Year: 2016

Director of Accounting Programs and Associate Professor, Bay Path University; Age 34

Kara Stevens

She didn’t have a family member with the letters ‘C,’ ‘P,’ and ‘A’ after their name to inspire her, and she was, to use her word, an average math student. And while attending Springfield Technical Community College, she struggled to identify a major.

But while there, she developed not only an affinity for business, and especially accounting, but a liking for it as well.

“It seemed pretty interesting, it turned out I was good at it, and soon people were asking me to help tutor them,” she explained. “And it really progressed from there.”

She went on to major in accounting at UMass Amherst and then join Wolf & Co. in Springfield, where the next chapter in her career would unfold, somewhat like the first one. While teaching as an adjunct at Westfield State University, she discovered she was not only adept at teaching, she had a real passion for it as well.

So she made a career course change and joined Bay Path University as a full-time instructor and would go on to blueprint the school’s master’s-degree program in accounting. She described it as a course of study that is, by its nature, heavily focused on numbers, but it also helps students with the subjective nature of accounting, or what Stevens called the “big picture.”

She said there are many rewards in this profession, but perhaps the biggest is helping students gain not only the skills, but the confidence to break into the field or advance within it.

“To get that phone call from a student — that they’ve gotten that second interview, or got the job, or got the promotion … that is something really neat to be a part of,” she explained.

And while she developed expertise in accounting and then teaching, maybe the skill she’s most proud of — one she’s admittedly still mastering — is that of achieving work/life balance, something she owes to a strong support system anchored by both her current employer and her husband, Matthew.

“I feel that I’ve been able to find a wonderful work/life balance,” said Stevens, mother of 4-year-old Mary-Kate, “being able to continue growing professionally and academically, as well as being the type of mom and wife that I want to be.”

With the couple expecting their second child in a few months, that work is about to get that much more challenging.

— George O’Brien

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Director of Operations, The Good Dog Spot; Age 36

Elizabeth Staples

As a board member with the national Pet Care Services Assoc., she noticed doggie day cares were becoming more popular, many launched by people in the corporate world who had built some savings and decided they’d rather play with dogs all day. She thought she could do it better.

“I had this ‘a-ha’ moment. On the East Coast, you mostly saw the warehouse style of boarding — put the dog in a cage and go away, which is kind of sad,” she explained. “But nationally, the trend was toward an off-leash play center, where people could feel good about leaving their dog and not feel guilty about it. That’s what we wanted to bring to this area.”

So she launched the Good Dog Spot in Chicopee in 2007 — a place where canines can mingle and have fun during the day. “We wanted to build a day-care facility based on the pet-owner relationship,” she said.

Since its opening, the business has grown from one employee to 18, with some 2,000 clients and 50 dogs in day care each day, in addition to overnight boarding for dogs and cats. The business moved to larger quarters nearby several years ago and recently expanded again, doubling the dogs’ play space to 10,000 square feet.

Staples said her success reflects a shift in the way dogs are cared for in the U.S.

“It’s amazing to me we’d be here 10 years later, with steady growth through the recession and hard times. But it goes to show that dogs are part of our family. You don’t see dogs tied in the backyard anymore; we do treat them like family.”

The Good Dog Spot also offers grooming services and a small retail area, but keeps the main focus on humane, play-centered boarding. And Staples is serious about pet welfare; she’s trained in pet first aid and CPR through the American Red Cross, and has donated time and resources to Dakin Humane Society, Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center, and Rainbow Rescues. She also recently donated pet oxygen masks to local fire stations.

She said she gets a kick out of new clients who are initially baffled by the report cards and even art projects that get sent home with their furry friends each day, but clients soon come to look forward to those personal touches.

“This is a lot of work,” she said, “but it’s worth it if you do it right.”

—Joseph Bednar

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Executive Director, MotherWoman Inc.; Age 38

Shannon Rudder

It’s an important sentiment for Rudder, who serves women from all walks of life as executive director of MotherWoman Inc., a national organization based in Hadley that works with mothers to create positive personal and social change for themselves, their families, their communities, and the world.

“Our complete mission is to support and empower moms to make positive changes and to really realize their inner resiliency,” she said, noting that the work is done through advice-free support groups, professional training, and advocacy.

Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Rudder moved to Western Mass. three years ago. Since then, she’s led MotherWoman to a 67% increase in revenue and programming expansions across the country, not just in Massachusetts, but also in New Jersey, Connecticut, California, and Washington.

She said MotherWoman’s mission is one she can embrace personally, too.

“We are not alone in this world,” she said, adding that she relies on both faith and community to bolster that belief. “When I feel isolated, I remind myself of that — it keeps me grounded. We need each other and that sense of community; it helps us all to grow and to empower one another.”

Rudder said was particularly motivated by the community that welcomed her here in the Pioneer Valley.

“I was a single mom for a lot of my life, and even though I was still ‘sassy Shannon’ inside, I felt I had become relegated to just ‘mom,’” she said, adding that it took some time to relocate the “kid inside” and start indulging in adventure from time to time: whitewater rafting, skydiving, and ziplining, to name a few examples.

But with her daughter, Egeria; a new partner in life, her husband, David; and a wide circle of friends and colleagues, Rudder said she’s been able to spread light into countless people’s lives — and rediscover her own as well.

“I hold myself accountable to live, and I’m jazzed and motivated by that,” she said, noting that, while the soundtrack of her life includes many different tunes, those lyrics to the India.Arie song will always hold true: “I am a star, a piece of it all. I am light.”

— Jaclyn Stevenson

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Chief Information Officer and Director of Patient Technologies, Baystate Health; Age 37

Kenneth Riley Jr.

It’s something that works for him personally, as he checks off various life challenges from an ever-evolving list: skydiving, scuba diving, body-building competitions, even mastering meditation. But Riley applies this philosophy to his professional life as well, as CIO of Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer and director of Patient Technologies with Baystate Health.

“Anything I wish I could do, I have to go do, and my personal and professional life are absolutely correlated,” he said. “I like to achieve things and go after them.”

At work, that primarily means creating programs and interventions aimed at constantly improved patient care and communication at Baystate Wing, where Riley has served in various positions for the past 13 years — before and following its merger with Baystate Health in 2014.

“We’re trying to create a more accurate patient model so we can deliver the care patients want, when they want it, and how,” he said. “It’s a fascinating place to be right now.”

Riley’s path to ‘right now’ started after joining the Air Force at 17, attending boot camp the summer of his junior year in high school. He moved on to study communications systems in the military, leading to seven years in the National Guard and several once-in-a-lifetime projects, such as a four-year stint decommissioning an alarm system at Otis Air Reserve Base on Cape Cod.

Concurrently, Riley earned a bachelor’s degree at UMass Amherst, moving on to earn an MBA at Western New England University, where he’s now pursuing a Ph.D. in engineering management, focusing on population health.

His family continues to grow; he and his wife, Megan, have two children and one on the way, and the group often volunteers within the community together — with the Clarke School for Hearing and Speech, at various local food banks, and with the YMCA of Greater Springfield, to name a few.

Riley said exposing his children to as many life experiences as he can, including in philanthropy, is on his bucket list right alongside running a marathon and building houses in Haiti.

“It’s important to be present — to appreciate what you have,” he said. “My life experiences have turned into something important, and I want my kids to have that. I’m fascinated to see what they will do with this journey.”

— Jaclyn Stevenson

Executive Director, Hampden Senior Center; Age 38

Rebecca Moriarty

“He had gotten really sick, and there were people who came in and provided care for him. At the same time, they were there for my mom and her sister while they were going through the process of losing their dad. I thought, ‘if I can be a person who helps someone the way they helped my family, that’s what I want to do.’

And that’s how a 15-year-old girl decided she wanted a career helping the elderly.

She started out after college working with an elder-services agency, but the work did not provide the face-to-face interaction with older adults she craved. That changed when the Hampden Senior Center came calling in 2002.

There, she’s responsible for day-to-day operations like budget, payroll, staff supervision, and grant writing. But she most enjoys the daily interactions with the folks who show up to participate in myriad programs.

“Every morning, one woman comes in, sits in my office, and tells me about her night or her weekend; it’s one of the best parts of my day,” Moriarty said. “It’s the interaction with the people I love the most — people who come in and say, ‘this is my home away from home,’ or ‘I wouldn’t have eaten a meal today if I hadn’t come here for lunch.’ We provide transportation for people if they don’t have family members close by. If someone goes to the hospital, we send cards and check on them. We’re an extension of their family.”

It’s the type of service, she said, that will only become more important as the over-60 population in America soars. “This is one of the most important resources we can offer older adults. We’re not just playing bingo and cards, that stereotypical image.”

No, seniors also partake in health and wellness programs, get help navigating the maze of Medicare issues, and, for lower-income participants, receive fuel assistance and meals. “This is a place where people come to socialize, which is really, really important, but we’re also getting to the heart of what people need to stay home and independent longer.”

‘Heart,’ in fact, is a good word for someone who’s had a heart for the elderly since she was a young teenager.

“I love it here,” she said. “I still wake up every day wanting to come to work.”

— Joseph Bednar

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Mathematics Teacher, Student Council Advisor, Greenfield Public Schools; Age 38

Angela Mass

“I grew up in Greenfield, I went to college, I graduated, and I came right back,” she said proudly.

Mass, a teacher and student council advisor with Greenfield Public Schools, has spent the last 17 years passing that hometown pride on to her students, along with plenty of knowledge in a wide range of subjects. She primarily teaches math, but Mass has also taken on psychology and social justice teaching duties, putting her college minor to use and discovering a passion in “teaching students how to be good humans.”

There’s a big crossover for Mass between her social justice class and her student council members as well, both of whom benefit from statewide exposure to community-service opportunities through her roles as executive director for the Western Mass. Assoc. of Student Councils and member of the state board of the Mass. Assoc. of Student Councils.

“We expose them to community service in a classroom setting, so students can learn to appreciate and understand its importance,” she said, noting that this has included partnering with nonprofit organizations such as Special Olympics and Big Brothers Big Sisters. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for kids to think outside of the Greenfield bubble.”

Mass has helped burst that bubble for others outside of Greenfield too, putting the town on the map in an unlikely way — as host of a state-level unified bocce tournament.

“To see that happen — the partnering with athletes, the kids from all over Massachusetts who’d never ventured out here before, and so many people coming out to be fans … because of all of that, this is one project I’m most proud of,” she said.

It’s the all-are-welcome nature of bocce that helps create a strong feeling of community, she added, noting that she finds her own tribe in a similar place, as an avid Zumba practitioner.

“It lets me dance myself happy, it’s high-energy, and if you’re not following just the right steps, no one cares,” she said.

And while the entire Commonwealth has a place in Mass’ heart — it’s her last name, after all, and her children, Chelsea, Aquinnah, and Auburn, share their names with places in the Bay State — when it comes to Greenfield, there’s no place she’d rather be.

— Jaclyn Stevenson

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Employee Benefits Strategy Advisor, The Gaudreau Group Inc.; Age 27

Jenny MacKay

That’s the attitude she brings to her position as employee benefits strategy advisor with the Gaudreau Group Inc. in Wilbraham, and a lesson she often teaches as head cheerleading coach at Central High School in Springfield.

The worlds of finance and coaching are two MacKay has been balancing since her senior year in college at Western New England University, first as a financial representative with Northwestern Mutual, and later with the Gaudreau Group, where she works with management teams at businesses of varying sizes to design benefit-package plans for their employees.

“I work with them over the years to keep costs down, increase employee engagement, and make sure they’re getting the biggest bang for their buck in terms of benefits plans,” she explained, noting that she often talks about her other professional life with the student-athletes she works with at Central. These include her educational endeavors of a different sort, such as consulting with companies on changes brought about by the Affordable Care Act, serving with the Professional Women’s Chamber board of directors, and serving on various committees with the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club, and other organizations.

“I hope I’m inspiring them to do something productive and be successful because they see through me that it can be done — every single day,” she said. “They get to see that women can do all kinds of things.”

It’s a message MacKay has been able to pass on to an ever-increasing number of young women; since she took over coaching responsibilities at Central, participation has more than doubled.

The team has started to experience its own successes, too, winning the Western Mass. League Championship for the first time in the school’s history in 2015, and making its first-ever appearance at the state tournament just this year.

“It’s inspiring to me because I want to be successful in my career, but I’m also passionate to help the city grow,” she said, noting that her husband, Jim, shares a similar outlook as a teacher and football coach at Central High School. “We’re helping kids become participating members of the community, and they’re accomplishing such wonderful things.”

— Jaclyn Stevenson

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Vice President, Commercial Banking, United Bank; Age 38

Robert Kain

That’s been important for him, his wife Alex — a professor of astrophysics at UMass Amherst — and their two sons. Originally from Lethbridge, Alberta in Canada, Kain is far away from the country, landscape, and people he once recognized as home.

“That said, we moved here and established roots here; we both enjoy what we do, and have felt embraced by the Western Mass. community,” he said — so much so that he’s felt compelled to give back in myriad ways.

A long-time banking professional, Kain earned a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Lethbridge and first worked as a portfolio manager with the Bank of Montreal. Upon arriving in Western Mass., he served as a credit analyst and later a commercial lender with People’s United Bank, and now holds the title of vice president, commercial banking with United Bank, specializing in commercial loans and investment real-estate loans.

Kain is a long-time contributor to youth and healthcare causes, having volunteered for several youth and healthcare-based organizations throughout his career. He began at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver coordinating fund-raisers, and moved on to similar roles with D.A.R.E., Junior Achievement, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Kid’s Help Phone — Canada’s only free, 24-hour telephone and online counseling service — and youth basketball camps.

Most recently, he’s applied his skills as a volunteer with Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s finance committee, and served for three years on the board of directors for the Gray House, a private, nonprofit, social-service agency in Springfield’s North End that provides food, clothing, and educational services to individuals and families with immediate and transitional needs.

While the Rockies are far to the west of him now, Kain spends much of his personal time outdoors with his family, hiking in and around their new hometown of Amherst, and occasionally taking advantage of a regional golf course or two. He credits his employers with helping to create a happy life in a new place.

“Work-life balance is promoted by the bank, and this area has a lot to offer,” he said. “It’s been great to be able to work my way up, but the highlight, I feel, has been that I’ve been in a fortunate position with my leaders and mentors. They’ve put me in a position to be successful.”

— Jaclyn Stevenson

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

Career Consultant; Age 31

Meghan Godorov

That’s where Meghan Godorov comes in.

Drawing on a raft of experience in the field, Godorov launched her career-consulting business two years ago. “My focus is on helping people build careers that last, making sure they can get the skills and tools they need to find professional success.”

It’s a role she first honed at Mount Holyoke College, where she still serves as associate director of Alumnae and Community Engagement, running job-skills programs on campus and connecting students with alums for mentoring opportunities, among other roles.

“In my business, I’ve been able to extend that work, to work with this population of Millennials as they think about moving into the workplace, how to navigate that piece of who they are, personally and professionally.”

Godorov’s enterprise encompasses everything from one-on-one strategy sessions to workshops and conferences, to online connections including a blog, a YouTube channel, and a series of ‘Tea Talks’ at her Google Hangout site. Her advice has been published by the Huffington Post, NerdWallet, HigherEd Jobs, Good.Co, and a host of other outlets. Clients range from individuals just entering the workforce to people who want to change careers and have no idea how.

For the young professionals who comprise the bulk of her clientele, the current economic climate can seem daunting. Meanwhile, Millennials bring to the table a different set of priorities than their elders.

“They want to jump right in and make change happen. And that can be really frustrating,” said Godorov, noting that older generations of leadership in business don’t always share that passion for change. “They want to do some good, some social good, and that can be received with negativity at times, but it’s a positive attribute.”

An avid photographer and volleyball player, her passion for developing young leadership has guided her involvement in organizations like Northampton Area Young Professionals and Leadership Pioneer Valley. But she finds the most satisfaction simply from helping clients find where they belong professionally.

“There are people who feel stuck, who know they want to change and are frustrated about where they are. So let’s talk about what’s going on and come up with a strategy to move forward,” she said — not unlike one of her heroes, the actor Robert Downey Jr., who overcame personal turmoil to forge a wildly successful career rebound. “I love that ‘a-ha’ moment, when it all clicks, and they understand what they need to do.”

— Joseph Bednar

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

President, Giombetti Associates; Age 36

Ross Giombetti

After a few years, however, “I didn’t feel like I was truly making a difference in developing great businesses and training leaders. That’s why I joined my father.”

After all, Hampden-based Giombetti Associates had built a solid reputation helping businesses grow through coaching, team building, and leadership training. “The bottom line is, everything we do comes back to building great organizations through people.”

Since joining the family business in 2004, his role has morphed over the years, and — in recent years as vice president — focused on what he calls “developing teams, developing culture, and developing people.” But that role expanded in April when his father stepped down and passed leadership of Giombetti Associates to Ross.

Still, he said, even as his responsibilities grow, his priorities won’t change, particularly involving his wife, Elizabeth, and children, Noelle, Ryan, and Lainey.

“Relationships really mean everything to me. My family, my friends, my kids, our clients, the people in my life — I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.”

He maintains significant relationships outside the office, too, from his five years coaching softball, soccer, baseball, and basketball teams in Wilbraham to an intriguing mentorship program he launched at Minnechaug Regional High School in 2012.

“How many high-school students know who they are and what they want to do? Hardly any,” he said. “So many struggle with this; they have no idea who they are or what they want to do. Then they go to college and rack up debt and graduate, and they still don’t know who they are or what they want to do.”

Through this initiative, Giombetti coaches students to help them determine their goals and what they need to work on to achieve them. “We help them identify potential career paths or fields of study they would enjoy. We just graduated our first group last year, and I see the growth and development in these students. They are our future.”

In short, he loves watching people change for the better.

“Regardless of the age of the individual, whether I’m coaching a high-school student or a 70-year-old business owner, to see them grow and change and the impact we had on them — that’s the single most rewarding thing I do. It gets me up in the morning.”

— Joseph Bednar