Business News

Michael R. Barone of Amherst has been appointed Fredonia State College's director of public relations. He spent 13 years with Travers Collins and Company, a marketing communications agency. He most recently served as a vice president within its Investor Relations group. He has earned dozens of awards for his work, including two "Best of Show" honors from the Buffalo/Niagara Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America at its 2001 and 2004 Excalibur awards competition. He is president of the Buffalo/Niagara Chapter.

Tops Markets, LLC, headquartered in Amherst, appointed Gregory Josefowicz to its board of directors. He is currently a director of Winn Dixie, PetSmart Inc. and Telephone Data & Systems. Other members of Tops' board include Frank Curci, chief executive officer of Tops, and Gary Matthews and Geoff Strong of Morgan Stanley Private Equity, which took ownership of Tops in December 2007.

Natale Building Corp., developer for Collingwood Estates in Amherst, has selected Buffalo Hardwood as its provider of hardwood floors. In the Collingwood Estates, Natale is building a patio home community on 47 lots with approximately 65 feet of frontage, which includes ranch homes and first-floor master bedrooms.

Tim Hortons raised $37,000 for Women and Children's Hospital through sales of its Smile Cookies at Western New York locations. During the annual week-long fundraiser, customers could purchase a smiling chocolate chip cookie for $1 plus tax, and all the proceeds were donated to the hospital. In its fourth year, the event has helped raise more than $94,000.

Western Division Federal Credit Union presented the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County with a check for $2,000 on Jan. 29. Both the staff and members of the credit union contributed to the fund, which will be used specifically to help further financial education within the community.