Posted on 22 May 2012.
Denise V. Laizer
Denise V. Laizer, Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer for Easthampton Savings Bank, has been named a Community Bank Hero for 2012 by Banker and Tradesman magazine. Readers of Banker & Tradesman were asked to nominate individuals who work in a Massachusetts community bank, are respected industry professionals who have made a significant impact on those around them, and make outstanding contributions to their institution. Criteria for candidates also included giving back to the community and the industry with time, energy, and resources through volunteerism, community service, and charity. Laizer, who was one of 16 selected, will be honored at a special awards ceremony in Boston on May 23.
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Michael Ravosa was recently elected to the Board of Trustees at American International College in Springfield. He is the Vice President for Investment for the RBD Wealth Management Group, UBS Financial Services.
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United Fresh Foundation’s Center for Leadership Excellence has chosen John Heon, Produce and Floral Sales Manager, Big Y World Class Market in Great Barrington, as an honoree for its 2012 awards. Heon was honored among 25 produce managers representing 20 supermarket chains, commissaries, and independent retail stores within the U.S. and Canada. Winners were selected by a team of produce experts who examined efforts to increase produce consumption through everyday excellence in merchandising, special displays and promotions, community service, and commitment to total customer satisfaction. Heon has been with Big Y for 31 years.
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North Brookfield Savings Bank announced the following:
• Rick Egan has been named Assistant Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer. He is responsible for developing new and existing commercial-lending relationships, advising business customers on available lending products, and helping borrowers achieve their financing goals.
• Lillian Carlson has been named Loan Officer. She is responsible for creating and maintaining relationships with existing and prospective loan customers as well as assisting customers with the mortgage-lending process and helping them find financing solutions.
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Kim Bushey
Santander Holdings USA Inc. and Sovereign Bank, N.A., wholly owned subsidiaries of Banco Santander, announced the appointment of Kim Bushey as Senior Vice President and Business Banking Executive for Connecticut and Western Mass. Bushey, based out of the West Hartford, Conn. office, will be responsible for serving the needs of local businesses with annual revenue of $3 million to $20 million.
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Attorney Danielle I. Nicklas has joined Cooley Shrair in Springfield as Associate Legal Counsel. Nicklas focuses her practice on health law, including health care compliance, risk management, Stark law, and anti-kickback regulations.
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James M. Lavelle, General Manager of the Holyoke Gas & Electric Department, will receive the 2012 Henry A. Fifield Award for Voluntary Service to the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. The late Henry Fifield was an Ampad executive who served the chamber in many capacities, including chairman of the board. Lavelle will be honored at the 122nd annual meeting of the Holyoke Chamber on May 30 at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House. The award presentation and reception for Lavelle will be a highlight of the annual meeting, which will also include an election of officers and directors for the 2012-13 year.
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David Fedor, an independent Financial Advisor affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network and President of Fedor Financial Group in West Springfield, was named to Commonwealth’s Winners Circle. The distinction recognizes 167 out of Commonwealth’s 1,400 financial advisors nationwide.
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The Hampden County Bar Assoc. announced the following:
• Attorney Kevin J. Claffey received the John M. Greaney Award during the association’s National Law Day Ceremony at Springfield District Court; and
• Noreen E. Nardi received the John M. Greaney Award during National Law Day. The annual awards are given to both an attorney and a non-attorney who are deemed outstanding citizens of the Hampden County legal community.
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John Elder Robison was among 15 individuals recently selected to serve on the U.S. Health and Human Services Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. Robison is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Elms College, Chicopee. He speaks publicly about his experience as a person on the autism spectrum, and is the author of Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s and Be Different: Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian.
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Tighe & Bond of Westfield announced the following:
• Stephen Seigal, P.E., BCEE, has joined the firm as a Vice President, and will work out of the Worcester office. A civil engineer with 36 years of regional experience in the wastewater industry, Seigal has planned, designed, and provided construction-phase engineering services for more than 24 wastewater treatment facilities throughout the region.
• David Loring, P.E., LEED AP, has been named Technical Practice Leader for the Civil Practice Group. In this role, he will coordinate and advance the firm’s civil-engineering capabilities, oversee the continual advancement of relevant technical skills, and promote professional development of key staff. He will also ensure that the Civil Practice Group stays abreast of local, state, and federal regulations that impact clients. Loring is a licensed civil engineer and construction supervisor in Massachusetts, as well as a LEED Accredited Professional.
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American International College in Springfield has named Dr. Cesarina Thompson Dean of the School of Health Sciences. Thompson will begin her duties on July 1. She was inducted as a Fellow in the National League for Nursing’s Academy of Nursing Education for her research and scholarly activities focusing on advancing nursing education. She received a Ph.D. in Adult Education and a M.S. in Nursing from the University of Connecticut, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Bridgeport.
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The Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) announced the following election of directors and officers:
• Paul Robbins, Principal of Paul Robbins Associates and a gubernatorial appointee, was elected Chairman;
• Phillip W. Sweeney, Marblehead Municipal Light Department Commission Chairman, was elected to a two-year term on the board;
• Kevin P. Kelly, Groton Electric Light Department Manager, was elected to a three-year board term; and
• Peter D. Dion, General Manager of the Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department, was re-elected by the membership to his fourth one-year term as President of MMWEC.
Additional MMWEC officers for the coming year, as elected by the board, include:
• Ronald C. DeCurzio, CEO and Secretary;
• Jeffrey B. Iafrati, Treasurer;
• Stephen J. Smith, Assistant Treasurer;
• Nancy A. Brown, Assistant Secretary; and
• Nicholas J. Scobbo Jr., General Counsel.
Other MMWEC directors, elected previously by the membership, include:
• Gary R. Babin, Director of the Mansfield Municipal Electric Department;
• Jeffrey R. Cady, Manager of the Chicopee Muncipal Lighting Plant;
• Sean Hamilton, General Manager of the Sterling Municipal Light Department;
• Jonathan V. Fitch, Princeton Municipal Light Department Manager; and
• James M. Lavelle, Holyoke Gas & Electric Department Manager.
In addition to Robbins, Michael J. Flynn serves on the board as gubernatorial appointee. Flynn also represents the Town of Wilbraham on the board, with Luis Vitorino and John M. Flynn representing the towns of Ludlow and Hampden, respectively.
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Big Y Foods Inc. of Springfield announced the following:
• Michael J. Galat has been named interim Senior Director of Employee Services. He will oversee the entire department, including employee policies and procedures, training and development, morale and engagement, recognition, progressive discipline, employee benefits, and wellness initiatives; and
• Sean S. Nimmons has been appointed a District Director for the eastern zone. He is responsible for managing all aspects of the 15-store zone, including employees, financial performance, merchandising, and operations.
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Daniel R. Moriarty has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Monson Savings Bank. A member of the bank’s senior leadership team, he is responsible for leading the bank’s financial functions, operations, and reporting.
The Sisters of Providence Health System staged its eighth annual Continuing the Legacy luncheon on May 4 in the Springfield Sheraton ballroom. More than 500 people attended the annual fundraiser, at which guests are inspired by, and educated about, the SPHS mission, services and advancements. The event introduces the multi-year giving society, Providence Circle, and invites guests to provide financial or other support. From top, Judith Danek, of Chicopee, tells the gathering about her family’s positive experiences at Mercy Medical Center; John E. Sjoberg, SPHS trustee and SPHS Foundation Board chair, speaks to attendees; and Daniel P. Moen, President and CEO, SPHS, (standing) is surrounded by members of the Sisters of Providence congregation; seated (from left) are Sisters Mary McGrath, SP, Ruth McGoldrick, SP, Margaret McCleary, SP, and Elizabeth Oleksak, SP. Standing (from left) are Sisters Mary Martin de Porres, SP, Priscilla St. Pierre, Joan Manning, SP, and Ann Horgan, SP.
Students from the UMass Amherst Commonwealth Honors College, none of whom are Fine Arts majors, showcased their artwork in a pre-concert gallery opening and reception in the lobby of One Financial Plaza on May 12. The students’ works were inspired by Gustav Holst’s The Planets, being performed that evening by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Top to bottom, exhibiting senior Rachel Mroz and guest Charlene Baiardi discuss a painting; parents Louise and Bernie Hartnett and Connoisseur Rosemary Tracy Woods view a recreation of Botticelli’s Primavera; James Vinick of Moors & Cabot Investments and Marjorie Koft contemplate an artist’s unique chimpanzee concept; Springfield City Councilor Timothy Rooke and Spirit of Springfield President Judy Matt discuss the artists’ talent; and (from left) Professor John Simpson, Beverly Hill, Evan Plotkin, and Willie Hill Jr. celebrate the opening of the exhibit and gallery. The event was sponsored by UMass Amherst, NIA Plotkin, and Springfield Symphony Orchestra.
The Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Technology Park dining commons courtyard was recently dedicated to Brian Q. Corridan, president and CEO of the investment firm Corridan & Co. Corridan was honored in recognition of his years of service to the STCC Board of Trustees, including several years as president, a lengthy tenure as chairman of the STCC Assistance Corporation Board of Directors, and strong record of community service. Top, Corridan (center) poses with former STCC President Andrew Scibelli and Gail Carberry, former STCC vice president and current president of Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester. Below, Corridan with his family in front of the plaque inside the center.
On May 1, the fourth annual John M. Greaney Awards were given out during the Hampden County Bar Association’s National Law Day Ceremony in the Springfield District Court. The awards are given to both an attorney and non-attorney who are deemed outstanding citizens of the Hampden County legal community. Here, Greaney, center, is seen with this year’s winners, Kevin J. Claffey, Esq., and Noreen E. Nardi.
