Saratoga Business Journal

Personnel Briefs: May 2022

May 8, 2022

The Adirondack Trust Co. announced it has named Bobbi Jo Lucas as senior vice president, chief retail banking officer.

Lucas joined the bank in April and is responsible for the administration, growth, and efficient operation of the bank’s retail network, including oversight of the bank’s 14 branches in Saratoga and Warren counties.

Prior to joining Adirondack Trust, Lucas’s 30-year career focused on retail banking and management. With more than 14 years of leadership at Fifth Third Bank, she provided direction to 82 financial centers across six regions in eastern Michigan.

During her tenure there, she also played a lead role in retail staff recruitment, hiring, and development.

Lucas earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kaplan University, and a business diploma from the Center for Banking Education.

She has served as an executive board member for the Boy Scouts of America—Water and Woods Council; committee co-chair for the Flint Institute of Art’s Art on Tap Event; past president of the Genesee Valley Rotary; board member for the Genesis Hospital Foundation, and more.

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NBT Bank has named Ruth Mahoney as regional president for the Capital District and North Country.

Mahoney will assume this new position in addition to her role as executive vice president and president of wealth management with responsibility for NBT’s brokerage, trust, investment and corporate retirement services businesses.

The bank also announced that David Krupski, who has served as regional president for NBT since 2012, is being promoted to chief of staff for NBT’s Commercial Banking Division.

In this new enterprise-wide position, Krupski will provide executive leadership for new lending initiatives and expansion efforts in addition to overseeing NBT’s agricultural lending and Pennsylvania commercial banking portfolios.

Mahoney joined NBT in August 2021 and has more than 30 years of industry experience, including wealth management, private banking, retail banking and regional leadership. She serves as co-chair of the Regional Economic Development Council, as immediate past chair for the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, and as a board member for Albany College of Pharmacy, Albany Medical Center Health System and New York State Teachers’ Retirement System.

Krupski has over 35 years of experience in banking and joined NBT in 2004. A resident of Clifton Park, he currently serves on the board of directors for the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce and formerly held board positions with The United Way of the Greater Capital Region and the Center for Economic Growth (CEG).

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Saratoga Springs Man Named M&T Bank’s Regional President For The Capital Region

May 8, 2022

Charles Pinckney, M&T Bank regional president for New York’s Capital Region.

Charles Pinckney of Saratoga Springs was recently named M&T Bank regional president for New York’s Capital Region, a market where the bank has grown its local deposit share while remaining the area’s top commercial mortgage lender.

M&T Bank has a branch in Clifton Park.

Pinckney will take on the added regional leadership responsibilities while remaining in a senior role supporting commercial real estate, middle market, healthcare and not-for-profit businesses.

“Charles has made a substantial impact for our customers and communities in his 14 years with M&T. He has helped companies throughout the region secure funding and adopt customized solutions to launch big projects and new initiatives, remaining focused on ensuring his work contributes to inclusive growth and strengthens the community,” said Mike Keegan, M&T Bank’s executive vice president and head of community banking.

“Our unique community model empowers local leaders to combine their banking expertise with a deep understanding of their region in order to deliver a differentiated customer experience and uplift our communities. With his local knowledge and personal commitment to making a difference in people’s lives, Charles will be an outstanding leader for this region.”

Annual Wesley Gala Will Be The First Of Events In 2022 Marking Its 50th Anniversary

May 8, 2022

The Wesley Community, shown here, will benefit from an annual gala on May 14.
Courtesy The Wesley Community

The Wesley Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Wesley Community, will host its annual gala at the Lodge at Saratoga Casino Hotel, 1 Nelson Ave., Saratoga Springs, on Saturday, May 14, from 6-10 p.m.

This year’s event, part of a year-long series to commemorate 50 years of service, will mark the first in-person gala for The Wesley Community since 2019.

Presented by The Adirondack Trust Co. this year’s theme is “Golden Gala,” a tribute to Wesley’s 50th year as a vital nonprofit organization supporting seniors in the community. Founded in 1972, The Wesley Community was established as a long-term senior care community and has steadily grown into a continuum-of-care campus featuring independent and assisted living apartments, compassionate skilled nursing and memory care services.

“The Wesley Community has been providing exceptional senior care and services for five decades and we are excited to celebrate our rich history with the return of our annual gala,” said community CEO J. Brian Nealon. “This exciting event will provide valuable funding to support Wesley Health Care Center and allow us to continue to evolve to bring high-quality care to our families and friends for generations to come.”

‘Studio 219,’ A New Hair Salon In Saratoga, Offers Many Services For Men And Women

May 8, 2022

Studio 219 at 219 Broadway in Saratoga Springs offers a full array of hair color services, men’s and women’s haircuts, and experienced hair and makeup stylists.
Courtesy Studio 219

A new hair salon opened in Saratoga Springs in the newly renovated space at 219 Broadway.

Studio 219 offers a full array of hair color services, men’s and women’s haircuts, and experienced hair and makeup stylists.

The owners are Charles Basil and John Letki. Basil has over 30 years of experience in salon services. He formerly owned Imaginary Hair on Central Avenue in Albany for 25 years.

Letki has over 30 years of experience in business, including owning a former location in New York City.

The two-person team has transformed the “just off Broadway” space themselves, with a focus on creating just the right setting to premiere their unique-style salon to Saratoga, they said.

“We have spent months restructuring the interior space to offer a metropolitan boutique salon feel,” said Basil, chief operator at Studio 219.. “We’ve brought in state-of-the- art equipment such as a new color machine that cuts down processing time at a ratio of one minute for every seven needed to retain vibrant color results.

“Once we completed the inside, we concentrated on having the outside facade attract our clientele to a welcoming space they can feel comfortable and relax in. We look forward to serving the Saratoga area with our expertise in the hair and beauty industry.”

Adirondack Trust Co. Community Fund Donates To Nonprofit Groups In The Region

May 8, 2022

The Adirondack Trust Co. Community Fund has awarded Lend-A-Hand Grants to 35 local nonprofit organizations.

The bank will match what the community has given during the Autumn of Giving campaign conducted by the fund. The effort brought in $70,295.86.

Grant awards were provided to the following organizations:

• 4-H Cornell Cooperative Extension, for the renovation of the 4-H Training Center outdoor arena bleachers.

• After the Fire, to help families in Saratoga County who suffer loss due to a fire, by providing gift cards for supplies and personal items.

• Amorak Youth, to help with music tutoring costs related to the update and repair of donated musical instruments.

• Battenkill Community Services Inc., for Adaptive Yoga equipment.

• The Ben Osborn Memorial Fund Inc., to provide personal hygiene kits for local school children in need.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks Inc., to help support the ability to recruit, screen, train, and support One Child and One Mentor and the families with whom they are matched.

Exercise Yard At McGregor State Prison Will Be Utilized By Historic Grant Cottage

May 8, 2022

This residence is where President Ulysses S. Grant went to complete his memoirs.
Courtesy NYS Parks and Recreation

The former Mount McGregor State Correctional Facility’s four-acre exercise yard has been transferred to Grant Cottage State Historic Site,

The newly transferred land will accommodate new site amenities, including an outdoor pavilion for programs and events, accessible parking and historical interpretation of the original Hotel Balmoral, the first development on Mount McGregor.

The cottage, on the hotel grounds, was offered as a residence to President Ulysses S. Grant to complete his memoirs at the end of his life. Before his death in July 1885, Grant spent the last five weeks of his life at the cottage, writing his memoirs while battling cancer. The cottage, which has since been linked to the 18th president, became a historic site in 1890 and remains essentially the same as during his stay.

In April, to celebrate Grant’s 200th birthday and promote the opening of the 2022 season, State Parks and the Friends of Grant Cottage unveiled a National Historic Landmark plaque, which is inset into a boulder at the base of the flagpole in front of the cottage.

The site was named a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in January 2021, making it one of only 275 properties to receive the designation in New York state. National Historic Landmarks are historic properties that illustrate the heritage of the United States.

Business Briefs: May 2022

May 8, 2022

Franklin Community Center was awarded two grants in support of its low-income housing program. The building serves as a safe haven for individuals who may be faced with homelessness, living in substandard conditions or waiting for subsidized housing to become available.

It offers 17 single-occupancy efficiency apartments that serve as permanent, safe housing for low-income adults. The funding assistance will support needed improvements on the 35-year old building, located centrally in downtown Saratoga Springs.

The Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation’s community development funding stream issued a grant in the amount of $11,500. The program also received an award of $3,000 from The Glens Falls Foundation in support of the on-going improvements.

These grants, plus an additional $3,000 from the Adirondack Trust Co. Community Fund awarded in December of 2021, will help to fill a gap in financial resources for one of Franklin Community Center’s crucial key programs.

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The Saratoga County History Center is seeking vendors of handmade crafts, antiques and farm products for the annual craft fair on Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

No mass-produced or commercially-made items will be permitted. Spaces are available outdoors, with limited spaces available indoors. This is a rain or shine event.

Contact Beth Silvestri for more information at (518) 885-4000 or bsilvestri@brooksidemuseum.org

Brookside Museum is located at 6 Charlton Street, Ballston Spa.

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State Grant Funds Will Help Grow Programs Along Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park

May 8, 2022

Part of the $3.4 million in Conservation Partnership Program grants announced by the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will benefit the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park.

There will be 80 grants funded through New York’s Environmental Protection Fund and will leverage an additional $2.7 million in private and local funding to support projects that protect water quality and farmland, boost public access for outdoor recreation, and conserve open space. The Land Trust Alliance administers the Conservation Partnership Program in coordination with DEC.

“We applied for the grant under the Catalyst category”, said Margo Olson, executive director of Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park. “This category is for innovative partnerships and we reached out to Saratoga PLAN. It was a natural outgrowth of past collaborations with them and a great opportunity to further conservation, environmental education, and outdoor recreation in our community.”

The Preserve & Park’s unique partnership structure whereby they do not own the protected lands on which they operate, has allowed them to embrace their role as environmental educators and facilitators to the community’s outdoor recreational opportunities.

Over the past decade, WWPP has worked hard to develop a year-round program of both educational and recreational programming, offering activities to the public with a robust series of programs for local schools, summer programs, afterschool, and other groups in the area. These walks and programs take place on lands owned by DEC, the Town of Wilton, and Saratoga County; the partners of the Preserve & Park.

Saratoga Casino Hotel Owners Buy Magnolia Bluffs Casino & Hotel In Mississippi

May 8, 2022

Located on the Mississippi River, Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel opened in 2012.
Courtesy Magnolia Bluffs Casino & Hotel

Saratoga Casino Holdings LLC, owner of both Saratoga Casino Hotel in Saratoga Springs, and Saratoga Casino Black Hawk in Black Hawk, Colo., has entered into a definitive agreement with Casino Holding Investment Partners LLC to acquire Magnolia Bluffs Casino & Hotel in Natchez, Miss., subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

“We are proud to add Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel to our portfolio of gaming assets and further diversify our business,” said Sam Gerrity, Saratoga Casino Holdings CEO. “We are committed to operating first class gaming facilities, and we do that by creating lasting relationships with our guests, team members and the communities that we serve. We look forward to welcoming Magnolia Bluffs guests and team to the Saratoga family.”

Located on the Mississippi River, Magnolia Bluffs Casino Hotel opened in 2012 and features over 450 slot machines, 14 table games, restaurant and bar, sportsbook and a 141-room hotel located off-site in the heart of the city.

“While this was an extremely tough decision for our partnership, it will truly leave our team and valued customers in the best hands possible,” said Kevin Preston, Partner and president of Magnolia Bluffs Casino & Hotel. “Due to the long history we have here in Natchez, it was important for us to ensure we found the right company that has the same values and passion we do for the community and our team members here at Magnolia Bluffs Casino & Hotel.

Wind-Chill Factory In Ballston Spa Offers Ice Cream, Food Off The Grill And Mini-Golf

May 8, 2022

Brandon and Keely Whalen of Wilton recently opened Wind-Chill Factory.
©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Christine Graf

Husband and wife Brandon and Keely Whalen of Wilton recently opened Wind-Chill Factory, a seasonal ice cream, food, and miniature golf business at 3 Trieble Ave. in Ballston Spa.

The flagship location of Wind-Chill Factory was opened in Ticonderoga in 1996 by Brandon’s father, Bobby Porter. Brandon grew up working at Wind-Chill Factory. He met his future wife while they were classmates in high school. Keely’s parents, John and Roberta Cooper, own Frenchy’s, a roadside food and ice cream business in Crown Point in Essex County.

“They purchased it when I was two years old, so I literally was born and raised in the industry,” said Keely Whalen of Frenchy’s. “Brandon was also raised in the exact same kind of business. He worked there all through high school and up until he joined the Navy.”

The couple married in 2015 and lived for several years in Connecticut while Brandon was stationed there They relocated to the Capital Region in 2019 after he was reassigned to the Nuclear Power Training Unit in Ballston Spa where he serves as an instructor.

The Whalen’s have always dreamed of opening their own Wind-Chill Factory location.

“We’ve always said that we wanted to do that,” said Whalen. “Brandon’s getting out (of the Navy) in a year-and-a half, and we saw the place in Ballston Spa and decided to ask if the owner was open to selling.”

The business, Mr. Bill’s, was not for sale at the time. The owner made the decision to sell after being approached by the Whalens.

Before opening Wind-Chill Factory on April 7, they restored the miniature golf course with 18 new greens. They also purchased some new equipment and reconfigured the interior.