MVCC announces new hires, employee title changes, and promotions
Mohawk Valley Community College recently announced the following appointments, title changes, and promotions, approved by the Board of Trustees at its January meeting:
· Andrea Alban, Instructor, School of Art
· Tennille Knoop, Instructor, School of Art
· Brett LaSalle, Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations
· Fengjiao Liu, Payroll Analyst
· Maureen Murphy, Director of Community & Workforce Development
· Kasey Penoyer, Assistant Dean of the School of Health Sciences and Director of Dental Hygiene
· Carrie Putelo, Coordinator, Center for Accelerated Pathways
Andrea Alban has been appointed as the Digital Media and Marketing Instructor in the School of Art. In this role, Alban will provide instruction, assist senior faculty with course revisions and curriculum development, advise students, serve on College and departmental committees, and fulfill other professional responsibilities. Alban joins the College from Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES, where she served as the Head Instructor for Visual Communication & Media Technology. She has also worked as a freelance illustrator and designer. Alban earned her bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York, N.Y.
Tennille Knoop has been appointed as the Theater Instructor in the School of Art. In this role, Knoop will provide instruction, assist senior faculty with course revisions and curriculum development, advise students, serve on College and departmental committees, and fulfill other professional responsibilities. Knoop has taught Theater classes part-time at MVCC since 2022. She has been the owner of T.K. Milo & Company since 2021. Additionally, Knoop served as the Director of Communications for the New York State Assembly, worked as a writer for the Observer-Dispatch, and was a self-employed freelance writer in New York City. She holds a bachelor of arts in English from Utica University and a master’s degree in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.
Brett LaSalle has been appointed Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations. He will oversee personnel and operations in Housekeeping, Central Receiving, and Inventory Control, while also managing the physical plant inventory of equipment and supplies across all campus and center locations. LaSalle will also collaborate with campus leaders, purchasing staff, administration, contractors, architects, and engineers. With extensive experience in facilities and operations management, he has previously served as a Facilities Coordinator for Pyramid Management in Syracuse, Senior Regional Facilities Director for Barrington Residential Properties in Rochester, and Director of Facilities and Operations at SUNY Morrisville. LaSalle also held the position of Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations at MVCC from 2015 to 2019. He earned an associate degree in Applied Science, Building Management and Maintenance from MVCC.
Fengjiao Liu has been appointed Payroll Analyst in the Business Office. In this role, Liu will manage employee compensation, ensuring all payments are accurate and timely, and will review payroll data and documents to identify inefficiencies and errors. Liu joins MVCC from Hebei, China, where she held roles as Cost Accountant at Great Wall Motor Co. and Logistics Officer at Hebei Youhang International Logistic Agent Co. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business English from Hebei Normal University and a master’s degree in Finance from Syracuse University.
Maureen Murphy has been appointed Director of Community & Workforce Development in the Center for Corporate and Community Education. Murphy will oversee workforce development efforts at the College in collaboration with Academic Affairs administrators and other stakeholders. She will work closely with the Executive Dean of Community & Workforce Development to strengthen community partnerships, fostering inter-agency collaborations and strategic community development initiatives. She will also direct the programs, activities, personnel, mission, and overall operations of CCED. Murphy joins MVCC from the Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency, where she has served as Program Development Director since 2002. She has also held positions at Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Rome Art & Community Center, and was Chair of the Taste of the Arts Festival in Buffalo, N.Y. Murphy holds a bachelor’s degree in Arts Management from Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA.
Kasey Penoyer has been appointed Assistant Dean of the School of Health Sciences and Director of Dental Hygiene. In this role, she will assist the Dean of the School of Health Sciences in establishing high standards for intellectual engagement, academic integrity, and achievement while providing strategic vision and operational leadership for the School. Penoyer will contribute to the development of the School’s Strategic Plan and collaborate with the Dean to foster inclusive and collegial leadership, promoting innovation and change in alignment with the College’s broader strategic goals. She will work to assess and address the needs of faculty, staff, and students. With many years of experience in the dental hygiene field, both as a practitioner and educator, she has held several key positions; most recently as the Program Coordinator for the Dental Health Program at the Family Health Network in Cortland, N.Y., and previously served as Program Director and Professor for the Dental Hygiene Program at the State University of New York, Erie, in Williamstown. Additionally, she was the First-Year Dental Hygiene Coordinator for SUNY Canton, when the program was based at MVCC in Rome from 2012 to 2018. Penoyer holds an associate degree in Dental Hygiene from Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, a bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene from SUNY Canton, a master of science degree in Curriculum Development & Instructional Technology from the University at Albany, and a doctor of Education in Health Professions from A.T. Still University in Mesa, AZ.
Carrie Putelo has been appointed Coordinator of the Center for Accelerated Pathways. She will be responsible for fostering and strengthening partnerships between the institution, K-12 partner organizations, and regional trade union training centers. She will provide guidance and support to ensure that students in these partner groups have access to high-quality, college-credit-bearing educational opportunities through effective program delivery and seamless coordination of services. Additionally, she will assist the Director of the Center for Accelerated Pathways in implementing and continuously improving accelerated pathway programs, focusing on access and student success for all populations served. Putelo comes to MVCC from Notre Dame Schools, where she served as Director of Institutional Advancement, Marketing, and Admissions for grades K-12. She has also held leadership positions in the media industry, including President and Chief Revenue Officer of TigerBeat Media LLC, Vice President and Group Publisher for American Media Inc., and Publisher of OK! Magazine. Prior to these roles, she worked as a self-employed business development consultant in New York City. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.
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