Greater Utica Chamber names three directors to board

UTICA, N.Y. — The Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce has named three members to its board of directors, effective Jan. 1.

The three new directors are John Calabrese, Robert Scholefield, and Rob Shauger, the organization said in a news release.

Calabrese is owner and president of Express Employment Professionals, a staffing firm that has locations in New Hartford and an upcoming office in the Landmarc Building in downtown Utica.

Calabrese also serves on the boards of directors of First Source Federal Credit Union and the Central Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Foundation, the Utica Chamber said in the release. He also is a trustee for The Genesis Group and is a board member of the Utica College Athletic Association.

Scholefield is senior vice president for operations of the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS).

Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare (FSLH) and St. Elizabeth Medical Center (SEMC) affiliated as the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) last March. A single, 18-member board of directors, with nine members from FSLH’s board and nine from SEMC’s board, governs MVHS. A single management team operates the system. It has 4,700 employees and annual revenue of about $550 million.

Scholefield is a graduate of St. Elizabeth College of Nursing and received his master’s degree in health-care administration from the New School in New York City, the Greater Utica Chamber said. He earned his bachelor’s degree in health administration from the SUNY Institute of Technology. Scholefield has previously served as assistant director and director of nursing and vice president of nursing during his 30 years of work at St. Elizabeth Medical Center.

Shauger is director of sales and development for ConfiData, a division of Empire Recycling Corp., at 64 Genesee St. in Utica, according to the news release. He has been with Empire Recycling in multiple divisions for the last three years.

Prior to joining Empire, Shauger spent 20 years in the green industry, serving in roles ranging from sales management to consulting. He eventually launched his own turf-grass management firm servicing clients throughout Utica, Rome, and Syracuse. During his time in the sustainable sector, Shauger served on the board of directors of the Central New York Nursery and Landscape Association, finishing his four-year term as the association’s president.