BLI Graduation Year: 2014
Tell us briefly about yourself and please update your classmates on your personal/professional experiences since graduating from BLI:
Since graduating BLI in 2014, I’ve made some exciting career moves. I currently serve as the Binghamton City Clerk. Appointed unanimously by City Council in 2016, I’ve been working closely with City Council to clerk their meetings and manage all of their legislation. I oversee the City Clerk’s Office which handles many of the permits and licenses available at City Hall. It’s great to work with residents and business owners on a variety of subjects – whether it’s a parade permit, marriage license, plumber license, or dog license. The City Clerk is also tasked with overseeing Dog Control, Records Management, and I have the honor of regularly performing wedding ceremonies as a marriage officer for the City.
In addition, I own a small percentage in two local businesses – The CommuniKey and Key Branding Labs. Key Branding Labs (KBL) became the very first graduate of the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator when it outgrew its office there and expanded to a larger storefront on Gorgeous Washington Street. KBL now has dozens of local clients and continues to grow. My business partner and good friend Adam Sabol, who runs KBL full-time, was just awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the Chamber of Commerce for 2018. Go Adam!
Favorite Books/Movies:
Favorite Book: What’s the opposite of “Harry Potter”? The villain can’t even take over a high school…
Favorite Movie: See above answer.
Current and Past Notable Civic Activities:
Broome County Municipal Clerk’s Association, Vice President
Catholic Education Foundation of the Southern Tier, Board of Directors
Broome County Adopt-A-Park, Board of Directors
Interests/Hobbies:
All Things Rumble Ponies
How did your BLI experience change your perception of the community, and motivate you to become more involved in the community?
The BLI experience is an incredible one. The program allows you to develop a wide range of knowledge on so many important local topics – business, non-profit, government, agriculture, health care, manufacturing, etc. It helps you to grow into a dynamic, well-rounded leader within your organization.
What was your most memorable BLI activity/moment?
Seeing the inner workings of the Lupo’s spiedie manufacturing facility was fantastic. Witnessing the care and artisanal craft that goes into our region’s most treasured dish is something I’ll never forget.
What was the most valuable benefit to your from your BLI experience?
The people I’ve met through BLI and the relationships we’ve maintained over the years have had such a positive impact on both my personal life and career. Leadership is about people. You should be making the people around you better, and they should be making you better, too.
What “nugget of wisdom” do you have forĀ your fellow BLI alum?
Don’t stop learning and trying to improve yourself. There’s always something you can learn, some new skill you can develop, some new way to better yourself. I’m currently brushing up on Photoshop, because it’s such a valuable skill to have in this high-tech job market. Being able to offer new skills and knowledge is valuable for any organization.