Board/Contact

2009-2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT Lisa Fingar Marketing Manager, SWBR Architects 585-232-8300 . lfingar@swbr.com This is Lisa’s fourth year as a Board member of the Upstate NY chapter of SMPS. She served as Educational Co-Chair for two and President-Elect last year.  She is also an active member of the Rochester Chapter of the Architects and Engineers Business Leaders Association and headed AEBL’s Marketing SIG for three years. Lisa has led and served on various community organizations such as the Rochester Women’s Network and previously served on the Rochester International Business Council Board of Directors.
PRESIDENT-ELECT Jill Shorter Associate/Marketing Coordinator, Ryan-Biggs Associates, P.C. 518-406-5506 . jshorter@ryanbiggs.com Jill is an Associate and Marketing Coordinator at Ryan-Biggs Associates, P.C., in Clifton Park, NY.  Founded in 1973, Ryan-Biggs specializes in structural building design; renovation; investigations, studies, reports; historic preservation and masonry restoration; bridges; contractor support services; special inspections; and nondestructive testing.  With the firm since 2000, Jill is responsible for new business development, information and data management, and coordinating public relations for the company.  She manages advertising, the development of media and promotional materials, and proposal preparation. In addition to the corporate office, she also handles marketing responsibilities for the firm’s office in Skaneateles Falls. Jill served as the Education Director for the Chapter since 2004 and was recently elected as President-Elect.
SECRETARY Christine Kingery 518-366-5759 (cell) . Christinekingery96@gmail.com As the previous Director of Marketing at Foit-Albert Associates, Christine Kingery and her marketing team were responsible for all proposals, internal and external communications, presentations, trade shows, and marketing material for the 105-employee firm. She worked closely with senior principals to develop planning and business development strategies. Christine has been on the Board of SMPS Upstate New York for three years, serving as a Co-Educational Coordinator for the Albany area and currently, Secretary.
TREASURER Helen Kashtan Marketing Manager, Pathfinder Engineers & Architects LLP 585-325-6004 . hkashtan@pathfinder-ea.com Helen has been active with the Upstate New York SMPS chapter since 1993, beginning with attending programs and then serving as Rochester Metro education coordinator for many years. She is currently in the second year of her two-year term as Treasurer for the chapter. She has more than 17 years of business development experience in the E/A community as part of her more than 25 years of marketing communications experience. She joined Pathfinder at its inception in 1998, and has seen the firm grow to 30 employees. Pathfinder Engineers & Architects, a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise, is an engineering, architecture, energy and commissioning firm located in Rochester.
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS Patricia L. Perevich, CPSM Marketing Manager, LaBella Associates, PC 585-295-6229 . pperevich@labellapc.com Patricia L. Perevich, CPSM has nearly 15 years experience in marketing professional services. She is the Marketing Manager at LaBella Associates, PC, a full-service architecture, engineering, environmental consulting and planning firm. Joining the Rochester based firm in 1995 when it had a mere 55 employees, Patricia has been instrumental in assisting the firm to grow to its present size of 150 employees.  She has served on the firm’s leadership team and manages both the marketing and business development efforts for LaBella Associates.  Patricia oversees a staff of five marketing professionals and works closely with the firm’s principals to develop long range planning, budgets, public relations and business development strategies.   A SMPS member since 1995, Patricia obtained her CPSM certification in 2003. She served a two year term from 1997 to 1999 as Educational Programs Director, served as the Chapter’s CPSM advocate in 2008 - 2009, and is currently the Director of Programs.
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Danielle Lawrence Associate/Marketing Coordinator, CSArch Architecture/Construction Management 518-463-8068 . dlawrence@csarchpc.com Danielle facilitates a wide spectrum of marketing, business development and public relations efforts for CSArch Architecture/Construction Management – an architecture, interiors and construction management firm with offices in Albany, Malone and Newburgh. She is responsible for proposal management and preparation, tracking business development leads, trade show event coordination, internal and external communications, advertising and website maintenance and development.  Danielle also participates in strategic development and coordinates production of the firm’s marketing materials. She has been an active member of SMPS since 2004 and has served as the Communications Director.
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Elana Augustine Marketing Coordinator, Parrone Engineering 585-586-0200 . eaugustine@djparrone.com Elana is the Marketing Coordinator for Parrone Engineering, a civil engineering and land surveying firm in East Rochester.  As the Marketing Coordinator, Elana is responsible for press releases, advertisements, proposal submissions, public relations, website updates, and other related tasks.  She has seven years of marketing experience, including two in the A/E/C industry. Elana has been a member of SMPS since 2007 and was recently elected as Membership Director.  She is also a member of the Association of AE Business Leaders (AEBL) and Rochester Young Professionals, is on the Development Committee for the Center for Disability Rights, and enjoys volunteering at Foodlink.

2009-2010 EDUCATION COMMITTEE

CO-CHAIR FOR ALBANY Rebecca R. Wolff Cahill, LEED AP Marketing Director, M.J. Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. 518-371-0799 . rcahill@mjels.com Since joining MJ in February of 2005, Rebecca has been responsible for the development of a wide range of marketing material and public relations activities to help meet MJ’s long-term business goals. Prior to joining MJ, she was a Marketing Coordinator for Tectonic Engineering in Mountainville, NY. She has been a member of SMPS for the past seven years and is beginning her second year on the board as the Educational Chair for Albany. Rebecca is a LEED Accredited Professional. She is a Big Sister in Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region and is active in the annual Capital District Future City Competition.
CO-CHAIR FOR SYRACUSE Bob Cowherd Director of Business Development, Plumb Engineering, P.C. 518-860-2098 . bcowherd@plumbengineering.com Bob actively pursues strategic opportunities and develops new client relationships for Plumb Engineering, a multi-discipline firm with offices in Albany, Syracuse, and Manhattan.  In addition to cultivating relationships for the firm’s 3 offices, he is also responsible for the firm’s proposals and other marketing efforts.  Bob has been an SMPS member since 2007 and is currently an Educational Co-Chair responsible for the Syracuse area.
CO-CHAIR FOR SYRACUSE Linda A. Scott Administrative Associate, Appel Osborne Landscape Architecture 315-476-1022 . lscott@appelosborne.com As the Administrative Associate at Appel Osborne Landscape Architecture, Linda is responsible for business development, marketing and the administration of their 18 person office.  Having joined the firm in 1988, she has seen Appel Osborne Landscape Architecture grow from a small landscape architectural/civil engineering firm of 4 people in 1990 to an 18 person powerhouse in 2009.  In 1997, Linda joined the Upstate Chapter as a Co-Education Director for the Syracuse area and has remained active on the Board ever since.  Her past positions include Co-Education Director, Vice President, President, Past President, and Secretary.  This year, she will assist the Educational Director with Programs in the Syracuse area.
CO-CHAIR FOR ROCHESTER/BUFFALO Kim Perry Marketing Manager, Passero Associates 585-760-8518 . kperry@passero.com As Marketing Manager and Webmaster for Passero Associates, an 80+ person regional full-service firm, Kim works closely with firm leadership to ensure Marketing support for each department’s goals and objectives, and for the firm as a whole. Her team is responsible for creating major proposals, presentations, advertising, brochures and marketing collateral.  Kim leads the firm’s public relations program and writes press releases and features.  She is also responsible for the firm’s web site and created Passero’s first company Intranet, increasing the effectiveness of internal communications and promoting events, projects and personnel to the entire firm. Kim has been active in SMPS since 2002, assisting with programming meetings and seminars.  She has served on the Board since 2008 as Educational Co-Chair for Rochester/Buffalo.

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