Departments People on the Move

People on the Move

Dr. Jennifer Mark

Dr. Jennifer Mark

Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems, announced the promotion of Dr. Jennifer Mark to chief medical officer at Holyoke Medical Center. “Dr. Mark is a highly skilled physician with a proven track record and expertise in leading a team to success. Her focus on patient satisfaction, in conjunction with high-quality care and open communication style, will continue to be an asset to HMC as she enters this new role,” said Hatiras. “Dr. Mark’s knowledge of the culture within the organization will continue to be appreciated and allow for a smooth transition to this position.” Added Mark, “I really like the fact that Holyoke Medical Center is very focused on patient-centered care in terms of our overall strategy and how we make improvements in safety and quality. The administration is aligned with providers and other caregivers, all of whom want what’s best for our patients.” Mark, whose extensive background includes both primary and emergency care, has been with HMC since 2008, serving for the past five years as Emergency Department (ED) medical director. During that time, patient satisfaction has increased by 85% for overall care in the ED, and the length of stay for discharged patients has decreased by about 30 minutes. These changes have been made despite increasing patient volumes and severe space constraints, which should improve in the new ED that opened earlier this month. “It is a beautiful new facility that will be wonderful for our patients,” Mark said. As director, Mark worked closely with the ED nurse manager to direct operations of the facility that treats over 44,000 patients per year, with oversight of 14 doctors and 12 mid-level providers. She also went through intensive communication training and then helped teach those skills to her team in the ED in order to raise patient satisfaction. Previously, Mark, who graduated from Yale University School of Medicine, served in various emergency and adult-medicine physician roles throughout Massachusetts. She was also a founding partner of a private Emergency Department physician group where she served as assistant medical director for five years.

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Michael Oleksak

Michael Oleksak

Westfield Bank announced that Michael Oleksak has joined the bank as vice president, commercial loan pfficer. Oleksak brings more than a decade of banking experience to his new role. He previously served as assistant vice president, business banker at United Bank, where he was responsible for managing and developing small-business customer accounts and establishing new customer relationships. Oleksak is a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University, where he earned a master’s degree in business administration. He also completed LEAD NY, a leadership program through Cornell University. He currently serves on the board of the West Springfield Boys and Girls Club, and was previously on the boards of the Cooperative Development Institute and the Charlene Ann Foundation. “I’m pleased to welcome Michael Oleksak to the Westfield Bank team,” said James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank. “Over his career he’s demonstrated real skill at serving the needs of local businesses by understanding what makes them unique in order to help them realize their potential, and by relating to every customer as an individual person. He knows that better banking for local businesses requires outstanding communication, responsiveness, and the imagination to seek out opportunities for our customers.”

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Calvin Hill

Calvin Hill

Springfield College announced that Calvin Hill, vice president for Inclusion and Community Engagement, is one of 24 senior-level administrators in higher education nationwide selected by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) to participate in the 2017-18 Executive Leadership Academy. Individuals chosen for the year-long program are vice presidents or cabinet officers in higher education who aspire to the presidency of an independent college or university. Starting this week, Hill will participate in two seminars in Washington, DC; the opening seminar will take place July 20-22, and the closing seminar will be held June 18-20, 2018. He will also engage in readings, webinars, and a mentoring program. In addition, he will develop and follow an experiential learning plan focused on specific areas of presidential responsibility. “Competition for the available places in the program was intense,” said CIC President Richard Ekman. “The review committee found the nomination materials to be most impressive. They (and I) believe that Dr. Hill has the potential for highly effective leadership as a college or university president.” In July 2015, Hill joined Springfield College as the vice president for Inclusion and Community Engagement. His responsibilities include promoting diversity and inclusion among all constituents of the college, and connecting and promoting the college’s resources to area communities. Hill arrived at Springfield College with more than 20 years of experience in higher education. Prior to his time in Springfield, he served as the university Diversity and Inclusion officer for the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. Prior to that, he developed strong ties to higher education in Massachusetts working as assistant to the president and director of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity at Worcester State University. He also has served as associate provost and chief Diversity officer for MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston and assistant dean and director of Diversity Programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Hill is a consultant on diversity issues and presents nationally on issues of inclusion, where he focuses primarily on providing equal access to educational opportunities for underrepresented populations. Fifty-nine percent of participants in the first Executive Leadership Academy cohort (2009-10) have since advanced in the higher-education ranks, and 24% of participants in a recent cohort (2015-16) have already moved up in the ranks. “These indicators suggest that CIC is helping to meet the leadership needs of higher education by offering highly effective leadership development programs for modest fees to member institutions,” Ekman said.

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John Henderson

John Henderson

The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) announced that John Henderson has joined the EANE team as director of Learning & Development, effective June 2017. John will lead a team to design, customize, and schedule the diverse array of more than 500 substantive training programs presented by EANE each year for members and non-members. Henderson brings more than 25 years of experience working for associations and nonprofits, much of it from a global, cutting-edge perspective. Most recently, was vice president of Industry Relations and Strategy for Fixation Marketing in Bethesda, Md. For more than seven years, he was vice president for Education, Training and Professional Development for the Alexandria, Va.-based International Assoc. of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the world’s largest amusement-industry trade association, representing more than 4,000 member facilities in 93 countries. In this position, he worked with the education committee to develop and launch a three-tiered, individual global certification program and continuously increased attendance at expo-education sessions. He also led the efforts of a task force to completely redesign the Institute for Executive Education. As an accomplished member-association executive, Henderson provides EANE with a proven track record of successful strategic planning and tactical leadership. His background in education and training includes a specific focus on communications skills. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Kent State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the International Assoc. of Exhibitions and Events and a past member of the American Society of Association Executives.

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Christina Royal

Christina Royal

Holyoke Community College President Christina Royal has been appointed to the board of directors of the United Way of Pioneer Valley and the American Assoc. of Community Colleges’ Commission on College Readiness. Her appointment to the United Way board was unanimously approved at the regional nonprofit’s 95th-anniversary celebration and annual meeting on May 31. She began her three-year term on July 1. Her one-year appointment to the Commission on College Readiness also began July 1. The AACC, which is based in Washington D.C., is the principal advocacy group for community colleges in the U.S. Its Commission on College Readiness advises the AACC board and staff on matters related to preparing students for college-level academic work.

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On the heels of a recent $1 million kitchen renovation, the Red Lion Inn recently welcomed new management and culinary talent with two strategic hires: Director of Food & Beverage Fabien Riviere and Sous Chef Jim Corcoran. Both will work with Vice President of Culinary Development Brian Alberg to continue to evolve the inn’s commitment to local sourcing and service excellence. “The continued success of the Main Street Hospitality Catering, with projects like Seeds Market Café at Hancock Shaker Village, calls for bringing in additional expertise,” said Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality Group. “Fabien and Jim will help strengthen the Red Lion Inn, our culinary hub, and continue to heighten our quality, hospitality, and service.” With more than 20 years of restaurant-management experience, Riviere joins the Red Lion Inn from Studio Restaurant at the Montage Hotel in Laguna Beach, Calif. This marks his return to the Red Lion Inn, where he was sommelier from 2003 to 2005. Working stateside and abroad, Riviere’s résumé includes Felix Restaurant at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, Mix Restaurant by Alain Ducasse, and Restaurant Aureole at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. In his new role as Director of Food & Beverage, Riviere will manage all aspects of food and beverage operations, as well as the supervision and direction of all restaurant staff, among other responsibilities. Corcoran joins the Red Lion Inn culinary team from Allium Restaurant + Bar in Great Barrington, where his seasonal menus reflected his passion for locally grown ingredients and the diversity of his background. Corcoran has worked at restaurants throughout New York, including Manhattan’s Delmonico’s Restaurant, Brinkley’s Broome Street, Angolo SoHo, and April Bloomfield’s Breslin, before becoming lead chef of Allium Restaurant + Bar.