YSU honors outstanding business alumni Oct. 17

Sept. 22--YOUNGSTOWN -- The Warren P. Williamson Jr. College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University will present 2014 WCBA Outstanding Alumni Awards at a banquet Oct. 17 in Williamson Hall at YSU.

The reception starts at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7. For information and to make reservations, visit www.ysu.edu/wcba or contact Christine Shelton, coordinator of external relations, at 330-941-3068 or [email protected].

This year's award recipients are Samuel Grooms, BSBA '81, Outstanding Business Alumnus; Larry Moliterno, AB '85, MBA '99, Outstanding MBA Alumnus; Thaddeus Smith, MBA '09, Outstanding Recent Alumnus; Tim Petrey, CPA, CGMA, NSSA, BSBA '09, Outstanding Recent Alumnus; and Jocelyne Kollay Linsalata, AB '74, MBA '80, Outstanding Service Award.

SAMUEL GROOMS

Grooms, chief executive officer at Hy-Tek Material Handling Inc., will be recognized as outstanding business alumnus. As CEO, Grooms is responsible for measuring risk, managing growth and maintaining relationships with the firm's vendors, bankers and other valuable business partners. Based in Columbus, Grooms has spent his entire professional career, more than 33 years, at Hy-Tek. Working his way through the ranks from aftermarket sales representative and capital sales representative to vice president of integrated systems, he was named CEO in 1997. Under Grooms' leadership, Hy-Tek's revenues have grown nearly sevenfold over the past decade, with sales of $72 million recorded in 2013.

Grooms has twice been a finalist for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award. As an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Hy-Tek is owned by its associates. Grooms retains one-quarter ownership of the company, with the remaining three-fourths divided among Hy-Tek's employee-owners. Active professionally, Grooms served on the board of directors of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association from 1994-2002. In addition, he was a member of MHEDA's executive board, 1995-2002, and served as the association's youngest president in 1999. Grooms served on Key Bank'sAdvisory Council as well as NACCO Material Handling Group and Unarco's Client Advisory Councils.

LARRY MOLITERNO

The MBA Outstanding Business Award will be presented to Moliterno, president and CEO of Meridian Community Care, a diverse agency that covers primary and behavioral health care as well as corporate wellness services.

The agency has a budget of $10 million and has a staff of more than 200. He is responsible for all aspects of agency operations, including fiscal, programming, operations, marketing, development and planning. Moliterno has spent the past 24 years serving the community in various nonprofit positions, including director of planning and community investment for the Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way and executive director of Catholic Charities Regional Agency. His efforts to stimulate community support, build credibility for the nonprofit agencies and develop strategies for continuous improvement have created broader community awareness.

As an adjunct faculty member at YSU and a Boardman Township trustee, Moliterno is committed to the growth of the region as well as his local community. He has served on the board of more than 20 community organizations throughout his career. He is a graduate of Leadership Mahoning Valley and was named 2012 Mahoning County Board of Mental Health "Director of the Year."

THADDEUS SMITH

Smith and Petrey will receive the Recent Outstanding Alumni Award.

Smith, vice president of administration at Callos Resource (formerly Callos Companies), joined the Callos Companies in 2005 as the benefits coordinator and has had positions in staffing, sales and management.

He oversees Callos' sales, risk management and human resources. He also is responsible for on-boarding new operating regions. Before joining Callos Companies, Smith worked for nine years in contract security services, managing operations for Boston Properties, CarrAmerica, Compaq/HP and Sun Microsystems, in Boston and Washington, D.C. He also served in the U.S. Army's elite Old Guard and Presidential Escort. A native of Poland, Smith lives in Canfield. He earned a bachelor's degree from Washington and Jefferson College. Smith has been working with WCBA's MBA coordinator to expand outreach to existing MBA alumni. He also is on the board of directors of the Ohio Staffing and Search Association.

TIM PETREY

Petrey began his professional career in accounting as an intern at Hill, Barth & King in Boardman. Upon graduation he accepted a position as staff accountant with HD Davis Associates Inc. in 2009. Over the past five years, the firm has doubled in size between its three offices in Youngstown, Canton and Newberry. He co-founded HD Davis CPAs Geauga in September 2013 and HD Davis CPAs Canton in January 2014.

In July, he took over the position of managing partner at HD Davis CPAs LLC. Petrey is an active member with YSU's Beta Alpha Psi Alumni Board and was honored as the 2010 Beta Alpha Psi Outstanding Alumnus. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the Ohio Society of CPAs and the Mahoning Valley Young Professionals. In addition, Petrey recently graduated from Leadership Mahoning Valley and serves on the Youngstown Young CPA Committee. Petrey works with Mike Villano, Wayne Counts and David Law of WCBA's Lariccia School of Accounting to expand its Quickbook courses and a mentoring program for the accounting and finance programs.

Jocelyne Kollay Linsalata

The 2014 Outstanding Alumni Service Award will be presented to Linsalata.

Linsalata, a YSU Foundation trustee since 2007, is a graduate of YSU, with a bachelor's degree in French and education and a master's degree from the Williamson College of Business Administration.

She is vice chairwoman of the YSU Foundation Board of Trustees and immediate past chairwoman of the Governance and Board Trustees Committee. In 2012, Linsalata served on the YSU Foundation Strategic Plan Task Force. To benefit graduates of Chaney High School, her alma mater, Linsalata endowed a scholarship with the YSU Foundation in 2003. She is further engaged with YSU as a member of the Williamson College of Business Administration and Beeghly School of Education advisory councils, YSU President's Council and Centennial Campaign Cabinet in 2005.

Northeast Ohio is Linsalata's primary philanthropic focus. She is secretary and trustee of the Rainbow Babies and Children's Foundation and a leader on numerous initiatives at Case Western Reserve University, including the Inamori Center for Ethics and Excellence. Her former roles include trustee and executive committee of the Greater Cleveland Alzheimer's Association and president of the Laurel School and University School Parent Associations.

The awards and banquet are sponsored by Bodine Perry LLC; Gasser Chair Co. Inc.; H.D. Davis CPAs LLC; Hy-Tek Material Handling Inc.; Packer Thomas; PNC Bank; Simon Roofing; Vallourec Star; YSU Foundation; Hill, Barth, & King LLC; Anness, Gerlach & Williams, CPAs; A.P. O'Horo Co.; Callos Resource LLC; Cohen & Co. Ltd.; Falcon Transport Co./Comprehensive Logistics Inc.; Huntington Bank; L.E. Roberts Consulting; Meridian Community Care; Tim and Joni Woofter; A.J. Amatore & Company; Better Business Bureau; Compass Family & Community Services; Cope Farm Equipment; First National Bank; Donald & Barbara Graham; Hunter-Stevens Land Title Agency Ltd.; Schroedel, Scullin & Bestic, CPAs; and Sherman Creative Promotions Inc.

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(c)2014 Vindicator (Youngstown, Ohio)

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