Todd Garofano, president of the Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau, is stepping down from the position in April.

Garofano is leaving to pursue other interests outside of the industry. His last day will be Friday, April 6.

Cindy Hollowood, general manager of the Holiday Inn and chairperson of the board of directors of the convention bureau,  said “We are grateful to have someone of Todd’s caliber at the helm for such an extended time. Not only did he grow our convention business by leaps and bounds, he has a terrific sales team in place to insure continued prosperity. He is well known and regarded throughout the northeast in meetings and convention circles and undoubtedly will be a hard act to follow. On behalf of the board, we wish him every success.”

A search committee was formed, led by Megan Hennessey, general manager of the Courtyard by Marriott and at-large Executive Committee member of the board of directors.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

Esperanto, a restaurant on Caroline Street in Saratoga Springs, has for years made the DoughBoy, a popular quick-grab snack, a feature of its varied menu.

This dough, about the size of a hotdog on a bun, filled with chicken, cheese and scallions, can now be found in Stewart’s Shops across the region. The agreement to supply DoughBoys to the well-known store chain, has sparked the need for Esperanto to expand.

Esperanto has been working non-stop to keep up with the new demand, and owner Will Pouch is pleased to make as many doughboys as their fans desire.

“People love them, and we are happy to make them,” said Pouch.

Pouch said he was thinking about approaching Stewart’s, but they came to him first with the idea of making DoughBoys available for a quick “grab and go” type food item at their stores. They started off in a Saratoga store in late October, where they sold immediately. They are now being sold at 23 different Stewart’s shops across the Capital District, with additional locations in college towns like Plattsburgh and Potsdam.

“We have always found a huge success with college kids, so it made sense to go to those areas,” said Pouch.

One of the region’s ophthalmology and optometry practices has joined Saratoga Hospital’s multispecialty medical group.

As of Jan. 1, Eye Care Specialists became Saratoga Hospital Medical Group-Eye Care.

Drs. Thomas Francomano, Mark Verra and Enrique Yepes-Hoyos remain in practice together in the new group. They are seeing patients on Saratoga Hospital’s Wilton Campus, in newly renovated offices on the second floor of Saratoga Surgery Center.

“For decades, our community and our hospital have benefited from the skill, expertise and compassion of these doctors,” said Dr. David Mastrianni, senior vice president, Saratoga Hospital Medical Group. “Bringing them on board the hospital medical group cements our already strong relationship and ensures that our region has continued access to the highest quality eye care.”

By Rachel Phillips

With the start of 2018 comes new year’s resolutions, and the GYM, which opened on Dec. 18, is ready to help people meet their fitness goals.

The GYM located in South Glens Falls since 2014. The popularity and success caused the business to outgrow its space. Now located at 762 Upper Glen St. in the Queensbury Shopping Plaza, the new, 7,300-square-foot facility offers members a larger facility, new equipment and an athletic trainer, T.J. Harrington, who once worked with the then-Anaheim Angels professional baseball team, and a physical therapist, Adam Lewis.

Unlike a standard gym, where members are left to work out independently, the GYM operates more like a training facility. When members first sign up, they receive an assessment, wherein a trainer determines what their personal fitness goals are and helps them set a schedule in order to achieve them.

From there, members are carefully supervised and attended by a professional trainer, who assures they’re utilizing the proper techniques in their workouts.

By Maureen Werther

Real estate developer Rich Schermerhorn Jr. is nearing completion of his latest residential community located at 147 Harrison Ave. Extension in Moreau.

Harrison Quarry will offer three-bedroom, 2.5-bath townhomes with attached one-car garages, patios, natural gas, air conditioning and all maintenance included in the $1,400-$1,500 price range, he said.

In total, 116 townhomes will be built.

Schermerhorn said construction will be completed by June 1 and the units are already 65 percent rented.

The units are approximately 1,750 square feet and offer a range of amenities, including spacious kitchens with ample cabinet space, self-cleaning ovens and frost-free refrigerators, custom blinds throughout and carpeting. There is also 24-hour maintenance staff and snow removal.

Longtime critical-care physician Desmond DelGiacco has taken on an expanded leadership role at Saratoga Hospital as senior medical director for clinical services and medical staff quality and education.

Additionally, Dr. Hung Dinh Nguyen was named medical director of critical care, filling the position previously held by Dr. DelGiacco.

A pulmonologist, Dr. DelGiacco’s contributions to critical care are acknowledged in the name of the hospital’s new, state-of-the-art Marylou Whitney and Desmond DelGiacco, MD, Intensive Care Unit.

“Dr. DelGiacco has been the face of critical care in our community for over 30 years, and our ICU patients have benefited enormously from his knowledge and expertise. This new role extends his impact to all clinical services—and virtually every patient who turns to us for care,” said Angelo Calbone, Saratoga Hospital president and CEO.

The 2018 Saratoga Showcase of Homes Committee is already planning this year’s edition of the event.

Now celebrating its 23rd year, the annual community tradition has contributed over $1.1 million dollars to local charities.

The 2018 Saratoga Showcase of Homes will take place over three weekends—Sept. 15-16, Sept. 22-23 and Sept. 29-30. It features  award-winning builders showcasing their new construction.

A “Taste of Showcase Preview” event is being planned for Friday, Sept. 14.

INTAC Actuarial Services, a national third-party pension administrator and actuarial firm with over 40 years in business, announces the opening of its first upstate New York office in Saratoga Springs.

“Choosing Saratoga Springs as the latest addition to our family of offices came naturally to us as we recognized the need to continue building a presence in this vibrant business area,” said Charles Rosenberg, INTAC managing partner. “This exciting Capital Region setting now complements our New Jersey and California offices, strengthening INTAC’s ability to serve our clients and industry partners.”

INTAC, a second generation, family-owned and operated company, provides its clients with unparalleled pension administration expertise and personalized service.