Meet The Upstate Jobs Party Leadership Team
Martin Babinec, Founder
Martin Babinec founded Silicon Valley based TriNet in 1988, serving as CEO for the company’s first 20 years and Chairman until 2010. In 1999, Babinec relocated his family from Silicon Valley to his hometown of Little Falls, NY, where he founded Upstate Venture Connect (non-profit dedicated to accelerating growth of startups across Upstate NY), StartFast Venture Accelerator (which invests in and helps grow a cohort of 5–8 startup companies each summer in Central New York), and UpVentures Capital (where he makes direct investments in startup companies and serves as limited partner and advisor to a dozen venture capital and seed funds).
John Bullis, Chairman
John Bullis, Dean Emeritus, served in leadership positions on two State University of New York community college campuses (Herkimer College and Mohawk Valley Community College) over a career that spanned four decades. His work in community relations, change management, government relations, fundraising, institutional research, and organizational development has had a significant impact on thousands of students. He has been recognized regionally, nationally and internationally, having received the Genesis Award for Healthcare Leadership, the prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Professional Service, and the North American Council for Staff, Program, and Organizational Development Exemplar Award.
Tim Dunn, Executive Director
For more than 15 years, Timothy Dunn has advised political, business, entrepreneurial, academic and nonprofit leaders on strategic decision-making, branding, and communications. He currently serves as an advisor and consultant on communications, marketing and business strategy to clients in the technology, healthcare, hospitality, real estate, and non profit sectors through his firm Dunn Strategy Group, LLC. In 2018, Tim launched Dunhill Technology Partners, LLC, a technology commercialization consulting firm developing new projects in New York, and around the country.
Paul Allen, Cortland County Chair
Paul Allen is a life-long resident of Cortland County. He and his wife, Betsy, live in the Town of Cortlandville and have two children – Abby, a Nazareth College graduate, and Blake, who will be a Freshman at SUNY Brockport this fall. Paul has been employed by Eastern, a division of Xerox Corporation, for 24 years. He is a Production Print Specialist who sells digital printing equipment and solutions in the Central New York area. Paul and his wife co-own Cortland Press and Carbon Copies, an offset and digital printing company, and recently, Paul has opened Finger Lakes Plants & Trees, specializing in houseplants and hard-wood trees.
Dan O’Sullivan, Albany County Chair
Daniel O’Sullivan has over 30 years of general business experience with an entrepreneurial focus on strategic planning, sales, making and business development, executed both inside and outside early and growth-stage technologies companies. As an executive, manager, management consultant and investor, he has been actively involved in founding, funding, and building startup companies. Dan’s expertise is in analyzing markets, identifying opportunities, discovering and defining product-market fit, cultivating early adopters, crafting marketing strategies and positioning, and establishing revenue and sales channels. His entrepreneurial activities have been predominately in software, but have also included both B2B and B2C products and services in other industries as well.
John Catanzarita, Onondaga County Chair
John Catanzarita has more than 35 years of experience in accounting, business management, employee benefits and human resources. John began with Deloitte, Haskins and Sells in New York City before joining Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation in Syracuse, New York. John served in management positions in risk management, treasury and human resources, where he assumed responsibility for all of the company’s benefit programs. John oversaw multiple successful benefit initiatives at Niagara Mohawk.
Frank Anderson, Oneida County Chair
Frank Anderson is currently a Councilman in the City of Rome, New York. Frank has served on the Rome Common Council since 2010. He has witnessed first-hand a community that has transformed from a city that primarily focused on manufacturing to one that is much more diverse, and is part of a revitalization since the closing of Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome. During his time on the Rome Common Council, Frank has served on several committees, and has been the Chairman of the Finance Committee; the Laws & Rules Committee; the Municipal Operations Committee; and the Diversity Committee.
Aaron Metras, Monroe County Chair
Aaron Metras is a resident of Monroe County with his wife and four daughters. He and his wife currently own Salena’s Mexican Restaurant, where he started as a dishwasher, and Nox Cocktail in Rochester. He was a co-founder of RYCE, the Rochester Youth Culinary Experience, a non-profit, student run restaurant which was created to teach business and entrepreneurial skills to City of Rochester High school students. Aaron served as President of the Neighborhood of the Arts Business Association for eight years, working to create a productive business environment and advocating for the needs of local businesses.
Marc Butler, Herkimer County Chair
Marc W. Butler served in the New York State Assembly for 23 Years, representing portions of the Mohawk Valley, Otsego County and the Southern Adirondack region. While in the Assembly he held several key leadership positions and was one of several assembly members who developed and sponsored legislation that became the state’s STAR tax relief program which has saved New York residents millions of dollars.
Robin Dalton, Policy Coordinator
Robin Dalton is the Upstate Jobs Party Policy Coordinator, driving and supporting important discussions on economic policy, government reform, and economic development as UJP seeks to fix a broken State economy. She has enjoyed a rich and diverse career in news, publishing, real estate, and politics. Following her graduation from Cornell University, Robin served as a producer and media coordinator for News Corporation, including special team reporting throughout the Iraq War, the 2004 Democratic and Republican Conventions, London Bombings and Hurricane Katrina.
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