Saratoga Business Journal

SPAC Partners With 2 Businesses For Media Buying, PR And Public Affairs Initiatives

May 8, 2022

Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) is partnering with LIFT Marketing and The Martin Group to assist with paid media strategy, media buying, public relations and public affairs initiatives.

Leveraging the nationally significant programming and unique experiences SPAC provides, the collaboration aims to grow national and international awareness for SPAC, while promoting Saratoga as a year-round cultural tourism destination for travelers craving authentic, immersive arts and nature experiences, officials said.

SPAC designed its engagements with LIFT and The Martin Group to advance both artistic and business objectives, cultivating interest in the arts it features, uplifting the region’s creative communities and fueling ticket sales and tourist visits.

“Saratoga Springs is an incomparable destination for world-class arts. From the city’s vibrant downtown with scores of museums, art galleries and live music venues to SPAC’s internationally recognized festival of music and dance, visitors can immerse themselves in arts, culture, and exquisite nature. And yet, it is still undiscovered by many cultural tourists,” said Elizabeth Sobol, president and CEO of SPAC. “Our partnerships with LIFT and The Martin Group will expand our team’s capabilities to reach more people and new audiences who are craving these experiences.”

L. Clifford Van Wagner Will Receive Joseph Dalton Award At Chamber Annual Dinner

May 8, 2022

L. Clifford Van Wagner is the 2022 recipient of the Joseph Dalton Community Service Award.

L. Clifford Van Wagner was named the 2022 Joseph Dalton Community Service Award recipient and will be honored during the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce’s 103rd annual dinner on May 17.

He will also be joined by Julie Stokes who received the award in 2021. This will be the first time in two years the Chamber has hosted its annual dinner in person. Due to the pandemic, Stokes was unable to accept her award in person last year and will be appropriately recognized this year.

Currently the director of pharmacy at Wesley Health Care, Van Wagner first joined Wesley in 1976 and became the director of pharmacy in 1978.

He joins a distinguished set of past recipients, Steve Sullivan (2018); Tom Roohan (2019); John Munter, Sr. (2020); and Julie Stokes (2021) as award recipients.

“It’s my great pleasure to congratulate and honor Cliff for his outstanding service and dedication to Saratoga County for more than 40 years,” said Todd Shimkus, Chamber president. “Cliff’s servant leadership, extensive community involvement, and gracious support of many organizations throughout the county exemplifies and solidifies his passion and commitment to making Saratoga County a great place to live, work, and visit.”

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.