People

Buffalo-area personnel announcements, board appointments and mor

Shannon Beiter was promoted to a full-time member of the assurance accounting staff at Lougen Valenti Bookbinder & Weintraub LLP. She has served as a part-time employee there since 2008.

Penny Sallome joined Freed Maxick as a full-time seasonal tax preparer in the Batavia office. She previously worked for Farm Credit of WNY as a financial assistant/tax preparer and has 10 years of experience as a bookkeeper. The firm also named four associates to its Buffalo office: Amy Thompson, Jeremy John Olson, Patrick Capella and Michael Moceri. Thompson is senior manager in the tax department. She most recently worked as a corporate tax manager at First Niagara Bank. Olson is a supervisor in the tax department. He previously was with a CPA firm in California. Capella was named staff accountant in the tax department. He expects to graduate from the University at Buffalo in May with a master's degree in accounting. Moceri, a UB graduate who previously worked as a social studies teacher at Niagara Wheatfield High School, was named a staff accountant in the tax department.

Joni Simcick was named senior vice president and chief operating officer of Cattaraugus County Bank. She has been with the bank for 24 years and most recently served as vice president and retail and marketing manager.

The Minority Bar Association of Western New York Inc. elected its 2011 executive board: Joseph Hanna of Goldberg Segalla LLP, president; Jennifer Metzger of Housing Opportunities Made Equal, vice president; Joseph Brown of Hodgson Russ LLP, treasurer; Lynette Nogueras Trummer of Nixon Peabody LLP, deputy treasurer; Melissa Semidey of Phillips Lytle LLP, recording secretary; Leah Bouquard of Watson Bennett, corresponding secretary; Gary Wilson of Buffalo Public Schools, director; and Paul Dimoh of Nixon Peabody, director.

Tonawanda resident James Davis joined the law firm of Hiscock & Barclay. He is a litigator who focuses on insurance defense and previously was an associate with Feldman Kieffer LLP.

Michael Moots was named executive director of the Jamestown Community College Foundation, effective Feb. 1. He will be responsible for planning, organizing and directing the annual fundraising campaigns for all sectors of the college community. He previously was with the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County, where he had been executive director since 1990.