Month: May 2017

LEE — Lee Bank recently announced the promotion of three leaders within the company and the addition of a mortgage officer to support its continued growth in 2017.

Susie Brown has been named to the position of senior vice president, Human Resources and Administration; Paula Gangell-Miller has been named to the position of vice president, Community Banking – Retail Operations; and Paula Lewis has been named to the position of first vice president, Retail Lending. They have a combined 70 years of tenure with Lee Bank, one of the few remaining local and independent full-service banks in the Berkshires.

In addition, Kathy Kelly has joined Lee Bank as a mortgage officer in its Pittsfield office. Kelly has been a mortgage professional for most of her banking career, with First Agricultural Bank, Legacy Banks, and most recently Berkshire Bank.

Brown has been employed at Lee Bank for more than 37 years and has worked in many areas of the bank, including operations, human resources, building and maintenance, security, and administration. She will continue to oversee human resources, administration and security, and management of board meetings and governance processes for Lee Bank and its holding company, Berkshire Financial Services.

Gangell-Miller joined Lee Bank 29 years ago and has been involved in many facets of the bank throughout the years, having held positions as teller, operations supervisor, community banker, branch manager, and area manager, in addition to her new role.

Lewis joined Lee Bank in 2012 as vice president of Mortgage Loan Operations. In her new position, she will oversee residential lending and will sit on Lee Bank’s ALCO committee as well as its executive loan committee.

“I am pleased to announce these well-deserved promotions and to welcome Kathy Kelly to the Lee Bank team,” said President Chuck Leach. “I’m confident that Kathy will not only mesh with but also enhance our culture just as Susie Brown, Paula Lewis, and Paula Gangell-Miller have for many, many years. Lee Bank is very fortunate to have an extremely valuable culture of loyal, dedicated employees who are not only outstanding contributors in the workplace, focused on continued excellence in serving our customers, but also to our Berkshire community.”

Webinar on May 24 to Address Regional Economic Conditions

FARMINGTON, Conn. — Farmington Bank invites business leaders and media members to a webinar on Wednesday, May 24 from 10 to 11 a.m. titled “What Region Is Doing Well? What Region Isn’t? And Why? A Look Into the Current Economic Conditions of the Hartford and Springfield Regions.”

Don Klepper-Smith will provide insights on the current economic outlook of the Greater Hartford and Springfield regions in a one-hour webinar, including a question-and-answer session. Klepper-Smith is chief economist and director of research at DataCore Partners and economic advisor for Farmington Bank. A professional economist for 30 years, he is frequently quoted by media sources for his perspective on the economy in the region. He specializes in evaluating consumer markets, assessing the generators of consumer wealth, and delivering insight on business conditions as they relate to credit markets and employment growth.

To register, click here.

Single-family Home Sales in Pioneer Valley Up in April

SPRINGFIELD — Single-family home sales were up 2.3% in the Pioneer Valley in April compared to the same time last year, while the median price fell 0.2% to $194,000, according to the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley.

In Franklin County, sales were down 5.7%, while the median price fell 11.3% from a year earlier. In Hampden County, sales were up 6.7%, while the median price was down 1.3%. And in Hampshire County, sales fell 5.1% from April 2016, while the median price was up 7.9%.

Holyoke Rotary Promotes Literacy with Donation to Boys & Girls Club

HOLYOKE — The Holyoke Rotary Club is giving back to the community with a donation to purchase computer tablets for the Holyoke Boys & Girls Club. The tablets will be used to enhance literacy programming at the Boys & Girls Club’s satellite units, operated within the public housing communities of Toepfert Apartments, Churchill Homes, and Beaudoin Village. Holyoke Boys & Girls Club staff will implement a variety of fun, educational activities designed to promote language and literacy skills.

“Recognizing that technology is a strong motivator with our youth, the tablets will help to create a literacy- and technology-rich environment at each of our satelitte sites,” said Holyoke Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Eileen Cavanaugh. “We are grateful to the Holyoke Rotary for supporting the club and helping us to make sure that our programs involve technology-rich experiences that are engaging, fun, and educational.”

A focus of the Holyoke Rotary Club is education and literacy, and over the years it has supported that focus with various projects throughout the Holyoke community, including the Holyoke Summer Reading Program, the Family Literacy Backpack Project, and the Golloe Root Dictionary Project.

STCC Health Information Technology Graduate Wins Award

SPRINGFIELD — Maria Mitchell, a Springfield Technical Community College graduate of the newly accredited Health Information Technology program, is the first person from STCC to receive the MaHIMA Student Achievement award.

The Massachusetts Health Information Management Assoc. (MaHIMA) offers the award to an outstanding student from any accredited health-information technology or health-information management program. STCC’s program received accreditation in December, making a graduate of the program eligible for the first time this year.

Walter Houlihan, senior director for Health Information Management and Clinical Documentation at Baystate Health and past president of MaHIMA, presented Mitchell with the award on May 16.

Tracey McKethan, department chair and professor of Health Information Technology, said Mitchell was an excellent student who served as a good role model for others in the program. “She was always available to mentor students.”

Mitchell said she was honored by the recognition, adding that “it was because of all the hard work of the faculty in gaining accreditation that I was even eligible for this award.”

Mitchell received a certificate of achievement and one-year membership to the national American Health Information Management Assoc. (AHIMA), free full-day registration for MaHIMA’s fall and winter meetings, and free MaHIMA webinars for one year.

Mitchell is seeking a position as a health-information technician or coding specialist and hopes to eventually return to school and earn her bachelor’s degree.

Graduates of STCC’s Health Information Technology program receive associate degrees. The program prepares students for certification and practice as registered health-information technicians, who typically work with patient medical records at healthcare facilities. Technicians focus in areas beyond coding, including data analytics, compliance, and more.

The associate degree program at STCC is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education.

Berkshire Bank to Move HQ to Boston, Acquire Commerce Bank

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp, parent of Berkshire Bank, announced today that it plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to Boston later this year, a move to support the bank’s continued strategic growth throughout the Northeast.

The company also announced a definitive agreement to acquire Commerce Bancshares Corp. and its subsidiary, Commerce Bank, in Worcester, adding 16 new branches in Eastern Mass. and a well-established commercial team to capitalize on growth opportunities and further solidify its regional presence. The combined institution will be the largest regional bank in Massachusetts and the first regional bank headquartered in Boston in decades.

“Locating our corporate headquarters in Boston will not take us away from our roots in Berkshire County; we remain committed to all of our employees, customers, and communities,” said Michael Daly, CEO of Berkshire Bank. “Boston will offer our senior executives connectivity with government leaders, regulators, and decision makers, and provide the ability to attract broader workforce talent as the bank continues to grow. With the addition of the Commerce team, we will be able to leverage the strengths of both banks and capitalize on growth opportunities in the attractive, high-growth Eastern Massachusetts markets. This is not only important to Boston, but to all our local markets, to be the first regional bank with a Boston headquarters in decades.”

The proposed acquisition provides significant scale in Eastern Mass. The combined franchise will operate its corporate headquarters, four branches, and three lending offices in Greater Boston, and an additional 15 branches in and around Worcester, with $3 billion in loans and $2 billion in deposits. On completion of the deal, Berkshire Bank will have 113 branches serving customers across the Northeast. Berkshire is committed to growing its operating model, levering its platforms such as the MyBanker concierge banking service, and expects commercial, wealth-management, and private-banking businesses to be focuses of its strategy in Greater Boston.

Berkshire Bank’s operational center will remain in downtown Pittsfield, and the relocation will not have any impact on its employees. Additionally, its current regional hubs serving markets in New York’s Capital and Central regions, the Hartford/Springfield region, Southern Vermont, as well as operations around Princeton, N.J., will continue to be significant contributors.

“Relocating our corporate headquarters to Boston’s financial district is a well-timed move that will make us stronger by driving value and adding jobs that will benefit our employees and customers across our footprint,” said Sean Gray, chief operating officer. “As a successful regional bank, having our headquarters in a strong hub for the financial-services industry provides economic value and takes advantage of the largest New England market to fuel growth and increase our ability capitalize on our investment in all of our communities.”

Dowd Brings Distracted-driving Program to Holyoke High School

HOLYOKE — The Dowd Insurance Agencies announced it will bring the newly relaunched Distractology tour to Holyoke High School from May 30 through June 2. Developed and funded by the Arbella Insurance Foundation, Distractology was one of the first programs in the country to address distracted driving with young, inexperienced drivers.

The campaign features a 36-foot-long mobile classroom outfitted with two high-tech driving simulators designed to give new drivers the chance to experience the perils of distracted driving, including texting while driving. Drivers who have completed Distractology are proven to be 19% less likely to have an accident and 25% less likely to get traffic violations.

Teens have the highest crash rate of any group in the U.S. A 2015 study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that distraction was a factor in nearly six out of 10 moderate-to-severe teen crashes. What’s more, 40% of teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cellphone in a way that put people in danger. Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent — at 55 mph — of driving the length of an entire football field, blind.

“While public awareness of distracted driving has increased in recent years, the number of distractions drivers must navigate behind the wheel are greater than ever before,” said John Donohue, chairman, president, and CEO of the Arbella Insurance Group and chairman of the Arbella Insurance Foundation. “Young, inexperienced drivers are especially prone to partake in this dangerous behavior, which is why we’re committed to giving students a first-hand look at the devastating consequences of driving while distracted, whether it be changing the radio station or texting a friend.”

To date, more than 12,000 new drivers, meaning those that have been licensed less than three years or have a learner’s permit, have completed the Distractology training. During the driving simulations, teens and other new drivers face a number of updated scenarios based on real-world examples, related to smartphones, the radio, and food and drink, in residential and highway conditions. Ninety-six percent of students who participated in the program say they would recommend it to their friends.

“We realize the importance of training our youth on distracted driving. With summer approaching, Arbella and Dowd are very happy to host this very important training tool in Holyoke,” said Dowd Executive VP and Treasurer David Griffin. “The prevention of senseless accidents is certainly an issue we all support. We thank Arbella for their continued commitment to this serious issue.”

Tru by Hilton Breaks Ground on Chicopee Hotel

CHICOPEE — Hilton recently broke ground on a new Tru by Hilton property located in Chicopee. The celebration marked the first groundbreaking of the company’s Tru by Hilton in Massachusetts. Attendees, numbering about 150, included a roster of dignitaries and executives who were instrumental in pushing the project forward, including state Sen. James Welch; state Reps. Michael Finn, Joseph Wagner, and Angelo Puppolo; and Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos.

The 108-room, four-story hotel is located at 440 Memorial Dr. and is owned by BK Investments. It is expected to be completed in May 2018.

“Tru is a game-changing brand, as evidenced by its statement-making entrance to the midscale category and now the Chicopee market,” said Alexandra Jaritz, global head of Tru by Hilton. “We know the brand will have broad appeal to Springfield-area travelers who span generations but share a similar ‘zest for life’ mindset. At its core, Tru is value-engineered to provide guests with a contemporary, consistent, and fresh experience in an affordable way, while at the same time being operationally efficient to our owners.”

Added owner and developer Hershal Patel, “today’s groundbreaking in Chicopee demonstrates Hilton’s commitment to this new brand and, importantly, its owners. Tru fills a void in the midscale category, and we’re delighted to bring this exciting new Hilton brand to life. It will add to the offerings in Chicopee and provide a new option for travelers who believe that being cost-conscious and having a great stay don’t have to be mutually exclusive.”

This project will mark BK Investments’ third project in Chicopee, following the 90-room Hampton Inn and the 115-room Residence Inn Chicopee.

Mary Ann’s Dance and More to Move to Bigger Location in July

EASTHAMPTON — Mary Ann’s Dance and More, a local dance apparel store, announced it will move to its new home on Route 10 in Easthampton on July 1.

Mary Ann’s Dance and More will move to 396 Main St., the former home of Fit Body. The location offers easier parking, a more friendly shopping experience, better accessibility, and the ability to host more in-store events.

Open since 2007, Mary Ann’s Dance and More offers customers dance supplies, including apparel and accessories, as well as novelty and gift items. An active business in the community, the store is recognized as a consistent sponsor of various local organizations. It was featured in Dance Retailer News as a “Retailer Spotlight,” twice on Mass Appeal on WWLP, and most recently in “Lifestyle/Balance Act” in Retail Minded.

European Celebrity Performs at Unify Against Bullying Fashion Show

HOLYOKE — More than 650 people gathered at the Log Cabin in Holyoke on May 16 to celebrate diversity through fashion at a fund-raiser for Unify Against Bullying. Students of all shapes, sizes, styles, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and physical ability from 30 different schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut strutted their stuff at the nonprofit’s third annual Fashion Show, presented by Robert Charles Photography of East Longmeadow.

“Through the show, our goal is to help students see that it’s important to celebrate our differences, rather than step back from them. What makes us each unique is ultimately what makes us stronger as a community,” said Edward Zemba, President of Unify Against Bullying. This year’s event raised over $56,000 toward its anti-bullying initiatives.

Greta Salóme, Icelandic performer, joined the students on stage for a moving performance which portrayed an example of dealing with bullying and what it takes to rise above it. During the skit, she performed her song, “Hear Them Calling,” which she sang in the finals of Eurovision in 2016.

“The song is about listening to the positive voices within,” said Salóme, who, having dealt with bullying in her own life, was inspired to join the Unify movement after hearing of the worldwide #UnifySelfieChallenge in 2016. The social-media campaign began with a challenge to gain participation from 50 states and 50 countries within a 50-day time span, which the organization accomplished.

While in the U.S., Salóme plans to visit local schools to speak on behalf of Unify Against Bullying. She hopes to use her experiences to help educate today’s children that our differences are what make people unique. Her message is aligned with the nonprofit’s in that she wants to empower students to make smart choices and embrace diversity.

Also performing at the Fashion Show was local high-school student Kenny Roche, who uses his background in performance to create viral music videos about ending violence, accepting diversity, and bringing an end to bullying. He debuted a new song with a focus on anti-bullying that he created for the show. His original single, “Stop the Violence,” became a viral sensation earlier in 2017 with more than 950,000 views on Facebook. Unify Against Bullying also celebrated its first national partner for this year’s Fashion Show, Paul Mitchell’s new hair-care brand, Neon.

The mission of Unify Against Bullying is to bring an end to bullying through the celebration of true diversity. Unify intends to accomplish this goal through providing grants to those who are in the best position to make a difference: children, parents, teachers, and administrators.

Employers Association of the NorthEast Acts as a Critical Resource, Sounding Board

By May 19, 2017

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A Trusted Advisor for Area Business

Gina Kos speaks from experience — more than 30 years of it — when she notes that one of the keys to successful management of any business or nonprofit is careful, responsible allocation of valuable resources.

“We have to make sure every dollar we have is spent wisely,” noted Kos, executive director of Chicopee-based Sunshine Village, adding that, for this reason, she carefully reviews all expenses and especially memberships in business associations, with an eye toward all-important return on investment, or ROI.

EANE President Meredith Wise, left, and Sunshine Village Executive Director Gina Kos.

And those three letters explain why she’s never had to think twice about her membership with the Employers Association of the NorthEast (EANE).

“Every year, when I open that invoice … I’m happy to pay it; they’re such an incredible resource and effective safeguard for the organization,” said Kos, who has spent the past 25 years leading Sunshine Village, a vibrant community where more than 400 adults with disabilities and their families come to connect, learn, contribute, and shine. “In addition to making the people we serve shine, we want to make our employees shine, and we’re able to do that with the wonderful relationship we’ve had with the Employers Association.”

Such sentiments are common among EANE members, who number more than 825 and cross all sectors of the business landscape, said Meredith Wise, long-time president of the association.

“We like to refer to ourselves as a one-stop source of valuable services for our members,” she explained, adding that, for more than a century, EANE has acted as both an extension of a member’s human-resources department and critical sounding board for decision makers. In these roles, it provides a broad range of resources and services, including:

• A host of training initiatives, including classes on such topics as “Advanced QuickBooks,” “Bullying in the Workplace,” “Employee or Independent Contractor,” “English for Speakers of Other Languages,” “Time Management for Managers,” and dozens more;

• The EANE Hotline, which provides immediate answers to questions regarding the full spectrum of human-resources, labor, and employment issues;

• Hugely popular EANE Roundtables, which provide an interactive learning opportunity and networking with peers;

• Live webinars, including the monthly “30-on-Third” Thursday series and a monthly HR Info series;

• Topical briefings on noteworthy happenings;

• HR Solutions on matters such as employee handbooks, affirmative action, and background checks; and

• A human-resources library that contains HR best practices and legal information from every state.

From left, Rick Caneschi, EANE Member Engagement Specialist; Patti D’Amaddio, Director of Strategic HR Solutions; and Kevin Matheny, Controller

By taking full advantage of these and countless other resources and programs, area businesses and nonprofits can become employers of choice, said Wise, a critical advantage at a time when every business in every sector is challenged to find and retain top talent.

“We are that one-stop shop,” she said. “If it has anything to do with people — managing them, paying them, looking at benefits, compliance, managing them — we have the resources to help, either on staff or through the partners we work with.”

EANE Answers the Call

EANE calls it the ‘Hotline.’ Kos calls it “an affordable means for securing legal advice.” Wise notes that maybe it should be called an HR Information Line, because it’s certainly not just for emergencies.

Whatever words are used to name or describe it, the hotline is one of the most valuable and trusted services in the EANE portfolio.

More than 12,000 calls are placed each year, with callers receiving immediate answers to questions regarding issues ranging from leave-of-absence complexities to termination issues; from compensation and benefits to best practices.

From left, Michelle Depelteau, director of Human Resources at Sunshine Village; Allison Ebner, director of Member Relations for EANE; and Nichole Chilson, Human Resource Generalist.

Michelle Depelteau, director of Human Resources at Sunshine Village, has placed several such calls, and she sums up its value succinctly.

“The most important calls I make to the hotline come when we have a situation that’s been brewing for a while,” she explained. “And now we’re at a point where we have to make a strong decision, and we need to know, from a legal standpoint, is the road we’re heading down the one we should be on? The hotline acts as that confirmation for us.”

The hotline is just one of the many ways in which EANE provides that all-important ROI for the team at Sunshine Village. Kos offered what is just a partial list of services and programs provided by the agency:

• Compensation studies and a performance-based tool that has helped the agency to move the compensation of all employees to a “more competitive place”;

• Help to completely revise the personnel policy handbook, ensuring it is both compliant and user-friendly;

• Training; for example, EANE recently tailored a specific program for managers on leadership. “Their training has allowed us to improve how we communicate and what we communicate,” Kos explained;

• Forums of all kinds, including CEO forums, IT forums, CFO forums, and HR roundtables, where members of the Sunshine Village team have been able to engage in high-level discussions about regulations in those areas.

As Wise said, the EANE is a one-stop source for area employees, who understand that their employees are truly their most valuable asset and want to maximize that asset.

Sunshine Village turns 50 this year. This will be a celebration of many things, especially its belief that adults with disabilities can lead rich, meaningful lives, and its mission to help them do just that. The key to achieving that goal is a dedicated group of individuals working as a team.

A team that has come to rely on the Employers Association of the NorthEast to be that extension of its HR department, that critical sounding board.

And that’s why Gina Kos never hesitates when membership at EANE is up for renewal.

www.EANE.org
67 Hunt Street
PO Box 1070
Agawam, MA 01001

AIC Is the Smart Choice for Health Programs

By May 19, 2017

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Learning Experience

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As the population grows and ages, and the need for quality healthcare services grows, so too does the need for highly trained professionals to provide such care.

American International College has emerged as a regional leader in the ongoing work to not only train individuals for careers in healthcare, but fully prepare them to succeed in this ever-changing, increasingly challenging sector.

This is an assignment, or commitment, that the college approaches with a passion, a word chosen carefully by Cesarina Thompson, PhD, RN, ANEF, dean of the School of Health Sciences. It’s a passion for serving the community and for helping a diverse population of individuals — many of them first-generation college students — achieve their dreams of providing compassionate care and working on the cutting edge of medicine.

Cesarina Thompson

“We have a very distinctive collection of programs within the School of Health Sciences,” Thompson noted. “And they’re all under one roof, which makes us very unique.”

AIC has been adding to this roster of programs in recent years, and more additions are planned, she went on, because changing demographics and growing need for specific types of healthcare are demanding such steps — and the college is committed to meeting that demand.

“Students can come here and prepare themselves for a number of fields in health,” said Thompson, “from working with people when they’re healthy to keep them healthy, to working in the broad realm of sports, to direct, hands-on care, such as that provided by nurses and physical and occupational therapists.”

AIC’s programs include bachelor’s and master’s programs in Nursing (the nursing school was recently ranked among the top 50 in New England by Nursing Schools Almanac), a bachelor’s program in Public Health, a master’s program in Occupational Therapy, and a doctoral program in Physical Therapy.

New for this fall is an OTD (Occupational Therapy Doctorate) program, while programs in Exercise Science will be added in the fall of 2017, and a program in Athletic Training will be added in 2018.

“These are the fields that will be seeing growing demand for qualified professionals in the years to come, and advanced degrees will be needed to succeed in these fields,” Thompson noted. “AIC is committed to meeting these needs.”

And this commitment is what sets AIC apart!

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A Unique Approach to Learning — Inside and Outside the Classroom

At American International College, it’s not just what students learn that’s important when it comes to preparing them for careers in healthcare — but how.

Indeed, Thompson noted that students are exposed to what she called the ‘continuum of care,’ meaning all facets of healthcare, not simply the specific field they’ve chosen, such as nursing or physical therapy.

“And this is very important,” she noted, “because, as technology advances, it is ever more important for professionals across a wide array of healthcare disciplines to communicate with one another and, yes, work with one another to provide needed care at the various stages of a patient’s life. Interprofessional work and interprofessional collaboration are a big focus today.”

At American International College, a diverse population of students is taught under one roof, with a decidedly hands-on approach to learning that enables students to learn not only the skills they will need to succeed in their chosen field, but to understand the various professional ‘languages’ used by others across the broad health spectrum.

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At AIC, students across various fields are brought together in myriad ways so they can understand the continuum of healthcare, what other professionals do, and how they work with others.

“The focus is on learning what each of us does, what each person’s role is in caring for that patient, and what value each professional brings to the process of caring for a patient,” Thompson explained.

Also, healthcare providers and the populations they serve are becoming ever more diverse. AIC helps prepare individuals for this environment through an extremely diverse student population and outside-the-classroom work in one of the most diverse regions in the country.

This unique approach to learning is one of many factors that sets AIC’s programs apart and makes the school a regional leader in training the individuals who will provide quality healthcare for decades to come.

AIC is the right course for
those pursuing health careers.

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Springfield Central Cultural District Seeks Pop-up Gallery Proposals

By BusinessWest Staff May 19, 2017