Big I New York board of directors
DeWITT, N.Y. — Big I New York, a trade association for independent insurance agents in New York, announced the recent election of Kelly Gonyo as chair of its board of directors for the 2025–2026 term. Gonyo is the founder and president of Blue Line Insurance Agency, headquartered in Lake Placid. “A dedicated leader within the […]
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
DeWITT, N.Y. — Big I New York, a trade association for independent insurance agents in New York, announced the recent election of Kelly Gonyo as chair of its board of directors for the 2025–2026 term.
Gonyo is the founder and president of Blue Line Insurance Agency, headquartered in Lake Placid. “A dedicated leader within the industry,” Gonyo has served on the Big I New York board of directors since 2020, previously holding the roles of vice chair and secretary/treasurer, the association said in its announcement. Beyond her work in the insurance space, she is also actively involved in her community, serving as treasurer of the Lake Placid Olympic Museum and president of the Adirondack Economic Development Corporation, both since 2023.
Gonyo was formally installed during Big I New York’s annual business meeting, held in conjunction with the Go Big 2025 conference May 14-15 at the Long Island Marriott Hotel in Uniondale (on Long Island).
“I know I’ve said this a million times — and it still doesn’t feel like enough — the Big I NY team, led by their incredible leader, Lisa Lounsbury, is like no other. Our board and our association are so dialed in with how we work together, and I can say without a doubt, my time here will be a highlight of my insurance career,” Gonyo said in the announcement.
Looking ahead, Big I New York announced that its Go Big 2026 event will be held on May 4-5, 2026, at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona.
Big I New York, which is based on Widewaters Parkway in DeWitt, says it seeks to fulfill the educational, political, and business interests of more than 1,500 agencies and their 13,000-plus employees.
CNY regional job growth mixed in May compared to a year ago
May brought a mixed picture of job growth among the six sub-regions of Central New York. The Syracuse, Binghamton, and Elmira regions all gained jobs between May 2024 and this past May. Meanwhile, the Utica–Rome and Watertown–Fort Drum areas lost jobs in that same period, while the Ithaca region saw no change in jobs. That’s
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
May brought a mixed picture of job growth among the six sub-regions of Central New York.
The Syracuse, Binghamton, and Elmira regions all gained jobs between May 2024 and this past May.
Meanwhile, the Utica–Rome and Watertown–Fort Drum areas lost jobs in that same period, while the Ithaca region saw no change in jobs. That’s according to the latest monthly employment report that the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) issued on June 18.
The Syracuse region gained 6,300 jobs in May compared to a year prior, an increase of 2 percent.
Elsewhere, the Binghamton metro area added 300 jobs, a rise of 0.3 percent; the Elmira region picked up 500 positions, an increase of 1.4 percent; the Utica–Rome metro area lost 300 jobs, down 0.2 percent; the Watertown–Fort Drum region shed 200 positions, a drop of 0.5 percent; and the Ithaca metro area posted no change in jobs in the period between May 2024 and May 2025.
New York state as a whole added nearly 111,000 jobs, an increase of 1.1 percent, in that 12-month period. The state economy also gained more than 5,000 jobs, a 0.1 percent rise, between April and May of this year, the NYSDOL said.

Utica University announces strategic restructuring plan
UTICA, N.Y. — Utica University on Tuesday, July 1 announced an academic and operational restructuring that will involve faculty and staff reductions and right-sizing operations

Gastroenterology Associates of Ithaca providers join Guthrie network
LANSING, N.Y. — Gastroenterology Associates of Ithaca, PC (GAI) is now part of the Guthrie network of health-care providers. Since forming an affiliation on March 1, Guthrie and GAI have been collaborating to deliver gastroenterology care. The former GAI office, located at 2435 N. Triphammer Road in the village of Lansing, will remain open for
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
LANSING, N.Y. — Gastroenterology Associates of Ithaca, PC (GAI) is now part of the Guthrie network of health-care providers.
Since forming an affiliation on March 1, Guthrie and GAI have been collaborating to deliver gastroenterology care.
The former GAI office, located at 2435 N. Triphammer Road in the village of Lansing, will remain open for appointments. Endoscopic procedures, however, will now take place at Guthrie’s GI suite at Guthrie Ithaca City Harbor at 720 Willow Ave. in Ithaca or at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center, as has been the practice over recent months.
“I couldn’t be more excited for our team and our patients to become part of the Guthrie family,” Dr. Brent Lemberg, formerly of Gastroenterology Associates of Ithaca, said in an announcement. “The last few months have proven that this was the right decision. Guthrie’s staff and facilities are exceptional, and this partnership has allowed us to move forward while maintaining the strong patient relationships we’ve built over the years. I’m looking forward to our patients experiencing the benefits of this collaboration for themselves. Together, we’re ensuring outstanding care for the future.”
Patients will also benefit from access to Epic, an electronic medical-record (EMR) system, Guthrie contends. By enrolling in eGuthrie, patients can manage their health care from anywhere, whether at home or work. The system includes online scheduling, access to after-visit summaries, test results, prescription refill requests, bill payments, and direct communication with providers.
“This partnership is a win for everyone, especially our patients,” Joseph Ronsivalle, DO, EVP, and president of the Guthrie Medical Group, said. “Patients will continue seeing the same trusted providers they know and respect, now with access to Guthrie’s advanced facilities and resources. And we’ve gained a team of professionals fully committed to delivering the highest quality care to our community.”

Sylvan Beach making significant progress on $51 million wastewater-treatment plant project
SYLVAN BEACH, N.Y. — The Village of Sylvan Beach says it is making “significant progress” on its $51 million construction project to modernize the East

Liverpool man arrested for embezzling $13K from Cortland County auto dealer
HOMER, N.Y. — New York State Police at Homer arrested and charged a Liverpool man for embezzling from a Cortland County auto dealership for which

UTICA, N.Y. — Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI) announced it has welcomed 13 new undergraduate students to its Summer Fellowship program. The students will spend 10 weeks studying in MMRI’s principal investigators’ labs to gain scientific research experience. MMRI selects participants based on academic excellence and demonstrated desire to participate in cutting-edge research programs that
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
UTICA, N.Y. — Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI) announced it has welcomed 13 new undergraduate students to its Summer Fellowship program.
The students will spend 10 weeks studying in MMRI’s principal investigators’ labs to gain scientific research experience. MMRI selects participants based on academic excellence and demonstrated desire to participate in cutting-edge research programs that include cardiovascular disease biology, autoimmunity, and autism.
“We are delighted to welcome these impressive students into MMRI’s coveted Summer Fellowship program,” MMRI Executive Director Maria Kontaridis said in announcement. “We look forward to seeing the culmination of their research experiences as the end of this program. This is a testament to our mission, which includes our commitment to training future generations of science and medicine.”
Throughout the program, fellows will engage in hands-on research using state-of-the-art techniques. They will also participate in professional-development workshops and didactic lectures on various scientific disciplines at MMRI.
The program ends with a graduation ceremony on July 25, where fellows will present their research.
This year’s fellows are: Natalie-Lorine Barber, SUNY Polytechnic Institute; Genesis Campbell, University at Buffalo; Riley Collis, Emory University; Amna Khan, SUNY Polytechnic Institute; Claire Marshall, Rochester Institute of Technology; Sandi Myint, Yale University; Willa Pratt, University of Delaware; Angelina Tangorra, Nazareth University; Lucas Constantine, Hamilton College; Nurhaliza Syukur, Utica University; Cooper Borelli, Boston College; Emma Burke, Bates College; and Victoria Cioni, Nazareth University.

CFCU Becomes Beginnings Credit Union
CFCU Community Credit Union announced its official launch of the new name Beginnings Credit Union on July 1. Driven by the idea that there are

GLP-1 Drugs: What Employers Need to Know
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic® and Zepbound®, have gained significant attention in recent years for treating both diabetes and assisting with weight loss. As their popularity

Regional airports in CNY win federal funding for improvement projects
The federal government has awarded several regional airports in Central New York grant funding for various improvement projects. Recipients include airports serving Oswego County, Cortland
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.