Day: August 13, 2018

WEST SPRINGFIELD — David C. Henry, of Scituate, R.I., a Christmas tree grower and owner of The Henry Co. Insurance, has been named chairman of the Board of Eastern States Exposition.

A trustee of the exposition since 1983, Henry had served as a member of the ESE board of directors since 2005, and has been secretary since 2012.

Henry has been an independent insurance agent for 50 years, specializing in life, disability and long-term care. He has been named to the Senior Agent Hall of Fame and the Million Dollar Round Table.

In October 1978, Henry purchased the Scituate farm that had been in his family for more than 160 years, the land where he began growing Christmas trees at the age of 12 as an FFA project. Under Henry’s leadership, the property became the largest Christmas tree farm in Rhode Island, selling wholesale and choose-and-cut trees. With help from his wife, Linda, Henry tends to between 90,000 and 100,000 Christmas trees on the 131-acre farm that bears his name. Simply called Henry’s Christmas Tree Farm, the sprawling land is home to rows and rows of species including favorites like Douglas and Fraser firs. David represents the fifth generation of Henrys to own the farm, which has been in his family since 1851.

The Eastern States Exposition has been an important part of Henry’s life for more than 50 years. He attended The Big E as an FFA member and served as the R.I. state FFA president. He served on the milk-judging teams, participated in various FFA contests, and competed as RI’s Star State Farmer in the regional Star Farmer competition in the Coliseum. Later as a member of the RI FFA alumni, Henry annually attended the fair to judge FFA public speaking and extemporaneous speaking contests.

“My FFA involvement was an especially rewarding experience and laid the foundation for a career spanning business and agriculture,” he said. “It is my privilege to lead this august organization and I look forward to working with the dedicated board of directors, trustees and staff.”

In addition to Henry, the following were voted as officers by the Exposition’s 165 trustees: James N. Putnam II of Southwick, first vice chair; Robert Spoerl, Derry, New Hampshire, second vice chair; James R. Lyman, of Middlefield, Conn., treasurer; Robert W. Spear, of Nobleboro, Me, secretary, as well as Eugene J. Cassidy, Eastern States Exposition president and chief executive officer.

SPRINGFIELD — BusinessWest magazine is currently accepting nominations for a new recognition program to honor a specific segment of the local population: women who are making an impact in and on this region. Nominees who score the highest in the eyes and minds of a panel of three independent judges will be honored at a luncheon on Thursday, Dec. 6 at the Sheraton Springfield.

Nominations are due today, Monday, Aug. 13. by 5 p.m. For guidelines to consider when nominating, visit www.businesswest.com/women-of-impact. Nominations may be submitted at businesswest.com/women-of-impact-nomination-information-criteria.

“We decided to create a special program recognizing women because, after careful consideration, we decided that this region needed one and that BusinessWest was the right organization to do it,” Kate Campiti, associate publisher and sales manager for BusinessWest, explained. “While women have certainly made great strides over the past several decades, and many women have made great achievements and broken through that proverbial glass ceiling, doing so remains a stern challenge for many.”

‘Women of Impact’ was chosen as the name for the program because, while nominees can be from the world of business, they can also be from other realms, such as the nonprofit community, healthcare, public service, law enforcement, education, social work, the mentorship community, a combination of all these — any inspirational women on any level.

Country Bank is a supporting sponsor of the event, and additional sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, call Bevin Peters, Marketing and Events director, at (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected].

SPRINGFIELD — The deadline for nominations for the Springfield Regional Chamber’s annual Super 60 awards program, August 17, is fast approaching.

Now in its 29th year, the awards program celebrates the success of the fastest-growing and privately-owned businesses in the region which continue to make significant contributions to the strength of the regional economy. Each year, the program identifies the top performing companies in revenue growth and total revenue. Last year, Total Revenue winners combined for more than $1.3 billion in revenues, with one-third of these winners exceeding revenues of $45 million. All winners in the Revenue Growth category had growth in excess of 25% while one-third experienced growth in excess of 60%. 

To be considered, companies must be independently and privately owned, be based in Hampden or Hampshire county or be a member of the Springfield Regional Chamber, produce revenues of at least $1 million in the last fiscal year, and be in business for at least three full years. Companies are selected based on their percentage of revenue growth over a full three-year period or total revenues for the latest fiscal year.

Companies may be nominated by financial institutions, attorneys, accountants or be self-nominated. Companies must submit a nomination form and provide net operating revenue figures for the last three full fiscal years, signed and verified by an independent auditor. All financial information must be reported under generally-accepted accounting principles and will be held and considered confidential and not released without prior approval.

Nomination forms are available by contacting Deborah White at [email protected] or (413) 755-1310.

The Super 60 awards will be presented at the annual luncheon and recognition program on Oct. 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Chez Josef in Agawam. The awards are presented by Health New England. 

WILBRAHAM — The Gaudreau Group’s Amanda Mercier recently achieved the Registered Employee Benefits Consultant® (REBC®) designation from The National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU).

NAHU views this designation as the highest form of recognition in the health insurance industry, demonstrating Mercier’s commitment to educational leadership within the insurance profession.

The REBC® designation distinguishes Mercier as an elite practitioner in her field. The program analyzes group benefits with respect to the ACA environment, contract provisions, marketing, underwriting, rate making, plan design, cost containment, and alternative funding methods. The largest portion of this program is devoted to group medical expense plans that are a major concern to employers, as well as to employees.

“We support and encourage our staff to pursue advanced designations such as REBC to elevate their professional abilities and better serve our clients,” says Jules Gaudreau, President of The Gaudreau Group. “I’m very proud of Amanda’s accomplishment, as completing the REBC course work is indicative of her dedication, discipline, and intelligence,”

Founded in 1921, the Gaudreau Group insures more than 6,000 businesses and families in 14 states with combined annual premiums of over $100 million.

WESTFIELD — The College of Graduate and Continuing Education at Westfield State University is offering a human resource certification preparation program beginning Sept. 6. This course is offered in partnership with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

An intensive 36-hour course, the Human Resource Certification Preparation Program is designed primarily to prepare those students seeking certification as a Certified Professional (CP) or Senior Certified Professional (SCP). It is also an excellent program to broaden knowledge of human resources for professional development. The course relies on the 2018 SHRM Learning System, which provides interactive tools and updated content that reflects the SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge (BoCK) as tested on the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams. Program content is updated annually to reflect legislative changes and new HR developments. As a result, SHRM Learning System participants consistently beat the national pass rate on certification exams.

The instructor for this program, Karen Smith, is chief operating officer at Square One, a nonprofit that provides a range of family-friendly education and support services. She received her bachelor’s degree in human resources and labor relations from Ohio State University and earned a Juris Doctor from the Western New England University School of Law. SPHR-certified since 2002, Smith has taught SPHR classes for 14 years. She effectively leverages her extensive background in HR consulting and training to provide a relevant and engaging classroom experience.

The total cost of this course is $1,215. It will meet on Thursdays, Sept. 6 through Dec. 6, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Square One, 1095 Main St., Springfield. To register, visit www.westfield.ma.edu/hrcert.