NICHOLAS M. JIM has been promoted to tax senior at Dannible & McKee, LLP. Jim, a CPA, joined the accounting firm in 2019 and generally specializes in working with architecture, engineering, and manufacturing clients. He is a member of the firm’s recruiting committee, manufacturing committee, and architecture & engineering committee. Jim developed instructions and process for CCH Axcess Tax Autoflow software implementation. He is an active member of AICPA and NYSSCPA. Jim is a graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, where he earned a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in accounting.

NICHOLAS KERSEY has been promoted to audit senior. Kersey joined Dannible in 2019 and is responsible for the preparation of audits, reviews, and compilations for a variety of clients, with a focus in the automotive and construction industries. He earned his MBA degree with a concentration in accounting in 2020, and bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2019 from SUNY Oswego.

PRESTON M. KRIEGER has been promoted to tax senior. Krieger joined Dannible as a full-time accountant in 2017. He was an intern with the firm for a year before joining the firm, also splitting his time at the United States Attorney’s Office. He also previously served as a financial analyst for the Richard C. Breeden Fund Services. Krieger is responsible for the preparation of individual, corporate, and partnership returns, specializing in automotive, manufacturing, and rental entities. He also manages the review of interns and first-year staff. Krieger is a graduate of SUNY Oswego with master’s and bachelor’s degrees in accounting.

ALLISON SEMMEL has been promoted to audit senior. Semmel, CPA, joined the firm’s audit department in July 2018 after interning with Dannible the year prior. She is responsible for leading teams in the completion of financial audits, federal and state compliance audits, and employee-benefit plan audits. Semmel is a member of the AICPA and NYSSCPA, and she served as the treasurer for the Community Library of DeWitt & Jamesville in 2019. She is a graduate of SUNY Geneseo, where she earned a master’s degree in 2018 and a bachelor’s degree in 2017.

MICHAEL GATMAITAN has joined LeChase Construction Services, LLC as a project manager in its Syracuse office. In this role, Gatmaitan will manage, develop, maintain, and oversee all functions of assigned projects at the pre-construction, construction, and post-construction phases. Those functions include safety, construction planning, and cost-control procedures. Gatmaitan has nearly 15 years of industry experience, having worked as an architect and a project manager for higher education and municipal organizations. He earned both a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Catholic University of America. A licensed architect in New York state, he also has professional certification from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and LEED AP certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

ELIZABETH A. ZARNOCH has been promoted to VP of tax and business services at Valicenti Advisory Services, Inc., a registered investment-advisory firm and provider of tax and business services that has offices in Elmira and Corning. She will oversee the day-to-day operations of the firm’s tax and business services department, including tax, bookkeeping, sales tax, and payroll, and to enforce policies and procedures. Zarnoch joined the firm in 2011 and has more than 30 years of experience in the tax and accounting industry. She has worked for a Fortune 500 company as a master tax advisor, and she has instructed IRS-approved continuing professional-education classes. A graduate of SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Marcy with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Zarnoch is an enrolled agent who is enrolled to practice before the IRS.

KEVIN BRAZILL, D.O., a board-certified psychiatrist, has joined the medical staffs of Geneva General Hospital and Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hospital, which are part of Finger Lakes Health. Dr. Brazill is the new medical director of the John D. Kelly Clinic, located in the Medical Arts Building at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hospital in Penn Yan. The John D. Kelly Clinic offers individual and family therapy and psychiatric care for children, age five and older, adolescents, and adults with mental health and behavioral issues in an outpatient setting. Most recently, Brazill served as medical director of the Medicine in Psychiatry Services Outpatient Clinic at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Brazill was also an assistant professor at the University of Rochester College of Medicine & Dentistry. He completed his residency in psychiatry and family medicine at the University of Cincinnati/The Christ Hospital in Ohio, and his internship in psychiatry and family medicine at the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine. He earned his medical degree from Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in Illinois. 

JENNIFER YANCEY has joined Huntington Living Center, a 160-bed skilled-nursing facility in Waterloo, as a certified adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner. She has worked in health care for almost 25 years. Most recently, Yancey was a registered nurse supervisor and assistant nurse manager at Thompson Health’s M.M. Ewing Continuing Care Center in Canandaigua. She is also a practical nurse clinical adjunct instructor at Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES. Yancey completed her post-master’s degree as adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner and her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Keuka College. She is also a graduate of the Finger Lakes Health College of Nursing. 

DARRELL BUCKINGHAM has been promoted by the Central New York Community Foundation to program officer. He joined the Community Foundation in 2019 as foundation and facility operations manager. Buckingham will be working with the foundation’s community investment team. His role is designed to assist in managing and implementing the Community Foundation’s strategic initiatives and grantmaking that advance racial, social, and economic equity. Before joining the Community Foundation, Buckingham served as personnel officer for Onondaga County Public Libraries. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from Cazenovia College. Buckingham graduated from the Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders program and the Focus Greater Syracuse Citizens Academy. He serves as board trustee & co-chair of the equity & engagement committee for the Everson Museum. Buckingham also serves as secretary on the Vera House board of directors and is also a board trustee.

ELISIA GONZALEZ has joined the Central New York Community Foundation as a program associate. Her role is to provide support that guides the grant-distribution process and execution of initiatives. She was born and raised in Syracuse and graduated from Corcoran High School. Gonzalez also attended Syracuse University, graduating with a degree in geography. Before starting at the Community Foundation, she worked at the Syracuse Cooperative Federal Credit Union and Home HeadQuarters.

KATIE MCEACHERN has joined the Syracuse University softball program as an assistant coach. She worked the last three seasons as an assistant at Fordham University. Prior to Fordham, McEachern spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Saint Francis University. In her college playing days, she was a starting shortstop at Dartmouth College, where she played for current Syracuse Head Coach Shannon Doepking. McEachern earned her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Dartmouth in 2016 and completed an MBA from Saint Francis in 2018. She is currently working to complete a master’s degree from the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham.