Thirty-one graduate from CEL Core program

By Jacqueline Molik Ghosen

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Thirty-one Western New York entrepreneurs are ready to advance their companies after graduating from the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) Core program in the University at Buffalo School of Management.

The graduation ceremony was held May 21 at the Center for Tomorrow on the UB North Campus. Speakers included Arjang A. Assad, dean of the School of Management; Edward Tierney, managing partner, BlackDog Strategy & Brand and chair of the CEL Advisory Board; and Joel Colombo, president of 360 PSG Inc. and chair of the CEL Alumni Association.

The experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders who graduated from the Core program completed a 10-month, peer-driven, mentor-based course of study to help 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 CEL graduates are:

Phillip Basile, president, Designated Drivers of Buffalo, Williamsville; Joseph Battin Jr., optometrist, Battin Eye Care & Gallery, Hamburg; Hadley Bos-Fisher, vice president, Fisher Group Cos., Hamburg; Marc Bourgeault, owner, BC Group LLC, Kenmore; Arcangelo Capozzolo, CEO, Buffalo Forklift LLC & Mac Transportation & Tours LLC, Williamsville; Jennifer Carlson, practice development coordinator, Sheridan Medical Group, Tonawanda; Carl Chisholm, sales and marketing manager, Insurance Associates Marketplace, Kenmore; Mark Cornwell, owner, North American Process Serving LLC, Williamsville; Jayson Czerniak, business development, Niagara Punch & Die/Expressed Impressions, Buffalo; Barbara Dominesey, general manager, Hidden Valley Animal Adventure, Varysburg; Robert Fohl, president, Fohl Sales Inc., Williamsville.

Also, Peter Hagner, president, Hagner Industries Inc., Buffalo; Matthew Holleran, managing director/financial advisor, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, Williamsville; Aanchal Jain, practice development coordinator, Sheridan Medical Group, Tonawanda; Patrick Leary, president, PCS Plumbing and Heating, Elma; John Mallery, owner, Mallery's Auto Body Inc., Olean; Daniel Mitchell, president, The Soap Box, Buffalo; Michael Mule, CEO, Designated Drivers of Buffalo, Williamsville; Denise Neamon, partner, Gaines Kriner Elliott LLP, East Aurora; Liza Pane, co-owner, The Grapevine Restaurant, Amherst; Thomas Pane, president, The Grapevine Restaurant, Amherst.

Also, Nicholas Salvatore, general manager, Salvatore's Italian Gardens and Garden Place Hotel, Depew; Nicole Savage, president/CEO, Nature's Way Environmental, Alden; Donna Scalfaro, owner, Carpet Care Services Inc., Depew; Kerri Seibert, owner, Custom Photo Props LLC, Silver Creek; Lynn Siegel, owner, Blums, Williamsville; Mike Tucker, vice president, Sharp General Contracting Inc., North Tonawanda; Tim Vanini, founder/CEO, New Dimensions Turf, Buffalo; Ralph Vanner, CEO, Vanner Insurance Group, Amherst; James Williamson, president, Jameson Electric, Heating and Air, North Tonawanda; and Ann Marie Ziske, vice president, Kraftwerks Inc., Tonawanda.

Donna Scalfaro, owner of Carpet Care Services Inc., received the Taylor Kew Award for her outstanding commitment to the CEL program as demonstrated by her personal growth and contribution to her class.

The UB Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2013 and will mark the occasion with several events throughout the year.

“By promoting business growth through leadership development and experiential learning, the CEL provides the tools that help entrepreneurs improve their businesses and stimulate the local economy,” said Thomas Ulbrich, executive director of the CEL. “In addition, the relationship building and sharing of expertise that takes place in the Core program benefit not only our participants, but also the School of Management, UB and the entire Western New York community.”

More than 900 CEL alumni employ more than 22,000 Western New Yorkers, and their businesses are worth more than $2 billion to the local economy. For more information, visit mgt.buffalo.edu/cel or contact the CEL at 716-885-5715 or mgt-cel@buffalo.edu.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and The Wall Street Journal for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its 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 and 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.