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LENOX — Christopher Buono has joined Anteris Solutions Inc. as chief information officer. As CIO, he joins the executive team and also helps clients navigate the critical process of aligning technology decisions with organizational goals by identifying current needs while targeting a vision for the future.

Buono has worked in the information-technology field for more than 20 years, including 12 years in leadership roles. He holds a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from the University at Albany Business School and attended the MBA program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lally School of Management. He holds numerous legacy technical certifications, including Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Certified Novell Engineer, Certified Information Systems Security Professional, and Cisco Certified Network Administration. He serves on the board of directors for WAM Theatre.

“We are thrilled Chris agreed to join our team,” Anteris CEO Tobias Casey said. “His experience with and enthusiasm for technology will equip Anteris to better serve both our own and our customers’ strategic needs.”

Anteris Solutions was founded in 2002 to serve a variety of nationwide businesses by providing them complete IT solutions, including strategic planning, proactive management, security and hardware monitoring, and ensuring software and regulation compliance.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Sting will be the first American Basketball Assoc. (ABA) team to call Springfield, the birthplace of basketball, its home when it commences play in November.

The organization will boast top talent from the Greater Springfield area and beyond. The Sting will join the ABA’s Northeast Division for the start of the 2016-17 season, alongside teams in Boston, Providence, New York, Long Island, and New Jersey.

The franchise will be owned by Zach Baru of Longmeadow. Baru’s past experience in sports and entertainment includes the Springfield Spirit of the National Women’s Basketball League, the Greater Springfield Pro-Am Basketball League, the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League, and the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.

Dr. Steven Sobel has been hired as the team’s first general manager and head coach. Sobel, a former Division II star at the University of Hartford, has spent more than 40 years coaching collegiate and professional basketball teams and players. During the offseason, he helms the Springfield Slamm of the Greater Hartford Pro-Am Basketball League. Sobel is also a nationally recognized motivational speaker and author of The Good Times Handbook: Your Guide to Positive Living and Exciting Life.

“We are excited to bring professional basketball back to the city of Springfield. With Dr. Sobel at the helm, and potential supporters already reaching out, the possibilities for success here in the community are endless,” Baru said.

Further information is available on the team’s official website, springfieldsting.com.

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PITTSFIELD — On Monday, Aug. 1, the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires will host Norton Owen, who has been associated with the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival for four decades. He will speak about the festival’s history and its future direction in a talk titled “New Beginnings at Jacob’s Pillow.” This free program at Congregation Knesset Israel, 16 Colt Road, Pittsfield is part of the federation’s Connecting with Community series.

As a Berkshire landmark for more than 80 years, Jacob’s Pillow boasts a historical dance legacy second to none. Owen, its long-time director of preservation, says it also prides itself on a tradition for new beginnings, from its pioneering days as the summer home for Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers to its current status at the forefront of presenting major dance artists from throughout the world. Owen will trace the festival’s history of innovation and offer a taste of what might be expected in the future, drawing upon some of the rich imagery found in the Jacob’s Pillow Archives.

Owen has been associated with Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival since 1976 and has been director of preservation since 1990, overseeing the PillowTalks series and projects involving documentation, exhibitions, audience engagement, and archival issues. He is the curator of Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive, an acclaimed online video resource that reaches audiences worldwide.

The program precedes a kosher lunch at noon ($2 suggested donation for adults over age 60 years of age, $7 for all others). Advance reservations are required for lunch and can be made by calling (413) 442-2200 before 9 a.m. on the day of the program. For more information, call the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires at (413) 442-4360, ext. 10.

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank announced the expansion of its Wealth Management Group with the appointments of Elizabeth Gore to senior vice president, trust operations and compliance, and Janice Ward to senior vice president, wealth advisor and senior fiduciary officer.

Gore is a graduate of New England School of Banking at Williams College with a degree in trust banking. She has more than 35 years of banking experience, 28 at Berkshire Bank. In her new role, she will oversee all aspects of operations and compliance for the Wealth Management team and the department’s trust accounting system. She is also responsible for fiduciary and tax work, preparation of annual probate accountings, implementing disaster-recovery policies, and assisting auditors. She currently manages the Lenox Wealth Management Office, assisting clients on a daily basis.

Ward received her juris doctor from Western New England University and is licensed to practice law in both Massachusetts and New York. She also obtained her designation as a certified financial planner in 2011. She began her career with Berkshire Bank in 2012 as a wealth advisor and senior fiduciary officer. In her new role, she will oversee various fiduciary activities, including executor and trustee services and financial-planning activities throughout the Berkshire Bank Wealth Management footprint. She will also continue to serve as wealth advisor to a select group of clients, and now serves as president of the newly formed Berkshire County Estate Planning Council Inc., which took the place of the previous Estate Planning Council.

“Berkshire Bank is firmly committed to providing wealth-management and fiduciary services in its growing markets but based here in Berkshire County,” said Thomas Barney, first vice president, wealth advisor. “Liz and Jan bring seasoned experience and exceptional skills to our clients and great leadership to our group. The Wealth Management team is proud of their accomplishments and pleased with their continued success.”

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SPRINGFIELD — The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts invites guests to network on the Connecticut River on the famous Lady Bea on Thursday, August 25, departing from event sponsor Brunelle’s Marina in South Hadley.

Guests are invited to sip on a cocktail from the cash bar, enjoy light appetizers, and take in the scenery while mingling with writers, designers, printers, agency staff, photographers, web designers, marketers, and media from Western Mass.

Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., and the Lady Bea will depart at 6 p.m. from Brunelle’s Marina, 1 Alvord St., South Hadley. Guests must purchase tickets in advance by Friday, Aug. 19 by calling (413) 736-2582, visiting www.adclubwm.org/events/calendar, or e-mailing [email protected]. Ticket prices are $20 for Ad Club members, $30 for non-members, and $20 for students with valid ID.

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SPRINGFIELD — Health New England announced the recent appointment of Michael Marrone as chief financial officer. In this role, he will lead all aspects of financial strategy for the organization, aiming to provide cost-effective healthcare coverage while maintaining high-quality member care.

Marrone is also responsible for accounting and financial reporting and also oversees provider operations. He joins Health New England’s executive leadership team and reports directly to President and CEO Maura McCaffrey.

“Mike’s broad healthcare-industry experience and financial acumen make him a great asset to the company and a valuable addition to our executive team. We’re thrilled to welcome him to our organization,” McCaffrey said.

Prior to joining Health New England, Marrone was chief financial officer, New England market at Aetna Inc. in Hartford, Conn. In this role, he was responsible for the profit and loss for all commercial and Medicare health, group, and dental businesses across health plans in six states. His career also includes more than nine years at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, where he served in various leadership roles in financial management, including medical economics, trend-management analytics, and informatics.

Marrone holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with a concentration in economics from the University of Maine, Farmington, as well as an MBA from the University of Southern Maine Graduate School of Business.

Based in Springfield, Health New England is a nonprofit health plan serving members in Massachusetts and Connecticut. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Baystate Health, Health New England offers a range of healthcare plans in the commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare markets.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield College board of trustees recently announced its 2016-17 board elections during its annual meeting on the campus.

Gregory Toczydlowski has been re-elected as board chair. He is the executive vice president and president of small commercial and business insurance technology and operations for the Travelers Companies Inc. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Springfield College in 1989, and has been on the college’s board of trustees since 2011.

James Ross III has also been re-elected as vice chair of the board. Ross is principal officer of the Hollenbach Group, LLC, of Springfield, and has been a trustee at the college since 2012.

The following individuals have been re-elected to serve a three-year term on the Springfield College board of trustees:

• Denise Alleyne, former vice president for student services at Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hills. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Springfield College in 1973 and a graduate degree in 1974.

• Douglass Coupe, retired vice president of State Street Global Investor Services of Boston. He has been a trustee for more than 20 years, serving as chair from 2011 to 2015. He earned a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and certificate of advanced studies at Springfield College, and an honorary doctor of humanics degree from the college in 2016.

• Charisse Duroure, spa director of G-Spa at Foxwoods Resort and G. Group Consulting of Mashantucket, Conn. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Springfield College in 1980.

• Harold Smith, retired president, CEO, and CIO of the YMCA Retirement Fund. He has served on the board since 1984, and has chaired the investment committee. He received an honorary doctor of humanics degree from the college in 1998.

New to the board of trustees will be:

• Kurt Aschermann, a marketing and resource development professional who operates a nonprofit consulting practice called Ka6consulting. Previously, he was the president and chief operating officer of Charity Partners LLC, and senior vice president of Resource Development and Marketing for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He is a 1971 graduate of Springfield College.

• Suzanne Robotti, former owner and publisher of Baby Publishing LLC, and the founder and president of Medshadow Foundation, an independent nonprofit website that gathers useful information on medicine side effects. She is the co-founder of the Family Advisory Council at Springfield College. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Maryland.

• Cheryl Suzio, elected as a trustee ex officio per her role as president of the alumni council at the college. Suzio is a 1977 graduate of Springfield College.

• Troy Ward, elected as student trustee. He is a business management major entering his senior year this fall.

• Donavin Andrews, student trustee-elect. She is an athletic training major entering her junior year in the fall.

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BOSTON — The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 4.2% in June for the third consecutive month, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported Thursday.

The preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts added 16,400 jobs in June. Some of the job gains reflect the resolution of a temporary labor dispute in the information sector.

Over-the-month job gains occurred in the education and health services; information; professional, scientific, and business services; financial activities; construction; and manufacturing sectors.

Year to date, from December 2015 to June 2016, Massachusetts added 48,100 jobs, and over the year, from June 2015 to June 2016, the state added 67,300 jobs.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised over-the-month job losses initially released for May, reporting job losses totaled 5,200 as opposed to the 6,400 originally estimated.

At 4.2%, the unemployment rate is down 0.7% over the year, with the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropping from 4.9% in June 2015. There were 25,000 fewer unemployed people and 49,600 more employed people over the year compared to June 2015. The Commonwealth’s unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 4.9% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“The good news here is all private sectors show over-the-year job gains with the exception of manufacturing, and private-sector job gains are up 2.2% over the year,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II said.

The state’s labor-orce participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — decreased slightly to 64.9%. The labor-force participation rate over the year has decreased 0.1% compared to June 2015.

Over the year, the private sectors with the largest percentage job gains were construction; education and health services; professional, scientific, and business services; information; and financial activities.

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EAST LONGMEADOW — HUB International New England, a division of HUB International Limited, a global insurance-brokerage, risk-advisory, and employee-benefits firm, announced the hiring of Karla Callahan as an employee benefits client relationship manager in the East Longmeadow office.

Callahan has an extensive background in employee benefits and was previously employed by Health New England for more than 12 years, specializing in sales, underwriting, and member services.

As part of the HUB employee benefits team, she will be responsible for assisting staff with client relations, service, sales, and administrative activities of new and existing group benefit accounts. Working closely with employers to maintain and better understand their employee-benefits packages and staying abreast of compliance restrictions and guidelines will be her other areas of focus.

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WATERBURY, Conn. — Webster Financial Corp., the holding company for Webster Bank, N.A., announced earnings applicable to common shareholders of $48.4 million, or $0.53 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, compared to $49.8 million, or $0.55 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2015. The second quarter of 2015 included a $3.7 million net tax benefit, or $0.04 per diluted share.

“Double-digit loan growth once again propelled strong revenue growth as Webster bankers continued to excel in service to businesses and consumers,” said James Smith, chairman and CEO. “Loan originations in excess of $1 billion, coupled with exceptionally strong credit metrics, helped overcome margin pressure from today’s historically low interest-rate environment to produce another solid quarter.”

Highlights for the second quarter of 2016 compared to the second quarter of 2015 included revenue of $242.0 million, an increase of 8.6%, including a record level of net interest income of $176.9 million; loan growth of $1.5 billion, or 10.1%, with growth of $1.1 billion in commercial and commercial real-estate loans; deposit growth of $1.5 billion, or 8.9%, with growth of $1.1 billion in transactional and health savings account deposits; efficiency ratio (non-GAAP) of 61.47%; and
annualized return on average tangible common shareholders’ equity (non-GAAP) of 11.25%.

“Ongoing strategic investments in our businesses, along with continued expense discipline, are designed to maximize shareholder value over time,” said Glenn MacInnes, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

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SPRINGFIELD — Nancy Creed, vice president of Marketing and Communications for the Springfield Regional Chamber, has been tapped to succeed Jeffrey Ciuffreda as president of that institution. She will be the first woman chief executive in the chamber’s more than 125-year history.

Creed has more than 20 years of leadership experience and has served in her current position for more than four years. She had previously served in a similar role with the chamber from 1992 to 2001. She played an integral role in the recent chamber restructuring and was responsible for its rebranding effort.

The chamber has received the Best Chamber of Commerce honors by the Republican/MassLive Reader Raves poll since the inception of the category in the public online poll; has received higher than national averages for membership retention, renewal, and satisfaction; and has developed programs which have tripled in attendance and yielded a 95% satisfaction rate.

Prior to rejoining the chamber in 2012, Creed owned N.F. Creed Communications, a strategic communications consulting firm, specializing in public-relations campaign development and management, grassroots cultivation, media relations, crisis communications, and government/community affairs, where her clients included local and regional nonprofit and for-profit companies as well as Fortune 500 companies.

She also served as the manager of Corporate Communications for Western Massachusetts Electric Co. (now Eversource). During her tenure, the company was awarded the top ranking in the Eastern Region by JD Power & Associates for communications in its annual Business Customer Satisfaction Survey, and was awarded the Utility Communications International Gold Award for Single Magazine Advertising.

Creed is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, is certified in nonprofit-organization management through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management, a graduate of the chamber’s Leadership Institute, and a certified company facilitator of the Pacific Institute’s Imagine 21 – Fast Track to Change.

She has been named to the Top Ten Women in Business in the Pioneer Valley by the Women Business Owners Alliance and was named a Woman to Watch in Advertising by Western Mass Women magazine. She is currently president of the board of directors for Dakin Humane Society, a member of the board of directors for the Valley Press Club, and a former board member of the Ad Club of Western Massachusetts.

Ciuffreda has announced that, after 29 years with the chamber, he will retire from his position, effective Aug. 5.

“Jeff has been an invaluable asset to the chamber throughout these many years, providing steady leadership over the years, including steering the organization through its most recent restructuring, positioning the chamber as the go-to organization for legislative advocacy, and working hard on behalf of our more than 700 members and for the region at large,” said chamber board chair Daniel Keenan, senior vice president of Government and Community Relations with the Sisters of Providence Health System. “I know I speak for the entire board in expressing my thanks for Jeff’s leadership, his commitment and dedication to the organization, and his distinguished career with the chamber.”

Ciuffreda joined the chamber in 1987 as its vice president of Legislative Affairs and became president in 2011. Under his leadership, the chamber has been a strong voice for business, increased its regional presence, helped shape policy on Beacon Hill and in Washington, helped drive economic growth in the city of Springfield and the region as a whole, and worked to build a prosperous and healthy economic climate for those who live and work in the region.

Prior to joining the chamber, Ciuffreda served as a legislative aide and district director to the late U.S. Rep. Silvio Conte for eight years. Prior to that, he served as a deputy director of the U.S. Peace Corps program in the country of Lesotho, where he oversaw the administration of the program and was responsible for the programming and training of volunteers. From 1972 to 1975, Ciuffreda served as a volunteer in the Peace Corps in the country of Liberia.

Ciuffreda received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Boston College and is certified in nonprofit organization management through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management. He serves on numerous boards, including the Mass. Assoc. of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Friends of the Homeless, and the United Way of Pioneer Valley. He is a former selectman in the town of Williamsburg, a position he held for more than 17 years.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Cambridge College Springfield Regional Center announced a new Alcohol and Drug Counseling Certificate Program for individuals seeking professional training in substance-abuse and addiction treatment, education, and prevention, leading to certification or licensure.

The one-year, 19-credit certificate program comes at a critical time as the region battles the opioid epidemic and other increasing substance-abuse issues.

“The need for credentialed individuals in this field is at a crisis level,” said Teresa Forte, director of the Springfield Regional Center. “By offering this certificate program, Cambridge College will help provide a direct response to that need while supporting our community.”

An open house for individuals interested in the program will be held on Wednesday, July 27 at 6 p.m. at the college’s Tower Square location, 1500 Main St. in downtown Springfield.

The Springfield campus offers undergraduate- and graduate-degree programs in education, human services, counseling psychology, and business management to a diverse population of adult learners from Western Mass. and Connecticut. Its students are adults in career transition, busy parents who require flexible schedules, community leaders, and others seeking professional development.

For more information about Cambridge College Springfield or to RSVP for the open house, visit www.cambridgecollege.edu.

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GLASTONBURY, Conn. — United Financial Bancorp Inc., the holding company for United Bank, announced results for the quarter ended June 30, 2016.

The company had net income of $9.1 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, compared to net income for the linked quarter of $11.9 million, or $0.24 per diluted share. Operating net income (non-GAAP) for the second quarter of 2016 was $10.0 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, compared to $10.9 million, or $0.22 per diluted share, for the linked quarter.

Operating net income for the second quarter of 2016 is adjusted for purchase accounting impacts, net gain from sales of securities, and the effect of position eliminations as a result of the company’s previously disclosed reorganization plan. Additionally, in the first quarter of 2016, operating income was also adjusted for Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston pre-payment penalties. The company reported net income of $13.3 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2015.

“In the second quarter of 2016, operating revenue increased 2%, but operating net income declined to $0.20 per diluted share from $0.22 per diluted share for the linked quarter. Despite record-low interest rates, our operating net interest margin declined only one basis point, and we maintained strong expense discipline, evidenced in our ratio of operating non-interest expense to average assets at 2.08%. Management remains focused on its previously disclosed four key objectives to enhance shareholder value in this difficult operating environment for banks. Tangible book value per share increased to $10.39 from $10.20 after paying a dividend of $0.12 per share. Asset quality remains strong and non-interest bearing deposits increased by 10% year over year,” said William Crawford IV, CEO of the bank and the holding company. “In addition, I want to thank our talented employees for their continued steadfast focus on serving our customers and communities.”

Total assets at June 30, 2016 increased by $95.8 million to $6.42 billion from $6.32 billion at March 31, 2016. At June 30, 2016, total loans were $4.73 billion, representing an increase of $81 million, or 2%, from the linked quarter. Loan growth during the second quarter of 2016 was highlighted by a $58 million, or 9%, increase in commercial business loans; a $14 million, or 3%, increase in home-equity loans; and an $8 million, or 2%, increase in owner-occupied commercial real-estate loans. Residential mortgages declined during the second quarter of 2016 by $5 million, reflecting the company’s continued strategy to reduce on-balance sheet exposure to residential mortgage loans.

Deposits totaled $4.46 billion at June 30, 2016 and decreased by $79 million, or 2%, from $4.53 billion at March 31, 2016. While deposits declined during the second quarter of 2016, the shift in the deposit mix is reflective of the company’s strategy to focus on low-cost core deposit growth. Noteworthy increases include a $16 million, or 3%, increase in non-interest bearing deposits and a $32 million, or 8%, increase in NOW checking deposits. Deposit balances were substantially impacted during the second quarter of 2016 by the seasonal outflows of municipal deposits, and, to a lesser extent, retail money-market account outflows were experienced due to the expiration of promotional pricing.

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SPRINGFIELD — Attorney Carol Cioe Klyman and Attorney Ann Weber have been recognized for their work on the 2016 Massachusetts Elder Law Sourcebook & Citator. Published by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE), the sourcebook is an important reference source in the growing fields of elder law and special-needs planning in Massachusetts.

The sourcebook represents the editors’ selections of key reference materials from state and federal sources. It contains primary sources that are called upon daily in the representation of the Massachusetts elder and disabled populations, including statutes, regulations, case decisions, and community resources.

The sourcebook would not have been possible without the editorial leadership of Klyman and Weber, said Maryanne Jensen, MCLE’s director of Publications. “They share MCLE’s goal to educate practitioners and others who advocate for, represent, and advise individuals facing the vicissitudes of aging and incapacity.”

Klyman and Weber are shareholders at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., with offices in Springfield, Northampton, and Albany, N.Y. Klyman concentrates her practice in the areas of elder law, estate planning, special-needs-trust planning, estate settlement, guardianships, trust and estates litigation, and MassHealth appeals. Weber concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, probate, and elder law. She has a particular interest in creative estate planning for authors, artists, farmers, and landowners, as well as federal and Massachusetts estate-tax planning.

Attorneys may purchase the 2016 Massachusetts Elder Law Sourcebook & Citator in print version or as an e-book or e-article through the MCLE website, www.mcle.org.

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SPRINGFIELD — Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., a labor and employment law firm serving employers in the Greater Springfield area, announced that attorney Amelia Holstrom earned the Community Service Award presented by the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. and subsequently through its affiliate association, the Hampden County Bar Assoc. It is awarded to worthy attorneys who are members of both their local and state bar associations, and who have demonstrated excellence in community service.

“The Western Massachusetts community has given so much to me throughout the years,” Holstrom said. “That is why I think it is so important to give back to my community. I am honored to have been presented with this Community Service Award. The award truly speaks volumes about the atmosphere that I work in. Everyone at Skoler Abbott is extremely supportive of community-service initiatives and understands the value of extending a helping hand to others.”

Holstrom joined Skoler, Abbott, & Presser 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 is focused in labor law and employment litigation. Since joining the firm in 2012, Holstrom has provided legal advice to employers who want to remain union-free and defended employers against claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination, and actions arising under the Family Medical Leave Act and wage-and-hour law. Additionally, she frequently provides counsel to management regarding litigation-avoidance strategies.

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. She is a 2015 recipient of the 40 Under Forty award from BusinessWest, which honors individuals under age 40 who have achieved professional success and are active in civic organizations.

In addition to her legal résumé, Holstrom is very active in the 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 Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, and board clerk at Friends of the Homeless.

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SPRINGFIELD — White Lion Brewing Co., in alliance with MGM Springfield, announced it will allocate partnered resources to expand and introduce new programming to the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival on Saturday, Aug. 6.

Over the past few years, MGM has supported several events that attract hundreds of people to the downtown area, including last year’s Valley Fest. The alliance with White Lion to co-sponsor the 2016 Jazz & Roots Festival will help to further the collective mission of revitalizing Springfield through fun and diverse programming.

“MGM Springfield is proud to co-sponsor this year’s Jazz & Roots Festival, and watch it grow to be bigger and better than ever,” said Mike Mathis, president and COO of MGM Springfield. “Ray Berry and his team at White Lion Brewing Company share our values and passion for creating a sense of community and pride in the city of Springfield. We look forward to coming together with all of the participating organizations to deliver a great summer event for all to enjoy.”

White Lion Brewing Co., which launched in late 2014, is Springfield’s first craft-beer brand. White Lion introduced its signature event, Valley Fest, in 2015, with 51 participating craft brands, live entertainment, vendors, a home-brewing competition, and food-pairing demonstrations catering to 1,400 festival goers.

The Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival was developed by Blues to Green Inc. in partnership with business, civic, and nonprofit leaders in Springfield, with the hope that people of many different communities could unite in the urban center of Western Mass. to share their love for music and art.


“Springfield is on the rebound, and its renaissance will have many contributors,” said event coordinator Evan Plotkin. “The Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival is one very prominent example of one. Its primary contribution is to help change the psychology of the city and remind people of our incredible musical heritage and promote interest of its unique culture and diversity of people. Because of this alliance, the festival will be able to offer additional programming.”
Specifically, it aims to:

• Expand free jazz and roots music-education programs, presenting music labs and master classes allowing students from Springfield schools to receive advanced instruction or learn about the history of the music from legendary musicians;

• Develop a new indoor venue with activities that provide greater interaction with artists, explore the roots of jazz and American music, and spotlight the voices of Springfield; and

• Further develop participatory arts, allowing festival attendees of all ages to participate in hands-on creative activities.

In addition to expanded programming, there will be other attractions to enrich the overall experience. White Lion will coordinate two on-site beer gardens, and a food-truck area will be dedicated to the event.

 Visit www.springfieldjazzfest.com for event details, ongoing updates, and sponsorship opportunities.

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SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, dean of the New England congressional delegation, will hold a press conference today in Springfield to release the Northern New England Intercity Rail Initiative, a study funded by the Federal Railroad Administration and requested by Neal and former U.S. Rep. John Olver to identify and improve rail service in the region, including Springfield to Boston.

At the 2 p.m. event in the Jury Room of the U.S. District Courthouse, 300 State St., Neal will be joined by Astrid Glynn, Rail & Transit administrator at the Mass. Department of Transportation; and Tim Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

The Northern New England Intercity Rail Initiative (NNEIRI) is a conceptual planning study that examines the benefits, opportunities, and impacts of adding more frequent and higher-speed inter-city passenger rail service on two rail corridors, the inland route and the Boston-to-Montreal route.

The inland route would run between Boston and New Haven, Conn. via Springfield. The Boston-to-Montreal route would run between Boston and Montreal, Quebec via Springfield. The two routes would share the trackage between Boston and Springfield. The combination of these two rail routes defines the study area that is collectively identified as the NNEIRI Corridor.

The NNEIRI study was developed jointly between the Mass. Department of Transportation and the Vermont Agency for Transportation with support from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Additional stakeholders included the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, the Quebec Ministry of Transportation, private-sector railroads, and regional planning agencies.

“More than 2 million people live within three miles of a station along this corridor,” said FRA Administrator Sarah Feinberg. “For everyone to move safely and efficiently, this region needs a robust rail system, and this blueprint will help achieve that goal.”

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PITTSFIELD — Community Health Programs (CHP) will assume sponsorship and operation of Berkshire Medical Center’s (BMC) Dental Clinic, following the awarding of a $350,000 federal grant to CHP. This collaboration between CHP and Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) will help provide improved access to essential healthcare services in the Berkshire community. CHP will assume the operation of the clinic, located at 510 North St. in Pittsfield, by Oct. 14.

The CHP Dental Clinic will provide expanded dental-care services to more patients in the community; currently, the clinic provides care for nearly 5,000 patients per year. CHP will work to recruit new dentists, and the clinic will continue to utilize the expertise of the BMC Dental Residency program, which helps to staff the clinic. The residency is accredited by the American Dental Assoc. and provides advanced education in oral healthcare.

Community Health Programs will upgrade and expand the dental clinic to meet requirements of the grant, and will integrate dental operations with the existing CHP primary-care practice there, CHP – Neighborhood Health Center.

This is the latest collaboration between CHP and BHS, all with the goal of providing expanded access to healthcare services. In December, CHP assumed operation of the former Adams Internists and Northern Berkshire Family Medicine, giving the federally qualified health center’s network a presence in northern Berkshire County. Previously, the former BMC Neighborhood Health Center in Pittsfield was transitioned to a CHP federally qualified health center. The latest federal grant was awarded by the Health Resources Services Administration, which provides about 20% of CHP’s funding.

“Berkshire Health Systems is pleased to continue our collaborative relationship with Community Health Programs as we work together to provide enhanced care services to all who live and work in the Berkshires,” said David Phelps, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. “CHP and BHS continue to invest in these essential health services to provide greater access to care right here in the Berkshires.”

Lia Spiliotes, interim CEO of Community Health Programs, said CHP will carry on the BMC practice with few changes, aside from a facility expansion and certain federally mandated improvements. The affiliation makes good sense for the organization, which already operates a Great Barrington-based dental practice, she said.

“CHP has made some excellent strategic collaborations to strengthen its health network throughout Berkshire County and to improve residents’ access to healthcare, with support from BHS,” said Spiliotes. “With this new dental clinic under our umbrella, CHP is now in a position to focus strongly on existing practices and services, and to make improvements wherever possible to enhance patient care and improve access.

In addition, the affiliation will expand CHP’s participation in medical-education and residency programs.

The clinic is staffed by resident dentists from the BMC program, three dental assistants, and a receptionist who is also certified as a dental assistant. There will be no changes in employment when CHP assumes the operation of the clinic.

Patients with urgent dental needs may be seen on a walk-in basis. Patients seeking comprehensive, preventive care should call the dental clinic for an initial-visit appointment. At this first visit, patients will have a full-mouth series of radiographs taken, and a comprehensive exam will be completed. An individual care plan will be developed by the resident dentist with patient involvement. Patients will be seen by appointment for all routine dental needs. For more information and appointments, call (413) 447-2781.

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SPRINGFIELD — In 2015, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) assisted law enforcement with more than 13,700 cases of missing children. Seeing the worth of increased awareness of the importance of safety for children, businesses throughout the Pioneer Valley have teamed up to produce an educational event.

The eighth annual Kids Safety Expo, slated for Saturday, July 30, will be free and open to the public. Event organizers include Market Mentors, LLC; 94.7 WMAS; Sports Radio 1450 the Hall; and the Masonic Youth Child Identification Program. Additionally, the event will feature complimentary bicycle helmets for the first 500 children attending, thanks to the generosity of AAA.

“We are grateful to partner with local businesses throughout Western Massachusetts. Initiatives like the Kids Safety Expo aid parents and give them valuable resources to keep their children safe,” said Michelle Abdow, president of Market Mentors, the full-service advertising agency and producer of the event. “We want children from our region to become the thought leaders of our next generation. The first step in making this happen is teaching kids the importance of safety education. The next step is to show kids the value of giving back to the community. This is something that is near and dear to our hearts at Market Mentors.”

For more information and pictures from past years’ events, visit kidssafetyexpo.com.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — SPARK Holyoke, a program of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Centennial Foundation, announced its third community-based crowd-funding event, Holyoke Soup, scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Aug. 3 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the Waterfront Tavern, 920 Main Street, Holyoke.

Holyoke Soup is a dinner celebrating and supporting creative projects in Holyoke. For $5, attendees receive soup, salad, and bread while listening to presentations ranging from business ideas, art, urban agriculture, social justice, social entrepreneurs, education, technology, and much more. A new element has been added to this Holyoke Soup. Several local entrepreneurs who have completed the SPARK Holyoke entrepreneurship program will be showcasing their businesses beginning at 5 p.m.

Immediately following the SPARK Holyoke presentations, the Holyoke Soup presentations will begin. Each presenter has four minutes to share their idea and answer four questions from the audience. This is a great opportunity to meet local entrepreneurs, have a bite to eat, network, and vote on the project that would be most beneficial to the city of Holyoke. At the end of the night, the ballots are counted, and the winner goes home with all the money raised to help fund their project. Winners come back to a future Holyoke Soup dinner to report on their project’s progress.

There is no admission charge to the event, but a minimum $5 donation is requested. All proceeds go to the presenter who receives the most votes. Anyone interested in presenting an idea at Holyoke Soup may apply at www.holyokesoup.com. Call Jona Ruiz at SPARK Holyoke at (413) 534-3376 with any questions.

Daily News

CROMWELL, Conn. — Local organizations banded together to support STEM education in Connecticut while making a positive difference in the community. The ACT Group, Mystic Aquarium, and Mystic Middle School, with assistance from 3D Systems, designed and produced an orthopedic boot for Purps, an African penguin and life-long resident of the aquarium.

In 2011, Purps was left with a non-functional flexor tendon following an altercation with another penguin on exhibit. Since then, she has been wearing a traditional hand-casted boot to support her injury. While the traditional boot adequately immobilized, supported, and protected her injury, it posed some concerns for the veterinarian staff at the aquarium. The moldable plastic material it was made of deteriorated quickly, forcing the veterinarian staff to reproduce the boot frequently, a very time-intensive process.

The collaboration between local organizations began when Sue Prince, library media specialist at Mystic Middle School, started an innovation lab with the goal of introducing students to 3D technology. She applied for and won a grant from the Stonington Education Fund and used the funds to purchase a 3D printer for the lab.

Prince worked in conjunction with Kelly Matis, a member of Stonington Education Fund’s community board and director of Education and Conservation at Mystic Aquarium. Matis, aware of the diverse applications of 3D technology, shared the need for a new orthopedic boot for Purps with Prince. Eager to help and put the 3D printer to use for a great cause, Prince contacted the ACT Group to inquire about assistance with computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D scanning.

Nick Gondek, ACT Group’s director of Additive Manufacturing, led his team in demonstrating state-of-the-art 3D technology to Prince and her students. These demonstrations gave the students of Mystic Middle School invaluable hands-on experience using technology from 3D Systems and allowed the ACT Group to provide technical expertise through the course of the project. The ACT Group’s assistance was a crucial part of the successful design of Purps’s boot, ultimately completed by the students of Mystic Middle School.

 

 

“It was so rewarding to teach the students how end-to-end manufacturing solutions by 3D Systems work,” noted Gondek. “Helping to stimulate creative thinking through the use of 3D technology is a way for us to pay it forward at the ACT Group,” he concluded.

“It’s been truly amazing to be able to work with the middle-school students, the ACT Group, and their 3D technology, as well as veterinarian staff here at the aquarium,” Matis said, “and to use this 3D technology to benefit the health of one of our endangered species.”

Impressed by the dedication and eagerness of the students, the ACT Group hopes this project inspires other educators to infuse 3D-printing technology within their STEM curricula to inspire future innovators.

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank recently named three ‘top volunteers’ through its Volunteer Service X-ellence Awards Program. These annual awards celebrate bank employees who have made outstanding contributions to their communities.

The three award recipients were selected based on their strong record of volunteerism to nonprofit organizations through both company-supported activities and in individual service to the broader community. Each of the award winners also received a $1,000 donation to be made on their behalf to the nonprofit organization of their choice.
This year’s Volunteer X-ellence Award winners include:

• Dan Elias, teller, Pittsfield. Elias received the Volunteer Service X-ellence Award for his individual volunteer service outside the bank’s corporate program. His donation was made to the Catholic Youth Center.

• LeeAnn Morrone, branch officer, Newington, Conn. Morrone received the Volunteer Service X-ellence Award for her leadership and service in both company-supported and individual volunteer activities. Her donation was made to the Peter J. Lavery Memorial Scholarship Fund.

• Matt Nicholl, business banking officer, Utica, N.Y. Nicholl received the Volunteer Service 
X-ellence Award for his leadership and participation in the bank’s corporate volunteer program. His donation was made to the United Way of the Valley & Greater Utica.

Daily News

BOSTON — More than 400 Massachusetts Realtors traveled to the State House on June 21 to participate in the 31st annual Realtor Day on Beacon Hill. The Realtors attended meetings and visited with lawmakers to discuss the key issues that impact consumers, housing, and the economy. The keynote address was delivered by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.

“The huge showing of Realtors from across the state made the statement that our members are willing to speak up for their industry, private property rights and home buyers and sellers,” said 2016 MAR President Annie Blatz, branch executive at Kinlin Grover Real Estate on Cape Cod. “We want to remind our legislators that keeping the American dream of homeownership accessible and affordable is a priority.”

The Realtor Assoc. is the only group that actively represents homeowners and future homeowners to advocate for private property rights in Massachusetts.

“It is imperative we connect with our lawmakers to ensure they understand the issues that face the real-estate industry and their constituents — many of whom are home and property owners,” said Lou Mayo, president of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV).

Added Richard Sawicki, president-elect of RAPV, “supporting homeowners and property owners through smart legislation is so important for families, communities, and the state’s economy, so we will continue to work with lawmakers to ensure they are protected.”

Twenty-nine members and staff from the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley participated. The Pioneer Valley delegation included Al Acuna, Elias Acuna, Maria Acuna, Kelly Bowman, Shawn Bowman, Carolanne Bright, Maureen Coughlan, Peter Davies, Greg Dibrindisi, Michael Dombrowski, Patti-Ann Dombrowski, Sue Drumm, Corinne Fitzgerald, Christine Garstka, Sara Gasparrini, Shelley Gutowski, Dawn Henry, Sharyn Jones, Susan Mangan, Lou Mayo, Sue Moore, Sonia Quiles, Brian Risler, Russ Sabadosa, Rick Sawicki, Ben Scranton, Brian Sears, Christie Shea, and Clinton Stone.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College Professor of Management and U.S. Fulbright grant recipient Robert Fiore recently traveled to China to collaborate with faculty and students at Hong Kong Baptist University in the academic area of entrepreneurship. Fiore assisted in the development of research and curriculum in China’s new initiative mandating the development of entrepreneurial courses to be offered at all universities.

During his visit, Fiore presented his entrepreneurial and international business publications fostering cross-cultural discussions on entrepreneurial issues; research about company formulation, feasibility analysis, and ways to enhance success rates; the U.S. perspective on capital formation; the capital-allocation process; financing sources; standards of equity investing in entrepreneurship; and rates of return generated by successful entrepreneurship.

“The collaboration was exciting because it allowed us to exchange ideas on modes of entrepreneurial company formulation specifically dedicated to elevate geographically focused poverty and enhance economic growth within low-income regions by the use of micro-financing and village-based cooperative entrepreneurship,” said Fiore, who was hosted by Michael Young, the chair of Hong Kong Baptist University’s Management Department. “I was also able to review the practicality of the new Hong Kong Baptist University Entrepreneurship Centre.”

As part of the program, Fiore presented biographical material of notable entrepreneurs to highlight their use in teaching and fostering entrepreneurship among students by analysis of the successful entrepreneur’s attitudes and behavior. He discussed lean entrepreneurial start-up procedures and methods as taught in the U.S., the U.S. perspective on crowd-funding financing sources, and legal issues of intellectual-property development.

Springfield College has a lengthy association with Hong Kong Baptist University. This project deepened the relationship between the institutions by exploring and formulating more opportunities for cross-country student and faculty exchange programs in the areas of entrepreneurship, global international business, and management. As a continuation of this strong partnership, Fiore is expecting to allow his students to collaborate with Chinese students via Skype during the upcoming semester.

The core Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is led by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and provides approximately 800 teaching and/or research grants to U.S. faculty and experienced professionals in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. The program awards grants to qualified U.S. faculty and professionals in select disciplines to engage in collaborative projects at eligible institutions in more than 140 countries worldwide.

Daily News

BOSTON — For the second consecutive year, the Baker-Polito administration reduced the assessment rate employers pay to the state on workers’ compensation insurance policies.

For fiscal year 2017, employers will pay an assessment of 5.6% on their total insurance premium, a 3% decrease from the previous rate of 5.75%. The new rate went into effect July 1.

The Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA), an agency within the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, administers the workers’ compensation insurance system and annually establishes assessment rates. During fiscal year 2016, the Baker-Polito administration reduced the rate from 5.8% to 5.75%.

“We are very pleased that we can lower this assessment rate to businesses once again this year,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II said. “After reviewing the current assessment rate and the fund balance, we determined it was possible to reduce the rate again.”

Added DIA Director Linda Turner, “the reduction in the DIA assessment rate for the second year in a row is a clear statement of this administration’s efforts to reduce costs for businesses in the Commonwealth.”

The state workers’ compensation system is in place to make sure workers are protected by insurance if they are injured on the job or develop a work-related illness. Under this system, all employers in Massachusetts are required by state law to carry workers’ compensation insurance covering their employees. The insurance pays for any reasonable and necessary medical treatment for a job-related injury or illness, pays compensation for lost wages after the first five calendar days of full or partial disability, and in some cases provides retraining for employees who qualify.

DIA is funded through assessments on workers’ compensation policies and self-insurance programs for employers operating in Massachusetts. In addition, DIA collects statutory fines and fees. It also acts as a court system responsible for resolving disputed workers’ compensation claims, overseeing and adjudicating approximately 12,000 disputed cases each year.

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank announced that its charitable foundation awarded $1,120,862 in grants from Jan. 1 through June 30 to nonprofit organizations across Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont.

In addition to supporting organizations within the foundation’s funding focus areas of education, community, and economic-development projects, it also donated to youth, cultural, and human-service organizations that provide vital services to the community. Berkshire Bank Foundation Inc. plans to award more than $1.8 million this year to nonprofit organizations across the bank’s service area.

In total, 365 nonprofits received grants from the foundation during the first half of 2016, including Berkshire County organizations 1Berkshire Strategic Alliance Foundation, Berkshire Community Action Council, Berkshire Family YMCA, and Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity; and Pioneer Valley organizations Baystate Health Foundation, Brightside for Families & Children, Chicopee Neighborhood Development Corp., and ReGreen Springfield.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — The planning committee for Celebrate Holyoke 2016 announced the musical lineup for this year’s three-day summer festival on Aug. 26-28, highlighting a diverse range of musical favorites from around the region.

“We’re really excited about this year’s lineup of musical acts and are looking forward to welcoming an even bigger crowd to downtown Holyoke,” said Jenna Weingarten, Celebrate Holyoke’s executive director. “It was important to us that our lineup reflected Holyoke’s diverse community, and we’ve worked hard to make sure there’s something here for everyone to enjoy.”

Music will begin on Friday night at 5 p.m. and last throughout the weekend until Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and includes the following bands and artists: Friday, Aug. 26, 5-11 p.m.: Basement Cats, Sweet Daddy Cool Breeze, Jesus Pagan y Conjunto Barrio, and Joe Velez Creacion Latin Big Band; Saturday, Aug. 27, 12:30-11 p.m.: From the Woods, Skarroñeros, Paper City Exiles, Franny O Show, Trailer Park, Pabon Salsa, Eleven, and Brass Attack; Sunday, Aug. 28., 12:30-7:30 p.m.: Dennis Polisky & the Maestro’s Men, Union Jack, Los Sugar Kings, Dee Reilly, and Ray Mason Band.

Celebrate Holyoke is a weekend-long festival featuring live music, entertainment, and vendors. Last year, the festival drew approximately 15,000 people into the heart of downtown Holyoke over the course of three days. Slide the City, an internationally known, 1,000-foot slip and slide, will return to Celebrate Holyoke on Saturday, Aug. 27.

Volunteers and sponsors are still needed and are critical in ensuring the success of Celebrate Holyoke. Anyone interested in being a part of this community event should call (413) 570-0389 or e-mail [email protected].

Daily News

SHEFFIELD — Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s HousingUs initiative is soliciting proposals from nonprofits, community organizations, and public agencies to plan and convene outreach activities that bring residents together to explore the interrelated issues of affordable housing, economic development, and town-center vitality.

Grants of up to $10,000 will be available for projects that result in action-oriented community-development strategies or create broader public awareness of the elements of healthy and resilient communities, including the availability of affordable housing. Only collaborative proposals with one lead applicant and at least one other partner will be considered. Organizations serving Berkshire County, Mass.; Columbia County and Northeast Dutchess County, N.Y.; and Northwest Litchfield County, Conn., are eligible.

The deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, Aug. 26. For more information, visit www.berkshiretaconic.org/housingus.

Daily News

GREENFIELD — The 11th annual “It’s Blooming Backpacks” backpack and school-supply drive is underway by the Women’s Way, a program of United Way of Franklin County.

Every August, Women’s Way and community supporters of the popular event come together at Historic Deerfield to socialize, while supporting the needs of local school-age youth. This year’s main event is Thursday, Aug. 4 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., and costs $5 to attend, in addition to bringing one or more backpacks filled with school supplies (the address location will be given at the time of RSVP). To RSVP, call (413) 772-2168 or email [email protected]. Backpacks filled with essential school supplies are distributed to children and youth throughout Franklin County via the United Way of Franklin County’s 27 partner agencies.

Backpacks come to the United Way in different ways. Traditionally, an individual donor will take on the task of buying and filling a backpack. Other ways include groups of co-workers or friends collaborating on filling a few bags; companies donating supplies or empty backpacks; businesses and organizations holding school-supply drives in the workplace; asking employees, customers, and clients to donate supplies and/or backpacks (sometimes the company will buy the backpacks) and having a ‘stuffing party’; and collecting monetary donations and letting the United Way purchase backpacks and/or supplies. No matter how you participate, you will make a difference in the life of a young person.

Since the first annual “It’s Blooming Backpacks” in 2005, more than 2,500 backpacks with a value of nearly $200,000 have been donated and distributed. In 2015, nearly 500 backpacks were collected. For more information, visit uw-fc.org/its-blooming-backpacks, call (413) 772-2168, or e-mail [email protected].

Daily News

MONSON — Monson Savings Bank will host a complimentary SunAmerica workshop titled “Protecting Your Retirement Income for Life” on Wednesday, July 27. It will be presented by Mack Mikaelian, divisional vice president, SunAmerica Retirement Markets.

The annuity presentation will offer strategies to help provide income for life and also help attendees determine retirement-income options they should explore. It will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Ware Fire Department at 200 West St. in Ware. It is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

“We are very pleased to be offering this free workshop,” said Steve Lowell, president of Monson Savings Bank. “Saving for retirement is hard enough, but then converting retirement savings into lifetime income can be very complex and confusing. That’s why we feel these complimentary workshops are so important.”

Mikaelian works with financial advisors throughout New England and Eastern New York. He has many years of experience in the financial-services industry and is very familiar with the topic of retirement-income planning. He is a graduate of UMass and Babson College’s MBA program.

Seating is limited, and reservations are required. To RSVP, call Anna Calvanese at (413) 267-1221 or e-mail [email protected].

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Gray House announced the appointment of Teresa Spaziani as the new executive director of the organization.

In 2009, while attending Western New England University, Spaziani began volunteering at Kids’ Club, an after-school program for children from low-income families run by the Gray House, and soon after became a staff counselor for the program. In January 2015, she joined the organization’s board of directors.

“After arriving in Springfield for college, I immediately immersed myself in the community through volunteer work and was so impressed by the people and services of the Gray House,” she said. “It is a true community program in every sense. I am proud to be a part of the organization and work alongside our dedicated staff and volunteers to further the mission of the Gray House.”

Spaziani’s brings experience in nonprofit fund-raising as former community relations and outreach manager at the Children’s Study Home in Springfield. There, she also gained experience in licensing and compliance as quality assurance manager. Her most recent role was in the field of marketing at Market Mentors in West Springfield. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration in marketing/communications and advertising from Western New England University as well as a certificate in professional fund-raising from Boston University. She graduated from Leadership Pioneer Valley with the class of 2015.

An open house will be held at the Gray House, 22 Sheldon St., Springfield on Wednesday, Aug. 24. Members of the community are invited to stop by from 8 to 9 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. to meet the staff and learn more about the services offered, as well as volunteer opportunities.

For more information about the Gray House, visit www.grayhouse.org or contact Spaziani at (413) 734-6696 or [email protected].

Daily News

AMHERST — The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce (AACC) board of directors announced the appointment of Timothy O’Brien as executive director, effective Aug. 1. He will assume responsibility for representing the chamber’s diverse business interests in the community, directing the organization’s growth, and maintaining the chamber’s financial stability and commitment to providing value to its members.

“Tim brings a wealth of experience and the needed energy and commitment to the Amherst area to serve all of our members,” said Julie Marcus, board president. The appointment had the unanimous support of the board’s executive committee.

“I am honored to help lead the Amherst Area Chamber team and excited to continue my career in destination marketing as part of this outstanding organization,” O’Brien said. “I look forward to working with the board, staff, and AACC members in writing the next chapter of the chamber’s influential history.”

O’Brien has been active in the Western Mass. destination-marketing industry since 1987. He has served as communications director with the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as serving on that agency’s board of directors. He held top marketing and communications positions with Yankee Candle and Kringle Candle, as well as providing marketing services to the Yankee Candle founder Michael Kittredge and his family, charity, and business interests. O’Brien holds bachelor’s degree in resource economics from UMass Amherst.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) will become one of the first local institutions of higher education to become SAT- and ACT-optional beginning in the spring semester of 2017. This will include all applicants for all majors.

A growing trend nationally, more than 850 schools, including big names such as George Washington, Wesleyan, and Fairfield universities, are now test-optional. Thirty-five schools in Massachusetts are on board.

In a study conducted by the National Assoc. for College Admission Counseling, college performance was evaluated for more than 100,000 students at 33 test-optional colleges. It was determined that the differences in college performance of those students who submitted SAT scores and those who did not were negligent in terms of grade point averages and graduation rates. The study also found that those students who did not submit SAT scores were more likely to be first-generation-to-college applicants, minority students, women, Pell grant recipients, and students with learning differences.

“Moving to test-optional admissions is core to our mission of educational access for first-generation students and students from underserved backgrounds,” said Dean of Undergraduate Admission Jonathan Scully. “We’re invested in our students’ success and recognize that standardized tests don’t typically serve those populations well. There is a direct correlation between test scores and economic resources. Students who have the financial means to afford test preparation will do better than those who don’t. We shouldn’t be basing our admission decisions on test scores. It’s important to look at the whole student.”

A multi-year study at AIC determined that high-school success is two to three times more predictive of retention and college success than standardized test scores. High-school success includes rigorous courses and good grades, meaning a heavy academic course load at the highest level in which the student will excel. In addition, AIC looks for well-rounded students, excelling outside of the classroom as well — in other words, an individual who will be an outstanding member of not only the AIC community, but also the community at large.

For more information about American International College, visit www.aic.edu or call (413) 205-3201.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Regional Chamber is seeking nominations for its annual Super 60 awards program.

Now in its 27th year, the awards program celebrates the success of the fastest-growing privately owned businesses in the region, which continue to make significant contributions to the strength of the regional economy. Each year, the program identifies the top-performing companies in revenue growth and total revenue. Last year, total-revenue winners combined for revenues of more than $1 billion, with only-third of winners exceeding revenues of $30 million. All winners in the revenue-growth category had growth in excess of 20% while one-third experienced growth in excess of 65%.

To be considered, companies must be based in Hampden or Hampshire county or be a member of the Springfield Regional Chamber, produce revenues of at least $1 million in the last fiscal year, be an independent and privately owned company, and have been in business for at least three full years. Companies are selected based on their percentage of revenue growth over a full three-year period or total revenues for the latest fiscal year.

Companies may be nominated by financial institutions, attorneys, or accountants, or be self-nominated. Companies must submit a nomination form and provide net operating revenue figures for the last three full fiscal years, signed and verified by an independent auditor. All financial information must be reported under generally accepted accounting principles and will be held and considered confidential and not released without prior approval.

Nomination forms are available here or by contacting Kara Cavanaugh at [email protected] or (413) 755-1310. Nominations must be submitted no later than Friday, Aug. 12.

The Super 60 awards will be presented in partnership with the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce at the annual luncheon and recognition program on Friday, Oct. 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Chez Josef in Agawam.

Daily News

BOSTON — In the latest display of its R&D firepower, the University of Massachusetts vaulted to 30th globally in the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Patents in 2015.

Winning a record 62 U.S. patents arising out of faculty inventions, UMass placed third in Massachusetts and New England and was tied for 24th place among American universities.

“Our faculty continues to shine with cutting-edge research and innovation that places us in the top tier of universities in the world. They lead us to new frontiers of human understanding, and their work opens the door to a more prosperous economic future,” President Marty Meehan said. “We’re proud of this accomplishment because today’s patent is tomorrow’s job-creating startup technology company.”

The patents awarded are based on UMass research in areas as diverse as gene silencing, high-technology textiles, polymers, and nanotechnology, according to Abigail Barrow, interim executive director of the university’s Office of Technology Commercialization and Ventures.

The 62 patents represent a 55% increase over the 40 awarded to UMass in the previous year and is the highest number issued in a single calendar year since UMass began its technology-transfer program in 1995, she added. UMass is also a national leader among universities in licensing income earned on its patented inventions.

“Congratulations to the University of Massachusetts for making the Top 100 again this year and for an impressive increase,” said Paul Sanberg, president of the National Academy of Inventors, which produces the rankings along with the Intellectual Property Owners Assoc.

One of the UMass patents relates to Geckskin, a super-strong adhesive discovered at UMass Amherst that can be used multiple times without losing effectiveness.

This year’s top 10 ranked universities worldwide were: the University of California system, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the University of Texas, Tsinghua University (China), California Institute of Technology, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, and University of Michigan. The rankings are calculated using data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

UMass is on pace to match or modestly exceed its record 62 patents in the next report, Barrow said. “Our impressive patent numbers reflect the rapid growth and influence of UMass’ research enterprise and the discovery going on at all of our campuses.”

UMass shares the number-30 spot with the University of Utah Research Foundation and the Research Foundation of the State University of New York.

The National Academy of Inventors is a nonprofit organization of U.S. and international universities and governmental and nonprofit research institutions with more than 3,000 members. The Intellectual Property Owners Assoc. is a trade association of owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. This is the fourth year they have collaborated to issue the rankings report.

Daily News

There are a number of intriguing economic-development projects underway across the Pioneer Valley, but perhaps none more compelling — and for a number of reasons — than the initiative taking shape in a building in downtown Holyoke known as the Cubit.

There, a public-private partnership on several levels has materialized, bringing to reality an endeavor that will create momentum in realms ranging from job creation to the revitalization of Holyoke’s central business district.

The facility being created on the structure’s first and second floors is called the MGM Resorts HCC Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts at Holyoke. That’s a long name (hopefully a suitable acronym or nickname will emerge), but it is necessary, because it really tells the story — or most of it, anyway.

Indeed, this is a partnership between Holyoke Community College (and therefore the state), the city of Holyoke, MGM Resorts, which is building a $950 million casino in downtown Springfield, and the new owners of the Cubit building, who will create market-rate housing on the upper floors. And it takes a partnership to develop a property like this, which is one of the many former mill buildings in the Paper City now looking for new life.

The college needed a new home for its culinary arts program, the owners of the Cubit building were looking for a tenant that would anchor the property for years to come, the city of Holyoke was looking for individuals to invest in their community (and help them in their endeavors), and MGM was looking for help in training individuals for the many kinds of jobs at its casino.

To make a long story short, all the parties seem to have found what they were looking for. Holyoke is contributing $400,000 for this project from the funds it will receive from MGM through neighboring community-impact payments, MGM is donating an additional $100,000 toward the center, the state is contributing $1.75 million, the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration is kicking in $1.55 million, and the HCC Foundation is contributing $500,000.

Together, that adds up to $4.25 million, but more importantly, it adds up to opportunity — for the college, for the city, for MGM, and for the thousands of people who will be trained at the facility over the years.

This is a true public-private partnership, the kind this region will need to revitalize its communities, train a workforce, and bring economic-development opportunities to the area. It should serve as a model of what can be done when diverse groups with different, but intertwined, goals come together for the common good.

Daily News

WESTFIELD — Tighe & Bond recently welcomed Director of Human Resources Margo Armstrong to lead its human-resources functions, as well as strengthen the firm’s staffing growth and employee programs. She brings with her more than 20 years of high-level leadership experience in HR consulting, performance management, succession planning, and employee programs. She will work primarily out of the firm’s Westfield office.

“We are delighted to welcome Margo to the Tighe & Bond team at this significant juncture of our accelerated growth. She is an accomplished HR leader who will strengthen employee-related programs across our organization,” said David Pinsky, Tighe & Bond CEO and president.

Armstrong has held a variety of senior human-resources and change-leadership roles in several prominent and high-performing businesses. This includes overseeing performance management, employee recognition, talent review, and succession planning; HR planning and analysis; and HR consulting. Known for possessing a strategic business focus and technical expertise, her knowledge base includes influencing and leading in complex and rapidly changing environments.

Armstrong holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Alfred University and a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of New Haven. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Banking and Financial Services Sections

The Feeling’s Mutual

Tom Senecal

Tom Senecal

Tom Senecal takes the helm at PeoplesBank at an intriguing time for the institution — and the industry. Competition is keen, and efforts to achieve growth are challenged by thin margins and stagnant, historically low interest rates. The bank has made a commitment to continue this fight as a mutual institution, a strategy Senecal believes will continue to bring a host of inherent advantages.

Tom Senecal called it “going from the back room to the front lines.”

That’s how he chose to describe his decision in 2001 to leave his position as controller at Holyoke-based PeoplesBank and join the commercial-lending team led at that time by future President and CEO Doug Bowen.

Looking back on that not-so-subtle and fairly unusual career move, Senecal said that, at that juncture, he understood it was a necessary move if he was to achieve what was an already-emerging goal — to move higher up the ladder in banking administration, and perhaps to the top rung.

“I knew, career-wise, that if I wanted to be … well, where I am today, I needed more exposure and experience than just an accounting background,” he explained, noting that Bowen’s career trajectory has become common in the industry today. “So I made a conscious decision to change careers and move to the front line of servicing customers.

“This was outside my comfort zone — I was 41 years old, moving from an accounting environment to a sales environment,” he went on. “But I knew I needed that experience.”

What Senecal — who was named president last August after prevailing in a search for Bowen’s successor a few months after he made his retirement plans known — didn’t know in 2001 but does know now, is that, while leaving the back room improved his chances to advance in this industry, working in both settings will better enable him to handle that position’s varied job description.

“My experiences, both on the financial side and in lending, brought something different to the table, and that’s important given the current banking environment,” he explained. “Both jobs enabled me to see how the bank operates, but from different perspectives.”

Senecal takes the helm at PeoplesBank at an intriguing time for both that institution and the banking industry as a whole. Indeed, he officially takes both the president and CEO titles (Bowen maintained the latter until late June) just as the bank, probably not coincidentally, announced it was taking its commitment to being a mutual bank to a higher level.

Specifically, the institution changed its bylaws in a way that will make any future conversion to a stockholder-owned company exceedingly more difficult. Before, a vote to take such a step would require a simple majority of votes among corporators to move in that direction; now, it will take a super-majority, or 75% (much more on all this later).

As for the industry in general, a trend toward consolidation and gaining all-important size and economies of scale continues unabated, with the recently announced merger of Westfield Bank and Chicopee Savings Bank being the latest in a lengthy string of such moves.

Senecal acknowledged the benefits of size in this era of rising regulatory costs and razor-thin margins, but said PeoplesBank will continue to address those challenges as a mutual institution, and with an operating strategy forged by his immediate predecessors and honed by Bowen during his 10-year tenure.

Tenets include everything from calculated territorial expansion, including a strong push into Springfield, to permanent residency on the cutting edge of new banking technology and an emerging niche in lending to ‘green’ business ventures.

Describing what might come next, Senecal started by implying strongly that there won’t be any attempts to fix anything that isn’t broken (and that’s most things). Getting slightly more specific, he said the bank will continue its efforts to grow the only way a bank can grow in this region and this banking environment — by gaining additional market share.

And this brings him back to mutuality and a commitment to retain that operating structure. As a mutual institution, the bank is not beholden to stockholders, he explained, and in this case, the word ‘local’ doesn’t refer to where commercial lenders live and play golf, but rather to where decisions are made.

“We believe that local decisions really do mean something,” he noted. “There aren’t many mutuals left, and that means people don’t feel comfortable that the decisions are being made in Western Massachusetts. I think that’s a big advantage for us.”

For this issue and its focus on banking and financial services, BusinessWest talked at length with Senecal about his career in banking, his attainment of that goal he set long ago, and what to expect — or not expect, as the case may be — from PeoplesBank moving forward.

Matters of Note

Summing up the progressive Doug Bowen administration at the 131-year-old institution, Senecal said his predecessor “set the bar very high.”

As he spoke those words, he was referring to awards and honors, specifically to the bank’s regular appearance on a host of regional and statewide ‘best-of’ lists. They include everything from the Boston Globe’s compilation of the best places to work in the Bay State to Boston Business Journal’s list of the top corporate charitable contributors, to MassLive’s Readers Raves.

Meanwhile, Bowen himself was honored in 2009 as one of BusinessWest’s first Difference Makers, and in 2011 as a Globe 100 Innovator for, essentially, creating an environment that fostered and facilitated all of the above.

But that reference to setting the bar high actually referred to much more than placement on lists and plaques for the front lobby. It was also a reference to overall growth (the bank crashed through the $2 billion barrier in total assets during Bowen’s tenure), territorial expansion in the form of six new branches, a ‘green’ philosophy (three of those branches are LEED-certified), innovation (the institution has created a Customer Innovation Lab and hired a so-called ‘data scientist’), and the bank’s strong commitment to mutuality and the many competitive advantages it brings.

Senecal will work to keep the bar where it is and hopefully raise it even higher, and he’ll bring to this task that aforementioned blend of experience in the back room and on the front lines.

A Coast Guard veteran, Senecal eventually decided the military would not become a career, and went back to school, earning a degree in business at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.

Tom Senecal, seen with other members of the PeoplesBank

Tom Senecal, seen with other members of the PeoplesBank team, says the bank’s commitment to remain a mutual institution makes a strong statement.

He started his career in the financial-services sector with the Big 4 firm KPMG, as a senior manager and CPA. In that capacity, he provided organizational leadership and technical consulting expertise in the areas of auditing, accounting, tax compliance, and financial reporting for small to mid-sized banks in Massachusetts and Connecticut. One of the clients in his portfolio was PeoplesBank, which eventually recruited him to the role of controller.

As mentioned earlier, he drifted far out of his comfort zone a few years later and joined the commercial-lending team, where he remained until 2004, when he accepted an offer to join Florence Savings Bank as CFO and treasurer.

He returned to Holyoke in 2008 when Bowen, who took the helm at PeoplesBank a year earlier, encouraged him to take that same role with his bank.

“I looked upon coming back here as an opportunity,” he explained. “PeoplesBank is a larger, broader-reaching bank geographically that had a lot of opportunities for growth because of its name recognition and the marketability of PeoplesBank. Having had some conversations about the future with people here, I decided to come back.”

The search for Bowen’s successor, which began in the summer of 2015, eventually focused on two internal candidates, and Senecal prevailed.

Making a Statement

Since taking over as president of the bank, Senecal has put himself even closer to the front line — actually, right on it.

Indeed, he’s spent some time behind teller windows at several of the branches, getting an up-close look at what happens there, while also taking the opportunity to speak with some customers directly.

“I don’t think one of those branches is going to invite me back to scan checks, because I wasn’t very good at it — I think I kept the staff an extra hour,” he joked, adding quickly that those experiences were nonetheless fruitful and somewhat eye-opening. “As much as I can laugh about it now, that’s an example of understanding what the front line is really like.”

Beyond this time in the field, Senecal said he’s spent his first several months as president working toward that vote on mutuality and also developing a new four-year strategic plan. Dubbed Vision 2020, it will be presented to the board of directors in September.

When asked what’s in it, Senecal offered only generalities, and said it focuses on every aspect of the banking operation, including retail and commercial products and services, cash management, retail delivery channels, digital delivery channels, and more.

“We’re strategizing and looking at best-in-class products and services to compete with the larger institutions,” he explained. “Remaining as a mutual enables us to do that; we don’t have to worry about the next quarter’s earnings — we can make investments in these technologies and people and not worry about it. We’re in it for the long term.”

Elaborating, he said the bank changed two bylaws that will make converting to a public company far less likely. The first is the new requirement of a super-majority. The second is a so-called ‘protective self-enrichment clause,’ which prevents any director or senior manager from financially benefiting if that 75% vote from the corporators is actually obtained.

“Management and directors cannot participate in any initial public offering,” he explained. “This takes away all the financial incentive to convert; it requires senior management to focus on the long term and growing responsibly.”

Commenting on the decision to change the bylaws regarding mutuality, Senecal said he’s not sure such a step was necessary given that the bank hasn’t shown any interest in moving toward converting to stock ownership. But the vote does make a statement, and an important one, he went on, in terms of its commitment to the community.

“It was an opportunity to commit the institution and send a message to the community about who we are,” he explained. “I think it’s hard to deliver that message because most people don’t understand what mutuality is and how it affects them.

“Having been the CFO of two banks and having talked to other banks, I’ve gotten a real sense for what community banks do for our communities,” he explained. “You can talk to the big banks and the public banks, and they’ll tell you they’re committed and they’re creating foundations, but take a look at what they contribute to the community compared to what the mutual banks contribute, and you’ll see a huge difference.

“The public doesn’t see that,” he went on. “But on the inside, we see that.”

On-the-money Analysis

Still, despite the apparent advantages of mutuality, it does bring some competitive challenges, especially when it comes to size and its benefits, and capital (which ultimately determines how much a bank can lend) and how to attain it.

“Size is not overrated,” Senecal said, adding that it is the best method for coping with costs that continue to rise (compliance costs have nearly tripled for PeoplesBank over the past three years, from $1 million to $2.5 million, for example), while banks cannot recover them by adjusting rates for loans and deposits.

As for raising capital, public banks do so through stock offerings, he noted, while for mutual banks, the only source of capital is earnings, which are elusive in this era of those rising operating costs and in a region generally defined by the compound modifier ‘no-growth.’

But Senecal said there is room for growth in market share, and, as an example, he pointed to the residential mortgage market.

“We were a top-four mortgage lender in Hampden and Hampshire counties last year,” he explained. “There were probably 190 originators in our market, and we had 4% of that market. To me, there’s a lot of market share that can be acquired — and in many ways beyond bricks and mortar.”

This was a reference to emerging technology in the financial world and digital ways of doing business, a realm the bank has been on the leading edge of for years, Senecal noted — a trend he expects to continue.

Meanwhile, there is also room for growth in commercial lending, he said, adding quickly that the market remains highly competitive, despite the fact that the spate of mergers and acquisitions has actually created fewer players.

“There may be fewer banks, but there aren’t fewer lenders — this remains a very competitive environment fueled by historically low rates,” he explained, adding that area institutions are raising the already-high stakes by recruiting not simply individual lenders, but entire teams of lenders.

“I think the public institutions are feeling that they can steal market share by acquiring a group of commercial lenders,” he explained, adding that PeoplesBank has a different strategy, one focused on creating and maintaining relationships through stability.

“We’ve had very little turnover in our commercial lending area,” he explained, “and that has definitely helped us grow that part of our business.”

As for the overall growth strategy, Senecal said PeoplesBank has historically done it organically (it has never acquired another institution), and this trend will continue.

“When I arrived in 1995, this bank had $450 million in assets; today, we’re just about $2.1 billion,” he explained. “We did that through organic growth — putting branches in, increasing our loans, increasing our deposit base. We will continue to focus on that same strategy, although it’s definitely challenging.”

A Strong Bottom Line

When asked to compare and contrast work in the back room and on the front lines, Senecal said there are basic and very important differences.

“Having worked in the finance area, I’d say it’s very easy to make decisions looking at numbers and not understanding the customer impact,” he explained. “When you get to the front lines, you realize those decisions impact your customers, and they become more difficult.”

As he noted earlier, working in both environments will benefit him immensely as he goes about trying to move an already-lofty bar still higher.

He said he’s ready for the many challenges facing the banking industry today, and so is the institution he now leads.

In other words, the feeling is mutual — in all kinds of ways.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Banking and Financial Services Sections

Focus on the Fundamentals

team members

John Howland, far right, with team members (from left) Mark Grumoli, commercial loan officer, Denise Coyle, chief operating officer, and Tom Meshako, treasurer and chief financial officer.

Blocking and tackling.

Those are the fundamentals of winning football at any level, or so most coaches would say. But John Howland uses that phrase often as he talks about banking.

He uses it, as those on the gridiron do, in reference to maintaining a keen focus on the basics, the things one has to do right in order to achieve success. And in the case of financial institutions, that list includes some things that most would consider obvious — everything from good customer service to attractive products and services; from having competitive rates on those products to giving back within the community.

But there are also many items that fall into the category of ‘fundamentals’ that are perhaps less obvious, said Howland, president and CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank, a position he took roughly 16 months ago.

In that category would fall such things as imaginative new products, such as GSB’s ‘express business loan,’ a name that pretty much says it all (more on that later), as well as efforts to stay on the cutting edge of technology. Also fitting that description is the bank’s recent hosting of a meeting of the Franklin County Young Professionals Assoc. and other efforts to help foster leadership, as well as a somewhat related philosophy, said Denise Coyne, GSB’s executive vice president and COO, one centered on the notion that taking care of employees is as important as taking care of customers.

Then, there was the recent Asparagus Festival in Hadley, the town famous for its production of that vegetable. GSB was a sponsor of that event, said Howland, noting this alone constitutes blocking and tackling by supporting a local tradition and helping it continue. But the bank went further, renting additional space beyond that traditionally given to sponsors and awarding some of it to commercial customers who could benefit from the exposure and foot traffic.

“They were able to show their goods and gain awareness,” said Coyne. “It was a great opportunity for them, and for us as well, to show we’re working with businesses like that.

“We continue to do the blocking and tackling of banking — looking at updating technology, continually refining the offerings we have for our customers, and facilitating and expediting the interaction between the customer and the bank,” he added in an effort to sum things up. “We’re committed to organic growth through customer demand — it’s as simple as that.”

But there’s nothing inherently simple about executing all of that, and for this issue and its focus on banking and financial services, BusinessWest talked with several leaders at GSB about how it’s accomplished by a focus on fundamentals — and the expansion of that term as it applies to banking.

Sticking with the Game Plan

As he talked about his first 16 months at the helm and the bank’s broad strategic plan moving forward, Howland interspersed those thoughts with observations — and commentary — about the bank’s hometown of Greenfield.

Where once its economy was in many ways dominated by large manufacturers that employed hundreds who filled the downtown’s restaurants and lunch counters, it is now characterized by smaller businesses, many of them in an emerging ‘green’ energy sector as well as the centuries-old and still-stable agricultural sector.

“Going back 40 or 50 years, there might have been 30 or 40 fairly good-sized companies headquartered here,” he explained. “Most of those have consolidated and been rolled up into large, national organizations.

“What we see now is the next generation coming through,” he went on. “And this is in many areas — food service, manufacturing, green energy. We now have a large number of small companies that make product here and ship it elsewhere; we’ve created a new economy.”

In many respects, GSB is well-suited to meeting the needs of this changing business landscape, he said, adding that very large manufacturers would likely do business with a considerably larger institution. Meanwhile, the bank’s lending sweet spot and small-business focus positions it to serve these emerging ventures.

“We have an opportunity to fuel some of this growth,” he explained. “We can be the institution that can lend to these people when they need a piece of equipment or buy a piece of land. We can be there to assist them.”

That’s just one of many reasons why Howland and his team are optimistic about the prospects for the future — when it comes to the community and the bank. Both are at intriguing junctures in their history.

When he talked with BusinessWest soon after his arrival early last year, Howland, who came to Greenfield from First Bank of Greenwich, described the institution, and the cities and towns it served, with terms like ‘stability,’ ‘continuity,’ and ‘community-centered flavor,’ and what he’s seen and heard since has only reinforced those sentiments.

“This is a wonderful area, not just Greenfield but all of Franklin County,” he said, noting that he and his family have relocated there. “It’s an incredibly close-knit community, and one of the things I really like about this area is that multiple generations can live together; I’ve lived in areas where we have more transient populations where people come and people go. But in this part of the state, it’s not unusual to see parents and children living next door to each other. And that makes for a very special community.”

Later in that discussion with BusinessWest early last year, Howland said the bank was well-positioned for continued stability and growth because of its firm roots in the community, expanding commercial-loan portfolio, and presence in a region that was not as heavily banked — or ‘overbanked,’ as many would say — as other areas in Western Mass.

And, again, his experiences to date have only added figurative exclamation points to all of the above.

For these reasons, Howland said GSB doesn’t have to become preoccupied with gaining size and scale — as so many other institutions across the region have, as witnessed by the spate of mergers and acquisitions and rash of new branch openings — and remains focused on growing organically.

“Growth through acquisition is not really our strategy,” he continued. “We would consider an acquisition if we felt that it made sense, but we really are focused on enhancing our position within the markets that we serve and complementing the services we provide to our customers to expand our relationships with them.”

Gaining Ground

Overall, GSB is focused mostly on maintaining the status quo and growing market share across the spectrum of product lines — through more of that blocking and tackling.

“Our strategy is pretty straightforward, and there’s no magic to it, really; it’s about providing the best service we can provide for customers, and attracting both loans and deposits,” he explained. “There are no silver bullets, and no rabbits you can pull out of a hat.”

But there is plenty of room for innovation and creativity, he went on, pointing to products like the express business loan. Through the program, said Mark Grumoli, senior vice president and commercial loan officer, businesses can get up to $100,000, sometimes in 24 or 48 hours.

Products like this one have enabled the bank to maintain strong market share in Franklin County but also move well beyond ‘dabbling’ in neighboring Hampshire County and especially Northampton, a term he said he would apply a decade ago.

“Over the past eight years, much of the loan growth, especially on the commercial side, has come in Hampshire County,” he said, adding that this has been achieved through a combination of awareness, direct presence (new branches in Amherst and Northampton), and a relationship-driven focus.

There’s also — and this is quite timely — ‘Buy in July,’ a program the bank has staged for a quarter-century now that encourages homebuyers to step up during what is a traditionally the busiest time for that market through incentives such as a 25-year, biweekly product that is fairly unique.

“It’s programs like this that really help the mortgage department,” said Coyne, adding that, for the past 14 years, the bank has been the top residential lender in Franklin County and has registered 38% growth in that realm within neighboring Hampshire County. “It’s because of programs like this that really help borrowers out.”

But this business of blocking and tackling goes beyond products and services, said those we spoke with, a philosophy that brings Howland back to that meeting of the young professionals and, more importantly, a commitment that goes beyond making the lobby available for a meeting.

“We believe that this group is very important to the future of Franklin County,” he explained. “A lot of the outlying areas in the state, those outside the urban areas, are suffering from an aging population; in Amherst, the fastest-growing segment of the population is 80- to 90-year-olds.

“So we’re trying to support, in any we can, the environment for younger people in Franklin County,” he went on. “And we’re doing the same in Hampshire County. This is the kind of basic stuff a community bank needs to do. I’m not expecting any transactions out of this; it’s about building community and making the community stronger.”

Scoring Points

As he continued to talk about continuity and a desire to continue doing what the bank has always done, Howland pointed to the name over the door and on the stationery as perhaps the most visible example.

Indeed, at a time when almost every other institution has dropped the word ‘savings’ for one reason or another, GSB has no plans to follow suit.

“We were Greenfield Savings Bank then, and we’re Greenfield Savings Bank now,” he said, adding that this consistency has a lot to do with history, tradition, pride, and mission.

But also, it’s not really something that needs to be done to propel the bank forward and generate growth.

That assignment comes down to blocking and tackling — and the bank has no intention of losing its focus on those fundamentals.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Opinion

Editorial

It’s one of those headlines that would probably get lost amid others on the business pages of the newspaper, or even this publication — about mergers, acquisitions, new CEOs, the market’s seemingly endless ups and downs, and even the price of gasoline.

But it shouldn’t.

‘Baker-Polito Administration Awards $8.5 Million in Workforce Training Grants’ doesn’t seem like big news, and to most, it probably isn’t. But in many ways, it’s huge news for this state and the individual companies that make up its diverse, technology-driven, and talent-dependent economy.

In other words, this is money well-spent. Make that very well-spent.

To explain, let’s look beyond the headline.

That $8.5 million, awarded a few weeks ago, will go to dozens of companies of all sizes. Locally, the list includes everything from small technology companies, like Westfield-based EpiCenter, to giant retailers, like Big Y Foods, to mid-sized service providers, like East Longmeadow-based Tiger Press.

These companies may be different in many respects, but they share a few distinct qualities: they’re smart, because they realize the inherent value of training employees in an age when technology continues to advance and new and better methods for doing business emerge, and they look upon training as an investment, not an expense item to be avoided or put off until when the skies are bluer. And they’re resourceful, because they applied for grants made available through the state’s Workforce Training Fund to help make that wise and usually sizable investment in training more palatable and stretch further.

A program of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, the training program provides grants up to $250,000 to companies of any size to pay for workforce training over a two-year period. Grants are awarded to projects that will upgrade workers’ skills, increase productivity, and enhance the competitiveness of Bay State businesses. Grants are matched dollar for dollar by the award recipients.

The grants are used to not only train existing employees, but bring on additional workers and thus fuel additional growth for the participating companies.

At Sound Seal Inc. in Agawam, for example, $168,000 will be awarded to train 59 workers, with an expectation that six jobs will be added by 2018. At Valley Steel Stamp in Greenfield, $123,120 was awarded to train 27 workers, with that same number expected to be added by 2018. At Tapestry Health in Florence, $58,585 was awarded to train 90 workers. Monson Savings Bank was awarded $58,675 to train 167 workers, with two additional jobs expected by 2018. The list goes on.

Beyond the numbers, what’s important to note is what they mean — that hundreds of additional workers will be better-equipped to handle the increasingly challenging jobs of today’s technology-fueled economy, and more businesses, including manufacturers, will be better able to compete with companies around the globe.

As we’ve said on many occasions, the biggest challenge facing area businesses isn’t interest rates or consumer confidence or the price of oil — it’s the skills gap that is pervading each and every sector of the economy, and the ensuing, and ongoing, need for talented workers.

As mentioned at the top, ‘Baker-Polito Administration Awards $8.5 Million in Workforce Training Grants’ is not a grabber when it comes to business-story headlines. But it should be.

It should grab the attention of everyone who does business in the Commonwealth — and wants to do it better.

This is truly money well-spent.