News Briefs on Local Businesses & Business People

Heidi Hoeller Joins NBT Board of Directors

Heidi Hoeller

Heidi M. Hoeller has recently joined the boards of directors for NBT Bancorp Inc. and NBT Bank, N.A. Hoeller is a retired partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”) with over 25 years of experience as a leader in audit and financial services.

“We welcome Heidi to board service at NBT and are excited to add her experience and perspective to our group,” said NBT Board Chairman Martin A. Dietrich. “Her extensive background in public accounting and her deep knowledge of the financial services industry will make Heidi a strong and valuable asset as we guide our business forward.”

Hoeller held numerous positions at PwC from November 1993 until her retirement in June 2019.  She spent most of her career in the Northeast, including assignments in Syracuse, Hartford and Boston, where she served as audit partner on a diverse portfolio of clients within the insurance sector. Prior to her retirement, she was a financial services partner in PwC’s National Quality Organization for three years. During that time, she also led diversity and inclusion for a group of approximately 120 professionals.

Hoeller currently sits on the board of directors of Preferred Mutual Insurance Company, which she joined in May 2020. Since 2011, she has been a member of the board of trustees for Utica College, an independent private institution for higher education. Hoeller received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Utica College. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is a CPA licensed in New York.

Community Foundation Announces New Manager

Colby Cyrus

The Central New York Community Foundation has hired Colby Cyrus as program manager.

His role is to assist with the development, implementation and monitoring of grantmaking and programs. He works with the Community Foundation’s community grant program and affiliate funds.

Colby, who speaks both French and Arabic, was previously employed at InterFaith Works and has experience in international development, advocacy and survey research. He received his master’s degree in international relations from Syracuse University in 2019.

C&S Companies Announce Promotions

C&S Companies, a Syracuse-based engineering, architecture, planning, environmental and construction services company, has recently announced the following promotions.

John Camp

• John Camp is now a vice president managing C&S’s infrastructure, environmental and site/civil practice. He has been with C&S for more than 20 years, managing a wide variety of municipal, environmental, water, wastewater and other projects for both public and private clients. Camp is a licensed professional engineer in numerous states, a certified floodplain manager, a certified professional in stormwater quality, and a certified professional in erosion and sediment control. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Aileen Maguire Meyer

• Aileen Maguire Meyer is now a vice president providing project leadership on strategic projects to deliver a range of architecture, engineering and planning services. Her responsibilities include corporate initiatives to optimize operational efficiency, promote standards and best practices and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. Meyer has technical expertise in traffic engineering and facility, transportation, and sustainability planning. Meyer is a graduate of Boston University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is a licensed professional engineer, a certified planner, and an envision sustainability professional.

• Nicholas Cerro is now a vice president overseeing marketing and business development. In this role, he leads teams engaged in market research and analysis, strategic planning and development, market position and promotion, new business development, customer relationship management and related activities across diverse market and service sectors. Cerro has been with C&S for more than 25 years and holds an master’s degree in corporate communication from

Nicholas Cerro

Ithaca College and a bachelor’s degree in English from Le Moyne College.

M&T Bank Names New Western New York Regional President

Eric Feldstein has been named M&T Bank regional president of Western New York — the company’s headquarter market and where it was founded 165 years ago — in addition to his role as head of business banking, effective March 2022.

Eric Feldstein

Feldstein will transition the role from Shelley Drake, who is retiring after a 50-year career with the company.

“Eric is one of the most experienced bankers we have at M&T and is a leader in every sense of the word,” said Mike Keegan, M&T Bank executive vice president and head of community markets.

“Our unique community model empowers local leaders to combine their banking expertise with a deep understanding of their communities in order to deliver a differentiated customer experience and uplift our communities. Eric’s passion for helping local businesses and customers was never more evident than during his leadership of the bank’s participation in the Paycheck Protection Program, which changed countless lives for the better. We’re confident he’ll bring the same level of leadership and dedication to this new role.”

The Western New York region is the company’s largest community market with close to 8,000 employees and 66 branches across Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming Counties. “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve as regional president,” said Feldstein. “As a community-focused bank, it’s our job to ensure our local economies are vibrant and growing.”

Feldstein has held various positions in commercial and business banking throughout his 19 years with M&T.

Climate Action Specialist Joins Barton & Loguidice

Barton & Loguidice (B&L), a multi-disciplinary consulting firm that provides technical solutions to public and private clients throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, recently welcomed Jayme Breschard to the firm as senior managing community planner where she will serve in the role of climate action specialist. Breschard will be based in B&L’s Rochester office.

“Barton & Loguidice has created this leadership position to provide clients with holistic planning, funding and design guidance as part of the physical resilience and adaptive capacity of public infrastructure to flooding, drought, water quality, sea-level rise, heat stress, and other climate risks. The position will also align efforts and help address the rising impacts and inequities of climate change experienced by disadvantaged communities,” said Barton & Loguidice Director of Sustainable Planning and Design Ken Knutsen. “We are fortunate to have Jayme, an established climate action specialist, coordinating our multi-disciplined professional staff in the enhanced climate resiliency efforts with communities, funding and regulatory agencies, watershed commissions, and strategic professional partners with our multi-state service regions.”

Breschard has 20 years of experience working for national and regional technical firms and public planning organizations. With certifications from the American Institute of Certified Planners and the Association of State Floodplain Managers, she approaches projects with keen recognition of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Breschard is graduate of Cornell University and Mary Washington College.

Erin Weaver Joins Operation Oswego County Staff

Erin Weaver

Erin Weaver recently joined Operation Oswego County, Inc. (OOC) as the administrative assistant and receptionist.

Weaver, a native of Oswego, is a graduate of Cayuga Community College. For the last nine years, she has worked for Port City Family Medicine. Prior to that, Weaver worked for Oswego Health. Outside of work, Weaver spends her time raising her two young children.

“We are very pleased to welcome Erin to our economic development team,” said OOC executive director L. Michael Treadwell, CEcD.

“It will be a change from healthcare that we believe she will find both challenging and rewarding.”

Braggs Named Interim Affirmative Action Officer at SUNY

Reginald Braggs

Reginald (Reg) Braggs has been appointed SUNY Oswego’s interim executive to the president and affirmative action officer, effective Jan. 10.

Braggs, who has served the college as director of SUNY Oswego’s Syracuse Campus since March 2020, will step in for Mary C. Toale, who recently took over as officer-in-charge while the campus searches for its next president. During this period, Ryan Lynn — who has served as assistant director of SUNY Oswego’s Syracuse Campus since February 2020 — will assume the interim director role.

As interim executive to the president, Braggs will serve as a member of the president’s council. He will provide assistance, advice and support and manage a wide variety of legal matters, personnel activities and confidential assignments. Braggs will also serve as Oswego’s interim affirmative action officer and as a member of the president’s UUP Labor Management team.

As the director of the Syracuse campus, Braggs has worked with colleagues in academic affairs and the division of extended learning to continue to provide and expand on opportunities for adult (non-traditional) learners to attain bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, professional qualifications and more. He has actively engaged with external stakeholders as well to expand the Syracuse campus’ footprint and community engagement.

Davis-Standard Names New CEO

Giovanni Spitale

Giovanni Spitale has been named chief executive officer of Davis-Standard, a portfolio company of Gamut Capital Management. The group has a plant in Fulton that employs nearly 150 people.

Spitale replaces Jim Murphy who has been elected as vice chairman of the board of directors. In addition, Davis-Standard has elected several individuals as members of its board of directors.

“I am extremely excited to join the Davis-Standard organization,” said Spitale. “Having spent considerable time in the polymer processing and broader capital equipment industries, I have long admired Davis-Standard’s leading position in the market, its unmatched engineering capability and the company’s reputation as a strong partner to its customers through both original equipment and aftermarket support.”

Spitale previously was vice president of commercial parts within Boeing Global Services. In this role, Spitale had full responsibility for the profit and loss management, and strategic direction of Boeing’s $4 billion portfolio of commercial aircraft and engine parts businesses. Prior to his tenure at Boeing, Spitale was president of customer service and support at Milacron.

Founded in 1848 and headquartered in Pawcatuck, Conecticut, Davis-Standard is a global leader in the design, development and distribution of extrusion and converting technology.