NNY Business December 2016

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NNY usIness // SIXTH annuaL // emerging leaders issue

DECEMBER 2016 Volume 7 No.1

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2 | NNY Business | December 2016

December 2016 | NNY Business

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4 | NNY Business | December 2016

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Inside DECember 2016 14 13

under 40

36 |

COVER |

14 20 UNDER 40 NNY Business presents 20 Northern New York emerging leaders under the age of 40.

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

David Adsit Jennifer A. Barlow Todd J. Burker AmberLee Clement Shawna Cutuli Daniel D. Daugherty Rebekah L. Grim Kyle R. Hayes Emily Herman Nathan P. Hunter Erica A. Leonard Dr. Matthew Maynard Ashley E. Meade Jake Moser Sarah Parker-Ada Korin Scheible Melissa C. Schmitt Hartley Bonisteel Schweitzer Shane Simser Katy Troester-Trate

38 |

SMALL BUSINESS STARTUP |

|

FEATURES |

|

13 strutting her threads For Ashley Pignone, coming home to NNY was the perfect chance to launch a boutique. |

36 RAZING FOR THE FUTURE Officials celebrate the start of demolition at the former Jones & Laughlin Steel site.

38 trees battle drought Summer drought dampens the market for Christmas trees but farmers say all is OK for ’16. |

REAL ESTATE |

42 BUYING, SELLING TRENDS The NAR releases its annual survey of buyers and sellers.

REAL ESTATE |

43 TOP TRANSACTIONS Top 10 property sales in Oct. in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties totalled $10.4m.

LEADERSHIP |

47 LEVERAGING AUTHORITY Leadership doesn’t mean you need to be in a powerful post. |

BUSINESS SCENE |

58 NETWORKING, NNY STYLE From Jefferson to Lewis counties, businessmen and women connect for success. |

ONLINE |

DAILY UPDATES, DATA Daily business news and data online at nnybizmag.com.

December 2016 | NNY Business

|5

C o n tr i b u t o r s

BusIness nnybizmag.com

Chairman of the Board John B. Johnson Jr.

Lance M. Evans is the executive officer for the Jefferson-Lewis and St. Lawrence County boards of Realtors. He writes about the results of the 2016 survey of buyers and sellers. (p. 42)

Tracy Leonard is a the deputy director for Fort Drum regional Health Planning Organization.

This month, she writes about leadership and offers tools to help mentor young leaders. (p. 47)

Joleene Moody is a freelance writer who lives in Pulaski with her husband and daughter. She writes about how to break the conventional rules of writing while defining personal style. (p. 48)

Editor & Publisher John B. Johnson

Co-Publisher

Harold B. Johnson II

Magazine Editor

Kenneth J. Eysaman

Magazine Associate Holly C. Boname

Contributing Writers

Norah Machia & Joleene Moody

Photography

Justin Sorensen, Amanda Morrison Jason Hunter, Stephen Swofford Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 28-year IT veteran. She writes about how to craft a digital innovation and investment strategy for the future. (p. 50)

Brooke Rouse is the executive director of the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce.

She writes about steps leaders can take to retain young professionals in the region. (p. 49)

Jay Matteson is the agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Economic Development He writes about ag’s influence on the tourism sector in Northern New York. (p. 51)

Director of Advertising Michelle Bowers

Magazine Advertising Coordinator Sue Gardner

Advertising Sales

Justin Sullivan, Jill Halley, Laurie Denesha, Barb Loomis, Jim Homa, Katie Nelson, Teresa Cantwell, Cindy Aucter and Lori Coburn

Advertising Graphics

Brian Mitchell, Rick Gaskin, Heather O’Driscoll, Scott Smith, Todd Soules

Circulation Director Mary Sawyer

Jennifer McCluskey is an advisor for the state Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton. She reminds businesses to remember Facebook in their media mix. (p. 53)

Bob Gorman is president and CEO of United Way of Northern New York.

He writes about changing the culture of care in Northern New York as reforms continue to take shape. (p. 52)

Holly C. Boname is a magazine associate for NNY Magazines. In Small Business Startup, she meets an entrepreneur who recently opened a women’s boutique in Watertown. (pg. 13)

MARKETPLACE Bernier Carr & Associates .................. 64 Blue Spruce Motel .............................. 55 Bonnie Castle Resort & Marina .......... 44 Cheney Tire ........................................ 58 Children’s Home of Jefferson Co. ....... 43 Clayton Chamber of Commerce ........... 4 Clayton Dental Office .......................... 55 Coleman’s Corner ............................... 45 Cortel Improvement ............................ 46 D.L. Calarco Funeral Home ................ 50 D.G.M. Coon & Co. ............................ 60 Donna Moser ...................................... 40 Dr. Guitar ............................................ 55 Factory Direct Matrasses .................... 55 Fairground Inn .................................... 45 Foy Agency Inc. .................................. 45 Fuccillo Auto Group ........................... 44 Fuller Insurance .................................. 45 Greater 1,000 Islands

Literacy Council .................................. 12 H.D. Goodale Company ...................... 45 HighTower Advisors ........................... 39 Hospice of Jefferson County .............. 46 Jefferson Community College ............ 40 Jeff-Lewis BOCES .............................. 43 Liberty Glass ....................................... 42 Caskinette Ford ................................... 56 NNY Business magazine ...................... 7 NNY Community Foundation ......... 9, 41 Northern Credit Union ........................ 37 Nortz & Virkler Ford ........................... 44 Overhead Door Company ................... 55 Paradise Energy Solutions ................. 46 Purcell Construction ............................. 3 RBC Wealth Management ..................... 7 Samaritan Medical Center .............. 3, 62 SeaComm Federal Credit Union ......... 53 Shred Con .......................................... 51

6 | NNY Business | December 2016

Snapshots Photo Booth ...................... 39 Spring Valley Garden Center .............. 55 Strategic Development Specialists ..... 63 The Scrub Hub ................................... 55 Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Squad ..................................... 41 Tunes 92.5 FM WBLH Radio .............. 37 Volunteer Transportation Center ......... 49 Waite Motorsports .............................. 59 Waite Toyota ....................................... 61 Watertown Daily Times ....................... 47 Watertown Savings Bank ...................... 2 Watertown Spring & Alignment .......... 44 Conboy, Mckay, Bachman & Kendall, LLP ................................... 12 TF Wright & Sons Granite Foundry .... 48 WWTI-TV 50 ................................... 8, 54 Watertown Family YMCA ................... 52 Ziebart Tidycar .................................... 44

NNY Business (ISSN 2159-6115), is published monthly by Northern New York Newspaper Corp., 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601, a Johnson Newspaper Corp. company. © 2010-2016. All material submitted to NNY Business becomes property of Northern New York Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.

Subscription Rates 12 issues are $15 a year and 24 issues are $25 for two years.

Call 315-782-1000 to subscribe.

Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to nnybusiness@wdt.net Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, email sgardner@wdt.net, or call (315) 661-2310 In St. Lawrence County, e-mail blabrake@ogd.com, or call (315) 661-2507 Printed with pride in U.S.A. at Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, N.Y., a Forest Stewardship Certified facility.

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| ABOUT THE COVER |

| interview |

Editor’s note: 20 Questions will return in next month’s issue.

To read past 20 Questions with north country business leaders, visit us online, NNYBIZMAG.COM

| COLUMNS |

47 ON LEADERSHIP 48 ENTREPRENEUR’S EDGE 49 commerce corner 50 BUSINESS TECH BYTES

51 AGRIBUSINESS 52 nonprofits today 53 SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS

| DEPARTMENTS |

8 EDITOR’S NOTE 8 NEXT MONTH 10 ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT 12 PEOPLE ON THE MOVE 13 SMALL BIZ STARTUP

40 BUSINESS BRIEFCASE 42 real estate roundup 43 TOP transactions 56 CALENDAR 58 BUSINESS SCENE

For this month’s cover photo, staff Photographers Amanda Morrison and Justin Sorensen captured members of NNY Business magazine’s 20 Under 40 Class of 2016 in our Watertown photo studio.

This year’s cover design was inspired by our photography and design team’s desire to work “outside the box” and produce a cover that is much different than previous years. Profiles of the 20 Under 40 Class of 2016 start on page 14.

NNY BUSINESS MAGAZINE NORTHERN NEW YORK’S EMERGING LEADERS

Congratulations to the 20 Under 40 Class of 2016! and a special thank you to our event sponsors and St. Lawrence County Administrator Ruth A. Doyle for her time and message.

Turn to page 14 in this issue meet this year’s class and learn more!

December 2016 | NNY Business

|7

EDITO R’S N O T E

W

e are thrilled to present NNY Business magazine’s 20 Under 40 Class of 2016 this month.

Since August, nominations for

selection to this year’s class steadily poured into our offices, totaling nearly 95 nominations of 60 people, which made decision day for our nine-member selection Ken Eysaman committee very challenging. I must say a heartfelt thank you to our committee members who spent more than a week reviewing nomination packets.

In October, staff from NNY Magazines, the Watertown Daily Times and St. Lawrence and Lewis counties, along with committee members Michelle Capone from the Development Authority of the North Country, and Tim Sweeney from Tunes 92.5/104.5 FM WBLH Radio, reviewed a list of highly qualified young professionals with the task of cutting the number to 20 from 60. It was no easier than when we launched the magazine’s emerging leader’s program in 2011. In the six years since, we have honored 123 young professionals who live and work in the north country. (For those who may be wondering about the math, three times in the past six years we’ve honored husband-and-wife teams as single honorees.)

I urge you to flip to page 14 to begin reading the 20 profiles of top talent right here in Northern New York. It is an impressive class.

I

Yours in business,

next month

n our January issue, we examine the business and economic outlook for Northern New York in 2017 across eight economic sectors of the region’s economy.

Also coming next month: n THE YEAR THAT WAS: We take a look back at some of the businesses, issues and industries that made headlines across Northern New York last year. n BUSINESS HISTORY: Our monthly feature about a north country business from the past.

8 | NNY Business | December 2016

Here are a few statistics about our 2016 Class of 20 Under 40: Average age: 33 Median age: 33 Youngest: 24 Oldest: 39 Youngest business owner: 29 Number younger than 30: 6 Number of small business owners: 2 Number of women: 12 Number of men: 8 Number of nonprofit leaders: 6 Number of department or division directors: 9 Mid-level manager or supervisor: 20 Vice president or higher: 5 North country natives: 16 Number in Jefferson County: 14 Number in Lewis County: 2 Number in St. Lawrence County: 5 Highest level of education: Doctor of medicine and master’s degree Average level of education: bachelor’s degree Number with post-graduate degrees: 8 The numbers alone tell an impressive story, especially given that 14 of those who are profiled are north country natives who have — by choice — remained in Northern New York or have returned to the region to live, work, raise their children and contribute to making our communities a better place for others.

I hope you enjoy reading about this year’s group of talented emerging leaders this month. If you come across anyone we missed, let us know at nnybusiness@wdt.net.

It’s never too early to start thinking of future leaders who deserve recognition. Nominations for next year’s class open in August.

n 20 QUESTIONS: Featured interview returns. n PLUS: NNY Snapshot, DBAs, Economically Speaking, Commerce Corner, Nonprofits Today, Business Tech Bytes, Small Business Success, Entrepreneurs, Agribusiness, Real Estate, Business History and Business Scene. n VISIT US ONLINE at nnybizmag.com for exclusive daily Web content. Follow us on Twitter for daily updates at @NNYBusinessMag, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/nnybusiness, and view eEditions at issuu.com/NNYBusiness.

l etters f ro m t h e P E O P L E

Thank you for supporting the 10th

M

y wife, Tracy, and I want you to know how much we appreciate all you have done over the past 15 years for our soldiers and our families. During my tenure here as commanding general, with a large portion of the division deployed, and so much in our Army changing, the north country’s support remained steadfast.

From a readiness standpoint, soldiers always perform better when they are appreciated and their loved ones are cared for. As a father and husband, my appreciation comes from a much deeper place.

Over the past year we’ve felt humbled and honored by the community we call home. From the Mountain Monument in Thompson Park, to the volunteerism at Riverfest, and the opportunity to hear Lee Brice sing about one of our Gold Star Families, standing shoulderto-shoulder with our community at Mountainfest; thank you. Your continued participation in the Adopt-a-10th Mountain Platoon Program provides a huge morale boost to our deployed soldiers and your Operation Yellow Ribbon events here at home encourage the loved ones we’ve left behind.

Your welcoming of our children into your schools, as well as social and athletic activities continues to smooth the transition of our young families who move all too often and must live with the stress of many deployments. Making us a part of your family makes life easier for all of us.

All of this, and so much more we haven’t mentioned, is a testament to your level of appreciation. It continues to serve as a reminder to all who visit: the north country community’s support is the benchmark for all Department of Defense communities.

Your 10th Mountain Division remains one of the most deployed divisions in the United States Army. By design and by hard-earned reputation, it will continue to be the division of choice in the years ahead; serving our nation where the need is greatest. We will never fail

in our assigned mission and we all thank you for the part you play in making that happen.

Climb to Glory!

Jeffrey L. Bannister Major General, U.S. Army Commanding

Send us your letters n Share your thoughts on the north country and its business community with NNY Business.

Email letters to the editor to nnybusiness @wdt.net. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of the month for the following month’s issue. Letters are published in the magazine as they are received.

Northern New York

Community Foundation Proud charter sponsor of NNY Business 20 Under 40

Congratulations! to the 2016 Class of 20 Under 40 Thank you to all who give of their time, talent and treasure to ensure a stronger, more vibrant community for us all.

Your Community. Your Foundation. Your Legacy.

120 Washington Street, Suite 400, Watertown, NY 13601 30 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617 (315) 782-7110 www.nnycf.org • www.facebook.com/nnycf

December 2016 | NNY Business

|9

Average per-gallon milk price paid to N.Y. dairy farmers

Average New York surrogate* price for on-highway diesel

October 2016 $1.62 September 2016 $1.62 October 2015 $1.56

October 2016 $2.55 September 2016 $2.49 October 2015 $2.64

3.7

Average NNY price for gallon of regular unleaded gas October 2016 $2.31 September 2016 $2.27 October 2015 $2.31

Vehicles crossing the Thousand Islands bridge 170,273 in October 2016 191,189 in September 2016 162,501 in October 2015

October 2016 $2.75 September 2016 $2.64 October 2015 $2.33

7.0%

Vehicles crossing the Ogdensburg-Prescott bridge 55,526 in October 2016 57,256 in September 2016 53,659 in October 2015

15.3%

Vehicles crossing the Seaway International (Massena) bridge 198,413 in October 2016 191,189 in September 2016 197,122 in October 2015

Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors single-family home sales 138, median price $154,500 in October 2016 152, median price $149,900 in September 2016 146, median price $114,950 in October 2015

Sales

Sales

U.S.-Canadian dollar exchange rate (Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar)

25.6%

$1.34 on Oct. 31, 2016 $1.31 on Sept. 30, 2016 $1.31 on Oct. 30, 2015

Price

Nonagriculture jobs in the Jefferson-Lewis-St. Lawrence counties area, not including military positions

14.8%

92,600 in October 2016 91,800 in September 2016 92,100 in October 2015

Price

5.2

5.0

4.9

4.9

5.0

5.0

September 2016

October 2015

October 2016

September 2016

October 2015

United States

October 2016

New York State

5.4

5.7 September 2016

5.6 October 2015

5.9

5.4 September 2016

Lewis County

October 2016

5.3

5.6 October 2015

October 2016

5.4 September 2016

St. Lawrence County

0.5%

Source: NYS Department of Labor

NNY unemployment rates 5.7

2.3%

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of N.Y.

Source: Jefferson-Lewis / St. Lawrence boards of Realtors Inc.

Jefferson County

0.7%

Seaway International Bridge Corp.

St. Lawrence Board of Realtors single-family home sales 61, median price $93,000 in October 2016 95, median price $95,000 in September 2016 64, median price $106,750 in October 2015

4.9%

3.4%

Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority

Source: NYS Energy Research and Development Authority

5.8%

4.6%

Source: T.I. Bridge Authority

Average NNY price for gallon of residential propane

October 2016

ECON SNAPSHOT

Average NNY price for gallon of home heating oil October 2016 $2.29 September 2016 $2.35 October 2015 $2.45

3.5%

*Prices are the composite area that includes New York, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

Source: U.S. DOE, Energy Information Administration

Source: NYS Department of Agriculture

10 | NNY Business | December 2016

(Percent gains and losses are over 12 months)

October 2015

NNY

Economic indicators

Source: U.S. Department of Labor and New York State Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted. Latest available data reported.)

Note: Due to updates in some “Econ. Snapshot� categories, numbers may differ from previously published prior month and year figures.

Economic indicators New automobiles (cars and trucks) registered in Jefferson County Trucks Cars 152 in October 2016 453 in October 2016 126 in September 2016 563 in September 2016 135 in October 2015 492 in October 2015

8.6%

NNY

11.2%

Source: Jefferson County Clerk’s Office

No airport data

n Passenger totals for Watertown International Airport were unavailable at press time this month due to a later release of information by American Airlines.

2,253 in October 2016 2,227 in September 2016 2,282 in October 2015

1.3%

Source: Social Service Depts. of Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties

DBA (doing business under an assumed name) certificates filed at the Jefferson County Clerk’s office Nov. 2 to 30, 2016. For a complete list of DBAs filed in November and in past months, visit nnybizmag.com.

Nov. 30: Sackets Harbor Press, 215 Washington St., Suite 001, Watertown, Brian H. Murray, 20385 Morin Lane North, Sackets Harbor.

Nov. 16: Purvis Plowing and Lawn Care, 20865 Hess Shore Drive, Sackets Harbor, Richard J. Purvis, 20865 Hess Shore Drive, Sackets Harbor.

Nov. 29: Samrose Irrigation, 18402 Jericho Road, Watertown, Anthony and Charleene Hall, 18402 Jericho Road., Watertown.

Natures Warehouse NY, 55 Main St., Philadelphia, Thomas Laudon, 32654 County Route 194, Theresa.

VRS Victorious Enterprise, 45091 Olney Road., Redwood, Vicky R. Cook Shaw, 45091 Olney Road, Redwood.

RW Drywall, 427 Flower Ave. East, Watertown, Richard White, 427 Flower Ave. East, Watertown.

Nov. 28: Black River Livestock, 492 Bugbee Drive, Watertown, Patrick G. and Morgan E. Robbins, 493 Bugbee Drive, Watertown.

OPTAM Home Solutions, 15610 County Route 5, Clayton, Amber I. Forkey and John M. Foresman II, Clayton.

Nov. 15: Kevin P. Beach Sr. Contracting & Snow Removal, 729 West Main St., Watertown, Wendy L. Beach, 729 West Main St., Watertown.

Nov. 14: Northern New York Construction, 238 Seymour St., Watertown, Derek J. LaJuett, 238 Seymour St., Watertown.

Nov. 10: Vigilante Juice Bar and Café, 99 Public Square, Watertown, Erica L. Turck, 702 Nickerbocker Drive, Watertown.

Rock and Jam, 20054 Reasoner Road., Watertown, Yvonne M. Youngs, 20054 Reasoner Road, Watertown.

Nov. 8: Popcorn and Sweet Treats, 1015 Water St., Watertown, Lowell M. Groff, 120 Breen Ave., Building 2, Watertown.

Nov. 23: Northside Clean Rides, 725 LeRay St., Watertown, Timothy D. Elliot, 14247 County Route 75, Adams.

Spookhill Bar & Grill, 12139 US Route 11, Adams Center, B&M NNY LLC, 12139 US Route 11, Adams Center.

Nov. 22: Pyro Petes Fireworks, 23313 State Route 12, Watertown, Peter C. Kanik, 1155 Superior St., Watertown.

Nov. 7: Jefferson County Night Out Com, 26192 Bonney Road, Watertown, John M. Goutremout, 26192 Bonney Road, Watertown.

Nov. 21: T & A Drywall, 40 Grove St., Adams, John W.A. Williams, 40 Grove St., Adams.

Mary Madison Studios, 483 South Market St., Cape Vincent, Kathleen Rizzo, 483 South Market St., Cape Vincent.

Nov. 18: Harmony All Natural Soaps & Oils, 2066 Deerlick Road, Cape Vincent, Sandra L. Fralick, 2066 Deerlick Road, Cape Vincent.

Hair We Go, 332 Arsenal St., Watertown, Tina Peck, 1017 Washington St., Watertown.

Blessed Hands Cleaning Service, 15615 Eimicke Place, #206, Watertown, Courtlaudt C. Kimrough, 15615 Eimicke Place., #206, Watertown.

Nov. 4: Bridgeview Property Management Services, 145 Clinton St., Suite 11, Watertown, Bridgeview Real Estate Servies LLC, 145 Clinton St., Suite 11, Watertown.

EABA Grounds End All Be All, 726 Sherman St., Apt. 2, Watertown, Daniel Rodriguez, 726 Sherman St., Apt. 2, Watertown, Michael Firman, 726 Sherman St., Apt. 2, Watertown.

R. C. Congel Boats North, 45447 State Route 12, Alexandria Bay, R C Congel Auto & Boat Sales Inc., 8575 Brewerton Road, Cicero.

Nov. 17: 401 Production, 125 Croyden Lane, Apt A, Syracuse, Anthony J. Fiorentino, 27380 State Route 3, Watertown.

Nov. 2: South Jeff FC, 16790 County Route 156, Watertown, McKenzie P. Allyson, 16790 County Route 156, Watertown.

Chaumont Bay Seafood, 12308 State Route 12E, Chaumont, Matthew L. Yates, 164 Bay St., Cape Vincent.

Coconut Grove Restaurant and Bar, 1313 State St., Elizabeth Jackson, 65 Public Square, Watertown.

Point of View Photography, 8974 US Route 11, Adams, Douglas A. Welbourne, Jr., 8974 US Route 11, Adams.

Kilbourn S. Cleaning, 24379 Main St., Felts Mills, Shanna Talarico, 24379 Main St., Felts Mills.

Thomas Crafts, 305 Canal St., Dexter, Darrel L. Thomas, 305 Canal St., Dexter.

T & R Construction, 196 Wallace Road, Norfolk, Joshua F. Fleury, 196 Wallace Road, Norfolk.

transactions

DBAs

Open welfare cases in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties

December 2016 | NNY Business

| 11

to Sarah Parker-Ada WeCongratulations want to congratulate Sarah Parker Adaononher hergreat great accomplishmentstotoher hercommunity community to our organizations accomplishments andand to our organizations by by earning thethe 20 20 Under NNYBusiness BusinessMagazine. magazine. being awarded under4040Award by thebyNNY From the friends of the New York State Reading Association and the Greater Thousand Islands Literacy Council.

Greater 1,000 Islands LITERACY COUNCIL

people on the move

Former Lowville police officer moves to BPD

Former Lowville police officer Daryl R. Ortlieb has been named officer-in-charge at the Boonville Police Department.

Mr. Ortlieb, who lives in southern Lewis County near Boonville, started his new position in mid-November, succeeding Eric W. McIntyre.

Mr. Ortlieb worked at the Lowville department for nearly a year.

The veteran police officer managed the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department canine unit since its inception in December 2012.

Morrison promoted at probation department

Martin J. Morrison, Jefferson County Probation Department supervisor, has taken over leadership of the department following the retirement of Director David D. Corey last month.

Mr. Corey has worked in the Jefferson County Probation Department for 34 years, spending the last three as director.

In taking over the job, Mr. Morrison said he plans to maintain what the office has done under Mr. Corey. Mr. Morrison has worked in the probation office since January 1986, and he is moving up from probation supervisor.

Mr. Corey and Mr. Morrison graduated from Watertown High School together in 1978, and Mr. Morrison started working at the probation department four years after Mr. Corey.

FDRHPO picks Flint as new executive director

Erika F. Flint has been named executive director for the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, Watertown.

Mrs. Flint presently works for the North Country Initiative, where she focuses on the state’s Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment program, in partnership with FDRHPO. Mrs. Flint succeeds Denise K. Young in the executive role.

The organization said in a statement that Mrs. Flint will help implement policies to improve medical systems in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counPlease see PEOPLE, page 46 12 | NNY Business | December 2016

Smal l Bu siness sta rtu p BUSINESS

Strut Boutique THE INITIAL IDEA

A passion for fashion and a desire to bring a different look for women to the north country is what sparked Carthage native Ashley Pignone to seek out a storefront that would allow for a specialty boutique in downtown Watertown.

When customers enter the store, colorful and patterned clothing adorns racks along the walls and DIY pallet displays and countertops show jewelry, shoes and home decor. The store, though small, is packed with goodies that Mrs. Pignone personally hand selects from online boutiques similar to her own.

“I had been buying and selling online for three and a half years,” Mrs. Pignone said. “I’ve always had the desire to wear what no one else is wearing, which is why I began seeking fashion outside the normal retail store options.”

TARGET CLIENTELE For Mrs. Pignone, it’s rewarding to bring a different flare to the options of women’s fashion to the north country. She believes that there should be alternatives for those who don’t want to shop at the big box stores.

“Any woman from a teenager to the age of 60 can shop here, there is something for everyone,” Mrs. Pignone said. “My 60-year-old aunt came in and she picked out things that I wouldn’t have expected her to buy.”

From casual leggings to work-appropriate attire, to a dress for an evening out, Mrs. Pignone strives to meet the needs of her clientele through her experience selling online and own personal taste.

“I used to drive to Syracuse or shop exclusively online,” Mrs. Pignone said. It was that experience and her drive to find alternative fashion options for her personal wardrobe which led her to bringing a touch of southern flair from her time spent in North Carolina mixed with her Northern New York roots.

THE JOURNEY Recently returning to the north country after living in Raleigh, N.C., Mrs. Pignone didn’t arrive with a plan to open a boutique and instead said her interest was to create a wine bar and

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

“I would like to have a bunch of little boutiques like this.

It’s a more personal shopping experience.”

— Ashley Pignone, owner, Strut Boutique lounge in downtown Watertown.

She married a north country native and the two welcomed the birth of their son in September. Things have been busy for Mrs. Pignone and starting a business from scratch seemed overwhelming at the time.

“I looked at vacant store fronts in the Franklin Building, Lincoln Building and even on Arsenal Street,” Mrs. Pignone said.

She began to rethink the idea of the wine bar and lounge, doubting that she would find something to fit her rental budget after weeks of searching for the perfect location. But when she found the vacant Sate Street rental, nestled between the Time Warp Tavern and the Sportsman’s Barbershop, she knew she had found the perfect venue for a small boutique to continue her passion for fashion.

“As of today I have been open for 9 days,” Mrs. Pignone said, “and already I have been busy with customers. I think I will have success here, it was the perfect size. It was something small that I can then grow from.”

IN FIVE YEARS

It’s clear for Mrs. Pignone that she wants to continue to grow and expand, after already gaining positive feedback from her customers.

“I would like to have a bunch of little boutiques like this. It’s a more personal shopping experience,” Mrs. Pignone said.

She would like to expand to baby and men’s clothing, eventually venturing out to communities like Clayton or Sackets Harbor where a boutique would fit the community feel, but as for right now she is happy to have a home for Strut Boutique where she can continue to be a new mom, wife and entrepreneur at the same time.

While the business is still very young, Strut Boutique will soon launch a website where customers can also shop online, experience that Mrs. Pignone has developed over years of online sales. Meanwhile, the doors of the boutique are open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. and Sunday’s from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

— Holly Boname

WHERE 308 State St., Watertown | LAUNCHED November 2016 | WEB Facebook.com/StrutBtq

December 2016 | NNY Business

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6th annual

20UNDER40 A pharmacist, a counselor, a pair of high school teachers, a financial planner, an emergency department physician, a community planner, health care professionals, a chief financial officer, a maple entrepreneur, a restaurant owner, a few directors, a banker and a hotelier. They are among the top in their fields and in their communities.

Our sixth annual 20 Under 40 class is one of the most competitive fields yet, and these individuals represent a snapshot of Northern New York’s most accomplished, dedicated and involved young professionals, across three Northern New York counties and across a wide range of nonprofits and businesses.

Each of these young men and women is involved in some shape or form in their community, whether by serving on an organization’s board, helping to bolster participation in the arts, hosting a fundraiser, or something as simple as coach-

14 | NNY Business | December 2016

ing a lacrosse team or organizing and participating in charity events that benefit the less fortunate in our region.

All of these leaders, who are between the ages of 24 and 39, were chosen not only by the editors and staff of NNY Business magazine, but by virtue of well-written recommendations from their peers and employers. And not only do these emerging leaders, who embody the hardy north country values of compassion, hard work and selflessness, make time in hectic schedules to volunteer in the community while they give their very best in challenging career fields each and every day, all out of an effort to make the place they have chosen to stay in and call home the very best place it can be.

NNY Business recognizes these 20 men and women along with their companies at a special luncheon this month at Watertown’s Hilton Garden Inn.

Northern NeW York’s

emerging leaders

December 2016 | NNY Business

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David Adsit, 38 Kinney Drugs

A

n after-school job at a pharmacy was the impetus for David Adsit to start a career in the same field.

“I’ve been interested in pharmacy since high school. My family lived up the road from a pharmacy. I got a great job after school,” said Mr. Adsit, 38, who currently serves as Kinney Drugs director of pharmacy operations.

Mr. Adsit had lived in Rochester, but wanted to return to the north country to start and raise a family. Arriving back in the area, he started as a staff pharmacist for Kinney Drugs, an employeeowned and operated chain of stores, and has worked his way up to his present position as director of pharmacy operations.

“Three years ago I took the director role over from my previous boss. It’s something I always wanted to do,” he said. “I have responsibility for all pharmacy operations at 99 stores between Vermont and New York. All of the legal requirements in both states fall to me, as well as staffing, training and development.”

Mr. Adsit also develops budgets and institutes programs and initiatives to continue making the pharmacy successful in the future.

“Pharmacy is one of those roles that is ever changing. It’s different now than it was three years ago. What excites me about it is pharmacists are now starting to play a much deeper role in health care. A pharmacist is among the most accessible health care providers. The new role that they can play absolutely improves the patient outcome,” he said.

He said several people have served as mentors to help him become successful in business and in life.

“I don’t have just one. There are really four people in my life that have provided me with a ton of guidance. They still stick in my mind and they still give me guidance to this day. First and probably most important is my father. He’s the guy who I always turn

16 | NNY Business | December 2016

to and ask the tough questions. He doesn’t always have the answers, but he listens,” Mr. Adsit said.

He also credits Debbie Barber, his first regional manager at Kinney Drugs, who he said played a valuable part in his professional development.

The DAVID ADSIT File Hometown: Redwood Professional position: Director of pharmacy operations Family: Wife, Andrea; children, Olivia and Michaela Education: Bachelor’s in pharmacy, Albany College of Pharmacy Community involvement: Samaritan Foundation board member, lector and active member of the Catholic Church of Alexandria Last book read: “The Striker” by Clive Cussler

Mike Duteau, the first vice president of pharmacy when Mr. Adsit began his career at Kinney Drugs, has also had an influence.

“He’s one of my close personal friends, but I also learned a lot from Mike from a pharmacy perspective,” he said.

Also serving as a mentor has been Jim Spencer, president of Kinney’s Drug Store Division.

“He’s an amazing leader,” Mr. Adsit said.

It’s not only the people who keep him going, but also the company he works for and the job he does.

“The company started in Gouverneur and expanded and has several divisions now. It continues to be prosperous and employee owned,” he said.

In addition to his role at Kinney Drugs, Mr. Adsit is also active in his community, serving on the Samaritan Medical Foundation Board and as lector and active member at his church.

“I think people have to play an active role there if they want the community to succeed in the future. It’s not what you can get out of it; it’s what you can give back,” he said.

Mr. Adsit has found what the considers his perfect job in the north country, and he credits those around him for helping him become a success.

“I can never be successful without my family at home, but also my team at work.

Without a doubt, success is a team sport.

It’s never really the impact an individual makes; it’s about team,” he said.

And his advice is, if you stumble along the way, is get back up and keep going.

“It’s honestly OK to fail once in a while.

I firmly believe you’re not trying hard enough if you don’t fail once in a while.

You never know what you’re capable of unless you challenge yourself. It comes with mistakes, but it also comes with success,” he said.

— Bob Beckstead

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

O

ne of the best aspects about living in the north country is the strong feeling of community, said Jennifer A. Barlow, 35, Director of Health Homes and Care Management for the Children’s Home of Jefferson County.

Mrs. Barlow moved to the area from Seattle, Wash., last year with her husband, Michael, to be closer to family members.

One of the first differences she observed was “the sense of community in the north country, which is not something you find every day,” she said.

In her position at the Children’s Home, Mrs. Barlow is responsible for managing the successful execution of the agency’s policies, procedures, practices, standards, and program-based systems for its community mental health services and health home care management programs.

She is also responsible for identifying client treatment needs to ensure they comply with agency policies and procedures, along with state, federal and local regulations.

Mrs. Barlow said the most rewarding part of working at the Children’s Home of Jefferson County is “getting to see the agency I work for help families each day.”

“I am very proud to be a part of this work and to know we are making a difference,” Mrs. Barlow said. “What excites me is the way in which our programs and services evolve to meet the ever changing health care landscape.”

“We get to be innovative and stay ahead of the change to ensure continued quality in all we do,” she added.

Karen Y. Richmond, the executive director of the Children’s Home, praised the work being carried out by Mrs. Barlow.

“Her amazing wealth and depth of knowledge in the field of health care administration is a virtual treasure, benefitting not only the Children’s Home, but our entire region as well,” she wrote in the nomination form.

“She exemplifies the traits north country organizations strive to recruit and retain in young professionals,” she added.

Mrs. Barlow completed a master’s degree in business administration with a nonprofit

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Jennifer A. Barlow, 35 Children’s Home of Jefferson County

management concentration at Marylhurst University, just outside of Portland, Ore. She was the practice manager for The Polyclinic, a West Coast professional practice specializing in family, internal and pediatric medicine. In that

The JENNIFER A. BARLOW File Hometown: Portland, Ore. Professional position: Director of Health Homes and Care Management, Children’s Home of Jefferson County, Watertown Family: Husband, Michael; stepdaughter, Lily Education: Master of Business Administration, Marylhurst University; Bachelor’s in business management health care administration, University of Phoenix Community involvement: Watertown Sunrise Rotary, Rotary Foundation chairwoman; Alzheimer’s Association, Caregiver Support Group Facilitator; North Country Behavioral Healthcare Network Public Policy Committee member Last book read: “My Life in Orange” by Tim Guest

position, she managed the operations and finances of the practice’s four primary locations.

Mrs. Barlow had also served as program management/medical home product manager for Providence Health and Services and also worked for Pacific Vascular Specialists, both in the Portland, Ore., area.

Mrs. Barlow recalled one of the best pieces of advice she received when she was just starting her career.

“When I was in my early 20s, I was promoted into my first leadership position,” she said. “My manager at the time believed in me and was a great mentor.”

The manager “told me once that I must always have a solution in mind when bringing a problem to her. That has stood out to me as I moved through my career,” she said.

“I have found that even if it is not the right answer or the only solution, having something in mind when approaching the problem allows me to maintain perspective and not get stuck in the issue itself,” Mrs. Barlow said. “I have shared this lesson with many of my staff.”

Mrs. Barlow “works hard and diligently in a position that at times, can be very demanding and difficult,” Mrs. Richmond wrote.

“She thoroughly analyzes each issue, carefully thinks it through, and then skillfully creates an effective work plan to carry through the required action items,” she added.

Her “calm and steady demeanor allow her to not only tackle each task in an organized and efficient manner, it also sets an excellent example and role model for her staff, and for every colleague she interacts with,” Mrs. Richmond wrote.

Although Mrs. Barlow has only been living in the north country for just more than a year, she has already been actively involved in the community. She joined the Watertown Sunrise Rotary Club, assuming leadership roles including committee chairperson and board positions.

She also completed volunteer training to facilitate a support group for Alzheimer’s patients and their families in Watertown on a monthly basis, after a need for this service was identified at a rotary club meeting.

— Norah Machia December 2016 | NNY Business

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Todd J. Burker, 36 Carthage Central School District

Y

ou can tell by the way his eyes light up and his speech quickens when he talks about teaching that Todd J. Burker is very passionate about his profession.

Teaching social studies as well as advance placement courses at Carthage Central High School the Lowville native feels lucky to have the experience.

“I’m shocked they pay me to do this,” said Mr. Burker. “I like teaching history, I like talking, getting them interested. When it clicks with them it’s great.”

Superintendent of schools Peter J. Turner in his nomination letter described Mr. Burker as being “like a rock star at Carthage High School” with a ”great following among the students.”

Mr. Burker feels he has something to contribute by staying in the north country and educating the youth of the area some of whom are from disadvantaged families or who are transient such as from military families.

“I had great teachers,” he said.

“Rural parts of the world deserve a great education and teachers can make a difference. We miss out on some culture here but teachers can bridge that gap.”

Building on the work ethic he learned growing up on a farm, working side by side with his father and grandfather, Mr. Burker goes beyond the classroom to make a connection with students and to find teachable moments. Taking advice from his grandfather, the late Harold Burker, to leave things better than you found them, Mr. Burker leads a sustainability movement at the school which involves composting, recycling and hydroponics. Mr. Burker said his grandfather taught him to about stewardship of the land and to “make things easier for the next guy.”

“He actually participates with students instead of standing back to watch,” Mr. Turner said.

Mr. Burker said when working side by side with students, whether raking leaves with the Ninth Grade Academy students or collecting material for composting, he can really connect with them. Through his work outside the classroom Mr. Burker said he

18 | NNY Business | December 2016

encounters “students in various learning levels with a mixture of abilities.”

“Connections are made with the kids while we are working even as we pick through garbage for composting. We talk about every-

The TODD J. Burker File Hometown: Lowville Professional position: High school social studies teacher, Carthage Central School District Family: Mother, Sharon A. Lomeo; father, Jeffrey L.; siblings, Tyler J. Burker and Reagan L. Hulbert Education: Lowville Academy and Central School; bachelor’s degree, St. Lawrence University; master’s degree, SUNY Potsdam; certificate of advance studies, SUNY Oswego Community involvement: Member, Elks Club, advisor, Sustainability Corp and Ninth Grade Academy, Carthage Central High School Last book read: “Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn

thing,” Mr. Burker said.

According to Mr. Turner, one graduate earned a $10,000 college scholarship due to her efforts in Mr. Burker’s program.

Mr. Burker said he and his students have often talked about starting a sustainability venture possibly commercial composting or greenhouse farming.

“The enterprise would have to have an educational element,” he said. “Education is a cure all.”

When seeking advice, Mr. Burker said he turns to his girlfriend, fellow educator Emily Remington.

“We are very complimentary,” he said. “I am very passionate and not always so worried about people’s feelings. Emily is more diplomatic and thoughtful. She gives great feedback.”

Mr. Burker also leads a book club in connection with the advanced placement Human Geography course. He said in working with students he has grown as a person.

“They have saved me in a lot of ways. They understand hard work and kindness,” Mr. Burker said. I wasn’t there when I was 14. They made me better. There is a misconception that this generation of kids is self-absorbed.

But in reality they are engaged and want to make things better. They are extremely capable.”

He urges members of older generations to “start up a conversation with one of them.”

The best resource in this area is its people said Mr. Burker.

“It’s really up to people to find a place to make a difference to find something they enjoy whether here or elsewhere,” said Mr. Burker. “We need to make it so kids don’t feel inadequate going off to college and give them opportunities where they can come back and make things better.”

He said he has had to sacrifice his time to be successful in his career but the rewards outweigh the loss.

Mr. Turner pointed out Mr. Burker is certified as a school administrator but wants to stay in the classroom teaching students.

— Elaine Avallone

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

F

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AmberLee Clement, 32 Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County

or AmberLee Clement, the smallest gestures can be the ones with the biggest impacts, from helping clients craft a resume to getting them clothed for a job interview. It’s something that’s kept her motivated as she works to help Fort Drum soldiers and family members find employment.

“For me, helping that one person one day may change their life,” she said.

Ms. Clement, 32, works as a community educator on post through the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County and Army Community Service, connecting clients to local resources in the community.

“It’s a lot about helping them assess themselves, their interest, their values, and getting them to define themselves,” she said. “It can be a unique process for each individual, because everybody is going through something different.”

One of the initiatives implemented by Ms. Clement, whose late father Randy served in the Army, was a collection drive for work clothes that clients could wear for job interviews. The program, launched from Ms. Clement’s closet, now includes a fashion show that involves multiple local businesses.

“A lot of these soldiers are young, they don’t have a wardrobe, they’ve never had to step in that role,” said Cathy Moore, agriculture and Fort Drum program leader for the Cornell extension. “By setting this up she’s helping them present themselves professionally. It’s a really important lesson for somebody who’s never had to look for a job before.”

Ms. Moore described Ms. Clement as a consummate professional in her work.

“I’ve seen her work with countless soldiers and family members and people who come into this area and are desperate for employment,” she said. “She’s so patient and just so good at helping them meet their goals.”

At one conference, Ms. Moore said Ms. Clement gave an impromptu speech in front of 100 people about her work and the opportunities for soldiers and spouses on Fort Drum.

“She gave this absolutely comprehensive explanation that everybody in the audience, from all walks of life, that everybody could understand,” Ms. Moore said. “She did it with such grace, and that’s so Amberlee.”

Ms. Clement spent about two years working with the Advocacy Resource Center in Plattsburgh after graduating from school at SUNY Plattsburgh, and also worked with an event

The AMBERLEE CLEMENT File Hometown: Watertown Professional position: Community educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County and Army Community Service Family: Mother, Sandra; father, Randy (deceased), three sisters; one brother Education: Watertown High School; bachelor’s degree, SUNY Plattsburgh Community involvement: Board member, Better Farm/betterArts; board member, North Country Arts Council; board member, North Country Job Placement Resource Network; board member, North Country Arts Council; volunteer, The North Country Goes Green Irish Festival, volunteer, Relay for Life Last book read: “Thrive” by Arianna Huffington

planning company in New York City. She said her father’s health brought her back to the north country, and once she started working locally she felt a stronger connection to the community.

“I found that connection,” she said. “It was for my family and community.”

Outside of her work, Ms. Clement has helped with multiple art projects as director of programming with betterArts, a Redwoodbased nonprofit that increases access to art through local residency programs, gallery openings and workshops. The group also partners with organizations like Hospice of Jefferson County and the North Country Goes Green Irish Festival to coordinate events.

The Hospice event helps children cope with loss through art projects that memorialize their loved ones.

“Having somebody like AmberLee, she throws herself at every project like it’s her fulltime job, and that’s what gets people to come out,” said Nicole Caldwell, betterArts founder.

“There’s no way to overemphasize the impact of having somebody like AmberLee. It’s insane she does what she does with so few hours in a day.”

Ms. Caldwell said Ms. Clement believes in the value of encouraging creativity.

“She understands how having access to the arts can be very transformative, especially for people who have gone through difficult times in their lives,” Ms. Caldwell said.

Ms. Clement said that programs like betterArts are important as many school-affiliated art programs are being cut, which she said was a detriment to local students.

“It (art) connects them to their community, and it connects them to themselves,” she said.

In the future, Ms. Clement said she hoped to more work in the human services field, perhaps helping connect veterans to the services available to them once they get out of uniform.

Many service members face questions after leaving from the military.

“It’s a flood of information, and after that they may not have that same access to resources,” Ms. Clement said.

With more help, she hoped these veterans and their families could point their future in the direction they want to go.

— Gordon Block December 2016 | NNY Business

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Shawna Cutuli, 39 Watertown Family YMCA

F

or Shawna Cutuli, life has been about discovering purpose beyond one’s own ambitions.

She credits her career with the Watertown Family YMCA for helping her see, what she calls, the “bigger picture.”

Mrs. Cutuli has been with the YMCA for 10 years, starting out as a gymnastics coach and eventually moving up to senior director of programs. For most of her life, gymnastics has been her guiding force. She landed her first coaching job at age 16.

And while she studied business at Jefferson Community College and SUNY Oswego, she continued teaching courses at the American Dreams Gymnastics Academy and later the Ultimate Goal Indoor Sports Center. She also worked at her father’s mortgage company, Upstate Capital.

She was initially intent on pursuing a career on Wall Street. But it was when the YMCA took over Ultimate Goal that her life hit a turning point.

The YMCA hired her to continue gymnastics coaching, and she subsequently met Peter Schmitt, former CEO of the Watertown YMCA, who took her under his wing. She said Mr. Schmitt connected her with the pulse of the community, helping her utilize her skills to guide others rather than focusing solely on herself. She was also able to improve her weaknesses, including her confidence with public speaking “I was in the private sector with Ultimate Goal, and I want to say I was more about me, me, me,” she said. “(Peter) helped me kind of come out of my shell from being in just the realm of gymnastics. The Y has really opened my eyes to the bigger picture, to feeling that sense of community. I don’t see myself going back to the private sector.”

Mr. Schmitt retired at the end of October, and Mrs. Cutuli said she hopes he will continue to be a mentor to others like her.

As a senior program direct, Mrs. Cutuli runs the gymnastics, dance and child watch programs and oversees the facility’s fitness center.

20 | NNY Business | December 2016

While she no longer coaches full-time, she says gymnastics is an integral program that helps children grow.

“I really believe that gymnastics, as a

The SHAWNA CUTULI File Hometown: Watertown Professional position: Senior director of programming, Watertown Family YMCA Family: Husband, Brandon; children, Giana, Caprice and Anthony Education: Associate degree, Jefferson Community College, 1998; bachelort’s degree, SUNY Oswego, 2000 Community involvement: Board of Directors, Samaritan Mecical Center Auxiliary; Festival of Trees committee member, One Night, One Diamond fundraiser committee member.

Last book read: “Results-Based Leadership”

by Dave Ulrich, Jack Zenger and Norm Smallwood

whole, is a confidence builder.

It teaches you about respect, responsibility and caring. It’s really not about just the sport.”

Mrs. Cutuli does, however, own a gymnastics school in Pulaski, where she coaches at least one night a week. She noted that she does miss the normal routine of coaching and having a direct impact on a child.

“Now I’m just taking it on a broader path,” she said, adding that the YMCA still allows her to work with children, something she has always loved to do.

Along with her YMCA responsibilities, Mrs. Cutuli often volunteers, and she serves as a director on the Samaritan Medial Center Auxiliary Board of Directors. She also takes children on tours of the Samaritan Medical Center.

Finding volunteer opportunities, Cutuli said, is an important step in strengthening community ties.

“Just try to keep educated, know what’s going on in the community,” she said. “Get out of your box, try new things, talk to somebody new. Try to connect to something that you don’t know.”

Mrs. Cutuli said she doesn’t see herself leaving the YMCA anytime soon, but added that she doesn’t want to stay stagnate either. She hopes to take on more responsibility within the organization in the near future.

Mrs. Cutuli said she would also like to see the development of additional community programs that cater to a variety of children in the area. While school programs such as national honor societies are great to have, she said they aren’t always accessible to every child.

“To be able to keep young people here, you have to start young,” she said. “The more you’re engaged, the more you’re going to want to stay. I think that’s what kind of keeps you here. You need to be more community driven than self-driven.”

— Brian Molongowski

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Daniel D. Daugherty, 33 City of Watertown Fire Department

D

aniel D. Daugherty has worn a lot of boots through the years.

In a way, his foot apparel hasn’t changed that much since his days as a cadet playing rugby at Norwich University, The Military College of Vermont. The private university in Northfield is located about 12 miles south of the state capital of Montpelier.

For the past five years, boots have been a part of his gear as a firefighter and EMT for the Watertown Fire Department.

In 2001, he entered boot camp and served in the U.S. Marines for eight years, leaving on a medical retirement after being injured while serving in Iraq.

“I’ve been wearing boots a long time,” he joked.

Mr. Daugherty, 33, was proud to serve his country in Iraq and remains equally satisfied as a member of the city’s fire department, knowing that he’s helping people who might be going through one of the worst days of their lives.

“At least by my being there, I hope to make things better for them,” he said.

During his deployment to Iraq, Mr. Daugherty was involved in four separate attacks from improvised explosive devices on vehicles he was riding inside. The last time he was severely injured, ending up having to retire from the Marines.

He returned to Watertown not knowing what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He wanted to stay in the Marines, but his injuries prevented that from happening, Mr. Daugherty said.

When he got back, his parents urged him to attend Jefferson Community College, where he earned a culinary arts degree and worked in the local food industry for a couple of years until he found out that the city held a firefighters civil service exam. He remembered the day when Fire Chief Dale C. Herman called him and told he had a job with the department.

He was assigned with a ladder truck at the Massey Street Fire Station, where he’s earned such respect of his fellow firefighters and has been elected as president of the

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Watertown Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 191, leading the bargaining unit through a difficult two-year contract with the city.

But his restaurant and catering experience has come in handy at the fire station. When

The DANIEL D. DAUGHerty File Hometown: Watertown Professional position: Firefighter Family: Wife Kelly, children Caitlin, 7, and Brenden, 4 Education: Immaculate Heart Central High School, 2001; associate degree, Jefferson Community College; bachelor’s degree, Norwich University, The Military College of Vermont, 2005 Community involvement: Toys for Tots and collecting coats for community children Last book read: “Off-Centered Leadership: The Dogfish Head Guide to Motivation, Collaboration and Smart Growth” by Sam Calagione

he’s working, Mr. Daugherty puts his expertise to use and cooks “everything” in making sure that his co-workers are fed well, he said.

He credits two sergeants in Iraq — Patrick Iso and Brendan Hamm — who taught him about leadership he’s used in his roles with the fire department, Mr. Daugherty said. Sgt. Iso was a tough, stern task master of a leader, while Sgt. Hamm was more laid back and got things done using that approach.

“They knew how to play off each other to get the best out of everybody,” he said.

The former ROTC student retired from the Marines in 2008 at the rank of sergeant after serving one tour in Iraq in Fallujah, where he survived four IED attacks.

Remembering the last one vividly, he was riding in the lead vehicle’s right front side when the explosion left a huge hole in the roof, he recalled.

Somehow, he and his friend were able to get out of the vehicle and into a nearby farmhouse, where they were soon followed by Sgt. Hamm who showed at the front door.

“Dan, where are you?” he recalled his sergeant asking before a medic quickly came to their aid.

His arm suffered nerve damage, having to go through months of recovery before returning home.

But his time in Iraq taught him valuable lessons about life, he said.

“Make every day count,” he stressed.

He also believes you should not be afraid of failing because “you learn more about yourself when you fail.”

After coming home, he was reacquainted with a friend, Kelly Baker, from his days at Immaculate Heart Central high school. They fell in love.

With both families watching, Mr. Daugherty, a staunch baseball fan, proposed to her at the old Yankee Stadium, with the event ending up on the stadium’s Jumbotron. They were married that December and have two children.

“They make you realize nothing is as bad as it seems,” he said.

— Craig Fox

December 2016 | NNY Business

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Rebekah L. Grim, 26 St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES

L

iterally, a dog named Lou gets Rebekah L. Grim out of bed in the morning.

Figuratively, however, the BOCES communications specialist said a love for her job encourages her to wake up and face the challenges that arise each day.

“This job has been really good for me,” she said. “I’m always doing something different working here. I do basically everything you would imagine that falls under the communication umbrella.”

Ms. Grim, originally from Vermont, attended high school in Champlain, and then moved to Canton to attend St. Lawrence University. After spending a period of time living in Burlington after she graduated from college, Ms. Grim applied for and received the communications specialist job at St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES. Now, she said, she’s decided to live in the north country for the foreseeable future.

“This position was very attractive to me,” she said. “It’s definitely what sparked my interest in coming back to the north country.”

Other than the allure of the job opportunity, she said the closeness of the community in Northern New York had her gravitating back to Canton.

“The north country has a very unique culture,” Ms. Grim said. “It really is community focused and community centered. We’re sort of in the middle of nowhere, so people really have to pitch in and help each other.”

She said one of the great things about moving back was being able to spend more time with her family in the area.

“My grandparents and some of my mom’s side of the family live here so it’s been great to reconnect with them,” Ms. Grim said. “I feel like I’m at home here.”

Although she’s relocated more than a few times in her short life, Ms. Grim continues to keep in contact with old friends and previous co-workers, and encourages others to do the same. She said she continues to learn lessons from them, even from far away.

22 | NNY Business | December 2016

“I’ve worked with some incredible people,” she said. “I think keeping in touch with colleagues, whether they’re in your current field or outside of it, is important even after you leave the area or the company.

Hopefully I’ll be able to offer them advice,

The rebekah l. grim File Hometown: Alburgh, Vt. Professional position: Communications specialist for St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES Family: Parents, Robert Sr. and Krista Grim; brothers, Robert Jr. and Benjamin Education: Bachelor’s degree in government and economics, St. Lawrence University, 2013 Community involvement: Member, Garden Share and Young Women’s Leadership Institute Last book read: “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance,” by Angela Duckworth

too. That’s one of my goals.”

Ms. Grim has taken on many challenges throughout her collegiate and professional careers, including interning at ADK Action, a not-for-profit organization promoting sustainable life in the Adirondack Park.

“In between my sophomore and junior years (at St. Lawrence University), I had an internship in the Adirondacks at a nonprofit organization,” she said. “Part of the internship was that I lived with some of the board members during the summer.”

One board member she had the opportunity of staying with, Marsha Stanley, ultimately became one of the people Ms. Grim has looked up to the most.

“She was a very interesting person — definitely a feminist,” she said. “She gave me a lot of advice that I’ll always remember.”

Since she’s lived here, Ms. Grim has joined a couple of St. Lawrence County-based nonprofit organizations including Garden Share, a nonprofit seeking to end the hunger problem in the north country, and the Young Women’s Leadership Institute, a St. Lawrence University-led coalition of organizations seeking to meet the aspirations of young, professional and collegiate women.

“Being engaged and contributing to something is important to me,” she said.

“There are so many community resources that people can benefit from and that people really need. If there is a cause I think is really great, I love to jump in and offer my expertise.”

Ms. Grim said she hasn’t necessarily had to sacrifice anything she wasn’t willing to sacrifice in order to be where she is professionally today, but she has learned a few life lessons along the way.

“You have to work as hard as you can to get where you want to be,” she said. “One big thing is focusing on empathy in the workplace. Not everyone is going to work the same way you do or have the same attitude.

Putting yourself in the shoes of others has definitely been a lesson I’ve learned.”

— Elizabeth Lewis

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Kyle R. Hayes, 29 Gram’s Diner

K

yle Hayes has a serious appetite when it comes to community and service with a smile as the co-owner and managing partner of Gram’s Diner in Adams.

Mr. Hayes graduated from South Jefferson High School in 2005. He then attended St. John Fisher College in Rochester where he studied communications and marketing. Upon graduation with a bachelor’s degree, he decided to make the move to New York City to pursue his dreams of working for a major magazine.

“I forever wanted to be executive editor of a major magazine,” Mr. Hayes said. “I spent time after college living in New York City and working at a major magazine publisher,” he added.

Mr. Hayes quickly learned that life in the big city wasn’t the life he had hoped for as the sense of community was not the same as it is in South Jeff. “It took me some time, but I realized that the hustle and bustle of city life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I came back to the north country, and decided to stay here,” he said.

Mr. Hayes did not leave the big city on a whim; he had applied for positions which were closer to Jefferson County and was eventually offered a news clerk position with the Watertown Daily Times. “I worked for two years at the Watertown Daily Times as a news clerk and part-time reporter before the company decided to venture into magazines,” he said.

Roughly three years after he earned a promotion to associate magazine editor for NNY Business and NNY Living magazines, Mr. Hayes made the decision to dive head first into entrepreneurship as a partner and co-owner of Gram’s Diner.

Mr. Hayes had been a dishwasher at Gram’s while in high school and continued to maintain a relationship with the staff throughout the years. When the diner came up for sale, Mr. Hayes knew that this was a

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direction he was happy to take in the path of life. “In May of 2013, I left the Watertown Daily Times for good, and became a full-time entrepreneur. Honestly, it’s been

The kyle R. hayes File Hometown: Adams Professional position: Co-owner, managing partner, Gram’s Diner Family: Partner, Chad Burdick; parents, Ann and Barrett Hayes; sister, Kara Education: South Jefferson Central School, 2005; bachelor’s in communications and marketing, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, 2009 Community involvement: Board member, South Jefferson Chamber of Commerce; volunteer, Adams Revitalization Committee; community representative, South Jeff Rescue Squad Advisory Board.

Last book read: “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek

the hardest job I’ve ever had.

I’ve learned a lot not only about myself, but about business in general.” He added, “I love the restaurant business because it allows me to be creative, work with creative people, handle all facets of the business but also be deeply connected with my customers.”

Mr. Hayes is an active participant with many local community groups including the South Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and the Adams Revitalization Committee. “It’s a commitment of mine to do my part to make Adams and Southern Jefferson County a place that I want to live in for decades to come.”

This young business owner may appear to have a full plate when it comes to his desire to work hard and to stay busy, but he is also a Shaklee representative working about 12 to 15 hours per week to promote a healthy and non-toxic lifestyle with products that have made a positive impact on his life.

Crediting his family and partner with providing support and advice with the business, he said that his parents are, “at the diner three or four times a week, beaming with pride, and they’re always the first to tell me if whatever we’re doing at the restaurant makes sense or not.” He added of his partner Chad, “whenever I want to jump into something head first, without looking back, he brings me back to earth with a critical eye but at the same time encourages me to do things I never thought would be possible.”

As far as the future, Mr. Hayes said he knows his limits and he plans to push further. He also plans to take all of the moments and words of wisdom and make them count.

“I’ve learned that success isn’t the number in your bank account or your sales at the end of the month, it’s measured in the ways you grow, personally, and the respect you earn from others.”

— Kathy Taber-Montgomery December 2016 | NNY Business

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Emily Herman, 24 The Scrub Hub

E

mily Herman doesn’t worry too much about sleep these days.

“I can sleep when I’m dead,” she said about her busy life as the manager of The Scrub Hub on outer Washington Street in Watertown.

If you ask her what she’s given up and sacrificed to run her mothers’ store, she will tell you “time.” But she doesn’t regret it. As a matter of fact, she’s all for it.

“I’d rather work hard now and enjoy what I have and take time off as I get older,” she said.

“Right now I enjoy making the store successful. I want to see it grow and do good for those that need us.”

The Scrub Hub sells clothes, shoes, and other apparel for medical professionals. The next closest store is in the Syracuse area. This gives Ms. Herman an edge as she brainstorms different ways to make the Scrub Hub shine. To do this, she looks to other successful business owners to see what they’ve cooked up.

“Business people in general inspire me, “she said. “I like to look at other business people in Watertown and take in what they’re doing to make their business grow. Then I implement what I’ve learned into our business.”

As a business economics major and graduate from both Jefferson Community College and SUNY Cortland, this young professional is ready to take the business world by storm. If she could trade places with anyone for a day, it would be Oprah Winfrey. And not so she could host a show, no, but so she could look into the depths of what makes a successful businesswoman tick.

“I feel like if I lived her life for a day I could get a lot of insight on growing a business, Ms. Herman said. “She’s obviously a smart businesswoman and has smart people working for her to help her make decisions as well. It took her years to get where she is.

I think there’s a myth out there that people who start a business think they’re going to make money fast. But it doesn’t work that way. You have to put in the effort, get a good

24 | NNY Business | December 2016

customer base, and create customer loyalty so they come back. That takes time. I think a lot of people start a business and think that they’re going to turn a profit really quick

The EMILY HERMAN File Hometown: Calcium Professional position: Manager, The Scrub Hub, Watertown Family: parents, Bonnie and Mike Herman; sister, Heather Education: Associate degree in business economics, Jefferson Community College; bachelor’s degree in business economics, SUNY Cortland Community involvement: Committee member, North Pole Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary; committee member, Samaritan Auxiliary One Night, One Diamond event; volunteer, Brownville United Methodist Church Last book read: “The Guardian” by Nicholas Sparks

and that’s not what always happens.”

Emily Herman wonders if that’s why so many people her age leave the area to go to college or find work elsewhere.

Perhaps they don’t see any opportunity in the North Country and so they leave, thinking it will flourish for them faster in another place.

“So many young people think there isn’t a lot to do here,” she said. “They move away to bigger cities in search of something else, and miss out on what’s here. I think North Country leaders are doing their very best to create more opportunities. Bringing new jobs to the area is key, and I believe they are doing that, but young people have to do their part to land those jobs, too.

You have to get up and look for those jobs. You’re not going to wake up one day and walk into a 6-figure career. You have to start at the bottom and work your way up. I think that’s kind of an issue that we have going on here. Young people want to wake up and have things handed to them.”

When asked what kind of company she’d like to see someone else start, which could ultimately be an opportunity for another young north country aspiring professional, she said a maternity store.

With Fort Drum wives and other women in the area on the lookout for maternity clothes, the places to buy them in the area are very thin. The need is there and so is the opportunity. All that opportunity needs is someone to embrace it.

Emily Herman is a fierce, independent young lady. At 24-years-old, she’s got all the time in the world to become even fiercer.

Her parents inspire her and have taught her the power of independence. It has allowed her to become an active volunteer in her community. Because of this, the North Country has a true gem in their hands. A shiny gem, ready to take the big, bad business world by storm.

— Joleene Moody

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Nathan P. Hunter, 36 Northern Credit Union

N

athan P. Hunter’s career in business management began when he was 8 years old with a paintbrush in one hand and a wrench in the other.

His father, Bruce A., would have Mr. Hunter help out with the family business, Hunter Apartments, by painting and performing maintenance and light construction. As he helped maintain the apartments, he said that his father taught him how to perform managerial tasks including rent collection, showcasing apartments and handling customers, skills that trained him to become the third-generation manager of the business’s 38 units throughout Watertown.

“I grew up in the family business that I own and operate today,” Mr. Hunter said. “Business is something I have always done and was good at.”

His father’s lessons in judgment, planning and time management prepared Mr. Hunter for an education and accounting career that would lead him become the senior vice president and CFO of Northern Credit Union.

Mr. Hunter oversees five departments as the senior vice president and CFO of Northern Credit Union including accounting and finance, facilities, collections, information technology and investments. He said that he joined Northern Credit Union in 2007 as an accounting, manager, was promoted to vice president of accounting and finance in 2012 and then to his present position in 2014.

Mr. Hunter said that his passion for finance, love of interacting with customers and determination to progress fuels his dedication to work from morning to night. These same passions also lead him to become a certified fraud examiner and chartered global management accountant.

“I’d rather wear out than rust,” Mr. Hunter said, quoting his grandmother, Ida Parker.

“I’m a firm believer that you get out of life what you put into it.”

Prior to Northern Credit Union, Mr. Hunter worked as a staff accountant at Dannible & McKee, LLP in 2004 and was promoted to a senior accountant in 2007.

“I have a lot of pride in holding a CPA,” he said.

In addition to business, Mr. Hunter also developed a passion for academia that drove

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him to pursue leadership roles within multiple boards at Jefferson Community College.

Mr. Hunter is the vice chairman of the

The Nathan p. hunter File Hometown: Watertown Professional position: Senior vice president and chief financial officer and CPA, Northern Credit Union Family: Wife, Erin E., daughter, Natalie, 6; son, Brandon, 4; parents, Bruce A. and Gail; brothers, Noel P. and Neil P. Education: Associate in business administration, bachelor’s degree in accounting, master of business administration with a specialization in accounting Community involvement: Vice chairman, Jefferson Community College Board of Trustees; chairman, Jefferson Community College Budget and Planning committee, member, Jefferson Community College Foundation Board Last book read: “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game,” by Michael Lewis

college’s Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Budget and Planning committee and a board member of the college’s Foundation Board.

Mr. Hunter said that he oversees the budgeting and planning aspects of the college’s annual operational budget and assists the college with fundraising.

“For me, (JCC) is the center of our community,” he said, “where young adults get their start in life and do great things.”

Both Mr. Hunter’s father and his Mother, Gail, were teachers who shared their passions for academia with him and his brothers, Noel P. and Neil P., and encouraged them to pursue higher education.

During his senior year at General Brown High School in 1998, Mr. Hunter entered JCC through early admission and studied there until he earned his Associate of Science in Business Administration in 2001. The experiences he had and relationships with faculty members, which he maintained throughout his career, kept him connected to the college.

“I take a lot of pride in the fact that I am an alum,” he said. “Many faculty I had are still there.”

After graduating from JCC, Mr. Hunter received his Master of Business Administration with a specialization in accounting 2004, the same year he received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting, both from SUNY Oswego’s School of Business.

“I have a passion for what higher education does for people and how it shapes their lives,” Mr. Hunter said.

In his brief moments outside of work and volunteering, Mr. Hunter spends his time outdoors power boating and skiing.

Mr. Hunter said that he likes to boat throughout the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario and Lake Oneida in the summer and downhill ski in the winter with his wife, Erin E., his daughter, Natalie, 6, and his son Brandon, 4.

“I’m not one to stay inside and watch TV,” he said.

For Mr. Hunter, Watertown is not only his hometown. It provides him opportunities to support his family and further himself in his successful career.

“We’ve been privileged to be able to call this place home,’ Mr. Hunter said.

— Marcus Wolf December 2016 | NNY Business

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Erica A. Leonard, 36 University Suites

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lthough Erica A. Leonard, 36, likes to keep her personal life separate from her professional life, her goal is the same in both.

“Some people are motivated by money. I am definitely not that person. I am motivated by the good that I can do and see on a person’s face,” Ms. Leonard said. “When they call me up or they tell me ‘hey, this was fantastic, we really appreciate this, this was so great,’ that is what makes me happy.”

Ms. Leonard said she believes keeping her personal life out of her work and civic life helps her more efficiently impact people she comes into contact with during her day. As the General Manager of University Suites, 6000 Route 11, Canton and President of Potsdam’s Rotary Club, Ms. Leonard said being focused on what is in front of her is imperative.

“If I am having a bad day I leave that at the door. Because I know when I walked in that door or I walk into a Rotary meeting, I need to be 100 percent on my game to support my staff, to support my guests and to make a difference in my community,” she said. “If I am having a bad day and I take that out on everybody else then they are going to have a bad day and that is going to affect my customers and the community.”

The unwavering support she provides her staff in all areas of her hotel is a point of pride for Ms. Leonard. From helping with housekeeping and maintenance to being a confidant for her employees, Ms. Leonard looks to ensure everyone feels that their needs are met.

“It is not strictly an administrative job,” she said. “I feel like, as a general manager of a hotel, it is your job to know every single job in you building so that no matter what happens you can jump right in and help out.”

26 | NNY Business | December 2016

Part of what keeps Ms. Leonard excited about her work is that there is never a day that is exactly like another. The change of pace and responsibility keeps her job enjoyable.

“It is different every day. I can have a plan of action when I leave the night before and when I come in in the morning, it is not

The ERICA A. leonard File Hometown: Parishville Professional position: General manager, University Suites Family: Daughter, Courtney Leonard, 17 Education: Associate degree in human services, Jefferson Community College Community involvement: President, Rotary Club of Potsdam Last book read: “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” by Stephen Covey

going to happen. You never know what is going to happen during the day and the people you meet during the day can shape your day. It can make it good or bad, but I like that constant change,” Ms. Leonard said. “There is no routine or rut around here.”

Ms. Leonard also recognizes that a lot of the adversity she faces in her workplace is not a personal attack, which helps her deal more calmly with irate customers.

“I have definitely learned that I am a lot stronger than I thought I was,” Ms. Leonard said. “I have also learned that dealing with people and any type of business or in Rotary, no matter what kind of day they are having it is not personal against you. That is something that I really try to teach my staff here, that when someone comes in and they are clearly in a bad mood when they walk in the door here, it has nothing to do with you.”

Her daughter, Courtney, is a major source of motivation for the dedication Ms. Leonard put into everything she does.

“I work and I do everything that I do so that she can have the life that she wants and then I can make the world a better place for her and for other youth,” she said. “They are the future, just like I was the future for someone else.”

“I think it is all our jobs to create an environment that is healthy for our kids and teach them leadership skills and communication skills and not be afraid to take risks.

That kind of motivates me,” she added.

— Jake Newman

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

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Dr. Matthew Maynard, D.O., 31 North Country Emergency Medicine Consultants

fter helping accident victims and seriously ill patients for several years while working as an emergency medical technician and firefighter in St. Lawrence County, Matthew Maynard decided to pursue a medical degree.

“The north country has always been my home,” Dr. Maynard said. “I have always said that I wanted to be a doctor and come back here to practice medicine.”

He attended the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, and graduated with a doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine in 2011. Between 2011 and 2014, Dr. Maynard received his training in the Family Practice Residency program at Samaritan Medical Center, and graduated as Chief Resident.

Dr. Maynard, 31, joined North Country Emergency Medicine Consultants, PC, the group of emergency physicians who staff Samaritan Medical Center, as a full -time physician in July 2014.

He also serves as medical director for Jefferson County Emergency Medical Services, providing oversight for emergency medical care of patients within the county.

“Not only does it fulfill my dreams, but the opportunities afforded here in the north country are extremely rare,” Dr. Maynard said. “I would be hard pressed to find anyplace else where I could practice medicine and affect the community in such a way.”

Dr. Maynard graduated from St. Lawrence University in 2007. During his years at college, he became involved with the volunteer rescue agencies in both Canton and Russell after completing his EMT training at SUNY Canton. He worked with the agencies from 2005 to 2011.

He also completed his National Firefighter 1 certification in 2007 at Onondaga Community College, Syracuse, and worked as an interior firefighter pump operator for the two volunteer fire departments from 2007 to 2011.

“These experiences gave him unique insight to the profession of emergency medicine, as he was the professional who would assess and treat the community patient on scene and render care en route to the local hospitals,” Dr. Maja Lundborg-Gray wrote in his nomination form.

Dr. Lundborg-Gray is a practicing emergency medicine physician and the medical director

of the Samaritan Emergency Department.

“Dr. Matthew Maynard is truly an incred-

The dr. matthew maynard File Hometown: Russell Professional position: Emergency room physician Family: Wife Vanessa; parents, Marsha and Wheeler Maynard, Jr. Education: Doctorate of osteopathy, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine; bachelor’s degree, St. Lawrence University Community involvement: Medical director, Jefferson County Emergency Medical Services; member, Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee and Jefferson County Fire Advisory Board; Agency medical director, Gouverneur Rescue, Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Squad, Sackets Harbor Fire and Rescue, Black River Fire, Black River Police Department and Depauville Fire.

Last book read: “A Memory of Light” by Robert Jordan

ible physician,” she wrote. “He is kind, empathetic, collegial, intelligent, a problem solver, and very humble.”

His patients “find him endearing and one who listens to their concerns. Our medical staff and nursing staff value Dr. Maynard for his emergency medicine and pre-hospital EMS skill set,” she added.

Dr. Maynard said it was not one, but four north country physicians who served as his mentors while he was building his medical career.

Those mentors included Dr. Lundborg-Gray, along with Watertown physicians Dr. Sarah Delaney, Dr. Benjamin Rudd and Dr. David Rechlin, he said.

“Without their mentoring and constant perseverance, I would not be the physician I am today,” Dr. Maynard said.

He also credited his father, Wheeler Maynard, for giving him “the best advice” possible as he was pursing a medical degree.

“As I have grown academically and professionally, so many other decisions in life feel like they need to be made in split second time,” he said. “During these times, my father has always been a beacon of sanity in an ever chaotic life.”

Dr. Maynard reflected on the challenges and rewards of working as an emergency physician.

“Sometimes I get to give someone an answer to a problem that they have been seeking to resolve for months, or put someone’s mind at ease that their loved one will be OK,” he said.

Other times, “I have to deliver life changing news that most would truly classify as “the worst news of their life,” he said. “It’s doing what I can to try and make a difference, even during these dark times, that gives my time meaning.”

He also serves as medical director to the Gouverneur Volunteer Rescue Squad and Thousand Islands Rescue Service, and as a volunteer medical director on the North Country Regional EMS Medical Advisory Committee, and is the regional physician representative on the State Emergency Medical Advisory Council.

“I am very active in the community simply because it needs to be done,” Dr. Maynard said. “For me, it is not a matter of being involved, it is my responsibility.”

— Norah Machia December 2016 | NNY Business

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Ashley E. Meade, 32 Community Bank, N.A.

T

hirty-three-year-old Ashley E. Meade, branch administration specialist at Community Bank, N.A., has a philosophy that exemplifies her belief in putting the best foot forward.

“I think you should do what you can, where you can, and give what you have,” Ms. Meade said.

A Croghan native, Ms. Meade graduated from Beaver River Central School in 2001 and holds an associate degree in business from the State University of New York at Canton.

Now residing in Madrid, Ms. Meade has worked for Community Bank, since 2005. Pamela J. Smith, a 20-year Community Bank veteran, nominated Ms. Meade for the NNY Business 20 Under 40 award.

“She is a very well-rounded person,” Ms. Smith said of why she nominated her co-worker.

“She works full time and on top of that volunteers her time.

And she does it effortlessly. It’s pretty profound to me. Her generosity is infectious.”

At Community Bank, Ms. Meade is responsible for a variety of tasks aimed at helping to trouble shoot problems and implement and maintain protocols at bank branches across the region. The diversity of work the job provides is something on which she thrives.

“I wear a lot of different hats,” Ms. Meade said. “I help with audits and procedures and reports. I’m kind of the go-to person for our various branches when they need something or have questions. I like the diversity of it. It is basically something different every day.”

In addition to the challenges, Ms. Meade said she also enjoys working at the bank because the company provides an environment where job excellence is encouraged and rewarded.

“When I originally started at the bank I was a call-in teller, and then a full time teller and I moved continuously with the bank and was promoted to this position,” she said. “I think if you keep doing your job well they recognize that here and they continue to give you advancement.”

And while Ms. Meade continues to excel at

28 | NNY Business | December 2016

work, she is equally engaged in the community outside of her office.

She is a volunteer with Lewis County Opportunities, and with Renewal House in St. Lawrence County. She is also vice president

The ashley e. meade File Hometown: Croghan; lives in Madrid Professional position: Branch administration specialist, Community Bank, N.A., Canton Family: Husband, David Bugg Education: Associate degree in business, SUNY Canton, 2003 Community involvement: Volunteer, Lewis County Opportunities and Renewal House in St. Lawrence County; vice president, Zonta, Canton; treasurer, St. Lawrence Rock and Mineral Club; organizer, Community Bank, N.A., Alzheimer Walk Team; coordinator Community Bank, N.A., St. Lawrence County Dairy Parade float Last book read: “Sing You Home,” by Jodi Picoult

of Zonta in Canton, the treasurer of the St. Lawrence Rock and Mineral Club, an organizer of the Community Bank Alzheimer Walk Team, and the coordinator for the bank’s St. Lawrence County Dairy Parade float.

She is also a Reiiki practitioner and a jewelry maker who sells her wares at regional craft shows.

The businesswoman, volunteer and entrepreneur said she learned her work ethic from her mother, a nurse, and her father, a retiree of the recently closed Climax Manufacturing Co. in Lewis County. She said her grandparents were also an inspiration. She is the daughter of Gordon Meade and Cindy Austin. Her stepmother is Kathryn Meade.

“My grandparents were always very involved in the community and were always volunteering at the nursing home, or at the fire department or wherever it was needed,” she said. “I just grew up watching them do it and it always seemed to mean so much. So for me it was like, why not? If I can make time for others than I should.”

She added, “I don’t need to sit on the couch if there is somebody I can help.”

While her grandparents played a key role in helping teach Ms. Meade the importance of community involvement, it was her mother and father who taught her to understand the importance of a strong work ethic.

She said her mother often worked long hours as a nurse, and her father was often absent at the dinner table because of long hours on the job. Ms. Meade said before settling into a career with Climax Manufacturing, her father owned his own business, and also worked as a truck driver. In both capacities she said he routinely put in extra hours in order to make ends meet.

She recalled an anecdote from her youth when she was scheduled to work and told her father she wanted to hang out with friends instead. He quickly set her straight.

“He told me that if you want to make anything of yourself in life you have to work hard,” Ms. Meade recalled. “I never forgot that.”

— Larry Robinson

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Jake Moser, 38 Moser’s Maple, LLC

W

hile a carpenter by trade, Jake Moser has hammered out a niche in his side maple business, both by developing innovative products and teaching others about the industry.

“There are so many possibilities for different products and marketing,” said Mr. Moser, 38, who owns Moser’s Maple near Croghan with his two older brothers.

Mr. Moser has been making sugar cakes and other maple treats for about a decade since taking over that aspect of the business from his mother. He began selling sugar cakes on eBay about five years ago to make the operation more of a year-round venture and, a few years ago, developed what became the first trademarked hard maple candy in the United States: Maple Mini’s.

“I’m always looking for more here and more there,” Mr. Moser said. “Every day is basically a new day with new possibilities.”

He was also instrumental in upgrading his family’s 1,300tap operation to a vacuum tubing system with reverse osmosis, which effectively tripled the annual yield. Despite some traditionalists claiming the new technology would negatively impact the taste of the syrup and maple confections, the Mosers’ syrup in 2014 was named world champion.

Nearly all of roughly 600 gallons of maple syrup produced at Moser’s Maple now goes into value-added product like Maple Mini’s, maple candy, maple cream, granulated sugar and maple cotton candy.

And, while the operation is now handled out of three houses, the family hopes to eventually relocate the business to a single, larger location and add new equipment for more efficiency and continued growth.

North country leaders hoping to retain young people should be open-minded when presented with ideas that are a little different from the norm, Mr. Moser said.

“It’s OK to think outside the box, as long as it still meets north country parameters and ideals,” he said.

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As president of the Lewis County Maple Producers Association and a long-time board member at the American Maple Museum in Croghan, Mr. Moser also spends a lot of time helping and advising

The jake moser File Hometown: Beaver Falls Professional position: Maple producer and owner, Moser’s Maple; carpenter, Family: Wife Cassandra, daughters Hannah, 8, and Rachel, 5 Education: Beaver River Central School; associate degree, North Country Community College, Saranac Lake; bachelor’s degree in history, SUNY Potsdam, 2001 Community involvement: President, Lewis County Maple Producers Association; long-time board member, American Maple Museum, Croghan Last book read: “Lewis County (Images of America)” by Joy Gilchrist-Stalnaker and Bradley R. Oldaker

other members of the association, which has members from five area counties. And he teaches classes on how to make and market value-added maple products at industry events throughout the northern United States and into Canada.

Mr. Moser said that he learned the service aspect from his father, Dale, who has long been involved in the maple industry and always stressed educating others over personal gain.

“In a way, I don’t know any different,” he said.

Now, Mr. Moser said he is so focused on helping others avoid his past mistakes that he often shares too much information for his father’s liking. “Dad tells me all the time that I give away too many secrets,” he said.

Despite his regular teaching and speaking engagements, Mr. Moser said people may be surprised to know that he is actually a bit of an introvert and does not really enjoy public appearances. “I’d rather be behind the scenes,” he said.

The growing side business, while offering his two daughters the chance to see “some neat things,” has certainly cut into family time, Mr. Moser said.

“I’ve got a full-time day job and what’s turning into an almost full-time night job,” he said.

However, Mr. Moser said he has learned over time the importance of delegating responsibility.

“If I wanted something done right, I just had to do it myself,” he said. “I found out that’s not necessarily true.”

Mr. Moser said he sees people, both in maple and other industries, who “think they’re going to get rich without doing the work,” but that just isn’t the case.

The Beaver Falls resident lived in Ticonderoga for three years after graduating from college.

However, he said he always intended to return to Northern New York, primarily because of the hospitality and values of people here, and remains grateful for the opportunity to do so.

“When you’re dealing with north country people, your word still means something,” he said.

— Steve Virkler December 2016 | NNY Business

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Sarah Parker-Ada, 29 Indian River High School

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passion for performance, writing, music and, most importantly, integrating those elements into education, drives Sara Parker-Ada to get up each day and inspire local youth to chase their dreams and follow their hearts.

“I really love my job. I know that’s sometimes hard for people,” said Mrs. Parker-Ada, an English instructor at Indian River High School. “But I really enjoy going in because every day is different for me as a teacher.”

For Mrs. Parker-Ada, life is about accepting new challenges, being busy and sharing her passions with those around her, especially her 5-month old daughter, Helen. Friends and family joke with her, asking, “When do you sleep?”

“I sleep when it’s done,” she said.

Working as a high school and college educator, playing roller derby and acting as one of the 2017 captains, all while being a member of the New York State Reading Association and the Greater Thousand Islands Literacy Council, somehow Mrs. Parker-Ada manages to do it all and says she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I go to practice, come home and have things to do for my family, things I need to do for school, and things I have to do for the different organizations I am a part of,” she said.

While having a full plate, Mrs. Parker-Ada and her husband also welcomed their daughter into the family.

“One of my goals is to be a good role model.

So she knows you can have a family and you can have a career,” she said. “I hope she knows that she can be a leader, she can be assertive and passionate about things — she can have it all,” Mrs. Parker-Ada said.

A Cape Vincent native, she never imagined that she would teach back in the north country.

“It’s the schools diversity and willingness to embrace new learning techniques,” she said, “it led my husband William and me to decide to move home and into the Indian River School District.”

Completing an internship at the school early in her career, she said the choice was clear and that Indian River is where she would like Helen to attend when the time came.

Throughout her life, she has always been

30 | NNY Business | December 2016

involved with the arts.

“When I was in middle school I started making parody videos, which I think came from my love of Weird Al,” Mrs. Parker-Ada said. “I’ve always loved music. I learned using music. And I think that a lot of students are that way.”

The sarah parker-ada file Hometown: Theresa Professional position: English instructor, Indian River High School Family: Husband, William Ada; daughter Helen, 5 months Education: Associate in photography, RIT; bachelor’s in English literature; Master’s in literacy Community involvement: New York State Reading Association; Greater Thousand Islands Literacy Council; Port City Roller Derby; Charlotte Award Committee Last book read: “The Left Behinds: The iPhone That Saved George Washington” by David Potter

She summarizes the books read in her classrooms through music to engage students to see past the ‘required reading’ and to inspire them to become immersed in the story.

“Some of my first videos were about reading in general — inspiring reading through song.”

Some of her first parody literacy videos were part of a promotional campaign for the New York State Reading Association.

The first, the song of ‘Rolling in the Deep’ by pop-artist Adel, called ‘If You Love to Read.’ She says that it was Thousand Islands High school teacher Debbie Dermady, who inspired much of her passion for literacy.

The parody spread like wildfire and schools across the country began using it and developing their own as tools for teaching.

“It’s been really interesting because I get emails from schools saying their children learned from my songs, they learned choreography and we sang it. It’s amazing to see ‘book love’ spread throughout the world. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”

It seems that Mrs. Parker-Ada is something of a literacy superhero, and Indian River Principal Troy Decker could not agree more.

“Good teachers seem to encourage, or motivate, or even inspire others to do good things. Every now and then a teacher’s devotion to her craft truly ignites frenzy for learning that surpasses all others. Mrs. Parker-Ada’s creative and courageous commitment to her students exemplifies the “magic” seen only in the best teachers.

She empowers students to write with passion, reflect with prudence, and always see the poetry in life. Sarah connects, leads and empowers; she weaves music and history and fantasy into a beautiful fabric that extends well beyond the walls of her classroom. And most of all, Sarah believes in every student’s ability to make his or her own “magic” for a lifetime. To her colleagues, she is a teacher.

But to her students, Mrs. Sarah Parker Ada is a superhero.”

When asked where she would like to see herself over the next five years Mrs. ParkerAda simply said, “I’m just going to keep saying yes to things — and not to sleeping.”

— Holly C. Boname

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

K

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Korin Scheible, 39 Mental Health Association of Jefferson County

orin Scheible believes in people. She believes positive changes in a single life are like ripples on a pond, radiating throughout the whole community. She believes that no one needs be defined by the labels that follow him.

Ms. Scheible, 39, is the executive Director of the Mental Health Association in Jefferson County, Inc., a not-for-profit agency which advocates and runs programs for people with mental illness. She has learned to be a ‘Jack-of-all-trades’ for the small organization, doing everything from grant-writing to human resources to keep their programs running smoothly.

“That’s really always been my goal,” Ms. Scheible said, “To improve quality of life in the community.”

Her desire to make a difference led her to public health in college. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Alfred University and a Master of Public Health from Boston University. After school, she entered the corporate world.

After working for over 10 years in Massachusetts, she realized she had to reevaluate what she wanted from her work.

“Why did I go to school?” Ms. Scheible asked herself, “To help corporations make more money doing minimal environmental remediation, or did I really go to help people?”

Ms. Scheible’s parents had moved back to Watertown, and she has grandparents in the region, so she soon packed up her daughter and her dog and joined them. She became the Mental Health Association in Jefferson County’s executive director in 2013.

Ms. Scheible is inspired, in bits and pieces, by the people around her and the unique traits and skills each one has. Perhaps one of her own unique skills is finding the best in all people.

“Some of the people who come to us have been handed — or have earned — bad cards in life. They come in in a bad place. They don’t have a lot of hope or joy, so the important thing is helping them find that good thing in their selves,” Ms. Scheible said.

Ms. Scheible’s ultimate goal as executive director of MHAJC is to fight the stigmas of

mental health and make sure her agency is moving and growing in ways beneficial to its clients and community.

The korin scheible file

Hometown: West Irondequoit (suburban Rochester) Professional position: Executive director, mental Health Association of Jefferson County Family: Daughter Kailyn, mother Kathleen Scheible Education: Master of Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health, Bachelors of Arts in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and Clinical Psychology from Alfred University Community involvement: Board member, Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions, board member, North Country Prenatal/Perinatal Council and North Country Behavioral Healthcare Network. Member, St. Andrews church, Sackets Harbor; volunteer with Girl Scout Troop #50051 Last book read: “The Day the Voices Stopped”

by Ken Steele

Even on dark days, Ms. Scheible gets hope from her 8-year-old daughter, Kailyn.

“My daughter gives me so much hope every day.” Ms. Scheible said.

On Halloween, Kailyn asked her if she could take a MHAJC bag trick-or-treating to advertise the agency. “She’s always saying, ‘I want to make this or that craft so you can sell it and help people.’”

“She’s not jaded yet. She still has hope that you can help everyone, and that everybody wants to be helped. She doesn’t see the stigma in mental health.

I think that’s beautiful. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that.” Ms. Scheible said through tears, “She’s positive and always sees the best in people, too.”

According to Ms. Scheible, the job has taught her to see everyone she encounters in a more compassionate light.

For example, when she sees someone living on the street, she knows that they have probably encountered some tough circumstances. Now, however, she says can’t help but wonder if they may have underlying mental health issues that have gone ignored. “When you’re in a tough time and you have a mental illness, your world can be falling apart. I think ‘If someone just gave them a few extra minutes, could they be somewhere better (in their life?)”

“The most rewarding thing is seeing someone be successful and meet their recovery goals,” Ms. Scheible said. Approximately one in five adults experiences mental health issues. “I’ve had people come to me and say ‘I was homeless, I lost custody of my children, I didn’t have a job… but this program has helped me turn everything around. I have that apartment, I’ve got my kids back, I’m holding down a job. And I’m successful.”

Despite the difficulties that many people with mental illness face, Ms. Scheible knows that everyone can grow and lead a good life.

“I never want to lose focus that each and every person has this ability. Sometimes they just need a little more encouragement and empowerment along the way.”

— Jen Jackson December 2016 | NNY Business

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NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Melissa C. Schmitt, 28 Samaritan Medical Center Wound Care Center

M

elissa C. Schmitt’s recipe for a happy, successful life relies on equal parts friendship and persistence.

Growing up in Olean — a city of about 14,000 residents in southern Cattaraugus County — she was used to knowing just about everyone. She had an established routine and she was comfortable there. So, when she first moved to Watertown after graduate school to live with her then boyfriend, now husband, Stuart Schmitt, she felt a bit out of place.

“At first it was kind of hard, because I think a lot of where you decide to live and be happy depends on the people,” she said.

“I was really just trying to meet new people, and it was hard.”

The rural culture of the north country reminded her of her hometown in Western New York, but it also served as a barrier to making connections and forming relationships. Yet, she was persistent.

“When I first moved here, I had time to give,” Mrs. Schmitt said. “The easiest way I knew how to meet people was to just start volunteering. It definitely gives you more ownership in the community.”

She hit the ground running, volunteering with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, the Youth Services Network, Watertown Evening Rotary, Watertown YMCA, United Way of Northern New York, Samaritan Medical Center Auxiliary and several other local groups and organizations.

Through these volunteer opportunities, and through her first jobs in the city at the Watertown Housing Authority and UnitedHealth Group, Mrs. Schmitt began to make connections and improve the lives of her north country neighbors. At the Housing Authority, she oversaw six tenant associations, leading members in trainings and workshops to help them be more engaged in their communities.

At UnitedHealth, she helped hundreds of local families enroll in health care benefits.

Though she has only lived here since 2011, she says Watertown has become her home.

Now serving as the program director for

32 | NNY Business | December 2016

Samaritan Medical Center’s Wound Care Center, 165 Coleman Ave., Mrs. Schmitt has

The melissa c. schmitt file Hometown: Olean Professional position: Program director, Samaritan Medical Center Wound Care Center Family: Husband, Stuart C. Schmitt; parents, Gene and Sharon Snyder; sisters, Christina and Gina Education: Olean High School, 2005; bachelor’s degree in psychology, SUNY Brockport, 2009; master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology, Springfield College, Springfield, Mass.

Community involvement: Emerge Professional’s Group of NNY; Greater Watertown North-Country Chamber of Commerce ambassador; Diabetes Coalition of Jefferson County; Watertown Women’s Book & Social Club; committee member, Samaritan Children’s Miracle Network River Rat Triathlon and Samaritan Medical Center Auxiliary One Night, One Diamond fundraiser; volunteer, Watertown Family YMCA and United Way of NNY Last book read: “Britt-Marie Was Here,” by Fredrik Backman

focused her volunteering to suit her interests and time; however, she still manages to balance commitments to several community groups.

“Figure out what is important to you and find out how you can make it better or how you can contribute to it,” she said. “The most important thing of all for me was that I really just wanted to meet people. I like building relationships.”

Though her present role at the Wound Care Center is not a clinically-facing one, Mrs. Schmitt is responsible for the oversight of all programs provided at the clinic, which include medical and surgical treatments – such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, wound dressings, debridement and skin grafting – to help speed up the body’s natural healing process.

“I feel very strongly that the work we do here is really important,” Mrs. Schmitt said. “Working in health care is incredibly rewarding. We have patients come in who have had wounds for 20 years, and we heal them in weeks.

It’s such an important specialty that we now have available in the north country, and I feel lucky to be part of it.”

Mrs. Schmitt said she values her “extraordinary” colleagues more than anything else about her job. In fact, she said, one of the best pieces of professional advice she has received was given to her by the medical director of the Wound Care Center, Dr. James Stillerman — “Survive and advance.”

“I just really like that,” she said. “I think that there are a lot of things that happen in life that could bring you down, but you have to decide to be happy and just roll with it.”

This philosophy is something Mrs. Schmitt truly believes in, and she passes it on to other young professionals in the north country. Take it from her – anyone whose first job as a 16-year-old was to pose as the Easter Bunny at the local mall knows how to “just roll with it.”

“It was terrible, the head was very heavy,” she said. “But it taught me to be confident and to not take myself too seriously. That’s life.”

— Eli Anderson

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

I

t’s said that first impressions last a lifetime. But no matter where you meet Hartley Bonisteel Schweitzer, it is obvious that she cares about the community she calls home.

With a passion for her hometown of Watertown and the experience she gained at a young age, it’s clear for the 29-year-old that community planning and development is her natural calling as she strives to make difference.

“That is what really got me thinking about community development as something that people actually do,” Mrs. Schweitzer said.

While reviewing her career narrative, a passion for planning comes into focus. It all began while she was a student at Watertown High School when Mrs. Schweitzer said she had “the privilege” of interning with multiple organizations including First Presbyterian Church, the Center for Community Studies, Near East Side Neighborhood Improvement District and, later in her life, the New York City Department of Planning-Brooklyn, the City of Watertown, and Skidmore Owings and Merrill, LLP. Her internships set Mrs. Schweitzer on a path to success.

“That experience was the driving force behind entering into my career path of community planning,” Mrs. Schweitzer said. “We all live with the impacts of urban and regional planning. We don’t recognize that sometimes. That someone has to think about what zones and districts are going to be what and how we want the streets to look. Why should the businesses be here and what kind; it was really from that jumping off point that I dived right in to planning as a concept.”

After completing a bachelor’s degree at Cornell University, Mrs. Schweitzer moved to New York City to continue her work in community planning.

“Everybody loves cities. Planners love cities, and I wanted to make New York a

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Hartley Bonisteel Schweitzer, 29 Development Authority of the North Country

better place. I think that what it came down to was I kept looking at the change that was being talked about, working on processes, and I began thinking who is doing this in the north country?” Mrs. Schweitzer said.

One thing she says is a misconception

The hartley B. Schweitzer file Hometown: Watertown Professional position: Community planner,

Development Authority of the North Country Family: Reginald “Reg” Schweitzer; Audrey, 10 months Education: Bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning, Cornell University Community involvement: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County Board of Directors; Children’s Home of Jefferson County Board of Directors; Village of Chaumont Planning Board; member, Crescent Yacht Club; North Country Women’s Book Club Last book read: “Fates and Furies,” a novel

by Lauren Groff

about the career of community planning is that, “planners are not just event planners. I would say that if people don’t like something about their community that there are avenues for that. I think a lot of times, especially in the north country, people can say I wish this town had this or that, but planning is a way to accomplish those things. I think that you can make change and planning is a really secret way to do it,” she said.

Shortly after her experience in Brooklyn, Mrs. Schweitzer moved back to Watertown where she began a family and continued her career, securing a job with the Jefferson County Planning Department and later, with the Development Authority of the North Country.

I want this place to be the best place it can be. I get passionate about things, I have enthusiasm about making stuff better and knowing that there is processes in place that can do that,” she said.

Mrs. Schweitzer finds passion and excitement with her role as community planner, making differences in the community that she and her family call home. But she says it is all about balance.

“I have to work after hours for meetings and planning. There are night meetings.

That is one of my favorite parts of the job, when you’re out in the field and really hashing out a zoning law or comprehensive plan, but those happen at night and figuring out the work life balance with a 10-month-old daughter and husband is an ongoing and constant challenge,” Mrs. Schweitzer said.

One thing about community planning that motivates Mrs. Schweitzer is how it can affect the lives nearly every resident. Clearly, she takes seriously the impact her work can have on others as a charge to plan thoughtfully and responsibly. It’s something she is happy to have a hand in while raising her daughter in the north country.

— Holly C. Boname December 2016 | NNY Business

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NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Shane Simser, 33 The Morgia Group at HighTower Advisors

S

hane Simser knows numbers. As a financial advisor, it’s his job to help people make informed and educated decisions about insurance and investments. But he also knows people, which is why you can never find him in one place for very long.

Mr. Simser is like a machine, running non-stop from home to work to school to lacrosse practice to board meetings and back home again, never complaining about the hectic schedule he chose to manage. He moves like this for a reason. Well, two reasons actually: His boys.

15-year-old Ryder and 6-year old Max are his motivation for getting out of bed every morning to greet the north country.

“I want to show them what it means to have good worth ethic and contribute to society,” he said. “You’ve got to work hard to be successful. I need to show these boys that it’s worth it and to not be afraid of it.”

By day, Mr. Simser is a financial advisor at The Morgia Group at HighTower Advisors.

In the evenings, he studies for school. When he’s not studying, he’s on the field at Watertown High School with the boy’s lacrosse team as their assistant coach. Once the season ends and the lacrosse sticks are put away, he’s putting time in as the vice president of the board at the Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions Foundation.

There’s no question that this man is full of energy; one who chooses to keep his gears oiled in the rolling hills of the north country. Things are different than they were some years ago, Mr. Simser believes, when so many young north country residents were leaving the area in pursuit of bigger and better things.

“The majority of my friends are still here, which is huge,” he said. “I think it used to be that a lot of young people would leave the area to seek other jobs. But I’m seeing a lot of them stay here to grow. They’re realizing,

34 | NNY Business | December 2016

just like me, that there is so much opportunity here. Not just to work, but to raise a family. That’s why I’m still here. I can’t think of a better place to call home.”

The shane simser file Hometown: Watertown Professional position: Financial advisor,

The Morgia Group at HighTower Advisors Family: Wife, Erin, sons, Ryder,15, and Max, 6 Education: Associate degree in business administration, Jefferson Community College, 2004; bachelor’s degree in business administration, SUNY Potsdam, December 2016 Community involvement: Foundation board vice president, Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions; vice president, Watertown High School Booster Club; assistant coach, Watertown High School Boys Varsity Lacrosse team Last book read: “Why Should I Choose You (In Seven Words or Less)” by Ian Chamandy and Ken Aber

Asked how north country leaders can work to retain young professionals, Mr. Simser said they could “continue to give young leaders opportunities to succeed and be heard.

Many young leaders here genuinely care about the community and we just want to know that what we’re doing matters.”

As a graduate of Jefferson Community College and later this month, SUNY Potsdam, Mr. Simser chose to enter the field of financial planning so he could really make a difference.

For him, his job isn’t just about sitting behind his desk and going through the motions, it’s about bringing people peace of mind so that they can create a life that really matters. His decision to do this work is based on a piece of advice his father gave him years ago.

My dad always preached, “Follow your heart, no matter what. You can weigh the pros and cons of all kinds of decisions as much as you want, but at the end of the day you’re heart is always going to lead you to make the right decision.”

That’s a piece of advice that not many people follow. They tend to go with the herd. But not Shane Simser. He goes with his heart.

This well-dressed 33-year-old man behind a desk at The Morgia Group might surprise his coworkers if they knew he was big on alternative and classic rock music. If he could trade places with anyone for a day, it would be the lead singer and guitarist of Phish, Trey Anastasio.

“I would love to have the experience of standing on stage with my best friends and lead the band through three hours of music and entertain 30,000 fans,” he said. “That’s what Trey Anastasio does. I just couldn’t imagine how intense that would be.”

Perhaps this machine of a man will get his chance. After all, he’s no stranger to dabbling with a guitar. But for now, he’s happy here with his wife, Erin, and two boys, building a future in Watertown.

— Joleene Moody

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Katy E. Troester-Trate, 36 Jefferson Community College

J

efferson Community College’s graduation ceremony is always a special event for instructors and staff.

But the occasion has particular significance for Katy E. Troester-Trate and her staff at the Jefferson Community Schools because some of the students receiving diplomas may not be doing so without their help. The program, of which Ms. Troester-Trate is director, addresses nonacademic barriers students may have to success, offering a host of services such as counseling, drop-in day care, transportation and student loan default prevention, especially for low-income students.

Ms. Troester-Trate, who is also a personal mental health counselor, worked to create the program and gets satisfaction when a distressed student is able to remain in school, achieve and graduate.

“You see a student ready to drop out of college, then you see them back again, completing a semester. That’s always fun,” she said. “It’s really cool when your job is to help people with all the things that can get in the way of their education. It’s never boring, that’s for sure.”

Ms. Troester-Trate had the good fortune of finding a mentor in her first supervisor when she got into the outpatient mental health field, Mark Shaffer. She says Mr. Shaffer, who remains a close friend and advisor today, “taught me how to be a therapist” and inspired her to teach and later enroll in a doctorate program.

“He taught me to do what I do,” she said.

“He’s the one who said to me, “Don’t lose your passion for this. You have a passion for social work, feed it.”

Before moving to the north country, Ms. Troester-Trate had never heard of Watertown. She and her wife, Alicia Trate, moved to the area for the JCC job, but have “really fallen in love” with the community.

“It sucks you in,” she said. “We love it here.

There are good people here, there really is.”

Her work often requires long hours, which has come at the expense of personal

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time with Alicia, but Ms. Troester-Trate credits her wife’ s “great support” and patience for helping her to find success in her field.

The katy e. troester-trate file Hometown: Mifflinburg, Pa.; lives in Watertown Professional position: Director of Jefferson

Community Schools; personal counselor; licensed clinical social worker; adjunct teacher of human services, Jefferson Community College Family: Wife, Alicia Trate Education: Bachelor’s degrees in sociology and psychology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pa.; master’s degree in social work, Marywood University, Scranton, Pa.; working on Ph.D. in education, Northcentral University, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Community involvement: Organizer, multiple events for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; training and event assistance, Victims Assistance Center of Jefferson County; numerous other charitable events Last book read: “Bridges to Sustainable Communities” by Philip E. DeVol

“She’s a great one to say, ‘When you get tired, keep going,’” she said.

She has also connected with numerous agencies to help make her program stronger and more effective while ensuring that students have access to assistance that reaches beyond JCC. “If you’re going to change things, and make a difference for students, it has to be outside the walls of this campus,” she said. “If you’re going to be invested, you have to be invested in more than your job. It needs to be more than a job.”

Despite the long days, Ms. Troester-Trate says she is eager to arrive to work each day.

“There isn’t a day that’s ever the same,” she said. “I never know what I’m walking into.

There’s never a planned day and I enjoy that. I really do love what I do. I’m a social worker by trade, but that’s also just me.

I get out of bed to help people.

You can always make the world better for someone.”

In addition to the satisfaction of helping others, her job has also given her confidence in her abilities and an awareness of her possibilities.

“I have learned that I have a lot more skills and potential than I often give myself credit for,” she said. “When I think I’m tapped out and don’t think I have any more, this has taught me that there’s always a little bit more there.”

The Pennsylvania native says local leaders can attract and retain more people like her by showing young people that they have employment options and chances to become personally involved in bettering their community.

“There needs to be more awareness about the opportunities that are here,” Ms. Troester-Trate said. “There are great things to do, but you have to reach out to that population.”

With all that is going on and going well in her life, Ms. Troester-Trate said she wouldn’t trade places with anyone.

“I kind of like to be me,” she said. “I have so much fun being me.”

— Brian Kelly December 2016 | NNY Business

| 35

f e atu res

Jerry Noseworthy, an employee for Dan’s Hauling & Demolition, sprays water on a building as it’s demolished at the J&L site Nov. 23 in Star Lake. The water helps to control asbestos fibers from going airborne, as the excavator tears down the building.

JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS

Razing raises hope for future Officials celebrate demolition at former J&L site in Star Lake

By SUSAN MENDE

B

NNY Business

undled against the cold, about 20 people gathered on a wintry Tuesday afternoon just before Thanksgiving to celebrate the beginning of a new era at the former Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. site.

The once-thriving iron ore processing facility on Route 3 has been a community eyesore since it closed nearly four decades ago, taking with it hundreds of highpaying jobs.

Left behind was the largest contaminated waste site in the Adirondack Park, a 58-acre parcel with two dozen concrete buildings, many containing asbestos, PCBs or other hazardous materials.

However, enough funding has been secured to demolish 11 of about 30 buildings that remain, raising hopes that the site can redeveloped and bring back

36 | NNY Business | December 2016

sorely-needed jobs to southern St. Lawrence County. The site is one of just a few in the Adirondack Park that’s designated for industrial use.

Officials heralded the progress as they watched an excavator from Dan’s Hauling Demo, Wynantskill, demolish one of the larger, more visible buildings. Some at the gathering snapped pictures with their cell phones and the mood was festive.

“Thank you for coming today. This has been about 40 years in the making to actually see buildings coming down on this property,” said Mark C. Hall, a town of Fine resident and a member of the county’s Industrial Development Agency.

“The site closed back in 1977 and the community has been fighting ever since to see this day come.”

He said the J&L site became a community priority about 20 years ago when the Clifton-Fine Economic Development Corp. decided it was important to clean up blighted properties.

County legislator Larry D. Denesha, R-DeKalb, said he’s heard people question why the county is concerned about economic development “in the middle of nowhere.”

“I’m here to tell you this is not the middle of nowhere. This is somewhere,” he said. “I’m excited and I’m happy. It’s a great day for St. Lawrence County and a great day for the towns of Clifton and Fine.”

Mr. Hall said progress has finally been made because a wide variety of agencies came together.

“There is just a tremendous amount of partners that made this happen,” he said.

Another key development was St. Lawrence County taking over the property in 2014 after a hold-harmless agreement was reached that means the county is not liable for contamination cleanup.

Partners include the Development Authority of the North Country, the Industrial Development Agency, National Grid, Empire State Development, town of

Clifton, St. Lawrence River Valley Redevelopment Agency, St. Lawrence County, Clifton-Fine Economic Development Corp., the Adirondack Community Foundation Damoth Fund and the Northern New York Community Foundation’s Peter Van de Water Fund for St. Lawrence County.

Christopher L. Westbrook, president of the Clifton-Fine Economic Development Corp., said the partners are working on securing the additional funding required to complete the demolition and removal of structures at the site. Consultants with the APA and Environmental Protection Agency are assisting with ideas for how

they property can be reused.

Mr. Hall said it’s too soon to speculate on what will happen at the site once the buildings are down. The weather will determine if the demolition is completed within the next few weeks or whether it’s put on hold until spring.

“Let’s get the buildings down. Let’s get a shovel-ready site and then we’re open to what can happen here,” he said. “There’s nothing happening today, but we’ve got to get this taken care of so that progress can happen in the future.”

Plans to reopen the Newtown Falls Rail line and plans to connect the Newton

Falls and Star Lake water districts to the J&L site should help spur redevelopment at the site, he said.

Fine Town Supervisor Susan Westbrook said, “To the towns of Clifton and Fine this is going to be an economic boost, whatever the outcome.

“A lot of people have worked really hard for a really long time and we’re happy to see these buildings come down, finally. So thank you to all who had a part in this. Go Clifton Fine!” n SUSAN MENDE is a staff writer for Johnson Newspaper Corp. Contact her at smende@ogd. com or 661-2519.

December 2016 | NNY Business

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STEPHEN SWOFFORD | NNY BUSINESS

Ellen and Terence Kelley, owners of Kelley’s Tree Farm, Croghan, estimate that they lost 20 percent of the trees they planted this year due to the summer drought. Many north country Christmas tree farmers say they have suffered significant losses from their supply of younger trees this year.

Yule tree supply OK

Farmers satisfied: 2016 drought may affect future markets

By Marcus Wolf

M NNY Business

any Christmas tree farmers throughout the north country say they have experienced little to no loss of this year’s crop from the recent drought, but increased temperatures and a lack of rain killed their younger trees planted for future markets.

Mary Jeanne Packer, executive director of the Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York, said customers who purchase

38 | NNY Business | December 2016

trees from its member farms in Lewis, St. Lawrence and Oswego counties will see no shortage of available trees this year. The association has six members in Lewis County, nine in St. Lawrence County, 11 in Oswego County and none in Jefferson County.

“It should be a good harvest throughout the state,” said Faye L. Beckwith, president of the association.

The majority of trees harvested and sold during each holiday season have been large and mature trees from eight to 10 years of age, and many farmers said the drought had virtually no impact on their mature trees.

Miss Packer said mature trees are more resistant to drought conditions because their roots have extended deep enough to absorb water from soil reserves. Terence M. Kelley, who with his wife, Ellen M., owns Kelley’s Tree Farm in Croghan, said larger trees are more resistant to heat than are smaller trees.

“The trees look good,” Mr. Kelley said.

“We’re fortunate.”

Both Michele M. Forsyth, who, with her husband, James T., owns Hemlock Haven Christmas Tree Farm in Sandy Creek, and Marilyn E. Welbergen, who, with her husband, Hans C., owns Bear Dance Tree Farm

in Canton, said their farms will have an abundant supply of trees to sell this year.

Mrs. Welbergen said she lost about 5 percent of her crop this year and Mrs. Forsyth said she lost about six mature trees.

“I can say that the trees we have now are in excellent shape,” Mrs. Forsyth said.

Despite virtually no loss in their supply of trees intended for this year’s market, many north country Christmas tree farmers claimed they have suffered significant losses from their supply of younger trees.

Younger trees, particularly seedlings, have shorter roots that make it harder to absorb water from the soil and adapt to drought conditions, Miss Packer said. To recover their loss of supply and their seed, soil and labor expenses, farmers will have to plant more trees this spring.

“It would be safe to say that it would be at least a $150,000 to $200,000” loss, Miss Packer said about producers in the four counties. “It may be higher.”

Mr. Kelley said he lost 100, or 20 percent, of the 500 trees, which were three to five years of age, that he planted this year.

Mrs. Welbergen said she lost 50 percent of her transplanted trees, three to four years of age, this year due to the lack of rain.

Thomas C. Hebblethwaite, who owns H&H Trees in Pulaski with his son Gregory, said he lost 1,000 trees, including seedlings and young trees three or four years of age, and had to plant 1,300 new trees this fall.

“All of my new seedlings died,” Mrs. Forsyth said.

One option Miss Packer said could help Christmas tree farmers recover their losses from this year’s drought would be the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency’s Tree Assistance Program.

For producers who lost more than 15 percent of their crop compared with their average crop mortality rate due to natural disasters such as droughts, the FSA can cover up to 65 percent of replanting costs and up to 50 percent of rehabilitation costs, according to the program’s fact sheet.

Ms. Beckwith said the association will host a three-day convention to discuss crop insurance, irrigation and reports from member farms Jan. 21 to 23 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Binghamton.

“I’m hoping that we don’t have another consecutive year of drought,” Ms. Beck said.

Miss Packer said she also hopes consumers will continue to purchase real trees from farmers to support their businesses.

“It supports local farmers and supports local jobs,” she said. “(There are also) a couple of benefits to consumers and the community.” n MARCUS WOLF is a staff writer for Johnson Newspaper Corp. Contact him at mwolf@wdt. net or 661-2371.

December 2016 | NNY Business

| 39

business briefcase

Congratulations JA K E M O S E R

for your dedication to the community, your craft, and family. We appreciate all you do!

Great Job! Love Your Family

nonprofits

Community Bank donates $10k to United Way

Community Bank, N.A., presented a $10,000 corporate check to the United Way of NNY. Cathy Ward, Community Bank manager presented the check to Tobi Darrah, United Way campaign director, and Bob Gorman, CEO of the United Way of NNY. The corporate gift will be used in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

Individual branches conducted employee campaigns through the end of November.

YMCA to open Sackets facility at former barracks

The Watertown Family YMCA will use the former Madison Barracks Health Club owned by Lawler Realty LLC to open a satellite facility early next year.

Steve N. Rowell, executive director of health and wellness at the Y, said the facility, at 119 Pike Road, will offer programs similar to the Watertown and Carthage facilities and potentially create new programs to meet local demand. The Y and Lawler Realty reached an agreement in October that will require the Y to pay only utility bills, taxes and interest.

“It’s one of the best things to happen to Sackets in a long time,” Mayor Vincent J. Battista said.

The Y will incorporate a full fitness center with family wellness programming and multiple youth and senior activity programs at the former health club.

Mr. Rowell said the Y will offer its preventive care program for senior citizens and its after-school child care program, which it offers at Sackets Harbor Central School, at the new facility. The Y also considered using its access to Lake Ontario to create watersport activities to accompany its youth sports programs. Members will have access to the facility’s gymnasium, weight room, locker rooms and cardio equipment. The Y has not determined its hours of operation.

“We will also offer a group exercise room with many different exercise classes,” Mr. Rowell said. “It would really just be an extension of our services out of the Watertown YMCA.” To preserve the facility and accommodate his new tenant, Michael A. Lawler, owner of Lawler Realty, completed multiple interior and exterior renovations for the facility.

Mr. Lawler said his contractors have built a new roof, replaced the doors, repaired 40 | NNY Business | December 2016

business briefcase and painted the walls, repaved the road and installed new windows, lights, carpet and ceramic tile flooring since last summer.

Lawler Realty received a $500,000 grant loan commitment from the Development Authority of the North Country to help finance the $600,000 project in July. Mr. Lawler said he expects the contractors and construction workers will finish most of the renovations by Jan. 1 if he receives funding from the grant loan commitment next week, with only some additional masonry work in the spring and brick work in the summer.

Lawler Realty purchased the former health club in 2010 from Madison Barracks Associates, which operated the facility from 1993 to 2005. Mr. Battista said the club closed about nine years ago.

“I hope that we as a community can help support” it, he said, “and make it an important part of our community.”

HEALTH CARE

North Country Family Health director lauded

The Community Health Center Association of New York presented Joey M. Horton, executive director of North Country Family Health Center with the Jeffrey T. Latman Award at its annual conference in October.

Association Interim President and CEO Lisa Perry presented Ms. Horton with the award in Tarrytown, on Oct. 31 to recognize her achievements.

Ms. Horton became executive director in early 2014. According to the organization, under her leadership NoCo has increased its revenue by $1.15 million, obtained federal grants worth more than $1.5 million to enhance and grow its provider network, expanded its school-based medical and dental programs to three additional districts and much more.

The NoCo administrative team nominated Ms. Horton for the award, citing “her ability to be forward thinking and strategic, her ability to make difficult decisions with acuity and insight, and never losing sight of the mission that drives NoCo — to provide accessible, high-quality care to those who need it.”

NoCo is a federally qualified health care center working to provide affordable health care to approximately 9,000 residents in Watertown and Lowville. It runs lowincome oriented programs including a WIC program, school-based dental clinics, and insurance enrollment assistance.

Community Foundation donors make Northern New York better for everyone.

Thank you for your support throughout 2016.

Looking for a way to enhance your community in the broadest way possible?

Consider a year-end gift to support the Foundation’s Community Betterment Fund.

Northern New York

Community Foundation JEFFERSON, LEWIS & ST. LAWRENCE COUNTIES 120 Washington St., Suite 400, Watertown, NY 13601 30 Court St., Canton, NY 13617 (315) 782-7110 • www.nnycf.org

December 2016 | NNY Business

| 41

R E AL E STATE RO UNDUP

NAR releases 2016 buyers profile

I

n November, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released the 35th edition of its survey of buyers and sellers. This yearly sampling was based on homes sold between July 2015 and June 2016 and had 5,465 responses.

The median age of all buyers was fortyfour and had a gross household income of $88,500. Two-thirds were married, seventeen percent were single females, seven percent were single males, and eight percent were unmarried couples. About a third of all buyers had children at home and fourteen percent owned a second home.

This year’s survey convincingly proved once again that the two most popular resources for buyers remain the internet — 95 percent — and real estate agents — 92 percent. Despite a record high 51 percent of buyers saying they found the home they purchased online, most buyers who used the internet still ended up purchasing their home through an agent — 90 percent.

Of interest to residents in our area, nationally 2 percent of all buyers or their spouses were active duty military and 18 percent were veterans. The active duty buyer is 35 years old, most likely to buy a previously owned home, and half were first-time buyers. Fifty-seven percent rented a house or apartment immediately prior to their home purchase.

Buyers who were military veterans had an average age of 59 and 82 percent had owned previously. However, only 36 percent owned a home immediately prior to purchasing. Eighty-two percent bought a detached single-family home.

In terms of sellers, 89 percent of respondents used a real estate agent. Additionally, 85 percent indicated that they would definitely or probably use their agent again or

recommend him or her to others.

The typical seller is 54 years old, with a household income of $100,700, and has owned their home for 10 years. n n n Members of Lance Evans the JeffersonLewis and the St. Lawrence County Boards of Realtors joined nearly 20,000 colleagues, industry leaders, and real estate experts from the U.S. and abroad at the 2016 Realtors Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida from Nov. 3 to 7.

This year’s conference theme, “Educate, Innovate, Celebrate,” encouraged Realtors to educate themselves on market trends and key real estate issues, learn about the latest technologies and innovations affecting the industry, and celebrate another year of positive growth. Realtors had the opportunity to make professional contacts from across the globe, as well as attend educational and informational sessions featuring nationally recognized presenters, trainers, and industry experts.

Among the panelists and speakers were Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, who shared the latest outlook for residential and commercial real estate markets; Dennis Lockhart, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Jim Parrott, former economic adviser to President Barack Obama and senior fellow at the Urban Institute; Brian Montgomery, former Federal Housing Administration Commissioner and vice chairman of the Collingwood

Group; Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at realtor.com; Howard Fineman, global editorial director at the Huffington Post; Alex Perriello, president and CEO of Realogy Franchise Group; and senior staff from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Flood Insurance Program. One of the highlights was the keynote given by retired U.S. Army Gen. Colin Powell.

Throughout the week, Realtors participated in 100-plus conference sessions, workshops, forums, and classes on a broad range of real estate issues to help prepare themselves and their businesses for 2017.

This is one of the many ways Realtors raise their professionalism and skills through specialized knowledge and expertise.

Tri-County attendees were Sue Brashaw, Carolyn Gaebel, Debbie Gilson, Lisa L’Huillier, Brittany Matott, Randy Raso, Sue Raso, Jennifer Stevenson, and me.

During the conference, Bill Brown, a second-generation Realtor from Oakland, Calif., was installed as the 2017 NAR President. “In 2017, Realtors will work to keep the issues affecting homeownership — whether it be defending the mortgage interest deduction or fighting for more affordable financing — a priority on our nation’s public policy agenda,” said Brown.

“Realtors are here to encourage our leaders to put forward policies that put the American dream of homeownership within reach for every American whose goal is to own their own home.” n LANCE M. EVANS is the executive officer of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. Contact him at levans@nnymls.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.

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42 | NNY Business | December 2016

RE AL E STAT E / top tr ansa ctions The following property sales were recorded in the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office in October 2016: $1,169,265: Oct. 3, Town of Watertown: 8 No acreage listed, 339 State St., CNL APF Partners LP c/o GE Capital, Franchise Finance, Scottsdale, Ariz., sold to Carrols LLC, Syracuse. $1,381,025: Oct. 17, Village of Alexandria Bay: No acreage listed, Steamboat Island, located in the St. Lawrence River between Fairyland Island and Deer Island, Richard B. Sherker Jr., Chalfont, Pa., and Richard B. Sherker III, Doylestown, Pa. as cotrustees of Hilary R. Sherker Family Trust, sold to Michael D. Cregg, trustee of Michael D. Cregg Trust and Barbara A. Cregg, trustee of Barbara A. Cregg Trust, both of Pittsford. $1,263,447: Oct. 4, City of Watertown: No acreage listed, State Street, Carrols LLC, Syracuse, sold to GW 339 State Street Owner LLC and CW 339 State Street Owner LLC, Brooklyn.

Dashnaw and Trina M. LePage, Harrisville. $181,500: Oct. 4, Town of Morristown: 3.04 acres more or less, bounded by New York State Route 12, Terry Lee Micelli, Morristown, sold to Eric D. and Karen M. Hilbert, Colden. $175,900: Oct. 6, Town of Lisbon: Parcel 1) 1.211 acres more or less, Parcel 2) Unknown acres, St. Lawrence River Lot 24, bounded by Route 37, James F. and Susan E. Steves, Ogdensburg, sold to Peggy Ann Langtry, Hammond. $170,000: Oct. 6, Town of Lisbon: 4.45 acres more or less, bounded by Keyes Road, Matthew J. and Jamie L. Stone, Lisbon, sold to James and Marissa Dettmer, Ogdensburg.

$130,000: Oct. 4, Town of Pierrepont: 178.36 acres more or less, bounded by St. Lawrence Turnpike, Amanda S. Lavigne, Vermontville, sold to Gary and Shirley Gollinger, Colton. $120,000: Oct. 6, Village of Massena: Unknown acres, Lot 26, Block H, Michael J. Zappia, South Colton, and Karen Z. Wilson, Toni Z. Tucker, Kevin A. Zappia, Manlius, sold to Kristan M. and Gabriel LaRamay, Madrid. $110,750: Oct. 5, Town of Fowler: Parcel 1) 1.05 acres more or less, Parcel 2) 0.243 of an acre more or less, bounded by Doane Road, Larry L. and Kimberly Fuller, Gouverneur, sold to Jeffrey C. Hall and Genny L. Bush, Gouverneur.

Congratulations Jenni!

$997,500: Oct. 3, Town of Henderson: 18.315 acres, 4151 Jackson Lane, Dana Keffer, Henderson, sold to Patrick O. Egan and Laurie Egan, East Northport. $900,000: Oct. 17, Towns of Alexandria and Orleans: Five parcels, no total acreage listed, state Route 12, Emliz Properties LLC, Fulton, sold to Thousand Islands Adventures LLC, Dewitt. $525,000: Oct. 17, City of Watertown: No acreage listed, Sherman Street at Clinton Street, John Doldo Jr., Watertown, Lewis G. Spicer III and Christa Spicer Matthews as trustees of Lewis G. Spicer Jr. trust, Watertown, sold to Clinton Center Development LLC, Carthage.

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$500,000: Oct. 19, Town and Village of Cape Vincent: 424.5 acres more or less, James Street, Cummings Road and Wilson Settlement Road, White Farms LLC, Cape Vincent, sold to HWCB LLC, Clayton.

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$456,972: Village of Sackets Harbor: 0.351 acres, Edmund Street at Hill Street, Battlefield Commons LLC, Latham, sold to Daniel P. Talecki and Jamie L. Talecki, Sackets Harbor. $422,600: Town of Hounsfield: 0.414 acres, Storrs Harbor Road, Marian S. Vecchio, sold to Damian M. Ray, Watertown. $360,000: Oct. 13, Town of Theresa: 60 acres, state Route 26, Ernest A. Clemente and Jennifer G. Clemente, Theresa, sold to Jerry W. Sauls and Sherry S. Sauls, Wahiawa, Hawaii.

The following property sales were recorded in the St. Lawrence County Clerk’s Office in October 2016: $900,000: Oct. 6, Town of Hammond: Unknown Parcels, unknown acres, bounded by Oak Hollow Farm, Angus M. MacQueen, Hammond, sold to Stephen and Lucy Hughes, New York. $230,000: Oct. 6, Village of Massena: 2 Parcels, unknown acres, Lot 2 and Lot 3, Block 310, Matthew J. and Lindsay E. Macaulay, Massena, sold to Marc and Megan Morley, Canton. $226,600: Oct. 6, Town of Massena: 0.46 of an acre more or less, bounded by Smith Road, Phillip J. and Lynn Ann Treers, Massena, sold to Carrie E. Garrow, Liverpool. $190,000: Village of Waddington: Parcel 1) 1.81 acres more or less, Parcel 2) 0.60 of an acre more or less, bounded by Lincoln Avenue, Kenneth W. and Tamara K. Ashley, Waddington, sold to Timothy F.

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PEOPLE, from page 12 ties in coordination with local health care providers, military and political officials and community groups.

Mrs. Flint’s other work experiences include five years as director of the Watertown Urban Mission, where she led a successful $2 million capital campaign.

She also previously served as FDRHPO’s regional recruitment project manager.

Mrs. Young will depart the organization to become the chief executive officer of the Watertown Family YMCA on Jan. 1.

“The Board of Directors selection of Erika has made my transition easier as I am confident that I leave the organization in excellent hands,” she said, in a statement.

There was no announcement of who will replace Mrs. Flint with the North Country Initiative.

Jefferson County has new deputy administrator

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Clayton resident Sarah H. Baldwin has been named Jefferson County’s new deputy administrator.

Ms. Baldwin, a Hartford, Conn., native, said she’s “happy” with the new job.

“The position is pretty important to keep things moving forward,” she said, adding the she has a broad understanding of public finances and accounting.

Ms. Baldwin has worked with several Jefferson County institutions over the course of her career. She worked as fiscal director for the county Department of Public Health from July 2013 until accepting the deputy administrator job in September. She previously held several positions at Jefferson Community College from 1999 to 2010, rising to vice president of administration in 2007. She was also a Jefferson County auditor and deputy budget officer from 1992 to 1996.

The position has been vacant since previous deputy administrator Michael E. Kaskan retired in June 2015.

County Administrator Robert F. Hagemann III said the position was purposely left vacant last year because of decisions made in the 2016 budget. Because 10 vacant positions in various departments were left unfilled to help save money Mr. Hagemann said it would not have been fair to those departments if a new deputy administrator was immediately appointed.

on l e a ders h ip

Leveraging non-positional authority

E

ntering the workforce as a young professional may sometimes cause one to doubt. Perhaps thoughts or feelings may surface suggesting that you cannot lead because of your youth or limited tenure in your position or company. I encourage you to stop and think again. In fact, youth and limited tenure may be exactly what makes you an asset!

Young professionals may not necessarily bring years of experience or significant expertise at the onset, but they can bring energy, new ideas, fresh education or academic principles, a knowledge and understanding of new and advancing technology, and a renewed perspective.

Being a leader doesn’t mean you have to be in a position of power or have an executive-level title. In fact, if you exercise your leadership skills as a young professional with genuine care, respect and passion, your self-fulfillment and contributions to others or a cause are likely to be much more desirable, effective and valuable. Your positional power does not determine your ability to be successful and happy.

Here are several ways that anyone can cultivate and exercising his or her leadership skills: Lead by example. Do the best you can do, ask questions and try to achieve or succeed expectations. Those who give it their best and seek quality are seen as leaders.

Find a mentor. This trusted advisor can teach and guide you in a constructive partnership. Watch, listen and learn. You, as their protégé, learn from your mentor’s experience, while your mentor can also grow, learn and benefit from your fresh perspective, new ideas, knowledge and exuberance. If your organization doesn’t have a formal mentoring program, take the initiative to seek and find one on your own — choose wisely.

Step up to take on an initiative or lead a project. Some leadership oppor-

tunities, such as facilitating a committee, are engrained into the organization’s governance

structure, while other organizations may require you to step up and volunteer for this role.

Leading a group through a project can increase your exposure to other leaders and managers both in and outside your Tracy Leonard organization.

Networking, collaboration, and two-way communication are all benefits of this type of work. While leading or facilitating an initiative may require you to come out of your comfort zone, it almost always results in some type of growth.

Speak or write about your work.

Nothing establishes you as a trusted expert on a subject faster than communicating about it in a public forum. Seek out opportunities to speak at conventions, conferences or symposiums. In the office, host an educational session over lunch for your co-workers about your area of expertise. You can also share your expertise and good work by writing articles for a business magazine or journal, or even your company newsletter. Do your research, frame your presentation appropriately for your audience and be confident yet humble. This extra effort can provide a lot of extra career mileage and it will also help you grow in many ways.

Be humble, kind, honest and credible.

Nothing will undermine your leadership efforts more than being a source of gossip or negative talk. Rather than complaining or pulling others down with you, step up your efforts to lead. Handle the situation in a focused and professional manner which will in turn have a positive ripple effect with those around you. Genuine positive energy yields greater productivity, increased satisfaction

and improved overall morale.

Recognize, respect and show appreciation for those around you. While it

may not always be easy to share the spotlight, it is important and necessary. As the common cliché goes, “there is no ‘I’ in team.” The skills, abilities and accomplishments of those working with you ultimately contribute to your success. Leverage this and help maximize their potential for the greater good. Recognize and seek to understand what it is that others have done to achieve or accomplish greatness. Thank and respect them. Show them that you care and try to emulate the positive qualities they possess.

Ask for advancement opportunities.

Once you identify your passion, skills and desires regarding the next logical step for your career advancement, make it known to your supervisor. Your supervisor’s success is directly and positively affected by your success, so in most cases, your supervisor will be receptive and want to help you be successful.

Work with him or her to assess your situation, identify goals and determine what you can do to position yourself for success.

These are only a few examples of things you can do to lead without positional power, but if you cultivate and exercise these things, you may find your co-workers, your supervisor and your community responding to you as a leader.

As you move up the career ladder, don’t forget to continue practicing these things. Pass them on to your coworkers, your peers and to other young professionals. After all, successful leaders are committed to the success of the people around them. n tracy leonard is the deputy director for Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, Watertown. Contact him at tleonard@fdrhpo.org or 755-2020. Visit fdrhpo.org to learn more. A column from Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization staff appears every other month in NNY Business.

December 2016 | NNY Business

| 47

E NT R E PR ENE U R’S EDGE

Breaking the rules of writing with style

I

’ve been writing professionally and as a journalist for 15 years.

My accolades include three published books, hundreds of published news and human interest stories, a successful blog, two award-winning investigative television series and a comedic stage play that made its debut in 2014.

I have learned how to write from the best and the worst.

I have been told to write at least 1,500 words a day.

Or 3,000 a day.

Or whatever the hell I want every other day.

I’ve been advised not to use semicolons; that they are insignificant.

It has been suggested that I swear by the Associated Press Stylebook.

The next day I’m told to burn that book and worship The Cambridge Handbook for Editors, Authors and Publishers.

Never use slang.

Use slang whenever I want.

And dammit, Aaron Sorkin says I shouldn’t start a sentence with dammit or and. Ever. (He wrote “Newsroom,” which you should watch.)

Stephen King writes 3,000 words or more every day, even on holidays.

J.K. Rowling writes up to 11 hours most days.

Margaret Atwood writes between 1,000 and 2,000 a day.

Enter contests. Don’t enter contests.

Go to writer’s retreats and workshops.

Don’t go.

Take an online course. Don’t take an online course.

I could go on and on with examples that so many offer on the rules of writing. But I won’t because despite all of the rules and suggestions, the best thing you can do for yourself is to DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. Does this mean you should disregard what

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seasoned writers and screenwriters say? No, not at all. Listen. Implement. But trust your gut, too.

I wrote a screenplay last year that I pitched to a production company in February. They requested it to Joleene Moody read, getting back to me 4 weeks later to tell me the screenplay was overwritten and a slog to get through.

At the same time, a producer that thought my script was a hoot asked my permission to pass it on to Cobie Smulders’ agent.

In both instances, my writing had a different impact on two different parties based on their rules of writing.

THAT WILL ALWAYS HAPPEN. Some will love you, some won’t. We know that. So why do we continue to try and conform to the rules of others, even when our gut screams at us to follow our own?

Look, I love to write. I do it almost every day. There are some days I don’t really want to, but because I make a living with my pen, I kind of have to. For the longest time, I thought the Writing Gods would come down from the Script Heavens and destroy me if I skipped a day.

“You’re never going to be successful if you don’t write every day,” they would say. “Because you skipped Sunday and Monday (and used a semicolon yesterday), we’re going to punish you by seeing to it that that production company doesn’t choose you. Tsk, tsk.”

I worked with a business coach once that said, “You are responsible for the box you put yourself in. If you live by the rules and

beliefs of others, you will never experience true freedom. Break the rules. As long as no one gets hurt, break the rules all day long.”

So this post is your permission slip to do just that.

You may be torn on whether or not you should move a scene to the top of your script because someone very seasoned suggested it.

You’re allowed to be torn.

You may be torn on whether or not you should change the title of your book because a very seasoned publisher suggested it.

Again, you’re allowed to be torn.

What you’re NOT allowed to do is doubt yourself. (I know, I know, we all struggle with this…)

Believe it or not, there is an Inner Knowing within you that really needs to be trusted. That, coupled with the knowledge and experience that seasoned writers offer, is what makes a really good writer an amazing writer.

Having said all of this, make your own rules. Take pieces of what he said and she said and what you feel, and make your own.

Want to use a semicolon? Use it. Want to swear and cuss and use big words? Use ‘em.

Want to keep that scene intact? Keep it.

In the end, don’t take anyone’s writing advice too seriously (Quote: Lev Grossman).

Just because you’re “not there” yet doesn’t mean you don’t know well enough to get there. It just means, well, that you’re not there yet. Keep learning, keep growing, keep believing, and you will be.

All my best to you. n Joleene moody is a freelance writer, blogger and speaker who lives in Oswego County with her husband and daughter. Learn more at www.takeyourvoiceback.com. Her column appears monthly in NNY Business. Visit nnybizmag. com to read past columns online.

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co mm erce corner

Take steps to retain young leaders

S

ome say leadership is learned, others say leadership is an inherent trait. Either way, if a young leader is identified in your hiring process or in your company, you certainly want to keep them around.

Young leaders have a desire to continue growing and learning, are looking for new opportunities and a feeling of value, and want to enjoy their work environment.

Paying attention to and fulfilling these professional desires will help you to keep the best and brightest working for you.

Goals & vision Keep your young leaders informed of the goals and vision of the company and how their work contributes to moving the company forward.

Providing the individual with the guidance to work productively, without micromanaging their work, will ensure they stay motivated. Recognize their efforts in terms of the overall success of the organization, welcome their opinions and allow them to be a part of understanding the risks associated with business.

having responsibility to lead people and be led. The people and culture of the workplace are important to keeping them coming back and looking forward to Brooke Rouse work every day.

Hiring people for personality that fits with the team can make or break the long-term possibility of employment. Instilling a culture of hard

event. It must be an ongoing process, which may include casual mentorship, participation on a team and a company culture that is aware and responsive to the role of young leaders. n

n

n

LinkedIn is a professional nerowrking site that many businesses employ as a means to connect with customers and market services. Later this month, the Potsdam Public Library will offer a free class designed to introduce users to the business networking platform. Here’s some more information: Sunday, Dec. 11, LinkedIn, 12:30 p.m., Potsdam Public Library, 2 Parks St. #1, Potsdam. This class will provide information on how to create and effectively use a LinkedIn account. LinkedIn is a business0oriented social networking tool to find useful for anyone seeking work or those looking for employees. The event covers how to connect with people, how to input your information and create a profile.

Bring a laptop and a professional photo of yourself saved on the computer. New users welcome. Cost: Free. Information/ registration: Potsdam Public Library, (315) 265-7230.

Meeting people, expanding social networks and contributing to a cause or the community at large adds value to a young leader and fulfills other needs outside of the office.

Face time I’m not talking about the video function on an iPhone … provide your leaders with the opportunity to represent the company on committees, in presentations, at public charity events — in any way that they know you trust them to be the face of the company in the public eye.

Culture Young leaders enjoy being on a team,

work balanced with a lighthearted and social atmosphere are important, too.

Community connection Finally, young leaders who are new to the area will also be seeking a connection to the community. Beyond work life, social life and civic engagement are a big part of what will connect a person to a community. Meeting people, expanding social networks and contributing to a cause or the community at large adds value to a young leader and fulfills other needs outside of the office.

Developing leaders is not an individual

n Brooke Rouse is executive director of the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Promotion Agent. She is a business owner, holds a master’s degree in tourism and is a former SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center Advisor. Contact her at brouse@ stlawrencecountychamber.org or 386-4000.

18th Annual Hosted by: American Legion Family Jefferson County American Legion Auxiliary

Saturday, Februaray 4th, 2017 Dulles State Office Building 11 am - 3 pm

December 2016 | NNY Business

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b u siness tec h bytes

Go digital for lasting improvements

A

s we move into 2017 the lines between the varying sectors of industries and businesses will become even more blurred and each and every company or organization will need to begin to become just a little more of a technology company.

You will hear about this craze throughout 2017, as the omnipresent quest to “go digital” will continue. Your digital transformation will equate into numerous opportunities for empowering your employees and enhancing customer engagement through new services and product offerings. Your keys to success will be different for each of you but you can begin to reconcile your existing technologies with the new digital offerings by taking the advice of Bill Briggs, chief technology officer, for Deloitte Consulting LLP, “Think big, start small, fail fast and keep moving”.

As you begin your digital innovation and investment strategy you must understand the impact the latest emerging technology trends will have on your business. This understanding needs to be translated into a strategic plan inclusive of these new emerging technologies and the understanding of how these latest kinds of changes will drive your business model and market. Each of you will approach this with your own unique set of perspectives, goals, opportunities and challenges. You will find as the boundaries blur commonality will emerge that can provide you some powerful opportunities to share ideas and strategies among entities which you may have been previously disconnected. Your technical and business leaders need to get on the same page to jumpstart your organiza-

135 Keyes Avenue, Watertown, New York

315-782-4910

50 | NNY Business | December 2016

tion’s digital transformation and the magnitude of opportunities a digital transformation can mean. The harder part will be translating this “digital transformation” into viable Jill Van Hoesen opportunities for customer engagement, employee empowerment and new products and services that will enhance your bottom line.

Your tech leaders will embrace this as it will give them dispensation in their roles of strategist and change catalyst. You should look to your tech leaders to first evaluate the possibility of extracting more value from your present legacy systems.

This could mean a full upgrade to a new platform or possibly only replacing outdated components with some newer tools driven by the latest technology. I am sure you have a sufficient investment in your core system(s) so core modernization needs to be done at a granular level taking into account your present budget, architecture, security, scalability and life cycle of the system. If you plan carefully and keep these changes manageable it will go a long way in helping your business meet its needs today while creating a roadmap for the future.

You and your organization are not alone in this digital transformation struggle. To some degree, most organizations are facing many of the same digital challenges. Technical debt is a real challenge

in many organizations, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that legacy systems have no life left in them, maintaining core operations and keeping the lights on still matter greatly for most of us. A critical part of any effort to digitally modernize your business is to shore up your core information technology foundation. If your core is solid and running well you will have the foundation to begin to build your digital transformation on. Strategy is the key here, as digital transformation is as much about your tactics as your mind-set. If your business is in order you can begin to evaluate the pieces of digital transformation like integration, design and architecture. You will find the transition will be easiest on all when it can be focused on creating a specific product, service or customer experience. This provides the buy in you need from your stakeholders and the effort becomes bound to a precise not abstract goal. This should be your first step in your much broader effort toward digitally transforming your enterprise.

In 2017 and beyond successful companies will most likely be those that can live up to the mandate of being a tech company. Analytics and digital are the new currency on which all competition is being waged. Your challenge is determining how your company will compete in this digital environment and this challenge is not a luxury and it is not an option. If you are not exploiting the latest digital technologies and analytics to drive new offerings and customer experiences don’t worry your competition will.

n Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 25-year IT veteran. Contact her at jvanhoesen@wdt.net.

Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.

(315) 782-4910 • 1-800-772-4201 • Fax: (315) 785-8248 www.dlcalarco.com • francee@dlcalarco.com

a gri - b u siness

Ag a major driver for regional tourism

T

he Thousand Islands International Tourism Council recently hosted a bi-national tourism summit at the Clayton Harbor Hotel. With more than 100 people attending from both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border, and great discussions generated from the day’s presentations, the summit was very successful. I was excited when Gary DeYoung, director of tourism for the Thousand Islands International Tourism Council, asked me to present about the role that agriculture plays in tourism and some of the changes we’ve seen. Over the past few decades, agriculture has emerged as a major driver in tourism in the Thousand Islands region.

Since 1986, we have benefited from the creation of “destinations” based on farming. The “Mother of Ag Tourism in Jefferson County,” Nancy Robbins, started Old McDonald’s Farm near Sackets Harbor. Old McDonald’s farm, according to Nancy, started because she found that friends wanted to bring their children to see farm animals and learn about farming.

Nancy capitalized on that interest and built one of the foremost agricultural destinations in New York, this year educating nearly 40,000 about farming.

Another development that spiked our region’s tourism opportunities is the development of a farm based craft beverage industry. In the early 2000’s a Fort Drum officer was retiring from the Army and fell in love with the St. Lawrence River and how it reminded him of German river valleys he saw while traveling in Europe. Steve Conaway found cold hardy species of grapes that could grow in our frigid climate and began making wine in a garage on a farm he purchased. This was

the beginning of Thousand Islands Winery, the largest farm winery in Northern New York. Steve was quickly joined by fellow visionaries Phil Randazzo, Nick Surdo, and Jay Matteson Kyle and Rick Hafemann who recognized the potential for a northern wine industry based in the Thousand Islands. Their wineries, Coyote Moon Vineyards, Yellow Barn Winery and Otter Creek Winery quickly inspired others.

Today we have 16 farm-based wineries, distilleries, and breweries drawing people to our shores, year-round.

Unfortunately the industry is growing faster than we are attracting people from outside our area. During the summit I described our tourist base as a pie. Right now we are in a transition time where we haven’t reached a critical mass of destinations to become a huge draw similar to the Finger Lakes. Every new farm-based craft beverage facility divides the “pie” of customers into thinner slices. This is not a suggestion that entrepreneurs shouldn’t go into the craft beverage industry. But, everyone should realize the challenge we face of trying to expand our customer base.

One barrier that hurts the Thousand Islands region is the “tariff wall” placed by Canada on their citizens that severely limits Canadians from purchasing our alcohol based craft beverages. With major metropolitan areas within a few hours’ drive to our area from Canada, we could increase

our customer base for our craft beverage industry. It is very expensive for Canadians to cross the border to visit our craft beverage facilities, purchase our products and bring them back into Canada.

The Tariff Wall is far more severe than any placed on U.S. citizens visiting Canada. Phil Randazzo, owner of Coyote Moon Vineyard, has suggested previously, and I reiterated during my presentation at the Tourism Summit, that possibly we should consider working with our friends across the River to create an International Farm Beverage trail that accomplishes two key things. The first is two create a unique device to market our international region to attract an increasing number of visitors. Second, as I proposed during my presentation, create a tariff-free zone starting at a westerly line from Kingston, Ont., to Sackets Harbor and proceeding east to the Ogdensburg International Bridge.

The tariff free zone would extend 25 miles inland from those points and the St. Lawrence River. Any farm based beverage produced within that region could receive a special label that exempts the product from being charged with tariffs when transported across the border. Obviously there are many details that would need to be worked out, but it is worth considering.

It is exciting to witness the growth of an industry from its infancy that serves both agriculture and tourism. Our work should be to do everything we can to attract more people to our area and remove barriers that inhibit our growth. n Jay M. Matteson is agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Local Development Corp. He is a lifelong Northern New York resident who lives in Lorraine. Contact him at coordinator@comefarmwithus.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.

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December 2016 | NNY Business

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N onpro f its tod ay

Working to change the culture of care

F

ort Drum is full of acronyms, but the two most recent acronyms to come to the north country are courtesy of civilians: DSRIP and ALICE. The state’s Delivery System Reform Initiative Payment (DSRIP) program is a short but tongue-twisting way of saying that too much money is being spent on people after they are sick and not enough is being spent on keeping people from getting sick.

ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, which is another tonguetwisting way of referring to the working poor.

The DSRIP punchline is this: The region wants to reduce hospital use by 25 percent within five years The ALICE punchline is this: The state is getting dangerously close to having 50 percent of its households unable to generate enough income to cover the basic costs of living, let alone save for the future.

But first, DSRIP. Changing the culture of treatment to a culture of prevention is going to be difficult, especially when too many of us overdose on opiates, alcohol, tobacco, sugar, etc. Too many of us also suffer from mental, emotional and behavioral health issues. The easy thing to do is put off addressing a health issue in hopes it will go away. If we are wrong, well, there is an emergency room nearby.

Everyone in health care agrees with the direction, although hospitals are quietly trying to figure out how to eventually retool their budgets, staffs, etc., if one quarter of their patient load no longer shows up.

Leading that conversation is the North Country Initiative, which is operated out of the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization. The Initiative has already secured $3 million to help the region’s hospitals with this transition, while identifying key targets such as suicide prevention, smoking cessation and diabetes reduction.

Also facing the change in direction is our

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nonprofit community, which is now expected to become part of a health care provider system.

That sounds nice on paper, but it is requiring a complete turning of the ship for agencies that have historically operated as individual organizations.

Bob Gorman “(DSRIP) is extremely relevant and is actually what I spend most of my days, and sleepless nights, working on,” said Korin Scheible, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Jefferson County.

“DSRIP is the main reason for our name change” from the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Council of Jefferson County to Pivot, said Executive Director William Bowman.

That’s because Pivot is looking at the entire health care of an individual, not simply guiding people away from addictions.

“Currently the impact to our agency is mainly administrative, but there will be some programmatic aspects that will become part of our services as time goes on,” said Bowman. “We are looking at how our services impact the DSRIP goals of reducing unnecessary hospital admissions by 25 percent, and aligning our outcome measures to help determine that.”

Access Care and Resources for Health recently hired a staff person specifically to guide its agency through DSRIP. But it wasn’t easy. In a press release the agency noted: “ACR Health recognized the magnitude of DSRIP and made the difficult decision to take on a full-time DSRIP Coordinator, Poonam Patel. The lack of supporting funds to manage infrastructure and hire staff poses challenges

as individuals in their full-time roles take on newly incorporated DSRIP responsibilities.”

Yet, all nonprofits that provides any health care services — such as behavioral health and opioid addiction — understand that treating an individual individually by each agency and health center or hospital is not always in the best interest of the person.

“We are trying to help treat the overall health — mind, body and spirit,” said Jim Scordo, executive director of Credo, which several years added a mental health clinic to its role in helping people end their drug addictions.

To better understand how DISRIP will affect the north country, please see this 20-minute tutorial at: https://vimeo.com/160913448 As for ALICE, a statewide United Way report released in November shows that 44 percent of the state’s households are generating incomes below the threshold needed to provide rent, food, medical care, educational opportunities for children and saving for the future.

In Watertown, the percentage is 57 percent.

That number is in part the reason the state this year awarded a $1 million anti-poverty grant to the city, which has asked the United Way of NNY to administer. We have asked former Watertown Y executive director Peter Schmitt to lead this effort to help us better understand how we can help people receive services more promptly, and fund programs that help more citizens become self-sufficient.

DSRIP and ALICE alone won’t solve all the issues facing our community. But they are good starts and will be acronyms worth knowing about in the years to come. n ROBERT D. GORMAN is president and CEO of United Way of Northern New York. Contact him at bgorman@unitedway-nny.org or 7885631. His column appears every other month in NNY Business.

We would like to give a special thanks to Shawna Cutuli for all she does in our community, both at the YMCA and outside of our walls.

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52 | NNY Business | December 2016

s mal l b u siness s u ccess

Don’t forget Facebook in media mix

A

s you are planning out your business’s advertising budget for next year, you may want to consider adding targeted Facebook ads if you have not done so already.

Being able to be very specific in defining a target audience is one of the reasons many businesses are turning to Facebook for advertising in addition to their more traditional advertising methods. For example, you can set up an audience of men ages 18 to 22 who like snowmobiling and live within either a 10 mile radius of Gouverneur or a 20-mile radius of Watertown. You can be as specific or as broad as you like, depending on the certain type of customer you are trying to reach.

If you’ve never set up a targeted audience for your Facebook ads before, here’s how you do it. At the lower-left corner of your Facebook page, there should be a blue button that says “Promote.” Facebook likes to move stuff around regularly, so if it’s not there, it will be somewhere on the page. Click it, click “see all promotions,” go to the bottom of the screen and click “Go to Ads Manager.” The dropdown menu in the upper left hand corner of your Ads Manager should give you a link to set up an audience. If it does not, click “Create Ad,” and choose an objective to be able to see the audience creator.

There are several ways to develop an audience. One way is to upload information about customers, and Facebook will match that to other people who share the same demographics and interest.

Alternatively, you can create an audi-

ence of people who have interacted with your Facebook page, mobile app, or visited your website.

Beyond those criteria, you can target customers based on their age, Jennifer McCluskey gender, and location. You can also use the detailed targeting search bar to find people that match certain interests. This is where the fun part begins. Start typing a phrase and see what comes up. Some examples are parents of teenagers age 13 to 18, people who are interested in magnum ice cream, people who are interested in handmade jewelry, people whose home value is more than $200,000, and people who are credit card “high spenders.”

Yes, it is pretty scary how much information Facebook has about us. The list goes on and on, so you can craft an audience that is detailed as much as you want.

You can also choose to include or exclude people who like your page, or send the ad to friends of people who like your page. You can choose to have your ad or boosted post come up within your audience’s newsfeed (it will say “sponsored” above the ad) or in the sidebar.

Ads in the newsfeed are a little more subtle, but it might be worth trying both to see which is most effective. You can also choose to have your ads show up on

Instagram as well.

Once you have created an audience you can save it for future use. It can be useful to test several different audiences to see which works best to meet your goal.

Continue to add audiences for variety, so you won’t be showing the ad to the same people every time.

Finally, and most importantly, you want to make sure you have a measurable goal to know if your marketing is effective. Your goal may be to get more clicks through to your website, to get more emails or calls from customers, and of course to make more sales. You will want to track the results from your ad campaign. Facebook has some insights in the ads manager, but you can also use website analyzers like Google Analytics to track clicks to your website from Facebook.

You can also include a coupon code with your ad so that you will know how many actual customers come in because of it. It is also good to test two different ads, audiences, etc. to find out what works the best to bring in more customers.

Feel free to get in touch with us at the SBDC if you want help designing your Facebook ads or if you want any other assistance for your business. We are always here to help. The Small Business Development Center has offices at SUNY Canton (315) 386-7312 and at JCC in Watertown (315) 782-9262. n JENNIFER McCLUSKEY is a certified business advisor with the New York State Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton.

Contact her at mccluskeyj@canton.edu. Her column appears bi-monthly in NNY Business.

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NNY Marketplace

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COMMUNITY / BUSINESS CALENDAR

Carthage Saturday, Dec. 10

n Twin Villages Christmas, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sponsored by Jeanette Turner with all proceeds to benefit the VEM Food Pantry.

Cost: Free. Information: Jeanette Turner, 519-7459 or 1- (518) 578-6216 or email Jeanette_turner@twcny.rr.com.

Saturday, Dec. 10

n Memory Tree Ceremony, 6:30 p.m., at corner of State and N. Mechanic streets.

A brief non-denominational ceremony by Calvary Assembly of God Church, caroling to High Rise Community Room where refreshments are served and music continues. Cost: Free. Information: Carthage Chamber, 493-3590 or carthageny.com.

Thursday, Dec. 15

n Business Community Engagement Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., Carthage Elks Lodge, Fulton St., Carthage. Hosted by Carthage Area Hospital, the informal information session and discussion will include business and local leaders.

Provides opportunity to talk about the strengths and improvement areas for the hospital with a brief presentation.

Register by Dec. 13. Cost: Free. Information/registration: Carthage Area Hospital Foundation, 519-5900.

Saturday, Feb. 11

n Winterfest, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Carthage Park. Cardboard sled races, horse-drawn wagon rides, winter games, fun for the family and open to the public. Cost: Free.

Information: Carthage Chamber, 4933590 or carthageny.com.

Clayton through Tuesday, Dec. 22

n Thousand Islands Museum Festival of Trees, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Thousand Islands Museum, 312 James Street, Clayton. Local businesses, organizations and families bring in and decorate trees or other holiday displays. Bring in a non-perishable item for out “Fill the Boat” campaign which

56 | NNY Business | December 2016

fills the St. Lawrence skiff with food for the local food pantry. Cost: Free. Information: 686-5794.

Information/Tickets: brownpapertickets. com/event/2707087?ref=349591.

Saturday, Dec. 10 to Sunday, Dec. 11

n Save the River Winter Conference, Thousand Islands Harbor Hotel, Clayton.

Save The River’s Winter Environmental Conference brings important information to the community. It is a regionally significant event that has been held annually for over 25 years. More than 150 yearround and seasonal residents, community members and local leaders hear from national and regional policy makers, scientist and opinion leaders about topics of critical importance to the health of the River. Cost: $50 per person. Information/ registration: 686-2010.

n New York State Boaters Safety Course, Noon to 4 p.m., Antique Boat Museum, Clayton. This New York Safe Boating Class will teach the basic boating skills necessary for safe and enjoyable boating. The law in New York requires that operators of a motor boat born on or after May 1, 1996 must complete a NYS boater safety course or if the operator is under 18 years of age, they may be accompanied by someone over 18 years of age who can legally operate a motorboat. The law also requires that PWC operators must be at least 14 years of age and either hold a boating safety certificate or be accompanied by someone over 18 years of age who is the holder of a boating safety certificate. Cost: Free.

Information: ABM at 686-4104, ext. 235.

To register, email the Instructor directly at cjenne35@hotmail.com.

Thursday, Dec. 15

n Business with a Twist, 5 to 7 p.m., Thousand Islands Museum, 312 James St. Networking event hosted by the Thousand Islands Museum, Cantwell & Associates and Clayton Country Club. Cost: Free. Information: Clayton Chamber of Commerce, 686-3771 or 1000islands-clayton.com.

Thursday, Feb. 16 — Saturday, Feb. 18

n 2017 Fire & Ice, 5 to 9 p.m., Thousand Islands Harbor Hotel, Clayton. Over 20,000 pounds of ice carved into functional bars and gorgeous sculptures. Complimentary wine tastings and light hors d oeuvres served in the Ballroom. Fireworks will end the evening on Friday and Saturday. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to North Country Troopers Assisting Troops. Tickets must be purchased for the specific day you attend. Drink tickets sold separately. Must be at least 21 years of age (proof of age is required) Cost: $25.

Saturday, Feb. 4

Fort Drum Thursday, Jan. 12

n Build Your Own Business, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Army Community Services Building, Conway Road, Fort Drum. This briefing touches on what factors, for example: skills, interests, etc. should go into deciding what kind of business to start.

Participants will learn about researching the potential market, how to find out licensing, funding opportunities and then turning that idea into a plan utilizing it for funding and an operating tool. Cost: Free.

Information/registration: ACS, 772-9611, or sbdc@sunyjefferson.edu.

Greig Friday, Jan. 6 through Saturday, Jan. 7

n Snowmobile Safety Course, Friday 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Barns Corners, Greig. Sno-pals hosts snowmobile safety course with Gene Brimmer. All ages welcome. Learn NYS snowmobiling laws and safety. Food and drinks provided to participants. Information/registration: Gene Brimmer, 232-4335.

Potsdam Saturday, Dec. 10

Genealogy-Finding your Family Online,

nies related to unmanned systems. Learn more about their new ventures and help welcome them to Syracuse as their make Syracuse their new home for growth. Attendees have a chance to win two tickets on Delta Air Lines. Cost: members, $15; non-member, $25. Information/registration: kdejoseph@centerstateceo.com or centerstateceo.com/news-events/businessafter-hours-and-showcasemeet-finalists.

Sunday, Dec. 11

Watertown

n LinkedIn, 12:30 p.m., Potsdam Public Library, 2 Parks St. #1, Potsdam. This class will provide information on how to create and effectively use a LinkedIn account.

LinkedIn is a business-0oriented social networking tool to find useful for anyone seeking work or those looking for employees. The event covers how to connect with people, how to input your information and create a profile. Bring a laptop and a professional photo of yourself saved on the computer. New users welcome. Cost: Free. Information/registration: Potsdam Public Library, 265-7230.

Sandy Creek Tuesday, Dec. 13

n Save Energy, Save Dollars, 4 p.m., Ainsworth Memorial Library, 6064 South Main St., Sandy Creek. Take steps to make your home more energy efficient.

Learn how to reduce energy bills with lowcost, no-cost actions. Pre-registration is required as workshop size is limited. These workshops are sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Cost: Free. Information: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County office 963-7286.

Syracuse Wednesday, Jan. 11

n 2017 Economic Forecast Breakfast, 8 to 9:30 a.m., The Oncenter, 800 S. State St., Syracuse. Join CenterState CEO members, business leaders and executives for the presentation of the region’s 2017 Economic Forecast. Keynote Speaker: Gary Keith, vice president and chief economist for M&T Bank, will present an overview of trends in the national and state economies, and their impact on the CenterState New York region. Cost: member, $40; non-member, $50. Information/registration: Centerstate CEO, 470-1800, CEO@ centerstateceo.com.

Thursday, Jan. 19

n Business After Hours and Showcase: Meet the Finalists, 5 to 7 p.m., Dinosaur Bar BQ Business Office, 246 W Willow St, Syracuse. Meet the six teams recently selected as GENIUS NY finalists. The technology-based startups from around the country are competing for more than $2 million in funding to develop their compa-

Every Wednesday through Feb. 8, 2017

n The Middle Years, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, 203 N. Hamilton St. Interactive workshops designed to explain the best practices in child development and parenting. These workshops are for caregivers of children 5-10 years old. Cost: Free. Information/ registration: Donna, 788-8450.

Saturday, Dec. 7

n Annual North Country Construction Industry Conference, Ramada Inn, 600 Arsenal St., Watertown. The annual Construction Conference will cover key financial issues facing construction companies and contractors. These topics will provide insight and help prepare you for managing business in 2017.

Topics include: Construction Contract Claims – Protecting Your Legal Standing and How to Properly Account for Them, Risk Management and Cost Trends, 2016 Tax Highlights and Updates, Economic Review – How did we fare in 2016 and what is the outlook for 2017? Cost: Free. Information/registration: Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, business.watertownny.com.

Sunday, Jan. 8

n 2017 NNY Bridal Showcase - 25th Anniversary Show, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dulles State Office Building, 317 Washington St. Meet experts in the wedding industry, view gowns, taste samples from caterers and cake companies, DJ’s, photographers, beauty, hotels, reception venues and more. Cost: Free to public and brides to be. Information: Timothy Sweeney or Melissa Aulet, wblhradio@ yahoo.com or 786-0925.

Wednesday, Dec. 14

n December Business After Hours Hosted

by The Paddock Club, Paddock Arcade, Watertown. Networking event hosted by the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce includes prizes, raffles and food. Register by Noon Dec. 13. Cost: preregistered members, $10; members, $12; nonmembers, $15. Information/registration: Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce, business.watertownny.com.

Wednesdays Jan. 11 through Mar. 22

n Grow Your Own Food! Vegetable and fruit production for home gardeners, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, 203 N. Hamilton St. Learn the basics of growing your own fruits and vegetables with Cornell Cooperative horticultural and agricultural experts. Classes include: Garden planning, soil basics, starting transplants at home, vegetables and herbs, tomatoes and growing fruit at home. Cost: $10 per class or $50 for all six. Information/ registration: Sue Gwise, 788-8450.

Friday, Jan. 27 through Saturday, Jan. 28

n Snowtown Film Festival, Downtown Watertown. Two-day film festival organized to build appreciation for filmmaking and to encourage the development of independent locally produced films. The Snowtown Film Festival offers official film selections, and a juried film competition. Cost: Free. Information: info@snowtownfilmfestival.com or snowtownfilfestival.com.

Tuesday, Nov. 15 through Tuesday, Mar. 7, 2017

n Growers’ Academy: Market Readiness Training Series, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, 203 N. Hamilton St. Learn how to grow and market for large-scale consumers. Sessions will include Becoming an Institutional Market-Ready Producer, Marketing and Developing a Business Plan, Understanding GAPs and FSMA Certification, and Buyers’ Market Panel. Dates: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday, Dec.13, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017, 8:30 a.m. to Wednesday, Feb. 8, 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday, March 7, 2017, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Cost: Sessions 1-3-$25 each; Session 4-$50; or All 5 sessions for $100; active duty soldiers or veterans are free. Information: https:// reg.cce.cornell.edu/growers_222

COMMUNITY / BUSINESS CALENDAR

11:30 a.m., Potsdam Public Library, 2 Parks St. #1, Potsdam. Learn to identify your family members of past and present.

Explore your ancestors lives through online research. The Family Search website is an easy-to-use, free resource for locating family members from the past. Learn the tools needed to navigate the Family Search site. Cost: Free. Information/registration: 265-7230.

First, Third and Fifth Mondays of The Month

n Watertown Toastmasters Club, 7 p.m., Jefferson County BOCES- Charles H. Bohlen Technical Center Administration Building, Conference Room A, 20104 State Route 3. Meetings open to anyone interested in improving community and leadership skills. Information: watertown. toastmastersclubs.org.

 GOT A BUSINESS EVENT or calendar item? Email nnybusiness@wdt. net. Deadline is the 10th of each month for the following month’s issue. Visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/NNY Business or nnybizmag.com for events calendar updates.

December 2016 | NNY Business

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b u siness scene St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner at SUNY Potsdam

From left, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce Customer Service Excellence award recipients Nature’s Storehouse, Canton. From left, Lisa

Lazenby, Mike Corse, Mary LaMere, Josh Carter, Rainbow Crabtree and Joshua Crabtree.

PAUL MITCHELL PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

PAUL MITCHELL PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce 2016 Business of the Year award recipients Cornerstone Services, Norwood. From left, Josh Card, D.J. Colbert and Andy Dennis, Cornerstone Services. The St. Lawrence Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Dinner at SUNY Potsdam on Thursday, Nov. 3.

St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce 2016 Producer of the Year award recipients Kaneb Orchards, Massena. From left, Brooke Rouse, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce executive director; Ed Kaneb and Nancy Badlam, Kaneb Orchards.

SINCE 1954

‘Cuz Winter’s Coming Back!

NNY’S Complete Automotive & Tire Service Center 839 State St., Watertown • www.CheneyTire.com 58 | NNY Business | December 2016

788-6840

B U SINE SS SCENE Lewis County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Lewis County Hospice

Rachel Gardner and Frank Pace, both with Lewis County Planning Department, Lowville.

From left, Rose Larkins, resident assistant, and Angie Lazio, employment solutions manager, both with The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter, NYSARC, Utica.

Elaine AVALLONE PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Elaine AVALLONE PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Michelle Prince, interim CEO, Lewis County General Hospital and Residential Health Care Facility; Jennifer Jones, director of services, Lewis County Department of Social Services; and Tammy Suiter, patient care coordinator, Lewis County Hospice. Lewis County Hospice hosted the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce November Business After Hours on Thursday, Nov. 3.

From left, Roxie Gerow, Peter Myer, and Mary Myer all with Lewis County Hospice.

18014 GOODNOUGH ST., ADAMS CENTER, NY

315-583-5680

HOURS: MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 8-5, THURSDAY & FRIDAY 8-6, SATURDAY 8-2

WWW.WAITEMOTORSPORTS.COM December 2016 | NNY Business

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b u siness scene Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Carthage Area Hospital

From left, Dale Klock, Carthage Area Hospital board president and Richard Duvall, hospital chief executive officer.

From left, Erin Cordova and Kayla Wight, Fidelis Care New York.

JEREMIAH PAPINEAU PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

JEREMIAH PAPINEAU PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Gary Rosenberg, Carthage Area Hospital, and wife, Carol. Carthage Area Hospital hosted the Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce November Business After Hours on Thursday, Nov. 10.

Joshua Howland and Kyla Gamble, Carthage Area Hospital imagining department.

DGM Coon & Company is proud to offer space available for rent in some of Watertown’s most desirable office locations.

DGM Coon & Company

Commercial Property Management Services 60 | NNY Business | December 2016

315-785-0015

b u siness scene Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber Business After Hours at GYMO

From left, Karen West and Chanel Rhohdes, Liberty Mutual, Syracuse.

Lori Goodman, Renzi Foodservice, Watertown; Mark Converse, First Priority Mortgage, Watertown.

HOLLY BONAME PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Scott Soules, Kevin Bamann, Dana Aikins, Ryan Churchill, Gymo Architecture Engineering & Land Surveying DPC, Watertown. GYMO hosted the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce November Business After Hours at its Watertown office on Wednesday, Nov. 30.

JEREMIAH PAPINEAU PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Mark Capone, IBEW190, Watertown; Julian Alteri, Morgan Stanley, Watertown.

OUTER WASHINGTON ST. WATERTOWN NY 315-788-6022

Let's Go Places

WaiteToyota.com

December 2016 | NNY Business

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NNY Employment

Located in New York State’s magnificent North Country, Samaritan Health (Samaritan Medical Center, Keep Home and Summit Village) has a rich history and over a century of experience helping families stay healthy through outstanding, compassionate, state-of-the-art medical care. Be part of an organization where you will find yourself surrounded by good people doing good things… every day.

CARING / HEALING / LEADING PHYSICAL THERAPISTS AND SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS

Samaritan Medical Center, Keep Home and Summit Village have full, part-time and casual opportunities with for Exceptional, dedicated people, rewarding career opportunities, excellent compensation/benefit program and the ability to shape healthcare in our community are some of the reasons to join Samaritan.

NURSE PRACTITIONER LONG-TERM CARE – SAMARITAN KEEP HOME We have an exciting opportunity for a full-time at . A clinical background in adult, family or geriatric specialties preferred. In this role, you will provide primary care to patients in long-term care settings; coordinate with their PCP and facility staff to deliver high quality care on-site. This flexible, autonomous role creates enormous satisfaction for the NP as you impact the care and comfort of our aging population. If you are looking for competitive wages and a comprehensive benefits package, discover what Samaritan has to offer.

NURSE MANAGER & NURSING SUPERVISOR LONG-TERM CARE Samaritan Summit Village has opportunities for an and must have a current NYS RN license. Long term care and/or acute care clinical experience is preferred.

The successful candidates

Qualified applicants may submit a resume on-line at http://www.samaritanhealth.com or contact Samaritan Medical Center, Human Resources, 830 Washington Street, Watertown, NY 13601, 1-800-892-4785. Samaritan is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer.

Women, Minorities, Disabled, and Veterans are encouraged to apply.

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December 2016 | NNY Business

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BusIness

www.nnybizmag.com

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