Class Notes
New job? Promotion? Your classmates and colleagues want to know. Send your updates for Class Notes to mgt-editor@buffalo.edu.
Individuals are listed according to the year of their most recent School of Management degree.
Class Years
Phil Szabla, BS ’75, was named senior vice president and general counsel at Global Advanced Metals.
Denis Moore, BS ’86, was named senior vice president of finance at HDMZ.
Joseph Randle, MBA ’87, joined the Community Action Organization’s Drug Abuse Research and Treatment program as a substance abuse counselor.
Steven J. Harvey, BS ’93, MD, chief executive officer of Integrity Partners for Behavioral Health IPA, received the 2023 Excellence in Research Award for Community Partners from the UB School of Social Work.
Ron Hamilton, BS/MBA ’94, was appointed director on the Bermuda Monetary Authority Board.
Andre Persaud, MBA ’94, was named president and CEO of retail at United Natural Foods Inc., where he will lead the company’s two retail banners, CUB and Shoppers Food Warehouse.
Joseph Saad, BS ’96, was named private client banker assistant vice president at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Alumni Spotlight: The Bills fan of the year
Last fall, the Buffalo Bills invited Del Reid, CEL ’22, to Highmark Stadium for what Reid was told would be an interview on the history of Bills Mafia — a term Reid is credited with coining.
But what Reid was actually there for was a surprise announcement that he had been selected as the Bills Fan of the Year for 2023.
The Fan of the Year initiative celebrates extraordinary fandom and showcases outstanding team enthusiasm. The selected Fan of the Year shares a deep connection with the team, ignites game day enthusiasm and inspires others through their love of football.
Reid is the founder of 26 Shirts, a company that sells t-shirts to benefit local charities and families in need. He formed the company after #BillsMafia became a sensation because he says he felt a calling to use his platform to help the Buffalo community.
To date, 26 Shirts has donated more than $1.8 million through sales of its limited edition, Buffalo-themed shirts.
“I've always tried to turn it back into ‘How can you help your fellow fan?’,” he said. “Being Fan of the Year is awesome, but to have played a small part in the fact that 70,000 fellow fans (at Highmark Stadium) plus everybody outside — that they’re taking their fandom and turning it into good work in the community, that’s the most important thing.”
Christopher Nickson, JD/MBA ’98, was recently published in World at Work for an article he authored about supporting digital nomads as the “great resignation” comes to an end.
Lisa LaTrovato, BS ’99, was named director of leadership and legacy giving programs at WNED.
Erin O’Brien, MBA ’00, was named chief student retention innovation officer at the University at Buffalo, and also is serving as interim director of international admissions and enrollment.
John Persons, EMBA ’00, was named chief executive officer of Northeast Grocery Inc., the parent company of Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Friendly Markets.
Jennifer Seth-Cimini, MBA ’02, received the Outstanding Service Award from UB’s Professional Staff Senate. The award is presented to UB employees whose professional excellence and outstanding service of noteworthy scope and depth is beyond that encompassed by an individual’s job description.
Jennifer Wiler, MD/MBA ’03, was named to the 2022 list of 26 Patient Safety Experts to Know by Becker’s Healthcare.
Val Czamara, BS ’04, was named senior performance manager at Alley, an Australia-based advertising agency.
Eric Hepkins, PMBA ’04, chief executive officer of Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union, has led efforts to build a commercial lending portfolio from the ground up, to more than $30 million.
Jamie Batt, JD/MBA ’05, partner at Rupp Pfalzgraf LLC, was named a 2023 ATHENA Leadership Award finalist by The Buffalo Niagara Partnership.
Javeena Edwards, BS ’05, was named interim CEO of Girl Scouts of Western New York.
Ronald Ferri, EMBA ’05, was promoted to president of Tops Friendly Markets.
Nick Ambrose, MBA ’06, CPA, was promoted to executive vice president and director of corporate reporting at M&T Bank.
Brenda Turteltaub Feldstein, PMBA ’06, was a 2023 artist-in-residence at Uniland Development Company’s HANSA Workspace with her exhibit, Eyes of Wonder: A Photographic Exploration of Nature and Gratitude.
Adam Poole, BS ’08, CPA, director at Freed Maxick CPAs, was named to Buffalo Business First’s 40 Under 40 list for 2023.
Lawrence Ng, EMBA ’09, was named head of Asia at Gorilla Technology Group.
Joe Alfieri, PMBA ’10, was promoted to president, space and defense group, at Moog Inc.
Jim Gibson, EMBA ’10, was promoted to vice president of operations, West Region at Tops Friendly Markets.
Nate Carbrey, BS/MBA ’12, CPA, was named global corporate controller at Paddle.
Jill Whalen Helms (Douglas), BS ’04, EMBA ’12, was named strategic human resources business partner - Military Aircraft Group at Moog Inc.
Jessica Bundy, BS ’13, manager, consumer insight at The Walt Disney Company, was named one of the 2023 Top 50 Social Intelligence Insiders by The Social Intelligence Lab.
West Richter Jr., BS/MBA ’13, was promoted to director, global IT service delivery at Moog Inc.
Tyra Johnson Hux, PMBA ’06, CEL ’14, Western New York operations director at LISC NY, was named a 2023 ATHENA Leadership Award finalist by The Buffalo Niagara Partnership.
James Macri, BS ’10, JD/MBA ’14, was promoted to partner at Goldberg Segalla LLP.
Aimable Twagilimana, EMBA ’14, professor of English at Buffalo State University, was appointed as a Distinguished Service Professor by the State University of New York Board of Trustees.
Joe Fletcher, EMBA ’15, was named senior program manager at Kinaxis.
Jay Katz, BS ’15, senior investment manager at Launch NY, was named to Buffalo Business First’s 30 Under 30 list for 2023.
Christina Pearl, CEL ’15, corporate director of communications at Horizon Health Services, was named to Buffalo Business First’s 40 Under 40 list for 2023.
Eric Seger, BS ’14, MBA ’16, was named vice president of sales and marketing at Buffalo Broadband.
Michael Stuber, BS Engineering/MBA ’16, was named vice president, information management and reporting, lead analyst at M&T Bank.
Constance McMillan, BS ’17, PHR, was named human resources manager at Buffalo AKG Art Museum.
Jeffrey Pilipczuk, BS Engineering/MBA ’17, was named project manager at Lemartec Corp.
Ryan Besecker, EMBA ’18, was promoted to supply chain director; policy, sustainment and ESG at Moog.
Erik Hoertz, BS ’02, CEL ’18, vice president of finance and operations at Integrity Partners for Behavioral Health IPA, received the 2023 Excellence in Research Award for Community Partners from the UB School of Social Work.
Deirdre Raduns, MBA ’18, was named head of product management for protein analytics at Sartorius, a life science biopharmaceutical company.
George Tibil, BS ’13, MS ’18, co-founded Dragos Capital, an acquisition company that specializes in investing in and forging partnerships with small to medium-sized businesses.
Gwendolyn Bork, CEL ’19, independent financial advisor at The Legend Group, was named a 2023 ATHENA Leadership Award finalist by The Buffalo Niagara Partnership.
Benjamin Gutsin, BS ’19, OD, earned a Doctor of Optometry degree from Salus University and joined UBMD Ross Eye Institute as an optometrist and clinical instructor of ophthalmology.
Kevin Manne, PMBA ’19, APR, was named the May C. Randazzo Outstanding Practitioner by the Public Relations Society of America, Buffalo Niagara Chapter.
Sonya Tareke, BS ’17, MBA ’20, was accepted into the 2023 Karen Lee Spaulding Oishei Fellowship for Leaders of Color.
Cassidy Malough, MBA ’21, senior program manager at Goodwill of WNY, was named to Buffalo Business First’s 30 Under 30 list for 2023.
Michelle Unger, EMBA ’21, was promoted to vice president of master data governance at Paramount Global.
Dhara Oza, BS ’22, was named risk ops associate analyst II at Citi.
Anna Zuefle, MBA ’22, was named business insights fellow at McKinsey & Company.
Karina Alfaro, BS ’21, MBA ’23, was named management development program associate at M&T Bank.
Bidisha Bandyopadhyay, MS ’23, was named business process analyst at Navy Federal Credit Union.
Meghan Dieroff, BS ’18, MS ’23, was named asset management analyst at Northland.
Man Wei (Andy) Ho, BS ’23, was named data and operations specialist in the UB School of Management.
Andrew Januska, MS ’23, PT, DPT, was named business intelligence analyst at Hospice and Palliative Care Buffalo.
Jahnavi Jayaprakash, MS ’23, was named product manager at Covetrus.
Priya Sanjay Kadam, MS ’23, was named senior product manager - technical at Mastercard.
Riddhima Maheshwari, MS ’23, was named associate data engineer at CVS Health.
Dan Marino, MBA ’23, was named advanced operations analyst at Moog.
Alysha Urena, MS ’23, was named budget analyst for the New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget.
Kajol Waghela, MS ’23, PSM, was named solutions architect at Bloomberg.
Randy Zou, MS ’23, was named management development program associate at M&T Bank.