Fast Start Profile Special Report Compassion for Jeff Bartkoski African-American pets at the end oversees critical women strive for of their lives is work of Mercy equal pay with her specialty. Flight Central. white men. Page 2 Page 4 Page 24 VOLUME 35, NUMBER 22 WWW.RBJ.NET AUGUST 30, 2019 Golisano ROCHESTER’S gift stakes COOLEST SPACES multipurpose Roberts center By DIANA LOUISE CARTER A proposed building to house sever- al community training institutes and a student center has earned Roberts Wesleyan College the largest donation in its history: a $7.5 million gift from businessman and philanthropist B. Thomas Golisano. An announcement was planned for Thursday morning about the $13.5 million building to be known as the Golisano Community Engagement Center. The college plans to break ground in the fall of 2020 and open the 25,000-square-foot center a year later. “For Roberts, it’s a transformational gift,” said Roberts President Deana L. Porterfield. “The four institutes that will be housed within the center will pro- vide much-needed training and edu- cation to businesses, corporate and Section begins on page 8 community partners and students,” Continued on page 38 Revenue rising at Phil Muscato takes helm as Finalists set for del Lago as sports market president for KeyBank Technology and betting begins By GINO FANELLI Canandaigua native and former Manufacturing By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA PGA pro Phil Muscato is filling For the past six years, KeyBank’s Barger’s shoes as Awards Thanks to unparalleled gross rev- Rochester market has been led by market president enue from table games in late July, James Barger, who served as the face and commercial Rochester Business Journal Staff del Lago Resort & Casino enjoyed its of the bank’s local expansion as it be- banking leader. most profitable week ever on the gam- came one of the key players in Roch- Muscato began Rochester-area companies and in- ing floor. ester’s financial landscape. That -ex his 20-year career dividuals have been selected as final- The 2½-year-old casino raked in pansion was largely due to the 2016 in finance after ists for the RBJ’s 2019 Technology and over $4.5 million for the week end- acquisition of Buffalo’s First Niagara learning of his Manufacturing Awards, which recog- ing July 28, thanks to gross revenue of by Cleveland-based Key, which in turn father’s diagnosis nize excellence, promote innovation, $2.26 million from games like black- led to the development of the $16.5 Muscato of lung cancer. He and honor the organizations and in- jack, roulette, craps and baccarat. billion Community Benefits Plan, a dropped his ca- dividuals who lead the manufacturing However, the biggest bet since del 13-state philanthropic mission aimed reer as a teaching professional in Cape industry in our area. Lago opened was made earlier this at bettering the communities that Key Cod to return to his hometown, even- A Chairperson’s Award honoree, a month, when Peninsula Pacific bought serves. tually taking on a financial analyst Global Advancement honoree and a out its partner, the Wilmot family of Barger, an integral part of flexing role at Citibank. Growth in Manufacturing honoree Rochester, and became sole owner of that resource locally, stepped down “I had a very good friend of mine have also been named. the Seneca County gambling retreat. from his position last month for a new who was the head of HR for Citibank, The Rochester Technology & Manu- role as market president for Key’s Con- facturing Association is the presenting Continued on page 41 necticut and Massachusetts market. Continued on page 43 Continued on page 5 > 40 $2.00 September 16 • 6-9pm 6 at the City of Rochester 330 Public Market 77 74470 0 Tickets on sale now at FoodlinkNY.org and Wegmans locations! WEEKLY PAGE 2 ROCHESTER BUSINESS JOURNAL 08.30.19 rbj.net/fast-start Compassion for pets at the end of their lives is her specialty By NICOLE SHELDON loves them.” Her job isn’t easy, Beckmann admits. rowing up on a small hobby farm She’s helping people on one of the worst in the Midwest with a plethora of days of their lives. But coupled with the Gdifferent animals ignited Mandi sense of loss is fulfillment for Beckmann Beckmann’s interest in animal medicine as she gently guides families through at a young age. Her desire to be a their pet’s dying process. veterinarian never wavered, and after “The way I see it is that pet loss is uni- earning a bachelor’s degree in biology versal. Anyone who owns a pet is going and honors from the University of North to experience that loss at some point in Dakota in 2014, she went right on to the their lives, myself included,” she says. University of Minnesota for vet school. “I’ve had to say goodbye to so many pets In 2018, Beckmann earned her doc- over the years, and I know how heart- torate of veterinary medicine. Originally breaking that is. If I can make it a little hailing from Minnesota just outside of bit better and a more peaceful memory the Twin Cities, she landed in Roches- for the owners and a better experience ter for an internship in equine, or horse, for the pet, then that’s incredible.” medicine. Beckmann loves working with Beckmann affirms that one of the horses, but after her internship she felt most important traits of end-of-life care tugged to explore her other passion, end- is recognizing and honoring that every of-life and geriatric care. pet owner comes from a different place. While in vet school, Beckmann Some owners spend heaps of money on worked part-time at an animal practice their pet because they can afford it with- specializing in end-of-life services for out batting an eye. Others face financial pets. She spent a lot of time counseling limits, and Beckmann is adamant about pet owners through the process of saying keeping every appointment judgment- goodbye to their pet, and she fell in love free. with the work. “We’re accepting and don’t pass judg- At a veterinary conference in Tampa ments on families regardless, as long as Bay, Fla., in January, Beckmann discov- we’re working together to do what’s best ered Lap of Love, a network of veterinar- for the pet to make sure they’re not suf- ians in cities around the United States fering,” she says. who aid pet owners with exclusively in-home end-of-life care and euthana- Lap of Love and hospice care for pets is sia for pets. Founded by veterinarians a journey that Beckmann sees herself on Mary Gardner and Dani McVety, the long-term. She and her fiancée are build- company’s goal is to empower pet own- ing a life far from home, and Beckmann ers in caring for their older pets, and its admits she had some preconceived no- philosophy revolves around keeping the tions about the East Coast before com- human-animal bond as undisturbed as ing here, but she says everyone has been possible during the difficult experience welcoming and that Rochester feels fa- of putting a pet down. miliar and comfortable. Rochester may “I was blown away by Dr. Mary and not be quite as relaxed or low-key as the Dr. Dani’s talks,” says Beckmann, 26. “I Midwest, but Beckmann happily calls it visited the Lap of Love booth and, lo and home. behold, they had a map of pushpins of Though she hasn’t been in the business for long, Beckmann has already been places where they were looking to start Photo by Kate Melton: new service areas and Rochester was Mandi Beckmann able to see the difference she can make right there. The rest is sort of history.” in a person’s life through caring for their Founded in 2009, Lap of Love has over Beckmann. She has been spreading the Being raised on a farm surrounded by pet. 70 service areas in 32 states. Beckmann word about Lap of Love throughout cats, dogs, chickens, goats, horses—you “The nuts and bolts of veterinary is the first vet to introduce Lap of Love Rochester through visits with primary name it—Beckmann is amazed by all medicine is caring for the animals, and to Rochester. clinics. that animals give humans. Pets, in par- I absolutely adore that and that’s why I “Bringing Lap of Love here has been “What I do is complementary to what ticular, provide unconditional love and went into it, but early on I hadn’t thought very similar to starting a practice,” says a pet’s normal veterinarian provides,” she relationships unencumbered by drama about how much of an impact you can Beckmann. “I’m marketing myself, I’m says. “We don’t see it as competition; we that hinders human relationships. Being have on peoples’ lives through caring for visiting clinics, I’m getting the word out see it as working together to benefit pets.” a veterinarian is Beckmann’s way of giv- their animals,” she says. “Seeing that play about the services that we offer, but I’m Lap of Love’s support center handles all ing back to animals. out and being a part of that is incredible also supported by this larger franchise.” of the scheduling and coordination with “We spend so much time, effort and and humbling.” Forty percent of Lap of Love’s appoint- families before Beckmann meets with energy making our pet’s lives as great [email protected] / ments come from referrals from pets’ pet owners to help them say goodbye to as we possibly can, and they deserve the (585) 363-7031 primary veterinarians; another 40 per- their beloved pets.