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People on the Move
Tom Bernard

Tom Bernard

Tom Bernard, who just wrapped up his last term as mayor of North Adams, has been selected to lead Berkshire United Way (BUW) as the new president and CEO starting Jan. 24. Bernard earned his bachelor’s degree from Williams College and later his master of public administration degree from Westfield State University. After a decade working in Boston and then as a freelance writer, he began a long career in the nonprofit sector. Bernard first served as development officer at Mass MoCA, followed by nearly 10 years at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts as director of Corporate, Foundation, and Government Relations, then executive assistant to the president, and eventually director of Business Affairs. He was the director of Special Projects at Smith College before becoming mayor in 2018.

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Chelsea Depault

Chelsea Depault

Marjorie Smith

Marjorie Smith

Erica Josephson

Erica Josephson

Tony Worden, CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank and its Northampton Cooperative Bank division, announced three promotions within the bank. Chelsea Depault is being promoted to AVP, Commercial Operations officer. She originally started with the bank back in 2007 as a float teller and also worked in the Accounting department before moving on to Commercial Lending, where she has been for the past several years as a credit analyst and then as an AVP, Commercial Lending. In her new role, she will oversee the operations of commercial loan servicing and administration. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UMass. Marjorie Smith is being promoted to senior commercial credit analyst. She has been with the bank since 2010, when she started as a teller. In the years since, she worked for the Residential Lending department in various roles before joining the Commercial Lending side as a credit analyst. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Houghton College. Erica Josephson is being promoted to senior commercial credit analyst. She has been with the bank since 2019, when she joined as a credit analyst with several years of experience in credit underwriting at two other local institutions. Since coming on board, she has played a critical role in shepherding customers’ PPP loans through to forgiveness. She holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Vermont.

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Bulkley Richardson announced that Elizabeth “Liz” Zuckerman has been promoted to partner in the firm’s Litigation department. Zuckerman joined the firm in 2014 as an associate in the Litigation department, where her practice focuses on general commercial litigation, First Amendment issues, and defamation. She has a proven history of successfully litigating complex cases in both state and federal courts. “Liz is an incredible asset to the firm,” said Dan Finnegan, managing partner at Bulkley Richardson. “Her keen insight and unshakeable confidence has helped shape her into a formidable lawyer. Not only is she a skilled litigator, but she is compassionate, making her an effective advocate for her clients.”

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Jim Hickey

Jim Hickey

Florence Bank hired a Greenfield native with 25 years of strategic marketing experience with a focus in the banking sector to serve as vice president and director of Marketing Operations. Jim Hickey stepped into the new role in mid-November after keeping his eye on Florence Bank for many years because he respects its creative marketing strategy, customer-focused approach to banking, and community engagement. Previously, Hickey was vice president of Account Service at Communicators Group, a marketing communications firm in Keene, N.H. He has also served as vice president and director of Marketing for Westbank, a financial institution formerly based in West Springfield. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from UMass Amherst. He has experience in areas that include account management, creative development, media-plan execution, and media buying. He said Florence Bank has a well-established brand, and the challenge for him and the Marketing team moving forward will be paying homage to that brand and evolving it. “Our goal is to keep the brand fresh and take it to the next level.”

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Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) announced the promotions of Christopher Soderberg, Ian Coddington, and Briana Doyle to senior associate; Daniel Eger and Brenden Cawley to tax supervisor; and Corey Jenkins, Chelsea Russell, Eric Pinsoneault, Kara Graves, and Matthew Nash to senior manager.

Christopher Soderberg

Christopher Soderberg

• Soderberg has been a member of the Audit department at MBK since 2018. He primarily focuses on not-for-profit, commercial, taxation, and HUD engagements. In his new role as a senior associate, he will take on a larger leadership position at the firm. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounts and management, as well as an MBA with a concentration in financial planning, from Elms College. He is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Ian Coddington

Ian Coddington

• Coddington is a licensed certified public accountant in Massachusetts who has been working in the firm’s audit department since 2018. His work is predominantly focused on review and compilation, commercial, not-for-profit, employee benefit plans, and business valuation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Westfield State University and an MBA from Fitchburg State University. He is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Briana Doyle

Briana Doyle

• Doyle started working at MBK in 2018. As a member of the firm’s Audit department, she works on employee benefit plans, not-for-profits, HUD, and commercial engagements. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in accounting from Nichols College. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Daniel Eger

Daniel Eger

• Eger has been with MBK since 2005, working primarily with large companies and corporations as well as high-net-worth individuals. He has more than 20 years of accounting experience, handling many of the most complicated tax-preparations in these areas, including multi-state tax preparation. He leads the tax intern program at MBK, which has resulted in numerous hires in the firm. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from American International College and is member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Brenden Cawley

Brenden Cawley

• Cawley joined MBK in 2020 after spending eight years as a tax professional at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Boston. He provided tax and consulting services for large investment companies with a focus in private equity and credit funds. He received a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Boston College and is an enrolled agent with the Internal Revenue Service, as well as a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Corey Jenkins

Corey Jenkins

• Jenkins joined MBK in 2019 after spending five years as a public accountant in New York. She is a leader within the firm’s NFP division, working primarily on audits of not-for-profit organizations and multi-family housing entities. She received her master’s degree in accounting from the University at Albany and her bachelor’s degree from the College of Saint Rose in Albany. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as well as the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and is a certified public accountant in Massachusetts and New York. She is also a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Chelsea Russell

Chelsea Russell

• Russell began her career with MBK as an intern in 2015 and has been working full-time in the Accounting and Audit department since June 2016. In her role as manager, she is a key player in the Accounting and Auditing department and primarily focuses on not-for-profit, commercial, and employee benefit-plan engagements. She received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Westfield State University and her master’s degree in accounting from Bay Path University. She is licensed as a certified public accountant in Massachusetts and is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She also co-leads the firm’s community-outreach program.

Eric Pinsoneault

• Pinsoneault joined MBK in 2018. Before that, he worked in public accounting in the Greater Boston area for BDO USA, LLP. He has experience providing audit and attest services for a variety of industries, including technology, manufacturing, transportation, and energy. He currently works closely with many privately held businesses in Western Mass. He received an MBA and a master’s degree in accounting from UMass Boston. He is a certified public accountant in Massachusetts and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Kara Graves

Kara Graves

• Graves is a licensed certified public accountant in Massachusetts and has been with MBK since 2011. She holds a bachelor of accountancy degree from Roger Williams University and a master of accountancy degree from Western New England University. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and CPAmerica and serves on the audit committee for the United Way of Hampshire County.

Matthew Nash

Matthew Nash

• Nash has been with MBK since 2011 and focuses on audit, review, and compilation engagements. He is a key leader on the commercial, not-for-profit audit, and pension engagement teams. He is presently a senior manager leading engagement teams on a day-to-day basis. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Nichols College and an MBA from Elms College. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and has been a certified public accountant in Massachusetts for the past three years. He is also a board member and treasurer for Springfield School Volunteers, where he also serves on the investment and finance committee, as well as a Ronald McDonald House Golf Tournament committee member.

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Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. also recently welcomed Danny Krasin, Olivia Calcasola, Anthony Romei, and Samantha Calvao to the firm.

Olivia Calcasola

Olivia Calcasola

• Calcasola is an associate in the firm’s Taxation department. Prior to MBK, she worked for two years as a senior corporate tax associate for a Boston-based firm. She received a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in accounting from UMass Amherst.

Danny Krasin

Danny Krasin

• Krasin joined the Accounting and Audit department at MBK. He started his career in private accounting and transitioned to public accounting in 2018. In his role as an associate, he will focus on a vast array of audit engagements, including not-for-profit, commercial, employee-benefit plans, and HUD. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from American International College and his master’s degree in accounting from Southern New Hampshire University.

Anthony Romei

• Romei joined the firm’s Accounting and Audit department. He began his career on public accounting in 2019, and will primarly focus on not-for-profits and HUD engagements. He received his bachelor’s and masters degrees in accounting from Elms College.

Samantha Calvao

Samantha Calvao

• Calvao joined the firm as a paraprofessional. She received her associate degree in accounting from Holyoke Community College and is a candidate to receive her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Southern New Hampshire this summer. She was also recently awarded the PwC LLP Scholarship by the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.

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Western New England University (WNE) President Robert Johnson announced the appointment of Kristine Goodwin as the university’s vice president of Student Affairs. Goodwin is charged with developing and maintaining an energized approach to cultivating an engaged student environment where learning, academic success, career readiness, and personal development are top priorities. She will oversee the university’s departments of Athletics, Career Education, Residence Life, Community Standards and Education, Student Involvement and Leadership Development, Inclusive Excellence, and the Center for Health and Wellness. Goodwin earned a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State University and a master of education degree from UMass Lowell before graduating magna cum laude from the UMass School of Law in 2020. A senior executive in higher education for more than 20 years at multiple institutions, most recently having worked as an attorney and adjunct faculty member teaching ethics, Goodwin succeeds interim Vice President for Student Affairs Bryan Gross, who will return to his previous position as vice president for Enrollment Management and Marketing.

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Mark Esposito

Mark Esposito

Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced Attorney Mark Esposito as a new shareholder in the firm. Esposito joined the firm in 2017 and has a wide-ranging, litigation-focused practice. He represents clients in general, commercial and probate litigation, labor and employment matters, administrative law, and criminal cases. He has counseled various public-sector labor unions and employees in collective bargaining, arbitration, and litigation, and represents clients in state and federal courts as well as before administrative agencies. A summa cum laude graduate of Boston University School of Law, Esposito was a member and note editor of the Boston University Law Review. Prior to law school, he graduated magna cum laude from Williams College, where he was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa society.

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Vanessa Martínez

Vanessa Martínez

Holyoke Community College (HCC) Professor of Anthropology Vanessa Martínez is the recipient of the 2022 Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award from Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. Through academic work that focuses on storytelling, culturally responsive instruction, and cultural humility, Martínez invites diverse groups of students to learn about community-based organizations, advocate and fundraise for community needs based on engaged research, and think critically about the role they play in their communities. One example is the Women of Color Health Equity Collective, a Springfield-based nonprofit organization she co-founded that seeks to provide communities of color better access to maternal health, therapeutic services, and support. Through the collective, students learn about the social determinants of health and the role social inequality plays in health outcomes while researching community needs and developing advocacy plans to help create change. Martínez is also coordinator of HCC’s Honors Program and leads a new community leadership certificate program at the college to give students formal training to continue work at community organizations and take on leadership roles. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbus State University, a master’s degree from Georgia State University, and a PhD from UMass Amherst. In 2011, she received the Latino Teaching Excellence Award from then Gov. Deval Patrick, and in 2015 she was selected as a leadership fellow by the American Anthropological Assoc. In 2020, she received the Elaine Marieb Award for Teaching Excellence, HCC’s highest faculty honor. She has been teaching at HCC since 2006.

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The Springfield Museums announced that Emilie Czupryna has joined the staff as director of Development. She arrives in her new role ready to build a strong development team as the Museums focus on their new strategic plan, which includes the objective of long-term fiscal sustainability. She assistant director of External Affairs for Communication & Events, and was promoted to associate director of College Events. In 2017, she was selected for the position of assistant director of Development and in 2018 was promoted to associate director of Development. “I am thrilled to be working with such a wonderful team here at the Springfield Museums,” Czupryna said. “I look forward to enhancing the vision and strategic goals of the Museums through individual philanthropic support and corporate partnerships.”

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Brittany deRonde

Brittany deRonde

OMG Roofing Products, a leading manufacturer of fasteners, adhesives, and installation-productivity tools for the commercial roofing industry, named Brittany deRonde to the newly created position of Product Development chemist. In her new role, deRonde will work with the product managers and development team to address unmet market needs with innovative new adhesive and sealant solutions based on advanced engineering. She reports to Cecile Mejean, director of New Product Development & Innovation. She comes to OMG with significant technical experience. Most recently, she was with ProAmpac in Westfield, where she was a Product Development engineer. Earlier, she worked for Mondi Tekkote of Leonia, N.J. in various engineering and technical management positions supporting product-development efforts. She holds a Ph.D. and master’s degree in polymer science and engineering, both from UMass Amherst, and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Rutgers University.

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Ruth Banta

Ruth Banta

Pathlight’s executive director, Ruth Banta, announced her retirement after almost 20 years with the organization. Pathlight, established in 1952 and headquartered in Springfield, is a pioneer in services for children, teens, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout the four counties of Western Mass. Banta came to Pathlight in 2003 and served 14 years as its chief financial officer and vice president of Administration. She was named executive director in 2016. In her tenure as executive director, she has led Pathlight through a period of growth, as well as steering it through the rocky waters of a global pandemic. Some of the highlights of her tenure as director include revenue growth of 14% and 22% growth in net assets, leaving Pathlight in a strong financial position. Under her leadership, Pathlight created the first program in this part of the state to serve an individual in a community residence who needed full-time ventilator support. Pathlight also acquired 13.5 acres of previously state-owned land to replace two antiquated community homes with three modern, five-bedroom homes for people with intellectual disabilities. The Milestones day program, located in Hadley, grew by 55%, while there was a 100% increase in adult services through Family Support and Autism Connections. Banta also supported the development of an innovative sexuality and relationship curriculum through Whole Selves. Most recently, she oversaw the purchase of a new building in Northampton to house programs in Hampshire County, including Whole Children, Milestones, and Family Empowerment. She also supported infrastructure developments for remote services and work, electronic health records, and online training.

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Jessica McGarry

Jessica McGarry

Country Bank announced that Jessica McGarry has been promoted to first vice president, team lead for its Commercial Lending division in the East. McGarry, who joined Country Bank in 2017, has more than 20 years of experience in financial services focused on commercial lending. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business from Nichols College, was a recipient of the Forty Under 40 designation in 2014 from Worcester Business Journal, and was a member of the Leadership Worcester class of 2015-16.

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Jonathan Van Beaver

Jonathan Van Beaver

The Diocese of Springfield hired Jonathan Van Beaver as the new director of Development. Van Beaver will be responsible for all diocesan fundraising efforts, including overseeing the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA), which funds ministries that help the elderly; mothers and families in crisis; the homeless; and youth. He will also oversee the Foundation Grants, which support Catholic schools, the Newman Catholic Center at UMass Amherst, and lay and social ministries. A graduate of Providence College and convert to Catholicism, Van Beaver most recently worked for Guidance in Giving, which provides fundraising services to Catholic dioceses and schools nationwide. He has worked with the Diocese of Providence, helping to raise more than $2 million. He also helped the Diocese of Worcester, raising $6 million during the pandemic. In addition to working with the diocese, Van Beaver will assist parishes.

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Cheryl Malandrinos

Cheryl Malandrinos

Cheryl Malandrinos was installed as the 2022 president of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV), a nonprofit trade association with more than 1,800 members. The installation of officers and directors was held on Jan. 14 at the RAPV headquarters and was also livestreamed on Facebook. Malandrinos started her professional real-estate career in 2014 and quickly became involved in RAPV. She has served on the board of directors for three consecutive years and has been involved in several committees. The RAPV named her Realtor of the Year in 2019. In addition to her association involvement, she devotes her time to other community-outreach programs such as Rick’s Place in Wilbraham, Christina’s House in Springfield, and as treasurer for WriteAngles Inc. The following individuals were installed as 2022 officers: Lori Beth Chase of LAER Realty Partners as president-elect, Arlene Castellano of Maria Acuna Real Estate as treasurer, Peter Ruffini of RE/MAX Connections as secretary, and Elias Acuna of Maria Acuna Real Estate as immediate past president. Directors include Shawn Bowman of Trademark Real Estate, Brenda Cuoco of Brenda Cuoco & Associates, Peter Davies of Borawski Real Estate, Janise Fitzpatrick of Jones Group Realtors, Luci Giguere of Landmark Realtors, Sharyn Jones of Executive Real Estate, Michelle Stegall of Property One, and Clinton Stone of Property One.

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John Anz

The Loomis Communities announced that John Anz, former director of Development and interim executive director for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO), has joined Loomis as director of Development and Community Engagement. He will be responsible for fund development and outreach to the three Loomis-affiliated senior-living communities: Applewood in Amherst, Loomis Village in South Hadley, and Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing in Springfield. Anz joined the SSO as Development director in 2019 and served as interim executive director of the organization from April through December 2021. He has a 20-year career in development that includes independent schools, the YMCA, and music and the arts. Prior to joining the SSO, he worked as director of Development at Berkshire Hills Music Academy in South Hadley.

People on the Move

Kevin DeRosa

Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB) announced the hiring of Kevin DeRosa as vice president for its Retail Distribution Network. He will be responsible for overseeing the retail operations of all GSB offices and the bank’s contact center, which includes teller and customer service in the lobbies, the call center, and the teller services offered through the bank’s network of Teller Connect ATMs, which provide GSB teller service via video. DeRosa earned a bachelor’s degree in business finance and an MBA from the University of New Hampshire. He graduated from the CUNA Management School as a certified credit union executive and has also earned the designation of credit union compliance expert. He has recently received a National Excellence Award from the Credit Union National Assoc. for developing a solutions-based sales program. He is also an adjunct professor at Vermont State Colleges and at the Community College System of New Hampshire, where he has taught since 2014. He is very active volunteering in the Claremont, N.H. area at Riverstone Church and has been a past board member and treasurer of the Greater Claremont Chamber of Commerce. He is also a past member of the Norwich, Vt. Business Council.

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Collins Electric announced a change in leadership, with Larry Eagan taking the reins as company president and CEO, Patrick Egan assuming the role of vice president of Finance, and Andrew Collins, the son of the company’s recently retired co-president, assuming the role of vice president of Operations and beginning the fifth generation of family company ownership. Established in 1906, Collins Electric serves commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities across Western Mass. Eagan was co-president with Joseph Collins until Collins’ retirement in late 2020. Eagan has been with the company for more than 30 years, representing the fourth generation of family ownership. He and Joseph are the great-grandsons of the company co-founder, Timothy Collins. Another great-grandson, Egan, joined the company in 2019, previously serving as the CFO and COO of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. Andrew Collins first joined Collins Electric in 2011. He is a graduate of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 7 apprenticeship program and Johnson & Wales University. He has been working as an estimator and project manager for the company for the last several years. He is a great-great-grandson of Timothy Collins.

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Sue Drumm

April Healey

The Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV) announced its annual award winners at the association’s Holiday Celebration meeting on Dec. 8 at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. The Realtor of the Year is Sue Drumm of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. The Affiliate of the Year is April Healey of Norcom Mortgage. The Realtor of the Year Award is the highest form of recognition the association can bestow on a Realtor member. It is given to a member based on association activity, community activity outside the association, and business activity. A Realtor since 2009, Drumm has served on the RAPV board of directors since 2013. She has also served on the community service, education fair and expo, finance, government affairs, and member engagement committees. Drumm has given back to the community through her active involvement with the community service committee, including conducting toy drives and assisting with the Shriners Hospitals for Children blanket drive to benefit the committee’s effort. She has also coordinated RAPV new-member orientation and participated in the Mayoral Minute with Agawam Mayor William Sapelli. The Affiliate of the Year Award is the highest form of recognition the association can bestow on an affiliate member. It is given based on affiliate membership activities related to the association, community service in activities outside the association, and business activity. A member of RAPV since 2002, Healey is the loan officer at Norcom Mortgage and has served on the community service and affiliate-Realtor committees. She has demonstrated a tremendous amount of support to the association and community outreach and volunteered in RAPV’s community-service efforts by helping and taking the lead in serving neighbors in the Franklin County Community Meals Program and getting involved with her local Rotary Club. She has also conducted financial-management workshops for teens and single moms in Franklin County.

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The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) board announced that interim Executive Director John Anz, who formerly served as Development director, will be accepting another position outside of the SSO. Concurrently, the board has begun the process of identifying and hiring a new interim leader for the organization. The SSO management committee will serve as the committee to conduct the search process. Anz said the announcement about his new position will be shared at a later date in order to allow the hiring organization to inform internal staff and related constituencies. “It has been my great pleasure and privilege to be a part of this important cultural partner in our community these past few years,” he said. “Despite the many recent challenges we have faced, I have complete confidence in the current leadership of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. I look forward to the SSO’s triumphant return to the concert stage and continuing to be a patron and supporter now and in the years to come.”

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The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) announced the promotion of Colleen Kucinski to director of Education Impact and Partnerships, and the appointments of Meredith Lewis as director of Community Impact and Partnerships and Bandhana Sinha as business analyst. Kucinski, who celebrated her sixth anniversary at CFWM in September, will now direct post-secondary programs, Western Mass Completes, and other initiatives, including a forthcoming focus on supporting a strong start for all children. Prior to administering CFWM’s $2 million scholarship and interest-free loan program as a senior program officer at the foundation, Kucinski spent more than 20 years working directly with students at area colleges, including Greenfield Community College, where she served as director of Career Services and later as director of Admission. She earned a master of education degree at Springfield College. In her new role, Lewis has oversight of all aspects of community investments, including the design, implementation, and monitoring of grant-making activities to direct the foundation’s community-impact goals. She previously served as director of Content, Education, and Family Experience for PJ Library, a global literacy program, as well as in a variety of roles, including managing editor and chief operating officer, at 70 Faces Media. She received her master of public administration degree and a master’s degree in Hebrew and Judaic studies from New York University, and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. In a newly developed position, Sinha is responsible for leveraging technology and data to drive productivity and innovation. In recent work, she served as an IT business analyst for Equinix and a business initiatives consultant for Wells Fargo in the San Francisco Bay area. Sinha received her post-graduate diploma in management from New Delhi Institute of Management and her bachelor’s degree in business management from Bangalore University.

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Zhaojun ‘Steven’ Li of the Western New England University (WNE) College of Engineering has been elected to serve as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Reliability Society’s 2022 president. Li is an associate professor with the Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management at WNE. He currently serves on the editorial board for IEEE Transactions on Reliability and is the lead editor of IEEE Access Reliability Society Section. He served as the vice president for publications of the IEEE Reliability Society in 2019 and has been the treasurer since 2020. He also served as a board member of the IISE Quality Control and Reliability Engineering Division. He is an ASQ-certified reliability engineer and Caterpillar Six Sigma Black Belt. His research interests include data analytics, applied statistics, operations research, and reliability engineering. He is a senior member of IEEE and IISE. Li was named Engineer of the Year by IEEE Reliability Society in 2020. He received his PhD in industrial engineering from the University of Washington. Established in 1884, the IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. The IEEE Reliability Society promotes recognition of the reliability profession, develops and disseminates reliability best practices, and is a resource for collaboration among reliability professionals.

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Care Coordinate, a statewide network that provides access to high-quality and cost-effective home- and community-based services, of which LifePath is a partner, named Sean Rogers its managing director. A senior-level executive with extensive home-care and community-based experience, Rogers most recently served as vice president of Strategy and Development at Amedisys, a leading provider of in-home healthcare for older adults. Additionally, he has held state government leadership positions at the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, where he served as director of Operations, and with the Department of Mental Health as director of Budget and Core Services for the metro-suburban region. In this new position, Rogers will leverage the strength of Care Coordinate’s network of aging-services access points (ASAPs) to offer a single, statewide entity for insurance plans, accountable-care organizations, and other providers and payers to manage and administer long-term services and supports that drive quality care and improved outcomes for its partners. Services offered include in-home case management, care transitions, provider-network management, third-party billing and claim operations, and consultative solutions. Rogers received his education and training in human-resource management, financial systems, administration, and leadership from the U.S. Coast Guard. He is currently on the board of directors of the Home Care Aide Council and serves as president of the board of the Home Care Aide Foundation.

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Valley Community Development announced Alexis Breiteneicher has been named executive director. She comes to Valley after almost eight years at Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), where she served as director of Development. Before that, she was the Development manager for the Trustees of Reservations and worked for the Melville Charitable Trust in Boston. She also has considerable experience working with nonprofit organizations that support low-income communities, with an emphasis on finding solutions to homelessness. Board President Peter Jessop had been serving as interim executive director prior to Breiteneicher’s hire.

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HCC Foundation Inc., the nonprofit fundraising arm of Holyoke Community College, has added four new members to its board of directors, including three alumni. Wendy Fox (’16) is director of Curriculum Development for Onramp Invest, a crypto-asset management company. A graduate of HCC and the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Fox worked with the UMass Foundation board and UMass alumni board as an administrative fellow for corporate engagement at the university. Maura Greaney (’93) is director of Philanthropy, Development Communications, and Special Events for the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy. Greaney has an extensive background in nonprofit fundraising, grant writing, event planning, and development. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College and a master’s degree from UMass Boston. Erin Godfrey is director of Odyssey House, a program of Viability, a Holyoke nonprofit that supports individuals with disabilities and other societal advantages. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College whose husband, Chris Godfrey, attended HCC through the support of the college’s veterans programs, and both were involved with the HCC Military Club while he was a student. Camille Theriaque (’12) is a licensed clinical social worker with MiraVista Behavioral Health Center in Holyoke. As a student at HCC searching for a second career, Theriaque, a retired Holyoke firefighter, received a 29 Who Shine award from the state Department of Higher Education as well as a prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Mount Holyoke College and a master’s degree at Smith College.

People on the Move

Michele Feinstein

Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced that attorney Michele Feinstein, a shareholder in the firm, has been certified as an accredited estate planner (AEP) by the National Assoc. of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC). The AEP designation is a graduate-level, multi-disciplinary specialization in estate planning that requires estate-planning professionals to meet special education, experience, and knowledge requirements, as well as ongoing continuing-education requirements. The NAEPC is a national network of affiliated estate-planning councils and credentialed professionals. It includes more than 270 estate-planning councils and provides services to an estimated 30,000 individual members. It has nearly 2,000 active AEP designees with representation in nearly every state of the country. The professionals are typically within the accounting, insurance, legal, trust-services, philanthropic, or financial-planning fields, all of whom spend at least a third of the time on estate planning. In addition to estate-planning administration, Feinstein concentrates her practice in the areas of elder law, health law, and corporate and business planning, including all aspects of planning for the succession of business interests, representation of closely held businesses and their owners, and representation of physicians in their individual and group practices. Feinstein has received many professional recognitions, including repeated selection to Super Lawyers of Massachusetts, Top Women Attorneys of New England, Best Lawyers in America, and Top Women of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

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The Amherst Business Improvement District (BID) recently announced Gabrielle Gould as its new executive director. Gould’s appointment followed a two-month search after the departure in May of long-time Executive Director Sarah la Cour. A recent Amherst transplant, Gould has extensive executive leadership background in the nonprofit sector with significant fundraising experience and a record of success in building successful organizations. Along with her husband, she has started and operated two successful small businesses on Nantucket and served as vice president for Business Development at Nantucket Bank. Gould and her family moved to Amherst this past January after 20 years as Nantucket residents. Since moving to Amherst, she has been active on the Jones Library SAMMYs events committee and the Amherst Regional Middle School PGO. According to Roberts, Gould’s early goals have been to familiarize herself with downtown landlords and businesses, institutional partners at UMass Amherst and Amherst College, and partners in Town Hall and the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce. She has also jumped headfirst into helping plan the BID’s fall events.

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Tim Armstrong

Berkshire Design Group (BDG), a landscape-architecture, civil-engineering, and survey firm, recently welcomed Tim Armstrong, PLS in the role of survey manager. Armstrong comes to BDG with more than 20 years of land-survey experience, and has experience managing staff and data on small and large projects from local boundary surveys to interstate energy-transmission projects. Prior to joining BDG, he was the chief land surveyor at Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners in Dalton.

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The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield (YPS) board of directors elected Amie Miarecki, director of Community Relations at Sunshine Village, as the new board president. Miarecki is the former vice president and will serve a two-year term, succeeding Ashley Clark, Cash Management officer at Berkshire Bank, who has six years of board service and leadership, including a two-year term as president. As provided by the organization’s bylaws, Clark has reached her maximum consecutive years of board service and will remain an advisor to the board of directors. The YPS board of directors also elected Meredith Perri, High School Sports editor for MassLive, to a two-year term as the vice president, and Andrew Mankus, director of Operations for Residential Dining at UMass Amherst, to a two-year term as treasurer.

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Joanne Marqusee

Greenfield Community College (GCC) recently welcomed Joanne Marqusee, president and CEO of Cooley Dickinson Health Care (CDHC), to its board of trustees. One of 11 trustees, she was officially appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker on Aug. 30 and will replace former trustee Elizabeth Sillin. Marqusee has been a respected healthcare leader for over three decades. Before coming to Cooley in 2014, she served as chief operating officer and executive vice president of Hallmark Health, after having spent 15 years at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston as senior vice president. With a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University, her career began in government, where she served in agencies including the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. and the New York State Department of Health.

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Michael Dias

LUSO Federal Credit Union announced the promotion of Michael Dias to assistant manager of its Ludlow and Wilbraham branches. In his new role, Dias will be responsible for overseeing member service and daily branch operations, as well as increasing business-development efforts. Dias began his banking career at LUSO as a Member Service representative in early 2018 and has most recently served as Member Service Department supervisor and lead VIP banker. In addition to his role at the credit union, he is working on obtaining his MBA in business analytics from Western New England University and serves on the board of directors for the Our Lady of Fatima Festival.

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Brooke Thomson, most recently vice president of Government Affairs for AT&T and a former senior official with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, will become executive vice president of Government Affairs at Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM). Thomson is no stranger to AIM. She has served as a member of the its board of directors and executive committee and chaired the board’s government affairs committee for the past year. She replaces John Regan, who took over as president and CEO of the 3,500-member business association in May. Thomson joined AT&T in 2013. Her duties for the telecommunications company include legislative and regulatory affairs in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She came to AT&T after six years in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, where she served as chief of the Business, Technology and Economic Development Division. Prior to that, she worked as legal counsel to the Massachusetts Legislature’s Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. She is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and Mount Holyoke College. Her political experience includes managing the successful campaign of Martha Coakley for attorney general in 2010.

People on the Move

Jill Monson-Bishop

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recently welcomed Jill Monson-Bishop into the role of Community Development manager. She comes to the ACS with expertise in networking, relationship building, marketing, project management, and more. Prior to joining the American Cancer Society, Monson-Bishop was one of the opening-day team members at MGM Springfield, with responsibilities including internal communications and employee events. She also owns Inspired Marketing, now a consultative marketing agency, but at one time a full-service marketing and event-planning company serving clients such as Smith & Wesson, Adam Quenneville Roofing, and Northwestern Mutual. Previously, she was a radio personality in Western Mass. on stations such as WMAS, Rock 102, WHYN, and more. Community engagement has always been a priority for Monson-Bishop, who, over the years, has been involved with organizations such the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, Square One, YWCA, the Springfield Regional Chamber, the Drama Studio, and more. She is a graduate of Bay Path University with a MBA in entrepreneurial thinking and innovative practices, and she earned her bachelor’s degree in communication and media studies at Westfield State University.

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Jeffrey Neumann

Valley Solar, LLC announced the appointment of Jeffrey Neumann as lead master electrician. Neumann started with Valley Solar in April 2019 and will oversee all electrical operations. Prior to working at Valley Solar, Neumann was the electrical foreman at Hampshire College from 2010 to 2019. There, he supervised a crew of four journeyman electricians and oversaw all aspects of the the college’s Electrical Department, including supervision of crews, planning, budgeting, installations, and maintenance of campus electrical systems. He also oversaw several solar projects while at Hampshire and has performed solar installations involving single-phase residential wiring as well as more complex three-phase commercial projects.

 

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Linda Morgan, an attorney with extensive experience in higher education, has been named vice president and general counsel at Springfield College, effective Aug. 26, President Mary-Beth Cooper announced. Morgan will provide legal counsel and guidance to the leadership of the college and will serve as secretary to its board of trustees. She will be a member of the president’s senior leadership team. Joining Springfield College with 13 years of service as a practicing attorney and more than six years in positions of senior-level organizational management and financial administration, Morgan is well-practiced in providing leadership to institutional compliance with laws and regulations pertinent to higher education, including the Higher Education Opportunity Act, Title IX, FERPA, HIPAA, and the Jeanne Clery Act. She provides experience in broad aspects of law and related matters, including contracts, agreements, litigation, legal investigations, dispute resolution, mediation, business formation, compliance, and management. She is admitted to the bars of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the State of New York, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Morgan most recently worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, providing expertise in areas of employment-law adjudication and related statutory interpretation. Her previous experience also includes service as associate dean for Gender Equity at Bard College, grant administrator within the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland, and an attorney in private practice. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland University College and a juris doctor from Western New England University School of Law. She has teaching experience as an adjunct professor at Holyoke Community College and Greenfield Community College.

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Jean Deliso

Jean Deliso, CFP has been selected for membership in the Nautilus Group, a service of New York Life. The Nautilus Group is a planning resource comprised of financial professionals experienced in taxes, law, life insurance, accounting, and charitable giving. Deliso’s access to this exclusive resource enables her clients and their other financial advisors to benefit from the group’s collective experience and solutions as they apply to the protection, accumulation, and distribution of wealth to individuals, families, and business owners throughout the country. Deliso is president and owner of Deliso Financial and Insurance Services, a firm focusing on comprehensive financial strategies that position clients for a solid financial future. Her 30-year experience has led to a focus in certain fields, such as cash management, risk management, investment, and retirement planning. She has developed an expertise in assisting business owners with protecting and securing their future. She is also fully committed to educating individuals regarding their finances and frequently conducts workshops advocating financial empowerment. She has been a member of New York Life Chairman’s Council since 2012 and a qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table since 1999. Members of the Chairman’s Council rank in the top 3% of New York Life’s sales force of more than 12,000 licensed agents in sales achievement. Deliso currently serves on and is past chairman of the board of the Baystate Health Foundation and the Community Music School of Springfield. She has also served on the board of the YMCA of Greater Springfield and the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

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Darcy Fortun

The Ad Club of Western Massachusetts recently recognized the Innovation Series with an award in the Video Series category. The Innovation Series is a documentary-style video series produced by Darcy Fortune, producer for Garvey Communication Associates Inc. (GCAi), for PeoplesBank. The series explored Valley Venture Mentors and some of its more unique entrepreneurial teams. The series was hosted by Matthew Bannister, first vice president of Marketing and Innovation for PeoplesBank. According to the bank’s website, the six-episode Innovation Series was designed and produced with the belief that PeoplesBank can not only be innovative, but help inspire innovation as well. The series garnered considerable media attention, with feature stories appearing in BusinessWest and several other area media outlets, as well as a sizable viewing audience. GCAi also distributed the Innovation Series through social-media channels, where it accumulated almost 400,000 total impressions, 100,000 engagement actions, and 90,000 video views at the time of the award. Fortune’s team included GCAi’s John Garvey as producer, Mary Shea as project manager, and James Garvey as digital dissemination manager. Matthew Derderian served as director of photography. Fortune is an experienced media professional and video producer, having served on assignment desks for both ABC and FOX News affiliates and developed videos and animations for GCAi clients including Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists, Cape Cod Cooperative Bank, MP CPAs, PeoplesBank, Peter Pan Bus Lines, and Winchester Savings Bank. She also just released two new pro bono videos for the Children’s Study Home and Wild Care of Cape Cod.

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Yvonne De Faoite

Elms College announced it will host an Irish Fulbright language teaching assistant (FLTA) during the 2019-20 academic year. Yvonne De Faoite of Limerick, Ireland, will teach Irish (Gaelic) language and culture. The Irish FLTA position is co-sponsored by the Irish Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts. De Faoite earned her primary teaching degree from Froebel College of Education in 2008. In 2012, she spent a year in Australia, where she gained international teaching experience. She recently completed a master’s degree in Irish immersion education from Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. Prior to that, she completed a diploma in educational leadership in University College Dublin. De Faoite’s educational interests include immersion and second-language acquisition. As a Fulbright Irish FLTA, she will teach the Irish language and culture to Elms College students and to community members through the Irish Cultural Center. She will also take classes at Elms.

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Robert Burnell has been appointed executive chef of all dining venues at the Red Lion Inn. In his new role, Burnell oversees the day-to-day culinary operations of the main dining room, Widow Bingham’s Tavern, the Lion’s Den, and the seasonally open courtyard. In addition, Burnell will collaborate with Brian Alberg, vice president of Culinary Development, on all future food- and beverage-related development, including specialty menus for Red Lion guests and private parties. With nearly 20 years in the food, beverage, and hospitality industries, Burnell was previously executive chef at Gedney Farm in Marlborough. With a passion for clean cooking and eating, coupled with expertise in modern food trends, Burnell revamped menus to incorporate locally sourced items, along with gluten-free, vegetarian, and keto options for diners. He also strived to deliver exceptional client experiences for weddings, community events, and private dining. Additional hospitality experience includes five years as a property developer for Berkshire Hotels Group, during which he implemented construction projects for both hotels and restaurants.

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Sean Sormanti

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, announced that Sean Sormanti has joined the bank as senior vice president – Human Resources. Most recently, Sormanti was director of Human Resources at Strategic Information Resources in Springfield. In his new role, he will be responsible for recruiting, planning, coordinating, and managing the activities of the bank’s Human Resources department. He will be based at 63 Federal St. in Greenfield. Sormanti has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine. He currently holds a professional in human resources certificate and is an active member of the Western Mass. chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management.

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Joseph Baker

 

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (BTCF) announced that Joseph Baker has joined its team as vice president of Finance and Administration. He will oversee finances, investments, human resources, and operations for the $152 million foundation. Baker previously served in leadership roles at other community foundations for 13 years, most recently as vice president of Finance and chief financial officer at Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. Before that, he was director of Finance and Administration at the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain. He brings to BTCF a background in nonprofit finance and development, as the former head of a United Way and a nonprofit service organization. He also developed Danbury Children First, a parent-led community initiative. Baker earned his MBA from the Yale School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in economics and Spanish from Colby College.

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Bob Cummings has been re-elected to serve as president of the National Assoc. of Professional Benefits Administrators (NAPBA). A  NAPBA trustee since 2007, Cummings was first elected NAPBA president in 2015, and has been an instrumental force in the emergence of the consumer-directed healthcare industry over the past 20 years, orchestrating the growth of NAPBA as the primary compliance-standards and best-practice organization for third-party employee-benefits administrators serving the consumer-directed healthcare industry. As CEO and founder of American Benefits Group (ABG), a leading national employee-benefits administrator located in Northampton, Cummings has been a pioneer of the consumer-directed healthcare industry before the term even existed. ABG was one of the first administrators of flexible spending accounts (FSAs) in 1989 along with COBRA, billing-administration, and commuter-benefit accounts in the 1990s. When health savings accounts (HSA) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRA) were enabled under the Internal Revenue Code in 2002, ABG was one of the early leaders in administering consumer-directed healthcare plan designs. As pre-tax, account-based plans became a linchpin of most employer benefit-plan designs along with high-deductible health plans, NAPBA was founded to promote compliance and best-practice standards in the administration of pre-tax, account-based plans. All NAPBA member organizations are third-party administrators focused on the administration and service of employer-sponsored plans for consumer-directed pre-tax accounts such as FSAs, HSAs, HRAs, and commuter benefits, as well as COBRA administration services. Collectively NAPBA member organizations provide services to more than 30 million employee healthcare consumers nationwide.

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Richard Venne, president and CEO of Viability, announced longtime staffer Richard Horton’s promotion to vice president of Administration and Finance. Horton joined Community Enterprises, one of the nonprofits that merged to become Viability, in July 2008 as director of Community Staffing. Before joining Viability as a staff member, he had executed consulting work to revive and re-engineer the Community Staffing operations. Over the next decade, his role expanded, first becoming director of Financial Planning and then associate vice president of Administration and Finance. He is known throughout the organization for serving as project manager for the implementation of Viability’s electronic health record and outcomes-management system. Two years ago, during the merger of Community Enterprises and Human Resources Unlimited into Viability, he led the effort to bring the infrastructure of the organizations together, focusing on technology and facilities. Entering its third year as Viability, the agency’s focus is on the creation, integration, standardization, and improvement of systems and processes. In his new role, Horton will play a central role in helping achieve that goal.

People on the Move

Amy Roberts

Steven Gardner

Jacquelyn Guzie

Nicole Stevenson

Tom Senecal, president and CEO of PeoplesBank, announced four appointments: Amy Roberts to senior vice president and chief Human Resources officer, Steven Gardner to assistant vice president and East Longmeadow Banking Center manager, Jacquelyn Guzie to assistant vice president and regional manager for First Suffield Bank (a division of PeoplesBank), and Nicole Stevenson to West Springfield Banking Center manager. Roberts oversees all human-resources and employee-engagement activities for 325 employees spread over 21 banking centers and three additional locations under development in Massachusetts and Connecticut. She leads a team that is responsible for talent recruitment and development, HR compliance, benefits, employee relations, compensation management, and HR-related associate communication. She has extensive experience in leadership development and coaching, change management, performance improvement, organizational learning and development, and employee engagement, as well as more than 20 years of experience serving in leadership positions in human resources. She holds a master’s degree in human resource development from American International College and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Bridgewater State University. She has also earned certificates in leadership development and succession planning, talent development and retention, and human capital management principles from the Human Capital Institute. Roberts’ volunteer service includes serving as a board member for the Center for Human Development, the United Way of Hampshire County, Leadership Pioneer Valley, and the STCC Foundation, as well as serving as an advisory board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters and a Read Aloud volunteer for Link to Libraries. In his new position, Gardner oversees and manages all aspects of a full-service banking center, including staffing, sales, lending, operations, business development, and community relations. He has 18 years of financial-services and banking experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University and an associate degree in retail management from Holyoke Community College. He serves as vice president of the East Longmeadow Rotary Club, is a member of the ERC5 and West of the River chambers of commerce, and is a volunteer for Revitalize CDC and Junior Achievement. In her new position, Guzie is responsible for assisting in the growth of relationships for the Connecticut region. She has 20 years of banking experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an associate degree in business administration from the New England College of Business and Finance. She has served as treasurer of Suffield Chamber of Commerce and president of Suffield Rotary Club, is a member of the Asnuntuck Community College Foundation, and has volunteered for Suffield on the Green, the Suffield Business Showcase, and the Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. In her new position, Stevenson oversees and manages all aspects of the West Springfield banking center, including staffing, sales, operations, business development, and community relations. She will also ensure that the banking center exceeds service and sales goals, provides excellent customer service, operates according to all bank policies and procedures, and serves as a leader within the community. She has 10 years of banking experience. She holds an associate degree in business administration and management from Holyoke Community College. Her volunteer service includes serving as a committee member for the West Springfield St Patrick’s Day, Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade, and the Agawam St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. She also served as booth chair for Credit for Life Springfield and is a Big Sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County, second vice president of the Safe Deposit Group of Western Mass., financial group volunteer for Rays of Hope, and a volunteer for Rebuilding Together. She is a member of the finance group for JDRF, the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England, and the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield.

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Kevin Hurley

Kevin DeMarco

Darcy Lyle

Waterford Hotel Group announced three appointments at the Williams Inn. Kevin Hurley has been appointed general manager, Kevin DeMarco was named executive chef, and Darcy Lyle is director of sales. The new Williams Inn, located at the corner of Latham and Spring streets in Williamstown, will open on Aug. 15. Owned by Williams College, the inn will replace the current Williams Inn, which will continue to operate through July 31. With more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Hurley has dedicated his career to the hospitality industry by taking on various roles at several hotels and resorts in the U.S. in addition to his native Canada. Prior to joining the Williams Inn, he worked as assistant general manager at the Kimpton Taconic Hotel in Manchester, Vt. He has also held posts at Omni Hotels and Resorts, the storied Charles Hotel in Cambridge, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. He completed his undergraduate studies at Bishops University in Sherbrook, Quebec and later went on to earn a master certificate in hospitality management from Cornell University. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., DeMarco has honed his culinary skills up and down the East Coast over the past 13 years. He joins the Williams Inn team from the Newport Restaurant Group in Newport, R.I. His last post was as chef tournant at Castle Hill Inn, a historic Relais & Châteaux property in Newport. He also worked at Grande’s Bella Cucina in Palm Beach, Fla. and Public Kitchen & Bar in Providence. He is a SWE-certified specialist of wine and spirits. Lyle brings a wealth of knowledge to the Williams Inn with 28 years of experience in the hospitality and sales industry. Prior to joining the Williams Inn, she worked in sales at the Clark Art Institute, and has also held positions in operations and sales at numerous hotels throughout the upstate New York region, as well as the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Assoc. She attended Herkimer Community College, where she received a degree in tourist facilities and management promotion. While in school, she interned with Disney, where she found her passion for the hospitality and tourism industry.

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Commissioners representing their respective Hampden and Hampshire county communities selected Kimberly Robinson to take the helm of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission as current Executive Director Tim Brennan prepares to bring his more than four decades of service in that role to a close this summer. Since 2011, Robinson has been executive director of the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency, which serves three counties anchored by Metro Reno, Nevada. Previous posts held by Robinson also include head planner for the city of Detroit and planning manager for the Washoe County Department of Community Development. Pending a successful contract negotiation, Robinson and Brennan will work together to identify a time over the next few months for the transition to occur.

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Aimee Dalenta

Nancy Ward

Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) announced the appointment of Aimee Dalenta as chair of the Early Childhood Education Department and Nancy Ward as Early Education and Care Pathways grant and activity director. Among Dalenta’s roles is to oversee STCC’s new child development associate (CDA) plus certificate of completion program, which is designed for early-childhood educators and school paraprofessionals who want to get their CDA credential and earn college credit at the same time. Dalenta, a professional in the field of education for 14 years, has held roles as a classroom teacher, owned and operated her own preschool, and served as an educational consultant. She has worked at the college level for six years, training future teachers to succeed in the classroom. She will earn a doctorate in education from American International College in August. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from Springfield College and master’s degree in education from Western New England University. In her new role, Ward will help launch STCC’s new child development associate (CDA) plus certificate of completion program. She has worked in the field of early education and care since 1987, when she began working as a resource developer at New England Farm Workers’ Council’s voucher child-care program. She became the director of the program in 1989 and continued in that role for 14 years. Ward also worked in the Early Childhood Department at the Collaborative for Educational Services for 15 years, in a variety of positions supporting the professional development of early educators. She holds a master’s of education degree in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in literacy from Lesley University in Cambridge. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at UMass Amherst.

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Darlene Mark

David Babine

Monson Savings Bank announced that Darlene Mark has joined the bank as vice president and commercial loan officer, and David Babine has come on board as the bank’s newest mortgage loan originator. Formerly with Country Bank, Mark has been in banking for 20 years. Her entire banking career has been spent in commercial lending as a credit analyst, portfolio manager, and presently as a commercial loan officer. She has a bachelor’s degree and MBA in business administration from Western New England University and is also a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts School for Financial Studies at Babson College. Actively involved in the community, she is a finance committee member of Ludlow Boys and Girls Club and volunteers for Junior Achievement. Babine brings close to 20 years of experience in banking, many of those in residential lending. He is a graduate of Westfield State College with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He also obtained a master’s degree in education psychology and an advanced graduate degree in guidance counseling from the American International College. He has spent some time as a school counselor at various local high schools and volunteered as a local athletic coach.

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Thomas Senecal

On June 20, the Horace Smith Fund held its 120th corporators’ meeting at the Carriage House of Storrowton Tavern in West Springfield. Present at the annual meeting were the corporators who unanimously voted to elect Thomas Senecal, president of PeoplesBank, as a new Corporator. Senecal has more than 25 years of experience in the financial-services industry. In 2016, he was elected president and CEO of PeoplesBank, previously serving as the bank’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. He is a graduate of the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst and is a certified public accountant. He also attended the Tuck Executive Program at Dartmouth College. In addition to his new appointment with the Horace Smith Fund, Senecal also serves as a corporator for Loomis Communities. Following the annual meeting, the Horace Smith Fund awarded $411,000 in scholarships and fellowships to students who will be pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees this fall.

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Lauryn Picknelly

Lauryn Picknelly, a fourth-generation Picknelly, recently joined the family business, Peter Pan Bus Lines, as assistant controller. She graduated magna cum laude from Providence College with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance. She then worked for a year in Hartford at Deloitte before joining the family business.

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Jack Vadnais

Michael Johnson

Freedom Credit Union (FCU), a Springfield-based, full-service financial institution with 11 branches throughout Western Mass., announced it now offers an in-house FCU Investment Services division, growing and enhancing a service it previously outsourced. As part of this expansion, Jack Vadnais was named director of FCU Investment Services, and Michael Johnson was hired as associate director. As director, Vadnais will manage all aspects of the division and assist clients in achieving their financial goals. He has been working with members of Freedom for eight years as a financial advisor. A Navy veteran, he is a graduate of Bridgewater State College, a certified financial planner, and a licensed insurance agent. In his role as associate director, Johnson will work mainly with Freedom’s clients in the Franklin County area, advising them about their investment portfolios and providing information about the credit union’s available financial services. Prior to joining Freedom, Johnson served for nearly 15 years as vice president and financial advisor at Greenfield Cooperative Bank. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics from UMass Amherst and is a Paul Harris Fellow. A former long-time member of the Rotary Club of Franklin County, twice serving as its president, he also served as vice president of the Greenfield Community College Foundation.

People on the Move
Cinda Jones

Cinda Jones

Cinda Jones, president of W.D. Cowls Inc., was awarded BusinessWest’s Continued Excellence Award at the annual 40 Under 40 Gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House on Thursday night. Chosen by three independent judges from among 60 nominations, Jones was honored for her exceptional achievements, including her leadership in growing Cowls’ timberland base by 1,000 acres and being an advocate for conservation. She has also led development of the company’s ambitious project in North Amherst called the Mill District. BusinessWest’s Continued Excellence Award goes to a previous 40 Under Forty honoree who has continued to build his or her résumé of achievement in both business and within the community. Jones was one of five finalists for the 2019 award. The others were Michael Fenton, Anthony Gleason II, Eric Lesser, and Meghan Rothschild. Presentation of the Continued Excellence Award was the opening act of the 40 Under Forty celebration, which saw the class of 2019 join what has become a very prestigious club. Jones held positions in several nonprofits for 10 years in Washington, D.C. before she came home to manage the family business. She was marketing director for the Cato Institute, Wood Marketing director for the American Forest & Paper Assoc., vice president of the National Forest Foundation, and Northeast regional director of the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation. Jones’ focus on increasing acreage of timberland and creating diverse forest-based opportunities with a focus on solar energy have been demonstrated through her actions as president of W.D. Cowls. When she saw the sawmill had potential for better economic use, she rebuilt it as the North Square, acting as a vibrant commerce center for community members, families, and visitors. She sold the largest conservation restriction in state history, raising $8.8 million through the 3,486-acre Paul C. Jones Working Forest, named for her father. In 2019, she will add 2,000 more acres, continuing her goal of making Cowls a national conservation leader.

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Jaime Margolis

Jaime Margolis

Bacon Wilson announced that attorney Jaime Margolis has joined the firm. Margolis is an associate and a member of Bacon Wilson’s domestic-relations and family-law team. Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, she worked in the Children and Family Law Division of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, and as a clerk for the Justices of the Western Massachusetts Probate and Family Courts.

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The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts’ trustees of the Order of William Pynchon have announced their selection of three local residents as recipients of this year’s Pynchon medal. Slated to receive medals at an Oct. 10 event are Charles Casartello Jr., an attorney at the Springfield-based firm of Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan and Blakesley, and a long-time advocate for the Open Pantry Community Service and Griffin’s Friends, nominated by Dr. Ronald Berger; Robert Charland, a man committed to providing working bicycles and other services to children in need, nominated by Marsha Montori; and Heriberto Flores, founding member of Partners for Community and advocate for the underserved, nominated by Ed Cohen. In his role as an attorney, Cassartelo has provided countless hours of pro bono services to those who couldn’t otherwise afford legal help. Counted among this number are four cases in which he represented first responders and families who suffered the loss of a loved one in the 9/11 tragedy. After years of involvement with Springfield’s Bright Nights Road Race, Casartello developed a new fundraising event for Open Pantry Community Services: the Stuffing the Pantry Thanksgiving Day Road Race. Through his leadership, the event has raised more than $200,000 and approximately 15,000 pounds of food over its first seven years, becoming the single largest fundraiser for Open Pantry. In 1994, Jim and Michelle Kelleher founded Griffin’s Friends in memory of their son. This organization is dedicated to bringing moments of joy to courageous children facing cancer and to raise funds for the Griffin’s Friends Children’s Cancer Fund at Baystate Health Foundation. Casartello was an early supporter of Griffin’s Friends and continues to be a connector for volunteers. During his time as a bouncer in one of his many jobs, Charland was assaulted with a baseball bat and sustained a brain injury that led to a cerebral cyst, giving him the cognition of a man decades his senior. His first thought was to put his affairs in order and contact Death with Dignity to avoid becoming a burden to others. But when a Springfield school counselor called him to ask whether he could refurbish some old bikes for underprivileged children, his mindset changed. Answering that request was the first step on a journey that he calls, simply, “the bike thing” — a venture that has grown into a prolific nonprofit called Pedal Thru Youth, giving more than 1,200 underprivileged children a bike of their own. Recently, Charland has included modified toy cars, or powerwheels, in his repertoire. These child-size vehicles allow young people with disabilities to become mobile and ease their fear as they drive themselves from hospital rooms to treatment. Despite the substantial time and financial commitment Charland has invested in Pedal Thru Youth (a year ago, he estimated he had spent more than $10,000 on bikes), he has created another venture delivering what he calls “safety bags” for the homeless and others in need. The Springfield Police Department has dubbed the project Operation Basic Necessities. Each bag contains items such as gloves, scarves, hats, toothbrushes and toothpaste, protein shakes, granola bars, and more. He began with the State Police, who gave them to those in need, and has since outfitted each Springfield police cruiser with two gender-specific bags, which he replaces for free as they’re needed. He has also donated bags through the Connecticut State Police Department and the Hampden County Sheriff’s department, where he serves as a sheriff’s deputy. In 1971, Flores launched the New England Farm Workers’ Council (NEFWC), a human-service agency dedicated to improving the quality of life for migrant and seasonal farm workers doing the work he knew so well. Over time, the organization provided education and skills training to thousands of low-income people living in Western and North Central Mass., Central Connecticut, Rhode Island, Southern New Hampshire, and Puerto Rico. In particular, the Farm Workers’ Council is a champion for the Hispanic communities in these regions. Flores’ early years were marked by poverty and the struggle for basic daily needs that plague too many Americans. His cumulative response to that experience was Partners for Community, a network of five nonprofit social-service agencies throughout New England, of which the Farm Workers’ Council is one. Together, these agencies provide employment, family assistance, adult education, youth development, and other services to populations with special needs. The presentation of the Pynchon Medal and celebration will take place on Oct. 10 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Event details and ticket information can be found at adclubwm.org or by calling (413) 342-0533.

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Maureen Freniere

Maureen Freniere

Eastern States Exposition announced that Maureen Freniere has joined ESE and will serve as one of the organization’s Event Sales coordinators. Freniere comes to ESE from her position at FarmTek in South Windsor, Conn., where she served as a commercial trust specialist. Freniere has spent much of her career in the agriculture field. Previously, she served as the Livestock director for Hampshire College, where she trained students to raise livestock that in turn ended up supporting 40% of the meat that was served through campus dining services. Prior to that, she was manager of ID Services for Holstein Assoc. USA in Battleboro, Vt. For nearly a decade, she supported a nationwide radio-frequency-identification program that assisted farmers in keeping track of the health and well-being of their livestock. Her career also took her to Farm Credit East as Career Development trainer, as well as the Farm Service Agency as program technician. Freniere earned an associate degree in dairy production and management from SUNY Cobleskill and a bachelor’s degree in animal science and agricultural finance from Cornell University.

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Beryl Hoffman

Beryl Hoffman

A professor at Elms College has received a Google computer science research grant for $145,400 to lead research designed to broaden high-school students’ participation in computer science and programming courses, especially among underrepresented populations in the field, such as women and minorities. Beryl Hoffman, associate professor of Computer Science and co-chair of the Natural Science, Mathematics, and Technology Division at Elms College, is leading the one-year project, titled “Transitioning from AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) to AP CSA Java: Learning from CSP Successes.” Advanced-placement (AP) courses prepare high-school students for college by offering challenges and stimulation beyond the standard curriculum, allowing them to demonstrate advanced knowledge of a subject and even earn college credit by taking AP exams. AP CSP provides a broad overview of computer science, including an introduction to programming with a focus on creative, collaborative, and engaging projects. Students who are introduced to computer science in a CSP course often want to continue to text-based programming in AP CSA Java, which focuses on Java programming, as found in introductory college programming courses. Hoffman’s research project will investigate how to adapt approaches used to broaden participation in AP CSP for use with the AP CSA Java course, and how to prepare and support teachers who are new to computer science as they transition from teaching the AP CSP course to the AP CSA Java course. The researchers will adapt the CSP curriculum design to CSA Java and strive to improve the retention and success of traditionally underrepresented students as they transition from CSP to CSA courses.

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Josh Kelly

Josh Kelly

Josh Kelly, vice president of New Product Development and Innovation at OMG Roofing Products, has been named the 2019-20 president of the Roofing Alliance (formerly the Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress). Established in 1996 under the National Roofing Foundation, the Roofing Alliance is a not-for-profit group of roofing contractors, manufacturers, distributors, service providers, and industry professionals working to shape, improve, and advance the roofing industry. Through its programs, the Roofing Alliance has committed more than $13 million to help preserve and advance the U.S. roofing industry, and more than $5.5 million for research, education, and technical programs and projects. In his full-time position at OMG, Kelly is responsible for leading product innovation and managing OMG’s team of project managers, product engineers, and testing technicians. He has over 25 years of experience in the commercial roofing industry, and was instrumental in commercializing the RhinoBond induction welding system. He has held several positions at OMG, including marketing director, vice president of Marketing, and vice president/general manager. In addition to being president of the Roofing Alliance, Kelly is a member of the Single Ply Roofing Industry and the National Roofing Contractors Assoc.

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One of the missions of the nonprofit agency Historic Classical Inc. is to educate the general public about the history and culture of Classical High School and its rich background, as well as the history of Springfield. The newly elected officers of the board of directors are lifelong residents of Springfield, and many officers and board members have graduated from Classical High School. The incoming president is Rhonda Brace, a Classical graduate who now works for the Conn. Department of Revenue Services. Vice President Greg Metzidokis has been a resident of Classical Condominium for many years, and is a teacher in Springfield. Treasurer Carol Costa, one of the first residents of Classical Condominium since 1989, also taught at Classical when it was a school. She is now a retiree from Springfield Public Schools. Daniel Battisti, who continues his role as secretary, was an educator in Springfield Public Schools for 23 years and is a retired national world English consultant for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publications. When the new board officers were questioned about their goals for this relatively young nonprofit, their responses echoed each other. Populations served will be those interested in the city and its history, the general public, and Classical alumni. Costa, one of the founders of Historic Classical, also noted that this is an organization that preserves the past through programs and exhibits on Springfield and Classical’s history. Each used the term “public awareness” in their description of the goals of Historic Classical Inc.

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The Springfield College board of trustees recently announced the outcome of its 2019-20 board election results during its annual meeting on the campus. James Ross III, principal officer of the Hollenbach Group, LLC, enters his second year of a three-year term as chair for the board. Ross has been on the board since 2012. Also, Michele Megas-Ditomassi, a retired educator who earned her bachelor’s degree and certificate of advanced graduate study from Springfield College, returns for her second year of a three-year term serving as vice chair. The following individuals have been re-elected to serve a three-year term on the board: Denise Alleyne, a retired vice president for Student Services at Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill; Kurt Aschermann, a marketing and resource-development professional who operates a nonprofit consulting practice called KA6 Consulting; Douglass Coupe, retired vice president of State Street Global Investor Services of Boston; Charisse Duroure, spa director of G-Spa at Foxwoods Resort and G. Group Consulting of Mashantucket, Conn.; Peter Pappas, currently a senior vice president of Morgan Stanley in Springfield; and Suzanne Benson Robotti, founder and president of Medshadow Foundation, an independent nonprofit website that gathers useful information on medicine side effects. New to the board of trustees (class of 2022) are: Pia Flanagan, chief of staff for the president and CEO of MassMutual, who works with the CEO on top priorities and is a key consultant to the company’s board of directors; Mark Elgart, founding president and CEO for Advance Education, a leader in achieving educational quality and driving education improvement through research, innovation, policy and advocacy, technology, and accreditation, serving more than 32,000 institutions and 20 million students worldwide; Alexandra Goslin, a math and secondary education major who will be entering her senior year in the fall, elected as the student trustee; and Kristian Rhim, a communications/sports journalism major who will be entering his junior year in the fall, elected as the student trustee-elect.

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Robbin Vipond-Lauzon

Robbin Vipond-Lauzon

Rediker Software announced that Robbin Vipond-Lauzon has been hired as the company’s new director of Finance. She brings nearly 20 years of experience as a financial analyst and project manager with extensive experience in operations, process improvement, analysis, budgeting and forecasting. Before joining Rediker Software, she was vice president of Finance at Healthy Living Market and Café. In her new role, she will be responsible for managing the company’s finances, tracking cash flow and financial planning, as well as analyzing the company’s financial strengths and weaknesses and proposing corrective actions. Vipond-Lauzon holds a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting from Framingham State University and a master’s degree in Finance from Georgia State University. She is also an actively licensed CPA with the state of Massachusetts.

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Nefertiti Walker, a faculty member in the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst who also serves as its associate dean for an inclusive organization, has been named interim associate chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at UMass Amherst by Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. She succeeds Enobong “Anna” Branch, who recently became the vice chancellor for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. A national search to select a permanent appointment will commence soon. Walker has served in her current position at Isenberg since January, after holding the position of director of Diversity and Inclusion at Isenberg from 2017 to 2018. She joined the UMass Amherst community in 2011. Serving as a member of Isenberg’s senior leadership team, she focused on developing a culture of inclusion through a new diversity and inclusion curriculum, a school-wide inclusion committee, student organizations focused on diversity, and the development of an Inclusive Leadership Summit.

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A prominent business owner from Holyoke and the chancellor of UMass Amherst are among 13 business leaders to join the board of directors of Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM). Pia Sareen Kumar, co-owner and chief Strategy officer of Universal Plastics Group, and Kumble Subbaswamy, chancellor at UMass Amherst, were elected to the board of the statewide business association at AIM’s annual meeting in May. AIM represents the interests of more than 3,500 employers on public policy issues affecting the Massachusetts economy.Tricia Canavan, president of United Personnel in Springfield and an incumbent director at AIM, was elected to the organization’s executive committee. Canavan is a 2018 winner of the AIM Next Century award for contributions to economic opportunity and serves as a member of AIM’s diversity, equity, and inclusion committee. Kumar leads a family of five plastics-manufacturing businesses located in the Northeast and Midwest, including Universal Plastics in Holyoke. The companies specialize in a range of processes including injection molding, gas-assist molding, heavy-gauge thermoforming, blow molding, and structural foam molding. Kumar started her career as an investment banker at JPMorgan Chase and was a global director of strategic partnerships at American Express. She holds an MBA from University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University. Subbaswamy became the 30th leader of UMass Amherst in 2012. He has emerged as a popular and well-regarded chancellor for his pursuit of academic excellence, promotion of research and outreach, and initiatives aimed at addressing campus climate, diversity, and culture. He holds a bachelor’s degree in science from Bangalore University, a master’s in physics from Delhi University, and a Ph.D. in physics from Indiana University. He was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society in 1989. Canavan is a respected business leader throughout Western Mass. She leads a second-generation family company that connects more than 700 people each day to jobs throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. Headquartered in Springfield, the company operates additional offices in Northampton, Pittsfield, and Chelmsford, along with Hartford and New Haven, Conn. Canavan serves as on the boards of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., the Springfield Public Forum, the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce, Springfield Business Leaders for Education, and the Massachusetts Workforce Development Board.

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Ann Manchino

Ann Manchino

Freedom Credit Union announced that Ann Manchino will manage its new West Springfield branch, following Freedom’s recent merger with West Springfield Federal Credit Union (WSFCU). Manchino manages a staff of seven and previously worked for 18 years at WSFCU, serving as its manager for six years. She has a long history of local community involvement, having volunteered with Credit for Life, St. Patrick’s Committee of West Springfield, West Springfield Park and Recreation, and the American Red Cross.

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Karin Jeffers, president and CEO of behavioral-health agency Clinical & Support Options, announced the appointment of Geoffrey Oldmixon as the nonprofit’s associate vice president of Marketing & Development. Previously, Oldmixon served as director of Marketing for public television station WGBY and director of Communications and Online Services for the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. He holds a master’s degree in interactive communications from Quinnipiac University, a bachelor’s degree in writing and public relations from Bridgewater State University, and a career certificate in grant writing from Fort Hays State University.

People on the Move
Dr. Robert Roose

Dr. Robert Roose

Dr. Robert Roose has been named chief medical officer for Mercy Medical Center. In this position, Roose provides clinical leadership and administrative direction in developing and attaining strategic and operating objectives related to medical practice and patient care at Mercy Medical Center and its affiliates. He also serves as a liaison between administration and the medical staff, and provides leadership in advancing quality initiatives, clinical care, patient satisfaction, and provider and colleague engagement. Roose joined the Mercy team in 2013, first serving as chief medical officer of Addiction and Recovery Services at Providence Behavioral Health Hospital (PBHH), and later as vice president of Behavioral Health for Mercy Medical Center and its affiliates. His many accomplishments include spearheading the expansion of opioid-treatment programs and championing the creation of the clinical-stabilization service at PBHH. He most recently served in the regional role of chief of Addiction Medicine & Recovery Services for Trinity Health Of New England and has been participating in the Trinity Health Strategic Leadership Program with selected leaders from around the nation. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, Roose has served on the Quality Improvement Council of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the Clinical Issues Advisory Council and Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Task Force of the Massachusetts Hospital Assoc., and Gov. Charlie Baker’s Opioid Addiction Working Group. He has presented and published on various aspects of addiction treatment, and has been a prominent community leader and spokesperson on efforts throughout the region to address the opioid epidemic. Roose earned his doctor of medicine and master in public health degrees at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington D.C. and completed his residency training in Family Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y.

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Lucy Perez

Lucy Perez

Lucy Perez, a longtime area educator, is the recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Service Award from Holyoke Community College. The award recognizes the achievements of individuals whose dedication and outstanding service to HCC have enhanced the value of the student experience and improved the quality of life for all on campus. Perez, an HCC graduate from the class of 1987, has been a member of the HCC board of trustees since 2013 and also serves on the HCC alumni council and HCC Foundation board. She holds an associate degree in liberal arts from HCC, a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mount Holyoke College, and a master’s degree in education and a certification in advanced graduate studies from UMass, where she concentrated in English language acquisition and literacy. She started her career in education at HCC, working first as a counselor for the college’s fledgling English as a second language program and later as its program coordinator. She taught education for many years at HCC and at Springfield Technical Community College, where she served as assistant dean of students before moving on to work for many years in human-resources administration and recruitment for the Springfield Public Schools. She now works in human resources at Mount Holyoke College as its talent acquisition manager. HCC president Christina Royal presented the Distinguished Service Award to Perez at HCC’s 72nd commencement ceremony at the MassMutual Center in Springfield on June 1.

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Ryan Barry

Ryan Barry

Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, announced the appointment of a new board member, Ryan Barry, attorney at Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP in Springfield. Barry practices primarily in the areas of business law, health law, construction law, and higher-education law. He also leads the firm’s Craft Brew and Distilleries practice group. He has a bachelor’s degree from Colorado College and a juris doctor from Northeastern University School of Law.

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MassMutual announced that Gareth Ross has been named head of the new Enterprise Technology and Experience (ETX) organization, which is responsible for all of the company’s internal and external technology and digital efforts, as well as direct-to-consumer marketing efforts. Industry leaders Arthur Riel and Jim Routh have also joined MassMutual and the ETX organization as head of Core Technology & Initiatives and head of Enterprise Information Risk Management, respectively. Since joining MassMutual in 2008, Ross has held various leadership roles, beginning in Corporate Finance and Strategy, heading up the company’s distribution strategy team within the insurance business, and establishing MassMutual’s direct-to-consumer business and industry-leading data-science capabilities. Under Ross’ direction, MassMutual has invested in data science over the past six years, establishing an in-house data-science group that creates knowledge and builds services from data that enable enterprise-wide data-driven decision making through science and applied research. Prior to MassMutual, Ross held financial-planning, management-consulting, and business-analyst roles with Capmark Financial, General Motors, the New York Treasurer’s office, the Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., the World Bank, Fidelity Investments, and Deloitte Consulting. Riel has been named head of Core Technology & Initiatives, a newly created role that oversees the prioritization and delivery of strategic technology projects across the company, as well as internal and external information-systems applications, platforms, and infrastructure. Riel brings more than 30 years of experience in system and application design and technology delivery to MassMutual, as well as an exceptional track record in developing and executing complex business and technology strategies. He has worked in senior technology-management roles at various organizations, including Moody’s, NYSE EuroNext, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley. Most recently, he served as chief Enterprise architect and chief Information officer of Finance IT for the World Bank. Riel also founded two technology companies in the areas of computer-science training and compliance-technology solutions, has taught hundreds of courses in both academic and industry environments, and authored several research papers. Routh has been appointed head of Enterprise Information Risk Management. In this role, he will drive a holistic information risk-management approach across the company, with a focus on managing cybersecurity risks, ensuring all cybersecurity-related regulatory and compliance requirements are met, and overseeing the safeguarding of MassMutual’s information assets. Routh is a well-known visionary and recognized leader in the cybersecurity industry who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and a demonstrated track record for delivering security capabilities that drive business results. Most recently, he served as chief Information Security officer (CISO) for CVS Health, where he led the security integration for CVS Health in the acquisition of Aetna and developed a three-year plan for achieving enterprise level resilience. Prior to that, he served as CISO for Aetna, global head of Application and Mobile Security at JP Morgan Chase, and CISO at KPMG, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp., and American Express. Routh is a former board and committee chairman of the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center and the former chairman of the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center. He received the 2017 Evanta Breakaway Leadership Award and the 2016 ISE Luminary Award among many other awards and honors throughout his career.

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Mary Pomeroy

Mary Pomeroy

Mary Pomeroy has joined Greenfield Savings Bank as assistant office manager of the main office in Greenfield. In addition to supervising activities of the office and staff-development duties, she will also work with customers, providing customer service and business development. Pomeroy has earned diplomas in consumer lending, general financial services, and advanced financial services, and certificates in introduction to financial services, credit analysis, and consumer lending from the Center for Financial Training. She is currently enrolled in business and financial management at New England College of Business and Finance.

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Melody Edwards, owner of Renew Window Cleaning, was selected by the Italian Trade Agency to attend the Pulire Trade Show as a U.S. delegate and honored guest. The show, the largest professional cleaning-industry trade show in Italy, was held last month at the Veronafiere Exhibition Centre in Verona. Edwards was chosen for her creativity and professionalism during her 25-year involvement with the industry, and for her passion for promoting women in this often-male-driven industry. The event was sponsored by the Italian government and organized to give U.S. companies the opportunity to network and meet with leading Italian manufacturers. There were 300 exhibitors and more than 17,000 visitors in attendance.

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Mark Zacek

Mark Zacek

Mark Zacek has joined the team at GSB Investments and Insurance as a financial advisor, Infinex Investments Inc. He will offer clients a wide range of financial services and investments, including retirement and financial planning, mutual funds, tax deferred annuities, life insurance, long-term-care insurance, college-savings planning, and IRA rollovers (401k/403b). He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Montana State University. He serves on the board of directors of Mohawk Trail Concerts.

Uncategorized
Cassandra Morrey

Cassandra Morrey

Karen Cartier

Karen Cartier

Christopher Pike

Christopher Pike

Misty Lyons

Misty Lyons

Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB) announced that Cassandra Morrey has been promoted to vice president and Residential Lending officer; Karen Cartier has been promored to vice president, Compliance, Fraud Prevention, and Community Reinvestment officer; Christopher Pike has been promoted to assistant vice president and Special Assets officer; and Misty Lyons has been appointed mortgage officer. Morrey will be responsible for daily oversight of the Residential Lending department, including origination, process, closing, quality control, and compliance. She joined Greenfield Savings Bank in 2010 after working in the banking industry for 17 years. She is an active volunteer in the community, serving as a board member and treasurer of Highland Ambulance EMS Inc., and as a fourth- to sixth-grade girls basketball coach. She graduated with honors from the New England School for Financial Studies. Cartier manages the Bank Secrecy & Anti-Money Laundering department, the bank’s compliance-management system, and identity-theft and fraud-prevention programs. Her department monitors transactions and identifies suspicious activity. She joined GSB in 2013 has been working in working in banking and fraud prevention for 28 years. She is a 2008 graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at the Babson Executive School and has earned additional professional designations including Certified Bank Secrecy & Anti-Money Laundering Professional (CBAP) and Certified Community Bank Compliance Officer (CBCCO). She donates some of her personal time volunteering in the community, including serving as a committee member of the annual benefit for Toys for Tots, as a board member of All Out Adventures, and a member of the GSB Relay for Life team. Pike is responsible for loan operations and special-assets management at the bank. Before joining the bank in 2014, he was an associate director and bank consultant at RMPI Consulting. He volunteers his time for a number of local community organizations, including helping at the Stone Soup Kitchen, working at the Franklin County Fair Rotary food booth, and fundraising for the YMCA. He received his MBA from Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. Lyons is responsible for loan origination, underwriting, and approval of residential mortgages and will work directly with loan applicants, assisting them through the application process. She will serve customers throughout Franklin and Hampshire counties. She began her career in the banking industry in 1988 and previously worked in the GSB Loan department from 2003 to 2006. She is returning to her career in banking after a three-year medical leave while recovering from a severe case of Lyme disease. She has been a member of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley for more than 20 years and has served on the committees and boards of a wide range of organizations, including the the Franklin County Rotary Club, the Greenfield Community College Foundation board of directors, the golf committee for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department fundraiser for Warm the Children, and the YMCA sustaining fundraising campaign. She was also an elected member of the Gill-Montague Regional School Committee from 2012 to 2015.

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Meri Clark

Meri Clark

Meri Clark was named the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award at Western New England University (WNEU). Winners of the prestigious award are nominated by students, faculty, and administrators for outstanding contributions as educators and advisors. Clark is a professor of History and coordinator of the Global Scholars program for the College of Arts and Sciences. She has taught Latin American and world history at the university since 2005. Her research specializes in the history of 19th-century Latin America, with particular attention to the themes of education, nationalism, gender, race, and ethnicity in Colombia. After earning her bachelor’s degree in history from Reed College (Phi Beta Kappa), Clark researched in Colombia under a Fulbright scholarship. She then earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in history from Princeton University.

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Colleen Bugbee

Colleen Bugbee

Mary Rawls

Mary Rawls

Jane Trombi

Jane Trombi

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, announced that the board of directors has approved the promotions of Colleen Bugbee, Mary Rawls, and Jane Trombi. Bugbee was elected senior vice president and treasurer. She is responsible for the bank’s treasury functions, including managing the bank’s investments, asset/liability process, and annual budgeting. She has 40 years of experience in the financial-services industry, having started with the former Monarch Capital. She has been with the bank since 2006. Bugbee received her bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and her master’s degree in accounting from Western New England University. She is a volunteer at Horizon for Homeless Children and is chairman of the finance committee at Trinity United Methodist Church. Rawls was elected senior vice president – Compliance, and co-CRA officer for the bank. She has more than 25 years of experience in banking, joining GCB in 1994. She is responsible for ensuring bank compliance with the numerous banking and consumer laws and regulations. She also coordinates various regulatory and compliance examinations for the bank. Rawls is a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College and has held a variety of roles in the branch and operations areas as well throughout her career. She is a long-time volunteer and active with American Cancer Society and 4-H Club. She is also on the board of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Franklin County. Trombi was elected senior vice president – Residential Lending and co-CRA Officer. She joined GCB in 1999 and has more than 21 years of experience in banking and residential lending. She is based in Greenfield and is responsible for the management of the residential and consumer lending department of the bank. Trombi is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. She is active in several community causes, including the United Way board, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and the Women’s Way.

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Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, congratulated Lucas Manzi, Accounting Department and Finance manager at Arrha, for receiving a 2019 Credit Union Difference Maker’s Award presented by the Cooperative Credit Union Assoc. at the 2019 Credit Union Marketplace Experience. The show highlighted new technology and featured breakout sessions in many topics, including cybersecurity, the latest trends in digital banking, and ways to enhance the member experience, as well as a salute to employees that have great attitudes, positively impact others, and make a difference at their credit union, in the community, and beyond.

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Harry Dumay

Harry Dumay

Elms College President Harry Dumay has been appointed treasurer of the executive committee for the Assoc. of Colleges of Sisters of St. Joseph. Dumay became the 11th president of Elms College in 2017. He has served in higher-education finance and administration at senior and executive levels for 19 years. Prior to assuming the presidency of Elms College, Dumay was senior vice president for finance and chief financial officer for Saint Anselm College from 2012 to 2017. He formerly served as chief financial officer and associate dean at Harvard University’s Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (2006-12), associate dean at Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work (2002-06), and director of Finance for Boston University’s School of Engineering (1998-2002). In addition, he served as an adjunct faculty member at Boston College for nine years. Dumay currently serves as a commissioner, treasurer, member of the executive committee, and member of the Annual Report on Finance and Enrollment for the New England Commission for Higher Education, a member of the board of directors for the Assoc. of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, a member of the student aid policy committee for the National Assoc. of Independent Colleges and Universities, a board member for Pope Francis Preparatory School and the Boston Foundation’s Haiti Development Institute, and a former member of the board of directors and a current member of the investment committee of the Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, N.H.

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Brad Bedard

Brad Bedard

As part of the continued effort to position the company for stronger growth, Brad Bedard has been promoted to vice president of Supply Chain Management for OMG Inc. As vice president, Bedard is responsible for overall management of the company’s global supply-chain and distribution logistics. In this new role, he will work with his organization to develop and implement short- and long-term strategies that maximize operational efficiencies, improve supply-chain and distribution performance, and manage costs. Bedard has been with OMG since 2007, most recently as director of Supply Chain Management. Earlier, he had been the company’s director of Distribution and Sales Inventory Operations Planning, where he was instrumental in developing and implementing the company’s forecasting and operations planning process. Prior to joining OMG, he held various distribution and logistics roles for Bose Corp. and Timex Corp. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University.

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Jeremy Melton

Jeremy Melton

Robert Raynor

Robert Raynor

Florence Bank promoted Jeremy Melton to the position of senior vice president, director of Operations and Risk Management, and hired Robert Raynor to serve as vice president, Compliance and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) officer. Melton joined Florence Bank in 2012. Prior to his recent promotion, he served as first vice president, Risk Management, Compliance, and CRA officer. He is the board chair and a member of the finance/audit committee at Tapestry. Raynor joined Florence Bank in April 2019 with nine years of banking experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Springfield College. He is a board member and treasurer of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke.

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Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) named professors of Physics and Nursing as its 2019 endowed chair award recipients. The college selected Barbara Washburn, department chair and professor of Physics, as the 2019 Anthony M. Scibelli Endowed Chair, and Deborah Jacques, professor of Nursing, as the 2019 Joseph J. Deliso Sr. Endowed Chair. Each year, STCC faculty are nominated by their colleagues and then invited to apply. An award-selection committee, made up of faculty and staff, reviews applications, and the STCC Foundation executive committee selects winners. The pair received monetary awards — $3,000 each — and wooden chairs with plaques inscribed with their names. They can apply $1,500 to professional development and $1,500 to their academic department. Jacques earned a doctor of nursing practice degree from UMass, and a master’s degree in nursing education and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Russell Sage College. She worked as a staff nurse at Baystate Medical Center before joining STCC as a professor in 2007. Washburn holds a master of education degree from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in electrical engineering, laser optic engineering, from Tufts University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Western New England University. She joined STCC as a professor in 1996.

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Cheryl Hoey

Cheryl Hoey

Community-based financial advising firm PV Financial Group recently welcomed the newest member of its senior leadership team, Cheryl Hoey, CPA. Hoey will serve as PV’s chief financial officer, providing high-level support for the firm, overseeing company finances, creating and managing budgets, as well as forecasting trends. With more than 28 years of experience working within various accounting positions for businesses across Massachusetts, Hoey will help PV’s financial advisors better serve clients with her expertise in tax preparation and auditing. Having worked at several private companies, as well as large firms including Merrill Lynch and the Unum Group, Hoey has honed her skills in the areas of investments, tax preparation, international accounting, and financial risk.

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Michael Koziol

Michael Koziol

Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) Chief Financial Officer Michael Koziol has been named a 2019 recipient of the Healthcare Financial Management Assoc. (HFMA) Founders Medal of Honor for his contribution and support to the HFMA and the healthcare-finance profession. The Founders Medal of Honor is a prestigious award recognizing individuals who have reached the highest level of involvement and volunteer service to the HFMA. Koziol was nominated for the Medal of Honor for his involvement in the organization, which included more than six years on the annual conference planning committee and many years on the physician practice subcommittee. He has been a member of the HFMA since 1982. Koziol joined Holyoke Medical Center in April 2017. His previous experience included executive-level finance positions with Southcoast Physicians Group in Fairhaven; MaineGeneral Health in Augusta, Maine; South County Hospital Healthcare Systems in Wakefield, R.I.; Massachusetts Eye & Ear Associates in Boston; Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, R.I.; and Memorial Hospital of South Bend, Ind. He received his bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University and completed his MBA at the University of Illinois.

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John Regan, a Boston native who has directed government-affairs advocacy at Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) for the past 12 years, was selected as the next president and CEO of the commonwealth’s largest business association. Regan succeeds AIM President and CEO Richard Lord, who is retiring after two decades leading the organization. At AIM, Regan’s focus has been administrative and legislative advocacy, regulatory affairs, litigation, and ballot initiatives. He has negotiated favorable outcomes for employers on major issues such as healthcare reform, paid family and medical leave, use of non-compete agreements, pay equity, unemployment-insurance rate freezes, and the 2018 compromise that avoided costly and contentious ballot questions concerning the minimum wage, sales tax, and paid leave. Prior to his tenure at AIM, he served as chief operations officer for MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, overseeing real-estate development and community-revitalization projects including the transformation of the former Fort Devens. Before MassDevelopment, he was executive director of the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, leading the commonwealth’s business-retention and recruitment efforts. Regan, a graduate of Boston Latin School, earned his bachelor’s degree from St. John’s Seminary College in Boston and a certificate in organizational management from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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Vince Jackson

Vince Jackson

As the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce looks forward to its 100th-anniversary celebration in June, the board of directors announced the selection of the chamber’s new executive director, Vincent (Vince) Jackson. He is an entrepreneur and the CEO of Marketing Moves in Hadley, a company he founded. He will begin his role at the chamber on Monday, June 3, succeeding Suzanne Beck, who is retiring at the end of May. In passing the torch to Jackson, Beck hands him the opportunity to lead the chamber and through its new strategic plan. The visionary plan, to be launched over the coming months, reimagines what a 21st-century chamber should be. Prior to founding Marketing Moves in 2000, Jackson worked in Texas for PepsiCo Inc., growing through roles in brand and product management, innovation, and acquisitions. Marketing Moves is a consultancy that specializes in strategy development, brand management, and marketing and communications, working with a diverse national client base of large corporations, small businesses, and government and nonprofit organizations. Jackson has lectured in the Department of Marketing at the UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management. He has served on several nonprofit boards, including time as president of the Lee B. Revels Scholarship and Mentoring Foundation and the Beta Sigma Boulé Foundation in Springfield. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Grambling State University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Jackson’s first public appearance will be at the chamber’s centennial event, “Torch: Our Time to Shine,” on Thursday, June 13 at the Academy of Music in Northampton.

People on the Move
Patrick Carpenter

Patrick Carpenter

Holyoke Community College recently welcomed Patrick Carpenter as its director of Institutional Advancement. In his new role, Carpenter will serve as the principal gifts officer for the HCC Foundation, facilitate donor cultivation and engagement, and supervise the office of Alumni Relations. Before his hiring at HCC, he held advancement positions at Westfield State University as major gifts officer, Boston College School of Law as associate director of University Advancement, and Elms College, his alma mater, as director of Annual Giving. Carpenter has worked in higher education since earning his bachelor’s degree in English from Elms College in 2002, starting his professional career at the College of Saint Rose as coordinator of Residence Life before returning to Elms in 2007 as director of Residence Life and eventually moving into the office of Institutional Advancement there. He has also been a member of the adjunct teaching faculty at Elms since 2011 and served on the Elms College board of trustees and as president of the Elms College Alumni Assoc. In 2014, he received Bay Path University’s Recent Alumni Award, which is presented to a graduate who possesses great leadership potential. Carpenter holds a master’s degree in higher education administration from Bay Path University and is working on his doctor of education degree in higher education administration from Northeastern University.

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NAI Plotkin, a third-generation commercial real-estate firm based in Springfield, announced the promotion of Daniel Moore to vice president and leader of the company’s Brokerage division. President and CEO Evan Plotkin praised Moore, a 12-year veteran of the firm, for his contributions to the company, his extensive experience in both brokerage and construction management, and his ability to both understand and exceed client expectations. “These are exciting times for NAI Plotkin,” he noted, “and Dan is exactly the right person to guide our brokerage division as it propels forward.” Moore succeeds Bill Low as NAI Plotkin’s broker of record, as Low pursues other interests.

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Joy Brock

Joy Brock

River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC) announced the promotion of Joy Brock to program director of the CONCERN Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Brock received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland University College, a master’s degree in psychology from Old Dominion University, and a master’s degree in clinical psychology and a doctorate in psychology, both from Regent University. She practiced in Virginia and Florida before moving to Vermont for a clinical psychology internship at the Brattleboro Retreat, where she was involved in the Uniformed Service Program. Brock joined RVCC in October 2014. Her experience includes being a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, a member of Regent University’s trauma team, and a member of the Florida Red Cross Disaster Action Team. This unique blend of experience supports her role as the new program director of the CONCERN EAP.

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Sanjay Raman, associate vice president for the Virginia Tech National Capital Region and president and CEO of the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corp., has been named the new dean of the College of Engineering at UMass Amherst. The announcement was made by John McCarthy, provost and senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. Raman begins his new duties at UMass Amherst in August. Raman succeeds Timothy Anderson who served as UMass Amherst’s dean of the College of Engineering from 2013 to 2018. Anderson is a distinguished professor in Chemical Engineering and remains on the faculty. At Virginia Tech, Raman is a tenured full professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) based at the Virginia Tech Research Center in Arlington, Va. From 1998 to 2009, he was assigned to the Virginia Tech main campus in Blacksburg. As the associate vice president for the Virginia Tech National Capital Region, Raman is responsible for planning and executing region-wide initiatives to enhance the university’s research, education, and outreach missions, focusing on cross-cutting themes of data and decision science, integrated security, intelligent infrastructure, global systems science, policy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Since July 2016, he has also served as the president and CEO of the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corp., whose mission is to deliver analytic and technology solutions to the university’s government and non-government customers. From 2007 to 2013, Raman served as a program manager in the Microsystems Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, on loan from the university under Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignments. He is also a graduate of the Virginia Tech Executive Development Institute. Raman earned his doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1998 and joined the ECE faculty at Virginia Tech. Prior to his doctoral studies at the University of Michigan, Raman served as a nuclear-trained submarine officer in the U.S. Navy from 1987 to 1992. He earned a bachelor’s of electrical engineering degree, with highest honors, from Georgia Tech in 1987.

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Pathlight, a Valley leader in residential and community services for people with intellectual disabilities and autism, named Program Manager Victoria Barsaleau the recipient of its annual Donald Fletcher Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship, which is awarded yearly, is meant to assist an employee in obtaining an undergraduate degree. A committee of Pathlight board members and staff made the selection after receiving applications from employees. The scholarship is named after Donald Fletcher, Pathlight’s former executive director, who was committed to helping staff pursue their education. This scholarship is in addition to Pathlight’s current tuition-reimbursement program. Barsaleau was also recognized for her leadership with Pathlight’s Michelle Reberkenny Supervisor Recognition award. She started at Pathlight in 2016, but began her career in human services nine years ago, serving as a direct-support professional supporting people with intellectual disabilities and intensive behavioral needs. She got her start in the field after her father drove her to a day program that supports adults with disabilities and encouraged her to apply for a job. Barsaleau is currently working toward her undergraduate degree at Bay Path University, majoring in human services and rehabilitation.

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Lisa Alber

Lisa Alber

Amy McMahan

Amy McMahan

Elizabeth Sillin

Elizabeth Sillin

At its annual meeting on March 13, the corporators of GSB, MHC voted to appoint three new directors to the board of directors of both GSB, MHC and Greenfield Savings Bank. The new directors are Lisa Alber, Amy McMahan, and Elizabeth Sillin. “We are honored to strengthen our board of directors with these three outstanding business leaders,” said John Howland, president and CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank. “They bring a wealth of knowledge to contribute to our board from both their professional careers and their commitment to supporting the communities served by Greenfield Savings Bank.” Alber is the owner and audiologist for Alber Hearing Services, a business she founded in 2009. Prior to forming her own firm, she worked as an audiologist at Berkshire Medical Center. McMahan has been co-owner and sole operator of the Greenfield eatery, Mesa Verde, since it opened in 2002. Prior to founding Mesa Verde, she worked her entire professional career in a variety of positions in the food-service industry. Sillin is a partner at the law firm Bulkley Richardson, working with individuals in all areas of estate and gift-tax planning and administration. Her clients include nonprofit institutions, assisting with formation and operational issues, including regulatory compliance, and providing advice regarding charitable trusts and endowments.

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Michael Cohen and Rudy Pawul have joined the all-volunteer board of directors for the International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI). With a strong commitment to healthy living, Cohen founded Lightlife Foods Inc. in 1979. He served as Lightlife’s CEO until 2000, when he and his wife sold the company. In 2003, he retired. In addition to his work on the ILI board, Michael is a former member of the board of directors for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and finance chair and treasurer of the Northampton Survival Center’s board of directors. Pawul is the director of IT Infrastructure and Enterprise Support for ISO New England. He manages and provides strategic vision for software applications and data centers that allow ISO New England to carry out its mission. While earning his master’s degre at UMass Amherst, he participated in hurricane hunter flights and traveled to the Arctic to study the effects of climate change on the Greenland ice sheet.

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Aieshya Jackson

Aieshya Jackson

Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JAWM), now celebrating its centennial anniversary, announced that Aieshya Jackson has joined its board of directors. Jennifer Connolly, JAWM president, noted that Jackson “has been actively involved with our organization for many years as a volunteer, and now we look forward to her contributing her thoughts at a decision-making level.” Jackson is a branch manager for Santander Bank, where she oversees a full range of products and services, leads branch staff, ensures member satisfaction, and minimizes operational issues. Prior to her current role, she served as branch manager at United Bank. Aside from serving on JAWM’s board of directors, Jackson sits on the board for the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services organization and volunteers for Revitalize CDC and the Springfield Rescue Mission. She graduated from the Connecticut School of Finance and Management.

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Michelle Caron

Michelle Caron

Freedom Credit Union announced the addition of Michelle Caron to its staff as branch officer at its Feeding Hills location. As branch officer, Caron is responsible for directing and administering operational efforts in the branch and ensuring that established policies and procedures are followed. She oversees a full range of products and services, leads branch staff, ensures member satisfaction, and minimizes operational issues. Prior to joining Freedom Credit Union, she served as banking center manager at Bank of America and branch manager at Peoples United Bank. Caron earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance from Westfield State University. She volunteers at the Springfield Rescue Mission and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

People on the Move
Matthew Mainville

Matthew Mainville

The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke recently welcomed its new board chair, Matthew Mainville, executive director of the Holyoke Housing Authority. He has been involved with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke as a board member for the last nine years, serving as first vice chair for the last four years. Mainville has 15 years of progressive housing experience in mixed finance development, HOPE VI, and facilities and operational management. He was named executive director of the Holyoke Housing Authority in 2013, overseeing 49 employees and a $22 million budget. An active member of the community, he serves as a board member of the Holyoke Economic Development and Industrial Corp., a member of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Regional Housing Committee, and a board member with the United Way Emergency Food and Shelter Program. Matthew received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UMass Amherst. The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke also expressed its appreciation for its past board chair, James Sullivan, president of O’Connell Development Group. He led the organization for the past four years and has been a pillar in community development for decades. He will continue to stay involved in the board, serving as an executive committee member.

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Jennifer Adams

Jennifer Adams

Mark Sullivan, president of D.A. Sullivan & Sons, announced the recent promotion of Jennifer Adams to director of Business Development. Since joining the company in 2012 as an administrative assistant, Adams has assumed increasing responsibility and is now responsible for all company-wide marketing initiatives, including advertising, website updates, and social-media channels. She also assists with company procurement by coordinating all phases of the proposal process in response to private, state, and U.S. government requests for proposals/qualifications, as well as assisting estimators with bid-related forms and documentation.

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Stefan Sjoberg

Stefan Sjoberg

Talia Landry

Talia Landry

The law firm of Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy, P.C. announced that attorneys Stefan Sjoberg and Talia Landry have recently joined the firm. Both were born and raised in Western Mass. and are graduates of Western New England University School of Law. Sjoberg’s practice encompasses business law, estate planning, probate litigation, and taxation. Landry’s practice includes estate planning and elder law, personal injury, and commercial litigation.

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Leavitt Family Jewish Home, part of JGS Lifecare and Chelsea Jewish Lifecare, acknowledged Dr. Udaya Jagadeesan and Dr. David Pierangelo for their outstanding work. Both doctors recently received a certificate from the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA) in honor of the National Day of Recognition for Long-Term Care Physicians. This certificate recognizes the dedication, compassion, and quality of care that Jagadeesan and Pierangelo provide to the long-term residents at Leavitt Family Jewish Home. The U.S. Congress designated this day in 2010 to honor AMDA founder Dr. William Dowd, who recognized that residents of nursing homes were patients with complex medical problems and that physicians need to be involved in establishing standards of management and clinical care for the frail elderly and other residents in long-term-care facilities.

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Michelle Carleton

Michelle Carleton

Michelle Carleton has been promoted to vice president of Residential Services at Berkshire Family and Individual Resources Inc. (BFAIR). She is responsible for overseeing the DDS Residential & Acquired Brain Injury Residential Services, Adult Family Care/Shared Living, and the director of Maintenance. Carleton has more than three decades of experience working in the healthcare and human-service field. Since joining BFAIR in March 2017, she has held the positions of Acquired Brain Injury Program coordinator and most recently director of Acquired Brain Injury Residential Services.

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Mae Stiles

Mae Stiles

Fierst, Kane & Bloomberg, LLP announced that Mae Stiles has become of counsel to the firm. She has 11 years of experience in complex commercial litigation, including antitrust and intellectual property matters, as well as a wide variety of corporate and licensing transactions. Stiles is a graduate of the University of Vermont and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts, New York, and California.

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Florence Bank recently announced that Justin LaMontagne and Jennifer Halpin were named the recipients of its 2019 President’s Award, while Susan Seaver was named its Community Support Award winner for 2019. LaMontagne is an information technology specialist at the main headquarters and has been with Florence Bank for two years. He is a graduate of Branford Hall Career Institute and the New England Institute of Art. Halpin is the employee relationship manager at the main headquarters and has been with Florence Bank for four years. She received her associate degree in business administration from Berkshire Community College and a bachelor’s degree in management from UMass Amherst. The President’s Award is a tradition established by the bank in 1995, affording employees opportunities to nominate their peers for this prestigious award that recognizes outstanding performance, customer service, and overall contribution to Florence Bank. Seaver, a mortgage loan originator, joined Florence Bank in May 2014 and has 30 years of banking experience. The Community Support Award was established by the bank in 1997 as a means of formally recognizing employees who are active participants in community events and donate their personal and professional time to local not-for-profit organizations. Each year, the award recipient has the opportunity to select a not-for-profit organization of his or her choice, and the bank makes a donation to that organization. At Seaver’s recommendation, Florence Bank will make a donation to the Michael J. Dias Foundation of Ludlow, which has a mission to help those who are battling the disease of addiction. Seaver is an active member of the community service committee at the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley, and serves as a designated financial counselor for the Way Finders organization, working to confront homelessness in communities throughout Western Mass. She also volunteers as a classroom reader in support of the Link to Libraries organization in East Longmeadow and is an avid supporter of the Michael J. Dias Foundation.

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Tammy Gamache

Tammy Gamache

Gove Law Office announced that paralegal Tammy Gamache has joined the firm. She has more than five years of experience as a paralegal and will be focused on residential and commercial real-estate transactions. Gamache earned her certificate of advanced paralegal studies from Elms College after graduating from Bay Path College with a bachelor’s degree. She is a member of Lambda Epsilon Chi, the National Honor Society in Paralegal and Legal Assistant Studies. She is also a foster for National Great Pyrenees Rescue, an organization that rescues Great Pyrenees dogs from across the U.S. that have been abused, neglected, or picked up as strays.

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John Kovalchik

John Kovalchik

Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) announced the promotion of John Kovalchik to director of ACO Operations. With extensive experience leading healthcare-management initiatives (most recently as manager of the Center for Behavioral Health at HMC), Kovalchik is well-positioned to bring the facility to the next level by improving quality of care, meeting measurable benchmarks, accurately reflecting the hospital’s population’s health risks, and maintaining lower overall healthcare costs — all mandates of value-based ACO models. ACOs, or accountable-care organizations, are provider-led organizations that support new federal and state initiatives to shift from the previous model of fee-for-service healthcare to a value-based system that puts more of the risk on the provider. In his new position, Kovalchik is overseeing management initiatives for the two ACOs in which HMC participates. The first is through a unique partnership with UMass Memorial Medical Center, involving 50,000 lives split among seven hospitals, four federally qualified health centers, and several private physicians’ offices, covering Central and Western Mass. The second is a statewide ACO participating in a major new demonstration to support a value-based restructuring of MassHealth’s healthcare delivery and payment system. For this initiative, HMC partners with the Boston Accountable Care Organization and BMC Healthnet Plan to form an ACO named the BMC Healthnet Plan Community Alliance. Kovalchik is also overseeing HMC’s $750,000 CHART grant from the Health Policy Commission, which provides medication-assisted treatment to patients struggling with opiate addiction with the goal of preventing recidivism and helping patients survive and thrive.

People on the Move
Robert Kelley

Robert Kelley

Cliff Hedges

Cliff Hedges

Eastern States Exposition announced two appointments, naming Robert Kelley director of Operations and Cliff Hedges director of Public Safety. A graduate of Agawam High School, Kelley continued his education at Holyoke Community College before starting his career at ESE in 1975. Over the past 25 years, Kelley has served ESE as its contractor coordinator, overseeing numerous capital-improvement projects. Under his direction, 10 new buildings were constructed, including the Mallary Complex East and West, the food court, the Visitors’ Center East and West, the Transportation Center, the indoor warm-up horse ring, the Young Building and two wine and cheese barns now known as the Farmers Market. He also supervised the installation of air conditioning in the Better Living Center and Young Building, and a heating system in Mallary Complex. Additionally, he directed projects involving moving all electricity from overhead to underground and the installation of a new sewer and storm-drain infrastructure. As director, he will oversee all grounds operations, including maintenance, construction, landscaping, and contractors, and continue to supervise all building projects on the grounds. Hedges has an extensive, 31-year background in federal and local law enforcement, having retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2012 after 26 years as a special agent and a supervisory special agent, spending 21 of those years in the FBI’s Springfield office. He also served as a patrolman and subsequently a detective on the Crimes Against Persons Unit with the Dallas Police Department. Hedges comes to the Exposition from his most recent position as regional director of Compliance and Privacy at Regional Care Capella HealthCare in Brentwood, Tenn. He was a healthcare compliance, privacy, and risk specialist focusing on state and federal regulatory guidance, rules, and regulations. A graduate of the University of Louisville, he earned a bachelor’s degree in justice administration. He also holds a master’s degree in communications and information management from Bay Path University, where he was an adjunct professor of Criminal Justice. Hedges received the Presidential Integrity Achievement Award for Investigations for his work on the public corruption initiative in Springfield. He has also received multiple awards from the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for investigative techniques and a Special Team Award from the New England Narcotics Assoc. In 2002, he was named the Cliff Zundel Citizen of the Year for the town of Longmeadow for his involvement in girls’ youth sports.

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Gulasar (Guli) Niyazova

Gulasar (Guli) Niyazova

PeoplesBank announced the appointment of Gulasar (Guli) Niyazova as a mortgage consultant representing the West Springfield, Westfield, and Russian-speaking communities. In her new position, Niyazova will guide home buyers through the process of obtaining the right mortgage quickly and efficiently. As a mortgage professional, she said her goal is to not only provide a smooth process, but also to help select the mortgage that is most beneficial to each customer. “Guli brings a wealth of professional experience to her new position as a mortgage consultant for PeoplesBank,” said James Sherbo, senior vice president of Consumer Lending. “She values customer service as her top priority, and, because of her experience and Russian-language fluency, she is a valuable addition to the PeoplesBank lending team.”

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The American Council on Education (ACE) announced that Carol Leary, president of Bay Path University and author of Achieving the Dream: A How-to Guide for Adult Women Seeking a College Degree, will receive the 2019 Donna Shavlik Award. The award will be presented ACE2019, ACE’s 101st annual meeting in Philadelphia, during the Women’s Leadership Dinner on Saturday, March 9. In 1994, Leary became president of Bay Path, a private institution offering all-women undergraduate degree programs (on campus and online) and co-educational graduate-degree programs. Under her leadership, Bay Path became a university, established more than 30 graduate and post-graduate degrees, and launched the American Women’s College, the first all-women, all-online baccalaureate program in the nation. She also established the Carol A. Leary Endowed Scholarship Fund for First Generation College Students. Although neither graduated high school, Leary’s parents instilled in her the importance of education and a love of learning. With their support and encouragement, she attended Boston University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and later earned a Ph.D. at American University in Washington, D.C. This upbringing contributed to her advocacy for women, particularly those for whom circumstance and environment might hinder success. Presented annually, the Donna Shavlik Award honors an individual who demonstrates a sustained commitment to advancing women in higher education through leadership and career development, campus climate, and mentoring.

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Susan Lapointe

Susan Lapointe

Riverside Industries Inc., a nonprofit agency empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live rich and full lives, announced Susan Lapointe is the new director of Development and Community Relations. In her new role, Lapointe oversees fundraising, development, public and community relations, and marketing for Riverside. Fundraising will include Riverside’s annual signature fundraiser auction event, as well as annual campaigns, major gifts, planned giving, capital campaigns, cultivation, and stewardship. An accomplished business owner, Lapointe comes to Riverside with a strong entrepreneurial background. Her recent career as owner and creative director of TurningLeaf Design included branding and marketing for many nonprofits and businesses in the Valley. In addition to running her business, her community involvement included serving as director and president of the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, chairperson for the Hampshire County Regional Tourism Council, development and marketing chair for the Easthampton Cultural Council’s annual Cultural Chaos event. Her community development also included volunteer and marketing consulting for Riverside as well as serving as a board chair and member of Riverside for many years.

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Jeff Rodgers

Jeff Rodgers

On the same day the Berkshire Museum opened more than 100 years ago, the museum will welcome Jeff Rodgers as its new executive director on April 1. Rodgers brings more than 20 years of museum experience to the Berkshire Museum’s top job. He currently serves as provost and chief operating officer of the South Florida Museum in Bradenton, Fla. Rodgers has served in a number of roles at the South Florida Museum. Since 2016, he has held broad leadership responsibilities for strategic planning, creating innovative programming, fundraising, and conducting outreach across the community to build and sustain crucial partnerships and collaborations. A former teacher, he also served in a variety of roles at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, including as director of the Moveable Museum Program. Rodgers was the unanimous selection after a four-month search led by the museum’s board of trustees.

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The Valley Blue Sox announced that former major-league pitcher Mike Trombley has been named special advisor to the team. Trombley, 51, spent 11 seasons in the majors with the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Dodgers. A 14th-round draft pick in the 1989 MLB draft, the right-handed pitcher would go on to earn his undergraduate degree from Duke University in 1990. The Wilbraham native appeared in 509 major-league games, primarily working out of the bullpen. He logged a 4.48 earned run average in 795.2 innings of work while notching 44 career saves. He is now the owner of Trombley Associates – Investment and Retiring Planning, and Trombley Associates – Bookkeeping and Payroll Services, located in Wilbraham. In his new advisory role, Trombley will serve as a mentor to Blue Sox players both on and off the diamond. He will also assist the coaching staff and front office throughout the season.

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Clinton Mathias

Clinton Mathias

Clinton Mathias, associate professor of Pharmacology at Western New England University, was named the recipient of the American Assoc. of Immunologists’ (AAI) Distinguished Service Award for 2019. Mathias is being recognized for outstanding service to the immunology community as director of the AAI High School Teachers Summer Research Program in Immunology from 2012 to 2108. A formal award presentation will take place in May at the Immunology 2019 conference in San Diego. Mathias is on the faculty of Western New England’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. For the past six years, he spearheaded the AAI’s efforts to support summer research for high-school teachers, connecting them with AAI mentors from coast to coast, many of them world-renowned scientists. Teachers emerge from the summer program with curricula based on their research experience they could then implement in the high-school classroom.

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Michael Regan

Michael Regan

The Martin J. Clayton Insurance Agency recently welcomed Michael Regan as principal of the agency and vice president of Sales. He comes to the agency with more than 13 years of experience in the insurance business. “Mike is an outstanding addition to the team and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the agency.  His commitment to the highest standards of customer care and business ethics makes him an ideal fit for Clayton Insurance Agency,” said President Daniel Sullivan. Regan was recently awarded the Henry Fifield Volunteer of the Year Award for outstanding community service. He is very active in the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce.

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Columbia Gas of Massachusetts announced that Mark Kempic will assume the role of president and chief operating officer, effective May 1. Steve Bryant, who has been serving as president of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, announced his retirement, also effective May 1. Since January, Kempic has served as chief operating officer for Columbia Gas of Massachusetts. From September 2018 to January, he was a key part of the leadership team for the Greater Lawrence area restoration efforts. He has more than 35 years of experience in the energy industry and has served in a broad range of functions, including information technology, engineering, gas supply, corporate planning, and regulatory policy. Most recently he served as NiSource chief transformation officer (CTO), responsible for enhancing NiSource’s efforts to integrate processes and technology across the company’s seven-state footprint. He also previously served as president of Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Columbia Gas of Maryland. He holds a law degree from Capital University School of Law, a bachelor’s degree in computer and information science from the University of Pittsburgh, and an associate degree in solar heating and cooling engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

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Diana Adair

Diana Adair

Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Realtors (CBUMR) announced the addition of Realtor Diana Adair to its roster of professional real-estate agents serving Franklin and Hampshire counties. Adair started her real-estate career 30 years ago and has purchased several homes, remodeled six properties, and bought investment rentals. In addition, she has accomplished millions of dollars in real-estate sales. She grew up in Belchertown, lived on a farm, and inherited her great love of land from her father, Howard Mann. In 1992, she started, owned, and operated Heartland Farm in Amherst, which gave lessons, held summer camps, and trained and sold hunter/jumpers. Adair is a member of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley, the National Assoc. of Realtors, and the Massachusetts Assoc. of Realtors.

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USA Archery announced the coaches for its newly redesigned teen training program, the Regional Elite Development (RED) program. Kyle Forbes Bissell, owner of Amherst Archery Academy, has been appointed reserve coach for the Eastern Region. Bissell will work with a head coach and three additional coaches with the goal of making this a successful training program for dedicated Olympic recurve archers ages 13 to 17. He founded Amherst Archery Academy in 2011 and now coaches archery full-time, year-round.

People on the Move
Bernadette Nowakowski

Bernadette Nowakowski

Elms College has appointed Bernadette Nowakowski as its new vice president of Institutional Advancement, effective Feb. 1. Nowakowski has served in various roles in the college’s Institutional Advancement office since 1996. Her collaborative and collegial style embraces shared responsibility and accountability in creating a positive, team-oriented environment to achieve results. Her proven ability to engage and develop effective relationships with key constituency groups, including individuals, corporations, and foundations, has built a solid track record in solicitation of major gifts and strategic fundraising. Most recently, she has served as the assistant vice president of Institutional Advancement since 2017. She has been responsible for co-creating, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive development plan, as well as participating in intense fundraising planning. She also has provided leadership and strategic direction in IA through exploration of new fundraising options while overseeing major gifts, annual giving, and endowed-scholarship and planned-giving programs. Nowakowski is a current member of the Planned Giving Group of New England, the Assoc. of Fundraising Professionals, and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. She previously served on the board of Women in Philanthropy of Western Mass. as membership co-chair, as employee campaign coordinator at United Way of Pioneer Valley, and as a member of the Women in Philanthropy of Western Massachusetts and Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield Grants Group. She also served on Elms College’s presidential search committee in 2016-17 and its strategic planning (fiscal stability) committee in 2016. In her new role, Nowakowski will be responsible for the planning, management, and execution of a comprehensive advancement program, including oversight of all fundraising initiatives.

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Michael Fenton

Michael Fenton

Attorney Michael Fenton was named a shareholder at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., the firm announced. Fenton concentrates his practice in the areas of business planning, commercial real estate, land use, and estate planning. He earned his law degree and MBA from Western New England University in 2012 and his bachelor’s degree in political science, cum laude, from Providence College in 2009. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Connecticut. He has been selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star every year since 2014, was named one of the Top 25 Up and Coming Attorneys in Massachusetts by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, and was honored by BusinessWest as a 40 Under Forty award recipient in 2012. Active in the Western Mass. community, he volunteers for several organizations and has served as a member of the Springfield City Council since 2010.

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Ralph Abbott Jr.,

Ralph Abbott Jr.,

Susan Fentin

Susan Fentin

Marylou Fabbo

Marylou Fabbo

John Gannon

John Gannon

Amelia Holstrom

Amelia Holstrom

Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. announced that three of its attorneys, Ralph Abbott Jr., Susan Fentin, and Marylou Fabbo were selected to the 2018 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list in the field of employment and labor law. Additionally, attorneys 

and Amelia Holstrom were named to the 2018 Massachusetts Rising Stars list. Abbott has been selected to Super Lawyers for 14 consecutive years. With the firm since 1975, he is known throughout the legal community for his work representing management in labor relations and employment-related matters, providing employment-related advice to employers, assisting clients in remaining union-free, and representing employers before the National Labor Relations Board. Abbott also has numerous credits as an author, editor, and teacher, as well as a record of civic and community involvement. Fentin has been selected to Super Lawyers for 13 years and before that was named twice to the Rising Stars list. She has been with the firm since 1999. Her practice concentrates on labor and employment counseling, advising large and small employers on their responsibilities and obligations under state and federal employment laws and representing employers before state and federal agencies and in court. She frequently speaks to employer groups, conducts training on avoiding problems in employment law, and teaches master classes on both the Family Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. She was also named one of the Top 50 Women in the Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly in 2015. Fabbo has been selected to Super Lawyers for 10 years and before that was named twice to the Rising Stars list. She is a partner and heads the firm’s litigation team. She represents employers in employment litigation before state and federal courts as well as state and federal agencies in Massachusetts and Connecticut. She also has extensive experience working with employers to reduce the risk of legal liability as the result of illegal employment practices. She is a frequent speaker on employment-related topics and conducts extensive management-training and employment-practices audits. She is a published author and volunteers in the local community. Fabbo was also named one of the Top 50 Women in the Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly in 2016. Gannon and Holstrom have each been selected to the 2018 Massachusetts Rising Stars list for the first time. It is an exclusive list, recognizing no more than 2.5% of the lawyers in the state. Both defend employers against claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and wrongful termination, as well as actions arising under the Family Medical Leave Act and wage-and-hour law. Gannon also regularly guides employers on compliance with state and federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and Occupational Health and Safety Act. He is a frequent speaker on employment-related legal topics for a wide variety of associations and organizations and was selected by BusinessWest as a 40 Under Forty honoree in 2016. Holstrom frequently provides counsel to management regarding litigation avoidance strategies. She was selected by BusinessWest as a 40 Under Forty honoree in 2015 and was awarded the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Community Service Award in 2016. In 2017, she was named an Up & Coming Lawyer by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly at its Excellence in the Law event.

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Jennifer Fischer

Jennifer Fischer

Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems, announced the appointment of Jennifer Fischer as chief experience officer at Holyoke Medical Center. Most recently, Fischer served as an account leader and coach for the Studer Group, an outcomes-based healthcare-consulting firm. In that role, she had a track record of six years of leading healthcare organizations in their service-excellence journeys, achieving targets for patient experience across multiple service lines, creating and sustaining leadership-development programs, and helping executive teams manage change. Fischer’s prior experience included director-level positions at Wuesthoff Health Systems in Rockledge, Fla., and Door County Memorial Hospital in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. She received her bachelor’s degree from Ripon College in Wisconsin, a master’s degree in arts management from Columbia College in Chicago, and her bachelor’s of science in nursing degree from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She also received a juris doctor degree from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

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Linda Haley

Linda Haley

Andrew Tulis

Andrew Tulis

Andrew Tulis

Andrew Tulis

Florence Bank has hired a new bank officer and promoted two employees. Linda Haley will serve as commercial loan administration officer of the Commercial Loan Department in the main office in Florence, Andrew Tulis was promoted to assistant Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) officer, and Heidi Hoover was promoted to the position of assistant vice president, Compliance. Haley joined Florence Bank in October 2018 with more than 30 years of banking experience. She currently attends the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. Tulis joined Florence Bank in November 2011. Prior to his recent promotion, he had served as BSA administrator. Tulis earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from New York University and graduated with honors from the New England School for Financial Studies. Hoover joined Florence Bank in May 2015 with nearly 20 years of banking experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst. Prior to her recent promotion, she served as compliance specialist. She serves her community as a board member for the Western Massachusetts Compliance Assoc., a member of the Baystate Medical Practices Patient and Family Council, and a volunteer for Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity.

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Michael Shea

Michael Shea

Pension & Benefits Associates Inc. announced the addition of Michael Shea to its team in the role of retirement consultant. He will focus on retirement business development, assisting plan sponsors and managing all aspects of clients’ retirement, including plan design, investment due diligence, and employee education. Prior to joining Pension & Benefits Associates, Michael Shea most recently worked as a defined contribution investment sales specialist for BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. He also previously served as a regional sales director for Columbia Threadneedle Investments. A 2010 graduate of the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, he started his corporate career as an implementation analyst for Empower Retirement.

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After 27 years of service to the Pioneer Valley, Suzanne Beck announced that she will retire as the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce’s executive director. She cited the completion of the chamber’s strategic plan as the ideal time to pass the baton. The strategic plan, to be launched over the coming months, is a commitment to serve the health and vibrancy of the community at large as an extension of the growth and strengthening of the business and nonprofit communities under Beck’s leadership. Highlights of Beck’s accomplishments include working with Hampshire County business, nonprofit, and community leaders to create the first economic-development strategy serving all of Hampshire County; supporting a group of young professionals to form Northampton Area Young Professionals (NAYP), now in its 10th year supporting the career and community interests of emerging leaders; partnering with the United Way of Hampshire County to create Leadership Hampshire County (a precursor of Leadership Pioneer Valley) to connect, train, and support business and nonprofit leaders with a shared interest in community leadership; and partnering with the Three County Fair Assoc. and the city on redevelopment of the fairgrounds and construction of new barns.

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Jasmin Hutchinson

Jasmin Hutchinson

Jasmin Hutchinson, associate professor of Exercise Science and Sport Studies and director for Sport and Exercise Psychology at Springfield College, recently had an article, titled “The Influence of Self-selected Music on Affect-regulated Exercise Intensity and Remembered Pleasure During Treadmill Running,” selected as the Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology (SEPP) Paper of the Year for 2018. The award is given annually to the first author of an article published in SEPP based on the article’s innovation, methodological rigor, quality of data analysis, significance of the issue, and quality of writing. The award consists of free registration to the annual American Psychological Assoc. Convention and the presentation of a certificate of achievement at the convention. In addition, the paper appears as one of the sample papers on the journal website.

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Daniel Danillowicz

Daniel Danillowicz

Westfield Bank announced the appointment of Daniel Danillowicz as assistant vice president and mortgage loan officer. He will be based at the bank’s 10 Hartford Ave. office in Granby, Conn., providing mortgage origination for customers throughout Connecticut as well as those in Westfield, West Springfield, and Southwick. Danillowicz has more than 25 years of mortgage lending experience, most recently as senior loan officer with Washington Trust in Glastonbury, Conn. and as a mortgage specialist with Farmington Bank in West Hartford, Conn. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Hartford.

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Pamela Sanborn

Pamela Sanborn

Arrha Credit Union President and CEO Michael Ostrowski recently welcomed Pamela Sanborn as its new assistant branch manager in West Springfield. She has more than 20 years of banking experience, and was recently assistant branch manager at Polish National Credit Union’s Westfield branch. Sanborn has served as ambassador at the Westfield Chamber of Commerce and an American Relay for Life volunteer as team captain, and is active in promoting awareness of bone-marrow disease and testing for donors. She graduated from Saint John’s School of Business.

People on the Move

The board of directors of Big Y Foods Inc. announced the following changes to its senior leadership team, effective Jan. 1. These changes align with the enterprise’s expanding business activities and the dynamic shifts that are occurring within the supermarket, convenience, and retail liquor industries.

Donald D’Amour

Donald D’Amour

Donald D’Amour, current chairman and CEO, will transition out of his day-to-day responsibilities as CEO and will continue to serve as an advisor to the board in his new role as chairman emeritus. He was appointed to CEO in 1980 and in 1997 succeeded his father and co-founder, Paul D’Amour, as chairman of the board.

• Charles D’Amour

Charles D’Amour

Charles D’Amour, son of co-founder Gerald D’Amour, will continue as president, a position he has held since 2006. In order to allow for a smooth transition, he has been appointed CEO and will be responsible for helping to drive the overall strategic direction of Big Y along with the company’s vision and mission. In addition to providing overall leadership and oversight, key departments of Finance, Legal, Real Estate and Development, Employee Services, and Information Resources Technology will report directly to him.

• Michael D’Amour

Michael D’Amour

Michael D’Amour, grandson of Paul D’Amour and son of Donald D’Amour, was appointed to the position of executive vice president in 2014 and has added the role of COO, a position formerly held by Charles, to his roster of responsibilities. As COO, Michael will be responsible for all operating aspects of the company, including Sales, Operations, Distribution, and Supply Chain. He began his full-time career at Big Y in 1996.

Guy McFarlane

Guy McFarlane

Guy McFarlane, Big Y’s vice president of Fresh Foods since 2011, has been promoted to senior vice president of Sales and Marketing, where he will oversee sales and procurement, pricing, marketing, and data analytics. He will report to Michael D’Amour. McFarlane began his career at Big Y more than 23 years ago and has been in the supermarket industry for 41 years.

Richard Bossie

Richard Bossie

Richard Bossie, Big Y’s vice president of Operations since 2016, has been promoted to the new position of senior vice president of Operations and Customer Experience. Within this expanded role, Bossie will oversee all operational aspects of the company that impact the customer experience, including labor planning, inventory control and ordering, checkout and customer service, and retail asset protection, along with all operational aspects of Big Y Express Gas and Convenience Division and Table and Vine, Big Y’s flagship beer, spirits, and fine-wine store. He also will report to Michael D’Amour. Bossie began his career at Big Y more than 30 years ago and has more than 38 years of retail experience.

Nicole D’Amour

Nicole D’Amour

Nicole D’Amour Schneider, Big Y’s senior director of Store Operations (and granddaughter of Paul D’Amour and daughter of Donald D’Amour), has been appointed to the new position of vice president of Supermarket Operations, with specific focus on the daily operations of the supermarket division. Along with the five district directors reporting to her, she will continue to drive operational excellence throughout the chain. She reports to Bossie. She began her full-time Big Y career in 1999.

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Amelia Holstrom

Amelia Holstrom

Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. announced that attorney Amelia Holstrom was named a partner in the firm on Jan. 1. Holstrom, who has been with the firm since 2012, focuses her practice on labor law and employment litigation, including personnel policies and practices review, wage-and-hour compliance, and separation and severance agreements. Holstrom frequently speaks about employment-related legal topics for a wide variety of associations and organizations. She was selected by BusinessWest as a 40 Under Forty honoree in 2015 and received the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Community Service Award in 2016. She is a member of the Massachusetts, Hampden County, and Connecticut bar associations; sits on the board of directors for Clinical & Support Options in Northampton and Girls Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts; and is an ad hoc member of the personnel committee for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

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Esther Rich

Esther Rich

Andrew Anderlonis, president of Rediker Software, recently announced that Esther Rich has been hired as the company’s new director of Support. Rich brings more than 30 years of experience in customer support, with more than 10 of those years spent in a management position. Before joining Rediker Software, Rich was the Customer Support manager for Farm Credit Financial Partners in Agawam. In her new role, Rich will lead and motivate her team to ensure they have the tools and skills required to provide the best customer service possible. She holds a business management degree from St. John’s School of Business.

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Laura Lefebvre

Holyoke Community College (HCC) hired Laura Lefebvre as its new director of Public Safety. Lefebvre, a seasoned investigator, has more than 30 years of law-enforcement experience, most recently as senior sergeant in the campus police department at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in North Adams. She is the first woman to serve as chief of police at HCC. Lefebvre, 56, got her start with the Hialeah Police Department in Dade County, Fla. She began as a patrol officer in 1986, then one of only four women in the 450-person department. She worked in the juvenile sexual battery unit investigating child-abuse cases before becoming the first woman assigned to the robbery division. She later moved into homicide as a detective. Lefebvre retired from the Hialeah Police Department in 1999 and then moved to Western Mass. with her husband, Gary, also a retired police officer, and two small children, Spencer and Emily, now adults. She then spent a few years as an officer with the Hadley Police Department and a police lieutenant at Westfield State University. Before going to MCLA, where she was the first woman sergeant, she worked for 11 years as a fraud investigator for the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the insurance giant Unum. Throughout her career, Lefebvre has been a field-training officer, teaching at police academies in Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont. She holds a bachelor’s degree from MCLA in interdisciplinary studies in business and sociology and will complete her master’s degree in education at MCLA this May.

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Wendy Fitzgerald

Wendy Fitzgerald

HUB International New England, LLC, a division of HUB International Limited, a leading global insurance brokerage, recently announced that Wendy Fitzgerald has re-joined HUB New England as a strategic account executive, responsible for all things personal (personal insurance/auto, home, condo, renters, and more). Her role will include handling new business and outreach, renewals, quoting, special projects, and providing support when needed to the Personal Lines team of experts. She will be based out of HUB New England’s East Longmeadow office. Previously, Fitzgerald had been with the HUB/FieldEddy Personal Lines team from 2008 to 2016.

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Mary Shea

Mary Shea

James Garvey

James Garvey

Garvey Communication Associates Inc., the most experienced independent Google Partner in the Springfield area, announced the 2019 certifications for its Google Ads strategists. Mary Shea, vice president of Digital Strategy, and James Garvey, digital marketing analyst, collectively have passed the Search, Display, Mobile, and Video exams certifying their advanced expertise in creating, managing, measuring, and optimizing these specific Google Ads products. The two GCAi marketing technologists also meet with a dedicated Google Ads representative every month to review and further increase the performance of client campaigns. GCAi earned its Google Partner Agency designation more than five years ago. Partner status requires that GCAi associates pass Google Ads certifications, that the agency meets the spend requirements across its managed accounts, and that it demonstrate performance by delivering strong client and company growth. Shea works out of GCAi’s downtown Springfield headquarters at Tower Square. Garvey works out of GCAi’s newest office at WeWork’s Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, Calif.

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Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) announced that Rosemary Manu has joined the LPV team as the LEAP program coordinator. She will hold various responsibilities in this position, including assisting in the planning, coordination, and execution of Leadership Pioneer Valley’s nine-month leadership-development program, in addition to helping recruit future LEAP program participants. Manu returned to Springfield last spring after obtaining a master’s degree from George Washington University in international development studies with a concentration in energy. Prior to this, she earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Connecticut. Most recently, she worked as a consultant for USAID Food for Peace, which provided her with monitoring and evaluation skills. She was responsible for evaluating and assessing the effectiveness of combining emergency assistance and resilience building. Manu also comes to Leadership Pioneer Valley with an extensive background in the UN Women in Bangkok, Thailand, in the Disaster Risk Reduction Department. This experience expanded her research and writing skills and led her to become passionate about helping to develop communities and individuals.

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John McAndrew, an Edward Jones financial advisor in Holyoke, has accepted an invitation to become a limited partner in the Jones Financial Cos., the holding company for the St. Louis-based financial-services firm. Edward Jones currently employs 45,000 associates in all 50 states and through its affiliate in Canada. This is the firm’s 17th limited-partnership offering in its 97-year history. The Jones Financial Cos. was created in 1987 to enable the firm to expand into new business areas while allowing it to remain a partnership. The Jones Financial Cos. owns Edward D. Jones & Co., LP, which operates under the trade names Edward Jones, EDJ Leasing Co., the Edward Jones Trust Co., and its international financial-services subsidiary, Edward Jones Canada.

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Marilyn Lopez-Haddad

Marilyn Lopez-Haddad

Pattie Hallberg

Pattie Hallberg

Meredith Wise, president of the Employers Assoc. of the Northeast (EANE), announced the addition of two new members, Marilyn Lopez-Haddad and Pattie Hallberg, to the EANE board of directors, effective Jan. 1, for three-year terms. Lopez-Haddad, vice president of Human Resources for the Seven Hills Foundation, joined that organization’s senior leadership team in 2008.  She oversees the HR office and Seven Hills Corporate College, and provides leadership in the areas of employee relations, recruitment and retention compensation and benefits, and learning and development. Seven Hills is an integrated health and human services network based in Worcester. Before joining Seven Hills, Lopez-Haddad worked for various municipalities in Connecticut as the head of HR, personnel, and labor relations. She also worked as a Social Security disability associate in Florida. Most recently, she worked as an adjunct professor at Clark University in Worcester, where she taught global talent development. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University and a juris doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. She was admitted to practice law in Connecticut and Massachusetts, is a certified executive and career coach, and has acquired the SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications. Hallberg is CEO of Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts (GSCWM), headquartered in Worcester and Holyoke. She joined GSCWM as CEO in 2008 to lead the merger of the three Girl Scout councils into one organization with a commitment to developing girls’ leadership potential. Under her direction, GSCWM has emerged as a leader in Central and Western Mass. in advocacy for girls. She is a commissioner on the Hampden County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. She serves as a co-chair for the Investing in Girls Alliance in Worcester, and is a founding member of the advisory committee for the Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact and an advisory board member of the Young Women’s Leadership Institute with the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts. She serves as a board member and member of the finance committee for New England Public Radio. She is a member of the Women’s Suffrage Celebration Coalition of Massachusetts and a member of the Western Mass Women Presidents’ Organization. She is on the advisory board of the Institute for Women’s Leadership at Nichols College and a volunteer for the Springfield Schools Read-Aloud Program. In 2013, she received the Outstanding Women in Business Award from the Worcester Business Journal.

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Executives and entrepreneurs who participate in business peer groups report it is their most valuable activity for exploring solutions and shifting paradigms, says Ira Bryck, director of the Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley. A group that has been meeting for years, formerly as part of a global roundtable organization, is accepting new members and hiring Bryck as their facilitator and coach. The Impact Executive Peer Group meets monthly for much of a day, and each member gets monthly, personalized coaching from the facilitator. The group will grow to include a dozen leaders from medium and larger companies roughly between Worcester and the Berkshires, and Hartford and Brattleboro. The format will include members discussing their challenges with questions and suggestions, as well as a speaker series, with topics and presenters relevant to the needs of the group. Bryck has moderated roundtable groups for 25 years, and is taking on this project as part of the leadership succession the Family Business Center is undergoing.

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Dena Hall

Dena Hall

Dena Hall, who has served as Baystate Health Foundation’s vice chair for the past two years, has succeeded Jean Deliso as the foundation’s chair. Hall — a graduate of UMass Amherst, the Massachusetts School for Financial Studies, and the National School of Banking and Finance at Fairfield University — is executive vice president, chief Marketing officer for Hometown Financial Group and its banks, bankESB, based in Easthampton, and bankHometown, based in Central Mass. She is also the president of the bankESB Charitable Foundation and a member of the board of trustees for the Springfield Museums and the Springfield Thunderbirds Foundation. A longstanding volunteer for Baystate Noble Hospital, Hall and her husband, Eric, chaired the 2009 Baystate Noble Ball, helping to generate vitally important funds in support of the hospital in Westfield. In her previous role as Western Massachusetts regional president of United Bank and president of the United Bank Foundation, she launched support for the innovative Acute Care for Elders Unit at Baystate Medical Center with a $50,000 grant from the bank. She continues to invite new funders to the hospital to consider supporting this program.

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Ryan Nauman

Ryan Nauman

Country Bank announced that Ryan Nauman joined its Commercial Banking division as vice president of Commercial Lending. Nauman brings 20 years of experience in the industry. His knowledge of business banking comes from his prior commercial-service roles and his passion for partnering with business owners to make their dreams reality. Nauman has held various positions over the years as a credit analyst, portfolio manager, and, most recently, vice president, loan officer with Farmington Bank in the Commercial Real Estate department. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Bryant College. He is a member of the Real Estate Finance Assoc. and the Hartford Community Loan Fund. Nauman is located at the bank’s corporate office in Ware and will assist customers in the Western Mass. and Connecticut areas.

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The Vann Group announced that Patty Stefanelli has joined the organization and will lead its newly launched Performance Improvement Division. This division was created to help organizations in any industry work toward more sustained levels of operational excellence by embracing Lean thinking and continuous improvement. In her role, Stefanelli will be focusing on creating awareness of the benefits of these concepts throughout the Pioneer Valley. Before joining the Vann Group, Stefanelli worked for the city of Springfield in its Information Technology department, and as an independent consultant helping organizations with their operations and IT. She has extensive technical and business knowledge, as well as project-management experience. She has led large, organization-wide initiatives from ERP and time and attendance system implementations to Lean process improvement initiatives, such as streamlining hiring processes or the order fulfillment processes in shipping departments. She has an MBA, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, and TWI Knowledge certification.

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Paragus IT CEO Delcie Bean announced the addition of three new board members. On Jan. 1, Nicole Nakashian, Michelle Abdow, and Scott Webster joined Randy Krotowski, Scott Foster, and John Drake on the board of the fast-growing IT firm. Nakashian currently serves as executive vice president at InvestCloud Inc. She helped launch Agio, an IT managed-service provider, and was responsible for building a client-centric progressive culture in addition to growing and managing the operations. Abdow is founder and president of Market Mentors, LLC, a full-service marketing agency located in Western Mass. that provides a variety of services, including advertising, branding, media buying, graphic design, public relations, broadcast production, and event planning. Webster is currently head of WW Operations for Amazon Experts. He brings a versatile mix of financial, technical, and business expertise. He is passionate about driving innovation, strategic change, and operational efficiency across dynamic, internet-based businesses.

 

People on the Move
Colin Lacey

Colin Lacey

Clare Ladue

Clare Ladue

Samuel Smith

Samuel Smith

PeoplesBank announced the appointments of Colin Lacey as Village Commons South Hadley Banking Center manager, Clare Ladue as Hadley Banking Center manager, and Samuel Smith as East Longmeadow Banking Center manager. In his new position, Lacey is responsible for identifying and providing personal and small-business customers banking options to achieve their financial needs, including depository services and lending solutions. He has six years of financial-services experience. Lacey holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. He is also a 2017 graduate of the Springfield Leadership Institute. He is a volunteer youth lacrosse coach in South Hadley. In her new position, Ladue oversees and manages all aspects of a full-service banking center, including staffing, sales, operations, business development, and community relations. She has 24 years of banking experience. Ladue earned commercial-lending certification from the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. (MBA), and is a graduate of the MBA’s New England School of Financial Studies. Her volunteer service includes the Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce, where she served on the executive committee, as well as the Ware 250th anniversary committee, West Springfield Partners for Education, the Walk of Champions to benefit Baystate Mary Lane Rays of Hope, Junior Achievement, Rays of Hope, Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen, and Link to Libraries. In his new position, Smith is serving the financial needs of both consumer and small-business clients. Utilizing technology, he is providing a consultative learning environment in order to educate clients around the various options for banking with PeoplesBank. He has 13 years of banking and financial-services experience. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems with a minor in business management. He is also a certified business banker by Moody’s Analytics. He is also an active volunteer for Revitalize CDC and Junior Achievement.

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Bill Grinnell

Bill Grinnell

Beth Young

Beth Young

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts announced the addition of two new members, Bill Grinnell and Beth Young, to its board of directors. Grinnell is president of Webber and Grinnell Insurance and manager of Webber and Grinnell Employee Benefits LLC of Northampton. He also serves as vice president of River Valley Investors, an angel investment group in Springfield. He is the former president of the Hampshire YMCA, past co-chair of the United Way annual fund, past vice president of the Employers Assoc., former member of the Northampton Planning Board, and past trustee of the Academy at Charlemont. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Hartwick College in New York. Young has served as district director of Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. for the past 20 years, covering stores in all four counties in Western Mass. and two stores in Connecticut. Throughout her time there, she and her team have organized numerous fundraising events to support local community organizations, including regional food banks, the USO, and Dana Farber’s Cure for Childhood Cancer. She is a graduate of Westfield State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology. 

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Mayor Domenic Sarno announced the appointment of attorney Talia Gee as the city of Springfield’s new chief Diversity & Inclusion officer. “As I said this past year, and with the upcoming retirement of Equal Opportunity Administrator Dan Hall, a newly evolved/transitional position would be developed,” Sarno said. “My thanks to Dan Hall for all his years of dedicated service to our city. This new position enhances my vision to lead in development and implementation of proactive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in hiring, career development, and leadership opportunities in support of our city’s strategic plan to continue to foster a working environment, where all have an opportunity to succeed. Though this new position will work closely with our Human Resources Division, it is a direct cabinet-level report to me.” Gee will start her position on Jan. 14. Her salary will be $92,000. She is a graduate of St. John’s University in New York City and received her MBA and law degree from Western New England University. She is MCAD-certified and previously worked at the law firm of Sullivan, Hayes & Quinn. She is the board chairwoman of the Springfield Boys & Girls Club and co-creator of the “How to Wear Your Crown” event that focuses on Springfield-area teenage girls.

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Kathryn Crouss

Kathryn Crouss

Bacon Wilson announced that Kathryn Crouss has been named the firm’s newest shareholder. Crouss is a member of Bacon Wilson’s litigation team and handles all aspects of employment law, including management-side representation, defending employers against discrimination and wage-and-hour lawsuits and routinely advising employers on matters related to compliance, official policies and procedures, and best practices. She also represents employees with regard to severance or employment agreements, worker’s compensation matters, as well as claims of discrimination against their employers. She also has extensive experience with both family-law litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Crouss is a certified mediator, trained in collaborative law, an LAR (limited assistance representation) qualified attorney for Hampden County, and a trained conciliator for the Massachusetts Probate & Family Courts. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Bay Path University, where she teaches “Legal Environments in Business” to students of the university’s business department.

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Greg Chiecko

Greg Chiecko

Greg Chiecko, director of Sales at the Eastern States Exposition (ESE), has been named president and CEO of the Outdoor Amusement Business Assoc. (OABA), the mobile amusement industry’s trade association. The announcement was made by the OABA board of directors following a comprehensive executive search. Chiecko succeeds longtime OABA President Robert Johnson, and will embark on his new career on Feb. 1. The OABA is the largest trade association representing carnivals, circuses, concessionaires, independent ride owners, and others who serve fairs, festivals, and community events. Chiecko’s 24-year career at ESE included the oversight of midway operations at the Big E. He worked closely with the OABA and other industry associations and is past board member of the International Assoc. of Fairs and Expositions, and past president of the Massachusetts Agricultural Fairs Assoc. and the New England Assoc. of Amusement Parks and Attractions. He also sits on the board of the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau and served as its chair for five years.

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Berkshire Family & Individual Resources Inc. (BFAIR) announced an organizational restructuring and internal promotions. Rich Weisenflue, previously executive director, will assume the role of CEO. Other promotions included Ethel Altiery to executive director, Jane Patenaude-LeBeau to chief financial officer, and Theresa Gelinas to senior vice president, Day Services. The structural changes come as a response to the organization’s continued growth. According to Alex Kastrinakis, BFAIR’s board chair, “the board of directors placed an emphasis on devising a management structure to achieve the agency’s mission to meet the growing needs of people with disabilities and older adult members of our community. In 2019, we will celebrate the agency’s 25th anniversary, and the new structure is also reflective of the positive changes the management team accomplished over the past two decades, including expansion of services beyond the Berkshires into the Pioneer Valley and Southern Vermont.” Restructuring of the management team will also include a newly created position, vice president, Residential Services. BFAIR is a member agency of the Northern Berkshire United Way and Williamstown Community Chest.

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Monson Savings Bank (MSB) announced the promotions of Carolyn Balicki to branch manager/retail banking officer, Rob Chateauneuf to first vice president commercial loan officer, and Dina Merwin to first vice president compliance and BSA officer. Balicki joined the MSB team in 2009 as a CSA in Monson. She was promoted to CSA supervisor in 2010, assistant branch manager in 2011, and branch manager in 2014. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at UMass Amherst and is a graduate of the New England School of Financial Studies. Chateauneuf joined MSB in 2012 as an assistant vice president commercial loan officer. He was promoted to vice president in 2014 and took on the added responsibility of assistant department manager of the Commercial Loan department in 2015. He has close to 20 years of commercial and retail banking experience and earned a bachelor’s degree in business management at UMass Amherst. Merwin came on board in December 2012 as a temporary BSA analyst to assist during an employee leave of absence. In June 2013, she was hired as compliance officer. In 2014, she was promoted to AVP compliance and BSA officer, and she earned the vice president title in 2016. She has 25 years of community banking experience and is a graduate of the National School of Banking and the Massachusetts School for Financial Studies.

People on the Move
Eric Pinsoneault

Eric Pinsoneault

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. recently welcomed Eric Pinsoneault, CPA, to the firm in the position of senior associate. Prior to coming aboard at MBK, Pinsoneault worked in the audit department of a Boston-area firm for four years. He has also worked as a senior accountant at a renewable-energy firm. In his new role at MBK, he will perform audit and attestation services for pension plans, privately held corporations, and nonprofit organizations. Pinsoneault holds a bachelor’s degree from Goddard College and master’s degrees in accounting and business administration from UMass Boston. “Eric is a great addition to the new crop of talent who have been drawn to our firm and to the quality of life and business culture in Western Massachusetts,” said MBK Partner Howard Cheney. “His experience, personal approach, and unique skill set will be of great service to the firm — and our clients.”

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Brandon Salem

Brandon Salem

The MP Group recently welcomed Brandon Salem as a manager within its tax practice. Salem began his career with CBIZ Inc. in Clearwater, Fla. in 2007. His experience includes federal and state consulting for individuals, business owners, and privately held pass-through entities in a wide array of industries, including real estate, construction, auto dealerships, professional services, retail, wholesale, and manufacturing. Salem holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Tampa. He is a certified public accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

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Anne Massey, professor and Ruth L. Nelson Chair of Business at the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin, has been named dean of the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. The appointment of Massey, who built her career at Indiana University, was made by John McCarthy, provost and senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. Massey, the Isenberg School’s first female dean, succeeds Mark Fuller, who served in the position from 2009 to 2018 and is now vice chancellor for Advancement at UMass Amherst. She will assume her new duties in August. Isenberg is currently led by interim Dean Tom Moliterno. At Wisconsin, Massey served briefly as dean of the Business school, and she has been leading a collaboration between the schools of Business, Engineering and Human Ecology with a focus on creating a new master of science degree in design and innovation that will launch in 2020. Her efforts to develop cross-disciplinary programs started during her 22-year tenure at Indiana’s Kelley School of Business, where she recently served as founding co-chair of the Intelligent Systems Engineering Program in the School of Informatics and Computing. In that role, she collaborated with faculty from that school and Kelley as well as the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and the Maurer School of Law to design and implement a new undergraduate curriculum. In 2012, Massey worked with Indiana University colleagues to create the Center of Excellence for Women in Technology, the nation’s first large, interdisciplinary initiative to support students, faculty, staff, and alumni in embracing technology across the university. She also focuses on collaborations outside of academia. She spent six years during her time at Kelley serving as executive director for Information Management Affiliates, an industry-university cooperative involving more than 20 businesses and nonprofits. Massey’s academic positions at Indiana University and Kelley included associate vice president for University Academic Affairs, associate vice provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs, chair of Doctoral Programs, and founding chair of the Information Systems department. Massey earned her bachelor’s degree in management, a master’s degree in industrial engineering, and a Ph.D. in decision sciences from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

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Joseph Wendover

Joseph Wendover

Richard Venne, CEO of Viability, announced the appointment of Joseph Wendover as chief Human Resources and Diversity officer. Wendover was previously the Corporate Field Inclusion manager at Walgreens Boots Alliance and was an active member of Viability’s board of directors before accepting his current position. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. and his master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology from University of New Haven. As the Corporate Field Inclusion manager for Walgreens Boots Alliance, Wendover successfully placed more than 250 people with disabilities into Walgreens’ Connecticut-based New England Distribution Center and developed a diversity program that was replicated throughout the division in 18 other centers. He also currently serves as board president for the Connecticut Business Leadership Network, a member of the Connecticut State Rehabilitation Council, and a member of the Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. He has more than 12 years of hands-on experience within human resources, diversity, and inclusion and 10 years of experience working directly with Viability as a board member and advocate.

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Christopher Pierson

Christopher Pierson

Ryan O’Hara

Ryan O’Hara

Elizabeth Mone

Elizabeth Mone

Bacon Wilson announced that attorney Christopher Pierson has joined the firm as counsel, together with associate attorneys Ryan O’Hara and Elizabeth Mone. Pierson is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully tried numerous cases to verdict in courts across Massachusetts. His practice encompasses all aspects of civil litigation, including commercial disputes, individual matters, and personal injury. He is a graduate of Northeastern University Law School and Gettysburg College. O’Hara is an associate with the firm’s litigation team, where much of his work is focused on contract and business matters, land-use litigation, and accidents and injuries. Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, O’Hara spent one year clerking for Justice C. Jeffrey Kinder of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. He graduated summa cum laude from Western New England University School of Law, and received his bachelor’s degree from Tufts University. Mone, known as Liza, is an associate in Bacon Wilson’s estates and probate department, where she works on matters related to estate and asset planning, trusts, long-term care planning, and matters of guardianship and conservatorship. Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, she worked as a staff attorney for the New Hampshire public defender. She graduated magna cum laude from Boston College Law School, and received her bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College. She is licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

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PeoplesBank recently announced the promotions of 11 associates.

• Brian Canina was promoted to executive vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer. He formerly served as senior vice president and chief financial officer. He has 19 years of accounting and banking experience.

• Lynn Brown was promoted to senior vice president, Commercial Lending. She formerly served as first vice president, Commercial Lending. She possesses more than 30 years of commercial banking experience.

• Shaun Dwyer was promoted to senior vice president, Commercial Lending. He previously served as first vice president, Commercial Lending, and possesses more than 20 years of commercial banking experience.

• Xiaolei Hua was promoted to vice president, portfolio manager II. He formerly served as assistant vice president, portfolio manager II, and has 12 years of banking experience.

• Matt Krokov was promoted to vice president, portfolio manager II. He previously served as assistant vice president, portfolio manager II, and has more than eight years of banking experience.

• Jeff Reinke was promoted to vice president of Operational Risk. He previously served as operational risk officer and has 17 years of financial, risk, and operations experience in the private-equity-investment and institutional wealth-management industries.

• Brian Rheaume was promoted to vice president, Information Technology. He previously served as assistant vice president, Information Technology, and has 16 years of information-technology experience.

• Alisa Feliberty was promoted to assistant vice president, Customer Solutions officer. She previously served as Customer Solutions manager and has seven years of banking experience.

• Chrissy Kiddy was promoted to assistant vice president, Corporate Responsibility and Social Media. She formerly served as Corporate Responsibility and Social Media manager and has five years of banking experience. 

Danielle Rosario was promoted to assistant vice president, Chicopee Banking Center manager. She formerly served as Hadley Banking Center manager and has 15 years of retail banking experience.

• Erinn Young was promoted to assistant vice president, Deposit Operations officer. She formerly served as Deposit Operations officer and has 22 years of banking experience.

People on the Move
Thomas Kettle

Thomas Kettle

In a first for both institutions, Holyoke Community College (HCC) and Westfield State University have jointly hired a dedicated, full-time director to oversee emergency management and operations planning on each campus. As director of emergency preparedness and response, Thomas Kettle will split his time 60-40 between Westfield State and HCC while maintaining offices on both campuses. An emergency-management specialist, Kettle comes to the new position after serving since 2013 as the fire-safety specialist at Brown University, where his job included support and training in emergency planning and operations. He started his new position on Dec. 10. Kettle is a former infantryman and section sergeant in the U.S. Army. He holds a bachelor’s degree in fire science from Providence College and, earlier this year, completed his master’s degree in emergency management from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He will report to the vice presidents for Administration and Finance at each institution. Among his duties, he will be responsible for updating and expanding existing emergency operation plans at both schools.

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David Fernandes

David Fernandes

David Fernandes has joined Polish National Credit Union as retail operations manager. He has more than 11 years of retail banking and management experience. He has taken on an array of roles during his career, including retail banking officer, branch manager, and mortgage loan specialist, which has provided him with widespread knowledge of the industry. Fernandes is a graduate of American International College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He has held communication and community assignments with the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the membership committee; the Chicopee Portuguese American Club, where he is a member of the scholarship committee; and the Gremio Lusitano Portuguese Club of Ludlow, where he is on the executive board. Fernandes is also a Ludlow Special Police officer and treasurer, completing countless hours of community service. He assists with organizing community events and maintains the finances of the association. In 2010, he graduated from the Basic Reserve/Intermittent Academy and has his Western Mass. Chiefs of Police Assoc. certification.

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Pamela Stobierski

Pamela Stobierski

Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB) named Pamela Stobierski chair of its board of directors. Stobierski has been a trustee of the bank since 2008 and most recently has been serving on the executive board of directors and as chair of the trust committee. She takes on the board chair position following the death this past spring of the prior chair, Edward Margola. Following her graduation from Smith College in 1983, Stobierski obtained her juris doctorate from Suffolk University in 1988 and became a partner with her husband, John Stobierski, in Stobierski and Connor, one of the largest law firms in Greenfield. Her law practice has been concentrated in elder law, estates, and real estate. Recently, she became ‘of counsel’ to the firm to give greater attention to her duties as chair of the GSB board. Stobierski is a member of the Franklin County Bar Assoc., the Real Estate Bar Assoc. of Massachusetts, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the South Deerfield Women’s Club, and a member and a former vice president of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. of Deerfield. Her community-service record also includes previously serving as an executive committee member of the Franklin County Bar Assoc. and as treasurer of the Pioneer Valley Symphony.

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Karly Grimaldi

Karly Grimaldi

OMG Inc. named Karly Grimaldi to the newly created position of Sales & Operations Planning manager. She reports to Geri McCarthy, director of Operations. “OMG has established a strong S&OP forecasting tool which various functions in the business utilize,” said Dewey Kolvek, senior vice president of Operations. “In her new position, Karly will capitalize on the tool to help these functions drive process improvements within their organizations.” Grimaldi started with OMG in 2011 as a sales and marketing assistant for the Roofing Products Division. Most recently, she has been an S&OP analyst, helping to design and launch the initial sales and operations planning tool. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in information management and communications, both from Bay Path University.

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Jose Delgado

Jose Delgado

Jose Delgado, a Springfield native who has been active in local and statewide government affairs for most of his professional career, was appointed to the Holyoke Community College (HCC) board of trustees by Gov. Charlie Baker. Delgado is director of Government Affairs for MGM Springfield and a former aide to Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. Born and raised in Springfield, Delgado graduated from Central High School before attending Westfield State College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in mass communications with a minor in business management. Earlier this year, he completed his MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. Since graduating from Westfield State in 2008, Delgado has also worked as a program coordinator for the Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce, a field operations supervisor for the U.S. Census Bureau, and a pre-admissions advisor and recruitment coordinator for University Without Walls at UMass. As a volunteer, he has served as vice chair of the Springfield Puerto Rican Parade committee and is a founding board member of Suit Up Springfield. In 2014, he was named one of the 40 Under Forty by BusinessWest.

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Richard Venne, CEO of Viability, announced that Patty Morey Walker, former mayoral candidate in Greenfield, has accepted the position of program manager in Viability’s Greenfield office. Morey Walker was also president and CEO of Walker, West and Associates. As founder of this insurance consulting firm, she oversaw program development, product development, and marketing. She received her bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation from Springfield College and master’s degree in rehabilitation from Boston University, and was a 2014 graduate of Western Massachusetts Women’s Fund’s Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact. In addition to her multiple years of experience in the insurance-technology field, Morey Walker has several years of experience in the human-services field, including positions working in residential homes for individuals with intellectual disabilities, a residential treatment center for girls in the Department of Youth and Family System, a recreational program for children with development disabilities, and a work center for adults with intellectual challenges. She looks forward to returning to the human-services industry and aims to utilize her skills from past experiences in both the public and private sector to help Viability achieve its mission of supporting individuals with disabilities and other societal disadvantages in reaching their full potential. In addition, Viability announced the recent promotion of three current staff members: Kristin Rotas, director (Holyoke); Jennifer Pisano, associate vice president (Connecticut, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island), and Gregg Thompson, vice president (Connecticut, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island).

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Thomas Hogan

Thomas Hogan

Wright-Pierce, a multi-disciplinary engineering firm, announced that Thomas Hogan has joined the firm as regional group leader for Western and Central Mass. Bringing a diverse skill set to Wright-Pierce’s growing Massachusetts operation, Hogan has more than 20 years of experience working with municipal, institutional, industrial, commercial, and energy-sector clients. He has served as a consultant to municipalities throughout Massachusetts, conducting site-plan reviews and providing expert testimony, master planning and design, permitting, materials testing, and construction inspection and administration. He has successfully permitted complex projects through local, state, and federal agencies throughout New England, and is considered a leader in implementing stormwater best management practices, dam improvements, and watershed protection measures. Hogan’s technical expertise in the energy sector includes project management of deepwater dredging for a hydroelectric generating facility, renewable-energy-source development, and a combined heat and power plant for a regional medical center, significantly increasing its utility crisis backup operations capability.

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HCC Foundation Inc., the nonprofit fundraising arm of Holyoke Community College, recently added five new members to its board of trustees. At its annual meeting on Dec. 4, the foundation board voted in Kevin Green, a member of the Westfield Financial Management Services team at Westfield Bank; Tiffany Cutting Madru, vice president of Business and Marketing for C&D Electronics in Holyoke; Meghan Parnell-Gregoire, vice president and Business Lending Center manager at PeoplesBank; Tim Wegiel, assistant vice president and Electronic Banking officer at PeoplesBank and an HCC alumnus; and Alicia Zoeller, an attorney and deputy administrator for the city of Holyoke’s Office of Community Development. Also at the annual meeting, John “Jay” Driscoll, a partner in the law firm of Resnic, Beauregard, Waite & Driscoll in Holyoke, was elected board chair; and Corey Murphy, president of First American Insurance Agency in Chicopee, was elected vice chair. The HCC Foundation marked its 50th anniversary in 2018. This year, the foundation has already provided nearly $1 million to the college in grants as well as funds earmarked for athletics, the HCC Library, music, classroom technology, and other equipment. In addition, the foundation awards more than $200,000 each year to students for academic scholarships.

People on the Move
Terry Maxey

Terry Maxey

Terry Maxey, former interim director of Open Pantry Community Services Inc., has been selected to permanently lead the agency as director. He has served as interim director of Open Pantry since November 2017, and has been with organization since February 2016. As director, Maxey will be responsible for managing all aspects of Open Pantry, which serves more than 18,000 low-income and disadvantaged people annually, with an approximately $3 million annual budget and 40 staff members. Before joining Open Pantry, Maxey served as director of Operations and project manager at Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services in Springfield. There, he helped lead the multi-cultural, multi-service agency dedicated to empowering individuals and families in need. He also held a number of leadership positions within the private sector. He has been recognized for his leadership skills, receiving the 2017 SMOC Housing Team of the Year Award and the MLK Jr. Family Services Employee of the Quarter Award for outstanding performance and leadership. Maxey is invested in the Springfield community and serves with a variety of organizations, including the executive and operational committees of the city of Springfield Health and Human Services, Springfield-Hampden County Continuum of Care board of directors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Virginia State University and a certificate from Leadership of Pioneer Valley.

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Christine Pollender

Christine Pollender

Sunshine Village recently welcomed Christine Pollender as the new director of Human Resources. With the organization serving more than 500 individuals, Pollender will oversee employee relations, benefits administration, and procedural compliance for over 260 employees at nine sites across the Pioneer Valley. With an extensive background in human resources in retail and hospital settings, she brings subject-matter expertise to navigate the recent changes to state and federal laws for employers. Pollender received both a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in business administration from Western New England University. She holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute and is a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, including the local chapter, the Human Resources Management Assoc. of Western New England, where she serves on its diversity and inclusion committee. 

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Cheryl Sheils

Cheryl Sheils

Bay Path University announced that Cheryl Sheils has been named program director for its new doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree program. Sheils comes to the university from Elms College, where she taught in the Nursing program for nearly 30 years at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She was a founding member and nurse manager for 20 years at Pioneer Valley Free Health Service in East Longmeadow. She has also been project director for an HRSA Health Workforce Diversity Grant and has travelled to Jamaica with nursing students on medical missions for the past several years. She has presented at numerous conferences, and her articles have been published in industry journals and other publications. The DNP program, set to begin in spring 2019, will be offered 100% online, ensuring flexibility for nurses who wish to obtain the skills to become advanced nurse practitioners with a specialization in family practice (FNP).

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Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced that Michael T. Oleksak has been hired as vice president of Commercial Lending. Oleksak brings more than 15 years of experience in banking, most recently serving as the vice president of Commercial Lending for Westfield Bank, managing a portfolio of more than $25 million. Before Westfield Bank, Oleksak was the assistant vice president, Business Banking officer at United Bank. In his new role, Oleksak’s main objective will be to originate and develop commercial-lending relationships involving construction projects, business-acquisition financing, investment real estate, equipment financials, business lines of credit, and lending relationships for the bank. Oleksak holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University. He has a strong commitment to serving the surrounding communities, currently serving on the board of directors for the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club.

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Kelly Bowman

Kelly Bowman

Kelly Bowman was elected to be the 2019 president of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV), a nonprofit trade association with 1,800 members. A general membership meeting was held on Nov. 8 at the Delaney House in Holyoke for the purpose of electing the RAPV 2019 leadership team. Bowman is the broker/owner of Trademark Real Estate, LLC which has offices in South Deerfield and Greenfield. She has been active in real estate since 1997. As a former co-owner of Upton Enterprises Inc., a custom home-building company, she brings practical building knowledge to transactions with clients. She has served on the RAPV board of directors for four consecutive years and was involved in several committees, including the grievance committee, professional standards committee, and professional development committee.

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Jessica Chapin, American International College’s (AIC) associate athletic director/compliance senior woman administrator/deputy Title IX coordinator, is one of 18 individuals recently inducted into the Section V Basketball Hall of Fame in New York. She played with Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District. Chapin was a member of the first-team All-State in 2005 with the Class A state champion Cougars. She finished second all-time in Section V girls’ basketball in three-point field goals, with 207. In addition to her success playing for Honeoye Falls, Chapin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and health, science, and social policy from Brandeis University in 2010. While at Brandeis, Chapin was an All-American women’s basketball player. She earned her master’s degree in athletic administration from Springfield College in 2013. Chapin joined the AIC athletic department in 2014 and works directly with all 22 NCAA varsity programs, as well as men’s and women’s rugby, to ensure that the college is in compliance with all NCAA, Northeast-10, and Atlantic Hockey rules, bylaws and regulations. In 2017, she was appointed to a four-year term with the NCAA Division II Management Council. As part of her commitment, she serves on two committees: the NCAA legislation committee and the Olympic sport committee.

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Jeffrey Adams

Jeffrey Adams

Robinson Donovan, P.C. announced that Associate Jeffrey Adams recently received two prominent appointments. He became a fellow of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. (MBA) Leadership Academy and accepted a position on the board of directors at Dakin Humane Society. The MBA Leadership Academy works to develop and nurture future leaders of the bar by teaching fellows how to be compassionate, open-minded, and thoughtful leaders. At Dakin Humane Society, Adams will act as part of the governing body that is responsible for overseeing the organization’s activities. Dakin is a community-supported animal-welfare organization that provides shelter, medical care, spay-and-neuter services, and behavioral rehabilitation for more than 20,000 animals each year.

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Bob Pura, former president of Greenfield Community College (GCC) for more than 17 years, has joined the all-volunteer board of directors of the International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI) in Northampton. During his tenure at GCC, Pura oversaw creation of the college’s testing, wellness, advising, and veteran’s centers as well as the GCC Food Pantry and senior symposia. He worked with former U.S. Rep. John Olver and community leaders to develop sustainable-energy, creative-economy, healthcare, and manufacturing initiatives at GCC and oversaw extensive building renovations to the campus. He also worked with the leadership of the Opioid Task Force and the Franklin County Jail and Courthouse to elevate the role education plays in the lives of those in recovery. Under Pura’s leadership, the GCC Foundation raised $14 million and has awarded hundreds of scholarships over several years. The college’s endowment also rose to more than $5 million. Pura has chaired the Massachusetts President’s Council and served on its executive committee. He sits on the Baystate Health board of trustees and was a commissioner on the New England Assoc. of Schools and Colleges Higher Education Commission.

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Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin announced that eight attorneys from the firm were selected to the 2018 Massachusetts Super Lawyers List and three attorneys were selected to the 2018 Massachusetts Rising Stars List. Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a multi-phase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area.

• Shareholder Michele Feinstein was recognized for the 12th year in the fields of estate planning and probate;

• Shareholder Gary Fentin was selected for the 13th year in the field of government finance;

• Shareholder Carol Cioe Klyman was recognized for the 14th year in the field of elder law;

• Managing Partner Timothy Mulhern was selected in the field of tax law for the 11th consecutive year;

• Shareholder Steven Schwartz was selected for the 13th time in the field of business and corporate law;

• Shareholder James Sheils was selected for the fourth consecutive year in the field of banking law;

• Shareholder Ann (Ami) Weber was selected for the 15th consecutive year in the field of elder law; and

• Shareholder Steven Weiss was selected in the field of business bankruptcy for the 12th consecutive year.

Additionally, three attorneys have been selected to the 2018 Massachusetts Rising Stars list. To be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less.

• Attorney Mark Esposito was recognized in the field of general litigation;

• Attorney Michael Fenton was selected for the fifth consecutive year in the fields of business and corporate law; and

• Shareholder David Webber was honored in the field of closely held business for the seventh consecutive year.

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Florence Bank President and CEO John Heaps Jr. announced the bank has hired three well-known and banking professionals with long-term industry experience in the Springfield area. They will be charged with helping to grow the bank’s Hampden County presence as it expands in that region. Michael Moriarty will serve as senior vice president/commercial team leader, Joseph Kulig will serve as vice president/commercial loan officer, and Candace Pereira will be assistant vice president/commercial portfolio manager. Moriarty, Kulig, and Pereira previously worked at Farmington Bank, a $3 billion commercial bank whose assets were recently purchased by Peoples United Bank. At Farmington, Moriarty was senior vice president and regional commercial team leader, Kulig was a relationship manager, and Pereira was assistant vice president. All three previously worked with United Bank.

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The United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) introduced its new president and CEO, Paul Mina, to the community at a public event on Nov. 9. Mina brings more than 30 years of United Way experience to the Pioneer Valley and has already stepped into his new role. The UWPV board of directors has entered into a management agreement with the United Way of Tri-County, based in Framingham. Both organizations’ boards voted to approve the two-and-a-half-year management agreement, under which two organizations will share a CEO and other management operations, while UWPV still remains under local board oversight. “This is not a merger, but a way to gain efficiencies in the back-end management,” said Steve Lowell, chairman of the UWPV board and president of Monson Savings Bank. “Plus we’ll get some much-needed stability in leadership and the value of Paul’s experience and energy. It’s a great opportunity for us.”

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The board of trustees at Elms College have appointed a number of notable figures to be new members of the board. The new trustees are Beth Anderson, founder and CEO of Phoenix Charter Academy Network; Pascale Desir, chief legal officer of Way Finders; Dr. Jose Fernandez, co-owner of Sunrise Behavioral Health Clinic; Mark Fulco, president of Mercy Medical Center; Steven Gobel, first vice president of Morgan Stanley; Fawwaz Habbal, executive dean for Education and Research and senior lecturer at the Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University; and Richard Sullivan Jr., president and CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council.

People on the Move
Brenda McGiverin

Brenda McGiverin

WWLP announced that Brenda McGiverin has been promoted to general sales manager of WWLP-22News, wwlp.com, and the CW Springfield. McGiverin has been with WWLP since 2007. She began her career at the media outlet as a digital account executive/new media coordinator. She was then promoted to digital sales director, where she led a sales team of seven account executives, and was responsible for generating and managing all digital revenue.  Most recently, she has served as local sales manager overseeing the entire local sales staff and coordinating all aspects of broadcast and digital sales. Outside of her responsibilities at WWLP, she is the board president of the Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts, a member of the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round board, and on the advisory committee for Providence Ministries. McGiverin is a graduate of Northeastern University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business marketing and management. While attending Northeastern, she worked as a marketing coordinator for 8MinuteDating – Boston, and as a client services coordinator for MTV2-Y2M: Youth Media & Marketing Networks, the parent of College Publisher, the largest interactive network of online college newspapers in the U.S.

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Berdie Thompson

Berdie Thompson

Berdie Thompson recently joined the staff of Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts as the Development director. She previously served as the Charitable Gifts and Events coordinator for the Chicopee Savings Bank Foundation for 10 years. In addition, she has six years of fundraising experience and six years of office management in the nonprofit sector and a solid track record of meeting and exceeding fundraising goals. She brings with her a plethora of knowledge about fundraising from both sides of the table. Prior to her involvement in nonprofits, she was in the banking industry for 15 years.

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Suzanne Rosenberg

Suzanne Rosenberg

Michael Gay

Michael Gay

PeoplesBank recently appointed Suzanne Rosenberg as assistant vice president and manager for its West Springfield banking center, and Michael Gay as manager for its Amherst banking center. In her new position, Rosenberg aims to cultivate a customer-focused, engaging, one-stop resolution environment focused on identifying and providing solutions for all customers’ financial needs. She has 15 years of financial-services and banking experience. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Stonehill College in Easton. She formerly served as a volunteer for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and the Mashpee Boys & Girls Club. In his new position, Gay aims to provide a positive banking experience to both consumer and small-business customers. He has eight years of financial-services and banking experience. He attended Holyoke Community College and Franklin-Covey organizational training. He formerly served as a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the Therapeutic Equestrian Center of Holyoke.

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Sr. Kathleen Keating

Sr. Kathleen Keating

The board of trustees of Elms College voted recently to grant the title of president emerita to Sr. Kathleen Keating in recognition of the lasting impact she has had on the college. Keating, a native of Springfield, was installed as the college’s seventh president in 1994. During her tenure, from 1994 to 2001, Elms College underwent extensive changes. In 1997, the college voted to admit male students to all programs of the college, which helped stabilize a declining enrollment. In addition, the college added four new undergraduate majors and one new master’s degree program. She more than doubled the school’s endowment from $2.3 million to $5.8 million and oversaw various campus-improvement projects, including the building of the Maguire Center. She also oversaw the establishment of the Irish and Polish Cultural Centers on the Elms campus. A 1952 graduate of Elms College, Keating received a master’s degree from Villanova University and a doctoral degree from Fordham University. She joined the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1953. She worked as a teacher at St. Joseph High School in North Adams and was assistant professor of History at Elms College from 1966 to 1975. She also served as chair of the college’s Division of Social Sciences. From 1975 to 1978, she was president of the National Assembly of Women Religious in Chicago, and she served as president of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from 1979 to 1987. From 1989 to 1993, she ministered in Nicaragua as an associate member of the Maryknoll Sisters, working as a pastoral minister and a professor of English at the Jesuit University of Central America in the city of Managua. She received the Elms Distinguished Alumni Award in 1983 and a number other national and regional awards over the years.

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Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced that Tiffany Raines has been hired as assistant vice president and branch officer of the new Holyoke branch located at 170 Sargeant St. Raines brings more than 18 years of experience in banking, most recently serving as assistant vice president and banking center manager of PeoplesBank’s West Springfield banking center. In addition to 10 years as a branch manager and spending time managing the West Springfield, Amherst, and East Longmeadow offices, she also spent six years supervising the High Street and Hampden Street offices in Holyoke. Raines has a strong commitment to serving surrounding communities. She is a past board member of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Rotary Clubs of Amherst, Holyoke, and East Longmeadow. Raines is a graduate of Leadership Holyoke, which is an 11-week community leadership course designed to train and motivate people to volunteer in order to make a positive difference in their community. Along with Raines, Tenaya Read has been selected as assistant branch manager. Read joined the bank in 2004 and, over the last 14 years, has held the positions of teller, customer service representative, and, most recently, senior teller at the main office in Easthampton (36 Main St.). In addition, Nadean Eaddy has been selected as senior teller. Eaddy joined the bank this past May with 15 years of banking experience, 11 of which were in a supervisor role. She has been promoted from her current role as teller in the South Hadley branch.

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Susan Fentin

Susan Fentin

Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. announced that Susan Fentin, senior counsel, has retired from the active representation of clients after 20 years with the firm. Fentin joined Skoler Abbott in 1999 after serving as clerk to Judge John Greaney, associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and practicing for several years with the Labor and Employment department of a large law firm in Hartford, Conn. Her expertise in the niche market of employment law enabled her to quickly build a leadership role at Skoler Abbott. In just five years, she was made partner. Fentin graduated magna cum laude from Western New England University School of Law, where she was editor in chief of the Western New England College Law Review. She was the editor of the Massachusetts Employment Law Letter and teaches master classes on behalf of the publisher, Business & Legal Resources (BLR). She will continue to present occasional webinars to national audiences on behalf of BLR and is a regular presenter and keynote speaker for BLR’s annual Advanced Employment Issues Symposium. In addition, Fentin has a long history of supporting charitable organizations in Western Mass. She has served on the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts board of trustees, including three years as president; the Riverside Industries Inc. board of directors, including stints as vice president and president; and the WFCR Public Radio board of directors, where she also served as president. She currently serves on the board of directors for Greenfield Cooperative Bank and the Children’s Advocacy Center in Greenfield and is vice chair of the board of tribunes of WGBY Public Television. Fentin has been named a Super Lawyer since 2008, was one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Massachusetts in 2015, has been recognized as one of the top labor and employment attorneys in Massachusetts by the prestigious Chambers and Partners rating organization, and was honored as a distinguished alumna of the Western New England University Law Review.

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Jean Deliso

Jean Deliso

Jean Deliso, CFP has been named a member of the 2018 Chairman’s Council of New York Life. Members of the elite Chairman’s Council rank in the top 3% of New York Life’s sales force of more than 12,000 licensed agents in sales achievement. She has accomplished this level of achievement for seven consecutive years. Deliso is president and owner of Deliso Financial and Insurance Services, a firm focusing on comprehensive financial strategies that help position clients for a solid financial future since 2000. She has been working in the financial field for 30 years, her first seven in public accounting and the balance working in the financial-services industry. She is a graduate of Bentley College. Her extensive experience has led to a focus in certain fields, such as cash management, risk management, investment planning, and financial preparation for retirement, as well as times of transition such as divorce or widowhood. Deliso has been a New York Life agent since 1995 and is associated with New York Life’s CT Valley General Office in Windsor, Conn. She is currently chairman of the board of the Baystate Health Foundation and is a board member of the Community Music School of Springfield. She is past chairman of the board of the YMCA of Greater Springfield, past board member of AAA Pioneer Valley, and a past trustee of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and the advisory council at Bay Path University.

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Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) announced that Amy Britt has joined the organization as the Leaders OnBoard program coordinator. In this role, she will be responsible for managing LPV’s board-development program, Leaders OnBoard. The program aims to increase and strengthen the skills and capacities of boards of directors. This program is intended to recruit and train people who are new to board service as well as seasoned board members, with the goal of inspiring and strengthening the leadership provided to the network of nonprofit organizations in the Pioneer Valley. Britt comes to Leadership Pioneer Valley with a background in communications, marketing, and event management. She worked for Tapestry, a regional public-health agency, for over 10 years, most recently as director of Communications, where she oversaw communications and marketing for the organization, worked with the Development department on fundraising campaigns and events, and supported the agency’s state and federal advocacy efforts. Britt graduated from Smith College with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and was selected as an American fellow in a U.S. State Department program focused on women’s health leadership in Brazil in 2012. She is a 2014 Leadership Pioneer Valley graduate.

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Marjorie Weeks

Marjorie Weeks

The United Way of Pioneer Valley recently welcomed Marjorie Weeks as director of Resource Development. She brings more than 25 years of experience in fundraising and development as well as school administration. Weeks has done a considerable amount of counseling and coaching for area nonprofits. Much of her experience has been in the independent school world, including time with Academy Hill School and Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Weeks will spend the majority of her time re-energizing long-standing allies and inspiring others to support the essential work of the United Way of Pioneer Valley.

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Kristen Coia, operations manager at Arrha Credit Union, was recognized by the Cooperative Credit Union Assoc. with its Young Professionals Award for being an upcoming, proactive professional. The association also recognized Arrha with the Excellence in Advocacy Award for promoting the interests of credit unions among its legislative, regulatory, and consumer audiences. The engagement in advocacy included many outreach efforts, such as Michael Ostrowski, Arrha’s president and CEO, visiting Washington, D.C., to be part of the ongoing credit-union industry legislative discussions, seeking approvals to fully utilize today’s advances in technology, providing financial literacy, and being part of the World Affairs Committee of Credit Union National Assoc. and its world arm, the World Council of Credit Unions, to lend aid and assistance to Puerto Rico’s credit unions. Ostrowski also traveled to Cuba to engage its government on establishing credit unions and, most recently, to Poland to assist its credit unions in regulatory advocacy with the Polish government.

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Bailey Eastman

Bailey Eastman

Webber and Grinnell Insurance announced that Bailey Eastman, commercial lines marketing manager, was named the MAIA 2018 Young Agent of the Year. This award is given to young agents who have demonstrated career growth and success within their agency as well as significant involvement in the community to which their agency belongs. In addition to Eastman’s work ethic, she is dedicated to her community through volunteering. She is heavily involved with Look Park, has helped organize and run her own nonprofit dealing with child abuse, and serves in various other organizations and community events.

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Ron Davis, a sales professional, business specialist, and founder of WAMF Consulting, has transitioned from president and CEO of the company to chief sales officer. This new position will allow him to offer a comprehensive approach to banks, credit unions, and corporations to support their sales and business-development needs.

After 40 years of selling software and services to financial institutions and corporations in the Northeast, WAMF Consulting was born. WAMF is an acronym for ‘winners are my friends.’ Davis has been recognized nationally, achieved President’s Clubs, and been a top sales performer and district leader. He is trained in major sales methodologies, SPIN selling, power messaging, executive presentations, Dale Carnegie, and strategic selling. Early in his career as an account executive for the Savin Corp., he sold a national contract to United Technologies, the world’s largest corporation at that time. Davis is certified in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and has a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in business, management, and economics. He has written marketing surveys which were implemented in corporate business plans and rolled out company-wide. He coined the phrase ‘lobby dynamics’ to help bank branch personnel sell more products and deepen the customer experience.

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The management of Big Y Foods Inc. announced three new appointments at area Big Y World Class Markets. Samarra DeJesus was named bakery sales manager in Southwick, Trista Sabin was named deli sales manager in Lee, and Thomas Christensen Jr. was named meat/seafood sales manager in Rocky Hill, Conn.

People on the Move
Amanda Levy

Amanda Levy

Hang Tran

Hang Tran

Brand-development firm Six-Point Creative has made two recent additions to its staff, including Amanda Levy, client advocate, and Hang Tran, graphic designer. Levy brings to Six-Point a combination of product-management and account-service experience. She worked previously for Bindertek in Belchertown, where she was lead merchandiser, marketing analyst, and, most recently, manager of product development. She has also provided freelance design and marketing consultation to businesses and nonprofits throughout the region. Levy, who graduated from Mount Holyoke College, will work with Six-Point’s account service team, with responsibility for serving a number of consumer and business-to-business accounts. Tran is an award-winning designer with a degree in graphic design and interactive media from Fitchburg State University. She has provided creative direction, graphic design, image development, and production services for national and international brands while working for PUMA in Westford and for Brigade in Hadley. She will provide these services to Six-Point clients, including visual brand development for companies going through Solve for Y, a Six-Point brand-development process for innovative companies ready to scale.

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Lisa White

Lisa White

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. recently welcomed Lisa White, CPA as its newest tax manager. White comes to MBK with nearly 20 years of public accounting experience with a focus in taxation. She has worked for large and regional firms throughout the Eastern U.S. and carries significant technical knowledge and best practices from a variety of firms and industries. At MBK, she focuses primarily on federal and state income-tax compliance and planning within the construction and real-estate industries. As a tax manager, White will have the opportunity to coach and mentor staff as well as manage the delivery of services directly to many clients. White holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Middle Tennessee State University and is a member of the American Institute of Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Public Accountants. She is a certified public accountant licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. In 2011, she was named among the 40 Under 40: Members to Watch by the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs.

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Richard Lord, who built Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) into one of the most far-reaching business associations in the commonwealth, will retire next year after leading the organization for almost 20 years. Lord, a North Adams native and Williams College graduate who took the top job at AIM in 1999, will remain as president and CEO while the AIM board of directors chooses a successor. Lord made the 103-year-old former manufacturing association the voice of all Massachusetts employers on generational economic issues such as the cost of health insurance, taxation, education, worker training, and energy. At the same time, he expanded the membership of AIM into developing areas of the state economy such as services, technology, biosciences, and robotics. His accomplishments range from representing the views of employers during the landmark 2006 Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law and subsequent 2012 Health Cost-Containment Law to expanding the AIM HR Solutions business to help employers both large and small manage complicated human-resources issues.

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Rev. Beverly Herbert

Rev. Beverly Herbert

The Rev. Beverly Herbert has joined Cancer Connection as executive director. A two-time cancer survivor, Herbert has worked as a municipal director of city planning and community and economic development, and has held interim executive director positions at a community-action agency and a community-development corporation. Most recently, she worked for Pathlight, Billings Forge Community Works in Hartford, Conn., and the city of Wilmington, N.C. She was honored by the Assoc. of Fundraising Professionals of Western Mass. in 2017 as a fundraising professional and as chapter president. Formerly a pastor of the A.M.E. Zion Church, Herbert discovered Cancer Connection when she attended a support group and used other services there. “Through Cancer Connection, I became part of a family — one full of love and life, in spite of the common cancer thread.”

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Curran and Keegan Financial has added a new client service associate, Heather Cahill. She joins with a focus on helping clients and advisors during the financial-planning and investment process. Cahill joined Curran & Keegan after nearly two decades of executive-level roles at a multi-million-dollar international corporation located in the Pioneer Valley. Passionate about community, education, and environment, she serves as vice chair of the Hatfield District School Committee and is a founding member of the Hatfield Community Garden.

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Carla Maurer

Carla Maurer

Epstein Financial Services recently announced the hiring of Carla Maurer as chief financial officer. Maurer brings nearly a decade of financial experience to the role and will be responsible for all accounting activities, including cash flow, budgeting, and financial planning. Previously, Maurer served as director of Administrative Services for Lincoln Tech, where she handled fiscal matters for the post-secondary vocational school. She helped facilitate the annual preparation of operating budgets, reviewed month-end profit and loss statements, and prepared monthly and quarterly forecasts for the corporate executive team. For nearly four years, Maurer held the position of financial and administrative director for Pioneer Continuing Care Providers, where she oversaw payroll, human resources, and day-to-day business activities. Prior to that, she worked as an accounting manager for Hampden County Physicians, where she held managerial responsibility for a multi-specialty group practice with more than 70 providers and 14 locations. Maurer has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in accounting and taxation from American International College.

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Elms College promoted Brother Michael Duffy, conventual Franciscan friar, to the position of associate dean of the School of Nursing. In this role, he will have primary responsibility for the School of Nursing’s undergraduate programs, service learning programs, and international studies. Duffy most recently served as coordinator of the accelerated second degree in Nursing program, assistant professor of Nursing, and director of the Elms College caRe vaN, a free health clinic on wheels that serves homeless and underserved people of Chicopee while affording clinical experience to pre-licensure students. Duffy has extensive experience as an adult nurse practitioner and a nurse educator, teaching at Elms from 1988 through 1997, and again since 2011. He has practiced in healthcare in homeless settings in Massachusetts, Philadelphia, and Baltimore for years. In 2011, he returned from a six-year assignment in Jamaica, where he managed a rural clinic, to serve as the coordinator of the accelerated second degree program in Nursing. He earned his bachelor’s degree from American International College, his master’s degree from the University of Lowell, and his doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree from Regis College in Weston, where his caRe vaN vision came to fruition as his doctoral project. Today, the caRe vaN is staffed with pre-licensure students, RN-to-BS students, clinical faculty, and DNP students, and provides free healthcare to the homeless and underserved in Chicopee. Duffy returns to Jamaica each winter with second degree accelerated nursing students who gain population-health and community-nursing experience through patient care and clinical experiences.

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Jeffrey Simpson

Jeffrey Simpson

Jeffrey Simpson, CFA has been promoted to vice president of Commercial Lending and chief commercial officer for UMassFive College Federal Credit Union. The Commercial Services Department has a goal of supporting the local community and economy with competitive rates and terms on short- and long-term commercial business loans for working capital, equipment, commercial real estate, and special projects designed to bring greater efficiencies and cost savings to member businesses. The department has begun its lending process to fellow business professionals in the area. UMassFive is also crafting business checking, savings, and money-market options, as well as a business credit card.

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Professor Ramesh Sitaraman of UMass Amherst’s College of Information and Computer Sciences is one of a large team of scientists and engineers who have been honored by the Assoc. for Computing Machinery with its SIGCOMM Networking Systems Award for work that “has had a significant impact on the world of computer networking,” the association said. Sitaraman and colleagues are credited with building the Akamai content-delivery network (CDN), the world’s first major CDN and now one of the largest ever built, and for pioneering the concept of internet content delivery. The Akamai CDN currently consists of 240,000 servers in 130 countries and serves about one-quarter of all internet traffic. CDNs deliver a majority of internet traffic today, including much of the world’s e-commerce, news, media, entertainment, social networks, and online applications. Two decades after their creation, Sitaraman noted, CDNs have completely transformed the internet as we know it while simultaneously spawning a business sector valued at tens of billions of dollars. Sitaraman directs the CICS Laboratory for Internet-Scale Distributed Systems and is a member of its Theoretical Computer Science group. His research involves all aspects of internet-scale distributed systems, including algorithms, architectures, performance, and energy efficiency. He is currently focused on the next-generation internet. He received the 2014 College Outstanding Teacher Award.

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American International College (AIC) inducted seven accomplished alumni into the biennial Co-Curricular Hall of Fame during a brunch in their honor on Oct. 13, as part of the college’s Homecoming Weekend festivities. Inductees for 2018 include distinguished alumni who cross generations from the Class of 1950 through 2009. Glendora Vesta Folsom Buell ’50 has enjoyed a historically successful career in television. Her show, A Chat with Glendora, has been syndicated on public-access cable television stations nationwide since it first aired in 1972, making it the world’s longest-running active public-access program. Emily Rivera-Nunez ’97, who received numerous awards for leadership as an undergraduate student, has gone on to enjoy a rewarding career in criminal justice and victim advocacy. Her husband, Luis Nunez ’98, is also an inductee. During his time at AIC, Nunez was an active member of the campus community, serving in student government, Model Congress, the wrestling team, and as a resident assistant. He is a senior development accountant and continues to volunteer his time and talent with youth wrestling and baseball. Kia Prescott Bandoh ’99, a biology major and recipient of Who’s Who Among Students in Colleges and Universities, went on to earn a master of physician assistant degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School. She is a physician assistant at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Gynecologic Oncology Program with the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers. Yolanda McCormick ’03 (MS ’05) graduated with a bachelor of science in sociology and criminal justice, and a master of science degree in criminal justice. She earned a second master of science degree in mental-health counseling and is a licensed mental-health clinician in North Carolina. Two longtime Springfield residents are also being recognized. Elizabeth Perez ’99 majored in criminal justice and political science while at AIC. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational psychology at the college. Perez has been a social worker and supervisor with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families for 19 years. Keshawn Dodds ’01 (MEd ’09) is the executive director of the Boys & Girls Club Family Center in Springfield. Dodds recently received the 2018 Ubora Award from the Springfield Museums. He was a member of BusinessWest’s 40 Under 40 class of 2012, and received the Stone Soul Community Leader Award in 2015. In 2016, he became an Amazon best-selling author with his sci-fi novel Menzuo: The Calling of the Sun Prince.

People on the Move
Megan Kludt

Megan Kludt

Curran, Berger & Kludt announced that Megan Kludt has become its newest partner. She joined Curran & Berger in October 2010 after working as an immigration attorney for four years in Boston. She is a founding member of the Immigrant Protection Project of Western MA, and has recently gained media attention for her work to free asylum seekers from ICE detention. Kludt holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign service from Georgetown University, a master’s degree in international relations from Boston University, and a juris doctor with an international concentration from Boston University School of Law.

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Decorti Rodgers-Tonge

Decorti Rodgers-Tonge

Decorti Rodgers-Tonge, chair of the Undergraduate Accounting department and assistant professor of Accounting at Bay Path University, has been selected to receive an African American Female Professor Award (AAFPAA). This award was presented to Rodgers-Tonge at the African American Female Professor Awards (AAFPA) Celebration on Sept. 27 at American International College in Springfield. Rodgers-Tonge is the second Bay Path professor to receive the AAFPAA. Janine Fondon, assistant professor and chair of Undergraduate Communications, was honored at the inaugural event in 2017. The goal of the AAFPA is to recognize African-American female faculty who are full-time, part-time, or adjunct, with the hope that this recognition will help institutions recruit and retain African-American female professors, as well as inspire African-American female educators to continue their work in the classroom and pursue post-secondary assignments.

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Michael Kelley

Michael Kelley

Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, recently welcomed Michael Kelley as the institution’s new mortgage loan originator. Kelley has more than seven years of experience in mortgage lending, most recently as mortgage loan originator at Polish National Credit Union. Kelley was recognized as Banker and Tradesman Top 5 Originator for Credit Unions in Western Massachusetts for two years in a row. He is a member of the Springfield Rotary Club and assistant coach for the SOY Boys Basketball team.

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Berkshire Bank announced the promotion of Deanna Markham to first vice president, Retail Distribution manager. In her new position, she will maintain a strong leadership presence and community involvement as she remains local to the Berkshires, working from the company’s Pittsfield office. Markham has held many positions throughout the company since her start with Berkshire Bank in 2006 as a branch manager in Lee. In her 12 years at the bank, she has advanced in the company, including promotions to AVP branch manager; vice president, regional manager in Berkshire County; and, most recently, vice president, Sales and Delivery in 2017. In 2016, Markham graduated from the American Bankers Assoc. Stonier Graduate School of Banking and is a Wharton Leadership Certificate recipient. She attended Marist College, where she received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing and a minor in fashion merchandising. Committed to giving back to her community, Markham is a Porchlight VNA and Homecare finance committee member and active in the Berkshire Bank employee volunteer program.

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Jacquelyn (Jackie) Guzie

Jacquelyn (Jackie) Guzie

Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, recently introduced Jacquelyn (Jackie) Guzie as Arrha’s new Springfield branch manager. Guzie has more than 18 years of banking experience and been recognized throughout her banking-industry career with several promotions at Rockville Bank. Since 2007, she has been a branch manager, most recently in the Suffield Branch at First National Bank of Suffield. A graduate of the New England College of Business and Finance in Boston, Guzie is also an emergency medical technician volunteering at Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Assoc.

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The United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) announced it has hired Paul Mina as its new president and CEO as part of an overall management agreement. Mina brings 30 years of United Way experience to the Pioneer Valley. In addition, Steve Lowell, president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank and chairman of the UWPV board, announced that the organization is entering into a management agreement with the United Way of Tri-County (UWTC). Mina will be reporting to the UWPV board of directors so that local control and oversight is maintained. The UWTC is responsible for overseeing the Mass 211 program, the statewide source for essential community services. Mina noted that more than 45% of the phone calls to the Mass 211 helpline originate from the UWPV service area, so he is familiar with the work being done in the community.

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Melissa Tetreault

Melissa Tetreault

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, announced that Melissa Tetreault has re-joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank as a mortgage loan originator in its Northampton Cooperative division. She will work out of the Florence office for Northampton Cooperative, but is available to meet customers in any of the bank’s 10 offices throughout Hampshire and Franklin County. Tetreault has more than 30 years of experience in banking and mortgage lending, including 16 years with Greenfield Cooperative Bank. She holds a mortgage originator license from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is a graduate of UMass Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in education. She is also a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. She is active with the United Way Women’s Way, an affiliate member of the Realtors’ Assoc. of Pioneer Valley, active with the Shelburne Falls Woman’s Club, and a former director of the YMCA and the United Way.

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Matthew Smith

Matthew Smith

Bay Path University announced that Matthew Smith has been promoted to the position of director, Computer Science & Cybersecurity Programs. Smith has been with Bay Path University’s American Women’s College for nearly two years, first serving as an adjunct faculty member and later being named full-time academic director, Cybersecurity and Applied Technology. In June, he was promoted to academic director, Technology, Security & Justice. Smith brings more than 20 years of experience in technology and information-security leadership across the government, financial-services, and technology sectors to his teaching, most recently as a subject-matter expert in digital forensics and incident response at MassMutual Financial in Springfield. He has also held related positions with other Fortune 500 companies, such as General Dynamics and Dell-EMC Corp. He also holds a federal security clearance and is classified within U.S. federal courts for testimony as an expert witness. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Smith received his MBA from Norwich University, his master’s degree from San Diego State University, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland.

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UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy has been named by Gov. Charlie Baker to the new Massachusetts Cybersecurity Strategy Council, which will advise state leaders on ways to spur economic growth and cyber-resilience in the Commonwealth. The appointment of the 19-member council, which includes representatives from state government, the private sector, and the Commonwealth’s leading research institutions, was announced on Sept. 27 during the 2018 Massachusetts Cybersecurity Forum in Boston. Baker also announced the appointment of Stephanie Helm as the first director of the MassCyberCenter at the Mass Tech Collaborative. The Cybersecurity Strategy Council is chaired by retired Rear Admiral Michael Brown, the former director for Cybersecurity Coordination in the National Protection and Programs Directorate of the federal Department of Homeland Security. He now serves as president of Spinnaker Security, LLC.

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Lam Nguyen

Lam Nguyen

Mayhew Steel Products (Mayhew Tools) has selected Lam Nguyen to fill the role of plant manager at the company’s Basque Plastics Division in Westminster. With more than a decade of manufacturing leadership and operational expertise, Nguyen will oversee the plant’s daily operations while simultaneously improving overall operational efficiency and productivity. Nguyen, whom will report to Mayhew Tools President John Lawless, has a proven track record for implementing lean operational techniques that result in significant cost savings while increasing yield and quality. His managerial responsibilities will include, but not be limited to: production, workflow, automation, quality control assurance, purchasing, raw materials management, assembly, maintenance, and strategic planning. Before joining Mayhew Tools, Nguyen spent seven years as vice president of Manufacturing for Advanced Cable Ties Inc. Prior to that, he was plant manager and general foreman for same Gardner-based company, spending more than 18 years there overall. Nguyen holds an associate degree in business management from Quinsigamond Community College and boasts several certifications, including Six Sigma, CSP600 Lean Manufacturing, JIT, Industrial Electric, Project Management, and Scientific Injection Molding, to name a few.

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Morgan Russell has joined the Main Street Hospitality team as the manager of Guest Experiences across four Main Street Hospitality Group properties. Originally from Boston and having grown up in the Berkshires, Russell brings 10 years of luxury hospitality concierge experience to this new position. Prior to joining Main Street Hospitality, he specialized in building guest-engagement programs for various high-end boutique hotels in Colorado, including the Arrabelle at Vail Square, the Sebastian Hotel, and the Christiana. Russell will work collaboratively with partners throughout the region to expand the guest-experience program at all of Main Street’s hotels and provide visitors an added layer of connectivity to the Berkshires experience. Russell will build out the guest-experience program at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Porches Inn at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Hotel on North in Pittsfield, and Briarcliff in Great Barrington. Russell graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs. In his early career, he worked at the Red Lion Inn, filling various positions from busboy and bellhop to the sales office.

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Jeffrey Trapani

Jeffrey Trapani

Robinson Donovan, P.C. announced that Jeffrey Trapani, a partner with the firm, has received appointments from the Hampshire County Bar Assoc. and the Supreme Judicial Court. Trapani was unanimously approved to fill the upcoming vacancy on the Joint Bar Committee on Judicial Appointments for the Hampshire County Bar Assoc. The committee is an independent, non-partisan entity comprised of two dozen attorneys from across Massachusetts, including three members each of the Massachusetts and Boston bar associations. The Supreme Judicial Court appointed Trapani to the Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil and Appellate Procedure. As part of the committee, he will assist in reviewing and recommending amendments to the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure and the Massachusetts Rules of Appellate Procedure. Trapani concentrates his practice in civil litigation, including insurance defense, employment law, municipal liability, business litigation, and professional malpractice. He also represents many landlords in summary process action and housing-discrimination claims, and insurance companies in unfair-settlement claims and coverage issues. In addition to trial work, Trapani also represents clients in mediations and arbitrations. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute and the Massachusetts Defense Lawyer Assoc., and since 2008, he has been selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list.

People on the Move
Mark Hudgik

Mark Hudgik

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Mark Hudgik as its new director of Admissions. Hudgik is an HCC alumnus from the class of 2002 who returns to campus with 14 years of experience working in academic admissions, most recently as director of Admission at Greenfield Community College, where he started as a senior Admission counselor in 2009. He had previously worked as assistant director of Admissions at Bay Path University in Longmeadow and as Admissions director at the Berkshire Hills Music Academy in South Hadley. After graduating from HCC with his associate degree in liberal arts, Hudgik earned his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Massachusetts and his master’s degree in higher education administration from Bay Path. He enrolled at HCC in 2000 after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, as an aerospace-propulsion and jet-engine journeyman and programs manager. For two years as a student at HCC, he worked in the college Career Center.

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Michael Rose

Michael Rose

Governors America Corp. (GAC) recently welcomed Michael Rose as director of Engineering and Innovation. He brings more than 15 years of product development and innovation experience within the aerospace industry. In this role, he will lead the engineering department and work closely with technical and marketing executives to broaden the company’s portfolio and develop innovative products for the engine control and adjacent markets. Rose brings a blend of business acumen, broad technical knowledge, and facilitation practices that stem from his years of experience in the roles of engineer, business development manager, and project leader at L3 Technologies and MIT Lincoln Laboratories. His addition to the team reflects the company’s focus on innovation, continuous improvement, and engineering execution.

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Aleda Amistadi

Aleda Amistadi

PeoplesBank has promoted Aleda Amistadi to the position of senior vice president of Retail and Operations. She formerly served as first vice pesident of Operations and has 22 years of banking experience. Amistadi earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University and an MBA from Western New England University. She also earned a Wharton leadership certificate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Six Sigma green belt certification from Duke University Continuing Studies MindEdge Online Learning. She is also a graduate of the ABA Stonier School of Banking. Amistadi serves on the board of directors and the finance committee for Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts.

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Fitzgerald Attorneys-at-Law announced the addition of a new partner, attorney Bradford Martin Jr. Martin has been practicing law in Western Mass. for 39 years, with extensive experience in commercial real-estate transactions and business and corporate law. Over his career, he has been involved in real-estate projects and financings in the area and has litigated complex property issues in the Massachusetts Land Court. A native of the area, Martin attended Northfield Mt. Hermon School and is a graduate of Springfield College and Western New England University School of Law. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. and the Hampden County Bar Assoc. and is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar, the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the U.S. District Court of Connecticut, the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Tax Court. Martin was formerly a partner at Ryan & White, P.C. and Morrison Mahoney, LLP. He serves on the board of ChildHope, a charitable organization dedicated to building and running schools in Central and South America, and is chairman of the board of Teen Challenge New England, a faith-based, nonprofit drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. He serves as a deacon at Bethany Assembly of God in Agawam.

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Peter Coyne

Peter Coyne

As part of organizational changes previously announced by OMG Inc. to accelerate growth, the company has named Peter Coyne to the newly created position of senior vice president and general manager for the Roofing Products division. In this role, Coyne is responsible for developing and executing the division’s overall strategy for the three recently created divisional business units: fasteners, adhesives and solar, and metal accessories, which includes edge metal. In addition, he is responsible for overseeing Roofing Products’ new product-development and innovation group and its global sales and marketing teams, including key-account sales, customer service, and technical support. He reports to Hubert McGovern, president and CEO of OMG. Coyne joins OMG from Gulftech International, a diversified holding company with five operating businesses serving food-production and processing companies in 85 countries. Working in the company’s Denver headquarters, he served as general manager and head of operations following various roles in finance and operations with Danaher Corp., Saw Mill Capital, and Steel Partners. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the College of William & Mary and an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

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Steve Corbin

Steve Corbin

The Dowd Agencies, LLC announced that Steve Corbin has joined its Holyoke staff as an account executive responsible for overseeing employee benefits. As an account executive, Corbin has a team-management role and oversees the division, including managing the renewal process, negotiating with carriers, coordinating open-enrollment meetings, assisting clients with changes, monitoring claims, and related responsibilities. Corbin attended Johnson & Wales University and served in the U.S. Army Reserve. Involved in his community as a youth coach for basketball, soccer, and lacrosse, he is also a grand knight at the Knights of Columbus St. Francis of Assisi Council #10698 and a board member for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke.

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Bay Path University recently welcomed six new faculty members.

Jennifer Stratton, coordinator of Undergraduate Education, comes to Bay Path with extensive teaching experience. Most recently, she served as district literacy coach for the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District. 

• Susan Rivelli, assistant professor of Occupational Therapy in the graduate division, has more than 30 years of teaching experience, as well as extensive clinical experience in pediatrics. She joins the faculty of Bay Path after teaching in Western New England University’s inaugural Doctor of Occupational Therapy program.

• Gillian Palmer, assistant professor of Management in the undergraduate division, brings her expertise in business to Bay Path University after a successful track record with the Eastern States Exposition as its business development and event coordinator. She earned her MBA from Bay Path in 2012.

• Cheryl Ann Sheils, program director for the Doctorate of Nursing Practice program, comes to the university from Elms College, where she taught in the Nursing program for more than 18 years. She has presented at numerous conferences, and her articles have been published in industry journals and other publications.

• Janice Berliner, program director for the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program, has been a genetic counselor for 29 years, first specializing in prenatal genetics and subsequently in cancer risk assessment. For the past six years, she has been working at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, N.J., a site that Berliner helped create and develop.

• Megan Piccus, program director for Business Programs, joins the American Women’s College at Bay Path University from Pratt & Whitney, where she served for four years as dean of the Manufacturing Engineering College and senior manager of Manufacturing Engineering Discipline Health.

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The Springfield Cultural Partnership (SCP), the parent organization for the Springfield Central Cultural District, recently welcomed Karen Finn as its new executive director. Finn brings a wealth of experience in community service, government, advocacy, and program management to advance the SCP’s mission of sustaining a vibrant arts and cultural environment in Springfield. Finn has been an entrepreneur and business owner as well as holding leadership positions within higher education and government. Most recently, she was program and events manager of the Mamdouha S. Bobst Center for Peace & Justice at Princeton University, advancing mutual understanding and respect for all ethnic traditions and religious faiths. She was responsible for all communications including website maintenance, preparation of publications and letters, funding proposals, social-media accounts, and reports. She coordinated and managed events including conferences, seminars, and social events both locally and abroad. Finn holds a master’s degree in business and was a recipient of the prestigious U.S. Presidential Management Fellowship, serving in Geneva, Switzerland as part of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Her many years of experience developing local marketing strategies through brand awareness, community engagement, and networking promises to be an asset to the Springfield Central Cultural District. As executive director of the SCP, she will be charged with developing innovative cultural projects and collaborations, and build upon such signature programming as Art Stop, the painted-piano project, pop-up art, and concerts.

People on the Move
Briana Doyle

Briana Doyle

Matthew Ogrodowicz

Matthew Ogrodowicz

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. recently welcomed two new associates to the firm’s Audit and Accounting department: Briana Doyle and Matthew Ogrodowicz. Doyle comes to MBK following a tax internship at a public accounting firm in Westborough. As an accounting associate, she will focus on audit engagements across a variety of industries. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Nichols College. Ogrodowicz will also focus on audit engagements. Before joining MBK, he was a bookkeeper at a Holyoke business. He holds a bachelor of administration degree in psychology from Amherst College and received his master’s degree in accounting from UMass Amherst. He recently joined the Business Development Group at MBK and serves as the treasurer of the board of Historic Holyoke at Wistariahurst and the South Hadley Farmer’s Market. Doyle and Ogrodowicz are the latest in a new class of accounting associates at MBK. Over the course of the next several months, they will be trained extensively in audit, accounting, and taxation and will have an opportunity to bring their unique backgrounds and skill sets to bear in providing accounting work to clients.

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Emily Crafts

Emily Crafts

Emily Crafts has joined brand-development firm Six-Point Creative, where she assumes the newly created role of traffic manager/administrator. As such, she will be accountable for all workflow within the agency and will provide an information hub for agency projects. Her responsibilities include the scheduling of projects and allocation of resources, and she will also facilitate the internal communication of priorities, project details, and deadlines. Crafts worked most recently as a development, marketing, and communications coordinator for the Center for Human Development in Springfield. She earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Roger Williams University and is pursuing an MBA from Western New England University.

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The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce board of directors announced that Barry Feingold has been named chamber president. He will also serve as president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber Centennial Foundation Inc. Feingold is a veteran chamber executive who previously served as the Milford Area Chamber of Commerce’s (MACC) president for 10 years, increasing its membership by 50% and revenue over 35%. Prior to arriving at the MACC, he served the American Chamber of Commerce in Lima, Peru, starting as the administrative and marketing manager and working his way up to executive director. After spending the last four years once again in Peru, where he successfully ran his own hospitality-management business, he decided to move back with his family to his native Massachusetts. Feingold, the chamber’s first bilingual president, replaces Kathleen Anderson, who served as chamber president for six years and recently joined the leadership at Holyoke Medical Center as director of Community Benefits.

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Nicolle Cestero

Nicolle Cestero

American International College (AIC) announced the promotion of Nicolle Cestero to senior vice president for Human Resources and chief of staff. Cestero joined AIC in July 2011 as the associate vice president for Human Resources. Since that time, she has assumed increasing levels of responsibility and scope of duties. In 2012, she was named vice president for Human Resources and Title IX coordinator, and was promoted to senior vice president for Human Resources and Title IX coordinator in 2016. In her new role, Cestero will continue to lead AIC’s Human Resources unit, where she has established best practices in all areas, including staff recruiting and hiring, employee relations, and succession planning. As chief of staff, she will serve as advisor to the president and will play an integral role in the implementation of AIC’s strategic plan. Cestero will oversee the college’s legal matters and support presidential and institutional initiatives to ensure project deadlines are met and targeted outcomes attained. She serves on the president’s cabinet and supports the board governance and nominating committee; the finance, pension, and insurance committee; and the compensation committee of the board of trustees. Earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mount Holyoke College and a master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology from the University of West Florida, Cestero received certification as a professional in human resources (PHR) and attained the designation of certified professional from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-CP), which recognizes human-resource professionals who implement policies on strategies, serve as point of contact for staff and stakeholders, and perform operational human-resource duties.

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The Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst announced two new directors for the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship. Gregory Thomas, who brings diverse experience in corporate America, was named the center’s new executive director, while Stephen Brand, who has taught entrepreneurship at colleges and universities across the country, will serve as the new associate director. For the past 20 years, Thomas has held various senior-level global manufacturing, finance, and control roles with Corning Inc. During the last five years at Corning, he was a strategist in the Emerging Innovation Group, focusing on bringing new products, processes, and businesses to market. He has also served as the president of the UMass Amherst Alumni Assoc. board. He will begin his new duties Oct. 1. Thomas, whose experience includes work as a consultant to nonprofit organizations, is a prolific volunteer and an accomplished fundraiser. A 1991 alumnus of UMass Amherst, Thomas earned an MBA in finance and operations management at Clark Atlanta University. In his new role as executive director, he will have overall responsibility for the Berthiaume Center, and will work with external constituents on campus and throughout the region to develop and execute value-adding partnerships in service of the center’s mission. Brand comes well-prepared for this ‘student-facing’ role, having taught entrepreneurship and worked closely with student entrepreneurs at Babson College, Case Western Reserve University, Olin College of Engineering, and others. At Babson, he was co-director of the Summer Venture Program and collaborated with emerging entrepreneurs in Kuwait, Egypt, and Saudia Arabia. Most recently, he was executive director of Global Learning and Development at Bay Path University. Brand holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University, a master’s degree in interactive technology in education from Harvard University, and a doctorate in management from Case Western Reserve University.

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Anne Griffin

Anne Griffin

Anne Griffin, founder and CEO of Charge Ahead LLC, announced she will soon begin manufacturing her first product, the Solar Foldy, designed to provide portable light and a charge fueled by solar energy to cell phones and tablets. To raise money for the first production run of Solar Foldys, based on the prototype Griffin has developed, Charge Ahead will launch a $150,000 Kickstarter campaign on Sept. 10. Griffin hopes to bring the product to market in the U.S. by the end of the year. A Florence-based business founded in 2013, Charge Ahead has a mission to encourage people to integrate solar power into their daily lives. While working on her prototype, Griffin sought advice and direction from Valley Venture Mentors of Springfield, the Small Business Development Center of Springfield, and SCORE, a nonprofit organization offering small-business advice. The Solar Foldy is pocket-sized and offers a USB input for charging devices as well as four modes of light — bright light, super bright light that is two times stronger, a night-light setting, and a flashing SOS mode. The Solar Foldy provides up to 200 hours of light on a single eight- to 12-hour solar charge. It can also be charged in an outlet, if necessary. In the future, Griffin hopes to introduce a companion product that will provide four modes of light only, with colored LED settings.

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Local law firm Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced that eight of its attorneys were listed in The Best Lawyers in America for 2019. They include:

• Shareholder Michele Feinstein, in the fields of elder law and trusts and estates;

• Shareholder Gary Fentin, banking and finance law and commercial transactions/Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) law;

• Shareholder Carol Cioe Klyman, elder law;

• Managing Partner Timothy Mulhern, corporate law and tax law;

• Shareholder Steven Schwartz, business organizations (including LLCs and partnerships), closely held companies, and family business law, as well as corporate law;

• Shareholder James Sheils, commercial transactions/Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) law;

• Shareholder Ann Weber, elder law; and

• Shareholder Steven Weiss, bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law.

In addition, Weiss and Mulhern were both recognized as 2019 Lawyers of the Year — Weiss for his work in the field of bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law, and Mulhern for his work in the field of corporate law.

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The Law Office of Christopher B. Myhrum announced that Chris Myhrum was selected for the 2018 edition of Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of environmental and environmental litigation. This is the 27th year Myhrum has been selected for this honor. He has also been recognized by his peers for the highest level of professional excellence as AV Preeminent (2002 to present) and as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer (2001 to present).

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Brand-development firm Six-Point Creative has added MJ Hyndman-Benander as director of Client Services. In her new position, she oversees all client services for the agency, providing new client onboarding, client budget and planning oversight, key-account service, and oversight of Six-Point’s team of client advocates. Hyndman-Benander brings to Six-Point 20 years of marketing experience working with global institutions in Manila, Philippines, for which she spearheaded high-profile events, managed international licensing agreements, and forged international alliances with blue-chip companies and entertainment giants such as Disney, Nickelodeon, and Warner Brothers. She has held marketing positions in the Philippines at BDO, Unibank Inc., Globe Telecom, SM Supermalls, and Citibank, N.A., where she received two Chairman’s Awards for programs leading to innovation and revenue contribution. Most recently, she worked for Bay Path University in Longmeadow as a recruitment and enrollment specialist for the International Graduate Admissions and Multicultural Affairs department. Hyndman-Benander holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations from Assumption College, Makati City, Philippines, where she received a College Leadership Award.

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William O’Neil and Gayle Rae, owners and founding partners of Industrial Steel & Boiler Services Inc., announced a change in company management, as Alex Korobkov has become sole owner and president of ISB. Korobkov has been employed by ISB for 17 years, beginning his career as a welder/boilermaker. He has steadily increased his responsibilities and expertise to become the operations manager for the last several years. Korobkov has appointed Debbie Salamon, who has been with the company since its beginning, and has been in the office manager position for 27 years, to serve as treasurer. ISB was incorporated in 1991 and is engaged in industrial power-plant services throughout the Northeast. The company is well-known in the industry for its work in boiler repair, valve repair, steel fabrication, pressure vessel fabrication, and code repairs to ASME vessels. ISB also holds many ASME and NBIC stamps.

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Catherine Iannucci has taken over as member advocate at Click Workspace, a co-working space in downtown Northampton. Iannucci, an Emerson College graduate, moved to Northampton this summer. She has worked at nonprofit organizations since her senior year at college and comes to Click with hopes to play an active role in her new community. “I try to be an enthusiastic participant in any community I am living in,” she said. “There is no feeling more gratifying than enhancing your community and being an asset to those around you. Being a part of Click is a great way to do that for me. I get to meet and interact with local entrepreneurs, artists, and other nonprofits.” Click is a nonprofit that brings together creative professionals, space, and resources while producing artistic, cultural, and educational programming that enriches the region. Iannucci can help anyone become a member at Click, and can be reached by e-mailing [email protected]. More information about becoming a member can be found at www.clickworkspace.org.

People on the Move

Local news hires, promotions, awards, and appointments

Daniel Bonelli

Daniel Bonelli

Comcast announced the appointment of Daniel Bonelli as vice president of Finance for the company’s Western New England Region, which includes more than 300 communities in Connecticut, Western Mass., New York, Vermont, and Western New Hampshire. In this role, Bonelli will oversee all financial operations, including finance and accounting, warehouse and materials, information technology, facilities, security, fleet management, and environmental health and safety. Bonelli began his career with Comcast in the Western New England Region in 2007 as a financial analyst. He quickly progressed to manager and then director before being promoted to senior director of Finance in 2014. In 2016, he relocated to the Philadelphia area, where he served as senior director of Finance for one of Comcast’s largest regions, overseeing a team of 60. Bonelli graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance from Central Connecticut State University.

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Rania Kfuri

MaryLynn Murray

The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) announced that Rania Kfuri and MaryLynn Murray have joined its Board of Directors. They will each serve a three-year term. Kfuri currently works as the Communications and Partnerships officer for the Solidago Foundation. Throughout her life experiences, she has worked to support educational opportunities and access to resources that improve the lives of women and girls. She has a professional background in international development, with a master’s degree in ethics, peace, and global affairs from American University in Washington D.C. Murray is vice president for Commercial Lines and Sales at the Insurance Center of New England. She holds an MBA with a concentration in human resources and has been employed in the insurance industry since 2002. She previously served on the board of the Agawam Small Business Assoc. and on the Women’s Fund marketing committee. In addition, new officers elected include Haydee Lamberty-Rodriguez as board president (formerly vice president), Leigh Rae as vice president (formerly board clerk), and Pia Kumar as clerk. Layla Taylor, immediate past board president, will remain on the board through June 2019.

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Valley Venture Mentors CEO Liz Roberts announced that she will be leaving her position as of July 13, at which time current chief operating officer Kristin Leutz will take the helm of the organization that has been dedicated to nurturing entrepreneurship in Western Mass. Roberts plans to depart after a period of growth for Valley Venture Mentors (VVM). During her tenure, she launched the Startup Accelerator program, in which entrepreneurs receive five months of training, mentoring, office space, and access to equity-free funding. Entrepreneurs who graduated from all VVM programs generated $51 million in revenue and fundraising during the past three years, and created 500 full-time and part-time jobs over the course of 2017. The Startup Accelerator program earned recognition as a model rural accelerator by the Obama administration. Prior to joining Valley Venture Mentors as COO in 2017, Leutz served as vice president for Philanthropic Services at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, where she helped create programs such as Valley Gives. Leutz also aided entrepreneurs at VVM as a volunteer mentor for many years before joining the team. She has had a career in global philanthropy and business leadership spanning organizations like MassMutual and RefugePoint, a Cambridge- and Nairobi-based, globally recognized social-impact startup. She has led operations, fundraising, and marketing, and brings decades of experience to her role at VVM.

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Patrick Love

Springfield College announced that Patrick Love will serve a two-year interim appointment as vice president for Student Affairs and program director of the Student Personnel Administration (SPA) program, effective Aug. 6.  The college will resume a national search for both positions in 2020. Love will serve as a member of the president’s leadership team in his role as VP for Student Affairs and will work closely with the leadership of the Division of Academic Affairs in his role as SPA program director. He brings to Springfield College a career in higher-education leadership and teaching, spanning managerial work in student affairs and academic affairs, and as a professor in Student Affairs. He is a lifelong educator who focuses on growth, development, and transformation.  He is also an experienced writer, author, speaker, coach, and trainer on leadership and management development.  He has consulted with or spoken at more than 40 colleges and universities, was a tenured professor at two research universities, and is nationally known for his innovative approaches to management as well as a commitment to student education and development.  He is active in both the American College Personnel Assoc. and the National Assoc. of Student Personnel Administrators. Most recently, Love was executive in residence at Bowling Green State University, serving as senior lecturer. Previously, he was vice president for Student Affairs at New York Institute of Technology, associate vice president for Student Affairs at Rutgers University, associate provost for Student Success at Pace University, co-director of the Higher Education Program at New York University, and director of the Master’s Higher Education Program at Kent State University.

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Hector Toledo

Jocelyn Walsh

Jacqueline O’Connell

Joseph Dallair

Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB) announced four team members for its new Hadley office: Hector Toledo, Jocelyn Walsh, Jacqueline O’Connell, and Joseph Dallair. Toledo has been named office manager of the new Hadley office. He joins Greenfield Savings Bank with 28 years of experience in banking. In his role as manager, he will concentrate on business development, in addition to managing the operations of the Hadley Office. Among his volunteer roles for numerous local nonprofit organizations, Toledo is a board member and chair of the finance committee of Baystate Health and a member of the board of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. He has previously chaired the board of Springfield Technical Community College and served as a board member of both the YMCA of Greater Springfield and the United Way of Pioneer Valley. Walsh has been promoted to the Hadley office as a super banker. GSB super bankers are customer-service professionals who can assist customers with a wide range of banking services, including account openings, online and mobile banking, as well as account transactions. Before joining the staff in Hadley, she worked for GSB at the Shelburne Falls office for more than two years. O’Connell has joined the staff of the Hadley office as a super banker. She has worked for GSB for more than three years at the Amherst office on University Drive. Dallair has joined the staff of the Hadley office as a teller. Prior to joining the team at Greenfield Savings Bank, he worked for three years in customer-service positions in other industries. He began working at GSB in 2017 as a teller in the Greenfield office.

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Kimberley Lee, a recognized leader in the nonprofit sector of the Western Mass. region, has joined the staff of MHA, a nonprofit provider of residential and support services to people impacted by mental illness, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, and homelessness. Lee is taking on the newly created role of vice president of Resource Development and Branding for MHA. Lee previously served in communications and development roles in several local nonprofit organizations, including CHD, Square One, the Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Community United Way. She has advanced these organizations and the people they serve with an active voice in the community and through vigorous advocacy achieved by constant policy influence at the local, community, and state level. A lifelong resident of Western Mass., Lee earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Westfield State College.

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River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC) named Anna Dyrkacz to be its director of Finance. She was appointed to the position last month by Rosemarie Ansel, RVCC’s executive director. Dyrkacz has more than 17 years experience in the healthcare and human-services industry and came to River Valley Counseling Center from a leadership position at Pathlight. She has also held leadership positions at Southgate Retirement Community, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, and Kindred Healthcare of Springfield. She has a bachelor’s degree and MBA from Western New England University, majoring in finance.

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Jeremy Melton

Florence Bank promoted Jeremy Melton to the position of first vice president/Risk Management, Compliance and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) officer. Melton joined Florence Bank in 2012. Prior to his recent promotion, he served as vice president/Risk Management, Compliance and CRA officer. Melton supports his community as the board chair and finance/audit committee member at Tapestry. He also serves as a board member for the Western Massachusetts Compliance Assoc.

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Mary Ann Coughlin, associate vice president for Academic Affairs at Springfield College, was recently awarded the John E. Stecklein Distinguished Member Award from the Assoc. for Institutional Research (AIR). The award recognizes an individual whose professional career has significantly advanced the field of institutional research through extraordinary scholarship, leadership, and service. Coughlin has a long-standing relationship with the AIR, including serving as a past president and as a trainer for national workshops sponsored by the association. In 2012, she was the recipient of the Assoc. for Institutional Research Outstanding Service Award, recognizing her professional leadership and exemplary service to AIR and for actively supporting and facilitating the goals and mission of the association. During her tenure at Springfield College, Coughlin has served in a variety of positions, including faculty member, president of the faculty senate, and her current administrative position in Academic Affairs. Coughlin worked as a professor of Research and Statistics at the college prior to moving into administration. In her current role, she supervises academic support services and provides leadership for program review, outcomes assessment, faculty development, student success initiatives, and institutional research.

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The Rotary Club of Springfield elected its new President, Susan Mastroianni, and board of directors at its recent meeting.Originally from the Bronx, N.Y., Mastroianni worked in Springfield for more than 26 years, first as media director for FitzGerald & Robbins Advertising and then as a partner and director of Media Services at FitzGerald & Mastroianni Advertising in Springfield, which closed in 2016. She has been a member of the Rotary Club of Springfield since May 2006. In addition to being president, she chairs the club’s publicity committee also serves as vice president of the board of directors for the Gray House in Springfield. She is a graduate of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., with a bachelor’s degree in communication arts.

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Every year, the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women asks every state legislator to nominate someone from their district as an “Unsung Heroine.” For state Rep. Aaron Vega, this year’s pick was Debbie Flynn-Gonzalez, program director at the Gándara Center’s Hope for Holyoke peer-recovery support center. Flynn-Gonzalez began her career in social work as a mental-health clinician performing outreach work in Holyoke 24 years ago before her personal background in recovery led her to work with the recovery community. She launched the first peer-recovery program for pregnant and parenting women in Holyoke and led that program for eight years. She has been program director for three years at Hope for Holyoke, which has 300 active members, with an average of 50 people accessing the center daily. Flynn-Gonzalez earned her bachelor’s degree in social work at UMass Amherst and her master’s degree in counseling and psychology from Cambridge College.

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The United Way of Pioneer Valley announced that Kathryn Dube is serving as interim president and CEO as the board of directors conducts a search for a new CEO. Dube is a former chairman and vice chairman of the board at United Way of Pioneer Valley and has served as chairman to a number of United Way of Pioneer Valley committees. Most recently she was employed as senior advisor for the United Way of Pioneer Valley since her retirement in December 2017 and was recognized as United Way Volunteer of the Year in 2014 and 2015. Prior to retirement, Dube was a senior vice president of Retail Banking and Wealth Management at TD Bank and Berkshire Bank.

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KeyBank recently announced the addition of new retail leaders in markets across Connecticut and Massachusetts. Locally, Brandon Ojakian joined KeyBank with the title of vice president and area retail leader in the Northern Conn. and Western Mass. markets. Ojakian has 20 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. He joins KeyBank from Santander Bank, where he served as a district executive leading branch teams in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Prior to Santander, he led several retail regions for Citizens Bank. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Albertus Magnus College.

People on the Move

Local news hires, promotions, awards, and appointments

Joanne Beauregard

Joanne Beauregard

The O’Connell Companies announced the promotion of Joanne Beauregard to financial vice president. Beauregard fills the position vacated by Martin Schoenemann, who retired this spring after 38 years at O’Connell’s. As financial VP, she is responsible for management of the financial, accounting, and tax matters of the company’s real estate, construction, property-management, and biosolids businesses. She moves to this position after 34 years of successive positions of increased responsibility and leadership, most recently as controller for O’Connell Development Group. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Hartford and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Western New England College. Beauregard is currently a board member of Providence Ministries Service Network and previously served as the chair of the board of the Sisters of Providence Health System. She also served as the treasurer of the Holyoke Children’s Museum. The O’Connell Companies is the parent company of O’Connell Development Group, New England Fertilizer Company, Appleton Corp., Western Builders, and Daniel O’Connell’s Sons.

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Jessica Dupont has been named the new president of the board of Dress for Success Western Massachusetts. Dupont, director of Risk Adjustment for Health New England, joined HNE in 2008 to help launch its Medicare Advantage plan. During her tenure there, she has held several roles within the organization and was promoted to her most recent position in February 2017. Dupont received a bachelor’a degree in sociology from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA with a concentration in healthcare leadership from Elms College in 2016. She is active in both the business and nonprofit communities in the area. In 2015, she began volunteering with Dress for Success Western Massachusetts and was later asked to become a member of the board of directors. In July 2017, she assumed the role of vice president of the board. That same year, she was profiled in BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty, earning the highest score among the 150-plus nominees. Dupont is also chairperson of the local Catholic Campaign for Human Development advisory board, a member of the Elms College MBA executive advisory council, and a member of the board of directors for Square One.

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Lew Rudolph

Lew Rudolph

Rev. Marisa Egerstrom

Rev. Marisa Egerstrom

Jeannie Filomeno

Marvin Gonzalez

Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc. recently announced four new board members: Lew Rudolph, the Rev. Marisa Egerstrom, Jeannie Filomeno, and Marvin Gonzalez. Rudolph is currently the director of Government and Foundation Grants and Contracts for Trinity Health in Springfield. His past experience includes roles as program director and psychotherapist for ServiceNet Inc. in Northampton, and president and CEO of Hampshire Community United Way. Egerstrom is currently the priest-in-charge at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Holyoke. Her past experience includes serving as Christian education coordinator at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Boston, as a chaplain in hospital and street settings, and as a spiritual director for young adults. She is completing a Ph.D. in American studies at Harvard University. Filomeno currently serves as the Human Resource manager at her family-operated business, Marcotte Ford. With her family, she has dedicated years of support to Providence Ministries, including preparing and serving monthly at Kate’s Kitchen, organizing clothing, food, and school-supply drives distributed to the community through Margaret’s Pantry; and donating more than 100 holiday gifts and Easter baskets. Outside of working at Marcotte Ford, Jeannie serves on the board of the Professional Women’s Chamber. Gonzalez currently serves as an outreach specialist with Eliot Community Human Services. As part of his role, he performs daily street outreach in Holyoke and Chicopee. At Kate’s Kitchen, he not only greets guests and records vital daily census data, but also serves as an advisor and troubleshooter on topics including access and information related to housing, detox, mental health, and food support. He has dedicated more than 30 years to working in human services as an advocate for the most vulnerable.

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United Personnel announced the expansion of its Connecticut-based team. Nancy Scirocco Nesbitt has joined the company as its new vice president of Business Development for the Connecticut region, while Brandon Houston, United Personnel’s new director of Client Services, is leading the expansion of the firm’s Information Technology Division. Scirocco Nesbitt, most recently vice president for Government and Not-for-Profit Banking for Webster Bank, brings more than 20 years of management, client-support, and economic-development experience to her position with United. Past positions include vice president of at the Metro Hartford Alliance, adjunct professor at Central Connecticut State University, and contract administrator at Otis Elevator. She has an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut. She serves on the Governor’s Task Force for Abused Children and is a former board member of Internhere.com and the Special Olympics of Connecticut. Houston has more than 10 years of human-resources experience, with a specialty in recruiting and placing software engineers, developers, architects, project managers, infrastructure, and security personnel. He most recently worked as a senior account manager for Prestige Staffing in Atlanta. Other prior positions include recruitment management roles at Latitude Inc. and Maxim Healthcare. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Tennessee and is involved with the Metro Hartford Alliance and HYPE.

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Local author and business owner Carleen Eve Fischer Hoffman is featured in the new book The Waiting Room: Invisible Voices of Lyme. The book is a compilation of 27 real-life stories released to help raise Lyme disease awareness, to encourage sufferers to keep fighting, and to help caregivers and doctors understand how to better support those with Lyme disease. Compiled by author Vickie Gould, the book outlines the struggles that sufferers go through on a daily basis, and aims to raise awareness and understanding of the disease. “It was difficult for me to write my story, and I was hesitant to release it for fear of what my family, friends, and colleagues would think — and, in fact, I had missed the deadline while contemplating my decision,” said Fischer Hoffmann, owner of the Clutter Doctor Inc. “But then I thought to myself, what if, by sharing my story, someone reading it got inspired to speak up and get help? Of course I would be happy with that.” The book is available for purchase on Amazon, and all profits will be donated to the Lyme documentary The Monster Inside Me.

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Rick Sawicki of Sawicki Real Estate in Amherst was named the 2018 Realtor of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV). The announcement was made at the association’s annual awards dinner held on June 14 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Realtor of the Year is the highest honor given to a member of the association and is bestowed upon a single individual who demonstrated outstanding service and devotion to the 1,700-member organization during the past 17 months in the areas of association activity, community service, and business activity. A Realtor since 2005, Sawicki served as president of the association in
2017. He is currently the immediate past president and serves on the
building, executive, finance, government affairs, president’s award,
professional development, and strategic planning committees, as well as the
candidate endorsement work group. He has participated in the Massachusetts Assoc. of Realtors (MAR) annual Realtor Day on Beacon Hill and is a major investor in the Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC). He has been featured on the “Real Estate Minute” segment of WWLP’s Mass Appeal program. Sawicki has given back to the community through activity with the Rotary Club of Amherst and the Turners Falls High School logo task force and is a member of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce. He is actively involved in state initiatives and activities such as MAR professional standards training and Realtor party training, along with being a MAR RPAC trustee. He is also a member of the National Assoc. of Realtors (NAR) public policy coordinating committee.

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Kathleen Sawtelle, a clinical and lab instructor in the Surgical Technology program at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), received the Clinical Educator of the Year Award during the Assoc. of Surgical Technologists 2018 conference in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on May 31. She was at the conference as a delegate for the organization. The award recognizes one clinical educator who has gone above and beyond the call of duty for students. Sawtelle received a $500 award, a trophy, and recognition at the annual conference. A 1976 graduate of STCC’s Surgical Technology program, Sawtelle has worked in the field for 42 years. She has been coordinator of clinical education for the program at STCC for the past three years, and has taught at the college for 11 years. She has worked as a certified surgical technologist at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for 28 years and on a per diem basis for 10 years. She previously received the designation of Fellow of the Assoc. of Surgical Technologists, which recognizes surgical technologists who have upheld the highest professional, ethical, and moral standards and traditions of the profession.

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Lamont Clemons, President of the Rotary Club of Springfield, recently presented Rotarians Jack Toner and Rick Lee with Rotary pins to acknowledge their donations to the Rotary Foundation. The Rotary Foundation supports clean-water projects, maternal and child health, education, and the promotion of peace throughout the world. Toner’s pin has one blue sapphire stone for his $2,000 to the foundation, and Lee’s has three sapphire stones for his $4,000 donation made over a period of time. “The global impact of the Rotary Foundation is extraordinary,” Toner said. “My small monthly gift pays itself forward over and over again. Each dollar given is multiplied through grants and various partnerships, mostly notably with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Rotary’s effort to eradicate polio worldwide. I feel privileged to wear a different lapel pin each day to represent the various and diverse ongoing activities Rotary initiatives are involved with around the globe.” Lee also feels strongly about the Rotary and its foundation. “When I served as club president in 2014, I became acutely aware of the important work done worldwide through the Rotary Foundation,” he said. “I am convinced that supporting these efforts should be job one for any Rotarian. For me, Rotary’s unique blend of local fellowship and service, coupled with its global reach, makes the experience truly special.”

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Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper announced the appointment of Kathleen Martin of to the position of executive director of the Capital Campaign and Campus Strategy. The appointment marks Martin’s return to Springfield College, where she received both her doctorate in physical education with a specialization in sport psychology and her master’s degree in physical education (athletics administration concentration). She also began her teaching career at Springfield College. Martin will be responsible for coordinating the overall strategic direction of the college’s capital campaign, strategic plan, and campus master plan. Through the development of strong collaborative relationships with the office of the president, the college’s senior leadership team, and key stakeholders, she will serve as the primary lead, strategist, and coordinator of strategic initiatives. Most recently, Martin served as vice provost and chief educational compliance officer and Title IX coordinator at Bay Path University. She also held the positions of director of Institutional Research and Special Projects, and assistant provost for Academic Affairs.

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The Center for Human Development (CHD) has named Ben Craft its vice president of Community Engagement.In the newly restructured position, Craft has been charged with deepening the nonprofit human services agency’s relationships in the communities it serves in Massachusetts and Connecticut. In the role, he will oversee strategic communications, marketing, and development, as well as community, government, and provider relations.Craft brings a strong background in communications, engagement, and advocacy to CHD, coupled with almost 10 years of experience in healthcare and public policy, at a critical point in CHD’s growth and development. “We are excited to have Ben join us at a time when CHD is not only expanding our network of human services into more communities, but also at a time when we are playing a critical and growing role in the new model of care management, and connecting people with complex needs to more preventive and supportive services,” said Jim Goodwin, president and CEO of CHD. Craft, who grew up in East Longmeadow, started his career in New York at the Wall Street Journal and worked at the United Nations as a communications officer before returning home to Western Mass. in 2008 to work for Baystate Health, most recently as senior director of Government and Public Affairs. He is a 1996 graduate of UMass Amherst.

People on the Move
Tracy Sicbaldi

Tracy Sicbaldi

PeoplesBank announced the appointment of Tracy Sicbaldi as assistant vice president, Commercial and Institutional Banking. She has more than 35 years of financial-services and banking experience. In her new position, she will identify, develop, and manage new municipal, commercial, and institutional deposit relationships. Sicbaldi is the former treasurer of the towns of Hampden and Monson. She is a member of the Massachusetts Collectors and Treasurers Assoc., the Hampden County Collectors and Treasurers Assoc., the Hampshire and Franklin Collectors and Treasurers Assoc., and the Worcester County Collectors and Treasurers Assoc. She is a former member of the Eastern Mass Treasurers and Collectors Assoc. and attended all educational state and county municipal meetings. Her professional volunteer service includes serving as treasurer, vice president, and president of the Professional Women’s Chamber; the finance chair of the Rays of Hope steering committee; and a past board member of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) and the YWCA of Western Massachusetts.

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Jeanne Woods

Jeanne Woods

Florence Bank promoted Jeanne Woods to the position of assistant vice president and branch manager for the bank’s Amherst location. Woods joined Florence Bank in 2001 and previously served as assistant branch manager of the Amherst office. She is a development committee member for the Amherst Survival Center. “We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Jeanne Woods,” said Florence Bank President and CEO John Heaps Jr. “She is a dedicated and valued employee who consistently delivers great results. She has been an asset to the bank for many years, and I look forward to watching her progress even further in the years to come.”

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Lynn Ostrowski-Ireland

Viability Inc. announced that Lynn Ostrowski-Ireland has been appointed chief operating officer, a new position within Viability, reporting directly to President and CEO Dick Venne. As COO, Ostrowski-Ireland will be responsible for overseeing the operation of Viability’s programs and services across the 36 locations in five states in which it currently operates. Ostrowski-Ireland is the former executive director of the National Aetna Foundation, where she led strategic grants and programs and enterprise-wide corporate social-responsibility strategy and reporting. She also held numerous leadership positions at Health New England, including director of Marketing, Communications and Brand, director of Community Relations and Health Programs, and director of Corporate Responsibility & Government Affairs. She is recognized for her expertise in population health and addressing social determinants of health, and has addressed national audiences on many public-health topics, most recently keynoting at the National Cancer Foundation and the National Oncology Nurses Congress. Ostrowski-Ireland has achieved several certificates of advanced study from Harvard Business School of Executive Education as well as Johns Hopkins University. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Springfield College, and a Ph.D. from Capella University. She was honored at the 2017 Bay Path University Women’s Leadership Conference and inducted into the Bay Path University Women’s Leadership Hall of Fame.

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The board of directors of the Ludlow Community Center/Randall Boys & Girls Club announced that Mechilia “Chile” Salazar has accepted the role of president and CEO of the center. Salazar previously served as executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Middlesex County in Somerville. Her experience also includes positions as chief Development officer of the Base in Roxbury and Room to Grow in Boston. “I am excited to join such a committed group of leaders at the Randall Boys & Girls Club and build on the best of the team and organization,” she said. “I look forward to working relentlessly to ensure that the club continues to be a positive place where every young person feels loved, knows that they matter, and has access to the resources and opportunities to succeed. I am excited about harnessing the strength of this tight-knit community that has helped make the culture in and outside the club great.”

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Chris Palames

Disability-rights activist Chris Palames is the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Service Award from Holyoke Community College. Palames is the founder of the Stavros Center for Independent Living in Amherst, executive director of Independent Living Resources in Florence, and a retired consultant for the Massachusetts Division of Capital and Asset Management, which manages construction projects for publicly owned facilities in the state. He has served on the Northampton Commission on Disability and the Massachusetts Disability Policy Consortium, and frequently advises the staff in HCC’s Office for Students with Disabilities and Deaf Services. HCC President Christina Royal presented the Distinguished Service Award to Palames at HCC’s 71st commencement ceremony at the MassMutual Center in Springfield on June 2. Palames began his life as an activist as a freshman at Wesleyan University in the 1960s, demonstrating for civil rights on the White House lawn. A spinal-cord injury left him a quadriplegic, but, after a year recuperating, he was back, protesting the Vietnam War and completing his bachelor’s degree in psychology.

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Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, is the 78th chair of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Assoc. board of trustees. He succeeds Kate Walsh, president and CEO of Boston Medical Center. In his inaugural address, Keroack discussed his deep interest in the major policy proposals and other efforts now underway to advance healthcare both statewide and nationally. He also acknowledged that many of these endeavors are currently overshadowed by disruptive challenges buffeting hospitals, health systems, and other care providers. “We must reconnect with our core purpose, to remind both our team members and our communities of who we are and what we have always been,” he said. “We need to remind ourselves of our history of being there for our communities for generations, reliably serving all those who need our help, innovating, and caring for the person and not just the disease. And as we step up, as we find our voice, I believe we will learn something about ourselves and what we share in common.”

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Brooke Hallowell, dean of the Springfield College School of Health Sciences and Rehabilitation Studies, was one of 14 signatories for international associations that founded the initiative of the Global Rehabilitation Alliance (GRA), which gathered for the first time on May 22 at the World Health Assembly hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva. Hallowell will continue to serve as a founding representative to the Global Rehabilitation Alliance for the next three years. The alliance will be a platform for united advocacy and awareness-raising to strengthen rehabilitation in health and social systems around the world. Many organizations serve this goal through working to improve accessibility to services, quality of care, the building of rehabilitation workforce capacity, and strengthening of data collection. The Global Rehabilitation Alliance will aim to further these efforts through raising the profile of rehabilitation and strengthening networks and partnerships. Hallowell has a global reputation in collaborative development of rehabilitation services and frameworks, especially in under-resourced regions. Most recently, she held adjunct faculty appointments and visiting professorships at universities in Korea, Malaysia, and Honduras. She is involved in current research, educational, and clinical program collaboration in Malaysia, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Vietnam, Russia, and Honduras.

Departments People on the Move
Charlotte Hansen

Charlotte Hansen

Charlotte Hansen joined Polish National Credit Union 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 Polish National Credit Union. “Her professional background, experience, and career accomplishments will be extremely beneficial for our continued success going forward.”

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Nancy Garrabrants

Nancy Garrabrants

The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, which serves communities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire through programs, grants, and service, announced the appointment of Nancy Garrabrants to its board of directors. Garrabrants is the former associate dean of the Center for Agriculture at UMass Amherst, where she was responsible for the Nutrition Education and 4-H Youth Development programs. She was previously director and assistant dean of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMass. She is an award-winning education professional with 32 years of in-depth expertise in agriculture from the business, academic, and youth-development sectors. “With Nancy’s experience in strategic planning, youth development, and nutrition education, she will bring a fresh perspective to our already robust board, helping us to further define and meet the needs of the communities we serve,” said Eric Schultz, president and CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and chair of the Harvard Pilgrim Foundation board of directors. Garrabrants holds an associate degree in floriculture from the State University of New York at Cobleskill, and a bachelor’s degree in vocational education and master’s degree in plant and soil sciences, both from UMass.

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PeoplesBank announced the promotions and appointments of several key associates.

Donna Charette was promoted to first vice president, Finance. She previously served as vice president of Finance. She has more than 28 years of banking experience, and earned a Leadership Certificate at the New England School of Banking.

• Christine Phillips was promoted to first vice president, Human Resources. She previously served as vice president, Human Resources. She has more than 15 years of human-resources experience, and earned a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst.

• Tammy Bordeaux was promoted to vice president, regional manager. She previously served as assistant vice president, regional manager. She has more than 20 years of banking experience, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western New England University and an associate degree in business administration from Springfield Technical Community College.

• Meghan Parnell-Gregoire was promoted to vice president, Business Lending Center manager. She previously served as assistant vice president, Business Lending Center manager. She has more than 15 years of banking experience, and earned an associate degree in mathematics from Holyoke Community College and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.

• Catherine Snow was promoted to vice president, commercial credit officer. She previously served as assistant vice president, commercial credit analyst. She has more than 30 years of banking experience, primarily in credit-related functions, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University.

• Paul Hillsburg was appointed assistant vice president, PeoplesWealth Advisory Group. He has more than 30 years of financial, sales, and business-development experience, and earned an associate degree in business management from Springfield Technical Community College. He holds Series 7 and Series 66 licenses.

Xiaolei Hua was promoted to assistant vice president, portfolio manager II. He previously served as assistant vice president, portfolio manager I. He has more than 11 years of banking experience, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA from Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.

• Matthew Krokov was promoted to assistant vice president, portfolio manager II. He previously served as assistant vice president, portfolio manager I. He has more than eight years of banking experience, and earned an MBA from American International College, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Westfield State University, and an associate degree in marketing from Holyoke Community College.

• Timothy Wegiel was promoted to assistant vice president, electronic banking officer. He previously served as electronic banking officer. He has more than 12 years of financial-services and banking experience, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western New England University.

• Cherlynne Mills was promoted to Business Banking officer. She previously served as assistant vice president, Consumer & Business Banking Center manager at the St. James Avenue office in Springfield, and has more than 30 years of banking experience. She attended Holyoke Community College and Elms College and is presently pursuing a degree at UMass through its University Without Walls program.

• Jeffrey Reinke was appointed to operational risk officer. He has more than 16 years of operations and financial-services experience, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in finance, from Western New England University.

• Victoria Thompson was promoted to internal audit officer. She previously served as internal auditor. She has more than seven years of auditing experience, and earned a master’s degree in accounting and a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in accounting, from Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.

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Kimberly Santos joined the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV) as membership and meetings coordinator. She joins the association with several years of managerial experience in customer-success roles and training in operations management at Bay Path University. Santos said she is excited to leverage her experience and commitment to strong customer service to support RAPV members and produce a wide roster of events for members to enjoy. She invites prospective members to reach out to her to learn more about joining the association at [email protected] or (413) 785-1328.

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Springfield Rotarian Paul Lambert received a District Governor’s Citation at the Rotary Club of Springfield’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.

Departments People on the Move
Keith Nesbitt

Keith Nesbitt

Community Bank N.A. announced that Keith Nesbitt has been promoted to vice president, commercial banker. In his new role, Nesbitt will manage new business with present and prospective customers, as well as maintain current customer relationships. He will also be responsible for providing direct service to commercial customers pertaining to deposit, loan, and other products and services. “We are very pleased to recognize Keith for all of his incredible efforts and contributions to Community Bank N.A.,” said Geoffrey Hesslink, regional president. “He has always gone the extra mile to meet the needs of our customers and possesses a wide knowledge of loan management. I am excited to see what he will do for our customers at this next level.” Nesbitt joined the Community Bank N.A. team through its acquisition of Merchants Bank earlier this year. He joined Merchants in 2016 as the regional commercial credit officer for NUVO, a division of Merchants Bank. Nesbitt has 12 years of experience in commercial lending, portfolio management, and credit administration in regional and community banking institutions. Nesbitt earned his bachelor’s degree in advertising from University of Georgia, his master’s degree in education from Georgia State University, and his MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. Outside of the office, he is a member of the Western Massachusetts Football Officials Assoc.

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Sarah Pfatteicher

Sarah Pfatteicher

The board of directors of the Five College Consortium has appointed Sarah Pfatteicher to be its new executive director, succeeding Neal Abraham, who will be retiring after nine years at the helm of the higher-ed collaboration. Pfatteicher is currently associate dean for Academic Affairs and a research professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “The board was impressed with the breadth and depth of experience that Sarah will bring to the position,” said Jonathan Lash, president of Hampshire College and of the Five College board of directors. “The level of leadership she’s shown at the University of Wisconsin in both academic and administrative endeavors is remarkable, and will serve the consortium well.” Pfatteicher attended Northfield-Mount Hermon School and graduated from Smith College before earning her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has held a variety of positions at the university and currently oversees more than 70 academic programs, services for 5,000 students, and a budget of $2.3 million. She has extensive experience in both academic and administrative efforts, having created new academic programs, led a major curriculum revision, coordinated strategic planning efforts, and helped develop a blueprint for diversifying the institution, all while teaching engineering courses. “I’m excited to return to the Pioneer Valley and honored to have the opportunity to work with these unique and storied institutions,” Pfatteicher said. “I’m particularly drawn to the unusual breadth of the Five College portfolio and its inclusion of both academic and administrative programs. I believe my own diverse higher-ed background will make me a good fit.” Chosen in a national search that considered some 200 candidates, Pfatteicher will begin working at Five Colleges on April 23.

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Olugbemiga Adekunle

Olugbemiga Adekunle

Holyoke Community College recently welcomed Olugbemiga Adekunle as its new dean of Science, Engineering and Mathematics. Adekunle had previously worked at Blue Ridge Community College in Virginia as a Computer Science professor and more recently as associate dean of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and English. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in instructional design and technology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. Before arriving at HCC in September, Adukenle spent the summer as a research fellow at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland for the third time to gain experience in systems engineering. “All of his experiences will serve him well in this position and support his work on behalf of the division,” said Monica Perez, vice president of Academic Affairs. Adekunle, whose parents moved to the U.S. from Nigeria before he was born, grew up in Nashville, Tenn. and later in Baltimore. At six-foot-five, he is an avid basketball player who also enjoys rapping, comedy, improv, and Star Wars. “I see people as well-rounded,” he said. “I want people to see me that way too.” He said he is excited to have a new challenge and the chance to put his administrative experience into action at HCC. “The focus of my work is making sure that students are successful. I also aim to ensure that faculty are supported and get appropriate training to help them advance their careers.”

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Donna Elmendorf, Dr. Claudia Gold, and Kate Jewson of the Austin Riggs Center have been recognized for their work in the Human Development Strategic Initiative, receiving the prestigious Anna Freud Educational Achievement Award from the American Psychoanalytic Assoc. (APsaA) schools committee. This annual award is presented to a person, school, or educational institution that furthers psychoanalytically informed work with educators, schools, and students in grades pre-K to 12. The prize and the accompanying honorarium will be presented during APsaA’s national meeting in February 2018. Founded in 1911, the American Psychoanalytic Assoc. is the oldest national psychoanalytic organization in the U.S. In 2016, the Austen Riggs Center launched its Human Development Strategic Initiative, the goal of which is to bring a deep, psychoanalytic understanding of human development to address social problems in Berkshire County. In order to do so, the initiative is working in close partnership with existing community organizations, including the Chapter One initiative of Berkshire United Way, a broad community coalition of practitioners who interface with young children and families. The program’s first project, the Discovering Your Baby Project, has as its centerpiece deepening the understanding and practice of infant mental health in Berkshire County through the use of the Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) system. The NBO, a clinical adaptation of the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) developed by pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, is explicitly designed not as an assessment, but as a relationship-building tool. The NBO is a family-focused intervention that can include mothers, fathers, siblings, and extended family. Thus far, a range of practitioners have been trained, including all maternity nurses at a local hospital (130 to 150 babies delivered each year), who have integrated the NBO into routine care. According to Elmendorf, director of the Austen Riggs Center Therapeutic Community Program, Activities Program, and Human Development Initiative, “we recognize that the capacity for regulation of attention, behavior, and emotion that is essential for success in school is laid down in the moment-to-moment interactions between infants and their caregivers. All those working together in Berkshire County share a primary task of promoting healthy parent-infant relationships starting at birth.” Gold, an infant mental health specialist, added, “families from the full range of socioeconomic backgrounds in our community may have struggled with generations of mental illness, substance abuse, or other adverse childhood experiences. As a small rural community, we are able to offer a population-based, rather than risk-based, intervention, normalizing and destigmatizing the challenges of the transition to parenthood.”

Departments People on the Move
Elizabeth Quick

Elizabeth Quick

Bulkley Richardson has named Elizabeth Quick its new executive director. In this position, she is responsible for overseeing all business operations including finance, human resources, information technology, business development/marketing, and facilities. “We are pleased that Elizabeth will be joining us,” said Peter Barry, chairman of the firm’s executive committee. “She has directed many programs and business systems for law firms throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C. Based on her experience and her abilities, we are confident that she will be a major contributor to continuing the firm’s success.” Quick said she is excited about her new opportunity. “I look forward to working with this talented group of professionals as we continue to serve Bulkley Richardson clients and the community. Continuous improvement of systems and management to foster the firm’s delivery of superior legal services is an important focus for me.” An experienced operations professional, Quick’s career spans more than 25 years as a legal-industry administrator. She has developed and implemented new processes, along with coordinating all administrative functions required to ensure smooth day-to-day operations. She has a strong network of colleagues and vendors which has allowed her to streamline tasks to bolster productivity and performance. Prior to joining Bulkley Richardson, she worked as a multi-location administrator for a law firm with offices in New York, Washington, D.C., and Connecticut. She was responsible for strategic planning, expansions and moves, human resources, budgeting, day-to-day operations, business lines of insurance, and cohesive interaction with the management group in benefits, finance, technology, recruiting, and marketing to forward the firm’s overall success and business operations. Quick earned her bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from Eastern Connecticut State University, and received her associate degree from Manchester Community College, and was honored with the David A. Greenberg Award for Academic Excellence and the Fred A. Ramey Jr. Award for Outstanding Business Student. She is a member of the Assoc. of Legal Administrators (ALA), and also a member of the Nutmeg and Capitol chapters of ALA. Quick is based in Bulkley Richardson’s Springfield office. She succeeds Patrick Hourihan, who retired in September after 36 years of service to the firm.

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Jodie Gerulaitis

Jodie Gerulaitis

Country Bank President and CEO Paul Scully announced that Jodie Gerulaitis has been promoted to vice president of Community Relations. “Jodie’s commitment to the local communities we serve and her deep understanding of the bank’s mission made her the obvious choice for this new position,” Scully said. “Jodie will further enhance the bank’s long-standing commitment to helping those in need and work with local nonprofits on various events while managing the bank’s charitable-giving programs.” Gerulaitis has been with Country Bank for 24 years in various positions and holds several certifications from the Center for Financial Training. She is currently attending the New England School for Financial Studies, serves as a local treasurer of the Salvation Army, and is on the West Brookfield Elementary and Stanley M. Koziol school councils.  Annually, Country Bank partners with more than 500 local nonprofits to support their needs and was recently recognized as one of the Top 100 Charitable Giving Companies by the Boston Business Journal.

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Pierre Joseph

Pierre Joseph

The Solidago Foundation, a national social-justice foundation, appointed Springfield native, Amherst College graduate, and Truman scholar Pierre Joseph to the newly created role of program associate. Within this role, Joseph will have a critical role in developing four new signature projects as well as researching, recruiting, and managing new national and state partners. “Pierre is joining our growing team at a pivotal time for the foundation,” said CEO Elizabeth Barajas-Román. “We are excited about the expertise and fresh perspective he’ll bring to our ongoing work.” Prior to working at the Solidago Foundation, Pierre worked as a policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. There, he staffed the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services and worked on many issues including two-generation approaches to child poverty, family implications of substance-use disorder, and linking health-systems transformation to the social determinants of health. “In this new role, I am very interested in how emerging financing strategies, blended funding streams, and democratized access to capital can build wealth, expand opportunity, and increase economic mobility in underserved communities throughout the United States,” he said. Joseph is also responsible for working with senior staff on supporting the team’s budgeting, financial analysis, and planning efforts. “I am thrilled to be working alongside Pierre,” said Jeff Rosen, CFO of the Solidago Foundation. “We are lucky to have a person who has gained so much experience in both local and national arenas to bring to the next phase of our work. Pierre offers the rare blend of practical focus and long-range vision. He will be an invaluable field and thought partner, and we look forward to working together on a host of new initiatives.”

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Michelle Cayo

Michelle Cayo

Florence Bank, a mutually owned savings bank serving the Pioneer Valley through 10 branch locations, has hired Michelle Cayo of Granby in the position of vice president, Credit Administration manager. She brings nearly 20 years of commercial credit experience to her new role. Cayo studied at Bay Path University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in finance, and her master’s degree in communications and information management. She completed the New England School for Financial Studies program and is in the process of completing the Graduate Banking Program from the American Bankers Assoc. Cayo serves her community as a member of the Jimmy Fund Council of Western Mass. In the past, she has also served as president of the Professional Women’s Chamber of Western Mass. In 2013, she was recognized by Western Mass Women magazine as Volunteer of the Year to recognize her work for children with pediatric cancer. She was also recognized by BusinessWest as a member of the 40 Under Forty Class of 2011, which celebrates young business and civic leaders in the Pioneer Valley. “We are thrilled to announce the addition of Michelle Cayo to our Florence Bank family,” said President and CEO John Heaps Jr. “She has an impressive background in commercial credit, and we feel she’s the ideal candidate to take on the role of VP/Credit Administration manager. I know we will be seeing excellent results from her in the years to come, and I look forward to watching her success.”

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John Garvey

John Garvey

John Garvey, president of Springfield-based digital-marketing and public-relations firm Garvey Communication Associates Inc. (GCAi) recently completed a certificate program in corporate reputation management offered by the Public Relations Society of America. The eight-week program was taught by communications experts from global brands including Weber Shandwick, the Hershey Co., MasterCard, Revlon Inc., and Burson-Marsteller. The program included modules on “Reputation and the CEO,” “Key Performance Indicators,” “Digital Reputation,” and “Reputational Risks.” The program is designed to help communications professionals navigate the space between marketing, public relations, and digital, as well as to recognize the importance of reputation and the CEO’s impact on brand value. Garvey was also a keynote presenter at the 2017 Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. Executive Officers Conference, where he presented on “Managing the Media and Your Reputation in a Crisis.” He has close to four decades of public-relations and reputation-management experience, having worked as a consultant to a variety of corporations and nonprofits, as well as a political campaign consultant. Garvey earned a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University and has served as a guest lecturer at the university’s Diederich College of Communications. He earned a master’s degree in organizational development at American International College. He is also a judge and mentor for the Boston-based global startup accelerator MassChallenge, where he has worked with cohorts from Spain, Columbia, Morocco, France, and Mexico.

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Ivonne Vidal

Ivonne Vidal

Ivonne Vidal, a staff attorney for the Committee for Public Counsel Services in Springfield, has been appointed to the Holyoke Community College board of trustees by Gov. Charlie Baker. Vidal holds a law degree from Boston University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Economics from Brown University. As an undergraduate, she spent a year studying international relations and economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science. A native Spanish speaker, Vidal grew up in Cuba and has been living in the U.S. since she was 15 and in Western Mass. for the past six years. “As a public defender and an immigrant, I am keenly aware of the transformative role education plays in a person’s life,” Vidal said. “Holyoke Community College is at the forefront of this movement, finding innovative ways to engage and improve the lives of residents in Holyoke and Western Massachusetts. I am very excited to become a part of this institution, and I’m looking forward to helping advance its mission.” Before coming to New England for college, Vidal worked as an aide at the English Center in Miami, helping to teach classes in English as a second language and citizenship. She also spent summers during college in Miami working as an executive intern in the public defender’s office. As a law student at Boston University, she worked for Greater Boston Legal Services and as a legal intern with Masferrer & Associates, P.C. “Ivonne’s background in law and fluency in Spanish will strengthen our already-talented board,” said Robert Gilbert, board of trustees chair. “Our goal is to foster an environment where students can succeed not only academically in college, but in their lives as well. New trustees bring fresh ideas that will help guide HCC into the future and strengthen our connections with community partners.”

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Shaun Jennings

Shaun Jennings

OMG Roofing Products has hired Shaun Jennings as digital marketing specialist. In his new role, Jennings is responsible for all digital marketing activities for OMG Roofing Products, including company websites, social media, and mobile marketing activities. He is based in Agawam and reports to Sam Everett, director of Marketing Communications. Jennings joins OMG Roofing from SABIC, a manufacturer of high-performance plastics, where he led digital platform development for the Specialties business unit in the Americas region, based in Houston. He holds a bachelor’s degree in interactive media advertising from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Headquartered in Agawam, OMG Roofing Products is a manufacturer of commercial roofing products including specialty fasteners, adhesives, edge metal systems, drains, pipe supports, and advanced productivity tools.

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Michael Koziol

Michael Koziol

Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems, announced the appointment of Michael Koziol as chief financial officer at Holyoke Medical Center (HMC). “Mike has over 30 years of experience in nonprofit organizations, including several hospitals throughout New England,” said Hatiras. “His knowledge and successful contributions to organizational financial stability and improved operating efficiencies have already proved to be an asset to the leadership team of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems.” Koziol has served as interim CFO at HMC since April 2017. His prior experience includes executive-level finance positions with Southcoast Physicians Group in Fairhaven, Mass.; MaineGeneral Health in Augusta, Maine; South County Hospital Healthcare Systems in Wakefield, R.I.; Massachusetts Eye & Ear Associates in Boston; Rhode Island Hospital in Providence; and Memorial Hospital of South Bend in South Bend, Ind. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Illinois State University and completed his MBA at the University of Illinois. “I have spent the past six months as interim CFO with Holyoke Medical Center, and I am very happy to be a part of this organization,” said Koziol. “The people who work here are wonderful, and enable a bright future in continuing to provide high-quality, cost-effective care to the community.”

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Rachel Turgeon, a United Personnel employee who has worked in a variety of customer-service roles for the past five years, has been awarded the 2017 United Personnel Academic Merit Award. Turgeon received the $1,000 scholarship to defray student-loan payments related to her bachelor’s degree she received from Elms College last June. As an aspiring oncologist, Turgeon hopes to begin medical school next year. In addition to her work as a United Personnel contract employee, Turgeon is currently a women’s leader at Celebrate Recovery. In 2010, she suffered from an autoimmune disorder, and, in order to grow and heal from that occurrence, she began to counsel women in similar situations. She wanted women to see their beauty and worth beyond their physical impairments, such as hair loss. It was through this experience that she realized her calling and began taking steps to one day specialize in oncology, with the dream of traveling the world through Doctors Without Borders. “Working at United Personnel has taught me that hard work pays off,” Turgeon said. “United Personnel has been a blessing to work for. They have helped me during an extremely tough time in my life, and through them I found a job that has supported me and my long-term goals. I am extremely grateful to receive the United Personnel scholarship. Because of this scholarship, I can pay off a portion of my student loans and process quite a few medical-school applications. United Personnel has brought me one step closer to my goals, and I am so thankful for their support.” Each year, United Personnel identifies one contract employee, or the child of a United Personnel contract employee, who has worked at least 160 hours and is currently enrolled or is a recent graduate of an accredited college as the winner of its annual Academic Merit Award. This $1,000 award recognizes hard work both inside and outside of the classroom, and can be utilized to defray current costs or for loan forgiveness.

Departments People on the Move
Robert Pura

Robert Pura

Greenfield Community College (GCC) President Robert Pura announced he will retire in June 2018 after 17½ years of service to the college and community. During his opening-day remarks to GCC’s faculty and staff on Aug. 31, Pura reflected on many things that the college community has achieved since he arrived in 2000, including:

• Creating the Testing Center, Wellness Center, Advising Center, Vet Center, and the Department Studios, as well as work with the courts and the jail, creation of the GCC Food Pantry, and development of the Senior Symposia;

• Experiencing extensive building renovations to the north and south wings, a new roof and weatherization of the East Building, and creation of the Greenhouse, the Outdoor Learning Lab, and the new Core building; and

• With the GCC Foundation, raising a total of $14 million, awarding 139 scholarships last spring, building the endowment to $5 million, among other accomplishments.

In addition to 39 years of experience as a teacher and administrator in the Massachusetts community-college system, the past 17 as president of Greenfield Community College, Pura is also a graduate of a community college. As the first in his family to attend college and the child of an immigrant, he said he understands what a community-college education can mean to students. “Opening the doors to higher education to all who aspire to a better life for themselves and their families while at the same time maintaining high academic standards is the noblest mission in higher education.” The GCC board will assemble a search committee, with the goal of choosing a new president within a year.

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Chris Mader

Chris Mader

OMG Roofing Products has promoted Chris Mader to the position of technical services manager. In his new role, Mader will manage the day-to-day activities of the Technical Services department, which oversees building-code and approval issues, product-application issues, as well as technical customer-support activities. In addition, he will manage the technical-support team of Andy Cleveland and Stephen Childs. He reports to Josh Kelly, vice president and general manager. Mader started with OMG Roofing Products in 2011 as a codes and approvals support engineer. Since then, he has worked extensively with OMG’s private-label customers and code and approval officials both in North America and abroad, helping with product evaluation, developing technical product specifications, and maintaining code approvals and keeping abreast of technical changes and advancements in the commercial roofing industry. Prior to joining OMG, he was a manufacturing engineer with Hamilton Sundstrand. Mader is a member of the National Roofing Contractors Assoc., the Single-Ply Roofing Industry, and the Roof Consultants Institute. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UMass Dartmouth and a master’s degree in engineering management from Western New England University.

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Ralph Thresher

Ralph Thresher

Ralph Thresher has joined Webber & Grinnell Insurance as a loss-control consultant. He has more than 30 years of experience as a loss-control specialist. Through his expertise, Thresher has helped companies reduce their losses through policy and regulation implementation. In his most recent position with L.E. Mahoney/Wheeler & Taylor Inc., he worked with clients’ management teams to create a safer work environment through the evaluation of their existing safety policies and procedures, performing safety surveys of their work sites, and making recommendations to reduce accidents and improve regulatory compliance.

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Jessica Laporte

Jessica Laporte

Anthony Worden

Anthony Worden

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Co-operative Bank, announced the promotions of Jessica Laporte to administrative officer and Anthony Worden to senior vice president, commercial loans. Laporte has been with the bank since 2013, and in her new role, she is primarily responsible for directing Bank Secrecy Act and fraud-monitoring efforts. She has more than 16 years of banking experience and is currently completing her bachelor’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University. She is based in the bank’s King Street, Northampton office. Worden has been with Greenfield Co-operative Bank since 2009. He will be primarily responsible for the management of the bank’s commercial-lending efforts. He has more than 18 years of commercial-lending and credit-analysis experience. He received his bachelor’s and MBA degrees from UMass Amherst and is a graduate of the Banking School at the Wharton School of Business.

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The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) announced that Christopher Matteson has joined the EANE team as grant developer. He will work with EANE members to train and develop their workforces using funding secured from targeted grant sources. He brings more than 10 years of experience — primarily in the areas of manufacturing, healthcare, and social services — to his role at EANE. Matteson will spearhead the October initiative to generate awareness for Massachusetts-based companies in workforce-training opportunities, and will outline strategies and trends for significant funding resources. Two lunch programs will be held: one in EANE’s Auburn office on Tuesday, Oct. 3, and the other in Agawam on Friday, Oct. 6. Both programs run from noon to 1:30 p.m., and businesses and organizations can register at no charge by contacting Matteson at [email protected]. EANE has facilitated numerous grants — close to $2 million in total, with several grants ranging from $200,000 to $250,000 — for members to increase job retention, growth, and wages; to foster more productive and competitive companies; and to increase commitments to private investment in training. Matteson spent more than eight years with the 500-member advocacy group the Rhode Island Manufacturers Assoc. and its nonprofit arm, the Rhode Island Manufacturing Institute, most recently as vice president and chief operating officer. In that position, he maintained member services, developed strong relationships with manufacturers, and created training programs in partnership with universities, community colleges, and local training providers. He developed several manufacturing apprenticeship programs which led to dozens of new hires for manufacturers, and spearheaded a program for Rhode Island called “Dream It, DO IT,” which is a national initiative charged with increasing the positive awareness of manufacturing as a career choice. Matteson also spent several years in social-service positions and mental-health community-action programs dealing with sex offenders, fire setters, and substance abusers, where he implemented behavior-modification and managed-treatment programs. Matteson has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology from Rhode Island College and will complete his project management professional (PMP) certification in October at Bryant University. He has served on the advisory boards of Davies Career and Technical School, North Kingston High School, and East Providence Career and Technical School. He is a member of the National Assoc. of Workforce Development Professionals. He also serves on the board of directors for St. Mary’s Home for Children, a nonprofit agency offering comprehensive treatment programs for boys and girls traumatized by abuse or experiencing the challenges of psychiatric disorders.

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Tighe & Bond, an engineering and environmental consulting firm, announced the recent addition of three senior environmental professionals to its team:

Christopher Koelle is a Connecticut licensed environmental professional (LEP) and project manager with 19 years of experience providing environmental-consulting services for a wide range of large and smaller-scale multi-disciplinary projects. This includes environmental assessment, hazardous building material (HBM) surveys, site development and redevelopment of brownfields, remediation, HBM abatement, and facility demolition. Koelle’s projects have involved assessment and remediation of PCBs, petroleum, solvents, and metals at both federally and state-regulated sites. He is known for developing innovative approaches to site assessment and remediation that have yielded significant savings at a multitude of sites across Connecticut. Koelle earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Lehigh University, and his master’s in environmental science from the University of New Haven. He works out of the firm’s Middletown office, Conn. office;

• Shawn Rising is a Massachusetts licensed site professional (LSP) and project manager with more than 19 years of experience providing environmental-consulting services for a wide range of diverse projects throughout New England. He provides site assessment, remediation, due-diligence services, and environmental permitting. In addition, he has designed and implemented a variety of remedial programs for the treatment of oil and hazardous materials impacts to soil and groundwater under various regulatory programs. Rising has managed numerous waste site cleanup projects throughout the Northeast, with a focus on petroleum site assessment and remediation. In addition, he has substantial experience with facility compliance in the petroleum industry. Rising also has managed several large-scale due-diligence projects, supporting the acquisition of up to 300 properties under single-portfolio transaction. Currently he is providing LSP services for the closure of the former Mt. Tom power plant in Holyoke. Rising earned his bachelor’s degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry, from Westfield State University. He works primarily out of the firm’s Westfield office, routinely providing support to many other Tighe & Bond offices; and

Daniel Williams is a senior environmental-compliance specialist with more than 27 years of experience in industrial health and safety, as well as regulatory compliance. His expertise includes development and support for process-safety management; risk-management programs; environmental, health, and safety (EHS) programs; and various OSHA, EPA, and state environmental-compliance standards. Williams has developed, coordinated, and managed EHS policies, programs, training, and reporting processes for numerous industrial facilities throughout New England. During this time, he has overseen numerous safety improvements and implemented successful accident- and cost-reduction strategies. He brings a wealth of safety and compliance experience to the firm gained from past positions at industrial facilities in Massachusetts. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in EHS program management from UMass Amherst. He works out of the firm’s Westfield office.

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Michelle Baity

Michelle Baity

BFAIR (Berkshire Family & Individual Resources) announced the appointment of Michelle Baity as director of Human Resources. A key member of the senior leadership team at BFAIR, Michelle brings significant experience and knowledge to the organization. Prior to joining BFAIR, Baity’s human-resource experience includes the past 16 years at Berkshire County ARC, most recently serving as assistant director of Human Resources. During her tenure at Berkshire County ARC, she worked in all capacities within the human-resource field, gaining new responsibilities and skills throughout the years. Prior to her work in human resources, her career was dedicated to the field of human services. Baity holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. She is a 2004 graduate of the Berkshire Leadership Program. She volunteers for the Berkshire Place as a member of its personnel committee, is the past president of the Reid Middle School PTO, and worked on the city of Pittsfield’s Winter Carnival.

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Elms College added nine new faculty members in accounting, biology, communication sciences and disorders, education, nursing, and social work:

• Sara Smiarowski, an adjunct professor in the Elms MBA program, has been promoted to assistant professor of Accounting. Most recently, she was CFO of Berkshire Brewing Company in South Deerfield, MA. She also held leadership financial roles at Yankee Candle Co. in South Deerfield and Kringle Candle Co. in Bernardston;

• Joining Elms as a lecturer in Biology is Dr. Andrew Rucks. Most recently, Rucks has been a faculty member at American International College in Springfield and a consultant with Westat in Rockville, Md. He previously held faculty positions at Holyoke Community College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston, and Western New England College;

Brittney Carlson and Kathleen Murphy have been hired as assistant professors of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Carlson, who had been an adjunct professor at Elms since January, most recently served as a staff audiologist for VA Connecticut Healthcare System. Since 2004, Murphy has worked in a number of roles for Futures Education, Futures Healthcore in Springfield. She has also served as a speech language pathologist at Stepping Stones Birth to Three Center in Hartford, Conn.; Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton; and Holyoke Public Schools;

• Joining Elms as associate professor of Education is Natalie Dunning, and as lecturer of Education is Shannon Dillard. Dunning had been assistant superintendent for teaching and learning for Freetown-Lakeville Regional Schools in Lakeville since 2013. Prior to that, she was chief academic officer for Springfield Public Schools and K-12 supervisor of science for Providence (R.I.) Public Schools. Dillard has been adjunct faculty in curriculum development at Bay Path University since 2010. Prior to that, she was a clinical faculty member and lecturer at UMass Amherst;

• New faculty in the School of Nursing are Elizabeth Fiscella as associate professor of Nursing, and Deana Nunes as instructor of Nursing. Fiscella most recently served as an associate professor of Nursing at Berkshire Community College and as assistant clinical professor of Nursing at UMass. Nunes, a certified wound care nurse at Mercy Wound Care Center in Springfield since 2010, has been a clinical adjunct at Elms College since 2015; and

William Gilbert has joined the college as assistant professor of Social Work. He has more than 25 years of experience in social work as a clinician, administrator, supervisor, and educator. He has taught at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic; the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Conn.; the University of Connecticut in West Hartford; and Elms College. His social-services experience includes positions at agencies such as Catholic Charities in Norwich, Conn.; Family Support Services; Community Prevention and Addiction Services Inc. in Willimantic, Conn.; and the Village for Families and Children Inc. in Hartford, Conn.

Departments People on the Move
Kristen Lemoi

Kristen Lemoi

Florence Bank promoted Kristen Lemoi to the position of vice president, Marketing manager. She joined Florence Bank in June 2011. Prior to her recent promotion, Lemoi had served as the assistant vice president, Digital and Merchandising manager for Florence Bank, and played an integral part in the 2014 launch of the bank’s new brand. In her new role, she will help steer the bank’s strategic marketing decisions. Lemoi received her bachelor’s degree in marketing from UMass Dartmouth. She is currently on the board of the Cancer Connection, and holds the title of certified financial marketing professional from the ABA Institute of Certified Bankers.

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Max Kernizan

Max Kernizan

Facial Cosmetic & Maxillofacial Surgery, P.C. announced that Max Kernizan, DMD has joined its oral-surgery practice. Richard Fraziero, the practice’s owner, said Kernizan “is bringing to Western Mass. the excellent surgical skills that our patients have come to expect from our surgeons at FCMS. He will be performing full-scope OMF [oral and maxillofacial] surgery in our surgical office, as well as at Baystate Medical Center. We are very excited to have Max join the Valley’s premier OMFS practice.” Kernizan completed his undergraduate education at Philadelphia University, graduating magna cum laude, and earned his dental degree at Temple University in Philadelphia. While in dental school, he achieved the Oral Surgery Scholarship award and served as vice president of the Anesthesiology Honor Society. Following dental school, he completed his specialty training in oral and maxillofacial surgery as chief resident at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Conn. He will begin treating patients at 382 North Main Street, East Longmeadow, in September. Kernizan is trained in the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery. His primary clinical interests include orthognathic/corrective jaw surgery, wisdom teeth removal with sedation, dentoalveolar surgery, dental implants, and repair of traumatic facial injuries. He maintains certifications in BLS, ACLS, PALS; currently has affiliations with the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the American Assoc. of Cosmetic Surgery; and is an AO CranioMaxillofacial affiliate. To schedule an appointment with Kernizan, at (413) 525-0100. He will also be offering same-day emergency appointments based on the direction of the patient’s general dentists; area dentists may press option 1 to be directed to a front-desk coordinator.

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The board of directors of the Springfield Regional Chamber (SRC) has elected officers to lead the organization: Tricia Canavan as chair, Mark French as vice chair, Barbara-Jean Deloria as treasurer and David Parke, Esq. as secretary. Canavan is president of United Personnel. A member of the boards of directors of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield and the Springfield Chamber of Commerce prior to its merger, she most recently served as the vice chair of the SRC board of directors. Canavan lends her leadership to other boards of directors including the Baystate Health Foundation, Springfield Public Forum, and the Northampton Chamber of Commerce. French is the advertising director of the Republican/MassLive/El Pueblo Latino. He has been a member of the SRC board since its inception and served on the Springfield Chamber Board prior to its merger. He also served as chair of the Marketing and Advertising Council at New England Newspaper and Press Assoc. and in various leadership roles on the board of directors for the New England Newspaper Advertising Executives. Deloria is a senior vice president at Florence Bank. She has served as the SRC’s board treasurer since its inception. Prior to that, she was a member of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) board of directors since 2005 and served as its board treasurer. She is a past president of the West Springfield Chamber of Commerce and Dress for Success Western Massachusetts and serves on the Massachusetts Small Business Review Board. Parke is a partner with Bulkley Richardson and a member of its business and finance department, focusing on general corporate and business matters, mergers and acquisitions, and other transactional work. He, too, served in a leadership capacity on the ACCGS board prior to its merger and was instrumental in the formation of the Springfield Regional Chamber. He serves on Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. Business & Commercial Curriculum Advisory Committee and is past chair and current member of the Friends of the Homeless board of directors. Also elected as new members of the SRC board of directors were Marc Criscitelli, senior vice president for HUB International New England, LLC; Lou Curto, financial consultant with Private Wealth Management Group; David Ference, vice president, Commercial Lending for TD Bank; Tejas Gandhi, chief operating officer for Baystate Health; Jeffrey Trapani, Esq., a partner with Robinson Donovan Madden & Barry, P.C.; and Jenny MacKay, representing the Professional Women’s Chamber.

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The East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce inaugurated President Edward Zemba of Robert Charles Photography at its recent annual meeting at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse. Robert Charles Photography has been a member of the ERC5 since 1974, and Zemba has been participating in chamber events for more than 20 years. The annual meeting also ushered in First Vice Chair Charles Christianson of CMD Technology and celebrated the continued efforts of Treasurer Joe Lawler of the Gaudreau Group. Past President Dennis Lopata of Life Care Center of Wilbraham relinquished his responsibilities to Zemba.

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Former state Rep. Benjamin Swan has been named the recipient of the 26th annual Ubora Award conferred by the African Hall subcommittee of the Springfield Science Museum. In Swahili, Ubora means “excellence.” Swan was nominated by Denise Jordan and Fred Allen Swan. As a civil-rights activist, Ben Swan was the Western Mass. coordinator for the monumental 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom, and he is recognized as the preeminent leader of the 1960s civil rights movement in the city of Springfield, and he served as president of the Greater Springfield branch of the NAACP. For 24 years, Swan served as state representative for the 11th Hampden District, retiring this past January. As a community leader, he helped launch a number of community-based organizations such as Northern Education Service and the former Springfield Action Commission. Swan provided moral, legislative, and financial leadership and support to the Springfield Schools, community-based organizations, minority veterans groups, substance-abuse treatment, cultural festivals, the Springfield Arts Council, Springfield Technical Community College, and the UMass Downtown Center.  As an artist and the creator of the long-standing Black Love Experience radio program, Swan provides community updates in educational and cultural activities and shares inspirational black classical music. Swan graduated from the former Springfield Technical High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the Fashion Design Institute and his master’s degree in education from UMass. He completed advanced graduate work at UMass, and received an honorary doctorate from Westfield State University. He has received many awards and recognitions, including the 1990 “Eye on the Prize” Award.

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The board of directors of the Professional Women’s Chamber (PWC), a division of the Springfield Regional Chamber, has elected its officers to lead the division:

Laurie Cassidy has been re-elected president. She has been executive director of the West Springfield Council on Aging/Senior Center since 2010. She is in the second year of her two-year term as president;

Gillian Palmer has been newly elected as vice president. Palmer, a PWC member since 2014, is Business Development coordinator at Eastern States Exposition. Palmer also serves as vice president of Finance of the Meeting Professionals International CT River Valley chapter, special events chair of the Rotary Club of Springfield, and a Bay Path University Alumni Council member. She is a member of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty Class of 2017;

Caron LaCour was re-elected as treasurer. She is a certified public accountant working with Burkhart Pizzanelli, P.C.;

Jeannie Filomeno was also re-elected as assistant treasurer. She is Human Resource manager at Marcotte Ford Sales Inc., her family business where she has worked since graduating college. She has served on the PWC board for three terms.

Liz Rappaport, a third-generation property manager at Century Investment Co., was re-elected as secretary; and

Janet Casey will continue to serve as past president for one more year.

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Kelly Koch

Kelly Koch

Raipher, P.C. announced that Kelly Koch and Isaac Fleisher recently joined the firm. Koch began her career with a clerkship for judges in the Western Mass. Probate and Family Court. She then spent six years in the Domestic Relations department at Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP. She is well-versed in domestic relations and probate law and has handled domestic and international custody disputes, multi-million-dollar divorces, and alimony modifications. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University as well as a JD and an LLM in estate planning from Western New England University School of Law. She is a member of the Hampden and Hampshire County Bar Associations, the Massachusetts Bar Assoc., the Women’s Bar Assoc., and the ACLU. Fleisher comes to Raipher, P.C. with 10 years of in-house counsel experience at Tams-Witmark Inc. in New York City. He counseled corporate executives on business and legal issues, negotiated licensing agreements, and managed copyrights. At Raipher, P.C., he works with startups and entrepreneurs in a range of industries and has developed an expertise in the renewable-energy sector, helping investors and developers acquire, finance, and build commercial solar-power facilities throughout the Northeast. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University, graduating with honors, and his JD from Brooklyn Law, graduating cum laude. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc., the Hampshire County Bar Assoc., the New York City Bar Assoc., and the New York State Bar Assoc. In his free time, Isaac volunteers with Legal Food Hub, a nonprofit providing free legal services to farmers and food entrepreneurs in New England. He serves on the board of the Lander-Grinspoon Academy.

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Terry Poloski of Monson Savings Bank was recognized recently by the Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman magazine, in its its annual report of the top mortgage originators in Massachusetts. Poloski was named one of the top five mortgage loan originators in Western Mass. for the second straight year. Poloski has been with Monson Savings Bank as a mortgage originator for the past five years. She has more than 38 years in the banking industry, is a member of the RAPV Affiliate Group, and participates in BNI.

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During the National Assoc. of Clean Water Agencies’ (NACWA) Utility Leadership Conference and 47th annual meeting in St. Louis, representatives of the association’s nearly 300 member utilities elected Joshua Schimmel, executive director of the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, to a seat on its board of directors. NACWA, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a national leader in clean-water advocacy, and Schimmel’s leadership will be instrumental in helping to shape and improve clean-water policy that impacts all states and cities. Schimmel has more than 24 years of experience at the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, participating in all facets of the water and wastewater utility business, from operations to engineering to customer service to financial and regulatory issues. Appointed executive director in 2016, he worked proactively with the Board of Commissioners and commission staff to advance efforts to create financial stability, implement an aggressive capital-investment program, and develop a sustainable operating strategy while keeping rates affordable and service reliable.

Departments People on the Move
Donna Easton-Vicalvi

Donna Easton-Vicalvi

Monson Savings Bank announced that Donna Easton-Vicalvi has joined the bank as vice president of Government Banking. She has more than 24 years of experience in the municipal-finance field, including 12 years as treasurer for the town of Hampden and the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District. Easton-Vicalvi joined United Bank in 2008 to develop a Government Banking Division in Massachusetts and Connecticut as United Bank acquired branches in Connecticut. In 2016, she joined Merchants Bank in Vermont to develop a Massachusetts government-banking presence for the bank until 2017, when Merchants was acquired by Community Bank Systems. “We are extremely pleased to have Donna join us,” said Steve Lowell, Monson Savings Bank president, adding that she brings not only a wealth of experience, but numerous affiliations and community involvement as well. “We look forward to her helping Monson Savings Bank enhance and expand our municipal products and services with her expertise.”

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Katrina Dziedzic

Katrina Dziedzic

Susanne deVillier

Susanne deVillier

Alison McCoy

Alison McCoy

Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced that three people have been promoted. Katrina Dziedzic and Susanne deVillier have been promoted to vice president, branch officer, while Alison McCoy has been promoted to compliance specialist – officer. Dziedzic joined the bank in 2007 and has 32 years of banking experience. She began as branch officer in Westfield and was promoted to senior branch officer in 2011 and to assistant vice president, branch officer in 2014. She has an associate’s degree from Springfield Technical Community College. She is active in the community, serving as executive board member and treasurer for the Westfield Boys and Girls Club and auction co-chair of the Westfield Kiwanis Club. Meanwhile, deVillier joined the bank in 2010 as branch officer in Agawam and has 22 years of banking experience. She was promoted to senior branch officer in 2014 and then to assistant vice president, branch officer in 2015. She has been instrumental in leading the successful bankwide checking-account-acquisition program. She is treasurer of the Agawam Rotary, a West of the River Chamber of Commerce member, active in the Springfield Boys and Girls Family Center, and serves on various community committees. She is also involved in fund-raising for various school programs. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from American International College. McCoy joined the bank in 2015 as a compliance specialist. She previously managed her own general law practice. She has been involved in the development of a successful compliance-management system for the bank. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Bard College at Simon’s Rock and her juris doctor from Western New England University School of Law. She graduated with high honors from the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. She is currently enrolled in the Isenberg School of Management MBA program at UMass Amherst. McCoy has volunteered with Meals on Wheels and the People’s Institute in Northampton. She is treasurer of the Western Massachusetts Compliance Assoc. and is involved in the Boy Scouts of America, Western Massachusetts Council as an Assistant Scoutmaster of Amherst Troop 500.

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Craig Della Penna of the Murphys Realtors has been selected to receive the 2017 EverGreen Award from the Green REsource Council of the National Assoc. of Realtors. Della Penna was selected for the honor by an independent panel of green-industry professionals and was nominated based on his commitment to developing energy-efficient homes and neighborhoods in which biking and walking are commonplace. Known as a leader in the green real-estate community, Della Penna was the first Realtor in the U.S. to specialize in the sale of houses near rail trails and greenways. He serves a broad range of clients to help them make choices about sustainable or energy-efficient living; for instance, he is a resource for buyers who want a home in a neighborhood in which children are able to walk or bike to and from school. Della Penna has delivered more than 1,200 lectures in 21 states on the topics of energy efficiency and the importance of greenways. He also has been a key player in helping to build over 1,000 miles of rail trails in the past 20-plus years and has made a visible difference for green buyers in his local real-estate market and across much of the Northeast.

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Laura Herring, director of Operations of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley, has successfully completed the e-PRO certification program and has been awarded the e-PRO certification, the official technology-certification program offered by the National Assoc. of Realtors (NAR). Herring joins more than 30,000 real-estate professionals and association staff specialists who have earned NAR’s e-PRO certification and dedicated their time and effort toward learning how to use the latest social-media technologies to create an online presence and reach today’s hyper-connected consumers.

Departments 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.

Departments People on the Move
Shannon Rudder

Shannon Rudder

The Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc. (PMN) board of trustees named Shannon Rudder executive director of PMN’s multi-human-services agency. First appointed interim director in May, Rudder previously served as executive director for MotherWoman Inc. in Hadley for four years. Prior to that, she was associate director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal Inc. in Buffalo, N.Y. “Shannon’s leadership, contagious enthusiasm, solid business acumen, strong operational skills, team-building focus, and dedication to building strong community relationships will advance our mission into the bright future ahead,” said Jean Zaleski, board chair. Rudder is currently on Springfield Technical Community College’s Foundation board; Mama’s Voice, a community-based participatory research project with Holyoke Community College; the grant review committee for United Way of Pioneer Valley; and United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council, and is an instructor at Bay Path University and Cambridge College. In addition, she has served as a guest lecturer at Springfield College, Smith College, and UMass School of Regional Planning. BusinessWest included Rudder in its 40 Under Forty class of 2016. “We are thrilled to have Shannon as our new executive director,” said James Wall, chair of PMN’s personnel committee. “She brings a great breadth and depth of experience that will help take Providence Ministries to the next level.” PMN is a member of the Sisters of Providence Ministry Corp. and is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization serving the Holyoke community with programs to feed, clothe, and shelter the poor and marginalized. These include Kate’s Kitchen, foodWorks at Kate’s Kitchen, Broderick House, Loreto House, McCleary Manor, Margaret’s Pantry, and St. Jude’s Clothing Center.

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Anthony Hayes

Anthony Hayes

Following a nationwide search, Anthony Hayes has been selected as the new general manager for public broadcaster WGBY in Springfield. Hayes comes to WGBY with nearly two decades of executive experience in public TV and radio in Connecticut and Washington, D.C. He succeeds Rus Peotter, who retired last fall after leading the station for 15 years. “Anthony is a visionary leader, and his extensive background in strategic development and engaging with audiences will advance WGBY’s mission and vital role in the community and across the region,” said Liz Cheng, Television Stations manager for the WGBH Educational Foundation, which includes WGBY. Hayes will lead the station in its strategic planning, editorial operations, and community engagement, serving its public-media mission of advancing the educational and cultural life of Western New England. “As a highly accomplished media executive, Anthony’s management skills, experience, and style will be a great fit for WGBY. His industry knowledge and community focus will be of tremendous value in leading our public-media initiatives,” said Crist Myers, chair of the WGBY board of tribunes. Most recently, Hayes served as senior vice president for Engagement at Connecticut Public Broadcasting in Hartford, which includes CPTV and WNPR, where he guided fund-raising and sponsorship initiatives to develop new strategic opportunities and growth. Prior to that, he was at WAMU-FM, American University Radio, where he oversaw the sponsorship sales division and designed and implemented integrated fund-raising, communications, and outreach strategies, locally and nationally, that increased stakeholder engagement. Earlier in his career, he was with WETA, public TV and radio in Arlington, Va., where he managed corporate marketing and developed non-traditional revenue initiatives. “I couldn’t be more pleased to have this opportunity to magnify the impact of this exceptional organization,” said Hayes. “I will work collaboratively and strategically to build upon WGBY’s rich history and advance its core mission, focusing on building a stronger community through engagement, learning, and understanding. I believe WGBY is poised to expand its reach throughout Western New England, and I am eager to lead the charge.” Hayes holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the New York Institute of Technology, and a master’s degree in media entrepreneurship from American University. He will join WGBY on July 10.

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Mike Hamel, owner of Summit View Banquet House and Hamel’s Creative Catering, has been named 2017 Business Person of the Year by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. Hamel’s Creative Catering was established in 1990, but the Hamel family business roots go back to 1963, when his family owned and operated Hamel’s Market in South Hadley and Edgar’s Market in the Churchill section of Holyoke. “Mike is an exemplary model of a home-grown success story. This is a great story of small business success,” said Kathleen Anderson, president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. “It includes a family legacy, following a passion, having a dream, and overcoming obstacles to achieve something significant and lasting. We are very proud of Mike and his family, and congratulate them on this achievement.” The award has been presented annually to an outstanding business person who is community-oriented, is innovative, possesses a high degree of integrity, and for business accomplishments in Greater Holyoke’s business community. Marge Manton, treasurer and CFO of Loomis Communities and chairman of the chamber board of directors, also announced the selection of Harry Montalvo of bankESB to receive the Henry A. Fifield Award for Voluntary Service to the Chamber. The award is named for the late Henry A. Fifield, former Amped executive and civic leader who served in leadership positions with the chamber. Montalvo’s service includes the chamber ambassador committee, the board of trustees of the Chamber Centennial Foundation, and chamber liaison between the two chamber boards. Montalvo has also been a mentor to many of the Chamber Foundation’s SPARK Launch Class graduates. Both award winners will be honored at the Business Person of the Year and Fifield Volunteer Award Dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. at the Delaney House. Information can be found online at holyokechamber.com or by calling the chamber office at (413) 534-3376. Everyone is invited to attend.

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Sarah Jordan

Sarah Jordan

James Kelly, president and CEO of Polish National Credit Union (PNCU), announced that Sarah Jordan has joined the credit union as a marketing specialist. Jordan’s responsibilities include internal and external communications, marketing and public-relations campaigns, community relations, and website management. She comes to PNCU from Westfield Bank/Chicopee Savings Bank, where she served as marketing coordinator. She is a graduate of the University of Hartford with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and has held marketing and communication assignments with the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, where she is a member of the marketing committee; the Barney School of Business Leadership Council; and the National Society of Leadership and Success – Sigma Alpha Pi. She has also been an active volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, the Spaulding After School Program, and Loaves and Fishes. “We look forward to Sarah’s success in promoting Polish National Credit Union and its products and services to both current and future members,” said Kelly. “We are pleased to welcome her to our team.”

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Grace LaValley

Grace LaValley

Grace LaValley, who earned her doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree in the inaugural DNP class at Elms College, had a paper accepted to the American Assoc. of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) for a podium presentation at AACVPR’s 32nd annual meeting in October, where it is a candidate for the conference’s Beginner Investigator Award. The paper Lavalley will present at the AACVPR conference was her capstone project in the DNP program at Elms College. Each DNP student is required to complete a scholarly capstone project that contributes to the field of nursing. The project topics are related to the areas of nursing where they currently work or areas in which they have a particular interest. Lavalley’s project earned her the 2017 DNP Capstone Award from Elms College, which honors a DNP student who has developed a distinguished capstone project that demonstrates scholarly rigor, innovation, and outcomes that improve health or health-related outcomes for a specific population, and has the potential to advance nursing science, practice, or policy. The paper is titled “A Telephone Intervention to Improve Patient Return Rates in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Pilot Study” and focuses on cardiac rehabilitation, or CR. “Cardiovascular disease accounts for 17.3 million deaths per year, a number projected to reach 23.6 million by 2030,” Lavalley said. CR improves patient outcomes and reduces risk in the earlier post-discharge period, but it remains highly underused, she added. Despite its benefits, many patients are at risk for not following the CR program, for a variety of reasons. She and her colleagues decided to investigate whether a telephone call focused on patient motivation, education, risks, and goal setting would improve return rates among patients identified as at risk for non-adherence to the CR program. “Telephone interventions are known to be an important tool to provide support and help overcome barriers after discharge,” she noted. They studied 100 patients in Baystate Medical Center’s outpatient CR program and found that those who received the telephone call were more likely to attend their second session of CR as scheduled, compared with patients who did not receive this intervention (80% versus 51%). The overall return rate was higher in the intervention group as well. “This straightforward strategy represents an attractive adjunct to current management of outpatient CR patients,” she said. Lavalley’s coauthors are Heidi Szalai, Dr. Quinn Pack, and Andrew Storer, associate professor of Nursing at Elms. Their paper will be published in the September/October 2017 issue of the AACVPR’s Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention. Storer was the capstone chair for Lavalley’s project; he supervised the project from the development stage through implementation and analysis. The project, he said, “has made a positive impact in the quality of care for the patients, institutions, and communities served.” Added Lavalley, “this project may be of great value to other cardiac rehab programs around the nation, particularly in this complex healthcare environment.”

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Paulo Marques

Paulo Marques

LUSO Federal Credit Union announced that Paulo Marques, senior loan originator, ranked fourth among top loan originators by volume for credit unions in Western Mass., with loan volume of $23.4 million. He also ranked fourth for top loan originators by number of loans for credit unions in Western Mass., with 156 loans. These results were reported by the Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman.

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Deborah Jordan of Shamrock Financial in Wilbraham was named 2017 Affiliate of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV). The announcment was made during the association’s annual awards banquet held June 8 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. As the highest honor given to an affiliate member, the award is bestowed upon the one person who has shown outstanding service and devotion to the organization during the past 17 months in the areas of affiliate-related association activity, community service, and business activity. A member of RAPV for five years, Jordan has served on the affiliate/Realtor, Education Fair & Expo, and community service committees. Her committee involvement includes the annual Benefit Golf Tournament, Playhouse Build for the Boys and Girls Clubs, and blanket and book drives to benefit Shriner’s Hospitals for Children – Springfield. Jordan’s additional community activities include serving as president-elect for the Ludlow Rotary Club, volunteering with Revitalize CDC, and serving on the Buy Springfield Now Committee to promote home ownership.

Departments People on the Move
Alex Dixon

Alex Dixon

Courtney Wenleder

Courtney Wenleder

Marikate Murren

Marikate Murren

MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis announced the appointments of Alex Dixon as general manager and Courtney Wenleder as vice president of Finance and chief financial officer. Dixon assumes responsibility for the resort’s day-to-day leadership and direction, including overseeing all operational aspects of MGM Springfield. Wenleder will direct and oversee the strategic financial planning, operational performance, and financial management of MGM Springfield. Other personnel announcements include Marikate Murren’s promotion to vice president of Human Resources, and several additional senior management hires. Together, these positions will focus on strategic direction, workforce planning and development, and financial planning and oversight to help prepare for the resort’s September 2018 opening. With 10 years of industry experience, Dixon was most recently the vice president and assistant general manager of the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore. There, he helped to open the Horseshoe property both ahead of schedule and under budget. “We are delighted to welcome Alex to the team at MGM Springfield,” Mathis said. “He brings broad industry experience and a passion for delivering hospitality on the East Coast, which will be incredibly valuable to the leadership and operations at MGM Springfield. He has a proven track record for success that will be instrumental in planning, opening, and initiating activities that will undoubtedly further strengthen the performance of MGM Springfield.” Wenleder most recently held the CFO position at New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where she served for nine years and oversaw significant capital investments and property enhancements, including the introduction of the new retail esplanade. Prior to that she was the vice president of Finance and chief financial officer at Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss., where she oversaw the reconstruction of the resort following the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. “Courtney’s extensive experience with our resort operations at two of our company’s signature resorts will be a tremendous asset as our team prepares MGM Springfield to join our expanding regional portfolio,” Mathis said. “She will be instrumental in ensuring MGM Springfield achieves our financial and business goals.” In her new role as Vice President of Human Resources, Murren assumes responsibility for planning and directing all aspects of the talent and human resources functions, including ensuring adherence to labor laws, regulations, and HR corporate policies and procedures for MGM Springfield. She will design and oversee the property’s execution of comprehensive strategies, initiatives, action plans, and processes to improve critical organizational performance in the areas of employee engagement and guest service. She was most recently the director of Human Resources for the property, a role she assumed last June. The MGM Springfield team also has welcomed several additional senior managers, both new to MGM and relocating from other MGM facilities: Michael Custodio has been named director of Property Initiatives, Arlen Carballo is director of Financial Planning & Analysis, and Meagan Lippmann is Learning & Development partner. Rounding out the newest senior-management hires is Jason Randall as director, Talent Acquisition & Development. “I’m excited to have all these talented individuals join the MGM Springfield team,” Mathis said. “The breadth of experience, the leadership qualities, and values of this team gives me a high degree of confidence in our ability to lead MGM Springfield through and past the next phase of our strategic journey of delivering on our enlivened vision for the South End.”

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Christina Royal

Christina Royal

Holyoke Community College President Christina Royal has been appointed to the board of directors of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a nonprofit public agency that seeks to advance economic development through technological innovation, particularly in key industries such as healthcare, life sciences, information technology, nanotechnology, broadband deployment, and marine sciences. “Through its major divisions — the Innovation Institute, the Massachusetts eHealth Institute, and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute —Mass Tech brings together leaders from industry, government, and higher education to advance technology-based solutions that strengthen regional economies, improve the healthcare system, expand broadband access, and stimulate economic growth throughout the Commonwealth,” according to the Mass Tech website, www.masstech.org. Royal has a strong background in information technology, both in higher education and in the private sector. She was formerly the executive director of Distance Learning and assistant vice president of eLearning and Innovation at Cuyahoga Community College, and the director of Technology-Assisted Learning at Marist College. Before she made the switch to higher education, she worked as a project manager in research and development at CompUSA, and as the director of curriculum at the Beacon Institute for Learning. Royal’s term on the Mass Tech board runs until Nov. 20, 2020. She was sworn in on June 1.

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United Way of Hampshire County (UWHC) announced the appointment of Renee Moss as interim executive director. Moss replaces Jim Ayres, who resigned his position as executive director to serve as president and CEO of United Way of Pioneer Valley. Julie Cowan, UWHC board chair, announced that Moss will serve as interim executive director while the board conducts a search to permanently fill the position. Moss, a UWHC board member, recently retired as longtime executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County. “Renee is well-respected in the community and will bring strong leadership skills to our United Way as we make the transition to a new director. We are grateful that she is willing to give her time and talents to United Way just as she was starting her retirement,” said Cowan. Added Kate Glynn, UWHC board vice chair, “Renee brings impressive experience to the interim director role at UWHC, where she will work with the staff and board on a number of fronts, including the search for a permanent executive. The board of directors is extremely excited to have someone with such a strong nonprofit background and so well-known in the community.” According to Cowan, “Renee was willing to step forward and serve in this capacity. She has been a tremendous board member and volunteer. Our organization is very fortunate to have her step in at this critical time as we prepare for the 2018 Community Campaign.” Moss said she was approached by some United Way officers to see if she would be interested, and she was. “United Way is a great organization, and I’m looking forward to working with the incredible staff.” Moss was with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County for 32 years. Her passion for community collaboration and creating new partnerships is what she enjoyed most about leading that organization. Before moving to Amherst in 1985, Moss taught in the New York City public schools for 10 years. Moss will assume the executive director position on June 26 and is expected to stay until Sept. 22.

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Mike Vedovelli

Mike Vedovelli

With more than 19 years of community and economic-development experience in Western Mass., Mike Vedovelli joined Eversource as its newest community relations specialist. Vedovelli will serve as the company’s liaison for communities in Hampden and Hampshire counties. His focus is supporting Eversource’s electric service business. He is a past board member of DevelopSpringfield and the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, and a graduate of St. Anselm College. Most recently, Vedovelli served as Chicopee’s director of Community and Economic Development. Prior to that, he served more than seven years as the senior regional director for the Massachusetts Office of Business Development. He’s successfully worked on a number of projects involving site location, expansion and technical assistance generating private investment, economic opportunities, and jobs. He has worked with all of the Western Mass. communities and has strong relationships with municipal officials and business leaders.

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Bay Path University President Carol Leary recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council (HSAAC) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership. The HSAAC provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Homeland Security and its leadership on matters related to homeland security and the academic community. Since its formation, the HSAAC has delivered more than 120 recommendations resulting in new and expanded programs, resources, and initiatives to support the academic community. “I am excited to see that the department is focused on engaging with colleges and universities across the nation,” Leary said. “I am proud to be a member of the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council, which has been an invaluable asset to the Department.” During the meeting, the HSAAC Academic Subcommittee on Countering Violent Extremism presented its report to council members. The report offered a number of recommendations for department consideration that were established through a joint effort of academic leaders and subject-matter experts. DHS leadership also outlined the 2017 National Seminar and Tabletop Exercise (NTTX) event, which will take place Oct. 10-11 at the University of Utah. The two-day event will include workshop sessions, a tabletop exercise, and an after-action review session on preparing participants to respond to a campus emergency. This year’s tabletop event will focus on a failure in campus infrastructure caused by cyberattack. This recurring NTTX series is part of the DHS Campus Resilience Program. The program engages colleges and universities in an effort to foster resilience and bolster campus emergency-preparedness efforts. Following the meeting, Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security Elaine Duke met with HSAAC members for an informational session on the department’s key priorities and challenges.

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Tracey Egloff

Tracey Egloff

James Kelly, president and CEO, announced that Tracey Egloff has joined Polish National Credit Union as vice president of residential lending. Egloff has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of residential lending, including loan origination, processing, underwriting, compliance, secondary market sales, and loan servicing. She began her career in banking at Northampton Cooperative Bank in 1992 and held various positions in the loan department. She was most recently the vice president of residential lending with successor institution Greenfield Cooperative Bank. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst and is also a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. “Tracey’s strong background in all aspects of residential lending makes her a perfect choice for helping our members achieve their housing goals and objectives,” said Kelly. “We are extremely pleased to welcome her to the Polish National Credit Union family.”

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Lou Mayo, office manager with Real Living Realty Professionals in Wilbraham, was named the 2017 Realtor of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV). The announcement was made during the association’s annual awards banquet held June 8 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. As the highest honor given to a member, the Realtor of the Year award is bestowed upon the one person who has shown outstanding service and devotion to the 1,650-member organization during the past 17 months in the areas of Realtor activity, community service, and business activity. A Realtor since 1997, Mayo has been a member of the RAPV board of directors since 2012. He was RAPV president in 2016 and also served on the professional standards, strategic planning, and finance committees, as well as the forms and building task forces. At the state level, Mayo is a member of the board of directors of the Mass. Assoc. of Realtors (MAR). He is the chairman of the Mass. Assoc. of Realtors professional standards committee, a forms committee member, as well as a former member the MAR young professionals network committee. He is a MAR Leadership Academy graduate, and is currently a member of the MAR website task force. At the national level, Mayo has attended many National Assoc. of Realtors (NAR) conferences and trade shows and holds the professional designations of Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI), and Certified Buyer Representative (CBR). Mayo’s community involvement includes providing support through charitable giving to Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Salvation Army, as well as serving as a member of the Granby Bow & Gun Club. In conjuction with the RAPV community service committee, he also contrubuted to the development and construction of four playhouses that were donated to local Boys and Girls Clubs. “I believe strongly in the code of ethics and strive daily to achieve its highest ideals as a Realtor,” Mayo said. “In both my personal and professional life, I desire to uplift the image of the Realtor by embodying the knowledge, character, and wisdom of a top professional.”

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The Springfield Thunderbirds announced the addition of Charles Venezia to the front-office staff as an account executive. Venezia joined the Thunderbirds upon graduation from Western New England University, where he played football and was named an All-Academic team member for his conference three years in a row. On the field, he helped lead the Golden Bears to two conference titles. En route to graduating with his degree in sport management, Venezia spent the 2016-17 academic year interning with the Thunderbirds during the club’s inaugural season.

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Berkshire Bank announced that Sharon Blanchette, first vice president, BSA/AML officer, moderated the cybersecurity panel at the Assoc. of Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) Connecticut chapter’s third annual conference on May 19. This year’s ACAMS conference focused on the theme “Anti Money Laundering in a Changing World,” which took place at Mohegan Sun. Blanchette attended this event, moderating the cybersecurity panel for the audience and serving as a panelist on the Bank Secrecy Act audit panel. “Cybersecurity is an important and ever-growing topic of discussion in the financial industry, particularly as we continuously adhere to the Bank Secrecy Act,” said Blanchette. “We are constantly defining and redefining compliance and regulations to stay current in a technologically advanced world, so to be able to serve on a panel to discuss this topic and bring further awareness to our community was an exciting opportunity.”

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Rebecca Gray

Rebecca Gray

American International College (AIC) graduate Rebecca Gray, class of 2017, won first place and a $500 cash prize at Springfield Technical Community College’s (STCC) recent Shark Tank competition. Gray delivered one of seven two-minute pitches to a panel of four judges from the local business community. Gray’s idea for her company, Coastline Industries, focuses on efficient, eco-friendly, and renewable energy in the form of underwater turbines. “Solar energy loses 7% of its efficiency in the first year and, if not maintained, can lose up to 40% efficiency in that first year,” she noted. “Wind turbines add to an increase in noise and stress level of birds and interrupt their migration patterns, all contributing to a high environmental impact.” Gray’s proposed underwater turbines would be built 500 yards from the shoreline in New Hampshire and 100 yards below sea level, producing low environmental impact with little disruption to marine life. “The judges provided five minutes of feedback and very intense questioning about the contestants’ business proposals,” Gray said. While Gray’s idea is not a new one — Scotland already uses underwater turbines and is on track to build the world’s largest field this fall with 270 turbines — it is a new concept for the U.S., Gray said. “The United States is far behind in introducing renewable energy due to bureaucracy and other considerations. Eight turbines could power 5,200 homes, and 39% of the nation’s homes are within a thousand-mile reach of a shoreline.” As part of the competition, presenters had to develop a business model, including startup costs. “While the initial project for Coastline Industries will cost approximately $23.6 million to complete, this venture is eligible for $7 million in federal grants and up to $15 million in low-interest federal loans,” Gray said. “The venture seeks $1.6 million in private funding. The starting energy mill of eight turbines, powering 5,200 homes, would bring in $5.72 million in revenue the first year alone. The entire investment will be made back within five years.” Gray’s idea resonated with the panel, and she was granted the top prize of $500. “They said I did a really good job of answering questions on the spot, had confidence in my answers, and knew what I was talking about.” The newly minted AIC graduate, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, is a New Hampshire native who now resides in Springfield. She will begin a full-time job in finance this July with plans to enter a master’s program in the fall.

Departments People on the Move
Jane Albert

Jane Albert

Jane Albert has been promoted to the position of senior vice president for Marketing, Communications & External Relations at Baystate Health. She will report to Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, and serve as a member of the president’s cabinet. She will oversee the functions of marketing and digital strategy, government and public relations, community relations and public health, communications, and philanthropy. “Jane has been a trusted Baystate Health leader for 15 years in roles that have progressively increased in responsibility and scope. She has a breadth and depth of career experiences and skills that make her ideal for this senior leadership role,” Keroack said. When she joined Baystate Health as manager of Medical Practices Marketing, she presented the first marketing plan to integrate two legacy medical groups to become one organization as Baystate Medical Practices. She then served as manager of Corporate Marketing, overseeing Baystate Health’s marketing efforts, loyalty programs, and events, and developing marketing priorities based on the strategic objectives of the organization. Albert was promoted to director of Public Affairs & Internal Communications, developing metrics for the measurement of media activities while strategically building the community presence of Baystate Health and its entities. She then returned to Baystate Medical Practices, successfully launching the organization’s first physician referral office. Over the last four years, Albert has served as vice president of Philanthropy for Baystate Health and executive director of the Baystate Health Foundation. Among her accomplishments, she led the transformation of the foundation to diversify philanthropic support in alignment with a newly developed strategic plan and recently oversaw the completion of a $5 million capital campaign for the new surgical center at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield. “In all of her roles, Jane has helped advance the work of her teams by developing priorities that align with the mission and strategic objectives of the organization. She is a positive ambassador for our health system and has always been a driving force behind providing honest, timely communications to our constituents,” Keroack said. “She is an incredible contributor to Baystate Health on many fronts, and her energy, enthusiasm, and affection for our organization will serve her well in her new role.” Before joining Baystate Health, Albert served as vice president of Advancement and Marketing at Western New England College, with responsibility for national and regional marketing efforts and philanthropic efforts focused on engaging alumni, businesses, and foundations in support of the university. She holds an MBA from Babson College and a BBA in accounting from UMass Amherst. Active in the community, she has held leadership positions on many boards, including Spirit of Springfield, the National Conference for Community and Justice, the Jewish Community Center, Rotary Club, and chambers of commerce. She has been recognized as Woman of the Year by the Springfield Women’s Commission and as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary Club International.

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Lee Bank recently announced the promotion of three leaders within the company and the addition of a mortgage officer to support its continued growth in 2017.

Susie Brown

Susie Brown

Susie Brown has been named to the position of senior vice president, Human Resources and Administration. She has been employed at Lee Bank for more than 37 years and has worked in many areas of the bank, including operations, human resources, building and maintenance, security, and administration. She will continue to oversee human resources, administration and security, and management of board meetings and governance processes for Lee Bank and its holding company, Berkshire Financial Services;

Paula Gangell-Miller

Paula Gangell-Miller

Paula Gangell-Miller has been named to the position of vice president, Community Banking – Retail Operations. She joined Lee Bank 29 years ago and has been involved in many facets of the bank throughout the years, having held positions as teller, operations supervisor, community banker, branch manager, and area manager, in addition to her new role;

Paula Lewis

Paula Lewis

Paula Lewis has been named to the position of first vice president, Retail Lending. She joined Lee Bank in 2012 as vice president of Mortgage Loan Operations. In her new position, she will oversee residential lending and will sit on Lee Bank’s ALCO committee as well as its executive loan committee; and

Kathy Kelly

Kathy Kelly

Kathy Kelly has joined Lee Bank as a mortgage officer in its Pittsfield office. Kelly has been a mortgage professional for most of her banking career, with First Agricultural Bank, Legacy Banks, and most recently Berkshire Bank.

“I am pleased to announce these well-deserved promotions and to welcome Kathy Kelly to the Lee Bank team,” said President Chuck Leach. “I’m confident that Kathy will not only mesh with but also enhance our culture just as Susie Brown, Paula Lewis, and Paula Gangell-Miller have for many, many years. Lee Bank is very fortunate to have an extremely valuable culture of loyal, dedicated employees who are not only outstanding contributors in the workplace, focused on continued excellence in serving our customers, but also to our Berkshire community.”

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Ellen Freyman, attorney and shareholder with Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., was recently recognized by the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) for her significant contributions to the local community. NCCJ was founded in 1927 in response to religious divides in the country at the time. The goal of the organization and its prominent founders — including social activist Jane Addams and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes — was to bring together diverse populations to combat social injustice, a mission perpetuated to this day. Freyman concentrates her practice in all aspects of commercial real estate: acquisitions and sales, development, leasing, and financing. She has an extensive land-use practice that includes zoning, subdivision, project permitting, and environmental matters. She is a graduate of the Western New England University School of Law (1988) and Pennsylvania State University (1977). One of the most highly awarded attorneys within the Pioneer Valley, she has been recognized or awarded by BusinessWest magazine (Difference Maker, 2010), the Professional Women’s Chamber (Woman of the Year, 2012); Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts (Pynchon Award, 2012); Springfield Leadership Institute (Community Service Award, 2011); Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (Top Women of Law Award, 2010); and Reminder Publications (Hometown Hero Award, 2010).

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Victoria Owen

Victoria Owen

Victoria Owen has joined United Personnel as the organization’s newest business development representative, as the company expands its team to better serve area businesses. Owen, former owner of Owen Employee Benefit Strategies LLC and past director of Employee Benefits at Northwestern Mutual, brings a wealth of knowledge about business operations and human-resources priorities to her current role at United Personnel. She leverages more than 20 years of industry expertise in employee benefits, strategic planning, and business development to support clients and candidates throughout Western Mass. Owen received her bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University, serves on the board of directors of the Home Builders and Remodelers Assoc. of Western Mass., and is committed to building meaningful relationships within the business community.

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Sunshine Village announced several personnel changes as the organization continues to grow its programming footprint in the area.

Jenny Galat was promoted to program manager of the new Litwin Center Day Habilitation Program. Since 2013, Galat has worked for the organization as a developmental specialist, case manager, and program supervisor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in social work from Saint Anselm’s College. When it opens this summer, she will oversee the new program’s focus on innovative day services for adults aged 18-32 years old;

Nichole Chilson came on board as human resource generalist to assist with employee benefits, safety and health protocol compliance, and employee-relations initiatives. Chilson brings more than 25 years of human-resources and customer-service experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice from Western New England University; and

Amie Miarecki was named director of community relations. She brings 15 years of experience working in health and human services, including marketing, community relations, and resource development. She will promote Sunshine Village’s mission to help everyone shine by engaging with community partners and employers. Miarecki holds a master’s degree in corporate and organizational communication with a specialization in leadership from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from UMass Amherst.

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Maria Mitchell, a graduate of Springfield Technical Community College’s newly accredited Health Information Technology program, is the first person from STCC to receive the MaHIMA Student Achievement award. The Massachusetts Health Information Management Assoc. (MaHIMA) offers the award to an outstanding student from any accredited health-information technology or health-information management program. STCC’s program received accreditation in December, making a graduate of the program eligible for the first time this year. Mitchell received a certificate of achievement and one-year membership to the national American Health Information Management Assoc. (AHIMA), free full-day registration for MaHIMA’s fall and winter meetings, and free MaHIMA webinars for one year. She is seeking a position as a health-information technician or coding specialist and hopes to eventually return to school and earn her bachelor’s degree. Graduates of STCC’s Health Information Technology program receive associate degrees. The program prepares students for certification and practice as registered health-information technicians, who typically work with patient medical records at healthcare facilities. Technicians focus in areas beyond coding, including data analytics, compliance, and more.

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Duncan Mellor

Duncan Mellor

The American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) honored Tighe & Bond’s Duncan Mellor with its 2017 Distinguished Lighthouse Community Service Award at its annual gala at the Nonatum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine on May 7. Every year, the organization honors one person who has contributed significantly to ALF’s mission. Since 2011, Mellor has donated his engineering and waterfront expertise to upgrade the Whaleback Lighthouse in Kittery, Maine. This three-phase project included designing repairs for two granite breakwaters and a new docking system with walkways that achieved federal government approval and met ALF’s goals for public access and safety. “This is a well-deserved honor for Duncan — and just one example of his exceptional expertise and commitment to our coastlines and waterfronts,” said Tighe & Bond President and CEO David Pinsky. Mellor leads Tighe & Bond’s coastal engineering services with more than 30 years of experience in the profession. Clients throughout New England know him well for his role in complex coastal projects and solving all types of shoreline and waterfront challenges. Mellor has also overseen unique projects that have required highly creative solutions, such as tidal turbines, offshore structures, and lighthouses. A licensed engineer in New Hampshire and Maine, Mellor has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and master’s degree in Ocean Engineering, both from the University of New Hampshire.

Departments People on the Move
John Cook

John Cook

Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) entered a new chapter in its 50-year history last month with the inauguration of John Cook as its sixth college president. The installation ceremony at STCC’s Scibelli Hall Gymnasium featured a mixture of pageantry, tradition, and celebration. The event opened with a processional led by the STCC Ceremonial Brass Ensemble, followed by the Bearer of the Mace and more grandeur befitting such formal occasions. After the presentation of the presidential medallion, Cook spoke about the college’s rich history, while looking ahead to the future. “Springfield Technical Community College carries an incredible legacy, and it is an absolute privilege to champion who we are becoming in this, our 50th year, and during a time of renaissance and innovation all around,” he said. Christopher Johnson, chair of the STCC board of trustees, praised the new president for his efforts since taking the helm. “The board of trustees is delighted with its selection of Dr. John Cook as STCC’s president. It has been a pleasure working with Dr. Cook during this academic year as we strive to continue to improve the lives of our students. Dr. Cook has done a great job in his inaugural year to keep STCC moving forward as the Commonwealth’s only ‘technical’ community college,” Johnson said. Brian Tuohey is president of the Collins Companies, sponsor of the inauguration. He also is a longtime member of the STCC Foundation board of directors and its past president. He noted, “I have been very impressed with Dr. Cook’s commitment to and involvement with the STCC Foundation and our new board. His enthusiastic leadership and direction have been key components in re-energizing this very important asset, both for our college and our students.” Cook’s induction office falls during the 50th anniversary of the founding of STCC. He succeeded Ira Rubenzahl, who guided the college for 12 years. Cook took over the reins to become the sixth president of STCC on Aug. 1, 2016. Before the inauguration ceremony, the STCC Foundation hosted a VIP luncheon that included business community partners, community stakeholders, and representatives from other education institutions.

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Shannon Asselin

Shannon Asselin

David Ferraro Jr.

David Ferraro Jr.

Melissa Hall

Melissa Hall

Private Financial Design, LLC (PFD) recently announced the promotions of Shannon Asselin and David Ferraro Jr., and welcomed Melissa Hall to the company. Asselin was promoted to executive administrator. She began her career with PFD in 2014 as a client services assistant, bringing more than 14 years of experience in customer service, which included head teller for a local bank. Over the past two years, she has advanced her skills in the financial-services industry with further training and education. She has been honored for excellence in her work with PFD’s broker dealer and clients. She will oversee the administrative operations and client services for PFD while taking on more corporate responsibilities. Ferraro has been promoted to financial advisor. He has been working as an administrator since July 2016 so he could learn the procedures and compliance needs for his clients. His affiliation with PFD began when he interned in 2010, and he was a part-time administrator for several years while attending college. Ferraro graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bryant University, where he studied financial services and economics. He leveraged his education to win the National Financial Plan Competition sponsored by the International Assoc. of Registered Financial Consultants. While attending Bryant, he served as chairman of the Macroeconomic Committee of the Archway Investment Fund. In this role, he developed the investment strategy for this $1 million endowment fund. His work at PFD will be focused on financial and estate planning, investment management, and retirement plans. He is currently pursuing the education and training requirements to become a certified financial planner. Hall has joined the team at PFD as a registered administrator. She has more than five years of experience in the financial-services industry, starting first with a mutual insurance company and later working with an independent certified financial planner for several years. She is currently FINRA Series 6 licensed and will be actively working toward other licensures in the near future. Beyond financial services, Hall has many years of customer-care experience, including many years of volunteer work at her church and on the foreign mission field. She will be helping to develop best business practices, as well as designing new processes to enhance customer service. Private Financial Design offers comprehensive financial planning for both personal and business needs, including fee-based investment-advisory services, retirement plans, and other wealth-management services.

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Berkshire Bank announced the promotion of Mark Pedrotti to Vice President, Marketing Officer. Pedrotti began his career with Berkshire Bank as a college intern from Johnson & Wales University in 2006. He was offered permanent employment in 2008 as eMarketing and website administrator and has continued to learn and grow within the marketing department, taking on new titles and increasing challenges as the years have progressed. “Mark is a key member of Berkshire Bank’s marketing team, and this promotion reflects his dedication to his position,” said Elizabeth Mach, senior vice presient, marketing officer. “We are proud of his accomplishments and look forward to his continued growth in the future.” Pedrotti continues to cultivate his career by acquiring new knowledge and challenging himself in and out of the office each day. In his new role, he will manage the strategic initiatives of Berkshire Bank’s digital properties, in addition to assisting with the overall integrity of marketing assets. Outside of the bank’s marketing department, Pedrotti is also engaged with his community. He is an active participant of the Berkshire International Film Festival, and has been since its inception. Passionate about film and the Berkshire region, he does his best to merge the two, spending much of his time immersed in the outdoor community, always with a camera in hand.

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Jessica Collins, Executive Director of Partners for a Healthier Community, has been appointed to Gov. Charlie Baker’s Special Commission on Behavioral Health Promotion and Upstream Prevention. The commission is tasked with investigating “evidence-based practices, programs, and systems to prevent behavioral-health disorders and promote behavioral health across the Commonwealth. The Commission is comprised of an interdisciplinary group of leaders in behavioral health, prevention, public health, addiction, mental health, criminal justice, health policy, epidemiology, and environmental health. The Commission is zeroing in on three overarching questions: what’s working in behavioral-health promotion and upstream prevention? How can we better fund what’s working? And what can we achieve if we fund what works? More information can be found at promoteprevent.com/mission.

Departments People on the Move
Tim Ashe

Tim Ashe

Robert Fazzi, founder and managing partner of Fazzi Associates, has announced that Tim Ashe has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer and is now responsible for the firm’s day-to-day leadership. Ashe joined Fazzi in 2006 and became a partner in 2007. Since that time, he has led the firm’s Operational Consulting division to provide organizational, operational, turnaround, and change-management services to home-care and hospice agencies across the country. Under his leadership, Fazzi has helped hundreds of agencies improve outcomes and profitability through best practices in organizational structure, clinical and operational processes, and new models for staffing, supervision, and care management. More recently, Ashe also assumed responsibility for the company’s Outsourced Billing, Finance, and Information Technology divisions. A long-time leader in the field of home care and hospice, Ashe’s career has included a blend of clinical, operational, fiscal, and academic roles. He is a frequent presenter at national and state conferences and is often asked to contribute to industry forums. He is also the co-director of the 2016-17 National Home Care and Hospice State of the Industry Study. Fazzi will continue as the firm’s managing partner. But in transferring the leadership of the firm’s daily operations to Ashe, he will devote more time to the company’s future investments as well as to national and international community-based care issues that are close to his heart. “I want to say, at this milestone in Fazzi’s history, that I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished and contributed to our industry thus far, and I’m also incredibly excited about what the future holds,” Fazzi said. “Tim is an incredible leader. I am looking forward to working closely with him as we expand our national and international efforts.”

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Regina Alexander

Regina Alexander

Spiros Hatiras, President and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) and Valley Health Systems, announced the appointment of Regina Alexander as Director of Health Information Management at Holyoke Medical Center. An accomplished revenue-cycle and healthcare-operations leader, Alexander previously served as associate director of Health Information Management at Yale New Haven Health System in New Haven, Conn., as manager of Health Information at Rutland Regional Medical Center in Rutland, Vt., and most recently as senior product manager of Medicare Advantage for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care in Wellesley Hills. “Now that I’ve settled into my role here as director, I can take the experience of working both in a large tertiary facility along with running an operation of a similar size to HMC [at Rutland] and apply lessons learned — successful and less-successful approaches — to come up with the approach that will work best for the resources we have and the scale that we are,” she said. “Knowing what’s possible equips me to think creatively and come up with the best solutions.” Alexander is a board-certified fellow in healthcare management through the American College of Healthcare Executives, holds a master’s of business administration in healthcare from George Washington University, and a bachelor’s degree in health administration and long-term care from the University of Phoenix. With an affinity for science from a young age, Alexander began her career as a laboratory technician in her native Baltimore. She then served as phlebotomy supervisor at George Washington University and as laboratory technician at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington. “Having a clinical background enables me to speak the language of patient care and continuity of care that is so valuable when working directly with physicians, even if what we’re talking about is revenue-related,” said Alexander, who is looking forward to managing her three areas of expertise: medical coding, HIM operations, and clinical documentation improvements. She also serves as the HIPAA privacy officer for HMC.

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Pamela Sanborn

Pamela Sanborn

James Kelly, president of Polish National Credit Union, announced that Pamela Sanborn has joined the credit union as Assistant Manager of the Westfield branch. Sanborn has almost 20 years of financial-services experience, most recently as retirement service specialist with Westfield Bank. She has also held branch officer positions with Berkshire Bank, Legacy Banks, and the Bank of Western Massachusetts. She holds N.M.L.S. certification, studied at Saint John’s School of Business, and completed training with the Center for Financial Training and Massachusetts Mortgage Bankers. During her professional career, Sanborn has been the recipient of Employee of the Month and President’s Club awards. She has also received recognition for outstanding customer service. Active in charitable and civic causes, Sanborn is a volunteer and team captain for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and a volunteer with Aplastic Anemia and PNH support and awareness initiatives. She also devotes time to the Westfield Food Pantry Community Garden. Her other involvements include the Chamber of Commerce and Rebuilding Springfield. “Pamela is an outstanding addition to our Westfield team,” said Kelly. “Her strong financial-services background, leadership skills, and focus on exceptional customer service are all desirable qualities that will transfer well to her new position with Polish National Credit Union.”

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Amelia Holstrom

Amelia Holstrom

Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. announced that attorney Amelia Holstrom will be honored as one of the Massachusetts Lawyer’s Weekly “Up & Coming Lawyers” at its Excellence in the Law event at the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in Boston on April 27. The publication describes Up & Coming Lawyers as “rising stars of the legal community — Massachusetts attorneys who have been members of the bar for 10 years or less, but who have already distinguished themselves despite their relatively junior status.” Holstrom joined Skoler, Abbott & Presser in 2012 after serving as a judicial law clerk to the judges of the Connecticut Superior Court, where she assisted with complex matters at all stages of litigation. Her practice focuses on labor law and employment litigation. “I am truly humbled to be recognized as one of this year’s Up & Coming Lawyers among so many talented attorneys,” she said. Since joining the firm, Holstrom has assisted clients in remaining union-free; represented clients at arbitrations; and defended employers against claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and wrongful-termination claims, as well as actions arising under the Family Medical Leave Act and wage-and-hour law. Additionally, she frequently provides counsel to management regarding litigation-avoidance strategies. In addition to her legal résumé, Holstrom is active in the local community. She is an ad hoc member of the personnel committee for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, a member of the board and executive committee for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, and a member of the board for Clinical & Support Options Inc. Additionally, she formerly served as clerk on the board of Friends of the Homeless. Holstrom is a 2011 graduate of Western New England University School of Law, where she was the managing editor of the Western New England Law Review. In 2015, she was named one of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty honorees, and in 2016, she received the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Community Service Award.

Departments People on the Move

United Personnel announced the following:

Jennifer Brown has been promoted to Vice President of Client Development. With more than 20 years of experience in the staffing industry, Brown brings a wealth of human-resources knowledge and recruiting expertise to her new role. She most recently served as United Personnel’s assistant vice president of Operations in the Springfield region, where she oversaw all aspects of operations for the Light Industrial and Professional placement divisions. She has an associate’s degree in business management from Burdett Business School and recently became a certified staffing professional through the American Staffing Assoc. Her community involvement includes membership in HRMA and serving as a board member of Dress for Success; and

• Mim Zayas has been promoted to Assistant Vice President of Operations, Springfield. Having recently celebrated her one-year anniversary with United Personnel, Zayas, formerly the director of Quality Assurance and Talent Acquisition, will now manage all operations for United Personnel’s Springfield-area offices, including the Professional and Light Industrial placement divisions. Zayas holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Elms College. She is a member of the board of directors for the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce.

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Yogesh “Yogi” Malik

Yogesh “Yogi” Malik

Greenfield Savings Bank announced that Yogesh “Yogi” Malik has joined the bank as a premier banker and also joined the bank’s GSB Investments and Insurance Division as an Infinex Investments executive. Malik will assist customers with identifying opportunities to increase their earnings on their savings at the bank and through the investment opportunities offered by the GSB Investments and Insurance Division, through Infinex Investments Inc. He is based at the bank’s main office located at 400 Main St. in Greenfield. Malik came to the bank with more than four years of experience and has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Bentley University. He has passed the Series 6, Series 63, Series 65, and Series 7 examinations, which are required for individuals who sell certain investment products. In the fall, he is planning to begin working on an MBA.

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W. Paul Harrington Jr.

W. Paul Harrington Jr.

Pope Francis High School, a faith-based college-preparatory school serving grades 9-12, announced W. Paul Harrington Jr. as its new head of school following a lengthy nationwide search. A native of Holliston, Harrington holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in economics from Fairfield University, and a master’s degree in school administration from Loyola Marymount University. He received his doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Southern California. He received the unanimous recommendation of the search committee, approval by the Pope Francis High School Board of directors, and the affirmation of Springfield Bishop Mitchell Rozanski. “I am very pleased and excited that Dr. Harrington has accepted the position as the new head of school for Pope Francis High School,” said Rozanski. “Having personally met with him, I believe he has the vision that will help us realize the full potential for this new school, both academically and spiritually.”  Said Harrington, “I am humbled by this incredible opportunity to honor the rich traditions of Holyoke Catholic and Cathedral High Schools while inspiring a future filled with innovation, faith formation, and academic excellence as Pope Francis High School.”

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Peter Pan Bus Lines  recently honored the country’s first 4-million-mile driver, Ed Hope, at the company’s annual S.T.A.R. (Super Team Achievement & Recognition) Awards Dinner at the Sheraton Springfield Hotel. Hope will be inducted into the National Safety Council Hall of Fame. The National Safety Council defines one million miles as the equivalent of 12 consecutive years of driving without an accident of any kind, or, as noted by Peter Pan Chairman and CEO Peter Picknelly, 4.2 trips to the moon, or 40 times around the earth. This is a significant milestone in a professional motorcoach operator’s career. Peter Pan Bus Lines is proud to have more one- and two-million-mile drivers than any other transportation company of its size. In addition, it is the first bus company in the world to employ drivers who have driven three million, and now four million, miles without an accident.

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Jim Kantany

Jim Kantany

J. Polep Distribution Services announced the promotion of Jim Kantany to Director of Sales. He has been with J. Polep since 2001, and has worked his way through the company, working in warehouse-control positions, as a field sales representative, and, most recently, district manager. Kantany brings a wealth of experience to the Sales department. According to the company, his continued, focused effort has been on creating and maintaining the business’ infrastructure. He possesses an excellent record of customer relations and can identify trends and emerging developments to improve customers’ margin dollars. He takes the time to understand their strategies for growth with the goal of making customers successful.

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The Center for EcoTechnology, a nonprofit that helps people and businesses in the region save energy and reduce waste, has appointed two new members to its board of directors for 2017:

Jennifer Atwater is Vice President of operations at United Personnel, where she oversees the Northampton and Berkshire County markets. She has served on the board of directors for the American Red Cross, Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, and Easthampton Fall Festival; serves on the board of CareerPoint and Ella Clark Home for the Aged; and sits on the development committee for Look Park. She holds an associate’s degree from Bay Path College and a bachelor’s degree from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts; and

Janet Warren is Director of Sales and Marketing at Fazzi Associates, the Northampton-based service provider for home-health and hospice agencies across the country. Her three decades of experience in marketing, sales, and product development have included serving as vice president of Marketing for Monson Savings Bank; president of her own marketing practice, MarCom Capital; and second vice president of Market Development for the Group Division of Phoenix Home Life. She is a past president of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce and has served on the starter board of the Hampshire County Regional Chamber, the Hampshire County Tourism Advisory Council, and on the board of directors of United Way of Hampshire County. The Center for EcoTechnology helps people and businesses in the region save energy and reduce waste. For 40 years, CET has offered advice and resources to save residents money and help them feel more comfortable in their home, and help businesses perform better.

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Jay Smith, Founder of Sports Travel and Tours, took over as Chair of the board of directors for the National Tour Assoc. on March 2, before the conclusion of the annual Travel Exchange convention in St. Louis. He will lead the board until the next convention in December in San Antonio, taking the reins from Justin Osbon of Image Tours Inc., which offers European tours. Smith has been sitting on the board for NTA — a leading business-building association for professionals serving customers traveling to, from, and within North America — for about six years. NTA acts as an advocate on behalf of its members and the tourism industry at large. Active with policymakers in Congress and the administration, the association coordinates with its partners on a number of key legislative issues. It is governed by a 17-member volunteer board of directors, which is advised by volunteer committees. Currently, NTA is focused on a number of policy priorities, including specialty travel markets in countries including India and China, travel between Cuba and the U.S., and funding for the National Park Service Centennial. As chair, Smith looks forward to helping the organization further stabilize after a transition over the past few years, which brought in Pam Inman as the new president. Founded 20 years ago, Sports Travel and Tours has been the official travel company of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum since 2007.

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Jessica Chapin

Jessica Chapin

Jessica Chapin, American International College’s (AIC) Assistant Athletic Director of Compliance and senior woman administrator, has been appointed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Management Council through January 2021. As part of her commitment, Chapin will serve on two committees: the NCAA Research Committee and the Committee on Infractions. The Management Council is charged with recommending administrative policy and regulations that govern the division. It reports directly to the President’s Council and implements the policies adopted by the association’s Board of Governors and Division II President’s Council. The Management Council may sponsor legislative proposals, make interpretations of Division II’s bylaws, and may also handle resolution of Division II issues and recommendations from other committees and working groups throughout the division’s substructure. The council is comprised of Division II chief executive officers, faculty athletics representatives, athletic directors, senior woman administrators, conference representatives, and student-athletes. Chapin joins the council, currently 29 members strong, as a senior woman administrator.

Departments People on the Move
 David Griffin Jr.

David Griffin Jr.

The Dowd Insurance Agencies announced that David Griffin Jr. has been promoted to Vice President. Griffin is based out of the Holyoke office and works with the other branches based in Hadley, Southampton, Ludlow, and Indian Orchard. “The Dowd Insurance Agencies is the oldest family-owned agency in Massachusetts,” said David Griffin Sr., “and I am very proud that my son has chosen to continue that legacy of family leadership. We look forward to the future with a strong management team in place. Now a part of that team, Dave earned his place by honing in on his sales and customer-service skills and adding responsibilities that benefit our internal team and our customers.” Griffin began his role as vice president this past December and looks forward to continuing to grow the organization through new-business development, strategic initiatives, operational efficiency, and managing the firm’s use of technology. “Dave has grown considerably in his evolving role here at Dowd,” said John Dowd Jr., president and CEO of the Dowd Insurance Agencies. “While sales is his primary function, his aptitude and enthusiasm for technology has been a welcome skill set for our agency, and he is now in charge of IT here at Dowd. Dave has demonstrated a command of these responsibilities in a relatively short period of time. We decided it was time to make him an officer of the corporation where he can interact regularly with senior management and help manage the overall direction of the agency going forward.” David Griffin Jr. has been a member of the Dowd team since June 2009. He began his career in the insurance industry as a property and casualty underwriter for Liberty Mutual with stops in Schaumburg, Ill. and Charlotte, N.C., before coming back to Western Mass. He is a 2007 graduate of Bentley University in Waltham, where he earned his degree in finance, and he received his designation as a certified insurance counselor in 2014. Currently, Griffin is an active member of the community, serving on the boards of directors for the Holyoke Rotary Club, the Sisters of Providence Health System (foundation board), and Wistariahurst. Additionally, he also supports the United Way of Pioneer Valley as a member of the resource development committee.

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Sarah Knowlton

Sarah Knowlton

Molly Desroches

Molly Desroches

United Personnel announced the recent promotion of two staff members: Sarah Knowlton and Molly Desroches. Knowlton, formerly a junior recruiter and administrative coordinator for the Professional Staffing Division in Springfield, has been promoted to the Light Industrial Staffing Division’s Recruiter position. She has been with United Personnel for two and a half years. In her new role, she will work on the candidate pipeline for some of United Personnel’s largest clients. Knowlton is currently enrolled in the business administration program at Holyoke Community College in pursuit of her associate degree. Desroches, formerly a Light Industrial Staffing senior recruiter, has been promoted to staffing consultant for United Personnel’s Professional Staffing Division. Desroches, hired the same day as Knowlton, will serve as a resource for United Personnel’s clients and candidates, overseeing contract and direct-hire placements. She holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Bryant University. She is captain of a Holyoke recreational soccer team and an ambassador for the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. Both Knowlton and Desroches serve on United Personnel’s social-media team, leveraging their human-resources knowledge to create content for various social-media platforms. “The United team is proud to see two colleagues earn promotions as part of our ‘promote from within’ policy,” President Tricia Canavan said. “We look forward to the innovation and creativity they will bring to their new roles.”

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Meghan Avery

Meghan Avery

Unemployment Tax Control Associates Inc. (UTCA), a national unemployment-insurance service provider based in Springfield with an office in Boston, announced the promotion of Meghan Avery to Director of Operations. Avery draws expertise from her undergraduate studies at Hofstra University and brings nearly a decade of professional experience to UTCA, six of which were gleaned in-house. She joined the team as senior analyst in 2011, quickly advancing to lead analyst and then Client Services manager, before her most current promotion. As director of Operations, she will oversee client services and all aspects of the claims department, management education, and sales functions. She will manage key areas of the operational budget and employee development. Additionally, liaising with the CEO and director of Finance, she will be tasked with deliverables related to the company’s financial objectives, profitability, and alignment of corporate strategic goals. “Meghan’s promotion is certainly well-deserved. In addition to commendable qualifications and experience, she has demonstrated success in-house relative to operational performance,” said Tim Phelan, chief legal counsel and vice president of Client Services. “Drawing on her expertise in the cost-management area of our business, Meghan’s talents have supported the growth of UTCA, furthering the company’s ability to effectively speak to our value proposition. She is a rising star at UTCA and embodies our mission of providing the best service in the industry focusing on the client, first and foremost.”

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Ruby Pontbriand has joined the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley as its Marketing and Communications Director. She brings more than five years of experience, having previously served as a corporate marketing communications specialist at MAPFRE Insurance in Webster. Previous positions include front office manager and sales director at the Hampton Inn in Sturbridge. For two years, she served as a peer advisor at the Worcester State University Academic Success Center. Pontbriand is a 2011 magna cum laude graduate of Worcester State University with a major in communications and a concentration in public communications, with a minor in theatre. Additional staff changes announced by the 1,600-member trade association include the following title changes for current staff: Laura Herring from education coordinator to director of operations, and Kim Harrison from membership and outreach coordinator to membership and meetings coordinator.

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David Horgan

David Horgan

David Horgan was recently named Director of Advertising for Pride Markets. His focus has been launching the Pride 100 anniversary celebration, with outreach through television, radio, MassLive, and a newly launched website. His experience includes creating the early Gary Rome and Marcotte Ford TV campaigns, as well as election commercials for more than 30 winners, including U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, and state Sen. James Welch. Previously, Horgan was director of Marketing for 1st Alliance Lending in Hartford. As part of the ongoing Pride Gives Back program, he teaches media and filmmaking to inner-city children at the Springfield Conservatory of the Arts on Wednesdays.

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NetLogix recently welcomed Jenny Aldrich as Business Development Representative. Aldrich brings a background in a variety of technology organizations, ranging from IT network planning, security, and management, as well as SaaS business applications. Leveraging her experience with medical and insurance business systems will be a benefit to NetLogix’s new clients. Over the years, she has seen firsthand where IT networking solutions have provided stability, security, and growth to companies in the legal, medical, insurance, nonprofit, manufacturing, distribution, banking, and engineering fields. “I really enjoy helping companies focus on their ‘top line’ by delivering effective technology solutions,” Aldrich said. “I have worked for large, small, and tech startup companies, and one thing stays consistent: you have to really love your clients’ business as much as they do.” Added Marco Liquori, NetLogix CEO, “I am extremely excited about the opportunities that Jenny can create for NetLogix. The addition of a dedicated resource for new clients is a key to our success.”

Departments People on the Move

PeoplesBank announced the promotions and appointments of several key associates:

Matthew Bannister

Matthew Bannister

Matthew Bannister was promoted to First Vice President of Marketing and Innovation. He previously served as vice president of Corporate Responsibility. He possesses more than 30 years of brand management and corporate social-responsibility experience. Bannister holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from UMass Amherst;

David Thibault

David Thibault

David Thibault was promoted to First Vice President, Cash Management Sales and Support Manager. He previously served as vice president, Cash Management Sales and support manager. Thibault possesses 17 years of banking experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Norwich University and an MBA from Western New England University;

Steve Parastatidis

Steve Parastatidis

• Steve Parastatidis was promoted to Vice President, Commercial Lending. He previously served as assistant vice president and commercial loan officer. Parastatidis has more than 10 years of financial and banking experience focusing on commercial and industrial and investment real-estate transactions, with concentrations in the credit analyst, portfolio, and commercial-lending areas. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in finance from Western New England University;

Tammy Bordeaux

Tammy Bordeaux

Tammy Bordeaux was promoted to Assistant Vice President and Regional Manager, Retail. She previously served as assistant vice president and Business Banking Center manager. Bordeaux has more than 19 years of banking experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western New England University and an associate’s degree in business administration from Springfield Technical Community College;

Michelle Chase

Michelle Chase

Michelle Chase was promoted to Assistant Vice President, Consumer and Business Banking Center manager. She previously served as Consumer and Business Banking Center manager. Chase has more than 15 years of banking experience. She holds an MBA in entrepreneurial thinking and innovation design from Bay Path University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts;

Joseph Dias

Joseph Dias

Joseph Dias was appointed to Assistant Vice President, Assistant Controller. Dias possesses more than 10 years of accounting experience. He holds bachelor’s degrees in business administration and accounting from Elms College;

Meghan Parnell-Gregoire

Meghan Parnell-Gregoire

Meghan Parnell-Gregoire was promoted to Assistant Vice President, Business Lending Center manager. Parnell-Gregoire previously served as assistant vice president, Business Banking. She has more than 14 years of banking experience. She holds an associate’s degree in mathematics from Holyoke Community College and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the UMass Amherst;

Robert Raynor

Robert Raynor


Robert Raynor was promoted to Assistant Vice President, Compliance, Risk Oversight. Raynor previously served as internal audit officer. He possesses eight years of banking experience. Raynor holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Springfield College;

Cassandra Pierce

Cassandra Pierce

Cassandra Pierce was promoted to Assistant Vice President, Business Intelligence Manager. Pierce formerly served as Business Intelligence manager. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University, and a master’s degree in communication and information management from Bay Path University;

Erinn Young

Erinn Young

Erinn Young was promoted to Deposit Operations Officer. Young formerly served as assistant vice president, branch manager of the Longmeadow office. She possesses 20 years of banking experience. Young holds a bachelor’s degree in executive management from Bay Path University;

Christina Bordeau was appointed branch manager, Sixteen Acres. She possesses 20 years of banking experience. She is currently pursuing an associate’s degree in business administration and management from Springfield Technical Community College;

Alisa Feliberty was appointed to Call Center Manager, Customer Relations. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and is currently pursuing an MBA in entrepreneurial thinking and innovative practices from Bay Path University;

Malissa Naylor

Malissa Naylor

Malissa Naylor was promoted to Branch Manager, East Longmeadow. Naylor previously served as assistant branch manager. She possesses more than 11 years of banking experience. Naylor holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western New England University.

Lori Stickles

Lori Stickles

Lori Stickles was appointed to Branch Manager, Longmeadow. She possesses more than 18 years of banking experience.

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Adina Edgett

Adina Edgett

Bailey Eastman

Bailey Eastman

Adina Edgett and Bailey Eastman of Webber & Grinnell Insurance Agency have both passed their Massachusetts property and casualty licensing examinations given by the state Division of Insurance, bringing the agency’s total number of licensed employees up to 23. Edgett and Eastman work in the commercial insurance division at Webber & Grinnell, serving more than 900 businesses throughout Western Mass.

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Paul DiGrigoli

Paul DiGrigoli

Paul DiGrigoli, owner of DiGrigoli Salon and DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology, was inducted into the prestigious Intercoiffure America/Canada organization on Oct. 9. Intercoiffure America/Canada, an international hairdressing organization, was founded in 1933 as the North American branch of Intercoiffure Mondial, originally founded in 1925 in Paris. The organization is widely known as the most powerful and influential in the hairdressing industry, DiGrigoli said, and only leading hair salons are eligible for membership — just 3,000 in over 50 countries. “I am so honored to be a part of Intercoiffure. It’s the most respected organization in our industry,” DiGrigoli said of his newly appointed A-List membership. “I’m humbled to be among the best of the best, the highest quality of salons and salon owners in the world.” The induction and pinning ceremony took place at the end of the Fall Atelier conference, an annual event held in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The DiGrigoli Salon artistic team, along with the other guests, enjoyed three days of education, hair demonstrations, product launches, galas, and more. On the final day, DiGrigoli was officially pinned as an A-List member by Frank Gambuzza, Intercoiffure president, and Candy Shaw, the new member representative for the organization.

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Gov. Charlie Baker named Mary Burns, Imari Paris Jeffries, Michael O’Brien, Elizabeth Scheibel, and Charles Wu to the board of trustees for the University of Massachusetts, and reappointed Robert Manning to the board. Manning, who previously chaired the board from 2008 to 2010, will also assume the chairmanship of the board that oversees the UMass system. Baker also announced several other appointments, including longtime UMass trustee Victor Woolridge as well as O’Brien to seats on the UMass Building Authority (UMBA), serving as representatives of the UMass board. Baker supports Woolridge, a commercial real-estate professional, for chairman of the Building Authority, which oversees the planning, financing, and construction of university facilities. The governor also supports Philip Johnston for vice chair. In a separate announcement, the UMass Foundation announced that Johnston will join its board of directors at the end of the year, where he is also expected to be named vice chair. “UMass continues to be a global leader in education,” Baker said, “and these leaders will help the university continue to think creatively and boldly about the future of public education in order to grow our economy, strengthen our communities, and create opportunity for future generations of students.”

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Nico Santaniello, a financial advisor with the Zuzolo Group of Northwestern Mutual, has qualified for membership in the Million Dollar Roundtable (MDRT), an international, independent association of nearly 19,000 leading life-insurance producers. MDRT is a coveted career milestone that indicates sales and service achievement and is a recognized mark of excellence for life underwriters. Members must meet strict ethical and production requirements to qualify. Santaniello has been associated with Northwestern Mutual since 2012. As a financial advisor, he provides expert guidance and innovative solutions for a variety of financial needs and goals. He also led the agency in new clients for 2016. Santaniello received a bachelor’s degree from Western New England University. He is currently an active member of Suit Up Springfield and T.G.L.