UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Graduates Largest Class

By Jacqueline Molik Ghosen

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Forty-six Western New York business owners, operators and high-level managers have graduated from the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) Core program in the University at Buffalo School of Management, the largest graduating class in the program’s 21-year history.

The graduation ceremony was held June 3 at the UB Center for Tomorrow on the North (Amherst) campus. Arjang A. Assad, dean of the School of Management, spoke on behalf of the school, and Marsha Henderson, vice president for external affairs at UB, provided the keynote address.

Nearly 700 CEL alumni employ more than 22,000 Western New Yorkers, and their businesses are worth more than $2 billion to the local economy.

Core program graduates completed a 10-month program for experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders who wish to grow, refocus or better manage their businesses. They performed an in-depth analysis of their own businesses while developing expertise in key areas such as strategic planning, employee relations, capital acquisition and marketing.

The UB CEL Core program graduates are:
Robert Albert, president/owner, Impressive Imprints, North Tonawanda; Andrew Archer, owner, Phymedco, Tonawanda; Donald Balcerzak, vice president, Balcerzak Builders, East Aurora; Dennis Bauman, president, Amazon Vending Services, Kenmore; Michael Beecher, president, CoreIP Systems, Buffalo; Rosanne Braxton, vice president, administration, Schroeder Braxton & Vogt, Amherst; Phyllis Burgio, chiropractor, Dr. Phyllis Burgio Chiropractic, East Amherst; Frank Burkhart Jr., president, Advanced Architecture and Planning, Grand Island; Salvatore Calandra, M.D., cardiologist/partner, Cardiology Group of WNY, Williamsville.

Also, Bridgette Cassety, vice president, Veracity Benefit Designs, Amherst; Pierluigi Cipollone, president, Paramount Computing Associates, Batavia; Philip Colarusso Sr., president, Luminated Landscapes, East Aurora; Sandra Coon, president, Peerless Air Conditioning and Heating, Buffalo; Daniel Creek, president, Aire Heating Service, Buffalo; Todd Czarcinski, owner, Hamburg Floor Covering/Modern Tile, Blasdell; Joseph Deni, vice president, Denny Machine Co., Buffalo; Joe Fox, president, 4WARD Marketing Products, Williamsville; James Genthner, founder and executive vice president, EPIC Advisors, Rochester.

Also, Eric Hazard, president, L.A. Hazard & Sons, Derby; James E. Hornung Jr., vice president, Elbers Landscape Service, Buffalo; Steven Jacobs, president and CEO, STS Trailer & Truck Equipment, Buffalo; Lenny Johnson, president, L&D Johnson Plumbing & Heating, Buffalo; Kamal Jowdy, president/owner, Delft Printing, Lancaster; Timothy Kirst, vice president, Kirst Construction, North Boston; John Lydon, president, Left Coast Design Studio Architecture, Lancaster; Niharika Mahapatra Belt, co-owner, ACEN, Buffalo; J. Efrain Martinez, superintendent, Charter School for Applied Technologies, Buffalo.

Also, William Marusza, president, Armored Access, Cheektowaga; John Mathison, owner, Expedite/WNY Logistics, Buffalo; Catharine McCracken, president, Trellis Marketing, Kenmore; Richard Mestieri, vice president, engineering/chief information officer, Delaware Manufacturing Ind. Corp., Wheatfield; Dwight Moldenhauer, owner, Moldenhauer Advisory Services, Buffalo; Edward Monacelli, owner, EMCS, Hamburg; Michelle Mullen, owner, Health and Fitness Solutions, Amherst; Joseph Murphy, president/owner, Ingenious, Buffalo; John Napier, president, Napier & Son, Tonawanda; Barrett Price, owner, Bear Metal Works, Buffalo;

Also, Marge Rein, president, Educated Healthcare, Clarence; Kate Resetarits, operations and business development, Resetarits Construction, Buffalo; Lawrence Rutkowski, director of exit planning and support services, Praxiis Business Advisors, West Seneca; Saed Shafie, owner, Buffalo Signmakers, Kenmore; Stephanie Simeon, executive director, Heart of the City Neighborhoods, Buffalo; David Stinner, president, US itek, Buffalo; Kenneth White, manager of engineering/manufacturing, Eskay Metal Fabricating, Buffalo; Andrew Young, president, The Young Group, Batavia; and Alan Zdon, president, Digitalfix.com, Tonawanda.

Established in 1987, the UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership promotes business growth through leadership development and experiential learning.

“The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership provides a crucial link between these businesses and the School of Management. The relationship building and sharing of expertise that takes place in the core program are invaluable to both the School and participants,” said Thomas Ulbrich, executive director of the CEL.

For more information, visit mgt.buffalo.edu/cel or contact the CEL at 716-885-5715 or mgt-cel@buffalo.edu.

The Wall Street Journal has ranked the UB School of Management No. 9 in the nation among schools with strong regional recruiting bases. In addition, BusinessWeek has ranked the school as one of the country's top 5 business schools for the fastest return on MBA investment, and Forbes cited it as one of the best business schools in the U.S. for the return on investment it provides MBA graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system that is its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.