Mohawk Valley Community College announces the following new appointments, employee title changes, and promotions as approved by the Board of Trustees at its Jan. 25, March 15, April 19, and May 17 meetings:
- Patricia Antanavige, Student Support Advisor—Retention Coordinator
- Stephanie Bush, Recruitment and Employment Specialist
- Christopher Hanrahan, Associate Business Advisor, Small Business Development Center
- Ushona McLean, STEP Coordinator
- Susan O’Meara, Job Corps Scholars Counselor
- Theresa Paladino, Distinguished Retiree
- Andriana Semko, Instructor, School of Health Sciences
- Jewel Smith-Rudolph, Job Corps Scholars Counselor
- Matthew Warchal, Upward Bound Program Specialist
- Jacqueline Womack, Distinguished Retiree
- Jon-David Velletto, Coordinator—Workforce Development
Patricia Antanavige has transitioned to the position of Student Support Advisor—Retention Counselor. She has served as a Student Support Advisor since 2019, but will now also be responsible for serving as a single point-of-contact to create a seamless pathway for student success from pre-boarding to completion. She will perform system administration, such as modifications, configurations, access permissions, and other back office changes for college retention software. Antanavige has been with the College since 2008 in a variety of capacities, including coordinator of Adult Learner Services, student services specialist, and technical assistant in the Office of Adult Students and Disability Services. She previously worked at Medaille College as an admissions secretary and Villa Maria Academy in Buffalo as director of Admissions and Recruitment, web master, and director of recruitment.
Stephanie Bush was appointed to the position of Recruitment and Employment Specialist in the Human Resources department and will be responsible for the coordination and implementation of human resources processes and procedures. She also will prepare, maintain, and distribute confidential reports including those used for College and human resources budget, labor matters, and negotiations. Bush joins the College with a breadth of human resource experience, previously serving in such positions at Express Employment Professionals, Carbone Auto Group, Robert Half International, and Manpower, Inc. She also previously served as a sales consultant at Ralston Supply Center, Inc. and as restaurant supervisor at Embassy Suites in Syracuse. Bush holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and food service management from Syracuse University.
Christopher Hanrahan was appointed to the grant-funded position of Associate Business Advisor in the Mohawk Valley Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and will support business advisors who provide business advisement services to a variety of small businesses and entrepreneurs engaged in starting, managing, growing, or purchasing a business. He also will manage the MV SBDC’s social media strategy and activities, and assist the director in coordinating seminars, workshops, and webinars on topics of interest to the business community. Hanrahan is joining the SBDC after working as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble since 2016. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from SUNY Polytechnic Institute and an associate degree in Civil Engineering from MVCC.
Ushona McLean has transitioned to the grant-funded position of STEP Coordinator and will be responsible for the daily oversight of the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP). She has served the College in a variety of positions. From 2003 to 2013, she worked as the manager for the Office of Institutional Advancement and concurrently as resident director and senior resident director until 2014 and adjunct instructor from 2010 to 2015. She then worked as assistant director and transfer advisor for On Point for College for three years before rejoining the College as coordinator of CSTEP and STEP and later transitioning to STEP and GEAR UP programs specialist. McLean holds a master’s degree in social policy and a bachelor’s degree in community and human services from Empire State College. She also holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and an associate degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences from MVCC.
Susan O’Meara was appointed to the grant-funded position of Job Corps Scholars Counselor and will provide youth of diverse backgrounds from the high-needs population of Utica with academic instruction, occupational skills training, and viable pathways to college and careers. O’Meara worked at the College as a part-time CSTEP advisor from 2017 to 2019. Prior to joining MVCC, she worked as a case worker for Oneida County Department of Social Services and held various positions with several higher education institutions, including Cambridge Education Group/ONCAMPUS SUNY, PrattMWP, Raritan Valley Community College, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and Utica College. She additionally served as a school social worker/caseworker at Catholic Charities—Rome Safe Schools Program. O’Meara holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Utica College.
In recognition of her many years of outstanding service, Theresa Paladino has been named Distinguished Retiree.
Andriana Semko was appointed to the position of Instructor in the School of Health Sciences teaching courses in the Health Information Technology program. Prior to joining the College, she worked as program director and professor at Bryant and Stratton College, director of Health Information Management at Sitrin Health Care Center, remote outpatient medical coder at Himagine Solutions in Tampa, Fla., in revenue integrity at Oneida Healthcare, and release of information coordinator at St. Elizabeth Medical Center/St. Luke’s. Semko holds a master’s of business administration in technology management and a bachelor’s degree in health information management from SUNY Polytechnic Institute.
Jewel Smith-Rudolph was appointed to the grant-funded position of Job Corps Scholars Counselor and will provide youth of diverse backgrounds from the high-needs population of Utica with academic instruction, occupational skills training, and viable pathways to college and careers. Smith-Rudolph has been employed by the College since 2018 as a STEP advisor and worked various positions during her time as an MVCC student at the pool, in the Center for Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), and Alumni Relations. She also has been a mentor at The Kelberman Center since 2017. She earned her bachelor’s degree in community and behavioral health from SUNY Polytechnic Institute and her associate degree in Humanities and Social Sciences from MVCC.
Matthew Warchal has transitioned to the grant-funded position of Upward Bound Program Specialist and will work to improve Oneida County Upward Bound students’ academic performance in mathematics, science, and language arts through the delivery of a wide range of instructional support and intervention services. Warchal has been with the College since 2009, first as a professional tutor and summer college teacher for two years and then as Upward Bound tutor/mentor. He also has concurrently served as an adjunct instructor. Warchal earned his master’s degree in U.S. history from SUNY Albany and his bachelor’s degree in arts and sciences from SUNY Oswego.
In recognition of her many years of outstanding service, Jacqueline Womack has been named Distinguished Retiree.
Jon-David Velletto has been appointed to the grant-funded position of Coordinator—Workforce Development within the Center for Corporate and Community Education and will be responsible for meeting regional workforce needs by coordinating the development and delivery of educational programs. Velletto began his career in the hospitality industry, eventually joining MVCC as technical assistant and adjunct instructor in the College’s Hospitality programs from 2014 to 2019. He has since worked as a district sales consultant for Renzi Foodservice and a staffing supervisor for First Choice Staffing Agency. Velletto holds a master’s of business administration from Bryant University, a bachelor’s degree in food and beverage business management from New England Culinary Institute, and an associate degree in Restaurant Management from MVCC.