Business and Industry Conference Webcast Part 2

James J. Conroy, IlI is Regional President for Pursuit (f/k/a New York Business Development Corporation). Pursuit was formed in 1955 to provide creative financing for small businesses and support economic growth and job creation. Pursuit generates the majority of its loan referrals from partner banks that require a credit enhancement to help a small business. Pursuit also administers access to the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 Program for small businesses in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The 504 Program provides up to 90% financing for fixed asset transactions and provides long-term, fixed rate terms to promote economic development and job creation. Pursuit is a nationally ranked and recognized US Small Business Administration lender. Pursuit loan officers are adept at structuring packages for small businesses in conjunction with other local economic development programs to ensure the applicant obtains the best financing options possible. On a combined basis, Pursuit has a loan portfolio in excess of $1.4 billion. Mr. Conroy joined in 1997 and presently supervises loan officers that cover Upstate New York and the state of Pennsylvania. Mr. Conroy obtained a BA from Siena College, Loudonville and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and served in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Jim was recognized as one of the Capital District’s 40 top young business professionals under age 40 by the Capital District Business Review in 2006.

Frank is responsible for advocacy on labor/HR, unemployment insurance and workers' compensation issues, and for providing human resources consulting services to Council members. Frank comes to The Business Council from the New York State Funeral Directors Association where he provided human resource and OSHA consulting services to employers of all sizes. Prior work experience includes human resources staff and leadership positions in the financial services and health care arenas. Frank is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations with nearly 36 years of experience in human resource management. He is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), a Certified Association Executive (CAE), and a frequent presenter of human resource topics across the state and nationally.

Beth van Bladel, CPA, is a Director & Outsourced CFO with BST Consulting Group, a division of BST & Co. CPAs, LLP, where she provides financial, management, and accounting advisory services to support mission-driven organizations. She specializes in translating complex financial concepts into clear, actionable insights and collaborating to solve problems that lead to measurable, positive outcomes. Leveraging her Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB), she designs efficient processes and uses financial systems and automation to support growing organizations.

Coaching and developing her clients, team members, and NextGen CPAs is central to Beth’s work and brings her tremendous fulfillment.

Beth is honored to be recognized on the Forbes 2026 America’s Best-In-State CPAslist, a milestone that reflects her lifelong commitment to the CPA profession. She is currently serving a three-year term on the AICPA Council. Previously, she served on the Private Company Council, advising the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) on private company matters. She is also a proud member of the New York State Society of CPAs and a recipient of both the Distinguished Service Award and the Outstanding CPA in Industry Award.

Beyond her professional work, Beth is a volunteer patient advocate and founder of Capital Region Patient Advocacy, where she teaches healthcare advocacy and navigation skills to the Capital Region community.

In her free time, Beth can be found on a yoga mat or discovering backroads on her Can-Am Spyder.

Gregory J. Altman currently serves as the Vice President of Finance and Operations at Nardin Academy, Buffalo, NY and as Treasurer/Secretary for American Coradius International, LLC, Amherst, NY. Prior to this role, Mr. Altman served as the Director of Finance and Operations at Health Sciences Charter School, Buffalo, NY and as Chief Financial Officer at Zone Oil & Gas LLC and Somerset Production Company, LLC, and as controller for Somerset Capital Partners, all affiliated companies in the investment and oil and gas industries. Prior to becoming affiliated with the Somerset companies, Mr. Altman worked for an independent oil and gas exploration and production company, a real estate syndicator with public and private partnerships, and in public accounting for ten years. Former affiliations include serving on the finance and audit committee for The Olmsted Conservancy in Buffalo, past-President for the Western New York Kidney Foundation, and the annual chairperson for the Kids Escaping Drugs dinner gala, Buffalo, NY.

Mr. Altman is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Altman earned his bachelor's degree from New York University and graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo's graduate tax certificate program.

Erin Daiber is a relatable and results-oriented CPA turned coach, speaker & trainer in the accounting profession. She is the founder of Well Balanced Accountants LLC, and the creator of popular programs such as the CPA Exam Launchpad. She is known for her fresh approach to providing leadership development solutions designed specifically for your team of accountants. Well Balanced Accountants started after she went from a high-performing accountant to a burned-out, now-recovering CPA. She believes that leadership skills are integral to long and successful careers in the accounting profession. As a speaker, she shows accountants how to develop the skills they need to help attract and retain top talent, grow profits, and sustain higher revenues to better serve their clients. In her years of working with CPAs & accounting firms, she has helped sole practitioners and Top-100 firms transform their accounting talent using these practices. Erin began her career in the audit practice of Ernst & Young, where she had the opportunity to lead audit teams and serve a wide variety of clients from Fortune 500s to young start-ups. She spent several years in private industry working as a financial analyst before taking on her role as CEO & Coach. Erin is a graduate of John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio with a degree in accountancy. Erin holds an active CPA license in the state of California and the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) designation through the International Coach Federation.