Jean Gerbini, of counsel with Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP, was recently honored with the John E. Leach Memorial Award.
The award is presented by the Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, recognizing outstanding service and distinguished contributions to the legal profession as a member of the TICL Section.
An attorney with Whiteman Osterman & Hanna since 1986, Gerbini focuses her practice upon issues affecting consumers and providers of insurance. She is former chairwoman of the Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law Section, and previously served as chair of that section’s insurance coverage and newsletter committees.
She currently represents the section as a member of the NYSBA House of Delegates. She also served as vice chairwoman of the Association’s Sections Caucus, which promotes best practices and advocates on behalf of all sections of the association.
Gerbini is a fellow of The New York Bar Foundation.
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Saratoga National Bank and Trust Co. appointed J. David Brown and Philip Morris to its board of directors.
Brown is president and CEO of the Capital District YMCA. He earned his bachelor’s in business administration from Roberts Wesleyan College and his MBA from University at Albany.
Brown is involved with organizations on the national, state and local levels. He serves as chairman of the Diversity and Inclusion Council for YMCA of the USA, as well as the YMCA of North America Network. He is also a board member on the governor’s Regional Economic Council and the Siena College board of trustees.
Morris is CEO of Proctors and Capital Repertory Theatre. He earned his degree in history from Hamilton College.
Through his involvement with Proctors, Capital Repertory Theatre and Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga, Morris actively works to enhance the region’s education, economic development and civic engagement.
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Wellspring has announced the addition of four members to its board of directors, Amy Knussman, John Lefner, Denise Palumbo, and Dawn Sauer.
Knussman is an attorney and partner at Donnellan & Knussman PLLC in Ballston Spa. A practicing attorney since 2003, she has represented thousands of children, parents, and relatives in family court and matrimonial matters.
She is a member of the Saratoga County Bar Association, Adirondack Women’s Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, and Collaborative Divorce Association of the Capital District.
She is the 2012 Recipient of the Legal Project’s Brigid Nolan Memorial Award, which is presented for dedication, and pro-bono service of victims of domestic violence offered through Legal Project.
Lefner is the executive director for the Capital District YMCA. He has provided leadership to the Saratoga Independent School, Double H Ranch, and YMCA associations in Rhode Island and Florida.
He is a member of the Double H Ranch 25th Anniversary Committee and the Saratoga Independent School 7th and 8th Grade Expansion Committee.
Palumbo is one of the owners of Plum and Crimson Fine Interior Design in Saratoga Springs.
She is a member of the Saratoga Builders Association and has volunteered for many years on their Showcase of Homes Committee.
Sauer is an account executive at Adirondack Trust Insurance.
She has been a member of the Saratoga Hospital Volunteer Guild, acted as a parent volunteer at Saint Clement’s Regional Catholic School, and has volunteered locally for a variety of nonprofit organizations since moving to the Capital Region in 2007. Dawn is a Leadership Saratoga alumna and serves on the Saratoga Chamber Players board of directors.
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Angelo Calbone, president and CEO of Saratoga Hospital, was among three hospital executives to receive the Donald Led Duke Heart Hero Award given by the American Heart Association last month.
Others were Dr. Steven Frisch, M.D., senior executive vice president for the Integrated Delivery System at Albany Medical Center, and Jay Cahalan, president and CEO of Columbia Memorial Health.
The Donald Led Duke Heart Hero Award recalls the many contributions that Donald Led Duke, founder of BBL Construction, made to the Capital Region, American Heart Association officials said.
The association said Frisch, Calbone and Cahalan have worked to bring Albany Medical Center, Saratoga Hospital and Columbia Memorial Health together to improve the medical care offered in the Capital Region.
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Four area residents were among seven people who are the 2016 recipients of the Empire State College Foundation’s Adirondack Trust Co. Scholarship. The scholarship provides need-based aid to undergraduate or graduate students who reside in Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Montgomery, Saratoga, Washington, Fulton, Schoharie, Greene or Columbia counties.
Larry Crandall of Glens Falls works as an asset control manager and, after completing a Bachelor of Science in business, management and economics, plans on working for an accounting firm and then opening his own practice.
Aerielle Jasper of Corinth works as a teaching assistant at Corinth Elementary School and as a respite worker and skill builder for emotionally disturbed children. Her goal is to become an elementary school teacher after completing a bachelor of arts in human development, with a concentration in early childhood education.
Monica Kiani of Watervliet is a registered nurse enrolled in the college’s School of Nursing’s RN-to-BSN program. Her career goals are to be a critical care nurse and nurse anesthetist.
Sarah Smith of Gansevoort works at the Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council as a peer counselor in the women, infants and children department. After graduation, Smith said she plans on advancing her career in working with families in larger and more varied ways.
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Jason Pajonk-Taylor of Saratoga Springs was named president and chief operating officer of the Taylor Made Group.
Pajonk-Taylor began his career at Taylor Made in 1993, working in Templemore, Ireland, as plant manager for that facility’s marine windshield business unit. In 1996 he returned to the United States to join Taylor Made Products, the company’s aftermarket accessories division based in Gloversville.
He has been president of Taylor Made Products since 2004, rising from prior positions as vice president of sales and marketing and product manager.
Pajonk-Taylor was chairman of the board of the National Marine Manufacturers Association from 2010-12 and chairman of the board of the Accessory Manufacturing Division from 2006-08. He remains active in the NMMA.
He has a bachelor’s degree in management from Bentley University.
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23rd and Fourth design shop in Saratoga Springs, has hired Beth McClain as showroom manager.
McClain, formerly of Manhattan, has a background in magazine publishing and most recently served as an advertising director at Vogue. She relocated to Saratoga Springs in early fall.
McClain will manage the design center’s day-to-day activities and provide customer support.
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The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) announced the addition of Michele DeRossi of Saratoga Springs as the organization’s community engagement and events manager.
DeRossi will manage community and fundraising events for the LGLC and work with staff to raise funds and awareness for land protection throughout the Lake George watershed.
She worked for the Nature Conservancy, where she spent three years working in development, most recently as a donor relations manager for both individual donors as well as foundations and corporations around the eastern New York region and in New York City. Prior to her work at the Nature Conservancy, she worked as events manager for the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, organizing and facilitating major events to raise money for restoration projects around the city.
She got her start in nonprofit work while living in Jackson, Wyo., where she was the marketing and events associate for Jackson Hole WILD, an organization dedicated to promoting stewardship of wildlife through the use of media.
DeRossi holds a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University in journalism and communications and attended the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Conn.
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DeCrescente Distributing Co. announced that employees William Ramsey, Marcus Harnichar, and Michael Read have earned the title of certified cicerone.
The trio makes a total of 12 people who have successfully completed the training program at DeCrescente Distributing to become Certified Cicerones.
In the beer industry, the certification program is a comprehensive testing curriculum that provides a measureable means of designating the expertise of an individual in regards to every facet of beer. Certified cicerone is the second level of certification. Those who achieve this certification have a solid and well-rounded knowledge of beer and beer service as well as basic competence in assessing beer quality and identity by taste.
There are 2,740 certified cicerones in the world and approximately 150 in New York state.