Difference Makers Archive
2025:
- Jennie Adamczyk
Executive Director, Providence Ministries - Sheryl Blancato
CEO, Second Chance Animal Services - Andrea Bordenca
CEO, DESCO Service - Mychal Connolly
CEO, Stand Out Truck - John Delaney
Director, Ride to Remember - John Doleva
President and CEO, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame - Michael J. Dias Foundation
- Dan Moriarty
President and CEO, Monson Savings Bank
2024:
- Matt Bannister
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Responsibility, PeoplesBank - Delcie Bean
CEO, Paragus Strategic I.T. - Linda Dunlavy
Executive Director,
Franklin Regional Council of Governments - Dr. Fred and Mary Kay Kadushin
Co-founders, Feed the Kids - Scott Keiter
CEO, Keiter - The Staff of Rock 102
- Shannon Rudder
President and CEO, Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services - Springfield Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Chamber Players
2023:
- Nathan Costa
President, Springfield Thunderbirds - Burns Maxey
Board President, CitySpace - Gary Rome
President and CEO, Gary Rome Auto Group - Steven and Jean Graham
Owners, Toner Plastics Group - Claudia Pazmany
Executive Director, Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce; and - Gabrielle Gould
Executive Director, Amherst Business Improvement District - Helix Human Services
- Springfield Ballers
- Henry Thomas
President and CEO, Urban League of Springfield
2022:
- Tara Brewster
Vice President of Business Development, Greenfield Savings Bank - The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts
- Heriberto Flores
President, New England Farm Workers’ Council - John Greaney
Retired State Supreme Court Justice; Senior Counsel, Bulkley Richardson - Ruth Griggs
President, Northampton Jazz Festival; Principal, RC Communications - Ted Hebert
Founder and Owner, Teddy Bear Pools and Spas - I Found Light Against All Odds and Its Founder and CEO, Stefan Davis
- Roca Holyoke and Springfield
2021:
- Kristin Carlson
President, Peerless Precision - Janine Fondon
Founder, UnityFirst.com; Professor, Bay Path University - Harold Grinspoon
Philanthropist; Founder, Aspen Square Management - Chad Moir
Founder and Owner, DopaFit Parkinson’s Movement Center - Bill Parks
CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield - Pete Westover
Founder and Partner, Conservation Works, LLC - EforAll Holyoke
2020:
- Christopher ‘Monte’ Belmonte
DJ at WRSI the River Radio - Ira Bryck
Consultant and Former Executive Director of the Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley - Sandy Cassanelli
CEO of Greeno Supply - Dianne Fuller Doherty
Retired Director of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center - Ronn Johnson
President and CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services Inc. - Steve Lowell
President and CEO of Monson Savings Bank - Rick’s Place
This Unique Nonprofit Provides Support, Light in the Darkest of Times
2017:
- The Community Colleges of Western Massachusetts;
Berkshire Community College, Greenfield Community College, Holyoke Community College, Springfield Technical Community College - Friends of the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round
- Denis Gagnon Sr.,
President & CEO of Excel Dryer Inc. - Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts
- Joan Kagan,
President & CEO of Square One.
2014:
- The Gray House
- Colleen Loveless,
executive director of the Springfield chapter of Rebuilding Together - The Melha Shriners
- Paula Moore,
Founder of YSET Academy and a teacher at Roger L. Putnam Vocational Training Academy - Michael Moriarty,
Attorney, director of Olde Holyoke Development Corp., and supporter of childhood literacy programs
2012:
- Charlie and Donald D’Amour,
President/COO and chairman/CEO of Big Y Foods - William Messner,
President of Holyoke Community College - Majors Tom and Linda-Jo Perks,
Officers of the Springfield Corps of the Salvation Army - Bob Schwarz,
Executive vice president of Peter Pan Bus Lines - The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts
2009:
- Doug Bowen,
President and CEO of PeoplesBank - Kate Kane,
Managing director of the Springfield office of Northwestern Mutual Financial/the Zuzolo Group - Susan Jaye-Kaplan,
Founder of GoFIT and co-founder of Link to Libraries - William Ward,
Executive director of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County - The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
