New manager
PLATTSBURGH — Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co. has appointed Daniel A. Segrell to vice president and indirect lending manager.
Segrell joined the bank in 1990 in the Proof Department. In 1992, he became ACH Clerk in the Deposit Services Department and in 1995 he became a credit analyst in the Credit Department. He held other positions as a customer service representative and a direct loan originator before joining the Indirect Lending Department as an indirect credit lender in 1999. He was promoted to indirect loan officer in 2001 and in 2004 to assistant vice president and indirect loan officer.
Segrell graduated from Plattsburgh State with a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Business. Active in the community, he serves on the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Boys Basketball Championships Ad Committee and is a blood donor for the American Red Cross.
He is a 2005 graduate of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program. In 1994, 1998 and 2007, he was elected to the bank's High Performance Club and was elected high performer of the year in 2007.
Approved appraiser
PLATTSBURGH — John J. Girard, vice president of Morrison & Miller Inc., was recently appointed to the Veterans Administration roster of approved appraisers.
Engaged in the appraisal business since 1982, Girard has been a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser with Morrison & Miller since 1992.
Through membership in the National Association of Realtors, The New York State Association of Realtors, The New York State Society of Real Estate Appraisers, The Clinton County Board of Realtors Inc., the Adirondack-Champlain Valley Multiple Listing Service and the Chamber of Commerce, Girard has kept informed on current trends in the national, state and local real-estate industry.
Girard also holds a New York State Real Estate Brokers License and a New York State Insurance Brokers License.
Helicopter survey
ALBANY — New Yorkers may notice increased helicopter activity in the coming weeks as National Grid undertakes its annual helicopter inspection of more than 6,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines in upstate New York.
The rugged and isolated terrain makes the use of helicopters an efficient and accurate patrol when coupled with regularly scheduled ground-level inspections.
"Spotting potential problems before they turn into service interruptions is an essential part of maintaining the safety and reliability of the transmission system that supplies power to National Grid's 1.6 million New York electricity customers and other electric utility companies," said Gerald Convery, National Grid's director of electricity transmission inspections and maintenance.
The inspections are conducted by experienced, trained personnel using high-powered gyroscopic binoculars. They are particularly interested in signs of wear on power-line conductors and lightning-protection devices, damaged or leaning transmission structures, loose or broken guy wires, broken, chipped or cracked insulator equipment as well as trees leaning toward the lines or into the transmission corridors.
In addition to damaged lines, towers or trees, the flights are conducted to identify signs of waste disposal or unauthorized construction on the rights of way.
The inspections are expected to take approximately five weeks to complete, weather permitting.
Disaster relief
PLATTSBURGH — To support Hurricane Irene and spring-flooding relief efforts in the community, Liberty Tax Service will waive tax-preparation fees this year for all those who suffered catastrophic losses from these 2011 natural disasters.
Additionally, the two offices in Plattsburgh and Malone raised nearly $1,000 on Jan. 28 from customer contributions to the United Way Hurricane relief efforts.
Call 866-871-1040 to be connected with the nearest Liberty Tax location.
Professional driver
PLATTSBURGH — Steven York of Plattsburgh is a recent graduate of National Tractor Trailer School (NTTS) in Liverpool, N.Y. He has begun a new career as a tractor-trailer driver for the New York State Department of Transportation. Prior to his graduation, he worked as an insurance representative.
York earned his certificate by completing 602 hours of training in NTTS's Advanced Commercial Drivers Course. Included in the course were Department of Transportation rules/regulations, hours of service, trip planning and behind-the-wheel instruction on a variety of equipment operated on secondary roads, city streets and interstates.
New president
LAKE PLACID — Adworkshop, Northern New York's employee-owned digital marketing and public-relations agency, has promoted General Manager Darcy Norfolk to president.
Founded in 1977 by Tom and Adele Connors, the agency delivers a full suite of marketing services from its Lake Placid location and employs 26 full-time professionals.
Norfolk has a wide breadth of experience in marketing, mergers and acquisitions and business development in the healthcare, retail, education and hospitality industries.
She has worked in several capacities at Adworkshop. From 2009 to 2012, she served as the agency's general manager and executive team leader. From 2005 to 2007, she was the director of public relations.
Before joining Adworkshop, Norfolk worked for five years in technology development and marketing for Symbol Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of Motorola. She gained experience in software, mobile computing and wireless-technology development and served as the Asia-Pacific business development manager in Tokyo for one year.
Business mixer
PLATTSBURGH — The North Country Chamber of Commerce is inviting area business people to Business After Hours on Thursday. The event will be held at the Best Western Plus The Inn at Smithfield. It is also sponsored by PrimeLink.
Guests are encouraged to bring their gadgets to play a special trivia game that requires them to get answers from the Internet. Get Your Geek On and you may win a new Kindle Fire. Other door prizes include a free night stay in a luxury Jacuzzi Lasalle Suite and the Ground Round's Dinner and a Movie package.
Business After Hours is an opportunity to expand business networks and is open to all chamber members and their employees. Future members are encouraged to contact the chamber for a special-guest pass. The fee for Business After Hours is $3 with an advance reservation and $4 without.
For more information or to make reservations, call the chamber at 563-1000.
Fundraiser set
PLATTSBURGH — The Third Annual Fiddles, Vittles and Ales event, an evening of fine beer and food tasting, will be held from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 17, to benefit the Advocacy and Resource Center (ARC).
Music is by Inisheer. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door or $225 for a table of 10.
The event will be held at the West Side Ballroom, 253 New York Road, Plattsburgh.
For tickets or more information, call Beth Davis at 563-0930 or 593-7828.
Web chat
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Small Business Administration's February web chat will offer business start-up advice for entrepreneurs. For anyone considering starting a business in 2012, SBA can be a valuable resource to help find a mentor, improve business skills and get training to help boost ideas.
Janice Washington, state director of the Arizona Small Business Development Center Network, will host the chat on "New Year, New Business: How to Start it Right."
An experienced business consultant and former business owner, Washington will answer questions about the early steps to take when starting a business and the tools and resources that can help get a small-business idea off the ground.
SBA's web chat series provides small-business owners with an opportunity to discuss relevant business issues online with experts, industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs. Chat participants have direct, real-time access via questions they submit online in advance and during the live session.
The chat will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday and Washington will answer questions for one hour.
Participants can join the chat and post questions beforehand by going to www.sba.gov and clicking on the web chat event under What's New.
To review archives of some past web chats, visit www.sba.gov/content/monthly-web-chat.
