First New York Federal Credit Union announced that Brandon Talar has joined its Lending Department as a mortgage loan originator
Talar is responsible for new residential mortgages and identifying, developing, and maintaining a network of business relationships for the credit union. He will meet with prospective borrowers, analyzing credit and financial data and determining borrower financing objectives and goals.
His work experience includes Lia CJDR as a finance manager; NorthStar Chevrolet as a finance director/sales manager; Goldstein Auto Group as a finance manager and Northeast Acura as a sales associate.
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NBT Bancorp Inc. announced that Scott A. Kingsley has been appointed executive vice president and chief financial officer.
Kingsley will join NBT’s executive management team and be based at the company’s headquarters in Norwich, NY.
He brings 35 years of experience to his new role, including 16 years as a member of the leadership team at Community Bank System, Inc. where he served as chief operating officer and prior to that as chief financial officer.
Kingsley started his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers and was employed there for eight years before joining the Carlisle Companies, Inc., a large publicly traded manufacturer and distributor, where he served first as corporate controller and then as chief financial officer of its Carlisle Engineered Products operating division.
A Certified Public Accountant, Kingsley earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting at Clarkson University. He is a community leader and volunteer, serving on the Crouse Health Foundation Board of Trustees and on the Audit and Finance Committee for the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse. He also volunteers with OnMyTeam16, a nonprofit organization supporting children in the fight against cancer, and is currently training for the 2021 Boston Marathon as part of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute team.
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Skidmore College has appointed Anita Jack-Davies and Christopher Barnes to two key diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leadership positions.
Jack-Davies is Skidmore’s deputy chief diversity officer and inaugural director of The Center at Skidmore. She joins Skidmore from the faculty of arts and science at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, where she served as assistant dean of equity, diversity, inclusion and indigeneity.
She will work with divisional representatives across campus, partner with colleagues in Student Affairs and support affinity groups; coordinate the annu
al In It series; and support the Racial Justice Initiative.
She formerly served as director of strategic partnerships and development at Ryerson University in Toronto. She holds a Ph.D. and master’s degree,
with concentrations in cultural and policy studies, from Queen’s University, as well as bachelor’s degrees from the University of Western Ontario (Althouse College) and the University of Toronto (Victoria College).
Barnes is the director of the Office of Student Diversity Programs. He comes to Skidmore from the University of Redlands in Redlands, Calif., where he served as a resident director in Residential Life and was involved in Title IX and restorative justice work.
Barnes will provide strategic visioning for the office, relaunch the OSDP Mentor Program, provide advising and support to OSDP clubs and organizations, and partner with
the Campus Life and Engagement team and The Center to strengthen DEI support and programming at Skidmore.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from McPherson College and a Master of Science degree in education from California Baptist University. He is currently enrolled in the Doctorate in Leadership for Educational Justice program at the University of Redlands.
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Saratoga Hospital Volunteer Guild awarded $1,500 scholarships to five area high school seniors: Cristina DeMeo of Saratoga Springs, Lauren Fowler of Malta, Ava Herzog of Saratoga Springs, Riane Richard of Clifton Park, and Alexis Sutphin of Queensbury.
All were selected for their combination of academic achievements, community service and a desire to pursue a career in healthcare. Four participated in SSOAR: Students Sharing Opportunities and Responsibilities. The summer volunteer program gives area youth an opportunity to gain firsthand experience by providing compassionate customer service in a healthcare environment.
DeMeo, of Saratoga Springs High School, volunteered with SSOAR and at Glens Falls Hospital throughout high school. She participated in the Summer Fellowship Program of The RNA Institute at the University at Albany and used the knowledge she gained in bioinformatics to create an award-winning project, “A Differential Gene Expression and Alternative Splicing Analysis of ALS-Causing Mutations.” DeMeo will attend Harvard University.
Fowler, of Ballston Spa High School, participated in the highly selective New Visions Health Careers Exploration Program. She volunteered at an elder care facility and as a SSOAR volunteer in Saratoga Hospital’s Alfred Z. Solomon Emergency Center. Fowler will study nursing at the University of Vermont.
Herzog, of Saratoga Springs High School, was a volunteer with SSOAR, a junior volunteer at Glens Falls Hospital, a counselor at Camp Invention and a volunteer at Double H Ranch. She was involved in biology research at Skidmore College and was named a Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar for her project, “The Effect of the Retinal Degeneration Mutation rd1 on Circadian Locomotor Activity and Nesting Behavior in Mice.” Herzog will attend Stony Brook University as a student in the Scholars for Medicine B.S./M.D. program.
Richard, of Shenendehowa High School, volunteered with a variety of community service organizations. Her most significant contributions were to Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany, where she helped visually impaired teens and children during group activities. She also organized video story times during the pandemic. Richard will major in biochemistry at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Sutphin, of Queensbury High School, volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and impressed Saratoga Hospital providers during her time as a SSOAR volunteer. One Saratoga Hospital physician cited Sutphin’s commitment, empathy and positive attitude—wonderful attributes for a future nurse. Sutphin will study nursing at Adirondack Community College.
Saratoga Hospital Volunteer Guild has awarded scholarships since 1990 to help high school seniors in the region pursue careers in healthcare.