The Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s 2019 season was marked by a record number of SPAC premieres, programming that extended beyond the traditional summer months, and significant growth in its educational and community outreach efforts, officials said at a recent board of directors meeting..
The summer season culminated with the re-imagined Saratoga Wine and Food Festival, which connected the community and cultural organizations in support of SPAC’s educational programming.
The festival “united cultural organizations, local businesses and our community in a celebration of art, music, nature and locally-sourced foods, serving as the perfect punctuation mark to our summer season,” said Elizabeth Sobol, SPAC president and CEO. “As we look ahead, we will continue to create meaningful experiences through innovative programming, educational outreach and new year-round offerings.”

Family nurse practitioner Janice Ceccucci, DNP, typically sees patients at their most vulnerable, in the hours after a sexual assault or a report of ongoing sexual abuse.
In the nearly 15 years since she began providing sexual assault forensic exams, Ceccucci’s skill and sensitivity—and her determination to improve these services for patients of all ages—have benefited children, adolescents and adults far beyond the Capital Region.
These contributions, and her leadership in educating and mentoring nurse practitioners and physician assistants, earned Ceccucci recognition as New York state’s 2019 Nurse Practitioner of the Year.

The hospitality and tourism industry in Saratoga County has a nearly $1 billion annual impact on the area economy, and creates and sustains thousands of jobs, according to the a study by the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership.
The economic index for the industry also drives substantial activity at hotels, restaurants, retail outlets and tourist attractions throughout Saratoga County, according to the economic development organization.
The report was released in November.
Saratoga County’s hospitality and tourism sector generated an economic impact of $979 million in 2018, according to the index, which captured a quantitative analysis of data prepared by Tourism Economics, a leader in global forecasting.

By Jill Nagy
After nearly 39 years in the sporting goods business, Randall Wojdyla recently opened a second location for Sievert’s Sports at the Crossings in Clifton Park.
He credits his son, Brennan Wojdyla, and son-in-law, Tim Dada, for steering him to the new location after many years in Amsterdam. They are sales manager and store manager, respectively.
“They knew of it as a young area,” he said.

By Rachel Phillips
Accelerate ABA, a clinic that provides services for children who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, located, is now open at 7 Corporate Drive in Clifton Park’
At the center, patients aged 2-12 are treated by board-certified and licensed behavior analysts Haley McDougall and Carolyn Volpe, co-owners of Accelerate ABA.
According to McDougall, part of the reason they chose to open a center in Clifton Park was due to the lack of such services in the area.
“Halfmoon is in the center of Albany and Saratoga and is convenient for most people in the Capital Region. A center allows for consistent treatment, where we can easily modify the environment for child-specific needs, while teaching communication, social skills, language, play skills, daily living skills, and pre-academic skills,” said McDougall.

With a greater focus on client satisfaction and training, GTM Payroll Services recently expanded into a renovated building at 9 Executive Park Drive in Clifton Park.
With 12,500 square feet, the space better accommodates GTM’s growing team of more than 70 employees and features a modern training facility that includes many amenities for worker engagement.

By Andrea Palmer
The owner of Palette Cafe on Broadway in Saratoga Springs has opened a co-working space on the second floor above the cafe.
The new space is Palette Upstairs. Owner Catherine Hover said the space is for women in business.
“It’s not just a co-working space. When you’re catering to women in business, and in life, it takes more resources than just having a seat at a table and a fancy conference room to do presentations. You have to cater to women in a fuller way. You have to address what’s going on in their lives and where they’re at in order to support them,” said Hover.