Business news: Herkimer College appoints Procopio assistant director of public relations

Herkimer County Community College has appointed Kari Procopio, of New Hartford, to the position of assistant director of public relations.

Procopio will play a key role in planning, executing and assessing internal and external communication strategies that increase the visibility and reputation of the college with a variety of stakeholders and the general public.

Procopio brings more than 20 years of experience in communications, marketing and public relations work to the position. She most recently held the position of deputy director of administration and community engagement for the Utica Zoo, overseeing administrative operations and directing community engagement.

Procopio has a bachelor’s degree in journalism, with a concentration in political science, from Utica College.

IN OTHER BUSINESS NEWS:

• Registration is open for the Mohawk Valley Institute for Learning in Retirement’s (MVILR) four-week winter session. Classes begin Monday, Jan. 24, and they will take place virtually, throughout the community, or at its new location at Mohawk Valley Community College, 1101 Floyd Ave., Rome. Courses range in format from large lectures to small discussions taught by volunteer facilitators, members, and guest professionals who enjoy sharing their expertise, talents, interests, and enthusiasm for lifelong learning. MVILR offers full- and partial-year memberships, which include access to more than 125 classes each year in subjects from art and literature to science and technology to health and wellness over three sessions—winter, spring, and fall. To view the full catalog, become a member, or to register for courses, visit mvcc.edu/mvilr or call 315-334-7761.

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• Dr. Tayo Obatusin has joined the Mohawk Valley Health System as assistant clinical professor of psychiatry, psychiatry residency program director, and director of behavioral service line. Obatusin received his medical degree from the College of Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. He completed his residency in psychiatry at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and his fellowship in addiction was completed at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He has more than 35 years of experience, and is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Obatusin is accepting new patients at the MVHS Behavioral Health office located at 1676 Sunset Avenue in Utica and can be reached by calling 315-624-6154.

• Mohawk Valley Community College, through a grant from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), is offering free Worker Fatigue training until Sept. 30, to those working in manufacturing facilities, general industry, and healthcare, or are looking for work and who may be limited-English or refugees. This two-hour training will cover the impact worker fatigue can have on the industry and individuals, the correlation between fatigue and human error, typical causes and common situational hazards of worker fatigue, recognizing symptoms, coping skills, and actions to take to address situations likely to cause fatigue. Flexible times can be offered to accommodate various shifts. The training will be translated into multiple languages and translators will be available at no cost. All in-person trainings will be in strict compliance with COVID-19 protocols. On-site presentations can be set up by contacting Terésa Fava-Schram, coordinator of Workforce Development at MVCC, at 315-334-7778 or tfavaschram@mvcc.edu.

• Cassandra Bayes is the new administrator at The Mohawk Homestead, 62 E. Main St., Mohawk. Bayes has a wealth of experience, knowledge and education with the healthcare industry, most recently at the Alpine Rehabilitation and Nursing facility in Little Falls. She will be focused on expanding resident enrollment and engagement while meeting the challenges of COVID.

• Turning Stone’s Skʌ:nʌ́: spa has been named the No. 1 spa in North America for 2021 by Spas of America, one of the largest spa and wellness travel publications in the United States. For the 2021 awards, spas across 38 states, Canada, and Mexico were ranked — with Skʌ:nʌ́ placing as travelers’ No. 1 choice in North America. Skʌ:nʌ́:was the first Native American inspired spa in the Northeast and pays homage to Oneida and American Indian culture through décor, ambiance, treatments and hospitality.

• Intellectual property attorney Bryan Smith has joined the Bond, Schoeneck & King firm in its Rochester office as senior counsel. Smith is a graduate of Little Falls High School, Hamilton College and Boston College Law School. He previously was an IP attorney with Troutman Pepper in Rochester.

• Rome Health’s bariatric surgery center has been accredited by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), a joint quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). Rome Health offers laparoscopic gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and revision procedures, in addition to medical weight loss management. MBSAQIP-Accredited centers offer preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for patients with obesity. To earn this accreditation, Rome Health met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure and patient care pathways, ensuring its ability to support patients with obesity. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its surgical outcomes and identifying opportunities for quality improvement.

• Noah Hartung, from Oriskany, has joined the Birch Wealth Management team as operations specialist. Hartung received a business administration degree from SUNY Polytechnic Institute. Birch Wealth Management, established in 2019 and located at 414 N. James St., Rome, is an independent and comprehensive wealth management firm focusing on the practice of investment strategies and risk allocation, asset accumulation plans, retirement income planning, estate and contingency planning, special need planning, education planning, tax planning and business succession planning. For more information, go to birchwealth.com.

• Elizabeth (Liz) Rousseau has been promoted to vice president of human resources at Cathedral Corporation, with headquarters at Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome. Rousseau will lead Cathedral’s human resources function, including talent acquisition and management, organizational effectiveness, compensation and benefits, and compliance. Rousseau has served more than 10 years with Letter Concepts, which was acquired by Cathedral Corporation in June 2021. She brings experience in office management and employee relations and has been a licensed insurance agent for more than 25 years. Additionally, her responsibilities included the development, implementation, and administration of employee benefits as well as the commercial insurance needs of businesses.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Herkimer College appoints Procopio assistant director public relations