Mohawk Valley Community College announces the following new appointments, employee title changes, and promotions as approved by the Board of Trustees at its Oct. 21, Nov. 18, and Dec. 16 meetings:
- Jennifer DeMayo, Recruitment and Employment Specialist
- Claire Ehrlich, Librarian – Instructor
- David Michael Hazer, Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations
- Dean McCarthy, Supervisor of the Residence Halls Facilities
- Karen Sabonis, Coordinator of Health Center and College Nurse
- Michelle Sebastian, Community Resource Specialist
Jennifer DeMayo was transitioned to the position of Recruitment and Employment Specialist in the Human Resources Department and will be responsible for the coordination and implementation of human resource processes and procedures, including recruitment, employment, civil service processing, and payroll. Previously at MVCC, she held several positions in the College’s Business Office, finally serving as a Principal Account Clerk. Before joining MVCC, DeMayo worked at Tribune Media Service in Glens Falls as a product manager and design consultant. She earned a bachelor’s of fine arts degree in graphic design from SUNY Oswego, an associate degree from MVCC in advertising design and production, and, most recently, an associate degree from MVCC in business administration.
Claire Ehrlich was appointed to the position of Librarian – Instructor and will provide a full range of reference services and promote increased information literacy among students. She joins the College from Illinois, where she worked as a coordinator of library instruction at Carl Sandburg College. She also previously worked as an assistant director at Hannibal Free Public Library in Hannibal, Mo., and was an intern/volunteer in the Family Resource Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Ehrlich earned a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Notre Dame.
David Michael Hazer was appointed to the position of Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations, and will supervise personnel and operations in the areas of housekeeping, central receiving, and inventory control. He also is responsible for physical plant inventory of equipment and supplies for all campus and center locations for the College. Hazer most recently served as a design engineer technician for the New York State Department of Transportation in Syracuse. He also previously worked as a farm carpenter at Crawford Farms, and as facility and construction manager for Morrisville Auxiliary Corporation. He holds an associate degree in natural resources and conservation from SUNY Morrisville.
Dean McCarthy was appointed to the position of Supervisor for the Residence Hall Facilities within the Dormitory Corporation and will lead all facilities and operations functions of the on-campus residence halls. He most recently worked as maintenance supervisor at Little Falls Hospital. Prior to that position, he served as a building maintenance worker for Catholic Charities, maintenance manager for Bass Pro Shop, project/facilities manager for the Resource Center for Independent Living, and facilities supervisor at Herkimer County Trust/SBU/Partners Trust/M&T.
Karen Sabonis was appointed to the position of Coordinator of the Health Center and College Nurse. As such, she will oversee the daily operations of the Health and Wellness Center, provide routine healthcare assessment and education within the scope of practice of a Registered Nurse, and serve as the primary campus medical caregiver and liaison with off-campus services. Sabonis joins the College after working as a Registered Nurse and Clinical Leader and Registered Pediatric Nurse at SUNY Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. Before that, she served as a school nurse at Herkimer BOCES Pathways Academy. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from SUNY Polytechnic Institute and an associate degree from St. Elizabeth College of Nursing, and earned certification as a Pediatric Nurse in 2017.
Michelle Sebastian was appointed to the position of Community Resource Specialist and will aid students in their continuation and persistence of their academic goals by providing advocacy, assistance, and ongoing case management by connecting students to community agencies, services, and resources that address students’ non-academic barriers. Prior to joining the College, Sebastian worked as a case manager/team leader at the Madison-Oneida BOCES Adult Education in Rome; a community integration specialist at Springbrook in Oneonta; a regional program manager/social skills group facilitator for CUSP Services in Troy; a community habilitation specialist at The Arc – Oneida-Lewis Chapter; and a family support specialist at the House of the Good Shepherd. Sebastian holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Polytechnic Institute, an associate degree in psychology from MVCC, and a certificate in data analysis from the University of South Dakota.