Hudson Valley Newsmakers, 7.7.2014
Central Hudson recognizes employee volunteers
Five community organizations and employees of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. were honored recently at the utility”™s 25th annual Community Service Award event.
“Central Hudson employees volunteer in many capacities with hundreds of local organizations and it”™s a pleasure to recognize this year”™s award winners,” said Steven V. Lant, CEO of Central Hudson. “Our employees make us who we are. They are committed to service ”“ to our customers when they are on duty, and to their communities as caring volunteers. This is a long-standing tradition and a key value we share at Central Hudson.”
This year, recognized employees are:
Hal Turner, manager of electric engineering services; Daniel Harkenrider, service supervisor; Lauren Lawlor, benefits analyst; Jean Cady, storekeeper; and Douglas Lewis, hydraulic mechanic.
Each recognized charitable organization received a $500 contribution from Central Hudson.
“Financial support is important, but even more important is the time, skills and leadership that committed volunteers bring to their organizations to help achieve their important missions,” Lant said.
Suffern firm wins advertising awards
The Byne Group, based in Suffern, recently won more than 15 awards, including Best of Show from the Advertising Club of Westchester.
Among the awards were three Aster Awards from Creative Imaging, based in North Carolina, for the group”™s work for Nyack Hospital, including a brochure and physicians referral pamphlet ,and a gold level recognition for its social media campaign, “Born at Nyack Hospital.”
“We are very excited that several of our media campaigns have received awards. This recognition is well deserved by The Byne Group,” said Lauren Malone, director of public relations and marketing at Nyack Hospital.
The “Build Yourself” campaign Byne created for the State University of New York proved to a big winner too, receiving accolades from the Communicator Awards of the International Academy of Visual Arts in New York City for the microsite and view book, which won Westchester”™s Best of Show.
ENTA adds veteran otolaryngologist
ENT and Allergy Associates L.L.P. has appointed otolaryngologist Mark D. Very as a partner.
Very, who is serving patients at northern Dutchess ENTA, received his medical degree from Albany Medical College where he was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and was honored with the dean”™s research award. He completed both his internship in general surgery and residency in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine, where he served as an assistant clinical instructor as well as an instructor of head and neck anatomy.
Very has long served the otolaryngologic needs of both adult and pediatric patients in the mid-Hudson Valley area, with particular expertise in the areas of pediatrics, endoscopic sinus surgery and surgical disorders of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. He is boardcertified by the American Board of Otolaryngology.
ORMC earns teaching hospital designation
Middletown-based Orange Regional Medical Center has received approval from the American Osteopathic Association to conduct a new Family Medicine Residency Program. As a teaching hospital, Orange Regional will educate medical students and train resident physicians. Family medicine residents will begin their training this month.
John Dermigny, vice chairman of the department of family medicine, was named program director. Jim Oxley, vice president of medical affairs, has assumed the role of director of medical education and chief medical officer. Ronald Israelski M.D. will serve as the director of academic affairs.
ORMC hosts 10 students from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine for their clinical rotations. Starting this month also, the program will sponsor 27 medical students with the number of students increasing to more than 40 in subsequent years. Clinical clerkships provide third- and fourth-year medical students the opportunity to rotate through the hospital and experience the practice of medical specialties, treating patients under the supervision of a physician, completing physical exams on patients, taking progress notes, soliciting patient histories and assisting in surgeries and with procedures.
The three-year residency program will provide each resident with training in areas of osteopathic family medical practice and manipulative treatment or hands-on care, and will prepare them for certification in osteopathic family practice.
“Orange Regional”™s designation as a teaching hospital is a major milestone for medical education in the Hudson Valley,” said Alan Kadish, president and CEO of Touro College and University System. “Our medical students who now rotate from our Manhattan campus will benefit from the clinical training opportunities provided by the hospital”™s world-class medical professionals and state-of-the-art facilities. In the end, the local community will be the ultimate beneficiary, as this initiative will boost the quality of health care delivery throughout the Hudson Valley region.”
Rocking Horse Ranch president joins HVEDC board of directors
Steven Turk, president of Turk Hospitality Group, which owns and operates the Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in Highland and the Splash Down Beach Water Park in Fishkill, has joined the New Windsor-based Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. board of directors.
Turk is a hospitality expert who has invested heavily in the Hudson Valley over the course of his career. The Rocking Horse Ranch Resort has become a favorite of both locals and visitors to the region and travel website TripAdvisor recently named it one of the Top 10 Hotels for Families in the United States. Turk joins the more than 40 industry leaders now serving on the board of HVEDC.
“It is an honor to welcome Steve to our board, as he brings a wealth of hospitality industry knowledge, which ”“ at a minimum ”“ we can apply to expanding HVEDC”™s successful Hudson Valley Food & Beverage Alliance initiative,” said Laurence P. Gottlieb, president and CEO of HVEDC.
Rocking Horse Ranch is an all-inclusive resort with a wide range of activities for families and is the only licensed Bob the Builder water park in America.
Turk is now continuing efforts to expand tourism in the region with the planned Wildberry Lodge indoor and outdoor resort in New Paltz. The proposed $75 million project would include 250 hotel rooms, a 65,000-square-foot indoor water park, two restaurants, rock climbing, a conference center, bowling and an outdoor zip line, among other activities and amenities.
“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to join HVEDC”™s board of directors and work alongside some of our region”™s most successful and talented business professionals,” said Turk. “By working together, we can ensure a brighter economic future for the entire Hudson Valley. I look forward to beginning my work with this outstanding organization.”
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