As The Bonadio Group?s Director of Tax Technical, Jess is a key resource on tax legislation, guidance, and policy developments impacting our clients. She oversees specialized tax teams, ensuring innovative and practical solutions, as well as monitoring legislative changes to provide clear, actionable insights for informed decision-making. Jess holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and a J.D. from Chapman University School of Law. With deep expertise in tax, compliance, and policy consulting since 2012, Jess leads thought leadership initiatives and spearheads tax education programs for internal teams and clients.

Barbara Paxton is the Director of BoardStrong, an organization that provides nonprofits access to diverse board candidates with a passion to serve, while helping boards make best use of the talent around the table and preparing new board members to serve as effectively as possible. She has experience in board leadership, board development and governance, fundraising and finance. She joined BoardStrong in 2018 and previously worked at The Child Center and Children of Bellevue, among others. Barbara earned a B.A. at Wellesley College and a Masters degree at Columbia University?s School of International and Public Affairs. She currently serves on the board of the Center for Comprehensive Health Practice.

Vice President / Business Banking Relationship Manager Lauren has been with M&T Bank for more than eight years. She joined the bank in 2018 as part of the Rochester Downtown branch, later transitioning to the Penfield branch before moving into her current role as a Relationship Manager on the Business Banking team. In her role, Lauren advises and supports a diverse portfolio of for?profit and not?for?profit clients, providing tailored financing, treasury, and strategic banking solutions to help them grow and manage their operations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Childhood Education and Special Education and a Master of Science in Literacy.

Vice President/Treasury Management Consultant/Commercial Payment Liquidity Solutions Leanna has worked in the banking industry for 13 years and has been with M&T Bank for over 8 years. She joined the bank in 2017 as a member of the Latta Long Pond Branch team and then transferred to the Rochester Downtown Branch before joining the Commercial Payment Liquidity Solutions team as the Rochester Business Banking Treasury Management Consultant. Leanna is a member of the Women?s Leadership Network Rochester Resource group. She holds a bachelor?s degree in education and an MBA in Management.

Caitlin is a Principal at MMB + CO, bringing over 12 years of experience serving assurance clients, including not-for-profit organizations. In her current role, Caitlin leads the firm?s efforts in implementing new auditing and accounting standards and facilitating firm training sessions. Caitlin is also actively involved in volunteering for local nonprofits, including her role as Board Treasurer at Canandaigua Montessori School and her work with the Colony Caregivers.

Alexander Korman is a native of Syracuse, and graduate of Colgate University (BA, History) and Syracuse University Maxwell School (MS, Public Administration). He began his career in performance and entertainment production, including network television, nationwide touring theater, and studio feature films. Alex is entering his sixth year working with CNY Arts. He began as a Program Officer administering a $5 million state-funded incentive rebate designed to stimulate film and entertainment production in Central New York, and developed the guidelines for an additional $5 million incentive supported by the County of Onondaga. In 2022, he entered the role of Director of Communications and Marketing, managing more than $300,000 of funds to promote Central New York as a cultural tourism destination. In 2024, Alex was asked to serve as Deputy Director, working in close coordination with the Executive Director to raise crucial resources on behalf of the regional arts and culture sector for marketing, professional development, and arts-related educational initiatives. Alex is deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as Executive Director, and looks forward to continuing to support the cultural and creative vitality of Central New York. Alex is proud to also serve as Vice Chair of the WCNY Entertainment Academy. In his free time he enjoys hiking, skiing, travel, language, and painting.