Hires/Promotions/ Honors

The 20th annual ATHENA Award will be presented Wednesday to a woman who demonstrates support for the goals of women professionals and provides them significant assistance. The 11 women nominated for the award, presented by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, are: Bridgette J. Cassety, partner, Veracity Benefits; Rebecca A. Christie, CEO, RTMachined Specialties; Rebecca E. Farbo, chief marketing officer, Phillips Lytle; Barbara J. Hole, associate vice president, Constituent Development Health Sciences, University at Buffalo; Sharon M.Lochocki, senior vice president, Business Banking WNY District, KeyBank; Katherine Lucas, president, Emedia Studios; Marie A. Nowak, vice president, engineering, Nussbaumer&Clarke; Barbara E. Noyes, director of Urban/ Street Business Unit, New Era Cap Co.; Joyce E. Schwob, president, general manager, JIT Toyota-Lift; Jill M.Syracuse, senior vice president, member services, Independent Health; and Adiam Tsegai, dean of instruction, Bryant&Stratton College. Also, ATHENA will present the ATHENA Young Professional Award to an emerging leader. The 10 nominees are: Dara B. Biltekoff, corporate counsel, ECS Energy Curtailment Specialists; Michelle Bonn, president, Expedient Trade; Renee Cerullo, owner, RLComputing; Joy M. Kuebler, president&CEO, Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect;Amy C. Martoche, partner, Connors&Vilardo; Nina Price, public relations manager, General Motors; Elizabeth A. Vealey, branch manager, Robert Half International; Stacey Watson, executive director, South Buffalo Education Center; Robin L. Wolfgang, community volunteer; and Danielle Woodman Kehoe, director, Office of Academic Grants, Daemen College. The awards luncheon will be held in Adam’s Mark Hotel.

Ronald J. O’Mara, a Williamsville engineering consulting firm that serves industrial and manufacturing clients, appointed Gary A. Peck an associate of the firm. Peck has more than 20 years of experience in engineering and project management. He received master’s and bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering from the University at Buffalo.

Company items

Rescuedsites.com, a J. Fitzgerald Group company based in Lockport, recently launched a new, redesigned Web site for Acorn Studios photography of Amherst at www.acornstudios.info.

McCullagh Coffee’s premier sustainable coffee, ECOVERDE, was selected to be served in the New York State Capitol. The coffee is certified by the Rainforest Alliance and also uses a biodegradable and compostable packaging. ECOVERDE was developed in 2008 in response to a gubernatorial executive order requiring state agencies, departments and authorities to establish green procurement and sustainable management practices.

Southtown Audio Video, 75 Lake St., Hamburg, is celebrating 25 years as a home theater, flat screen TV and audio systems retailer.

Isolation Sciences and FB Displays and Designs, a Williamsville event marketing solutions provider, partnered to introduce Isolation Sciences’ new product “Continuous Access Port” at the Labs 21 Conference in Indianapolis.

Patents

Title: “Tire” No.: D601,942 Inventors: Bell, Shawn Thomas (Cheektowaga); Jackson, Michael (East Amherst); Zawistowski, Chris Michael (Buffalo); Manning, Carolyn Marie (Lockport) Assignee: The Goodyear Tire&Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio) Date issued: Oct. 13, 2009

Title: “Muzzle brake for cannon” No.: 7,600,461 Inventors: Cler, Daniel L. (Coatesville, Pa.); Forliti, David (Amherst) Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army (Washington, D. C.) Date issued: Oct. 13, 2009