Business people /
Hires, Promotions & Honors
KeyBank appointed Richard C. Suchan senior vice president and Western New York market manager for Key Private Bank. Previously, Suchan was first vice president and manager for First Niagara Trust and Investment Services. He has 27 years experience in the financial services industry. He is a graduate of Canisius College, holds a master’s degree in economics from the University at Buffalo, and was awarded the designation of Certified Employee Benefit Specialist from the Wharton School.
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U. S. Bank Equipment Finance, a Portland, Ore.-based bank-affiliated equipment finance company, appointed Peter Mason senior vice president and national sales manager in its Capital Equipment Group. Mason, who has 20 years of equipment finance and leasing experience, will oversee all sales activity for the business line and will be based in Buffalo. He previously spent 17 years at Key Equipment Finance in senior sales management roles and for the last 14 years was regional sales manager. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan.
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The Buffalo World Trade Association named David Nojaim of Languatek and Labortek president for 2008-2009. Other officers: Vice president, Jim Trubits, Mohawk Global Logistics; second vice president, Dr. Ed Arnold, M&T Insurance Agency; treasurer, Frank Lojaccono III, FLL Trading; and executive secretary, Cherryl J. Miller, Fisher-Price. vice president, organization and employee development manager, human resources. Valenti joined the bank in 1999 as human resource services manager. She earned a bachelor’s degree in human resource development and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in organizational leadership, both from Medaille College.
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The Niagara Frontier Chapter of First Niagara Bank promoted Debra Valenti Tylwalk to first the American Society of Safety Engineers named Lori Masters of Buffalo Batt and Felt president for 2008-2009. Other officers: President elect, Albert Stutz, U. S. Department of Labor, OSHA; treasurer, David Brick, Niagara Safety Management; Construction Section chairperson, John Monson, LP Ciminelli; and Construction Section secretary/treasurer, Ryan Knoph, JW Danforth Mechanical Contractors. Also, the Chapter awarded the 2008 Safety Professional of the Year award to Albert Smith. Smith is the safety director for Mollenberg-Betz Mechanical Contractors.
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Buffalo Niagara Enterprise former chairman Randy Clark was named recipient of the Northeastern Economic Developers Association 2008 Volunteer of the Year Award.
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Koike Aronson/ Ransome, an Arcade manufacturer of cutting and positioning equipment for the metalworking industry, named Stephen R. Morris executive vice president of operations. Morris, who has 30 years of management experience in various manufacturing and service companies and accounting firms, most recently served as operations manager at the company. He is a graduate of Bryant College, holds an executive MBA from the University of Rhode Island, and has CPA certification.
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Independent Health, an Amherstheadquartered health plan provider, named Martin Burruano director of pharmacy services. Previously Burruano, who joined the company in 2000, was pharmacy manager at Wegmans. He is a graduate of Canisius College and the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy.
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Software Solutions Group, a Microsoft gold certified partner in East Amherst, appointed Kerry McMahon customer relations administrator and Swetha Konda computer
application developer. McMahon holds a bachelor’s from Daemen College and is currently seeking a master’s in global business. Konda holds a master’s in computer science and engineering from West Virginia University.
