ALBANY - Heidi A. Nauleau, chairman of the Aarque Companies based in Jamestown, Chautauqua County, has been elected chairman of The Business Council of New York State for the next 12 months. Paul S. Speranza Jr., secretary and general counsel for Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., has been re-elected vice chair for finance.
Nauleau is the first woman to serve as chairman of The Business Council.
In addition, the Board of Directors of The Business Council has elected three other business leaders to terms on the board, and has re-elected four others to the Board of Trustees of The Council's research affiliate, The Public Policy Institute of New York State. The elections took place Wednesday, Sept. 17, at The Business Council's Annual Meeting in Bolton Landing, Warren County.
The top board officers of The Business Council are:
- Heidi A. Nauleau, chairman of the Aarque Companies, a privately owned holding company based in Lakewood, Chautauqua County. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Nauleau has served in a variety of positions with Aarque since 1981. She became its president in 1992 and its chairman in 1996. She succeeds Robert B. Catell, chairman and CEO of KeySpan.
- Paul S. Speranza Jr., senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary for Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., a regional supermarket chain. A graduate of Syracuse University, he earned degrees in law from the University of San Francisco and New York University. He joined Wegmans in 1976, and is responsible for law, government relations, taxation, and labor relations. He was first elected vice chairman for finance last year.
>The Council's new directors are:
- William C. Freda, vice chairman and regional managing partner of Deloitte & Touche. A graduate of Bentley College, Freda has more than 28 years experience in financial services. In addition to serving as vice chairman of the Deloitte & Touche U.S. firm, he is also chairman of its Global Financial Services Industry practice, and Northeast regional managing partner.
- Thomas X. Geisel, president, Capital Region District of KeyBank N.A. He is the senior representative for KeyBank in the Capital Region, and he leads Key's economic and community development efforts. He has more than 15 years of diversified financial services experience. He earned a bachelor's degree in finance and marketing from the University of Tennessee.
- Roger A. Hannay, president of Hannay Reels, Inc., who already serves on the board of trustees of The Public Policy Institute. Hannay joined the family-owned business in 1966 and became president and CEO of the Albany County reel manufacturer in 1990. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Wheaton College and an MBA from the University of Michigan. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army for two years, including one in Viet Nam.
The Business Council board has also re-elected seven members:
- Hermes L. Ames, president and CEO, Fleet National Bank, Upstate.
- William J. Clark, Jr., vice president of agency, State Farm Insurance.
- Michael J. Falcone, chairman, Pioneer Development Company.
- Kirk P. Gregg, executive vice president, Corning Incorporated.
- Andrew D. Herbert, plant manager, Buffalo Stamping Plant, Ford Motor Company.
- Peter J. Kallet, chairman, president, and CEO, Oneida Ltd.
- Mark D. Little, vice president-energy products, GE Power Systems.
The re-elected trustees of The Public Policy Institute are:
- Karen R. Hitchcock, president of the University at Albany.
- James W. Kinnear, retired president and CEO, Texaco, Inc.
- Albert J. Simone, president, Rochester Institute of Technology.
- Hon. Hugh L. Carey, 51st Governor of New York.
The Business Council is New York's largest broad-based business group, representing nearly 4,000 member companies large and small across the state. The members of The Business Council represent well over 1 million employees in all regions of the state and in all sectors of the economy. Based in Albany, The Council lobbies for a better business climate and offers cost-cutting services to its members.
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