On the Record / September 24, 2008
Hires/Promotions/ Honors
The John R. Oishei Foundation appointed Lawrence H. Cook II program officer. Previously, Cook served as deputy director of the Arts Council in Buffalo and Erie County. He is a University at Buffalo graduate. The foundation, established in 1940 by John R. Oishei, founder of Trico Products Corp., supports education, health care, scientific research, and the cultural, social, civic and other charitable needs of the community.
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Synacor, a Buffalo Internet tools and portals builder, appointed Russ Crandall a release engineer; Greg Borowski product manager, video; and Nathan Annam quality assurance specialist. Crandall is a graduate of Niagara University. Borowski, previously a senior multimedia producer/ manager for Daybreak at WGRZTV, is a Fredonia State College graduate. Annam is a University at Buffalo graduate. Also, the company transitioned Michael Collins to manager, GUI architecture.
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Phillips Lytle partner Mark E. Brand presented “Surviving ERISA: What an organization needs to know to comply with ERISA, the internal revenue code and other federal and state welfare benefit laws,” for a meeting of the Albany chapter of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists in Latham.
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Compeer of Greater Buffalo, a mental health agency that matches volunteers with adults, children and seniors to serve as friends and mentors, honored Googie Walsh Butler, founder of the Walsh Insurance Group, and the Walsh Family, with the WNY Vision Award for business success and dedication to the community. Also, the agency honored the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association with the Spirit of Compeer Award. The awards will be presented at The Miracle of Friendship, Oct. 10 at the Buffalo Convention Center. Time Warner Cable and the United Way of Western New York selected three finalists in the Medical Miracles category in the WNY Heroes series running on All That Matters. They are: the Emergency Medical Team at Buffalo General Hospital, recognized for the life-saving care provided to Richard Zednik, a player for the Florida Panthers, who last season was critically injured during a game against the Buffalo Sabres when a skate blade nicked the carotid artery in his neck; Dr. Khurshid Guru, director of Robotic Surgery at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and his team, recognized for the use of robotics in surgery for cancer patients; and David Barthel, president and CEO of SmartPill Corp., for breaking new ground in the treatment of motility disorders and other gastrointestinal issues with the SmartPill capsule. Winners will be selected by online community votes at www.timewarnercable.com/wny beginning online October 1. That event is co-chaired by board members Jeff Bucki and Dawn Pezzimenti. •••
Cherry Hill Club in Ridgeway, Ont., appointed John Gall golf course superintendent. Gall previously was superintendent at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto for 16 years and at Oshawa Golf Club for 5 years. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and the University of Guelph’s Turf Managers’ Short Course.
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ClearPlan Financial, a Hamburgbased wealth management firm, appointed John LaMancuso an associate. LaMancuso is also a small business consultant with the firm. Current associate Kevin Christner attained Enrolled Agent status with the Internal Revenue Service. Christner is also a tax consultant.
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DirectBuy of Buffalo, a members-only showroom and home design center at 4950 Genesee St., recognized Mercedes Zoldos, service manager, with the Do Gooder of the Month award for September for her work for the Habitat for Humanity.
Company items
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Buffalo created new service centers in Western New York at Evans Bank locations in Tonawanda, North Boston, Buffalo, Angola and Amherst. Counseling appointments can be scheduled by calling the main office location at 712-2060.
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Jamestown Community College launched an enhanced Web site to help local employers find qualified jobseekers. Employers can submit jobs at www.sunyjcc.edu/postjob for posting on the site within one business day. •••
Campanella Orthotics and Prosthetics of North Buffalo and Amherst, at the request of NY/Help, donated an $11,000 prosthetic leg, tools, supplies, socks and wrenches to an amputee in Honduras.
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Floss Agency in East Amherst, a member of the EMS Group, joined the Trusted Choice brand movement, a national consumer brand that educates consumers about the benefits of using independent insurance agencies and brokerage firms for insurance and financial services.
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Cornell University ILR School presented its fourth Champions @ Work Award to Cameron Compression Systems and the International Association of Machinists Niagara Lodge 330, District 65 in recognition of their high-performing partnership that enables the more than 800 employees to engineer and produce high quality, reliable and innovative compression equipment.
Patents
Title: “Deposition of permanent polymer structures for OLED fabrication” No.: 7,427,529 Inventors: Roman Jr., Paul J. (North Tonawanda); Madsen, Harold O. (Rio Rancho, N. M.) Assignee: Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, British Columbia, Calif.) Date issued: Sept. 23, 2008
