About Keena Staffing

Connie Gerarde Niles, Co-Founder and President of Keena Staffing

Connie is a native of the Glens Falls area. She graduated from Syracuse University with degrees in Nutrition and Business Management. After living in Syracuse, N.Y., Pittsburgh, PA, Philadelphia, PA and New York City, Connie and her late husband Paul (1953-2002) returned home to the Glens Falls area to raise their family and begin the operation of KEENA Staffing.

In 1999, Connie and Paul decided to enhance their employment agency by adding the newest division, KEENA HR Management. KEENA HR Management also known as a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) provides outsourced human resources, payroll, benefits administration and improved risk management. KEENA HR Management takes pride in delivering comprehensive solutions to the complex challenges that face business owners today.

As president of KEENA Staffing, Connie continues her leadership role in the day-to-day operations and management. Today, KEENA is regarded as one of the top employment agencies in the region.

E-mail Connie Gerarde: connie@keena.com

Michael Niles, Vice President

D. Michael Niles joins KEENA as Vice President of Operations. Michael retired last year as Chief Financial Officer and Sr. Vice President of Finance at Glens Falls Hospital after nearly 27 years of service. Before joining Glens Falls Hospital, he was a Senior Auditor at Ernst and Whinney in Albany. Michael's business experience coupled with his extensive community involvement contribute greatly to the internal operations at KEENA. He is able to provide guidance on many matters both internally and to KEENA's clients.

Mr. Niles holds a B. S. in Accounting and Business Law from Clarkson University. He is President-Elect of the Adirondack Community College Foundation, Vice Chair for Greater Adirondack Home Aides, and Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of Hudson River Community Credit Union. He formerly served as Director of the Empire Zone of Warren County and Director of Tri-County United Way.

Email Michael Niles: michaeln@keena.com

Christina Gerarde, PHR, SHRM-CP, President

Christina joined KEENA in September 2013 after living in Georgia for 7 years. She brings to KEENA the knowledge she gained while working at SunTrust Bank as an HR Specialist for the Campus & Community Relations and Executive Staffing teams. She is the oldest child of Connie Gerarde-Niles and the late Paul S. Gerarde. Christina graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Psychology. Christina is happy to be back in upstate New York and looks forward to serving KEENA clients and our community. KEENA is excited about the new ideas and energy she brings to the organization.

E-mail Christina Gerarde: ChristinaG@keena.com

Michael Gerarde, Sales

Michael has been a member of the KEENA team full-time since August 2014 after he graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Public Health. Michael is the youngest son of Connie Gerarde Niles and late Paul S. Gerarde so he has been growing alongside the business since 1991! From spending summer vacations at KEENA during his grade school years to working and learning the operations of the business during college breaks, Michael has developed a deep understanding of the PEO business. Michael is an avid fan of all Syracuse sports, especially football and basketball. Whether it be hiking in the Adirondacks or hanging out at his house, Michael enjoys any time he can spend with his family while he isn’t at the office!

E-mail Michael Gerarde: mpg@keena.com

Brian Lamos, CPP, Consultant

Brian has been with KEENA since 1996 and has worked in several roles during his tenure.  In his role as Manager of IT and Payroll, his institutional knowledge has proven invaluable in improving upon our systems and processes.  Brian’s commitment to continued education assures our clients that we are always up-to-date on all payroll and technology related regulations and practices.

Brian has his Associates Degree in Business Administration from Adirondack Community College and is a Certified Payroll Professional through the American Payroll Association. He serves on the Board Of Directors for the Conkling Center in Glens Falls, and he serves as Website Administrator for the NYS Capital Region Chapter of the American Payroll Association, as well as the NY Statewide Payroll Conference Association. He is a 2012 graduate of the Leadership Adirondack program, and a member of the Adirondack Mountain Club, and a Winter and Summer Adirondack 46'er.

E-mail Brian Lamos: brian@keena.com

Keeley Zack, Payroll

Keeley Zack joined KEENA in 2001 as an Administrative Assistant.  She has over 15 years experience in customer relations and accounting including both receivables and payables.  Since 2002, Keeley has been processing weekly payrolls for many of KEENA’s clients while addressing client and employee concerns. 

Keeley is an active member of The American Payroll Association.

E-mail Keeley Zack: keeleyz@keena.com

Josh Lyons, Accounting Technician

Josh Lyons joined KEENA in October of 2016. He graduated from SUNY Brockport with a B.S. in Sport Management but quickly became interested in payroll and accounting while working in the finance department of a local professional hockey team. He is native to the area and brings a hard working, positive presence to our team.

Email Josh Lyons: joshl@keena.com

Sam Rathbun, Staffing Coordinator, HR Team

Sam Rathbun joined KEENA in the role of Staffing Coordinator, Human Resources Team. Sam graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. He is also a licensed NYS Life and Health insurance agent. He brings with him experience in customer service, sales, small business development, as well as restaurant and hospitality management. In his free time he enjoys baseball, basketball, hiking and spending time with his family. 

Email Sam: samr@keena.com

Hannah Flanagan, Payroll

Hannah joined KEENA as an intern in 2020 and quickly became a member of the team. She is now one of our Payroll Specialists. Hannah graduated from SUNY Oneonta with a Music Industry bachelor’s degree. While interning at KEENA, she realized she enjoyed working with our clients and decided to work here full time.

E-mail Hannah: hannahf@keena.com

Jodi Forth, Client Services Representative

Jodi joined KEENA in 2020 as the Front Desk Receptionist. She now continues to manage the front desk, while also administering our clients Worker’s Compensation and Disability claims and policies. She brings to KEENA over 30 years experience in Medical Office Management and Administration. One of her specialties in the medical field was handling Worker’s Compensation and Disability billing, claims and authorizations. It was a natural fit for her to start managing our Client’s Worker’s Comp & Disability. After 30 years she has become quite familiar with the different insurance companies, their characteristics and contacts.

Jodi is a local resident and in spare time she cares for KEENA’s plants and chases after her grandsons.

E-mail Jodi Forth: jodif@keena.com

Shawn Weinberger, Client Services Manager

Shawn Weinberger joined KEENA as the Staffing Coordinator in 2020 and has since transitioned into the Client Services Manager. Shawn attended SUNY Adirondack where he studied Business Administration while working in retail management. His experience in customer service, sales and managing people play a huge role in his success with KEENA, our clients and employees. Recently settled into the Queensbury area, Shawn enjoys spending time doing home renovation projects, playing golf, tennis, brewing beer and spending time with his family & 2 dogs..

E-mail Shawn: shawnw@keena.com