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Christopher Ingraham read the post on Marginal Revolution and went on to post the statistics on the Washington Post's Wonkblog with a more positive interpretation, highlighting that this is likely a problem for Washington think tanks broadly and commending the Bank for examining and publishing the numbers. He had 55 comments as of this morning; again, so we know people are reading it. Ingraham's blog post was republished in the Sydney Morning Herald, excerpted on Slate, and referenced elsewhere. (A blog dedicated to "content access", Xillio.com, even offered the Bank some tips on increasing access to our reports; Thanks, Xillio!)
Since all this has happened, I've had several conversations that highlight how these statistics may be misleading. Citations aren't really the right measure of impact for policy reports, since government policy makers aren't writing citation-heavy academic papers (thankfully!). Even downloads offer an underestimate: Many of these reports are emailed or hand-delivered directly to the policy makers most likely to use them (i.e., for a report on health in Malawi, to the Minister of Health in Malawi and her staff).
As Doemeland and Trevino write, "Many policy reports were … prepared to assess very specific technical questions or inform the design of lending operations." The majority of these are not research working papers but rather reports like "Pakistan - Finding the path to job-enhancing growth" and "Education in Oman: The Drive for Quality." Still, there is clearly room for improvement. But what I take away from this experience is less about the statistics themselves and more about how to get research results into public debate. (I admit, I'd have preferred to learn this with some of my own research results, say on how to reduce poverty in Tanzania, but maybe next time.)
This is a relatively uncommon situation, where we can clearly trace the growth in awareness from my minimally circulated tweet all the way to the Washington Post and beyond. We can't rule out that the stat would have gone viral anyway; maybe Sandefur would have encountered it some other way. But we at least see clearly the distribution path that this piece of evidence followed.
From this, we see the importance of "connectors" in getting our knowledge work into the public dialogue. A connector, per Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point, is a person who connects with lots of other people. Sandefur is a connector, with more than 2,600 followers, putting him above the 98th percentile of active Twitter users. Cowen is also a connector.
If you want to get your results known, get them into the hands of connectors. Oh, and it doesn't hurt if the results are interesting. (As of early this week, Doemeland & Trevino had more than 850 downloads, which puts them on the far right tail of World Bank policy reports, per the figure from their paper.)
Bonus reading: The population of reports that Doemeland & Trevino draw on is available at the World Bank's Documents & Reports archive, under "Economic & Sector Work."
Join the Conversation
Agreed..it would at least help get it one step closer to the people who can actually use the information and act on it. I also think the periodic synthesis of various related research topics also helps, because this also aids in helping practitioners who are not convinced of research coming from other countries, see that findings can be similar despite differences in context. The paper recently published by CGAP (http://www.cgap.org/publications/financial-inclusion-and-development-re…) was a nice succinct summary of research on financial inclusion--but it is still only available in English.
Bob Sutton at Stanford talked about this over a decade ago. He was one of the first to look at network effects in organizations, and point out the value of 'long links' in sharing knowledge. This is after he co-authored a book "the knowing-doing gap", which was about the Bank but didn't identify the place. It would have been before your time, but you'd recognize it.
David, I agree about your point above. Within the microfinance field, there has been a lot of discussion about bridging the divide between practitioners and researchers. I think there are a few issues to consider that do relate to connectors, but there are also other barriers. Language is one of them. Research is often published in the native language of the author and rarely translated. It's difficult to take a long research paper in English and try to share it with practitioners in the field when they only speak French or Spanish. The research also needs to be transformed from an academic paper into something manageable for those who can use it as well. For example, practitioners don't care about the formulas used to measure impact or change. Authors might consider how they might turn their research paper into a manageable research brief that could be translated. As a researcher within a technical assistance provider, I also find it frustrating that I might run across a fairly relevant study years after it's published. The World Bank blog is one way I try to stay current on what is being talked about within academic circles...but it's often not enough to stay on top of what is being published. Freedom from Hunger tries to play a connecting role between research and our practitioner partners, but as indicated above, this is a bit tedious when you can't provide any documentation in another language. We know we can also do better in playing a connecting role and have discussed different ways to do this, but just haven't found the right mechanism yet to make this a fluid process.
This language issue is really important. Reports written in Spanish and French by academics will often come out with their abstracts translated into English, but it's less common for an Executive Summary put out originally in English (unless the target country of influence is non-English speaking). Putting out the info in multiple languages (and figuring out how to disseminate THAT information effectively) would clearly increase application in the field.
Many thanks for this insightful piece David. I am pleased to find I was an unwitting link in your chain.
One thought jumps out at me when you talk about the role of connectors (which I concur with by the way): What's different?
My perspective draws from the global health arena, but I am sure it's shared by many...
Until recently, mechanisms through which affected countries, communities and their people have been able to directly share the most relevant lessons and experiences with one another have been limited by the costs of communications and travel. Even the exchange of basic health-related information has relied heavily on international organizations as intermediaries. It still does.
But what your analysis reveals is that the disintermediating potential of global electronic communications is finally happening.
And it is not simply that institutional intermediaries are being replaced by individual 'connectors'. The essential requirement for connectors *and* comment also challenges the very idea that information has an inherent value in itself – the foundation of the hegemonic "we have the essential information, and you need it" models. This has to be a change for the better.
The World Bank report readership survey and your mapping of this communication chain are more than interesting: They are rare, inconspicuous tell-tales that show us before anything else that the wind is changing.
It would be interesting to map over time this shift from institutional hegemony towards a shared influence between individuals and institutions, Tim. Thanks for this.
Innovating Research findings dissemination for effective results
How we share information in our communities should largely determine a strategy to communicate policy information. If you quickly examine our daily life how many of our population accesses newspapers, Radio, television and nowadays social networks? How do we share sensitive information? What factors determines the speed at which information spreads? Fundamentally why do people share information anyway (especially from one person to another), what motivates you to share particular information and not the rest of what you've come across? When developing a communication strategy these are some of the questions we should be seeking answers to.
Policy information must be categorized and digressed to meet diverse targets and that will be determined by what do we exactly want this target group to do once they know about these facts. To influence policy practices our anchor target as you (David) have pointed out in your opening article are the policy designers and implementers. I don't want to believe that these people are not aware of research insights we produce about policies. In a worst case scenario even if they haven't seen a certain report at least they know where to get one if in need. The biggest challenge with our policy makers lays in their propensity and reaction to risks. Those of us who do research would want the findings to be of use, we would want policies are developed on the basis of these evidences. However, the policy development processes in the government are bureaucratic and in most cases politically influenced. My point here is that if we see nothing happening as to the effect of a certain powerful study we should not feel so much disappointed about it. Perhaps our strategy should be to use the Pareto principle, i.e. amongst the studies we have made what are the 20% that can lead into 80% of the envisaged results? Does every study we make carry with it same level of importance and sensitivity?
How communication flows in the communities depends on many facets, major one being culture (mainly language factor), level of education, individual purchasing power, age, gender etc. The most effective method to share information is still word of mouth through the physical social networks i.e. person to person, usually at home, in drinking places, in public transport, at work places during break hours, in formal meetings etc. The current technologically supported social networks are basically complementing. The reason why the social networks like Twitter, Facebook and the mobile applications e.g. SMS, Viber, Whatsapp, etc have become ubiquitous is because they almost fit into the traditional ways of communication. People who have never been trained in using computer applications are finding it easy to work with extremely sophisticated technologies and communication has been made simple.
For us to be successful we must fit our communication strategy into these innovations and we have to do it in a way that makes people feel excited not only to know about what we trying to convey but also thrill them to share with colleagues and friends. We must have a place to begin, you call them 'connectors' I call them 'Anchors of social networks'. Who are they? These are individuals who have won hundreds of thousand or thousands of followers in their networks they range from artists to politicians, when they post news in their networks many followers actively engage in the discussions. These are everywhere in the country and around the global. We would need therefore to engage them and test whether they can make sense out of our research findings. Research findings dissemination needs to explore these networks and find convenient and exciting ways to reach their audiences more effectively.
Great post, Dave. Your comments and observations about the "crucial role of connectors" are, as they say, 'spot on'.
One comment, for what it might be worth. You note that "The paper reports that 31 percent of policy reports have never been downloaded and 87 percent have never been cited." Let's leave aside for a moment the issue of citations as a proxy for value and influence (and I'll assume that the 87% of reports that have never been cited include the 31% that have never been downloaded while I'm at it :-) ).
One way to look at the figure that 31% of reports have never been downloaded is to conclude (as many commenters seem to have done) that this suggests that they aren't of value. When I first saw this figure, however, I immediately asked myself: How is this even possible? If these reports were downloaded only a few times -- *that* I can certainly believe (for many of the reasons discussed in the paper). Even if they were only downloaded one time. But ... never? Never? This makes me wonder how find-able these reports are. Don't people vanity-Google themselves and make sure their papers appear and/or send links to their papers so that others can download them? Don't people run bots to download lots of these things so that they can be mirrored/hosted elsewhere? (For a few years there was a WB paper that I would reference but I would direct people to a link on another web site, as I could never find the paper on the Bank's own site, although I was assured that it was indeed there.)
While it is perhaps a small and rather trivial thing, and for what it's worth, I actively encourage other groups to mirror my blog posts, to re-post them in other fora, on listservs, etc. in full. One year I apparently had the most downloaded article on one of these third party sites. When I went and checked the official World Bank stats, very few people had downloaded the article from the Bank itself. It might just be that this third party site played the role of connector better than the Bank's site ...or better than the Bank's search engine ... or better than other search engines could when attempting to index the Bank's site. I used to regularly direct some people to a few World Bank reports that someone had for some reason re-posted on Scribd.
'Connectors', as you rightly suggest, can play important roles in helping people find information that might be of interest or relevance. So, obviously, can things like search engines and social media. I long ago stopped using the World Bank's search engine because it rarely helped me find what I was looking for. Instead, I would use things like Google to find things on the World Bank's own web site, and would ask colleagues for help in trying to locate documents on the World Bank's Intranet.
One implication that many folks seem to have drawn is that, because a report wasn't downloaded (or, seen from another perspective, hadn't yet been downloaded). This figure of 31% might well represent an indictment of the relevance and/or quality of the relevant papers. Might it might also reflect a failure of IT?
(Another possibility is that, in an era of increased openness, lots of more stuff if being made available. Lots of stuff that used to be hidden behind corporate firewalls at the World Bank are now being made available as part of the Bank's Access to Information policy. Maybe a lot of this stuff is of low quality, or questionable relevance. But if the cost of making it available digitally is near zero, why not liberate this stuff and make it publicly available for (potential) download? Maybe no one else is interested in it. Maybe it is isn't helpful or useful to anyone today. But if we can lengthen the long tail with very little effort, why not do so? We should be careful that our metrics are not informed by past notions and practices of scarcity that may no longer always apply like they used to.)


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Royal Greenwich Fencing Club
Royal Greenwich Fencing Club Is a very friendly and welcoming South East London community based fencing club. We specifically put an emphasis on having fun fencing and offer a local venue with a relaxed atmosphere. Here, people of all ages from eight to sixty five or more can fence, or for the first time try their hand at fencing.
Fencing is a fun exercise for kids, good exercise for adults and good at relieving stress too, now It's easy to book a place online, simply click on this link to sign up and get started now, or contact us via our Contact page for other booking options.
At Royal Greenwich we fence for the enjoyment of it, so if you are a beginner, a novice or an experienced fencer we don't care as long as you enjoy fencing,
Students can learn and fence at their own pace, for fun, and we welcome existing fencers and competitive level fencers. Anyone wishing to hone their skills against new opponents, for training and for fun, is welcome.
We are an independent and privately run community club which aims to promote fencing by making it more accessible, so as to generate more interest in this Olympic sport. Doing this from a grass roots level upwards. As a community club we are a non profit organisation and plough all of our fees back into the club. The club is affiliated to the British Fencing Association our NGB and our coaches are all BFA qualified.
Fees include the use by our members of both the basic fencing equipment required to train with, and electric equipment to fight with. We also offer a 25% discount for adult concessions and a 25% discount for junior second siblings.
Beginners who join the club can now benefit from the BFA's Free 90 day Introduction Membership Category and the insurance cover that comes with it.
Woolwich Photographic Society Fencing Shoot
Aperture came along to the club one evening to try and take some interesting shots of the clubs members fencing, and this gallery contains some of these. To see pictures of other subjects from Aperture you can just follow this link .
The weapons taught at the club are:
The Sabre, in the modern Hungarian style, from the mid nineteenth century. Using the characteristics of the cut and less so the thrust. It also uses the convention of priority. Sabre is the practice weapon for the military Sabre and the third fencing weapon.
The Foil, in the classic French style of the mid twentieth century and using the classic French grip. This weapon uses the characteristics of the thrust and convention of priority. Foil is the practice weapon for the Small Sword and the first fencing weapon.
The Epee, in the modern Hungarian style and using the classic French grip. it uses the characteristics of the thrust but not the convention of priority. Epee is the practice weapon for the Rapier, the preferred duelling weapon, and the second fencing weapon.
The Coach
Royal Greenwich's senior coach, Ian Lightbown, has been coaching since 1988, and has attended and coached at a number of clubs since then.
In the mid-nineties he studied French foil at Ramsden fencing club under the Kent coach John McMahon, and the work of the classic French foil coach Roger Crosnier. During this time he also studied Hungarian epee under the Kent coach Peter Huggins, also at Ramsden, and has been influenced by the epee coach Terry Kingston. Between 1995 and 1998 he studied Hungarian sabre at the University of London Union fencing club, under the Hungarian Master and GB Olympic sabre coach Peter Frohlich, who coached the sabre finalist James Williams at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
Ian has coached at a number of venues in London, Kent and Surrey, for clubs, schools, colleges and universities, as well as taster sessions for youth and scout groups, schools and boroughs. He has taught epee to members of the Kent Modern Pentathlon Team and Pentathlon GB Team, notably coaching Jack Legon on to a place on the Pentathlon GB Epee Team for international competition.
Insurance and Qualifications:
Royal Greenwich Fencing Club is affiliated to the British Fencing Association which is the sport's national governing body. The Club's details can be found on the BFA's website by searching for Royal Greenwich Fencing Club via this link .
In being affiliated the Club is recognised by the BFA and covered under their insurance policy for our members protection. Details of the BFA's Club insurance policy can be found here .
It is recommended that Individual club members also join the BFA, to benefit from the BFA's fencer cover. Details of individual members cover can be found via this link .
The qualifications required to become a registered fencing coach can be found here . Once a coach has met all the required criteria, and the corresponding documentation has been submitted to the BFA for verification, the coach will be added to the BFA's Coach Register, updated every month, and accessible via this link . Here a Registered Coaches qualifications can be verified by searching for them by surname.
RGFC Term, Course and Event Calendar
- 1111.February.Monday
Junior Session Term 1Shrewsbury House Community Centre, 30 Bushmoor Crescent, Shooters Hill, Plumstead, London, SE18 3EGhttp://www.royalgreenwichfencingclub.org.uk/event/junior-session-term-1/Shrewsbury House Community Centre, 30 Bushmoor Crescent, Shooters Hill, Plumstead, London, SE18 3EG
Royal Greenwich Fencing Club meets at Shrewsbury House Community Centre on Shooters Hill, Greenwich, South-East London. Details on how to get there can be found here.
Please be aware that attendance at the Club is by prior arrangement only.

subset: commoncrawl


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Marc Anthony is happy to help stars like Pitbull and Bruno Mars, because he believes he has killer advice for up-and-coming stars.
The Latino superstar admits he has given rapper Pitbull career tips and business advice, while Mars rang him on the eve of his Super Bowl half-time performance in February to pick up ideas.
And Anthony insists he's more than willing to help young stars.
He tells Men's Fitness magazine, "I got smacked around early on, and it was hard, but to me it was part of the game. As blessed as I am, my heart goes out to any artist who has to do it on his own."
Explaining the best advice he has given out, he adds, "Be responsible. Even when you lose, even if it's a bad deal, keep your word, show up on time, and be professional. That's how you maintain yourself in this industry.
"Even if you're losing, even if you did a show and you could have made $500 and they pay you $50 and you're pissed off, you gave your word, so you show up and let it be a lesson."


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Mt Shuksan- Washington
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Uploaded on October 14, 2012
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Larry Heyert. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer. Contact photographer via gallery
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Check Out This Phi Beta Sigma Graduation Stroll From Jackson State University
Check Out The Newest Stroll From The Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha at The University of Florida
The Alphas at The University of Oklahoma Released This Promo To Highlight Their Stroll Competition
We Asked Our Instagram Followers If They Thought It Was Ok To Stroll/Dance On Stage at Graduation. Here Are The Results.
Megan Thee Stallion Showed Up at Bowie State University's Recent Stroll Off
This Recap of the University of Maryland NPHC 2019 Block Show Proves That Greek Life in Maryland Is Poppin
The Brothers of Phi Beta Sigma Won the Penn Relay Step Show With This Avatar Themed Performance
The SGRhos Did This House Party Themed Step Show at Southern University
The AKAs Won The Penn Relays Step Show With This 'Proud Family' Themed Performance
The Sigma Beta Club at Morningside High School in Inglewood Held It down with This Step Performance
Watch How Sigma Gamma Rho Revealed It's New Line at The University of the Bahamas
Watch How the Sigmas Revealed Their New Line at the University of North Texas
This Is What a Howard University Phi Beta Sigma Neophyte Presentation Looks Like in 2019
This Is What a Howard University Alpha Phi Alpha Neophyte Presentation Looks Like in 2019
If You Miss 'the 99′ and the 2000', This Xavier AKA Probate Will Have You Reminiscing
Check out this Tuskegee University Kappa Alpha Psi Homecoming Performance from 1990
These Zeta and Sigma Pictures Show What Black Greekdom Looked Like in Michigan in the Late 70s
McDonald's Did a Commercial in 1989 Where Black Fraternity Pledgees Recite Their Menu and it is Ridiculous
Tuskegee Airman Who Chartered a Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha in the 1940s Shares His Story
San Fransisco 49er's quarterback Colin Kaepernick has decided to use his own money and the money he has made from his jersey sales to help the...


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Chocolate Chip Blondies
It's not that I didn't want to bake these past 2 weeks. It's not that I couldn't bake. It's just the mere fact that I'm absolutely, unequivocally lazy. I literally just sat around the house doing next to nothing. Well. Not entirely true. I've been glued to the Olympics like it's my job. I don't know what it is. I honestly haven't even heard of half these people, and I would never find myself watching these sports in any other setting. Really. When would I ever think, "hey let's go see a Biathlon"? But put it on the Olympics and I can't take my eyes off it. There's just something about watching the best people in the world excel in what they love that just gets me. That, and the inherent danger of the Winter Olympic sports. I don't think there's a single sport that doesn't defy laws of gravity or hold the possibility of severe physical injury. I mean seriously—have you seen Skeleton? Who in their right mind would throw themselves down an ice tube, going 80mph headfirst and facedown, with nothing underneath them but a cafeteria tray on skis?? These people have to be crazy! And I just can't get enough. So instead of spending time in the kitchen baking, I've been sitting on the couch for the past 2 weeks, holding my breath and mumbling "holy $#&%" the entire time.
But enough about the Olympics. Let's talk about these Blondies. They came from this great book called, appropriately enough, Great Cookies by Carole Walter. I think I used up half a pack of post-its marking all the recipes I wanted to try. The first—Chocolate Chip Blondies. They're basically just thick chocolate chip cookies in a handy bar size. Yum! I read over my recipe and directions before I started, and thought, these sound simple. I can totally do this! I sifted my dry ingredients and cut my 2 sticks of butter into cubes and threw them into a glass bowl in the microwave to melt, then added my brown sugar. On to the next part of the recipe. Cream the remaining stick of butter and granulated sugar together. Wait, what? It said to melt my butter. Looking back up at my previous directions—"Warm ½ cup (1 stick) of butter, either in a saucepan or in the microwave until just melted." Crap. I was only supposed to melt half the butter. Well. Too late now. Time to improvise. It ended up a lot more like my mom's style of baking, just throwing everything in and hoping for the best, but the dough came out tasting pretty decent. So maybe there was hope. Time to spread it on my pan and bake it!
A 10x15-inch jelly roll pan. That's gotta be my big one right? The one I used to make my Petit Fours and my Berry Roulade. Yeah, it's gotta be that one. As I'm trying desperately to spread my dough as thin as I can to miraculously get it to reach all four corners to no avail, I notice my pan has measurements printed on the little handle at the end. 11x17. Ah! No wonder this isn't working. I should actually be using my smaller pan after all. So after scraping it all back off and smoothing it out in the right sized pan, it was time to finally head to the oven.
While my first two mistakes weren't really make or break disasters, the third and final one I almost made would have proved fatal for my poor little batch of Blondies. The recipe said to bake the pan for 28 to 30 minutes. Something told me to set my timer for 25 minutes and start checking early. My nose told me at 23 minutes that there was a good chance they were already done. That yummy baked cookie smell suddenly hit me and my brain said, "Hey. Go check on them." Sure enough, the top of my Blondies were perfectly golden. If I had left them on for the 28 minutes the recipe said, they would have been perfectly burnt to a crisp.
So with only a few minor bumps and a major crisis averted, these Chocolate Chip Blondies came out really good! I'm slightly ashamed to say that I ate somewhere close to a third of the pan by myself... And my coworkers seemed to like them too! Several of them took 2 or 3, and my favorite comment of the night was, "Oh yeah. Oh, HELL yeah." These are definitely on the "Make Again" list. I'll just pay better attention to what I'm doing next time. Mmm. I can totally see these at a bake sale… And I can already imagine these with all sorts of other mix-ins, like butterscotch or peanut butter chips, or M&Ms… Nuts for those who like them. Hmm… The possibilities…
Oh I almost forgot! In case you're curious to the answers of my "Creative Facts", here they are! There's actually a bit of truth to all of them, but 2 of them are totally true.
1. I speak fluent Chinese. - False. I took 2 years of it in college, but I'm nowhere near fluent. Unless you call counting and saying hi and thank you fluent. Then yes. I am.
2. Most little kids want to be a astronaut or a doctor when they grow up. I wanted to be a babysitter. - Sadly, completely True. I was obsessed with The Babysitters' Club books when I was young, and that became my life's goal. Except that for the longest time, I hated kids. Little minor detail.
3. I've auditioned for American Idol. Twice. - False. I've been to the American Idol auditions in both Cleveland (Season 4) and Memphis (Season 6), but I was just moral support for my BFF Dani, who auditoned.
4. I helped run a Backstreet Boys fan website when I was in high school. - False. It was a 98Degrees site.. Yeah. Can't believe I just admitted that.
5. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 25. - True. I was scared to death of driving. It was only when my parents moved and I moved out on my own that I was basically forced to get it.
6. I was named after my grandmother. - False. I was named after child psychologist James Dobson's daughter Danae.
7. I played Liesl in the Sound of Music for our high school spring musical. - False. I was actually a nun in the chorus. Too much stage fright for me to be out on stage all by myself!
So there you go! Congrats to Michelle from One Ordinary Day for being the only one to get them right! You win... my admiration! :)
Chocolate Chip Blondies
Adapted from Great Cookies by Carole Walter
Makes 24 2½x2½-inch bars
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup (6 ounces) chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, divided
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 10 ½- by-15 ½ inch jelly roll pan well. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. Warm ½ cup (1 stick) of butter, either in a saucepan or in the microwave until just melted, but a few pieces still remain. Remove from heat and add brown sugar, mixing well.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together remaining ½ cup (1 stick) of butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Blend in melted butter mixture, and mix on medium speed until thick and creamy. Beat in vanilla.
5. Reduce speed to low and add in flour mixture a cup at a time, beating until just combined. Remove from mixer, and fold ½ cup chocolate chips by hand.
6. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, scrape batter onto prepared pan, spreading evenly and smoothing the top. Sprinkle remaining ¼ chocolate chips across top.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until top is golden brown and edges start to pull away from sides of the pan. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Once cool, cut into bars.
Note: It may be helpful to line your pan with buttered parchment paper as well, leaving about an inch of overhang on the short sides of the pan to help you remove from the pan and cut easier. But this isn't completely necessary. My batch cut and came out of the pan beautifully.
11 comments:
- sarahe said...
glad that the blondies still turned out great! I tend to do the same thing and get all discombobulated when I've been out of the kitchen for a bit. and your facts are so fun :)
- February 26, 2010 at 3:17 PM
- oneordinaryday said...
Hahaha. Admiration is good enough for me!
I'm hooked on the Olympics too! I can't wait to see Apollo tonight!! Go short track!
I'm glad you shared all your travails making these. I do things like that too and sometimes my husband kicks me out of the kitchen entirely. ;) I love the chocolate chip addition instead of butterscotch chips. I'd definitely prefer your version.
- February 26, 2010 at 3:34 PM
- Ingrid said...
Darn Michelle! :)
I'm sure this is no surprise that I'm thinking those bars look mighty tasty! I've yet to meet a bar I didn't like!
Happy Friday!
- February 26, 2010 at 7:01 PM
- Karen said...
Yeah, I wish recipes would say something like "divided use" when they list an amount. Like the recipe will say 2 sticks butter. Then in the directions it says "melt half the butter" well, I don't see the "half" so I melt the whole thing. Been there, done that... glad they came out yummy anyway!
- February 27, 2010 at 1:12 PM
- Jamie said...
I feel ya! These blondies look fabulous!
- February 28, 2010 at 7:44 PM
- Lucy said...
Mmm I'm not surprised you ate some of these yourself - they look totally irresistible :) Gorgeous (and perfect to munch on in front of the Olympics!)
- March 1, 2010 at 4:36 PM
- Karine said...
Your blondies look delicious! Thanks for sharing :)
- March 1, 2010 at 8:49 PM
- Amanda said...
My mouth is watering. I'm making these the next time I have reason to. (That sounds hilariously non-committal. I crack myself up sometimes.)
- March 2, 2010 at 10:26 AM
- Dot said...
Yum! these look so good..!
Just wanted to let you know that we've linked to your bacon cupcakes from last year for Bacon Week at Foodwhirl.com.
Thanks for sharing it!
- March 9, 2010 at 9:42 AM
- Heavenly Housewife said...
Mmmm... totally delicious! I bet these have like 200 calories per bite LOL.
- March 9, 2010 at 10:15 AM
- mecca said...
I love chocolate chip blondies and have tried many recipes! They always tasted like a chocolate chip cookie, and not a blondie. Well, i made these yesterday, and "THIS IS A TRUE BLONDIE"! Two thumbs up all the way! I will try them with walnuts next time, but right now, i'm satified! My search is finally over...."you go girl"!
- January 23, 2011 at 3:23 AM


text: As a modern update to our heritage collection, Cavendish offers a fresh alternative to the classic chelsea boot. Expertly crafted in metallic pewter calf leather with traditional brogue detailing and elastic inserts, the block heel offers a feminine twist on a masculine style. Welcome this pair into your wardrobe and pair with rolled up denim or skirts.


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Grab yourself a french furniture bargain in our warehouse clearance sale. The products featured in this category are typically excess stock clearance, end of line, one-off specials, slight seconds and repaired transit damaged pieces.
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IMPORTANT NOTE: Classics Direct Limited (est 2005) is not associated with Modern Classics Direct or Italian Classics Direct.


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LONDON, April 9 (UPI) -- For many dog-lovers, the fading moments of their favorite pooch's life are painfully sad. They'd give anything for another ten or fifteen years with their beloved canine companion -- anything to turn back the clocks and take that happy pup on a walk for the first time.
Now, for a little more than $100,000, Sooam Biotech, a dog-cloning company based in Seoul, South Korea, can make that wish come true -- sort of. Sooam Biotech will give a longing pet-owner a brand new dog, a newly-born version of their aging friend.
To raise awareness about their services, the company recently hosted a competition for pet owners. The prize: a free dog cloning. The inaugural contest winner, Rebecca Smith, a caterer from West London, recently became the first Brit to own a cloned puppy.
Smith's new puppy is "Mini-Winnie," named for her 12-year-old dachshund Winnie -- from which Mini was genetically replicated.
To clone Winnie, Sooam Biotech isolated her DNA via small samples of skin. That DNA was then injected into an egg collected from another dachshund. Finally, the fertilized egg was implanted into the womb of a surrogate dog.
The contest, as well as the broader dog-cloning industry, has come under fire from many critical scientists.
"I see no valid justification for cloning pets," Robin Lovell-Badge, a geneticist at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, told The Guardian. "It is a ridiculous waste of money and hope as well as being ethically very dubious."
Dusko Ilic, a stem cell scientist at King's College London, agrees. Ilic says Smith's new puppy is unlikely to resemble the original -- the dog she first came to love. He told British paper: "As time passes by, the differences will be more and more pronounced, especially personality traits."
"It is an absolute waste of money," Ilic added -- speaking to those who might consider shelling out the one hundred grand.
[The Guardian] [ABC News]


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Vodafone prevails in £2bn UK tax spat
HMRC to appeal
Vodafone has won a key ruling in its long-running battle with the UK government over a disputed £2.2bn tax bill.
A UK judge last week sided with the cellco's argument that Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs was not entitled under EU law to make it pay the difference in corporate tax between the UK and another European country with a lower tax rate.
In other words, the UK's Controlled Foreign Companies (CFC) Act, of 1988, designed to stamp out tax domicile-shopping, is illegal within the EU as it now stands.
Vodafone triggered the CFC tax bill by buying German rival Mannesmann in 2000, through a Luxembourg holding company.
According to accountancy firms, Mr Justice Evans-Lombe's ruling is a landmark judgment, affecting thousands of companies, which have paid hundreds of millions of pounds a year.
According to reports, the judge called on Parliament to spell out the tax consequences for companies that set up a controlled foreign company in another EU country.
With so much at stake, HMRC will appeal the ruling. ®


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Citizen scientists are providing stunning new views of Jupiter
JunoCam lets public point camera, process images, feel like space explorers
Roman Tkachenko, MSSS, SwRI, JPL-Caltech/NASA
Stormy, with a good chance of cyclones. That's the forecast for Jupiter's south pole — a region never seen before but quickly coming into focus with the help of citizen scientists.
Music producer Roman Tkachenko's edited image of Jupiter's nether regions (featured above) is a perfect example. His enhancements make the swirling cyclones and white oval storms really pop compared with the raw image, highlighting features at the pole that we otherwise may have missed.
"Jupiter's poles don't look anything like what the team thought they would," says Southwest Research Institute planetary scientist Scott Bolton. He heads the Juno mission, which is probing the mysteries of Jupiter with a spacecraft that is swooping around the planet for 20 months. No one, he says, was expecting so many cyclones and storms.
Such unprecedented views come thanks to JunoCam, a camera on the Juno spacecraft that is not necessarily essential to meet the science goals of the mission. Bolton's team added it to provide a rare glimpse of Jupiter's poles and close-ups of everything in between, and give space enthusiasts an opportunity to play a part in exploring the gaseous planet.
And they are.
Citizen scientists join discussions about which Jovian features the camera will snap pics of, and vote on their favorite targets — those with most votes are photographed. These individuals download raw images and then upload edited versions. "We want the public to jump right in and be our partners in this mission," Bolton says. "We want everyone to experience what it is like to discover something no one else has seen before."
Pretty much all of what we are learning about the structures and dynamics of Jupiter's clouds is coming from public-edited images, says planetary scientist and JunoCam wrangler Candice Hansen. The team is processing a few images itself but with no image processing staff, the researchers are relying on the work of citizen scientists.
Thanks to them, raw data is being turned into beautiful and scientifically important images and movies, ones that track how storms move and provide a fresh perspective of Jupiter.
Sometimes, science and art intersect.
"When I process the images, I try to get better detail than we have in raw imagery and try to show all the features, even if it looks unnatural," Tkachenko, who lives in Russia, writes in an e-mail. "Sometimes I choose the way of artistic processing and try to make an image more exciting and expressive."
His enhanced view of Jupiter's south pole captured NASA's attention: The space agency featured it on nasa.gov. That's "the best gift for every amateur image processor who works with space images," Tkachenko says.
Jason Major, a freelance graphic designer and space blogger living in Rhode Island, takes a slightly different approach. "I attempt to bring out some of the fine details of Jupiter's dynamic atmosphere while at the same time making the final image appear something like what our eyes might be able to see, [as if] we were riding along with Juno in orbit and watching Jupiter's cloud bands pass by," he writes in an e-mail.
Some people who started editing raw images as a hobby have gone on to work for NASA. Others have identified features that warranted further scientific study. "In providing 'out of the camera' images for the public to play with — as well as giving the opportunity to vote on imaging targets — NASA is not only encouraging public buy-in but also getting some nice results back," Major says.
Bolton agrees. "Jupiter is surprising us in every way," from the interior structure to the auroras. He wouldn't divulge any additional details on soon-to-be-published scientific papers related to Juno but says what's to come will completely change how we think about giant planets, here in our own solar system and those far, far away.
If it were up to Tkachenko and Major, Jupiter's Great Red Spot should win. The iconic storm has raged on the planet for more than 300 years, and over the decades that we have observed it, it has grown and shrunk and morphed from tan to brown to rusty red. "But it's always there, churning away," Major says. "It's our best look deep into the atmosphere of this gas giant. The more Juno can tell us about it, the more we'll know about what powers the storms on Jupiter and other planets like it."


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Gates testifies in $1B lawsuit against Microsoft
Microsoft's Windows 95 rollout presented the most challenges in the company's history, leading to several last-minute changes to technical features that would no longer support a rival software maker's word processor, Bill Gates testified Monday in a $1 billion antitrust lawsuit filed by the former owner of WordPerfect.business Updated: Nov 22, 2011 09:44 IST
Microsoft's Windows 95 rollout presented the most challenges in the company's history, leading to several last-minute changes to technical features that would no longer support a rival software maker's word processor, Bill Gates testified Monday in a $1 billion antitrust lawsuit filed by the former owner of WordPerfect.
"We worked super hard," the Microsoft co-founder said. "It was the most challenging, trying project we had ever done."
Gates was the first witness to testify Monday as Microsoft lawyers presented their case in the trial that's been ongoing in federal court in Salt Lake City for about a month. He is set to resume testimony Tuesday morning.
Utah-based Novell Inc. sued Microsoft Corp. in 2004, claiming the Redmond, Washington, company violated US antitrust laws through its arrangements with other software makers when it launched Windows 95. Novell says it was later forced to sell WordPerfect for a $1.2 billion loss. Novell is now a wholly owned subsidiary of The Attachmate Group, the result of a merger that was completed earlier this year.
Gates said Novell just couldn't deliver a Windows 95 compatible WordPerfect program in time for its rollout, and its own Word program was actually better. He said that by 1994, Microsoft's Word writing program was ranked No. 1 in the market above WordPerfect.
Gates called it an "important win."
He testified later that Microsoft had to dump a technical feature that would have supported WordPerfect because he feared it would crash the operating system.
"We were making trade-offs," he said.
Novell argues that Gates ordered Microsoft engineers to reject WordPerfect as a Windows 95 word processing application because he feared it was too good.
WordPerfect once had nearly 50 percent of the market for computer writing programs, but its share quickly plummeted to less than 10 percent as Microsoft's own office programs took hold.
Microsoft lawyers say Novell's loss of market share was its own doing because the company didn't develop a Windows compatible WordPerfect program until months after the operating system's rollout.
Novell attorney Jeff Johnson has conceded that Microsoft was under no legal obligation to provide advance access to Windows 95 so Novell could prepare a compatible version. Microsoft, however, enticed Novell to work on a version, only to withdraw support months before Windows 95 hit the market, he said.
Microsoft lawyer David Tulchin said Gates decided against installing WordPerfect because it couldn't be made compatible in time for the rollout. He argued that Novell's missed opportunity was its own fault, and that Microsoft had no obligation to give a competitor a leg up.
"Novell never complained to Microsoft," Tulchin said during arguments Friday. "There's nothing in the evidence, no documents."
Johnson maintains Novell was tricked in violation of federal antitrust laws so Microsoft could monopolize the market.
"We got stabbed in the back," he said.
U.S. District Judge Frederick Motz on Monday denied a motion from Microsoft attorneys to dismiss the case as groundless.
Gates, a billionaire, began by testifying about Microsoft's history. He was just 19 when he helped found the company. Today, Microsoft is one of the world's largest software makers, with a market value of more than $210 billion.
"We thought everybody would have a personal computer on every desk and in every home," Gates said. "We wanted to be there and be the first."
First Published: Nov 22, 2011 09:39 IST


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Nathaniel Bank
Associate, business and finance department
Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP
Age: 31
Education: B.S., applied economics and management, Cornell University; J.D., SUNY Buffalo
Family: Girlfriend Mariel Musshafen
Residence: South Wedge neighborhood
Professional responsibilities: The practice of law with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and finance, securities law and not-for-profit organizations. Counseling and advising clients on business-related legal issues, and drafting and negotiating contracts related to the formation, operation and transfer of businesses.
Professional and community leadership: President, Rochester Young Professionals Inc.; advisory committee member, RocCity Coalition; diversity committee member, Monroe County Bar Association; grants committee member, NextGen Rochester.
Surprising fact: The most rewarding experiences of my life were living in the "black dorm" at Cornell and traveling alone throughout Mexico, which hammered home the understanding that life is more rewarding when you are willing to throw yourself into uncertain and uncomfortable situations.
Ten years from now: I see myself as an active contributor to a thriving community in downtown Rochester. I hope to be working closely with community leaders who have dedicated themselves to developing our city's rich culture and entrepreneurial spirit, particularly within the urban core.
Kristie Beach
Senior manager
EFP Rotenberg LLP
Age: 32
Education: B.S., accounting, SUNY College at Geneseo
Family: Husband Kevin; son, 2
Residence: Webster
Professional responsibilities: A senior manager in the attest department at EFP Rotenberg. Devotes time to government and school district clients. Service line leader and go-to person in the office for governmental audits.
Professional and community leadership: Vice chairwoman and finance committee chairwoman, Rochester Hearing & Speech Center; board member, finance committee member and audit committee vice chairwoman, Al Sigl Community of Agencies.
Surprising fact: I realized how rewarding community service could be at a young age when I was a camp counselor at Camp Good Days and Special Times for many summers as a teenager.
Ten years from now: I hope to have expanded my family with my husband, Kevin, as well as to have continued to focus on my career in public accounting. I also plan to stay actively involved in the community, giving back through opportunities to work with non-profit organizations.
Guy Beaudoin
Vice president/manager, Central and Western New York complex
Charles Schwab Corp.
Age: 39
Education: B.A., English and philosophy, Salem State University in Salem, Mass.
Family: Wife Jordan; two daughters, 7 and 3; son, 4
Residence: Pittsford
Professional responsibilities: Creates a culture that attracts, develops and retains industry-leading financial professionals. Provides high-quality financial planning, money management and banking to individuals and institutions.
Professional and community leadership: Board member and development committee member, Boys and Girls Clubs of Rochester; board member, Monroe Community Hospital Foundation.
Surprising fact: I am a collector of post-World War II beat novels and award-winning critic of Jack Kerouac literature.
Ten years from now: My wife, Jordan, and I see ourselves highly involved in our three children's high school academics and activities. While acquiring a broader span of control at Schwab, I'd like to also impact the quality of life for inner city children by improving facilities and enrollment at the Boys and Girls Clubs.
Brian Brady
Vice president, financial reporting and planning
Pictometry International Corp.
Age: 34
Education: B.S., accounting, SUNY College at Geneseo
Family: Wife Kristina Marquez; two daughters, 2 and 1 1/2 months
Residence: Webster
Professional responsibilities: Review of technical accounting matters, accounting for international subsidiaries and financial reporting and forecasting. Leads a companywide customer relationship management implementation with the objective of enhancing and strengthening existing policies and procedures within the sales and order fulfillment functions.
Professional and community leadership: Board member, treasurer, executive committee member and finance committee chairman, the Center for Youth.
Surprising fact: I am an Eagle Scout. My final project was refurbishing a warming hut at Highland Forest Park outside of Syracuse. I have not gone camping since leaving Scouts!
Ten years from now: Balancing time between my beautiful family and a challenging and motivating job in finance, while continuing to contribute to the community.
Leonard Brock
Executive for special projects
The Children's Agenda
Age: 32
Education: B.S. in communication studies and master's in public administration, SUNY College at Brockport; Ed.D., St. John Fisher College
Family: Wife Keda; son, 12; daughter, 5
Residence: Rochester
Professional responsibilities: Responsible for developing the new K-12 education track for the agency. Serves as alliance director and offers leadership and staff support, given the Children's Agenda's new role as backbone organization to ROC the Future. Works with leading institutions to identify benchmarks and outcome indicators and seeks to scale best practices and evidenced program models.
Professional and community leadership: President, Community Empowerment Opportunities LLC; chairman, local campaign for black male achievement; member, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.; board of contributors member, Democrat and Chronicle; member, Rochester Planning Commission
Surprising fact: I was raised in one of the most challenged areas in Rochester and was considered a young person least likely to succeed due to environmental conditions and social norms. I never aspired to achieve much academically; however, I always envisioned success.
Ten years from now: I see myself as a major influencer impacting the lives of generations. I see myself as a leading author, major philanthropist and notable social entrepreneur in the area of community economic development.
Lomax Campbell
Assistant to the vice president
Division of Economic Development and Innovative Workforce Services, Monroe Community College
Age: 30
Education: A.S., business administration, Monroe Community College; B.S., graphic media marketing, and MBA, Rochester Institute of Technology
Family: Fiancee Ashley Anderson
Residence: Webster
Professional responsibilities: Provides leadership and support on high-profile research and development project teams for the division. Liaison for business and community initiatives. Manages career exploration and labor market information programs. Serves on collegewide committees supporting strategic planning, facilities modification and the completion agenda for black male students.
Professional and community leadership: Senior deacon, Eureka Lodge No. 36, Free and Accepted Masons, Prince Hall affiliated; vice president, Eta Rho Lambda Chapter, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.; charter member, Rotary Club of Monroe; board member, Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Rochester; board member, Rochester Institute of Technology Alumni Association; community partnership board member, Genesee Center for the Arts and Education.
Surprising fact: I received formal training in classical voice and electric guitar at Hochstein School of Music & Dance while in high school and while working my first job as a freelance capoeira instructor for the Rochester City School District, by means of a grant obtained by Action for a Better Community.
Ten years from now: I see myself serving in executive leadership capacities in a public or private organization and perhaps my fraternal networks.
Mona Chitre
Vice President, pharmacy management
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
Age: 38
Education: doctorate, College of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, New Jersey
Family: Husband Amit; three sons, 9, 6 and 3
Residence: Victor
Professional responsibilities: Responsible for effectively managing $1 billion in drug costs for the organization, including strategic planning, operational and clinical oversight. Through collaboration with various business units, helps ensure members have access to safe, effective and affordable medications.
Professional and community leadership: Board member, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester; editorial board member, CDMI Report on drug benefit management; adjunct faculty member, Wegmans School of Pharmacy, St. John Fisher College; health and wellness committee member, Victor Central School District; volunteer, Relay for Life of Victor.
Surprising fact: I met my husband on a plane flying to India. Just before takeoff, he left his seat to sit down beside me. He introduced himself, and the rest is history. We've been married for 13 years. That seat beside me was the only empty seat on the plane; it was fate.
Ten years from now: I'm not sure where I'll be in 10 years, but I'd like to think I will have maximized every day. I will have cherished every precious moment with my kids, enjoyed the company of family and friends and continued to do fulfilling work that helps people in our community.
Gregory Coughlin
Harter Secrest & Emery LLP
Age: 39
Education: B.A., international business and economics, SUNY College at Brockport; J.D.,Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University, New York City
Family: Wife Jill; two daughters, 10 and 3; son, 7
Residence: Penfield
Professional responsibilities: Focuses on merger and acquisition transactions and general corporate matters. Participates in the firm's hiring process and is a member of its legal opinion committee.
Professional and community leadership: Board member, Society for the Protection and Care of Children.
Surprising fact: It is not noticeable yet, but I am experiencing some male-pattern baldness.
Ten years from now: I will be sending my children off to college, enjoying both my professional and personal life, and I hope to be spending not an inconsequential amount of my free time on Keuka Lake.
Jason DeLaurentiis
DeMott & Smith CPAs P.C.
Age: 33
Education: B.S., accounting, SUNY College at Geneseo
Family: Wife Sara, daughter, 1 month
Residence: Pittsford
Professional responsibilities: Manages firm, including client services for majority of firm's individual and business clients, new client development, staff supervision and training, recruiting and hiring of staff and interns, annual accounting and taxation technical updates and coordination of independent peer review every three years.
Professional and community leadership: Treasurer and resource committee member, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children; member, School of Business Alumni Connections Council, SUNY College at Geneseo; volunteer guest speaker, SUNY Geneseo and SUNY College at Brockport.
Surprising fact: As a child, I had a cameo appearance in a low-budget baseball movie. Sadly, it wasn't "The Sandlot" and probably has never been viewed by anyone. (We were never sure if the director really used film or not.)
Ten years from now: Professionally, managing DeMott & Smith under the same values and principles set forth by the founding partners. Striving to provide the highest level of service to our clients and continuing to be active in the Rochester community while building a family and enjoying parenthood and time with friends and family.
Carey Ann Denefrio
Confidential law clerk to Magistrate Judge Jonathan Feldman
U.S. District Court
Age: 38
Education: B.A., political science, Boston College; J.D., Albany Law School
Family: Husband Timothy Lyster; son, 3 months
Residence: Rochester
Professional responsibilities: Works on federal criminal and civil cases and assists judge with the cases before him. Conducts legal research, drafts and edits judicial opinions, drafts bench memoranda, assists with all aspects of trial and trial preparation, attends court proceedings and keeps the judge abreast of case developments.
Professional and community leadership: Board member, grants committee member and fund development committee member, Foundation of the Monroe County Bar; board member and fund development committee member, Catholic Charities Community Services; nominating committee member, Genesee Center for the Arts and Education.
Surprising fact: Before law school I traveled around the world for two years, and I have visited 30 countries.
Ten years from now: I hope to still be enjoying the practice of law and the legal community. I plan to continue to be actively engaged in community service. I hope to be respected by my peers for both my legal work and community contributions. I also look forward to spending quality time with my family and watching my newborn son grow.
Paul DeSarra
Practice director, business intelligence
Inergex Inc.
Age: 39
Education: B.S., information and decision systems, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh
Family: Wife Erin; son, 2; daughter, 11 months
Residence: Webster
Professional responsibilities: Responsible for strategic direction, overall customer project delivery and working closely with the team to find new opportunities in business analytics and reporting. Manages the practice area profit and loss and the Inergex internal reporting environment.
Professional and community leadership: Board member and audit and finance committee member, Heritage Christian Services Inc.
Surprising fact: I'm a huge fan of Disney World—the whole experience and the ability to creatively manage crowds using technology. I love walking through Disney and trying to figure out how everything works. Bucket list: I'm running the Walt Disney World Marathon in January 2014.
Ten years from now: Wow, my kids will be 11 and 12 and I will have been married for 13 years. I can't imagine what that is going to be like, and I hear time really goes fast, so I plan to cherish it now and experience and enjoy life today.
Michael Doughty
Assistant superintendent for instruction
Monroe No. 1 BOCES
Age: 38
Education: B.S., elementary education, SUNY College at Geneseo; M.S. and Certificate of Advanced Study, education administration, SUNY College at Brockport; Ed.D., University of Rochester
Family: Wife Theresa; two daughters, 11 and 7
Residence: Hilton
Professional responsibilities: Responsible for special education programs, career and technical education programs, adult education, GED, literacy programs, regional professional development, technology services and the Regional Information Center. Responsible for 1,099 of the 1,380 Monroe No. 1 BOCES employees and budgets exceeding $103 million.
Professional and community leadership: Board president, Rochester School for the Deaf; board president, Spencerport-Greece Marlins Swim Club.
Surprising fact: I play the cello. One of my jobs as an undergrad at SUNY Geneseo was to drive the Zamboni. I am on the "Friday Morning Show" on WBER, 90.5 FM.
Ten years from now: We are in a time of unprecedented change in K-12 education. The opportunities to contribute are more dynamic than ever. I only hope that 10 years from now I am making a difference for the children of our region and state.
Vincent Esposito
Regional director, Finger Lakes office, executive director, Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council
Empire State Development Corp.
Age: 37
Education: Course work in computer science, SUNY College at Geneseo
Family: Wife Jennifer Johnson; daughter, 3
Residence: Irondequoit
Professional responsibilities: Oversees economic development for Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the nine-county region, which includes serving as executive director of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council.
Professional and community leadership: President, Irondequoit Kiwanis Club; former Monroe County legislator
Surprising fact: I am more Irish than Italian (by heritage, not appetite).
Ten years from now: I hope to still be raising my family here and serving the public to help make my hometown even better than it already is.
Corina Folts
Interior designer/project manager
Edge Architecture PLLC
Age: 32
Education: B.S., interior design, Art Institute of Pittsburgh
Family: Husband Marcus
Residence: Rochester
Professional responsibilities: Involved in the design of each project, provides project management, leads the firm's interior design services and works closely with clients, consultants and the Edge team through all project phases.
Professional and community leadership: Professional member, American Society of Interior Designers; board member, DePaul Community Services; planning committee member, Purse for Change, Women's Foundation of Genesee Valley; former dance and promotional team director and volunteer coordinator for the Rochester Knighthawks, Americans and Rattlers.
Surprising fact: I previously owned a promotional modeling company (2008-12). Clients included Dundee Brewing Co., Seagram's Escapes, Rochester RazorSharks and the Skycoasters.
Ten years from now: I expect to own my own interior design company or be on my way to becoming partner in an architectural and interior design firm. I look forward to my continued work with DePaul Community Services and the Women's Foundation of Genesee Valley.
Gerald Furciniti
Portfolio manager/senior equity analyst
QCI Asset Management Inc.
Age: 37
Education: B.S., biology, and MBA, Rochester Institute of Technology
Family: Wife Laura; two sons, 5 and 3; daughter, 5 months
Residence: Fairport
Professional responsibilities: Leads the equity research team and oversees analyst development. Voting member of the investment committee. Works with institutional and individual clients to ensure their portfolios are structured appropriately for their goals and risk tolerance.
Professional and community leadership: Director, Friendship Children's Center; director and past president, CFA Society of Rochester; new member, Rochester Rotary Club.
Surprising fact: I won local and then regional qualifier tournaments to earn a spot in a national pool tournament held at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas several years ago. While I didn't win, it was an amazing experience!
Ten years from now: Obviously no one knows what kind of curveballs life will throw, but I believe that keeping our values a priority will lead to a fruitful next decade. The three keys for me are family, career and community. Family is always first on my list.
Felicia Garcia-Hartstein
Director, university volunteer management coordination
Office of Advancement
University of Rochester
Age: 33
Education: B.A., business management, and MBA, Colorado State University
Family: Husband Matt Hartstein; son, 2 1/2; daughter, 4 months
Residence: Rochester
Professional responsibilities: A fundraiser working closely with alumni, friends of the university and community members. Responsible for coordinating the university's top volunteer groups.
Professional and community leadership: Diversity and inclusion committee member, University of Rochester; board member, Women's Foundation of Genesee Valley; mentor, Women Helping Girls, American Association of University Women; founder, Latino Professional Alliance, University of Rochester.
Surprising fact: I have been on my own since the age of 19 due to unfortunate circumstances. I was a first-generation college student and grew up in an impoverished neighborhood. I persevered and put myself through college while working full time and supporting myself.
Ten years from now: Cherishing my wonderful life with my husband and watching our children grow up. I hope to continue my work for the University of Rochester in an elevated role. I look forward to helping enhance Rochester's reputation as a great place to raise a family.
Jason Garlock
Partner, director of investments
Cobblestone Capital Advisors LLC
Age: 38
Education: B.S., civil engineering, Cornell University; M.S., water resources and environmental engineering, Rutgers University, New Jersey
Family: Wife Debra Lynn; two sons, 8 and 10; daughter, 4
Residence: Penfield
Professional responsibilities: Coordinating member of Cobblestone's investment committee, which selects securities and sets asset allocation policy for clients. Supervises Cobblestone's investment analyst and trading team. Manages over $200 million in assets and serves as co-lead manager of the Cobblestone Private Income Fund.
Professional and community leadership: Vice chairman, board member, finance committee member and investment committee chairman, Epilepsy-Pralid Inc.; president (2011-13) and board member, CFA Society of Rochester; team manager (2010-13) and assistant coach, Penfield Little League.
Surprising fact: I am handy enough that I was able to finish my own basement. The project took a lot longer than planned, but it turned out to be a very nice place to spend time with family and friends. It now also serves as a shrine to my obsession with Pittsburgh sports teams.
Ten years from now: We have the team in place to continue growing Cobblestone into the pre-eminent wealth manager in the region over the next 10 years, and I'm excited to be part of it. But most importantly, I want to accomplish that while also being a good husband, father and community member.
Kenneth Glazer
Director of development
Buckingham Properties LLC
Age: 39
Education: B.A., architecture, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.; master's in architecture, University of Illinois at Chicago
Family: Wife Patricia; daughter, 8; son, 6
Residence: Pittsford
Professional responsibilities: Oversees all active developments at Buckingham and associated joint ventures. This involves working with public agencies, assembling project teams, assisting on finance packages and coordinating the construction process. Handles architectural services for tenants and for capital improvements on Buckingham properties.
Professional and community leadership: President and founder, Canstruction Rochester; communication director, AIA Rochester; board member, Upstate Chapter, Certified Commercial Investment Management Institute; member, downtown task force, Rochester Regional Community Design Center.
Surprising fact: Before I was 21, I was fortunate enough to live in three other countries—Spain, France and Australia. At the European stops I lived with families and went to school. The stop Down Under was during college and was when I learned to surf. I still have some very rusty language skills in Spanish and French.
Ten years from now: I hope to continue my leading role in transitioning Buckingham to the next generation. I also hope to take a larger role in the community and continue the rebirth of our great city. In all this, my family has and will always come first, and I hope to find the balance we all strive for.
Jason Hall
Growth and business development manager, digital medical solutions
Carestream Health Inc.
Age: 31
Education: B.A., economics, University of Michigan; MBA, Simon School of Business, University of Rochester
Family: Wife Lisa; daughter, 21 months
Residence: Pittsford
Professional responsibilities: Leads, organizes and executes growth opportunities, including acquisitions, partnerships and internal development programs, focused on increasing revenue and profitability for the Digital Medical Systems business unit and Carestream as a whole.
Professional and community leadership: Chairman, Western New York Leadership Board, American Lung Association; finance committee member, Mary Cariola Children's Center; alumni council member, Simon School of Business.
Surprising fact: I have traveled to 41 of the 50 states and 12 different countries.
Ten years from now: I see myself with a healthy, happy (and hopefully slightly larger) family, a career that has prospered with increased leadership and strategic responsibilities in a vibrant and dynamic organization, and further involvement in the causes and aspects of our community that are most important to me and my family.
Christopher Harris
Rizzo, DiGiacco, Hern & Baniewicz CPAs PLLC
Age: 35
Education: B.S., accounting, SUNY College at Geneseo
Family: Wife Courtney; daughter, 6; son, 3
Residence: Farmington, Ontario County
Professional responsibilities: Manages the audits and informational tax-return preparation for a variety of not-for-profit organizations. Responsible for developing the tax-exempt division within the firm.
Professional and community leadership: Board treasurer, Bivona Child Advocacy Center; president, Rochester Regional Chapter, Healthcare Financial Management Association; past president, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Rochester/Monroe County; member, not-for-profit committee, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Surprising fact: Most people know that I get up at 4:30 every day to start my day with a workout. However, my morning routine also includes writing, which I appreciate more than my morning exercise. It helps me focus on the things that matter—family, health and meaningful work.
Ten years from now: Running a successful tax-exempt division at Rizzo DiGiacco Hern & Baniewicz, where I help Rochester-area non-profits meet accounting and compliance requirements so they can focus on pursuing their important missions.
Timothy Hern
Rizzo, DiGiacco, Hern & Baniewicz CPAs PLLC
Age: 36
Education: B.S., accounting, Rochester Institute of Technology
Family: Wife, Sue; son, 1
Residence: Victor
Professional responsibilities: In charge of the audit division, oversees financial statement audits and reviews. Prepares corporate and individual tax returns and tax planning to assist business owners in minimizing their taxes. Serves as business advisor and consultant to clients.
Professional and community leadership: Board treasurer, Melissa's Living Legacy Teen Cancer Foundation/Teens Living With Cancer; member, finance committee, Genesee Country Village & Museum; past board treasurer, chairman, finance committee, member, executive and long-range planning committees, Mercy Residential Service; participant, Flower City Habitat for Humanity "Leaders Build"
Surprising fact: I'm addicted to watching "The Bachelor." Also, I am in the RIT Athletics Hall of Fame for baseball. (I'm hoping that saves some man points after my first response!)
Ten years from now: Partner in a well-respected mid-size accounting firm known for providing excellent service to its clients. Figuring out the work-life balance thing and spending as much time possible with my family and having fun coaching my son's baseball team and watching him grow up.
Dina Natale
Manager, talent acquisition
Unity Health System
Age: 36
Education: B.S., psychology; MBA, St. John Fisher College
Family: Husband Jason Parker
Residence: Webster
Professional responsibilities: Oversees staffing and recruiting processes that support client groups across Unity. Establishes strategic direction for the team and provides consultant support across the organization on innovative solutions and best practices to attract talent to Unity. Executes creative recruitment and sourcing processes.
Professional and community leadership: Member, board of trustees, Aquinas Institute of Rochester; past board member, St. John Fisher College Alumni Association; board member, Rochester Womens Network.
Surprising fact: I am a pretty shy person! Earlier in my career, I forced myself to go to networking events because I knew it would better my career path by creating a strong network in Rochester. My recruitment career came naturally after that. But I may still choose to be a wallflower at events, so be sure to come up to me to say hi!
Ten years from now: Professionally I see myself still working in the human resources field but in a more strategic role. I want to be a part of creating a new and innovative way to recruit and interview candidates. I want to create best practices in recruitment and possibly publish a book on how to hire the best in health care.
Marc Natale
Executive director
American Heart Association
Age: 38
Education: B.S., accounting, Niagara University, Niagara Falls; M.S., strategic leadership, Roberts Wesleyan College
Family: Wife Alicia; daughter, 7; son, 4
Residence: Churchville
Professional responsibilities: Leads an eight-county region with a focus on heavily investing in prevention education and awareness, establishing or advancing wellness committees within organizations, funding cutting-edge research, partnering with community and corporate organizations to achieve broader goals and continuous quality improvement within the region's hospital systems to directly improve patient care.
Professional and community leadership: Treasurer, Mercy Community Services; board member and finance committee co-chairman,Wilson Commencement Park; member; Council of Agency Executives; member, HR committee, Rochester Hearing & Speech Center; grant reviewer, Greater Rochester Health Foundation.
Surprising fact: I say, "Eighty percent of life is eating, and the other 20 percent is thinking about it," but most people are surprised that I make everything from scratch, like pasta, bread, sauces, desserts, wine, limoncello. In a fast-paced world, I appreciate the old-school ways of being.
Ten years from now: I plan to continue to enjoy new experiences with my family and can't wait to see my children be fully engaged members of their community and on the cusp of entering high school and college. Professionally, I want to continue to have an impact as a collaborative and thoughtful leader.
Tom Parrish
Executive director, co-CEO
Geva Theatre Center Inc.
Age: 34
Education: B.A., theater arts and economics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland; MBA/MA, arts administration, Southern Methodist University, Dallas
Residence: Downtown Rochester
Professional responsibilities: Provides institutional leadership, including audience and donor development, financial management, administration and oversight of operations and facilities.
Professional and community leadership: Board member, Rochester Downtown Development Corp., member, Rochester Rotary; member, Washington Square Park Neighborhood Association; chairman, arts, culture and history subcommittees, tourism and arts work group, Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council.
Surprising fact: When not working, I enjoy gardening, going to the gym, watching television and movies, dining out, playing video games, reading and playing with my dog, Hunter.
Ten years from now: Continuing to lead the theater to even higher levels of achievement and community impact.
Kelly Pronti
Partner, real estate and land use group
Harter Secrest & Emery LLP
Age: 38
Education: B.A., political science, SUNY Buffalo; J.D., Albany Law School
Family: Husband James; daughters, 9 and 6
Residence: Victor
Professional responsibilities: Represents local and national sellers and purchasers in commercial real estate transactions and financial institutions and borrowers in commercial lending transactions. Represents landlords and tenants with commercial leasing transactions. Reviews and analyzes municipal zoning ordinances, building codes, state and local law relating to project entitlements and zoning matters. Leads the firm's diversity committee.
Professional and community leadership: Trustee, secretary, governance committee member and executive committee member, National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House; member, Monroe County Bar Association.
Surprising fact: I am a first-generation American and speak fluent Greek. My parents, Fotini and Loukas Bechakas, immigrated to the U.S. over 45 years ago. They started with a hot dog stand in Buffalo and eventually opened several successful restaurants. I grew up in the restaurant business and worked almost every weekend during high school, college and even law school breaks.
Ten years from now: I see myself continuing as a senior partner at Harter Secrest & Emery. I will continue to mentor and coach junior associates and give back to the Rochester community. Finally, my oldest daughter will be heading off to college, and I will be preparing for parenting during the college years.
Matthew Ray
Vice president, commercial banking
M&T Bank Corp.
Age: 32
Education: B.S., business, SUNY Buffalo; MBA, Simon School of Business, University of Rochester
Family: Wife Kristin; two sons, 6 and 4; two daughters, 2 and 1
Residence: Victor
Professional responsibilities: Manages a portfolio of approximately 40 middle-market customer relationships with roughly $330 million in combined credit facilities. Manages the underwriting and legal documentation process while cross-selling ancillary bank services. Pursues and develops relationships with prospective customers. Develops a network of potential referral sources.
Professional and community leadership: Chairman and member of the executive, finance and business review committees, Foodlink Inc.; chairman and CEO, M&T Bank's United Way fundraising campaign committee for Rochester; member, Young Leaders Council, United Way of Greater Rochester Inc.
Surprising fact: While working full time for Deloitte's Rochester office, I completed the full-time MBA program at the University of Rochester's Simon School. This was, of course, before having four kids by the age of 31 (which surprises many as well).
Ten years from now: In a more senior position, driving growth within the organization and developing future leadership. Supporting the mission of multiple community organizations through board leadership and cultivating (potentially new) donor/volunteer relationships. Active in my children's school events and sports. Supporting my wife's goals and aspirations.
Mauricio Riveros
Executive vice president
The Pike Co. Inc.
Age: 38
Education: Titulo de Abogado (undergraduate pre-law degree) and Magister en Derecho Economico (M.S.), economic law, Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar, La Paz, Bolivia; law degree (J.D.), Universidad Catolica Boliviana, Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Family: Wife Bess; three sons, 8, 6 and 4
Residence: Macedon, Wayne County
Professional responsibilities: Oversees operations, the risk management process and the professional development program for the Pike Co. and Lecesse Construction. This includes managing the project controls department, leading the scheduling and building information modeling processes.
Professional and community leadership: Deacon and leader of missions, Pittsford Community Church; board member, Allendale Columbia School.
Surprising fact: I studied law in Bolivia and was working for the government as a national director of strategic planning. I never saw myself in the construction industry. However, I found that my law degree and my work with the Bolivian government have helped me develop and implement very effective risk management tools in one of the largest construction companies in the Northeast.
Ten years from now: I see myself being part of the largest and best construction group in the Northeast with the implementation of the most advanced technological construction improvements. In terms of community involvement, I hope to encourage the private sector to contribute more effectively to people in need.
Kate Saracene
Counsel (attorney)
Nixon Peabody LLP
Age: 39
Education: B.S., industrial and labor relations, Cornell University; J.D., Yale Law School, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
Family: Husband Steve Carling; son, 9; stepdaughter, 7; daughter, 6
Residence: Webster
Professional responsibilities: Heads the health and welfare team in the employee benefits group. Counsels employers, third-party administrators, insurance companies and multiemployer plans on compliance with legal mandates governing employee benefit plans, especially health care reform mandates.
Professional and community leadership: Graduate, Leadership Rochester; board member, Family Service Communities; committee chairperson, Parent Teacher Student Association, Klem North Elementary School.
Surprising fact: The jobs I no longer list on my resume include general farm labor, corn detassling, tying grape vines, lifeguarding, swim instruction and camp counselor. I learned how to drive a tractor before I learned how to drive a car.
Ten years from now: Still practicing law at Nixon Peabody, with one kid in college and two more about to go, keeping busy as a sports mom attending high school and college events, making my plans to buy a place downtown when the baby graduates from high school, still running, doing yoga to try to stay grounded while balancing it all.
Eric Schillinger
Business development relationship manager
Xceed Financial Credit Union
Age: 32
Education: B.A., geography, SUNY College at Geneseo
Family: Wife Melissa; son, 19 months
Residence: Corn Hill neighborhood of Rochester
Professional responsibilities: Establishes, builds and maintains relationships with select employer groups in Rochester and across the United States.
Professional and community leadership: Board member and chairman of annual golf event, Easter Seals New York, Western Region; co-chairman, logistics, Zoobilation committee, Seneca Park Zoo Society; steward, Fairport Flower City Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons; member chairman and co-treasurer, Six Degree Advocates; member, leadership committee, YMCA Gen Y.
Surprising fact: I am not a Rochester native and am originally from Queens and the Lake George area. I proudly refer to Rochester as my hometown since my time in Geneseo.
Ten years from now: I see myself in a more formal management position leading a sales/customer service team, continuing my efforts in the community and sharing the knowledge that I have been fortunate enough to acquire along the way.
Mark Simmons
Lieutenant, platoon commander
Rochester Police Department
Age: 33
Education: Associate degree, criminal justice, Monroe Community College; B.S., criminal justice, Keuka College
Family: Wife Jennifer; daughter, 14; three sons, 9, 1 and 4 months
Residence: North Greece
Professional responsibilities: Supervises six sergeants, six investigators and 50 officers. Responsible for the coordination and participation of the platoon's public engagement, crime suppression and criminal investigation efforts. Guides and directs the staff toward successfully accomplishing and exceeding departmental goals and objectives.
Professional and community leadership: Board member and treasurer, Baden Street Settlement; finance chairman and youth leader, Upper Room Family Worship Center.
Surprising fact: I am very musically inclined. I played the alto saxophone throughout my elementary and high school years and am a self-taught pianist and drummer. In fact, I was the lead drummer for the praise and worship service at my church for years and still occasionally join in with the church band, although I have been told by my wife that my rustiness is quite evident.
Ten years from now: Completing my master's degree in public administration and serving in the senior administrative command staff of the Rochester Police Department. I also see myself being more engaged in community volunteer work, fundraisers and causes I am passionate about.
Meredith Smith
Associate vice president, government and community relations
Rochester Institute of Technology
Age: 37
Education: B.A., political science, Colgate University, Hamilton, N.Y.; J.D., George Mason University, Arlington, Va.
Family: Husband Clair Alexander; daughter, 6; son, 2
Residence: Perinton
Professional responsibilities: Develops and implements strategies that will build and enhance RIT's relationships with government officials and community partners. Plays a key role in the university's legislative advocacy efforts at the federal and state levels. Collaborates with neighborhoods and communities as a town-gown representative of RIT.
Professional and community leadership: New member liaison, board of directors, Rochester Rotary Club; vice president and board member, Henrietta Chamber of Commerce; board member and communications committee co-chairwoman, Women's Council of the Rochester Business Alliance Inc.; board member, Leadership Rochester.
Surprising fact: The only thing of any significance I've ever won in a raffle is a 1949 Allis Chalmers C tractor, which I still own and drive.
Ten years from now: Ten years ago I never dreamed that I would return to raise my family and do work that I absolutely love in the wonderful community where I grew up. I'm sure I will be focused on building relationships and strategically creating solutions. I'll also be hiding in a bunker while my husband teaches our daughter how to drive.
Courtney Spitz
The Bonadio Group
Age: 37
Education: B.S., accounting, Furman University, Greenville, S.C.; M.S., accounting, University of Central Florida
Family: Husband Tim; two daughters, 10 and 7; son, 5
Residence: Pittsford
Professional responsibilities: Responsible for supervising audits, tax and consulting engagements. Supervises and mentors staff, participates in training and education events, client service and marketing activities, research on accounting and auditing matters, financial analysis and leadership activities in the division's strategic plan and goals.
Professional and community leadership: Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accounts; member, Healthcare Financial Management Association; board member, treasurer and finance committee chairwoman, Rochester Childfirst Network; advisory board member and adviser on community service and recruitment, Xi Mu Chapter, Chi Omega Fraternity at the University of Rochester.
Surprising fact: I grew up in Orlando, Fla., yet I very much enjoy the lifestyle and climate in Upstate New York.
Ten years from now: I see myself continuing to enjoy my family and career.
David Tang
Underberg & Kessler LLP
Age: 36
Education: B.A., government, Cornell University; J.D., Syracuse University
Family: Wife Olena Prokopovych; twin sons, 3
Residence: Perinton
Professional responsibilities: Provides advice on legal matters to business, health care industry and municipal clients. This includes advising about court proceedings and preparing a variety of legal documents. Responsible for client marketing activities and meeting continuing legal education requirements. Mentors and trains junior attorneys and law clerks.
Professional and community leadership: Member and former diversity committee chairman, Monroe County Bar Association; board member and vice chairman, Center for Dispute Settlement; board member and secretary, Providence Housing Development Corp.; executive director, Foundation for International Education; former School 29 mentor, Lawyers for Learning, Monroe County Bar Association.
Surprising fact: I met my wife in a German literature class at Cornell. German is the language of love.
Ten years from now: Serving as trusted legal counsel to a large and growing group of businesses and organizations and as a leader on the board of one or more organizations that make a significant difference in the life of our community. Perhaps I'll also be piloting a new project that addresses a community need.
Chad Teeters M.D.
Chief of cardiology, Highland Hospital, and assistant professor of clinical medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center
Age: 37
Education: B.S., biology, and B.A., chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; M.S., clinical investigation, University of Rochester; M.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Family: Wife Jennifer Campbell M.D.; two daughters 5 and 18 months
Residence: Pittsford
Professional responsibilities: Director of the Division of Cardiology at Highland Hospital. Responsible for oversight of all inpatient and outpatient clinical cardiology activities, including imaging at Highland Hospital and its associated practice at Strong West in Brockport.
Professional and community leadership: Director, Highland Heart Failure Center; board member, Mended Hearts of Rochester.
Surprising fact: I am the coach for the Pink-Purple Dogs soccer team (kindergarten age division) in the Pittsford Youth Soccer League.
Ten years from now: Still primarily in clinical practice in cardiology at Highland Hospital but extending top-quality cardiac services throughout the Upstate New York region in an ever-evolving health care landscape.
Matt Vahue
Recruiting director and financial adviser
Principal Financial Group
Age: 30
Education: B.A., communications/journalism, St. John Fisher College
Family: Wife Courtney Dixon Vahue
Residence: Canandaigua
Professional responsibilities: Responsible for the growth of the firm's team of financial professionals in New York State, excluding New York City and Long Island. Serves as a financial adviser, working to develop investment and insurance solutions for individuals and small to midsize businesses.
Professional and community leadership: Board member, Canandaigua Rotary Club; board member, Canandaigua YMCA.
Surprising fact: Two weeks before the start of my senior year at St. John Fisher College, I moved to Buffalo to join the Buffalo Bills as the graduate assistant in media relations, working for Scott Berchtold. At the conclusion of the 2004-05 season, I spent 10 days in Jacksonville, Fla., working at Super Bowl XXXIX. Even with spending my senior year in Buffalo, I still graduated from Fisher in four years.
Ten years from now: In a senior leadership role with the Principal Financial Group's Upstate New York Business Center, continuing to help the organization grow. I want to strive to make an impact companywide and industrywide in finding new ways to attract top talent to the financial services industry.
Jeff Valentine
Exium Partners
Age: 37
Education: B.S., material science and engineering, Cornell University
Family: Wife Jennifer; two daughters, 7 and 4
Residence: Fairport
Professional responsibilities: An entrepreneur and investor, looking for companies with inspiring teams, a history of growth and strong free cash flow. Invests time and capital to help these companies grow faster.
Professional and community leadership: Senior vice president of product, ShoreTel Inc.; co-founder, Pariemus; director, Rochester Angel Network; trustee, The Strong; trustee, Geva Theatre Center.
Surprising fact: I can hit a three-inch target at 300 yards with a modern sporting rifle.
Ten years from now: Wrestling a man-eating squid in the Bering Strait. Or playing golf with my daughters. Definitely one of the two.
Steven Vogt
Implementation project manager
MediSked LLC
Age: 35
Education: B.A., business management and communication, SUNY Buffalo
Family: Single
Residence: Penfield
Professional responsibilities: Manages a workload of implementation and post-go-live projects to ensure objectives are driven to successful completion, on time and within budget. Leads regular status meetings and prepares/maintains project status documentation, including project timelines, scopes of work and knowledge reference guides. Delivers product training while making recommendations on best practices, and performs skill assessments to gauge client application proficiency.
Professional and community leadership: Social co-chairman and former president, Rochester Young Professionals; Our Towns columnist and Around Town blogger, Democrat and Chronicle.
Surprising fact: A fact that most people would be surprised by is that hablo espanol. Growing up, I was exposed to Spanish often, and the language was easy to pick up in my high school years. I thought it would be a great edge for a future career.
Ten years from now: I hope to be married, possibly with a child, in a management role at my company leading the project management office. I hope to still continue giving back to the community in some way that can help to make a difference for Rochester!
Jennifer Wallace
Vice president
First Niagara Risk Management
Age: 35
Education: B.A., political science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Family: Husband Matthew; daughter, 5; son, 3
Residence: Perinton
Professional responsibilities: Insurance and risk management professional responsible for developing and managing client relationships and integrating services.
Professional and community leadership: Board member, Rochester Chapter, American Heart Association; graduate, former board member and volunteer, Leadership Rochester; advisory board member, SportsNet.
Surprising fact: After college I went to work at Disney, where my entire career goal was to get a bartending job because the bartenders made tips and worked nights. I never did become a bartender, but I met my husband on my first day there, and it's all worked out just fine!
Ten years from now: Hopefully doing most of what I'm doing right now and just 10 years older! Enjoying my family and career, spending time on the water whenever possible.
Robert Werkmeister
Symbolic Inc.
Age: 39
Education: B.A., political science, and MBA, SUNY Buffalo
Family: Wife Candi; daughter, 9; son, 7
Residence: Victor
Professional responsibilities: President and a founding partner of Symbolic, a marketing communications company in Fairport. Works with clients to set goals and objectives, then coordinate the implementation of all their communication strategies.
Professional and community leadership: Board member and head coach, VolleyFX Volleyball Club.
Surprising fact: I am not sure it is "surprising," but in this day and age it is more uncommon: I am the first (and to this point only) person in my extended family to attend college. Actually, I am the only male in my entire family who didn't serve in either the armed forces or law enforcement.
Ten years from now: I hope to be doing exactly what I am doing now. Most people think of five- or 10-year plans as a constant need to grow or do or accumulate more. I have a great life and am able to do much with and for others. In 10 years, I hope to still be able to do that.
Kanika Wright
Equipment manufacturing manager
Carestream Health Inc.
Age: 35
Education: B.S., industrial and manufacturing engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology; M.S., strategic leadership, Roberts Wesleyan College
Family: Single
Residence: Rochester
Professional responsibilities: Oversees the Rochester manufacturing facility with four flow managers/transition managers and more than 100 indirect reports, managing six product lines across three major businesses. Responsible for successfully executing on quality, cost, delivery, Lean Six Sigma and compliance goals.
Professional and community leadership: Board member and membership co-chairwoman, Women's Council, an affiliate of Rochester Business Alliance Inc.; board member, Rochester Twenty Pearls Foundation; member, leadership giving, United Way of Greater Rochester Inc.; past president, vice president, assistant treasurer, educational advancement foundation chapter captain, fundraising chairperson, hospitality chairperson and chairperson of various chapter events and community programming, Delta Nu Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.; board member, Broadway Commons Home Owners Association.
Surprising fact: I can be very silly, quite creative and sporadically adventurous. I've been snorkeling with stingrays in the Bahamas.
Ten years from now: I see myself enjoying life even more than I am now, loving more than I do now, and better able to prioritize my time to focus on what really matters. I want to be in a position to always be able to help others and to make a difference, no matter my situation.
11/15/13 (c) 2013 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-546-8303 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
There's a war brewing over the use of 3D printers to make unlicensed guns and other firearms. 3D-printed weaponry is still a novelty, particularly this fully functional crossbow, which was created in a single printing pass, complete with a cleverly designed flexible working trigger.
The only part that didn't come from a 3D printer is the string stretched across the crossbow's arms, and whatever's used for ammo — whether it's a chopstick or a balsa glider.
You can download the plans for the bow on Thingiverse if you have access to a 3D printer and want to make your own, but just be aware that its size is limited to the capacity of your hardware. So don't expect to take down anything larger that a caterpillar with it. [trenchPhysics via Hack a Day]