Year: 2017

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate dropped to 3.6% in November, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Thursday.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts added 6,700 jobs in November. Over the month, the private sector added 7,300 jobs as gains occurred in leisure and hospitality; education and health services; construction; professional, scientific, and business services; and manufacturing. The October estimate was revised to a gain of 3,200 jobs.

From November 2016 to November 2017, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 65,200 jobs. The November unemployment rate was five-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Year-to-date the jobs and labor force estimates indicate a strong and stable economy in the Commonwealth. Since December 2016, Massachusetts is estimated to have added 62,200 jobs, 64,300 more residents are participating in the labor force, and the unemployment rate remains low, averaging 3.8%. November also marks the 13th consecutive month of private-sector job growth, with manufacturing adding 1,600 jobs,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said.

The labor force decreased by 8,200 from 3,656,000 in October, as 4,000 fewer residents were employed and 4,200 fewer residents were unemployed over the month.

Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased five-tenths of a percentage point from 3.1% in November 2016. There were 18,300 more unemployed residents over the year compared to November 2016.

The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 65.4% over the month. The labor-force participation rate over the year has increased by 0.7% compared to November 2016.

The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in construction; professional, scientific and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services.

Commentary: Time to Tell Springfield’s Story

Mayor Domenic Sarno is absolutely right.

“If Springfield doesn’t tell its story, no one else will,” he told the press this week as he announced that the city is turning to the business community for help in creating a fund that will finance what is being called an ‘image campaign.’

And it’s a story that, as we’ve been saying for quite some time now, needs to be told. Why? Well, because perceptions about cities — like perceptions about people — linger, and they are very difficult to change.

Take Detroit, for example. Well-informed people know there is a remarkable renaissance taking place in that Michigan city that had, by some accounts, lost half its population in the past decade, and was better known for its vast amounts of decay than for its auto-industry legacy.

But say the name ‘Detroit,’ and most people still conjure up images of the famous, or infamous, Packard Plant, vacant and decaying for a half-century, or a moribund downtown, or the tens of thousands of homes vacated and left to rot.

Unfortunately, it’s somewhat similar here in Springfield.

We all know that good things are happening here — MGM Springfield, Union Station, CRRC, greater vibrancy downtown, colleges occupying Tower Square, a new Dr. Seuss Museum, ample amounts of entrepreneurial energy. And more.

But say the name ‘Springfield,’ even to people living just 75 to 100 miles away, and they will think or say ‘tired old industrial city.’ If they read some newspapers, they might also think ‘control board,’ or ‘sky-high high-school dropout rate,’ or ‘one of the poorest cities in the Commonwealth.’

And some of those things are still true.

Like we said, perceptions linger, and they are very hard to change.

Springfield has some work to do in that regard, and we are enthusiastic about this campaign to raise money to tell the city’s story. In a perfect world, a city like Springfield would find $1 million or more for such a campaign. In the real world, however, those funds must be found elsewhere, and the business community, which is many ways dependent on a strong, vibrant, Springfield, should heed this call and assist with the campaign.

The story needs to be told inside the 413, but especially outside it. And the message should be broad and to the effect that Springfield is a great place to visit, but also a great place to live, work, and do business. It’s a city whose best days are behind it.

And while we encourage area businesses large and small to donate to this campaign, we would also urge the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. and city officials to do the right thing this time and hire local talent to create this message and send it. There is ample talent in this region, but for some reason, officials have usually concluded that they needed to look elsewhere, usually with less-than-favorable results.

To get back to the mayor, he and others, including those of us at BusinessWest, are united in the belief that now is the time to tell Springfield’s story. It’s also time to unite in the effort to make it happen.

Charlotte Hansen Joins PNCU as SVP, Chief Financial Officer

CHICOPEE — Charlotte Hansen has joined Polish National Credit Union (PNCU) as senior vice president, chief financial officer.

Hansen, a certified public accountant, has an extensive financial background and a broad knowledge of community banking gained in her 27 years in the financial-services industry. Her areas of experience include financial and regulatory reporting, budgeting, strategic and capital planning, interest and liquidity risk management, process improvement, credit management, and product profitability and development. Her background includes senior management, CFO, and treasurer experience and responsibilities.

She chairs the Financial Institutions Interest Group of the Connecticut Society for CPAs, an organization comprised of professionals in the banking/credit-granting industry. She is also a member of the Financial Managers Society Boston Chapter and a regular attendee of the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. CFO Forum.

Hansen holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting from the University of Hartford and an associate degree in accounting from Manchester Community College.

An active volunteer, she is treasurer and a board member of Connecticut Farmland Trust, secretary of Stafford Grange No. 1, and a member of the Stafford Family Services advisory board, and serves as treasurer of Down to Earth Community Farm in Stafford, Conn. She is also a member of the Danish Society of Massachusetts.

“We are pleased to welcome Charlotte to our management team,” said James Kelly, president and CEO of PNCU. “Her professional background, experience, and career accomplishments will be extremely beneficial for our continued success going forward.”

Family Business Center Welcomes PeoplesBank as Strategic Partner

AMHERST — The Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley is a learning organization of more than 60 member companies, providing opportunities for improvement since 1994. An important resource it provides is the wisdom and experience of expert advisors, who are the center’s strategic partners.

Beginning in January, the center welcomes PeoplesBank onto its team of experts, joining Meyers Brothers Kalicka, Bacon Wilson, Giombetti Associates, Epstein Financial Services, Charter Oak Financial, the Axia Group, Johnson & Hill Staffing, and BusinessWest magazine.

“PeoplesBank is very happy to be a supporter of the great work of the Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley,” said Matthew Bannister, PeoplesBank’s first vice president of Marketing & Innovation. “Family businesses are the lifeblood of our community and our regional economy, and we recognize how valuable the services provided by the center are.”

Applications Open Jan. 1 for 2018 Local Farmer Awards

AGAWAM — The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation (HGCF), in partnership with Big Y and a sponsorship team, announced the fourth year of the Local Farmer Awards, supporting local farmers in Western Mass. with funds for infrastructure improvements and farm equipment. Launched in 2015, the awards draw attention to the importance of local farmers to the region’s economy and health.

“Big Y has been supporting local farmers since we began over 80 years ago,” said Charles D’Amour, Big Y president and COO. “Through our partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, we are providing one more way to help the local growers to thrive in our community.”

Awards of up to $2,500 will be given to each recipient farmer. The 2017 awards were made to 49 of the 116 applicants.

Essential to the program’s success has been the ongoing advice and assistance from the two regional Buy Local farm advocates, Berkshire Grown and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA). “Local family farms are a part of our culture and economy and the reason we call this area home,” said Philip Korman, executive director of CISA. “This unique farm awards program makes it possible for family farms to strengthen that connection in our communities.”

Added Barbara Zheutlin, executive director of Berkshire Grown, “we’re thrilled about the continuation of these financial awards for farmers in Western Massachusetts. This helps build the local food economy in our region.”

The application is open from Jan. 1 to Jan. 31, 2018. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit the website for more information: www.farmerawards.org.

Berkshire Bank Awards $14,000 to Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank, in partnership with New England Sports Network (NESN), has awarded a $14,000 grant to the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Berkshire Bank Exciting Assists Grant Program. Dr. Pasi Janne, program director, Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, accepted the contribution from Gary Levante, Berkshire Bank’s assistant vice president of Community Engagement, during NESN’s broadcast of the Boston Bruins hockey game on Dec. 16.

The Exciting Assists Grant program runs through March 31, 2018 and raises funds to support three charitable causes. Berkshire Bank’s Foundation provides $100 per hockey assist to the program. An assist is defined as a Boston Bruins player who shoots, passes, or deflects the puck toward a scoring teammate, or touches it in any other way which enables the goal. During the first portion of the season, the Bruins had 140 assists, resulting in a $14,000 grant from the Berkshire Bank Foundation.

The Jimmy Fund, the first nonprofit beneficiary of the Exciting Assists Grant program, supports Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, raising funds for adult and pediatric cancer care and research to improve the chances of survival for cancer patients around the world.

In addition to the Jimmy Fund, two other nonprofit organizations will receive funding during the remainder of the season, including Bridge Over Trouble Waters, which provides life-changing services for homeless and high-risk youth (promotion period: Dec. 16 to Feb. 9); and Boston Cares, which mobilizes and trains individual and corporate volunteers to fill more than 20,000 volunteer spots annually in support of more than 165 Greater Boston schools and nonprofit agencies (promotion period: Feb. 10 to March 31).

Baystate Wing Hospital Awards $43,226 in Grants to Local Agencies

PALMER — Baystate Wing Hospital announced an investment of $43,226 in grants to benefit local social service, health, and educational programs to area community-based nonprofit organizations.

“These grant investments represent Baystate Wing Hospital’s commitment to support and work with our community partners to focus on public-health-related programs and initiatives that reduce health disparities, promote community wellness, and improve access to care in our region,” said Michael Moran, president and chief administrative officer for Baystate Health’s Eastern Region, which includes Baystate Mary Lane and Baystate Wing Hospital.

Programs supported by the hospital’s grant investments include:

• Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp., $30,000 to support the Quaboag Connector, addressing the serious lack of transportation to employment, education, healthcare, workforce training, shopping, and benefit services within and outside the region;

• The Ware High School Fire Science Program led by Ware Fire Department Deputy Chief Edward Wloch, $7,034 toward the goal of improving Emergency Medical Service (EMS) care in the region; and

• Ware River Valley Domestic Violence Task Force, $6,192 to continue improved screening and response to those facing domestic and sexual violence in the Baystate Health Eastern Region.

“Our physicians, nurses, and staff all strive to improve the health of the people we serve through exceptional care and innovative health initiatives,” said Moran. “The Baystate Wing Corporation is proud to partner with area agencies to help us do this important work together to improve the health and well-being of our community.”

OMG RhinoBond System Wins Construction Award in Spain

AGAWAM — The RhinoBond system and Etanco, OMG Roofing Products’ distribution partner in Spain, were awarded a prestigious 2017 NAN Architecture and Construction Prize at a ceremony in Barcelona, Spain on Nov. 30.

Based on Etanco’s work in Spain, the RhinoBond system was recognized as one of Europe’s most advanced methods of securing single-ply membranes. Etanco has used RhinoBond on more than 50 projects representing more than 2.7 million square feet of installed single-ply membrane. Based in Madrid, Spain, Etanco has been a partner with OMG Roofing Products since 2015.

“This is not only a superb award for the RhinoBond system,” said Web Shaffer, vice president of marketing for OMG Roofing Products, “but, more importantly, it recognizes the great work that Etanco has done with RhinoBond in Spain. We are very pleased with our partnership and with the great work Etanco does.”

Wilbraham Businesses Sponsor Square One Children for Christmas  

SPRINGFIELD — Carrying gift bags filled with new toys, books, and winter gear, staffers from Trombley Associates and Accardi Financial Group visited Square One’s preschoolers this week to help Santa bring holiday cheer to 20 children.

This is the third consecutive year the Wilbraham agencies have ‘adopted’ a full classroom of preschoolers at Square One.

“We are incredibly grateful to our friends at Trombley Associates and Accardi Financial for helping us ensure that our children and their teachers experience the magic of the season,” said Kristine Allard, chief Development & Communications officer for Square One. “The generosity that we see at this time of year is a great reminder of how many wonderful people we have in our community. From small businesses to large corporations, the outpouring of donations for our Square One children is truly heartwarming.”

USCIS Welcomes 210 New U.S. Citizens at AIC

SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will present 210 citizenship candidates to U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts today, Dec. 20, at noon. U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni will preside, and the clerk of the court will administer the oath of allegiance to America’s newest citizens during a naturalization ceremony at American International College (AIC).

Honored guests and speakers include Mastroianni; Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; Marsha Pollard, interim executive vice president for Academic Affairs at AIC; and Kristen Smith, director of the USCIS Lawrence field office. The 210 citizenship candidates originate from 63 countries and reside in 61 Massachusetts cities and towns.

Rotary Club of Springfield Honors Paul Lambert

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Rotarian Paul Lambert received a District Governor’s Citation at the Rotary Club’s Dec. 8 meeting. Lambert, a Rotarian since 2008, received the citation for his dedication and hard work as the Rotary liaison and Basketball Hall of Fame representative to the committee for the eighth annual Service Above Self award luncheon. The award honors those in the local community and in the world of basketball who exemplify the Rotary’s motto of “service above self.”

“If Rotary founder Paul Harris wanted to put together a Rotary dream team, Paul Lambert would absolutely be on it,” said Lamont Clemons, president of the Rotary Club of Springfield. “He is a hardworking, dedicated, and caring Rotarian.”

Lambert is vice president, Enshrinement Services & Community Engagement at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He has been with the Hall for 15 years.

The Springfield Rotary Club meets every Friday at 12:15 p.m. in the MassMutual Room at the Hall of Fame, and is a member of Rotary International.

Glenmeadow Welcomes New Board Members

LONGMEADOW — At Glenmeadow’s annual meeting in November, attorney David Carlson, chair of the nonprofit’s governance committee, announced three new members of the Glenmeadow board of directors and five new corporators.

Naren Dhamodharan, John Gallup, and Annette Lerner will now join the board, while Mark Cress, Christopher Gill, Marie Stebbins, and Julie Siciliano have retired from service.

The new members join Paul Nicholson, Dusty Hoyt, Crystal Diamond, Lawrence Bernstein, David Carlson, Dennis Fitzpatrick, Richard Goldstein, Jerome Gurland, Susan Megas, Amy Santarelli, and Norman Smith on the panel. New officers, also elected at the annual meeting, are Hoyt, chair; Fitzpatrick, vice chair; Smith, clerk; and Santarelli, treasurer.

New corporators are Paul Barden, Sean Anderson, Leslie Smith Frank, Jackie Quimby, and Elaine Tourtelotte. Glenmeadow is a nonprofit organization, and corporators are its legal entity, empowered to elect board members and to amend the bylaws. Corporators also support the mission of Glenmeadow by serving as ambassadors.

Dhamodharan has extensive experience in affordable housing for elders, specifically in developing assisted living. Prior to establishing Hampden Park Capital & Consulting in Northborough, for which he is president, he was director of Housing and Supportive Services at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Under his direction, the office developed a successful, affordable assisted-living model in existing elderly-housing communities.

Gallup retired as president and CEO of Westfield’s Strathmore Paper Co. in 1992. He was involved in different capacities with Baystate Medical Center and the Baystate Health Foundation, serving on the foundation’s President’s Society. He won the National Conference for Community and Justice’s Human Relations Award along his wife, Paula. Currently, he is a charter trustee with the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and is involved with the Willie Ross School for the Deaf.

Lerner brings leadership skills from her experience as vice president of a publishing company and stock-photo agency in New York City for 12 years. She was also president of a women’s organization at her temple and an active member of a parent-teacher association when her children were young. Since moving to Glenmeadow from Florida a year and a half ago, she has been an active member of the community, working in the Glenmeadow store, developing relationships, and volunteering with fund-raisers.

Bradley Passengers Cautioned on Busy Holiday Travel Period

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — Bradley International Airport will experience a very heavy travel period this week and next week due to the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The expected passenger volume will be approximately 10% to 15% higher than normal. Kevin Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority, advises that Bradley passengers should be aware and plan accordingly.

“We will be ending the year on a busy note, with a large number of travelers traveling through Bradley International Airport in the coming days,” Dillon said. “If you are traveling through the airport during this busy travel period, please give yourself extra time and plan ahead — and we will do everything we can to help you love the journey through the airport.”

Passengers traveling domestically are advised to allow themselves at least 90 minutes for check-in with their respective airlines and processing through the TSA screening. Those traveling internationally should give themselves three hours.

Additionally, passengers are encouraged to follow these tips during this peak travel period: check and confirm the status of your flight with your airline prior to your departure for the airport, visit www.flybdl.org to familiarize yourself with Bradley’s parking options and terminal facilities, and speed up the screening process by reviewing the TSA screening guidelines ahead of time at www.tsa.gov.

For up-to-date information about the status of a flight on the day of travel, visit www.flybdl.org. Twitter users can also sign up to receive free, automated updates via Twitter, by tweeting their flight number @BDLFlightInfo.

PeoplesBank Receives Green-business Award

HOLYOKE — The Sustainable Business Network (SBN) of Massachusetts named PeoplesBank the 2017 Massachusetts Sustainable Business of the Year for mid-sized business in Western Mass. The bank has been a long-time leader in environmental sustainability, having built three LEED-certified offices and financed more than $145 million in wind, hydroelectric, and solar-energy projects.

“As the largest mutual bank in the Pioneer Valley, we deliberately invest in environmental sustainability in our communities,” noted Thomas Senecal, president and CEO of PeoplesBank. “That includes large-scale hydroelectric and solar projects, but also grassroots work with mobile farmers markets and local agriculture.”

SBN was founded in 1988 as the nation’s first business trade association, with a mission of making business a vehicle for social, environmental, and economic change.

American International College Offers Puerto Rico Relief Scholarship

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) announced the opportunity for college students in Puerto Rico to continue their education at AIC at a greatly reduced cost. Through the Puerto Rico Relief Scholarship, the college anticipates that this temporary program will allow students to continue their studies while Puerto Rico rebuilds its infrastructure following the impact of Hurricane Maria.

Students who have been displaced from Puerto Rico are invited to apply to AIC to continue their education for the spring 2018 or fall 2018 semester. Students will be offered a flat tuition rate of $10,000 per year. Individuals in this program will be able to apply for additional federal financial aid, which can assist in covering their remaining balance. The college will guide prospective students through the application and financial-aid process.

“American International College was founded in 1885 to educate newcomers to the United States and prepare their children for citizenship and success,” said President Vince Maniaci. “Today, AIC boasts an extremely diverse and vibrant student body with a vision of access and opportunity for all. We are proud to take an active role in the Springfield community, including close ties to our Puerto Rican neighbors. With these things in mind, all of us — faculty, staff, and students alike — are aware of the devastation in Puerto Rico and want to provide assistance.”

While some educational and residency restrictions may apply, students interested in learning more are invited to call the AIC admissions office at (413) 205-3700 or e-mail [email protected].

Elms College MBA Program to Offer MBTI Workshop

CHICOPEE — The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Elms College will hold a Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) workshop on Saturday, Jan. 6 from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Mary Dooley College Center.

MBTI is one of the most widely used assessments in the world and provides a framework for understanding personality differences, which in business affect how people communicate, learn, and work. Participants will gain a better understanding of how they make decisions, handle conflict, and interact with others.

The cost is $140 for the general public and $99 for Elms College alumni, which includes all workshop materials and breakfast. To register, call (413) 265-2592 or e-mail [email protected]. The deadline for registration is Dec. 29.

The MBA program at Elms College offers six specialty tracks: accounting, management, entrepreneurship, financial planning, healthcare leadership, and the new healthcare innovation track. The MBA program offers a flexible, hybrid model of delivery, allowing students to participate in live classes both in the classroom and online. The program is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.

DevelopSpringfield Sells 700 State St. to Pride for Redevelopment

SPRINGFIELD — DevelopSpringfield announced the sale of property at the corner of Thompson and State streets to Pride Stores for redevelopment. The site had been identified as a priority for redevelopment in the State Street Corridor Redevelopment Program, a plan focused on the economic revitalization of State Street and adjacent neighborhoods.

DevelopSpringfield acquired the former River Inn at 700 State St. in 2013 with adjacent lots on Thompson Street to remove a blight on the neighborhood, promote revitalization, and prepare the site for appropriate commercial redevelopment. The organization performed extensive asbestos remediation, demolished the building, and prepared the site for redevelopment.

“We listened closely to the interests of community members, including the Springfield Food Policy Council and the McKnight Neighborhood Council, to identify a developer whose project would meet community needs and be a good neighbor to the many residents near the site,” said Nicholas Fyntrilakis, DevelopSpringfield’s chairman. “Pride’s new store will offer fresh food and produce and address the community’s interests for healthier food options.”

Added Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, “this is exactly why my administration created this public/private partnership of DevelopSpringfield. This in-question property had been a troublesome area for the neighborhood for many years. I look forward to the redevelopment of this site with a project that will bring jobs, tax revenue, and a quality retail operator who cares about our community.”

The sale of the property was complete on Dec. 15. Construction is targeted to begin in the spring. The new store will include a Pride gas station and convenience store and will feature a variety of convenient food items, Pride Café Bakery, local produce, and fresh healthy food offerings. In addition, incubator space will be provided to a local food entrepreneur.

“We are excited to bring Pride Markets to this important area of the State Street corridor,” said Bob Bolduc, owner of Pride Stores. “Not only will the store have the amenities our customers traditionally expect, but it will also have fresh local produce available through an innovative collaboration led by local food advocate Liz O’Gilvie, who will coordinate a farmer’s market on the site.”

LUSO Credit Union Announces Results of Two Charitable Efforts

LUDLOW — LUSO Federal Credit Union recently wrapped up its annual Toys for Tots and letters to the troops drive. Due to the generosity of the community, 373 toys were donated, including 55 toys from LUSO. The credit union thanks members for their donations, as well as the students who crafted 1,092 heartfelt greetings for service members.

LUSO also presented Dr. Steven Schonholz, Leonor Salvador, and Robyn Hersey of the Pink WAY and Michelle Graci of Baystate Health Foundation (for Rays of Hope) with a donation of $10,000 for breast-cancer community support and research. This donation was made possible due to generous business donors who helped provide calendar prize giveaways for 60 days, as well as the support of LUSO’s members. This year’s donations brings breast-cancer support and research donations to $40,000 over the last five years.

Women’s Fund to Present Second Annual Mentor Match on Jan. 13

SPRINGFIELD — January is National Mentoring Month, and the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) announced its second annual Mentor Match, a networking event that aims to engage emerging leaders with seasoned professionals. The event will take place on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the UMass Center at Springfield, and is open to the public.

Featuring Bay Path University Professor Janine Fondon, WFWM board and committee members, participants and alumni of the Women’s Fund’s Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI), and community members, as well as members and supporters of the Young Women’s Initiative (YMI), the Mentor Match is designed to connect members of the Women’s Fund family as mentors and mentees to share resources, experiences, and work together in order to achieve professional and personal goals.

All members of the Women’s Fund community are invited to attend. RSVP by Jan. 10 by visiting www.mywomensfund.org/event/mentor-match.

Robinson Donovan, Gray House Partner on Adopt-a-Family Program

SPRINGFIELD — Robinson Donovan, P.C. will ‘adopt’ three families as part of the Gray House Adopt-a-Family Christmas program. During the event, the Gray House pairs local businesses with underprivileged families to fulfill Christmas wish lists for their children.

“Robinson Donovan takes pride in giving back to our community,” said Nancy Frankel Pelletier, a partner with the firm. “We’ve made a commitment to donate to a charity in the surrounding area every month, and we couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up this amazing year.”

Robinson Donovan is stepping up this holiday season to join forces with the Gray House to help make Christmas wish lists come true for three families, who would otherwise struggle to put gifts under the Christmas tree. In addition to the Adopt-a-Family Christmas program, the Gray House hosts a general toy drive for children in the community, and with the help of local schools and shelters, it has collected toys for an additional 500 children.

Throughout the past year, Robinson Donovan provided donations to the following nonprofit organizations benefitting the Pioneer Valley, many of which members of the firm regularly volunteer for, including Providence Ministries Service Network, Friends of the Homeless Inc., the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Bay Path University, Cutchins Center for Children, Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Hampden County, Community Legal Aid, Dakin Humane Society, the Gray House, Homework House, the Hampden County Bar Assoc., and Springfield Museums.

“Robinson Donovan participates in many philanthropic events throughout the year, and staff consistently donate their time to those in need,” said attorney James Martin. “This is another opportunity where we can give back to those less fortunate. Christmas can be a stressful time for families, and our team strives to help ease the burden.”

Elms College Opens Registration for January, March MBA Classes

CHICOPEE — Elms College has opened registration for the spring 2018 start dates in its master of business administration (MBA) program. Classes will begin Jan. 8, and a second session of classes will begin on March 26.

Elms College offers six MBA specialty tracks: accounting, management, entrepreneurship, financial planning, healthcare leadership, and the new healthcare innovation track. In each track, MBA students work with and learn from experts in these fields, and with experts in other industries, for a well-rounded learning experience.

“Our professional faculty members impart real-world experience they apply every day on the job to our students,” said Kim Kenney-Rockwal, director of the MBA program at Elms. “By staying on top of current and future trends, the program instructs students on how to leverage human resources from within their organization, creating opportunities to compete, move ahead, and be effective in the workplace.”

Elms’ MBA program offers a flexible, hybrid model of delivery, allowing students to participate in live classes both in the classroom and online. For students who did not major in business, Elms offers a Foundations program and an Excel for Business program.

Another feature that sets the Elms College MBA program apart is its Pathways to Leadership program, an extension of the MBA curriculum that leads participants on a journey of self-discovery. “The Pathways to Leadership component is a mix of workshops and events that MBA students and MBA graduates can take advantage of, for free, to grow as dynamic leaders in their career fields,” Kenney-Rockwal said.

The MBA program at Elms College is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education. It offers a strong understanding of business principles, plus the ability to apply those principles and create change on many levels. The Elms MBA program was designed to give students the skills to navigate a global economy and contribute to their local communities.

“The Elms College MBA program will challenge you to analyze and balance bottom-line business decisions with a strong emphasis on the ethical, social, and political aspects of the ever-changing business landscape, providing you with the platform for personal and professional growth,” Kenney-Rockwal said.

Valley Health Systems Employees Support 13 Families for the Holidays

HOLYOKE — Employees of Valley Health Systems, which includes Holyoke Medical Center, the Holyoke Visiting Nurse Assoc. & Hospice Life Care, Western Mass Physician Associates, and River Valley Counseling Center, have joined together to help support 13 families in need of assistance this holiday season. The families consist of 40 children and 12 adults and are affiliated with the Holyoke Boys & Girls Club and WIC.

Valley Health Systems staff will deliver the gifts to the agencies today, Dec. 15. They will be at the Holyoke Boys & Girls Club, 70 Nick Cosmos Way, Holyoke, at 1 p.m., and at WIC, 300 High St., Holyoke, at 2 p.m.

Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee Announces 2018 Board of Directors

CHICOPEE — The Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee held its annual meeting of the corporation on Dec. 14 at Collegian Court restaurant. At the meeting, a new slate of officers and directors were approved.

They include William Sharp, Freedom Credit Union (president); George Flevotomos, Demayo Properties (1st vice president); Rich Rheault, the Credit Card Pro (2nd vice president); Richard Bernard Jr., Pilgrim Interiors Inc. (treasurer); and Laura Sample, Evergreen Construction (secretary).

The rest of the slate includes Shane Brooks, Center for Human Development; Thomas Charette, Lemelin Environmental Services Inc.; Anne Gancarz, Chicopee Public Library; Ben Garvey, Insurance Center of New England Inc.; Tracey Hebda, Complete Payroll Solutions; Sarah Jordan, Polish National Credit Union; Katie Kalbaugh, Chicopee Fire Department; Kim Quenneville, Dufault, Vann & Carella; and Tania Spear, Silver Linings Home Care, LLC.

Reappointed were the members of the board of trustees: Jim Bugbee, Granfield, Bugbee, & Masse Insurance; Kevin Vann, Dufault, Vann & Carella; and Donna Wiley, PeoplesBank. Finally, appointed as board members emeritus are Bertram Gardner IV, Caolo & Bieniek Architects Inc.; and Earl LaFlamme III, retired.

Two awards were presented at the meeting. The first was the Helping Hands Award, given to Chicopee Public Library for its role as a community partner. The Dr. Edward Ryan Award was presented to George Flevotomos, chosen by members of the board of directors and given to a fellow board member that has gone above and beyond for the organization.

Bay Path University Reports on Recent Charitable Activities

LONGMEADOW — In the spirit of the season, the students, staff, and faculty of Bay Path University have been hard at work giving back to the community.

The university kicked off its charitable activities this fall with its 2017 Charitable Fund drive in support of the United Way of Pioneer Valley and Community Health Charities. The university’s partnership with these organizations dates back at least 14 years, and in that time, a total of nearly $200,000 was donated by Bay Path faculty and staff. For 2017, the most substantial sum to date was raised: $20,634.

“The Bay Path community never ceases to amaze me with their generosity,” said Keith Sbriscia, associate director of Human Resources, who runs the United Way and Community Health Charities fund-raiser. “It’s clear that our employees are passionate about the region in which we live and work. Both of these organizations provide essential funding to local charities and have a tremendous impact on the lives of thousands of individuals and families. Bay Path is proud to support their efforts.”

Both Community Health Charities and the United Way are umbrella organizations that represent other nonprofits through partnerships and raise funds on their behalf through workplace giving campaigns and engagement opportunities. Partner charities also have the opportunity to receive funding through grants.

“Workplace giving is one of the simplest, most efficient ways to engage employees in philanthropic community support,” said Katie Kohl, manager, Customer Solutions for Community Health Charities. “Nationwide, workplace giving campaigns constitute a $4 billion annual revenue for charities. These dollars help improve people’s lives by supporting our charity partner missions, programs, and services. The generosity of donors like the faculty and staff of Bay Path University helps to make their work possible.”

Community Health Charities raises awareness and resources for health and wellness by connecting more than 2,000 of the most trusted health charities across the U.S., reaching 17 million donors every year, through workplace giving campaigns, causes, wellness programs, employee engagement, and strategic partnerships.

United Way of Pioneer Valley creates opportunities and improves lives in 25 cities and towns through the United Way Community Fund, and mobilizes people and resources to strengthen area communities by tackling complex issues and driving sustainable change.

The Bay Path students are equally committed to supporting the community and have coordinated many student-driven efforts this fall, including, but not limited to, book, diaper, toy, and food drives and several other donations to meet the needs of local organizations. The annual book drive, which benefits a different charity each year, generated close to 1,000 book donations for the Homework House. The university’s annual Giving Tree hosted by the Education Club to make the holiday season merrier for children from the Greater Springfield area just wrapped up collecting gifts for families in need this holiday season. The canned-food drive to assist in restocking local food pantries that run out of goods during the holiday season, hosted by the university’s Student Government Alliance, is also underway.

Further, Bay Path University has selected New North Citizens Council of Springfield as its holiday charity.

“The devastation in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria is overwhelming, and many of the families and loved ones of students, faculty, and staff have been impacted by the catastrophic damage caused by the storm,” said Kathleen Halpin-Robbins, assistant vice president and director of Human Resources.

As more and more families are leaving Puerto Rico to find shelter with family and friends in the continental U.S., many cities in New England are welcoming these families. New North Citizens Council (NNCC) has been designated by Western Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico as a welcome center for Puerto Rican evacuees in Springfield.

“We are so pleased to be partnering with New North Citizens Council of Springfield as this year’s recipient nonprofit organization,” Robbins said. “For 45 years, NNCC has been the Latino center in the North End that welcomes and helps all migrants and immigrants in Western Massachusetts. They stand ready to assist all Puerto Ricans newly arriving from the island who need help.”

The Markens Group Names Wil Rodriguez Director of Sales

By BusinessWest Staff December 14, 2017

SPRINGFIELD — The Markens Group Inc., a Springfield-based association-management and business-consulting firm, recently welcomed Wil Rodriguez as director of Sales and Business Development.

Rodriguez has more than 15 years of experience building relationships, cultivating target audiences, and managing accounts. He has worked for firms in Florida, Connecticut, and Western Mass., serving most recently as an account executive for Full Power Radio. He also has sales experience in the energy, job-placement, and graphic-arts industries.

A longtime community steward, Rodriguez served as president of the Westfield Spanish American Assoc. from 2011 to 2016, leading the organization’s efforts to empower Latinos in the Greater Westfield area to create a visible presence in their local community. Under his leadership, the organization spearheaded several community projects, including the construction of a $50,000 playscape at Westfield’s Whitney Playground. He has also served on the board of directors of the Amelia Park Children’s Museum and has volunteered as a diversity consultant for the Massachusetts chapter of the Alzheimer’s Assoc.

“I’m thrilled to begin my work with the Markens Group,” said Rodriguez. “I’m already getting a feel for the trade-association industry, and I have some great ideas for moving forward.”

In his new role, Rodriguez will lead efforts to grow the Markens Group’s association-management business. The firm provides outsourced management services like strategic planning, marketing, and administration to national, regional, and local trade associations and professional societies.

“Wil is an excellent addition to the team,” said Ben Markens, president and CEO of the Markens Group. “He not only has the right experience, he also champions community. At the end of the day, that’s what we foster in our association clients. We help communities of like-minded individuals make a real difference in their industries and broader society.”

Mount Holyoke College Offering New Classes for Professionals

By BusinessWest Staff December 14, 2017

SOUTH HADLEY — Mount Holyoke College is now offering a series of linked classes for professionals seeking new or expanded skills to further their careers.

The new offerings are through Mount Holyoke’s graduate programs for emerging leaders, managers, communications professionals, and educators. They include the Nonprofit Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Institute, the Digital Innovation and Media Institute, the Global and Intercultural Leadership Institute, and the Differentiated Instruction Institute. The classes can be taken alone or in a series, for credit or simply to build expertise. More information can be found here.

“These institutes offer professionals pathways to further their careers and to position themselves for brighter futures and careers in burgeoning fields,” said Tiffany Espinosa, executive director of Graduate Programs at Mount Holyoke.

Those attending will learn essential career skills, including project management, leadership, finance, and effective collaboration. The courses are designed to meet the needs of professionals, delivering graduate-level education in on-campus, accelerated courses that can be completed in a week, or online courses that can be taken anywhere in the world. An added bonus, taking classes with like-minded professionals offers students a built-in network to grow with their careers.

The deadline to register for January classes is Tuesday, Dec. 19. To register, click here.

Elms College Hosts White-coat Ceremony for DNP Students

By BusinessWest Staff December 14, 2017

CHICOPEE — Elms College’s School of Nursing recently held a white-coat ceremony to honor the college’s third class of DNP (doctor of nursing practice) students as they move from the classroom into clinical practice training. The 17 honorees started the program in fall 2016 and will begin their clinical practice in January.

“This ceremony formally acknowledges that our DNP students will begin their clinical rotations within regional healthcare facilities and practice settings, specific to their advanced nursing-specialty track,” said Teresa Kuta Reske, director of Doctoral Studies and program development for the DNP program at Elms College.

The ceremony included remarks from Kathleen Scoble, dean of the School of Nursing, and Elms President Harry Dumay, as well as an oath, a blessing of the white coats, and the presentation of the coats to the students.

“Your chosen profession, or should I say your vocation, is needed more than ever,” Dumay told the honorees. “While advances in science and technology contribute to extend life expectancy and to prolong individuals’ active participation in society, the demands on our healthcare system are more numerous and complex. The need for practitioners who are trained at the highest level, with multiple skills and real-life experiences, who are ready to reinvent themselves as knowledge expands and technology evolves, is more acute today than ever. Your training as a doctor of nursing practice is preparing you well to meet today’s and tomorrow’s societal needs.”

In the keynote address, Lisa Erickson, director of Advanced Practitioners for Baystate Health System, told the white-coat honorees to “go your own way. Do not let a job description define you or your role. Go into territory that is new or less known, or even completely unknown. You are ever-evolving — your role will always evolve. As Thoreau wrote, ‘go confidently in the direction of your dreams.’”

The Elms College DNP program addresses the growing need for advanced-practice nurses in adult and family care as the population ages and the demand for primary care continues to grow, Scoble said. “Our first DNP-NP class has graduated and entered the practice field, and our second cohort will be graduating this spring. We are delighted to be marking the passage of our third cohort into their advanced-practice clinical training.”

Report: Massachusetts Is the Healthiest State in the Nation

BOSTON — Massachusetts is the healthiest state in the nation, according to the 28th annual America’s Health Rankings report. Among the state’s strengths are its low percentage of uninsured people, low prevalence of obesity, and high vaccination rates. The 2017 report also ranked Massachusetts first for the health of women and children.

“This report highlights the notable progress that our state is making to improve the health and well-being of every individual living in the Commonwealth,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “Massachusetts is proud to have the lowest number of uninsured residents in the country and robust public-health efforts, and our administration will keep working across all levels of government to ensure quality healthcare and a safe, healthy environment for our residents to live, work, and play.”

The 2017 report analyzed 35 measures covering behaviors, community and environment, policy, clinical care, and outcomes data. The report serves as a benchmark for states — and the nation — to measure progress, identify emerging trends, and drive action for improving public health. Last year, Massachusetts ranked second, behind Hawaii.

“This year’s findings demonstrate that our focus on improving health outcomes is making a real difference in the lives of Massachusetts families and communities,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders. “Today’s news is a testament to the hard work and dedication of many people working across state and local government, healthcare providers, and at the community grassroots level to make Massachusetts healthier.”

Among other categories in which Massachusetts was ranked first were immunizations of children ages 19 to 35 months; immunization of adolescents ages 13 to 17 years with Tdap vaccine, a combination vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough); percentage of the population that is uninsured; number of dentists per 100,000 people; and number of mental-health providers per 100,000 people.

“The rankings are an important indicator of the significant progress we’ve made in critical public-health areas, such as tobacco control, increasing vaccination rates, and reducing obesity,’’ said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel. “We will continue to strive to address persistent health disparities and create conditions which allow all of us to live long, healthy lives.”

Lisa Palumbo Joins Delap Real Estate

NORTHAMPTON — Lisa Palumbo, a Realtor in the Valley since March 2005, joined Delap Real Estate on Nov. 20 and will work as a buyer’s and seller’s agent, covering Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties.

A resident of Northampton for 25 years, Palumbo most recently worked as the top-selling agent at the Coldwell Banker office in Northampton from 2006 to 2017. In the past year, she sold more than $15 million in real-estate transactions in the tri-county region. In 2017, she was ranked among the top 10 Realtors for sales in Hampshire County. From 2006 to 2017, she has been presented annually with the President’s Platinum and Gold Awards from the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley in recognition of superior sales and service.

“I work with clients ranging from first-time home buyers to those who are looking to downsize following retirement,” Palumbo said. “Some of my clients come from out of state and are relocating to the Pioneer Valley. I work to make the process smooth and stress-free. Giving honest advice for making sound real-estate choices is what I strive to do.”

Palumbo holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with a concentration in philosophy, religion, and Asian studies from Colgate University and a master’s degree in music and music education from Columbia University. Before working as a realtor, she was a music teacher at Granby High School in Connecticut and White Brook Middle School in Easthampton. Fascinated with homes and interested in working with people, she became a Realtor after poring over the real-estate study guide while on a maternity leave.

“Being a realtor is being part lawyer, part negotiator and strategist, part photographer, part copy editor, part marketing manager, part teacher, and even, sometimes, part therapist,” she said. “Every day is different and challenging.”

Elms College, St. Stanislaus to Hold Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day

CHICOPEE — The Elms College School of Nursing, in collaboration with the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Sunday Sandwich Ministry, is holding a memorial service and dinner on Wednesday, Dec. 20 to honor homeless persons who have passed away in 2017 in Chicopee. The public is invited to join in remembrance. Food pantry donations of non-perishable food items or money may be made at the event.

The event takes place 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen & Pantry, 170 Pendexter Ave., Chicopee. The memorial will be held at 4:30 p.m. and will be followed by a dinner service at 5 p.m. The memorial program will be held outside, so attendees should dress accordingly. The meal will be held inside the soup kitchen.

For 27 years, on or near the first day of winter and the longest night of the year, the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) has advocated this national day of memory to bring attention to the tragedy of homelessness and to remember homeless friends who have lost their lives to homelessness.

The Basilica of St. Stanislaus Sandwich Ministry distributes food and clothing to people who are homeless or facing financial challenges in Chicopee center each Sunday.

Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen & Pantry Inc. is a nonprofit organization serving the hungry and disadvantaged in the Greater Chicopee community. Lorraine’s serves an average of 100 meals each evening and approximately 500 families a month through the pantry.

Elms College School of Nursing operates the caRe vaN, providing free healthcare to the homeless and underserved of Chicopee and Holyoke.

Freedom Announces President’s Award Winner, Honors Employees

Giving Guide Special Publications

SPRINGFIELD — At Freedom Credit Union’s annual holiday dinner at the Log Cabin, David Chase, vice president of Business Lending, was presented with this year’s President’s Award.

A colleague nominated Chase for the award, which recognizes a Freedom employee for his or her commitment to professional excellence. The employee said Chase “has reinvented our Commercial Lending department to what it is today and is continuing to grow this sector of our business.”

During the evening, several employees were recognized for their years of service. In addition, 11 employees were recognized for receiving a GEM Award as part of Freedom’s new GEM (Going the Extra Mile) program. C. Melin Menas and Lynne Wallace were honored for being named Credit Union Heroes by Banker and Tradesman magazine.

2017 Giving Guide

By Adam Basch, Esq. December 12, 2017

Regional Philanthropic Opportunities 2017

Go HERE for the flipbook >>

Presented by:

Southwick Offers Winning Mix of Business, Fun

Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

Karl Stinehart (left) and Doug Moglin say Southwick is an ideal spot to live, work, and play, with plenty of opportunties for all three.

Many communities, Doug Moglin notes, tout themselves as a great place to live, or an ideal spot to do business, or a haven for recreation.

“But we have all three,” said the chair of Southwick’s Board of Selectmen. “I’m one of those people who do all three in town, and we still have room for more of all those things.”

On the residential front, for example, work continues on 26 homes at the new Noble Steed subdivision off Vining Hill Road. Meanwhile, the Southwick Country Club site is being sold to Fiore Realty, which intends to develop more homes and perhaps some mixed-use properties along College Highway.

Golf enthusiasts in town shouldn’t fret, though, said Karl Stinehart, the town’s chief administrative officer, noting that Southwick boasts three other golf courses, including the PGA-level track at the Ranch. The community’s recreational offerings run far deeper than that, actually, from the Congamond Lakes and the boating opportunities there to a fully developed rail trail; from motocross events at the Wick 338 to the 66-acre Whalley Park.

Southwick at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1770
Population: 9,502
Area: 31.7 square miles
County: Hampden
Residential Tax Rate: $17.50
Commercial Tax Rate: $17.50
Median Household Income: $52,296
Family Household Income: $64,456
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting; Board of Selectmen
Largest Employers: Big Y; Whalley Computer Associates; Southwick Regional School District
*Latest information available

On the business front, meanwhile, the town’s industrial park continues to thrive with its mix of high-tech, light-industrial, and other types of firms, while a series of major infrastructure projects ease the path for motorists seeking out those aforementioned opportunities to live, work, and play in this community of just under 10,000 residents.

“It’s just a great place,” said Stinehart, Southwick’s chief administrative officer. “People who live in our community have all the right pieces — access to recreational opportunities, good schools, business, and commerce. We also have the ability to have more capacity — more business and commerce here.”

And plenty more fun.

Great Outdoors

Indeed, Southwick has long prided itself on its recreational opportunities, and they have only grown in prominence over the past several years.

Take the lakes on the south side of town — featuring two boat ramps, a fishing pier, and a town beach — which provide an array of activity for residents. A planned $275,000 project will renovate the south boat ramp on Berkshire Avenue, and the beachfront was recently renovated as well.

Ongoing efforts to preserve open space nearby are also gaining ground, as the town hopes to acquire a 144-acre parcel for sale on North Pond at Congamond Lakes. The Mass. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife awarded Southwick money to help purchase it, and the Franklin Land Trust has embarked on a fund-raising effort to make up the difference in price. The parcel is abutted by two areas owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the state of Connecticut.

Outdoors enthusiasts can also enjoy access to the natural scenery of the Metacomet/Monadnock Trail, as well as a 6.5-mile-long linear park, or rail trail, that runs through town, from the Westfield border to the Suffield border. “It gets a ton of use on weekends during spring, summer, and fall — even the winter, before the snow flies,” Moglin noted.

Bikers can park in a number of spots along the trail to start their ride, and, in fact, expanding parking is one of the challenges the town is studying, he added. But the fact that the trail skirts close to several commercial areas of town is a benefit to stores and restaurants when bikers take a break to enjoy a meal or shopping.

People who live in our community have all the right pieces — access to recreational opportunities, good schools, business, and commerce. We also have the ability to have more capacity — more business and commerce here.”

“People can take advantage of these businesses,” Stinehart said. “I often see people riding off the trail to make use of these commercial areas.”

The Wick 338, the motocross track behind the American Legion, is another major draw. “They’ve put a lot of investment into the track, which abuts the Southwick Recreation Center and Whalley Park, so the spinoff benefits are significant,” Stinehart said.

The complex hosts the annual Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship — which is broadcast live on NBC and draws close to 20,000 people to town — as well as a host of other events, including Rugged Maniac New England, a challenging, mud-splattered 5K obstacle course.

“People of varying levels of capability can do that, from people who can do it in 20 minutes to those who take four hours — we’re somewhere in the middle,” Stinehart said with a laugh and a nod to Moglin.

The selectman agreed, again noting that more than 10,000 people may show up. “That’s an economic driver as well as a great recreational opportunity.”

As for Whalley Park — which was donated to the town by the prominent Whalley family and developed using municipal and Community Preservation Act funds — it includes a full-size soccer field, baseball field, and softball field, lighting for the fields, a huge kids’ play area, and a pavilion.

On the Right Road

Speaking of kids, a recent $69 million project was completed two years ago at the complex on Feeding Hills Road that houses Woodland Elementary School, Powder Mill Middle School, and Southwick Regional School, all of which enjoyed additions and renovations.

Meanwhile, the town just finished the total reconstruction of a half-mile stretch of Route 57 that runs by the school complex, including new turn lanes, synchronized signals, drainage, and road widening. That’s important, Moglin said, because businesses access the road from the industrial park, and parents and bus drivers appreciate the safety upgrades where the school lots dump out onto 57. “It makes for improved public safety and better flow of people and goods.”

It’s not a standalone project; stretches of College Highway, or Routes 10 and 202 — the main commercial artery in Southwick — were similarly widened and reconfigured within the last five years, and Congamond Road, a key entry into town from Connecticut, is next on the docket, with a project commencing in the spring to improve the roadway and drainage, with a possible sewer component as well, which will help attract new business ventures to the busy neighborhood.

“That’s all serviced by septic today, which limits potential for pad sites,” Moglin said. “It would be a job creator if we can get sewer lines in there.”

Overall, though, the town offers plenty of incentives for businesses, both he and Stinehart noted, ranging from proximity to Bradley International Airport to a singular tax rate of $17.50 per $1,000 for both residential and commercial properties. “That’s an overreaching goal of the Board of Selectmen,” Moglin said of the rate. “We have really tried to keep that reasonable and competitive.”

The town has also streamlined its permitting process, bringing together planning, zoning, and other officials to work together with prospective businesses, rather than fragmenting the process.

“We’ve got capacity for small, medium, and large employers to come to Southwick,” he continued. “We’re working collaboratively with employers in town who want to expand or who want to move to Southwick, and we’ll put together a partnership to go through the process.”

Stinehart emphatically agreed. “Southwick is open for business,” he said — and open for much more, as well.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Bay Path’s RN to BSN Program Helps Nurses Overcome Barriers

Education Sections

Connecting to a Better Future

It’s no secret that hospitals and other healthcare settings are pushing for nurses with higher education levels, but it can be difficult for a working RN, often with plenty of family responsibilities, to go back to school. The RN to BSN Completer Program at the American Women’s College of Bay Path University solves that issue with a fully online format and plenty of support to help students succeed — and open doors that had previously been closed.

The 22 registered nurses who graduated in May from the American Women’s College of Bay Path University with their bachelor’s degrees — the first class to complete the new, innovative program — weren’t just improving their own career options, although they certainly did that.

On a broader level, they were responding to a call from the National Institute of Medicine for 80% of nurses to eventually achieve a baccalaureate level of education, one that encompasses the big-picture issues faced in settings ranging from hospitals to skilled-nursing facilities to public-health organizations.

“The national challenge for 80% of nurses to be BSN-prepared by 2020 indicated to us a great need for a flexible, affordable solution for registered nurses whose lives are already so full, between caring for others at work and, on top of that, having families, hobbies, and other personal responsibilities,” said Amanda Gould, chief administrative officer for the American Women’s College (TAWC).

Bay Path’s solution, she said, is an accelerated, 100% online program that lets students — many of whom are already juggling an RN position with family responsibilities — an opportunity to broaden their education on their terms, around their rigorous schedules.

The RN to BSN Completer Program, as it’s officially known, allows for licensed, registered nurses with an associate or diploma degree to return to college to complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Bay Path’s program is fully online, allowing students to enroll and participate from across the country, and the accelerated format means that, for most students, the degree can be achieved in 18 months.

Post-graduation surveys of the inaugural graduating class revealed that two quickly found promotions, one as a hospital ER manager and another as a manager of care coordination, said Maura Devlin, deputy chief learning officer at TAWC. A new survey underway is expected to reveal more such career moves, as well as a number of graduates preparing to continue on toward master’s degrees at other schools.

Amanda Gould says the online RN to BSN program is a tangible response to the national call for 80% of nurses to eventually have bachelor’s degrees.

Programs like this one will continue to bring the Bay State’s number of BSN-level nurses closer to 80% — the state had already set a goal of 65%, with the number currently around 50% — but it will also open doors that may be starting to close for RNs. Although there are no official numbers, Gould and Devlin said, RNs see hospitals and other organizations pushing for higher levels of education, and favoring BSN-level nurses in hiring and promotions.

Bay Path’s new nursing program, now educating its second class of enrollees, is doing what it can to meet that demand, and early returns have been positive.

Expanding Access

Backing up a little, the American Women’s College was founded in 2013 with a mission to expand access to higher education to the 76 million American women who do not have a college degree. Its 28 programs run the gamut from accounting to criminal justice; from child psychology to early childhood education; from entrepreneurship to food science and safety.

Many students enrolled in various RN-to-BSN programs in this region haven’t necessarily had to leave a job to do so, but they have been challenged to fit classes in between work and family life. The online option at TAWC allows students to engage in classroom activity — much of which takes place on forums and discussion boards — on their own schedule.

SEE: List of Private Schools

The RN-to-BSN track technically requires 120 credits, but 30 are awarded up front for the students’ RN training and experience, and other credits (up to 84, in fact) can be transferred in as well, depending on the student’s prior education, training, and experience.

Devlin said the courses are patient-focused and reflect the ‘nine essentials’ of baccalaureate nursing education established by the American Assoc. of Colleges of Nursing. These include a liberal education base; evidence-based practice; quality care and patient safety; information management; policy, finance, and the regulatory environment; communication and collaboration; population health management; professionalism and values; and general nursing practice.

“These are our program outcomes,” Gould said, adding that administrators have explicitly defined some fields students may see as options for professional growth upon attaining their degree, such as case manager, infection control, home care, hospice care, occupational nurse, managerial positions, public health, risk management, and specialty care.

There’s a self-reflective element to the program as well, Devlin said, and students are encouraged to consider their unique attributes and leadership skills. “The program has the BSN candidates thinking about themselves as leaders in the field of nursing, and positions them to go on to those types of roles.”

Classes are run in a cohort model, meaning the students navigate through the courses together, although they don’t have to be online at the same time. The classes are conducted in six-week sessions — six of them per year — and taught by master’s level nursing educators.

“When we surveyed the first cohort of 22 students in May, every one of them said they would recommend the program,” Gould said. “That was really validating.”

The American Women’s College was developed to improve performance, retention, and graduation rates for nontraditional learners, and does so partly through the development of Social Online Universal Learning (SOUL), a data-driven approach to online education at TAWC, Gould said. Among its features, SOUL features customized instruction, dedicated educator coaches to help students who start to struggle, and virtual learning communities to engage other students who share their goals and professional interests.

And there are definitely some common challenges. Seventy percent of TAWC students are first-generation college attendees, one-third are single mothers, and more than half are Pell-eligible, which speaks to economic need. “We really do feel it’s kind of mission-driven, in that we’re creating a new entry point to college for this population,” she said.

She cited one student, a 38-year-old who had dropped out of high school when she became pregnant, who now works as an administrative assistant. “Her daughter is now college age, and she wanted to be a role model for her daughter,” Gould explained, so she enrolled in the American Women’s College and is now one of its top students.

Maura Devlin says the first cohort of graduates is already seeing broadened career opportunities and even promotions.

“She’s kind of representative of a lot of students we serve who are trying to make a better life for themselves and their families,” she told BusinessWest. “Their motto has become ‘it’s my time.’ For a long time, they’ve put their families first, and they’ve finally come to a place where they give themselves permission to get their education.”

First Steps

The American Women’s College received some good news in October when the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) voted to grant full accreditation through 2022 to the RN to BSN Completer Program.

“The collective commitment to quality education demonstrated each day by our faculty, staff, and community partners to provide our students with the knowledge and skills they need to be outstanding nurses is at the heart of our work, and our program status reflects that,” said Marjorie Bessette, director of the Nursing program.

Meanwhile, TAWC maintains partnerships with Baystate Health and Mercy Medical Center to work together to increase the number of nurse practitioners with BSN degrees.

“As a nurse, I want to give the best possible care that I can to patients. It’s my job to save lives. Completing my BSN has ensured that I can do just that,” said Laura Mazur, a nurse at Baystate Medical Center who graduated from Bay Path’s program in May. “I used to think of myself as an in-class learner, but as a floor nurse working the midnight shift, I simply didn’t have the time to spend in a classroom. The online program through the American Women’s College fit well into my life.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Economic Outlook 2018: Steady as She Goes

Cover Story Economic Outlook Sections

Experts Don’t Foresee Any Rocking of the Economic Boat

More of the same. That’s what the experts are predicting for this region, and the country as a whole, when it comes to the economy. And by more of the same, they mean growth that is steady if unspectacular — even with tax reform — and few if any signs of what could amount to real trouble. “Another boring year,” was how one economist put it. But for many businesses, boring is more than acceptable.

As a student — and a professor — of economics, Bob Nakosteen fully understands that the region and the nation as a whole are, as they say, due for a recession.

Maybe even overdue.

Indeed, eight and a half years is a long time to be in an expansion, if history and especially 20th-century history is any guide, and that’s about the length of the run the country has been on, said Nakosteen, a long-time educator at UMass Amherst who pegged the summer of 2009 as when the Great Recession ended and the upswing — as unspectacular as it has been, for the most part, in this region — began.

But he quickly noted that there’s no actual relationship between how long a country has been in an expansion and when it’s due for a recession. Time isn’t officially one of the factors that determine such things, he noted, adding that none of the issues and indicators that do are — at this moment, at least — pointing toward recession.

Bob Nakosteen

The issues in the state economy, especially in Western Massachusetts, are not macro-economic nearly as much as they are structurally micro-economic; there are individual sectors that are really struggling.”

“The expansion is old, certainly, but there’s nothing on the horizon to interrupt the expansion,” he told BusinessWest, adding quickly that a host of factors will shape what course a continued expansion takes. “The issues in the state economy, especially in Western Massachusetts, are not macro-economic nearly as much as they are structurally micro-economic; there are individual sectors that are really struggling.”

Karl Petrick, an economics professor at Western New England University, agreed, and summoned another word for what he’s projecting for at least one more year: boring.

Karl Petrick

Trickle-down doesn’t really come to fruition the way people say it will. It’s been promised for decades and decades, but it’s never really happened.”

“Unless you were on Twitter, last year was pretty boring,” he said, tongue firmly planted in cheek while focusing his remarks on what was happening in this region economically. And that was essentially the same thing that’s been happening for the past several years — steady if unspectacular growth that amounts to a few percentage points on average and not the kind of boom times that traditionally follow a recession, especially like the one of almost a decade ago now.

“Even with the tax break, the projections are for the U.S. economy to grow at 2.5% in 2018, and in 2019, 2.1%,” he said. “And if we did see a big increase in growth, it’s very likely that that the Fed will raise interest rates to slow down inflation. The forecast is for another boring year — I hope.”

Indeed, for many in business, boring translates into a decent year, and that’s what Tom Senecal, president of Holyoke-based PeoplesBank, said many of his clients — commercial and residential alike — experienced.

He told BusinessWest that the residential real-estate market is enjoying a surge fueled by low inventories, and that many individual sectors are experiencing steady growth. And he expects tax reform to lift most boats still higher.

Tom Senecal

Inventory is extremely low in many area communities, and this is having a big impact on prices. We’re going back to seeing sale prices in excess of asking prices, and that hasn’t happened since the late ’80s and early ’90s.”

“With corporate tax rates projected to decrease from 35% to 20%, that will have a significant impact on most businesses,” he went on. “I expect that to be a determining factor in what our local economy will be like in 2018.”

There are other determining factors, obviously, and some areas of concern, both nationally and locally, including persistently stagnant wages.

Despite steady growth in the economy and soaring corporate profits that have fueled a nearly 20% rise on Wall Street this year, wages have remained flat, said Petrick. And he doesn’t believe — despite what leading supporters say — that tax reform will change that equation. And if wages remain stagnant, that might slow the economy down.

“Trickle-down doesn’t really come to fruition the way people say it will,” he explained. “It’s been promised for decades and decades, but it’s never really happened.”

Meanwhile, Nakosteen said the precipitous decline of traditional retail could pose some problems regionally (more on that later), as could a host of other factors ranging from escalating student debt to tighter immigration laws that could keep some foreign students from landing on area college campuses.

But overall, these concerns are not expected to significantly alter the picture or impact those projections for more of what the region has seen over the past several years.

Onward and Upward

“Stable.”

That’s the word Senecal summoned early and often as he talked about the local economy, and it’s another word business owners always like to hear.

He said the region’s economy has historically been fueled by education and healthcare (‘eds and meds’), and that trend continues. And those sectors are, well, stable, to say the least.

“If you think of the spin-off economies in the Western Mass. market, we clearly benefit from those sorts of industries [healthcare and education] that are not recession-proof, but they certainly come through recessionary times much more stable than the rest of the economy,” he said. “And I see this in the numbers from our residential loans and our commercial loans. The stability and continued growth has been there, and we expect it to continue throughout next year.”

Beyond eds and meds, Senecal noted, a number of sectors are doing “pretty well,” as he put it. These include ‘green’ energy businesses, commercial construction (although moreso in the eastern part of the state than this region) and the residential real-estate market, which, as noted earlier, has picked up dramatically over the past few years.

“Inventory is extremely low in many area communities, and this is having a big impact on prices,” he explained. “We’re going back to seeing sale prices in excess of asking prices, and that hasn’t happened since the late ’80s and early ’90s; it’s clearly a seller’s market right now.”

Surveying the scene locally as well as nationally, those we spoke with said there is no indication of anything that will disrupt this stability to any significant degree.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some question marks concerning the year ahead. And perhaps the biggest concerns tax reform and what it will mean.

Petrick and Nakosteen said such reforms — usually measures to be administered during a recession, not an expansion — can’t (or shouldn’t) be expected to trigger the wage hikes and subsequent consumer spending predicted by supporters of the legislation, because … well, because history shows this isn’t what happens, they told BusinessWest.

“Tax cuts really have little effect,” said Nakosteen, “especially when the economy is not in recession and is near full employment.”

Also, early and unofficial polling of business leaders indicates that wage increases for their employees are not in their plans.

“Many big corporations have already said that, whatever tax breaks they get, they’ll use them to buy back stock,” Petrick noted. “That will do wonders for the stock market, but there’s no indication they’ll use that tax break to raise wages.”

But Senecal projected that tax reform might, in fact, provide a real boost for the economy in the form of investments made by business owners.

“Tax reform has a significant impact on corporate spending,” he opined. “I think that, right now, a lot of businesses are waiting and seeing on tax reform to determine how aggressive or reserved businesses are going to be come 2018.”

Economic Indicators

As for other factors that might impact the year ahead, to one degree or another, Petrick put wages, and the stagnancy of same, at the top of that list.

“We see growth, but the foundation for continued growth continues to be a little bit shaky, in terms of wages at the national level and the state level,” he told BusinessWest. “They’re just not growing, even as unemployment comes down.

“And that is a bit of conundrum for us at the state level and the federal level, because that puts more pressure of households, especially with uncertainty with what’s going to happen with the individual mandate and how that might impact insurance rates,” he added. “It also impacts state tax revenue, because if wages don’t go up, the state doesn’t collect more.”

There are many reasons why wages are stagnant, he went on, listing everything from soaring health-insurance costs for employers to the decline of labor unions, to the retirement of Baby Boomers and their replacement by younger workers earning lower salaries. But the bottom line is that, generally, flat wages are not good for the economy.

Meanwhile, Nakosteen said the continued decline of traditional retail would further change the local landscape, and it might impact the economy in some ways.

Giant retailers like Sears, Toys R Us, Kmart, and others are closing stores in huge volumes, leaving malls with large boxes to fill (or not, as the case may be) and worries about their very existence. Meanwhile, many smaller retailers are disappearing from the landscape, for reasons ranging from the intrusion of online shopping to a lack of a succession plan.

All this is creating a number of empty storefronts and a lot of commercial real estate for sale and lease, said Nakosteen, adding that the problem is impacting even the most vibrant of downtowns, including Northampton’s, where tenants are asking, ‘why are lease rates so high if so many storefronts are empty?’

“And that’s a very good question,” he said, adding that the higher rates will impact existing retailers and perhaps dissuade others from coming downtown.

But it’s an issue in nearly every area community.

“There are so many empty storefronts,” Nakosteen went on, “and the retail sector is so important to so many downtown areas.”

Meanwhile, workforce issues might also have an impact on the course and strength of the ongoing expansion, he noted, adding that a lack of qualified workers within some sectors might stifle growth.

“The state, as a whole, has issues with the labor force not growing fast enough to accommodate the economy,” he explained. “And Western Mass. is even worse. We have very slow labor growth here; you can’t grow the economy faster than you can hire people to fill the jobs.”

Interest rates could play a role as well, the experts noted, adding that, if the economy does start heating up, the Fed will likely raise rates to keep it from overheating and sending inflation higher.

“Prime rate effects people’s home-equity loans, and it effects commercial borrowers,” Senecal explained. “And if the Fed increases rates two or three times, and that’s clearly their intent, that could have an impact on spending.”

Bottom Line

‘Stable. ‘Boring.’ ‘Steady.’ Those aren’t exactly headline-generating adjectives when we’re talking about the economy and where it might head in the months to come.

But they represent reality, and for many in this region — which, as has been noted countless times in the past, doesn’t enjoy stunning highs and crippling lows like other regions — those words are welcome, and much better than the alternative.

And if tax reform works, as Senecal and others believe it might, the region just might wind up doing better than ‘more of the same.’

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

2017: Another Year of Progress

Opinion

Editorial

Go back a year, and we were talking about 2017 as a year in which a considerable amount of hard work — and good fortune — were going to bring dividends to the region and change the landscape in a number of ways in the year ahead.

And that’s exactly what happened. Union Station in Springfield opened its doors again after more than 40 years of essentially being part of the city’s past. CRRC’s massive rail-car assembly plant in East Springfield came to life before our eyes. In downtown Springfield, MGM’s casino began to soar well above street level, while behind the scenes, the company took important strides in the daunting task of assembling a workforce of 3,000. And across the region, entrepreneurial energy was building in the form of dozens of new and exciting startups.

As the year ends, we find ourselves saying essentially the same thing. If 2016 was a year to lay brick, then 2017 was more of the same, with more exciting projects due to come to fruition in 2018.

There is a word for that: momentum. And there is quite a bit of it in this region as we prepare to turn the calendars yet again.

Indeed, in 2018, MGM Springfield will open its doors and also open up what is expected to be a new world of opportunities for this region and individual businesses. Since plans for the $950 million facility were announced, there has been no end of speculation about what it will mean for the city and the region. Starting in about nine months, we’re going to find out.

Meanwhile, CRRC will be hitting its stride; the I-91 viaduct reconstruction project will be over, and traffic will start flowing smoothly again through that north-south corridor; the region’s burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystem will continue to generate new startups and help young companies get to the proverbial next stage; and more projects are likely to get off the drawing board, especially Springfield’s Court Square initiative.

If 2016 was a time of anticipation for what might come next, 2017 provided more of the same. Again, we call that momentum.

But while looking ahead, we should also look back. Not everything went according to script in 2017. Indeed, the Innovation Center project in downtown Springfield ground to a halt in late spring, and there are no signs that work will start anytime soon. Meanwhile, the ‘for-sale’ sign went up on Tower Square (not long after the ‘Marriott’ sign came down on the adjoining hotel). There is hope that this sale might spark new life for that complex, but also considerable doubt about just what might work there. And it was another dark year for the region’s traditional retail sector, which is in full-blown retreat due to the emergence of online shopping.

But there were more than enough good stories to counter those drawbacks. Here’s a partial list:

• Callaway’s golf-ball facility in Chicopee is hiring dozens of new workers to manufacture a unique new concept called Truvis;

• Also in Chicopee, Mercedes-Benz has made its triumphant return to the region with the opening of a dealership on the site of the old Plantation Inn just off Turnpike exit 6;

• The Springfield Thunderbirds continue to be a remarkable story, one that blends resilience with imagination, and bold new concepts, like bringing David Ortiz to the City of Homes;

• Likewise, the Valley Blue Sox continue to develop new ways to bring people to Holyoke and show other businesses how to build a market for a product;

• The Basketball Hall of Fame will commence an ambitious renovation and expansion project that seems destined to take that facility to new heights (see story, page 25);

• The region’s colleges and universities continued to respond to growing and changing needs within the business community and add new programs in fields ranging from cybersecurity to healthcare to entrepreneurship;

• New businesses continue to be launched and propelled to the next stage, a trend perhaps best exemplified by FogKicker, a venture born in the polymer science labs at UMass Amherst; and

• BusinessWest and the Healthcare News introduced a new recognition program called Healthcare Heroes that put a bright spotlight on one of this region’s most important sector and the men and women who work within it. In a word, the eight individual stories were truly inspiring.

That’s just a sampling. Overall, 2017 was, as they say, a very good year. And it looks like we have another one on tap.

Jim Ayres Directs the United Way Through a Time of Change, Challenge

Features

Impact Hire

Jim Ayres

Jim Ayres, who took the helm at the United Way of Pioneer Valley this past spring, arrived knowing he would be leading the organization through a time of significant change and challenge. His elaborate to-do list includes efforts to increase efficiency, do a better job of telling the United Way’s story to the younger people who probably don’t know it, and continuing the work of building coalitions to take on the many issues confronting the region’s communities and families.

There’s an old map hanging on the wall just inside the door to Jim Ayres’ office within the United Way of Pioneer Valley’s suite at the TD Bank building.

One of many he owns, it depicts Hampden and Hampshire counties and the areas just outside them, which means it covers the territories served by his last two employers — the United Way of Hampshire County was the other.

There’s no visible date on the map, but there are plenty of clues as to how old it may be. For starters, Dana, one of four towns disincorporated in 1938 to make way for the Quabbin Reservoir, is on the map. (Greenwich, Prescott, and Enfield were the others). Also, Holyoke takes what’s known to some as its ‘old’ shape, meaning the one before the area in Northampton known as Smith’s Ferry (that finger-shaped sliver of land so recognizable on today’s maps) became part of the city in 1909.

The map drives home the point that changes to the region’s landscape came about slowly, over several decades.

And that is in sharp contrast, in most respects, to the changes in the landscape for the United Way as a whole, the two that serve the region on the map, and the one based in Springfield in particular.

Indeed, that suite of offices downtown is roughly half the size it was just a few years ago (the Springfield Symphony Orchestra now occupies the other half), and the group working there is also about half the size it was not long ago. And most importantly, its annual fund — the amount it puts to work in the communities it serves — is about half as big (roughly $2 million) as it was.

A decision by MassMutual to no longer run a traditional United Way campaign and instead contribute to groups serving the community through its own foundation played a huge role in those developments, but other factors have contributed as well.

These include everything from changes in the demographic breakdown of the region’s business community (there are far fewer large employers now) to changes in how businesses of all sizes give back to the community — there’s more direct giving now, and also a host of new vehicles such as Valley Gives Day and individual foundations like the one at MassMutual.

“United Ways are in a place where technology, giving practices, and general educational changes have all changed the work that we need to do,” Ayres explained. “And while for a long period of time United Way was a household name and people widely understood what United Ways did, a lot of that has changed.

“There are a lot of other options now for people to give to support organizations in their community,” he went on. “It really behooves our organization to make the case as clearly as possible about what we do and the benefits of giving through this particular option.”

All this adds up to a serious, complicated, even painful period of adjustment that is very much ongoing, said Ayres, who last spring took on the job of leading those efforts for the UWPV.

He did so for a number of reasons, including the fact that he isn’t daunted by stern challenges; in fact, he’s always embraced them. Also, though, he believes he possesses the proper skill set for the multi-faceted task at hand, including the ability to build coalitions, strong communication skills — both within an organization and externally as well — and even achieving success in a region dominated by small (make that very small) businesses, Hampshire County. He also has an MBA, one focused on nonprofit management, and another degree in international relations focused on migration issues.

There are a lot of other options now for people to give to support organizations in their community. It really behooves our organization to make the case as clearly as possible about what we do and the benefits of giving through this particular option.”

“My career in Western Mass. has been about bringing people together in communities to make communities a better place to live and a better place for kids to grow up,” he explained.

Ayres said this adjustment period for the UWPV involves a number of initiatives, from work to become leaner and more efficient to efforts to better tell the agency’s story and relate its still-substantial role in bettering life for residents of area communities, to initiatives that go well beyond merely writing checks.

For this issue, BusinessWest talked at length with Ayres about his new assignment with the United Way of Pioneer Valley, and also about the changing landscape for the United Way and philanthropy in general, and how organizations like the one he now leads must adjust to those changes.

Change Agent

As noted earlier, Ayres brings a diverse skill set to his current role, one amassed through nearly 30 years of work in education and nonprofit management, realms he says have more similarities than most would believe.

A graduate of Hampshire College, where he concentrated in “political and social issues in education,” he started his career in Boston’s Chinatown and surrounding neighborhoods as co-director and lead classroom teacher for the Boston Catholic Chinese Community Children’s Program.

After relocating to Western Mass., he went to work for the Springfield Public Schools, specifically as education summit coordinator and ‘community involvement coordinator.’ In that role, he said, he built effective coalitions between the school system and community stakeholder groups, including neighborhood associations, human-services providers, parent groups, communities of color, and private industry.

From there, he went to work for the Hampshire County Action Commission, serving as project director of the Hampshire County Family Network. In that role, he developed and administered a multi-agency collaborative that provided comprehensive services for families and children. Later, he became executive director of the Northampton-based Center for New Americans, a regional education, advocacy, and resource center for immigrants and refugees in Western Mass.

His career with the United Way began in 2011, when he became CEO and executive director of the Hampshire County agency. During his tenure there, he was credited with energizing the organization and expanding the donor base, funding diversity, and overall revenue at a time when most United Ways were going in the other direction.

“I had worked in individual organizations, but had been very interested in addressing challenges from a strategic level and from a macro level,” he noted while explaining why he joined the national organization. “And United Ways are organizations very well-suited to do that; we have relationships with the nonprofit service community, and we have relationships throughout the business community and with individuals as well. And United Ways are uniquely positioned to pull those assets together to make a difference, so I was excited to join the United Way and do that work.”

His track record of success in Hampshire County certainly caught the attention of UWPV’s board as it went about the task of finding a successor to the retiring Dora Robinson, and Ayres came on board late last spring.

Since then, he’s been focused on what he called “structural changes,” a broad term used to describe efforts to enable the agency to operate as efficiently as possible while still carrying out its multi-dimensional mission, shore up relationships with existing businesses, and develop ways to recover the donations lost from MassMutual’s decision.

At the same time, he and the agency continue to proactively adjust to that changing landscape described earlier, he said, adding that both assignments obviously constitute work in progress.

As he talked about the assignment he’s assumed — and the situation facing all United Ways across the country — Ayers said the challenges come on many levels, including one that Baby Boomers probably couldn’t fathom — name recognition and awareness.

Indeed, while those who grew up decades ago are well-versed when it comes to the United Way name, mission, and even some of the controversies that have enveloped the agency over the years, Millennials are far less familiar with the organization — and the concept.

“We’re finding more and more young people we approach either in the workplace or in the community who are very open to the idea to the idea of supporting the United Way, but haven’t necessarily heard of it before,” he said. “Or, if they have heard of it, they aren’t necessarily familiar with what it is that the United Way was created to do. So introducing ourselves, or re-introducing ourselves, is very important.”

And in that respect, the United Way has dropped the ball, or at least taken its eye off it, he went on, adding that, in many ways, it failed to realize these generational differences.

“A lot of United Ways didn’t recognize the degree to which generational changes were going to impact our work and have wound up playing catch-up,” he explained, adding that this was a challenge to most all United Ways, including the UWPV.

Forward Progress

Another challenge, obviously, is to maintain the ability to stand out amid the many other ways that individuals and businesses can contribute to nonprofits and causes.

“The history of United Way, and a piece of where we see our impact, is allowing people to give easily through payroll deduction — giving where they work,” he told BusinessWest. “And giving with the trust to know that the dollars they give will have a long and lasting impact. Part of the power of United Ways come from our ability to aggregate those gifts; so, even though roughly 40% of the gifts we receive are from people giving between $1 and $4 per paycheck, we’re able to aggregate those into significant-size grants that really change the capacity of the organizations we work with.”

A lot of United Ways didn’t recognize the degree to which generational changes were going to impact our work and have wound up playing catch-up.”

Overall, the United Way and individual chapters like the UWPV have to do a better job of telling their story, said Ayres, adding that this is just one of the subjects discussed at the regular gatherings of United Way officials.

Part of this ‘telling the story better’ involves making it clear the many ways in which this is still your father’s, or your mother’s, United Way, but one that nonetheless has changed with the times. And these discussions focus on everything from a more results-driven approach to the agency’s giving to the ways it goes beyond awarding grants, to its ongoing ability to bring groups together to tackle larger problems that require such coalition-building efforts.

And Ayres had specific thoughts on all of the above, starting with the coalition-building work, which, he said, is essentially the essence of the United Way.

“This organization is based on the idea that, to create a meaningful and lasting impact in our community, very few of us have the resources, the time, or the volunteer hours to do that on our own,” he said. “But if our businesses, our employees, and our neighbors are able to come together and work on challenging problems together, we’re able to have a much stronger impact than we would alone.”

And this operating philosophy is being put to work, and to the test, with efforts to assist those who have left hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico for communities in Western Mass.

“Many of the funders in Hampden County have been asking the question, ‘what can we do to support those individuals, and what can we do help the organizations that are going to helping those displaced people coming in, and what can we do to shore up the core functions that those organizations already provide so they don’t have to pivot away from their core services?’” he said. “So United Way convened a core group of eight or nine foundations and funding organizations to look at how we can use our dollars collaboratively.”

A fund has been established by the United Way to provide grants to the welcome centers that are assisting those displaced by the hurricane, he went on, adding that this is just one example of the agency’s coalition-building powers, and also an example of how it can and does go well beyond the traditional payroll-deduction method of raising funds for specific causes.

“This was a case of philanthropic organizations putting our heads together and saying, ‘how can we be stronger?’” he went on, adding that, moving forward, the United Way will playing even more of a convening role, as he called it, because this is one of its greatest strengths.

Mapping Out a Course

Getting back to that map on Ayres’ wall, it does a good job of driving home the point that time doesn’t stand still.

Dana, Prescott, Greenwich, and Enfield were erased from the map almost 70 years ago. And the Smith’s Ferry area has played a huge role in Holyoke’s history.

Time doesn’t stand still for the United Way, either. Thus, it is incumbent upon the organization to change with those times in order to be relevant and continue to carry out its important work.

It doesn’t say as much on Ayres’ job description, but that’s essentially what he was hired to do.

And he believes he’s in the right place at the right time.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Businesses in Many Sectors Qualify for This Incentive

Features

Don’t Overlook R&D Tax Credit

By Carolyn Bourgoin, CPA

Carolyn Bourgoin

If your business employs engineers, architects, chemists, or software developers, it is worth investigating whether the research and development tax credit is available and of benefit to your company. Any business that is working on the design or development of a new or improved product, technique, or formula that will be held for sale or used in its trade or business may have incurred qualifying expenses. Additionally, legislation signed into law in December 2015 (the PATH Act) now allows for eligible small businesses and flow-through entities to take the credit to offset the alternative minimum tax (AMT). This news alone should make taxpayers revisit the potential benefits of conducting an R&D tax-credit study.

Many businesses often overlook the R&D credit, thinking they do not fall into industries typically associated with performing research and development activities.”

Though tax-reform legislation may be passed in the near future with the expectation of eliminating certain tax incentives, the R&D credit has broad bipartisan support and will remain part of the tax code. The credit was specifically listed by the administration and the congressional tax-writing committees in their initial tax-reform framework as an incentive that must be preserved due to its proven effectiveness in “promoting policy goals important to the American economy.” Rest assured, the credit will be retained.

Qualifying Industries

Many businesses often overlook the R&D credit, thinking they do not fall into industries typically associated with performing research and development activities. While manufacturers and software developers are commonly considered, other industries, such as food processing, tool & die, beverage/brewing, and construction, just to name a few, have qualified for the credit.

Qualifying Research Activities

In order to qualify for the R&D credit, a taxpayer’s activities must meet a number of requirements. The taxpayer must perform the research for the purpose of discovering information that is both technological in nature and intended to help in the development of a new or improved business component.

Substantially, all of the research activities must be undertaken as part of a process of experimentation designed to evaluate alternatives that eliminate uncertainty regarding the development of a business component. Eligibility for the credit does not depend on the research being successful.

Qualifying Expenses

The main types of expenditures that qualify for the research credit are employee wages for either performing or supervising the research, as well as supplies used while conducting the research. Amounts paid to another for the right to use computers when conducting research qualify, as well as 65% (which may increase) of contract research expenses paid for qualified research. Expenses related to efficiency surveys, routine data collection, and quality-control testing do not qualify for the credit.

Credit Computation

The regular research credit is equal to 20% of current-year qualified research expenditures that exceed a base amount for that year. Due to credit limitations, no more than half of the current year’s qualified research expenditures can qualify for the research credit if this method is used.

Alternatively, taxpayers can elect to claim the Alternative Simplified Credit, which is equal to 14% of the excess of qualified research expenses for the year over 50% of the average qualified research expenses for the three tax years preceding the tax year for which the credit is being determined. This percentage may be increased under the proposed tax-reform legislation.

The credit can currently be carried back one year and carried forward for 20 years.

Creditable Against Other Taxes

As mentioned earlier, the R&D credit can offset the AMT tax for eligible small businesses (i.e. less than $50 million in average gross receipts for the prior three years) for tax years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2016. The current tax-reform framework also calls for repealing the individual AMT tax altogether, thereby removing this restriction on the use of the credit by owners of a flow-through entity. The AMT restrictions often deterred eligible businesses from having a research study done in the past.

Certain small businesses (mainly startups) now have the ability to elect, on a quarterly basis, to use their research credit to offset the employer portion of their FICA payroll-tax liability. For tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2015, businesses that have less than $5 million in gross receipts in the current year and that did not have any gross receipts for any tax year preceding the five-year tax period ending with the tax year, can use the R&D credit as a payroll-tax-credit offset rather than an income-tax offset. This is helpful to startup businesses that may not have a tax liability in their early years due to net operating losses.

Documentation and Substantiation

Taxpayers must be able to substantiate that their expenditures qualify for the credit. If you are considering going back to claim an R&D credit for a prior year or considering claiming the credit for the current year, it is advisable to have a persuasive research credit study done, because this will help connect the company’s expenditure records to the amount being claimed as qualified research. Time surveys and qualified activity narratives of employees with direct knowledge of the activities will result in supporting documentation that can be supplied in case of an audit.

State Considerations

Massachusetts allows for an R&D credit for qualifying research performed within the state. The credit is equal to 10% of the excess, if any, of the qualified research expenses for the taxable year over a base amount plus 15% of basic research payments.

Effective for tax years beginning after Jan. 1, 2015, Massachusetts now allows for an alternative simplified credit similar to the federal credit but using lower credit rates. If your business operates in states other than Massachusetts, consult your tax advisor to determine whether the R&D might apply in those states as well.

Conclusion

Because the research and development credit will be retained even with the potential tax reform, it is worthwhile investigating whether your business might qualify. Revisiting annually any changes that are being made to improve a product or develop a new product should be discussed with your tax advisor.

Carolyn Bourgoin, CPA is a senior manager with Holyoke-based public accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; (413) 322-3483; [email protected]

Real Estate Transactions