KeyBank has named Tam­ika Otis its corporate responsibility officer and community relations manager for the Capital Region and Central New York markets.

Otis has more than 15 years of leadership and program management experience and will oversee KeyBank’s broad community engagement strategy. 

Officials said this includes Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) compliance and execution of KeyBank’s National Community Benefits Plan in the Capital Region. Since 2017, KeyBank has invested more than $666 million in Albany and the surrounding region through this plan, supporting small business and home lending in low- and-moderate income communities, affordable housing and community development projects, and philanthropic efforts targeted toward education, workforce development, and safe, vital neighborhoods.

The Chamber Alliance of New York State (CANYS), a statewide association of more than 70 Chambers of Commerce, has elected Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gina Mintzer, CMP, MHA, to its board of directors for 2022. 

Mintzer brings an extensive background in chamber of commerce leadership. She has been executive director of the Lake George Chamber since September 2017.

She is responsible for the overall development of the processes, productivity and profits that directly impact tourism in the Lake George region. Mintzer leads the team of 11 full- and several part-time/seasonal staff. She also manages three visitor information centers. 

Mintzer spent 19 years working as the director of sales of the Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau. She’s involved in a variety of local, state and national organizations within the hospitality and tourism industry including the Empire State Society of Association Executives (ESSAE), Meeting Professionals International (MPI Upstate New York), NYS Hospitality & Tourism Association, NYS Destination Marketing Organization as well as the Warren County Council of Chambers, SUNY Adirondack, and SUNY Delhi, among others.

Born and raised in West Palm Beach, Fla., she is a graduate of the University of Florida. She received her Masters in Hospitality Administration (MHA) through University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

New York’s State parks, historic sites, campgrounds, and trails welcomed a record-setting 78.4 million visits in 2021, continuing the robust level of visitation seen since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“From Niagara Falls to Montauk Point, our State Parks and Historic Sites are a treasure that every New Yorker should be able to enjoy,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “During the pandemic, parks and public spaces have become more important than ever, providing New Yorkers with safe and enjoyable outdoor spaces for gatherings and recreation. New York was proud to welcome a record-setting number of visitors to our State Parks last year, and we look forward to modernizing our parks system as we approach its historic 100th anniversary in 2024.”

Total visits statewide increased in 2021 by more than 427,000, driven by a dramatic rebound of more than three million visitors at Niagara Falls State Park compared to 2020, when international border tourism was curtailed due to COVID-19 protocols. More than nine million visitors went to Niagara Falls State Park last year.

The Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council (LARAC) announced that Phil Casabona will take over as executive director with the departure of Candice Frye.

Casabona was LARAC’s gallery curator and festival coordinator and has worked at the organization since July of 2014.

At LARAC, Casabona has been in charge of both the annual June Arts Festival and the annual Fall Arts Festival, as well as LARAC’s year-long gift shop and annual Holiday Shop. For the past four years he has also been LARAC’s gallery curator, bringing seven different gallery exhibitions to LARAC’s Lapham Gallery each year. 

“Phil has been an integral piece of LARAC for years, and brings essential skills and intense passion to continue the work of LARAC. We are lucky to have Phil to work with as LARAC heads into the future,” said Will Sawma, LARAC board chair and head of the search committee. 

Casabona, an artist himself, with a Bachelor in Fine Arts degree, is active in the arts with his own home studio as well as representing the arts and his community through LARAC in his professional life. Phil is also an active member of North Country Arts in Glens Falls, where he has served since 2018 and is the organization’s vice president. 

By Paul Post

An entrepreneurial couple has turned a widespread labor shortage to its advantage by adopting state-of-the-art technology to open a new can and bottle redemption center.

The business, called Rocket Recycling, welcomed its first customers on March 11. It is located at a former Stewart’s Shop building at 255 Ridge St. in Glens Falls.

“It’s all about speed, getting people in and out quickly and being super efficient,” said Tyler Russell of Saratoga Springs. “Our tagline is the ‘Fastest Redemption Center in the Galaxy’.”

He owns the firm with his wife, Julia.

“We just saw an opportunity to do something a little different, using equipment to differentiate ourselves from other places like this,” Russell said. “We’ve been kicking this idea around for several years. The biggest problem today is labor, the same as any industry.”

By surfing the internet, the Russells found an Elmira-based firm, JK Peris, Inc., which specializes in recycling equipment. Such technology eliminates long lines and reduces the need for hiring employees.