Good Things

Bring On The Games

Heather Bell, president of the Orange County Chamber

Resorts World Hudson Valley, which opened late December in the town of Newburgh, welcomed the Orange County Chamber of Commerce (OCCC) on Thursday Jan. 26, bringing dozens of members to its gaming floor for the chamber’s first mixer of 2023. Meghan Taylor, vice president of government affairs for Genting, told the Business Journal it is gearing up to re-open the Monster Golf Course in Kiamesha Lake in July. Heather Bell, OCCC president, said the organization has come back with a blast since Covid restrictions have finally been lifted.

ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING LAW FIRMS IN THE NATION

Coffey Modica O’Meara Capowski LLP

(CMOC) In less than a year and a half, has grown from three attorneys – the founding partners – in White Plains to more than 45 attorneys and staff in eight offices across the Northeast and included the addition of partners Michael Mezzacappa, Lawrence Luppi, Vince Avery and Glen Feinberg.

“We are growing at an unprecedented pace,” explained Juliann O’Meara, CMOC managing partner. “Not only are our impressive results yielding more business from existing clients – both insurers and self-insureds – but they are attracting new clients as well.”

Mezzacappa and Luppi handle high-exposure, catastrophic personal injury and property damage cases, bolstering the firm’s already deep bench of trial attorneys and litigators. Avery strengthens the existing employment and management liability practice while Feinberg focuses on defending ultra-sensitive, high-value cases, including those related to the Child Victims Act.

Much of Mezzacappa’s practice is focused on cases arising from explosions and fires. He has litigated and tried some of the most notable fire and explosion, product liability, premises liability and construction accident cases in New York. His experience working for a national defense firm for 21 years and as in-house counsel for a national insurance company for five years gives him experience, which allows him to intimately understand his clients’ internal procedures and challenges.

Luppi represents clients in general liability matters, including high-exposure premises liability and New York labor law cases with claims of wrongful death. He handles all aspects of litigation and works creatively and diligently to extricate his clients from their cases.

Avery defends employers across all industry sectors, focusing on two highly regulated industries hospitality and home health care. In addition, he provides advice and counsel, working closely with in-house counsel and business owners to mitigate litigation.

Feinberg is a veteran trial attorney and former Manhattan assistant district attorney, who represents educational, childcare, health care and religious institutions in general liability, employment and malpractice claims.

Michael Coffey, one of the founding partners said, “We also offer a unique collegial culture founded on mentoring and collaboration and attract attorneys who want something a little different than a traditional law firm.”

Coffey Modica O’Meara Capowski is a New York-based defense litigation firm with eight offices in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Philadelphia.

LUNCH & LEARN ESTATE PLANNING SERIES LAUNCHED

Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano LLP of White Plains and Somers has launched its 2023 Lunch & Learn Series, held at noon on the last Wednesday of each month to shed light on important elder law and estate planning topics. The Nuts and Bolts of Estate and Financial Planning program, the first in its series, takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

“Many clients come to us when they

(or their loved ones) are on the verge of losing everything, which can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets,” said Anthony J. Enea, the firm’s managing member. “Educating seniors and their families on the need for advanced planning is extremely important to all the attorneys at Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano – and it’s never too early to start. There are several planning op-

Bank Branch Managers Named

tions available for adults of all ages, yet many remain in the dark.”

The 90-minute programs, which include a light lunch and refreshments, will take place at the firm’s White Plains location and are open to the public at no cost – though space is limited. Those interested in attending are encouraged to register early by calling 914-948-1500.

NORWALK RESIDENT WINS BANK’S DRAWING

Nicole Pacione and Adam Kramer will lead two Orange County branches of the Hudson Valley Credit Union (HVCU). Pacione will serve as New Windsor branch manager and Kramer will serve as Newburgh branch manager. They each bring more than a decade of experience in financial services to their new roles.

Pacione started at HVCU’s New Windsor branch as a financial service representative in 2010 and moved up the ladder over the years. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Mount Saint Mary College.

Kramer began his career in financial services in 2013 as a branch manager and brings more than 20 years of leadership experience to his new role. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Albany.

With over $6.6 billion in assets, Hudson Valley Credit Union has been a community partner in Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Ulster and Westchester counties for nearly 60 years. The credit union is federally insured by the NCUA and is an Equal Opportunity Lender.

College President Elected

The Mercy College Board of Trustees has elected Susan L. Parish, Ph.D., M.S.W., as its 13th president. Currently dean of the College of Health Professions and Sentara Professor of Health Administration at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Parish will join Mercy College as president on July 1. The selection of Parish follows a comprehensive search for a leader to succeed President Timothy L. Hall, who announced he will retire on June 30.

teaching, mentoring and research. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree and M.S.W. degree from Rutgers University and earned her Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as completing a National Institutes of Health-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Michael Victor, left, with FirstPrize $avings winner Mr. Dais.

First County Bank awarded Hampton Dais of Norwalk, $1,000, making him the latest winner of the FirstPrize $avings account drawing. Michael Victor, the bank branch manager, said, “Mr. Dais is one of our branch “regulars –– I was excited to hear that he won and was happy to call him and share the good news.”

The FirstPrize $avings account, is a savings account with a cash prize drawing. With each eligible deposit of $25 or more, the account holder earns an entry into a drawing for a $1,000 prize. The drawing occurs four times a year, with one winner per quarter. The $1,000 prize is deposited directly into the winner’s

FirstPrize $avings account, making the money available immediately.

First County Bank, headquartered in Stamford for more than 170 years, is an independent mutual community bank with 14 branches in Stamford, Norwalk, Darien, Greenwich, Fairfield, New Canaan and Westport.

Under Parish’s leadership, the College of Health Professions at VCU experienced significant increases in graduate and undergraduate enrollment and research funding. Under her leadership, the college also launched an innovative liberal arts undergraduate degree in Health Services in 2020 and developed new certificate programs and graduate concentrations. Previously, she served as dean of Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University. Over the course of her career, Parish has been a prolific researcher primarily in the area of health disparities for people with disabilities and has garnered more than $13 million in external research funding. She has received distinctions for her