Guy Mastrion, entrepreneur and creative industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience in brand development, digital strategy, advertising, design, photography and film for global brands, was appointed the ninth F. William Harder chair of business at Skidmore College.

Mastrion is founder and chief creative officer of Brandforming, a multidisciplinary creative organization with expertise in design, campaign and digital work dedicated to the creation and transformation of brands. The firm’s clients represent myriad industries including health and wellness, financial services, entertainment, transportation, consumer/packaged goods, food and beverage, travel, automotive and fashion brands, college officials said.

He is also a founding member of Watershed Bridges, a unique network of partner firms established by experienced industry veterans, and dedicated to connecting for a change in healthcare communications.

Prior to founding Brandforming, Mastrion was a co-founder and chief global creative officer of Palio-Ignite, a worldwide healthcare advertising agency helping to establish and grow inVentiv Health. Palio-Ignite was headquartered in Saratoga Springs and grew to have offices in New York City and Irvine, Calif., plus a network of global agency affiliates.

Guy has also held senior creative positions at leading advertising agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, Bates Worldwide, McCaffrey McCall Partners, Dancer Fitzgerald & Sample and McCann Erickson.

“Guy brings a wealth of practical knowledge, industry expertise, and creative energy to thinking about advertising, branding, and marketing communications,” said Caroline D’Abate, chair of the Department of Management & Business at Skidmore College. “He sees connections between business, psychology, the arts, sciences, history, and so much more, and he brings these connections to life in relevant ways for his clients. We foresee Guy Mastrion becoming an influential and impactful part of the Skidmore community.”

By Jennifer Farnsworth

Robert Bucher Jr. of Design Logic Architects PC is behind a $21 million, 30-unit condominium project in Saratoga Springs.

He said the residential space promises to be something different than Saratoga Springs has seen before. He said the luxury, high-end property will be a crowd pleaser for residents and its neighbors as well.

Construction is scheduled for the spring of 2018 at the 128 Henry St. property that is currently vacant. The project is being reviewed by the Planning Board, but Bucher said no variances are needed for the parcel.

The five-story building will include a parking garage, floor-to-ceiling glass and a first floor art gallery.

“The art gallery and lighting around the building will be spectacular,” said Bucher.

“The condos will be more contemporary than Saratoga is used to. My vision is to create something that is different than the average condominium,” he said.

He said he is hoping to have the residencies filled by the fall. The project has already drawn a lot of interest from people looking to purchase a condo.

Bucher said they will be priced between $599,000 to $830,000.

He said he researched the condo market in Saratoga Springs before he began creating his vision to set the Henry Street location apart from all the current properties in the area.

“It’s a perfect location in a really, really cool part of the city,” said Bucher.

Hudson Headwaters Health Network, based in Queensbury, has hired Dominick Bizzaro as president and chief administrative officer.

One of his initial duties will be developing a new “population health division,” which will use data analysis to guide case management and track overall quality of care, officials said.

He will begin Aug. 1.

Bizzaro will work in collaboration with Dr. Tucker Slingerland, a current Hudson Headwaters executive who takes over as chief executive officer on July 1.

Founder and longtime CEO Dr. John Rugge begins a new role on July 1 as executive chairman, as part of the transition to his eventual retirement.

Bizzaro has more than 35 years of experience in health care, currently as executive vice president for business development and informatics at MVP Health Care, a Schenectady-based health insurance company.

The group also announced that Dr. John Sawyer was named chief medical officer and Chris Tournier was named executive vice president of finance and chief financial officer. These appointments are in concert with the Network’s recent strategic planning initiatives.

By Maureen Werther

Townley & Wheeler Funeral Home, a long-time, family owned and operated business at 21 Midline Road in Ballston Lake, has completed an expansion to its entryway and greeting area.

Director Kathleen Lowes Sanvidge purchased the business and property from brothers Harold and Frank Townley four years ago and recently received her certification from the state as a certified woman-owned business, the only female funeral director in the state to hold this designation.

Her decision to expand upon the existing structure was motivated by a desire to add to the comfort of her clients. It is the second expansion Sanvidge has made since purchasing the business and she is planning additional updates and renovations.

“We’ve expanded the front porch and added a much-needed covered entryway that people can pull up to in their cars. They can also be sheltered by the roofed-in porch,” said Lowes Sanvidge.