SCHENECTADY -- MVP Health Care has hired an executive from a Detroit-based health plan to guide its sales and marketing staff.
Scott W. Averill has been named the Schenectady health insurer's chief marketing officer. He most recently served as vice president of sales and marketing at Health Alliance Plan in Detroit. Before that, he held a variety of executive jobs at Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Hampshire.
``Scott brings to MVP a strong understanding of underwriting, product development, marketing and advertising and communications,'' said David W. Oliker, MVP's president and chief executive.
Averill is the permanent replacement for Amy Ertel Bellcourt, who was fired by the company in July. Last month, she pleaded not guilty in Schenectady County Court to charges of stealing nearly $100,000 from the company.
-- Jeremy Boyer
UNION IN ORGANIZATION EFFORT FILES CHARGES AGAINST RPI
TROY -- A union-organization vote by service workers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute scheduled for Thursday has been postponed as a result of unfair labor practice charges filed against the university.
The Service Employees International Union Local 200United, the union trying to organize roughly 100 RPI service employees, said it filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday. Details of those charges were not immediately available, but the union said in a statement that recent conduct of RPI supervisors would have prevented a fair election.
RPI officials said they had not been notified of the charges, but did receive confirmation that the election was postponed. The university declined to comment on the situation.
A new date for the election was not set. The NLRB first will investigate the accusations to see if they have merit.
-- Jeremy Boyer
CARDIOLOGY EQUIPMENT MAKER GETS $500,000 INVESTMENT
SCHENECTADY -- A Duane Avenue company developing noninvasive cardiology diagnostic equipment has received the $500,000 state investment promised more than a year ago.
The money, from Empire State Development Corp.'s Small Business Technology Investment Fund, will help CardioMag Imaging Inc. pay for the cost of obtaining U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of its equipment. Company officials said Tuesday that they expect to receive that approval by midyear.
Empire State Development Corp. first announced its plans to invest in CardioMag in December 2001. Since then, the agency and the company have been hammering out a final agreement, said Carl H. Rosner, CardioMag's president and chief executive.
-- Jeremy Boyer
EX-FEDERAL OFFICIAL TO ADDRESS NEW WOMEN'S TECH GROUP
TROY -- Kelly Carnes, assistant secretary for technology policy at the Commerce Department during the Clinton administration, will address the local chapter of the Alliance of Technology and Women at its first-ever event today.
The ATW's Tech Valley branch formed late last year, after its leaders dissolved the Capital Region chapter of Women in Technology International and started the new group. ATW's goals include increasing the number of women in technology and boosting their presence in executive ranks.
Since leaving public life, Carnes has started her own Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm, TechVision21.
The event will be held tonight at Hudson Valley Community College's Bulmer Telecommunications Center. Carnes will speak at 6 p.m., with a reception to follow at 6:45 p.m.
-- Kenneth Aaron
