Posted on 13 March 2012.
‘Music for the Eyes’ Exhibition, Reception
Through April 7: The artwork of Preston Trombly, host of Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s nationally broadcast Symphony Hall channel, titled “Music for the Eyes,” will be exhibited through April 7 at the Arno Maris Gallery in Ely Hall on the Westfield State University campus. An artist reception at the gallery is planned for Feb. 29 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. On March 7 at 9:30 a.m., Trombly will present a lecture on his work at the gallery titled “Confluence of Creativity: Similarities Between Composing Music and Making Visual Art.” Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 5 p.m., Thursday from 2 to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, call (413) 572-4400 or visit www.westfield.ma.edu/galleries.
Women in Philanthropy Conference
March 13: Women in Philanthropy of Western Mass. will host a conference titled “Growing Philanthropy, New Visions, New Voices,” from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield. The event features nationally known leaders in the field of fund development, and is appropriate for women and men who are seasoned professionals or newcomers to the field. Workshops will be led by Penelope Burk, author of Donor-Centered Fundraising; Phil Cubeta, chair in Philanthropy of the American College; and Karen Osborne, president of the Osborne Group. The keynote address, titled “New Leadership for a New Nonprofit Sector,” will be presented by Rosetta Thurman. In addition, sessions will be led by Diana McLain Smith, chief transformation officer of New Profit Inc.; Kristin Leutz and Katie Allan Zobel of the Community Foundation of Western Mass.; Phyllis Williams-Thompson of the Prematurity Campaign of the March of Dimes; Deborah Koch, director of grants at Springfield Technical Community College; Dennis Bidwell of Bidwell Advisors; and Joe Waters and Joanna MacDonald, co-authors of Cause Marketing for Dummies. For more conference details, visit www.wipwm.com. The cost of the conference, with an early discount, is $140. For more information, contact Carol Constant at (413) 222-1761 or cconstant@loomiscommunities.org.
Economics Conference
March 13: The Department of Economics at Western New England University in Springfield will host its ninth annual Jolicoeur Economics Conference from 9:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. in Sleith Hall Auditorium. “Economics of the 2012 Election” will be the topic of the event, which is free and open to the public. The conference will feature two sessions: “The Economy and the Great Recession,” from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m., and “The 99% and the 1%,” from 11 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. For more information, visit www.wne.edu.
Financing Your Business
March 16: The Mass. Small Business Development Center Network will host a lecture titled “Financing Your Business” from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. Speakers will include Ray Milano of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Gary Besser of First Niagara Bank, and Christopher Sikes, director of Common Capital Inc. Topics include what lenders are looking for, SBA loan programs, new SBA programs, and venture capital and grants. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass. The cost is $40.
Pioneer Valley USO Gala
March 16: The Log Cabin on Easthampton Road in Holyoke will be the setting for the second annual dinner-dance gala of the Pioneer Valley USO. The featured speaker will be American Captain Richard Phillips, who offered himself as a hostage to save his crew from Somali pirates and was freed in a high-seas rescue by U.S. Navy SEALS. The gala theme will be “Proud to be an American.” A cocktail hour at 6 p.m. will be followed by the dinner program at 7. Heroes from each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and top Pioneer Valley USO supporters will be honored. The Western Massachusetts All Stars Band, led by Joe Pereira, will provide the evening’s entertainment. Tickets are $45 per person and are available online at www.pioneervalleyuso.org or by calling (413) 557-3290. Tickets are limited. The mission of the Pioneer Valley USO is to “lift the spirits of America’s troops and their families.”
Difference Makers
March 22: BusinessWest will stage its Fourth Annual Difference Makers Celebration at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The program recognizes area individuals and organizations that are truly making a difference in this region. This year’s honorees are:
• Donald and Charlie D’Amour, chairman/CEO and president/COO, respectively, of Big Y Foods;
• William Messner, president of Holyoke Community College;
• Majors Tom and Linda-Jo Perks, officers with the Springfield Corps of the Salvation Army;
• Bob Schwarz, executive vice president of Peter Pan Bus Lines; and
• The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts.
The awards ceremony will feature entertainment, butlered hors d’ oeuvres, and introductions of the winners. Tickets are $55 per person, with tables of 10 available. For more information or to order tickets, call (413) 781-8600, e-mail marketing@businesswest.com, or visit www.businesswest.com.
Women’s Leadership Conference
March 23: Keynote speakers Sister Helen Prejean, Marjora Carter, and Ashley Judd will share personal stories, as well as insightful advice and perspectives, during Bay Path College’s annual event at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield. The theme for the 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. event is “Lead with Compassion.” Prejean is a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille and an anti-death penalty activist, while Carter, an eco-entrepreneur, is president of the Majora Carter Group, and Judd is a film and stage actor and human-rights activist. For more information on the conference or to register, visit www.baypathconference.com or call Briana Sitler, director of special programs, at (413) 565-1066.
Author Lecture
March 28: Internationally acclaimed author Tom Perrotta will read from his upcoming novel, The Leftovers, at 10:10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. in Scibelli Hall Theater, as part of the Ovations series at Springfield Technical Community College. The talks are free and open to the public. Two of Perrotta’s books, Election and Little Children, have been made into movies, and five novels have been national bestsellers. For more information, call (413) 755-4233.
ADA, FMLA Workshop
March 29: Royal LLP, in conjunction with the Human Service Forum, will present a workshop at the Delaney House in Holyoke on the compliance issues involving the ADA and FMLA. The interactive workshop addresses some of the most common questions that upper management faces each day. Attendees will learn skills and strategies that can help reduce the risk of employment litigation. For more information on the 8:30 a.m. to noon event, contact Ann-Marie Marcil at (413) 586-2288 or visit www.humanserviceforum.org.
Not Just Business as Usual
April 5: Former NBA player and businessman Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman will be the guest speaker at the Springfield Technical Community College Foundation’s third annual Not Just Business as Usual event at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. A cocktail and networking reception is planned from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by the dinner program from 7 to 9 p.m. Bridgeman spent most of his 12-year NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks, but also played for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is the current franchise owner of more than 160 Wendy’s and 120 Chili’s restaurants. The event encourages local businesses to come together for an evening to network, learn from one another, and support student success. Funds from the event will provide students access to opportunities through scholarships, technology, and career direction to be successful future employees and citizens. “It’s a time to celebrate innovations, change, and our region’s success,” said STCC Foundation Interim Director Robert LePage. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available, and individual tickets are $175 each. For more information, contact LePage at (413) 755-4477 or rglepage@stcc.edu.
Constitution Café
April 10: Author and philosopher Christopher Phillips’ latest book, Constitution Café, draws on the nation’s rebellious past to incite meaningful change today. He proposes that Americans revise the Constitution every so often, not just to reflect the changing times, but to revive and perpetuate the original revolutionary spirit. He will present a free lecture at 8 p.m. in the dining hall at Blake Student Commons, on the Bay Path College campus, 588 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow. The lecture is part of the annual Kaleidoscope series. For more information, call (413) 565-1000 or visit www.baypath.edu.
Marketing Basics Seminar
April 11: The Mass. Small Business Development Center Network will host a lecture titled “Marketing Basics” from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 99 Pleasant St., Northampton. Dianne Doherty of the MSBDC Network will present the workshop that will focus on the basic disciplines of marketing, beginning with research (primary, secondary, qualitative, and quantitative). For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass. The cost is $40.
Slam Poet Lecture
April 13: Taylor Mali, a former high-school teacher who has emerged from the slam-poetry movement as one of its leaders, will discuss his performances at 10:10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. in Scibelli Hall Theater, as part of the Ovations series at Springfield Technical Community College. The talks are free and open to the public. For more information, call (413) 755-4233.
Comedy Night to
Benefit Charities
April 21: Smith & Wesson Corp. will host a benefit comedy show to support two local children’s charities, the Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Ronald McDonald House, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Cedars Banquet Hall, 419 Island Pond Road, Springfield. Tickets are $30 per person, and include the show, hot and cold hors d’oeuvres prior to the show, a cash bar, raffles, fund-raising, games, and music. Teddie Barrett of Teddie B. Comedy will emcee the event, featuring professional comedians Bill Campbell, Dan Crohn, and Stacy Yannetty Pema. For tickets or more information, contact Phyllis Settembro, Smith & Wesson, (413) 747-3597; Karen Motyka, Shriners Hospital, (413) 787-2032; or Jennifer Putnam, Ronald McDonald House, (413) 794-5683.
Walk of Champions
May 6: The Goodnough Dike area of the Quabbin Reservoir will be the setting for the seventh annual Walk of Champions in Ware. Participants walk in honor or in memory of loved ones affected by cancer, with the determination to make a difference in those affected by the disease. The event offers a five-mile or two-mile walk, with entertainment and refreshments along the route. For more information, visit www.baystatehealth.org/woc or e-mail Michelle Graci, manager of fund-raising events at Baystate Health at michelle.graci@baystatehealth.org.
Small-business Seminar
May 16: Local business owners will talk about what they have done to keep ahead of the many demands on their time, and at the same time adjust for the economic environment, during a workshop titled “Adapt, Diversify, Reinvent & Grow” at the Scibelli Enterprise Center, 1 Federal St., Springfield. Presenters include Paul DiGrigoli of Digrigoli Salon & School of Cosmetology; Tara Tetreault of Jackson & Connor; Kate Vishnyakov of Kate Gray Inc.; and Rick Ricard of Larien Products. The 9 to 11 a.m. session is sponsored by the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass.
Management Fundamentals Workshop
May 24: Lyne Kendall of the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network will present “Business Plan Basics” from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Amherst Town Hall, first floor meeting room, 4 Boltwood Walk. The workshop will focus on management fundamentals from startup considerations through business-plan development. Topics will include financing, marketing, and business planning. The cost is $40. For more information, call (413) 737-6712 or visit www.msbdc.org/wmass.
40 Under Forty
June 21: BusinessWest will present its sixth class of regional rising stars at its annual 40 Under Forty gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. Nominations are currently being scored by a panel of five judges. The 40 highest scorers will be feted at the June 21 gala, which will feature music, lavish food stations, and introductions of the winners. Tickets are $60 per person, with tables of 10 available. Early registration is advised, as seating is limited. For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com.
Western Mass.
Business Expo
Oct. 11: BusinessWest will again present the Western Mass. Business Expo. The event, which made its debut last fall at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, will feature more than 180 exhibitors, seminars, special presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, and the year’s most extensive networking opportunity. Comcast Business Class will again be the presenting sponsor of the event. Details, including breakfast and lunch agendas, seminar topics, and featured speakers, will be printed in the pages of BusinessWest over the coming months. For more information or to purchase a booth, call (413) 781-8600, or e-mail marketing@businesswest.com, or visit www.wmbexpo.com.
