PEOPLE-INC.ORG - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Senior Vice President
- Senior Vice President at People Inc
Anna Korus is senior vice president at People Inc. She joined People Inc. in 1995, after serving as director of the healthcare operations for Group Health Medical Centers (Lifetime Health). In her role, Anna is responsible for oversight of People Inc. Rehabilitative Health and Social Work Services, Day Habilitation Programs, Family Care, Respite Services and Supported Employment and Vocational Services, as well as Business Solutions. She also oversees the operations of People Inc. in the Greater Rochester region.
Anna is active in the local community and serves on the boards of directors for the New York State School for the Blind and Lifetime Assistance, Inc. She has also served on a Medicaid Task Force chaired by Senator Mary Lou Rath and was a member of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) Healthcare Task Force in Albany. She is a member of the New York State Medical Group Management Association and is a 2008 graduate of Leadership Buffalo. In 2010, Anna was honored with Buffalo Business First's Healthcare 50 Award.
She received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from SUNY Geneseo and a master's degree in business administration from Cornell University's Johnson School of Management. Anna also holds a certificate from Cornell in Healthcare Administration and is certified by the National Center of Housing Management as a Certified Housing Specialist.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- President
A civic leader and change maker, Anne McCaffrey brings a unique and essential set of skills to the role of President and CEO of People Inc. Her background is rich in non-profit, behavioral health, public service and successful leadership roles. Prior to joining People Inc., Anne was the President and CEO of Eastern Niagara Hospital.
At the hospital, she facilitated a successful restructuring and transaction with Catholic Health to keep hospital services in Niagara County. Anne was elected to the school board and common council in Lockport, New York, and was the Lockport mayor from 2014 to 2018. While mayor, she led a reform of the city's ethics policies and led the city out of fiscal distress. Before that, she spent 19 years in various positions at Lake Shore Behavioral Health, now BestSelf Behavioral Health, an outpatient mental health and substance abuse provider in Buffalo. Anne oversaw departments such as the Vocational Services, Rehabilitation Services, Development and Community Relations. She also led a successful effort to secure funding for the construction and development of Harambee House, Buffalo's first "safe haven" residence for twelve homeless people with serious mentally illness.
Anne has served on the boards of directors for several non-profits and is a member of local service clubs, including Rotary and Zonta. She currently serves on the New York State Legislative Ethics Commission and as a member of the Nazareth College of Rochester Board of Trustees. Anne received numerous awards, including Elected Official of the Year from the WNY American Public Works Association, Woman in Public Service Award from YWCA of Niagara, Buffalo Business First - Power 100 Women, DeSales Catholic High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame, and a key to the City of Lockport.
Anne earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Nazareth College of Rochester and a master's degree in public policy analysis with a heath care concentration from the University of Rochester. She resides in Lockport, NY with her family.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Financial Officer for People Inc
Anne Stone is the chief financial officer for People Inc. Anne joined the agency in 1982, as an accountant and rose through the ranks to become chief financial officer in 2003. As chief financial officer, Anne has primary day-to-day responsibility for planning, implementing, managing and controlling all financial-related activities of the agency. This includes direct responsibility for accounting, finance, forecasting, job costing and strategic planning.
Anne is actively involved in the Financial Managers Association and the Healthcare Financial Manager Association and is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Buffalo.
She serves on the board of directors of Autism Services, Inc. In 2010, Buffalo Business First named her as one of its Financial Executives of the Year.
Anne graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in accounting. She received her micro/MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a master's degree in organizational leadership from Medaille College.
Job Titles:
- Retired Executive / Buffalo Urban League
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Innovation and Program Development Officer
- Member of Leadership Buffalo Class
- Secretary / Treasurer for City Honors Crew
Concetta Ferguson has more than 35 years of hands-on experience, shares knowledge of the human services field and demonstrates successful leadership. She started at People Inc. as a volunteer in October 1986, and later joined the agency as a part time direct care employee. Concetta grew her career, transitioning her way from an entry level position to senior vice president in 2016. Currently, as chief innovation and program development officer, Concetta is responsible for and provides oversight of Admissions and Referral Services, Affordable Apartments, Community-Based Programs, Community Habilitation, Environmental Modifications and Adaptive Technology, Health Home Care Management, New Program Development, Personal Development Mentoring and Self-Directed Services, as well as Senior Living and Services for Older Adults.
Additionally, Concetta provides leadership for our agency affiliations, including Deaf Access Services and Headway of WNY. She also provides oversight of our agency's Residential, Day Programs and Home Care Clinical Services. In addition, the People Inc. for-profit divisions, Virtual Medical Care PC and People First Mobility LLC, are under Concetta's oversight.
As a strong advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and older adults, Concetta helps thousands of people to gain new opportunities for increased independence and community integration. Her experience with managing and driving positive change continues to promote continuous operational improvement for the agency, while building and strengthening relationships throughout the region.
Active in the community, Concetta is currently Secretary/Treasurer for City Honors Crew and serves on the grants and nomination committees for the City Honors Crew Board. She volunteers her time with the Buffalo Urban League and Seneca Street Community Development Corporation. Concetta has held leadership roles in St. Paul's Cathedral Vestry and the Elmwood Village Charter School Board of Trustees, having served as treasurer and board president. She is also a former member of the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus. She also serves on the Board of Directors for WEDI, Buffalo.
Concetta is a proud member of Leadership Buffalo Class of 2022. In 2019, she received the Niagara Federation for Just Communities Community Leader Award for Community Service and was named a Buffalo Business First Health Care Champion in 2016.
Additional accomplishments include her participation in the Health Leadership Fellow-Health Foundation for Western and Central New York and receiving National Center for Housing Management Tax Credit Specialist Certification. Concetta earned a master's degree in Professional Leadership from St. Bonaventure University and a bachelor's degree in Social Work/Exceptional Education from SUNY Buffalo State College.
As a longtime People Inc. Employee Ambassador, Concetta is often found volunteering for various organization initiatives and community events, spreading the People Inc. mission and awareness of our agency supports. She resides in Buffalo, NY with her family.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Senior Vice President
- Senior Vice President at People Inc
Dawn MacMurray is senior vice president at People Inc. In 2000, Dawn joined People Inc. as a part time employee in residential and since then has risen through the ranks to serve in various residential leadership positions. As senior vice president, Dawn is responsible for the Residential and Behavior Health Programs.
Dawn received a Master's degree in multidisciplinary studies at Buffalo State College and a bachelor's degree in Social Work from Buffalo State College. She is active in the local community and is a member of the Trauma Informed Care Initiative of Western New York. Dawn is a graduate of Leadership Buffalo and is also a Certified Lean Professional.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Society for Human Resource Management
- People Inc. in 2003 As the Assistant Director of Human Resources
Kate Alterio joined People Inc. in 2003 as the assistant director of Human Resources. In her current role as senior vice president, Kate has oversight of the Human Resource Department.
Prior to starting at People Inc., Kate worked at The Mentholatum Company in Human Resources, where she was responsible for recruitment, employee safety and performance management.
Kate is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and has her PHR and SHRM-CP certifications. She is a 2005 graduate of Leadership Buffalo's Rising Leaders. Kate is also certified as a Certified Lean Professional (CLP).
Kate received a bachelor's degree in finance from Canisius College and a master's degree in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Senior Vice President of Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Urban Teacher Center and Teacher Diversity, Buffalo State University / People Inc. Foundation
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Vice President of Marketing and Communications at People Inc
Liz Kahn is Vice President of Marketing and Communications at People Inc. She has oversight of all internal and external communications for the agency.
After graduating from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism, Liz worked in newspapers and public relations, spending many years as a senior editor at The Buffalo News. She held several leadership positions at The News, working on the city desk, news desk, op-ed pages, features department, and eventually was Assistant Managing Editor, overseeing several sections of the paper.
She left The Buffalo News and the newspaper business in 2011, worked in health-care marketing for the MASH Care Network, then in 2014 became Executive Director of the Upstate New York affiliate of Susan G. Komen.
In 2018, she joined the newly formed Person Centered Services Care Coordination Organization as Director of Marketing & Communications. She started her People Inc. career in late 2022.
Liz is involved in several community organizations as a volunteer and currently serves on the Board of Directors of two local non-profit organizations.
Job Titles:
- Chief Administrative Officer
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Administrative Officer for People Inc
Nancy Palumbo, SPHR, is chief administrative officer for People Inc. Nancy joined People Inc. in 1998, after working for the SUNY Research Foundation, where she conducted training/technical assistance programs for the public and private sector. As chief administrative officer for People Inc., she has oversight of the agency's Training, Human Resources, Information Technology, Corporate Compliance, Quality Improvement and Facilities Management Departments.
Active in the community, Nancy serves on the board of directors of Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Buffalo, Inc. where she is secretary of the board as well as chair of the Nominating Committee, and serves on the advisory board of Bryant & Stratton College's Health Services Administration Program.
Nancy is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the Organizational Development Network. She is a 2006 graduate of Leadership Buffalo.
Nancy received a bachelor's degree in organizational development from the University at Buffalo and a master's degree in organizational development from Canisius College.
Job Titles:
- Chairman / Retired Executive
- Retired Executive / Uniland Development Company
Job Titles:
- Executive Officer
- Secretary
Job Titles:
- Treasurer / Parkview Health Services
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Senior Vice President of Strategic Operations
- Senior Vice President of Strategic Operations at People Inc
Thomas Ess is the senior vice president of Strategic Operations at People Inc. Thomas has been with People Inc. since 2005, serving in many levels of management in the Residential Department and becoming the agency's Emergency Preparedness coordinator in 2014. Thomas has built the Emergency Preparedness Program at People Inc. from the ground up, bringing his experience in Emergency Services to the human service realm to help ensure People Inc. was prepared for and able to mitigate emergencies. Thomas has served as the incident commander of the COVID-19 response for the agency since March of 2020, and continues to lead the agency's efforts in safeguarding all of the people the agency supports, as well as its employees. He was previously the vice president of Emergency Management Safety and Security for People Inc.
As one of the most knowledgeable and experienced emergency preparedness professionals in Western New York, Thomas has extensive experience in large-scale incident command and emergency mitigation. Outside of his work at People Inc., Thomas has been in the Fire Service for more than 16 years, serving seven of those years as assistant fire chief of the East Aurora Fire Department. Thomas also has a career in law enforcement, working as a public safety dispatcher with the East Aurora Police Department and East Aurora Fire Control.
Thomas has a bachelor of arts in Psychology and English from Allegheny College, a Masters of Public Administration from Buffalo State College and has a post graduate Executive Education Certificate from Harvard Kennedy School of Government for Leadership in Crisis and Performance Measurement. Thomas is a FBI Citizens Academy Graduate of 2018 and a Leadership Buffalo Graduate of 2013. He received the American Red Cross Heroes Award for workplace safety in 2019. He earned the Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day 2021 COVID Hero Award for his contributions and commitment for helping to ensure the safety of thousands of people, families and communities.
Thomas is a known leader in the region for emergency management, who provides guidance to other non-profit agencies for emergency and safety preparedness.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Legal and Strategy Officer of People Inc
- Member of the New York State Surrogate Decision - Making Committee
Tracy S. Harrienger, Esq. is the Chief Legal and Strategy Officer of People Inc. Tracy joined People Inc. in 2004, and prior to that, had performed extensive legal work for the agency in private practice. Prior to joining the agency, his private practice included extensive regulatory, transactional, trial and appellate experience. He has practiced before all levels of courts in New York State, up to and including successfully appearing before the New York State Court of Appeals. He also appeared before and won a case in the Ontario Court of Justice. With more than thirty years of related legal experience, Tracy provides oversight, guidance and direction regarding legal advice on all matters arising within People Inc. and its many affiliated entities, including litigation supports, contracts and transactional matters, new entity formation and affiliations, real estate purchases and leases, policy formation and regulatory matters including interpretations and hearings. He has been directly involved in many important legal matters impacting the entire industry, including a precedent-setting appellate decision that clarified certain provisions of Public Health Law do not apply to group homes.
Tracy also oversees agency efforts related to strategic planning, including development, implementation and measurement of strategic goals and initiatives. He helped develop and now oversees the agency's involvement with the Western New York Coalition Pooled Trusts, one of the first pooled trusts established in this region. Tracy also established and manages the People Inc. Corporate Guardianship Program, which is one of the largest in New York State for this type of agency. Overseeing and managing the People Inc. Risk Management Department, insurance program and the Emergency Management and Safety Department also fall under his purview.
Tracy received his Juris Doctor degree from the University at Buffalo School of Law, where he was awarded the Maurice Frey Award for excellence in the area of family law. Prior to that, he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in public administration and public policy with a minor in economics. As a result of academic achievements, Tracy was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha the national political science honor society. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, Erie County Bar Association and Niagara County Bar Association, as well as a member of many practice sections in those organizations. He is also a member of the Niagara Frontier Corporate Counsel Association, Inc. and has lectured on a wide range of legal topics at a number of seminars, training sessions and conferences.
Tracy is a member of the New York State Surrogate Decision-Making Committee with end-of-life decision training. He has both his New York State Real Estate Broker's License and Title Insurance Agent License.
Tracy is a 2010 graduate of Leadership Buffalo, is Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certified and a former member of the Buffalo Bills Fan Advisory Board. In 2016, Buffalo Business First recognized him as one of its Legal Elites.
Job Titles:
- Retired Marketing Communications Executive