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Daily News

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University announced that Matthew Smith has been promoted to the position of director, Computer Science & Cybersecurity Programs.

Smith has been with Bay Path University’s American Women’s College for nearly two years, first serving as an adjunct faculty member and later being named full-time academic director, Cybersecurity and Applied Technology. In June, he was promoted to academic director, Technology, Security & Justice.

Smith brings more than 20 years of experience in technology and information-security leadership across the government, financial-services, and technology sectors to his teaching, most recently as a subject-matter expert in digital forensics and incident response at MassMutual Financial in Springfield. He has also held related positions with other Fortune 500 companies, such as General Dynamics and Dell-EMC Corp. He also holds a federal security clearance and is classified within U.S. federal courts for testimony as an expert witness.

A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Smith received his MBA from Norwich University, his master’s degree from San Diego State University, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland.

Daily News

GREENFIELD — The three-year-old Pioneer Valley Grows Investment Fund (PVGIF), a program that provides financing and technical assistance to farm and food businesses through community investments, has marked a major milestone — $1.25 million raised and financing provided to more than 25 local farm and food entrepreneurs primarily located in Western Mass. The fund is actively seeking more investors to raise an additional $1.25 million to continue this work.

Administered by the Franklin County Community Development Corp. (FCCDC), the PVGrows Investment Fund offers an innovative, mission-driven way for community members to invest in their values by supporting and sustaining businesses that can make real changes to how people grow, distribute, and buy food.

“It takes the local movement to a whole new level. It’s beyond eating local — it’s investing locally,” said John Waite, executive director of the FCCDC.

The fund was started in October 2015, and to date has nearly 50 investors, including individuals, businesses, and foundations. Open to investors located in New England and New York, the PVGrows Investment Fund has a minimum investment of just $1,000, with interest paid annually. These community investments are pooled together to provide the financing that farm and food entrepreneurs need to grow their businesses. Food and farm businesses applying for financing and business support are vetted for mission fit by a consortium of community-lending institutions and food and agriculture specialists.

Terry and Susan Ragasa, owners of Sutter Meats in Northampton, came to the PVGrows Investment Fund early on. ”From start-up funds to get us open to facilitating a business consultation to get us to the next level, the PVGrows Investment Fund has been an incredibly supportive asset for Sutter Meats,” Terry said.

The PVGIF community of investors and borrowers from across the Pioneer Valley will gather on Thursday, Oct. 4 from 5 to 7 pm at Raven Hollow Winery at Kosinski Farms in Westfield to celebrate its third anniversary and look ahead to the next phase of the fund’s operation. The event will provide an opportunity to learn more about the PVGrows Investment Fund, hear from investors and entrepreneurs, sample food from PVGIF borrowers, and find out how to get involved. To RSVP, click here.

Daily News

STOCKBRIDGE — Morgan Russell has joined the Main Street Hospitality team as the manager of Guest Experiences across four Main Street Hospitality Group properties.

Originally from Boston and having grown up in the Berkshires, Russell brings 10 years of luxury hospitality concierge experience to this new position. Prior to joining Main Street Hospitality, he specialized in building guest-engagement programs for various high-end boutique hotels in Colorado, including the Arrabelle at Vail Square, the Sebastian Hotel, and the Christiana.

Russell will work collaboratively with partners throughout the region to expand the guest-experience program at all of Main Street’s hotels and provide visitors an added layer of connectivity to the Berkshires experience.

“Morgan is the ideal fit for this role, and we are so excited to welcome him back to the Berkshires and to the team,” said Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality Group. “His deep knowledge of experiential programming has allowed him to hit the ground running, forging partnerships with several local businesses from museums and golf courses to outdoor adventure parks and more, all with the goal of enriching each guest’s visit to the Berkshires.”

Russell will build out the guest-experience program at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Porches Inn at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Hotel on North in Pittsfield, and Briarcliff in Great Barrington.

Russell graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs. In his early career, he worked at the Red Lion Inn, filling various positions from busboy and bellhop to the sales office. 

Daily News

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — On Saturday, Sept. 29, Bradley International Airport will hold a mass-casualty drill designed to simulate an aircraft accident. Bradley administration, operations, Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF), security, and maintenance personnel will coordinate the practice drill along with the assistance of local, state, and federal emergency-services agencies and other partners.

With safety a priority at Bradley, exercises like this one are an important part of ensuring that personnel are properly trained to handle different emergency situations. The Federal Aviation Administration requires this particular exercise to be performed every three years. 

The drill will involve the active participation of as many as 25 different emergency-response agencies, and approximately 100 individuals are expected to participate in the exercise.

Local residents and visitors to Bradley International Airport should be aware that there will be an influx of emergency vehicles on site and increased activity in conjunction with the drill. Motorists are advised that Light Lane, between Firehouse Road and Citation Lane, will be closed during the exercise.

Daily News

GREENFIELD — Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, announced that Melissa Tetreault has re-joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank as a mortgage loan originator in its Northampton Cooperative division.

She will work out of the Florence office for Northampton Cooperative, but is available to meet customers in any of the bank’s 10 offices throughout Hampshire and Franklin County.

“We are thrilled that Ms. Tetreault came back to help us provide our brand of banking to the local community,” Tucker said.

Tetreault has more than 30 years of experience in banking and mortgage lending, including 16 years with Greenfield Cooperative Bank. She holds a mortgage originator license from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is a graduate of UMass Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in education. She is also a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. She is active with the United Way Women’s Way, an affiliate member of the Realtors’ Assoc. of Pioneer Valley, active with the Shelburne Falls Woman’s Club, and a former director of the YMCA and the United Way.

Daily News

BOSTON — Local unemployment rates decreased in 24 labor-market areas in Massachusetts during the month of August, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported. Compared to August 2017, the rates dropped in 19 labor market areas, remained the same in four areas, and increased in one labor-market area.

Three of the 15 areas for which job estimates are published recorded a seasonal job gain in August. The gains occurred in the Springfield, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, and Taunton-Middleborough-Norton areas. The Leominster-Gardner area had no change in its job level over the month.

From August 2017 to August 2018, 13 of the 15 areas added jobs, with the largest percentage gains in the Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, Worcester, Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury, and Taunton-Middleborough-Norton areas. The Peabody-Salem-Beverly and Framingham areas lost jobs.

In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for August was 3.5%.

Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the month of August remained at 3.6%. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 6,100-job gain in August, and an over-the-year gain of 68,100 jobs.

The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor-market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.

The estimates for labor force, unemployment rates, and jobs for Massachusetts are based on different statistical methodology specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Holyoke Medical Center provider affiliate, Western Mass Physician Associates announced it is changing the name to Holyoke Medical Group as of Oct. 1.

Four years after launching a new organization-wide logo and rebranding campaign, the Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems leadership recognize the disconnect still perceived by patients between Holyoke Medical Center and Western Mass Physician Associates.

“The name change will allow for the organization to have stronger brand awareness in the community,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems. “The new name also releases the belief that all clinicians are doctors. The future success of healthcare relies not only on our excellent physicians, but on the growing number of mid-level providers, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, expertly qualified to care for our community.”  

Holyoke Medical Group consists of two primary-care provider offices, a family medicine office, a pediatric office, and three women’s services offices with ob/gyn and certified nurse midwife care. Each office location is accepting new patients.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The second annual class of Healthcare Heroes will be honored at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Healthcare Heroes, a recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched last spring by HCN and BusinessWest. The program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and people providing that care.

This year’s honorees include Mary Paquette, director of Health Services and nurse practitioner, American International College; Celeste Surreira, assistant director of Nursing, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke; Peter DePergola II, director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health; Dr. Matthew Sadof, pediatrician, Baystate Children’s Hospital; TechSpring; the Consortium and the Opioid Task Force; and Robert Fazzi, founder, Fazzi Associates. The seven winners were profiled in the Sept. 4 issue of BusinessWest and the September issue of HCN, and will be feted at the Oct. 25 gala.

Tickets cost $90, and tables of 10 are available. To order tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com. call Healthcare Heroes sponsors include American International College (presenting sponsor), Baystate Health/Health New England (presenting sponsor), National Grid (partner), and supporting sponsors Renew.Calm, the Elms College MBA program, Bay Path University, and Mercy Medical Center/Trinity Health Of New England.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield will be home to the 24th Educare early-education school to be built in the U.S., and the only one in Massachusetts, following a recent groundbreaking at 100 Hickory St., adjacent to Brookings School, on land provided by Springfield College.

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito was joined by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; Educare officials; Janis Santos, executive director of Holyoke Chicopee Springfield Head Start; local leaders in philanthropy and project funders; representatives of Springfield College and the Old Hill Neighborhood Council; elected officials; and other community members for the official groundbreaking of the nearly $14 million facility, which is expected to open in late 2019.

Educare offers an early-education model designed to help narrow the achievement gap for children living in poverty and represents a national collaboration between the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, the Ounce of Prevention Fund, and hundreds of other public-private partners across America.

Funding for the project comes from a variety of local, state, and national sources, including the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation; the Gage Olmstead Fund and Albert Steiger Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts; the MassMutual Foundation; Berkshire Bank; MassDevelopment; the MassWorks Infrastructure Program at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development; the Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Grant Fund through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care in collaboration with the Community Economic Development Assistance Corp. and their affiliate, the Children’s Investment Fund; the George Kaiser Family Foundation; Florence Bank; Capital One Commercial Banking; and anonymous donors.

The Educare model incorporates embedded and ongoing professional development of teachers, intensive family engagement, and high-quality teaching practices, and utilizes data to advance outcomes for students in the program. 

Educare Springfield will offer a full-day, full-year program for up to 141 children from birth to age 5, under licensure by the state Department of Early Education and Care. Educare Springfield will also serve as a resource in the early-education community for training and providing professional development for future teachers, social workers, evaluation, and research.

Educare Springfield will pursue opportunities for local partnerships and collaborations.

O’Connell Development Group is providing project management, and Western Builders is responsible for construction. The building was designed by RDg Planning & Design.

Daily News

LONGMEADOW — Decorti Rodgers-Tonge, chair of the Undergraduate Accounting department and assistant professor of Accounting at Bay Path University, has been selected to receive an African American Female Professor Award (AAFPAA).

This award will be presented to Rodgers-Tonge at the African American Female Professor Awards (AAFPA) Celebration on Thursday, Sept. 27 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Griswold Theater at American International College in Springfield. She will be honored along with two other African-American female college professors.

“We are so proud of Dee for this well-deserved recognition,” said Thomas Loper, associate provost and dean for the university’s School of Science and Management, said. “This award is a wonderful tribute to all that she is doing for her students each day.”

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of the fall of 2015, among full-time professors, 58% were white males, 26% were white females, 2% percent were black males, and 1% were black females.

Rodgers-Tonge is the second Bay Path professor to receive the AAFPAA. Janine Fondon, assistant professor and chair of Undergraduate Communications, was honored at the inaugural event in 2017.

The goal of the AAFPA is to recognize African-American female faculty who are full-time, part-time, or adjunct, with the hope that this recognition will help institutions recruit and retain African-American female professors, as well as inspire African-American female educators to continue their work in the classroom and pursue post-secondary assignments.

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The West of the River Chamber of Commerce will present a Lunch and Learn event on Thursday, Oct. 4. This multi-chamber event will include members from the Greater Westfield, Greater Chicopee, and East of the River Five Town chambers.

The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Storrowton Tavern Carriage House in West Springfield. Attendees will have the opportunity to network, enjoy lunch, and listen to a discussion on what the region’s future business climate looks like in the wake of the recent ‘grand bargain’ that was passed through legislation. Richard Lord, CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, will provide the audience with insight on what to expect in the future. A question-and-answer period will follow his comments. 

For more information, call the West of the River Chamber of Commerce at (413) 426-3880 or register online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Single-family home sales declined by 5.7% in the Pioneer Valley in August compared to the same time last year, while the median price rose 5.9% to $225,000, according to the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley.

In Franklin County, sales were down 17.8%, while the median price rose 5.2% from a year earlier. In Hampden County, sales were down 9.1%, while the median price was up 2.6%. In Hampshire County, however, sales rose 11.0% from August 2017, while the median price shot up 16.7%.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — In keeping with its mission to meet the early-learning and family-support needs of the Greater Springfield community, Square One announced it is expanding access to child care to all hours of the day. The announcement of Square One: Next Level comes as the need for child care for second shift, third shift, and weekends continues to grow for working parents throughout the region. 

Strategic funding partners include MGM Springfield, Baystate Health, Smith & Wesson, the Center for Human Development (CHD), FOCUS, and LENOX. Funds from these employers were matched by philanthropist Lyman Wood of Hampden. Collectively, more than $100,000 was raised to launch Square One: Next Level. 

“Square One has a long-standing reputation for strategically responding to the evolving needs of our community,” said Joan Kagan, Square One president and CEO. “We heard from our business leaders and from parents in our community that the lack of child care during evenings and weekends was making it difficult for employees to be successful in their careers and employers to be successful in running their businesses. We are excited and grateful for the support of these businesses and for Lyman’s belief in our mission and vision. Working together, we are building a stronger, more vibrant community for the families who live and work here.”

In addition to providing opportunities for parents to secure high-quality care for their children while meeting the diverse work scheduling needs of employers and employees throughout the region, this initiative is also providing employment opportunities for professionals in the child-care industry. Square One is currently recruiting and training family child-care providers to offer care during non-traditional work hours.

“As many may recall, Square One experienced two major losses in the 2011 tornado and the gas explosion that occurred in 2012,” Wood said. “Although these disasters set them back financially and limited the organization’s ability to perform many of the services needed in Springfield, it did not stop them from creatively and responsibly developing long-term solutions to the region’s growing challenges. This child-care endeavor is a win-win opportunity to assist employers with their staffing needs and generate resources to fulfill their mission.”

Square One: Next Level is now available to the community at large. For more information on how to become a provider or supporter, or to access child-care services, visit www.startatsquareone.org.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, recently welcomed Michael Kelley as the institution’s new mortgage loan originator. Kelley has more than seven years of experience in mortgage lending, most recently as mortgage loan originator at Polish National Credit Union.

Kelley was recognized as Banker and Tradesman Top 5 Originator for Credit Unions in Western Massachusetts for two years in a row. He is a member of the Springfield Rotary Club and assistant coach for the SOY Boys Basketball team.

“I am ecstatic to be part of the Arrha Credit Union family and serving the Springfield community of where I grew up,” Kelley said. “I enjoy finding the right financial solutions, providing mortgage options that make sense, and helping people save time and money.”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded two separate grants to Springfield Technical Community College to enhance education in cutting-edge internet technology and advanced photonics, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal announced today.

The college received $599,388 to develop the Internet of Things Education Project and $551,202 to develop a program called Problem-Based Learning in Advanced Photonics Manufacturing Education.

Both grants are designed to support three-year projects that will prepare and inspire students to enter careers in growing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. STCC has degree and certificate programs that prepare students for these careers.

“Congratulations to Springfield Technical Community College for these two impressive grants from the National Science Foundation,” Neal said. “I have worked hard throughout my career to protect these funding sources because I see how they are used right here in our community. STCC will be able to use this allocation to enhance their already-impressive course offerings in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields and attract high-school students to these fields. I look forward to future success stories from these programs.”

Gary Mullett, co-chair of the Electronic Systems Engineering Technology Department, said the ‘internet of things’ (IoT) can be described as machines connecting to other machines and exchanging data. Machines with this type of technology include automobiles, heating and cooling systems in buildings, and home appliances.

“It’s become pervasive,” said Mullett, principal investigator of the grant. “The internet has evolved from delivering entertainment and information to people to machines that are talking to other machines. It’s possible that 20 or 30 billion things will be connected to the internet before too long.”

Technology behind the internet of things has had an impact on the evolution of autonomous vehicles, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare, he added.

“The technology of the IoT has the very genuine potential to significantly impact almost every aspect of human endeavor and commerce,” Mullett wrote in a description of the project to the National Science Foundation. “It is vitally important that the United States be at the forefront of the development of this technology and the creation of a workforce that can deal with the installation, maintenance, and updating of this emerging technology. This project will strive to provide curricula and training to those that would teach the material to ensure an adequate workforce of IoT technicians.”

Mullett said the final goal of the project is to create an internet of things systems field technician certificate that would prepare students to enter the workforce. The certificate would be offered as part of one of the existing electronics, computer, or networking programs at STCC.

The second grant-funded project aims to increase the STEM pipeline of high-school and community-college students prepared and motivated to pursue careers in photonics technology. Students will use problem-based learning methods focused on advanced photonics manufacturing. Photonics is the science of generating, detecting, and manipulating particles of light. Applications include lasers, optics, fiber optics, and electro-optical devices. The grant supports curriculum development and the training of high-school and college-level STEM teachers in the Northeast.

“We will do a series of professional development workshops to teach the faculty how to teach using problem-based methods,” said Nicholas Massa, department chair for Optics and Photonics Technology and principal investigator of the grant. “It’s all about structured problem solving. It’s about teaching what to do when you don’t know what to do.”

Massa and his team will create a series of eight multi-media problem-based learning modules focused on real-world issues in advanced photonics manufacturing. STCC has partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AIM Photonics Academy, the New England Board of Higher Education, and the NSF-ATE Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.

Massa said companies will be asked to describe actual problems they have faced, adding that the companies’ processes will be captured on video that will be presented to students along with problem-solving strategies and resources used to solve the problems.

“This brings the company into the classroom,” Massa said. “We will use video, stills, and animation to present students with these problems. We’re teaching them how to ask the right questions.”

STCC President John Cook thanked Mullett and Massa for their efforts in securing the grants.

“Dr. Massa and Professor Mullett are passionate about their work inside and outside of the classroom. They both have a long history of successfully securing important grants for their programs at STCC,” Cook said. “I’m grateful that they both have a keen understanding of the needs of our industry partners and a commitment to ensuring our students are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The second annual class of Healthcare Heroes will be honored at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Healthcare Heroes, a recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched last spring by HCN and BusinessWest. The program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and people providing that care.

This year’s honorees include Mary Paquette, director of Health Services and nurse practitioner, American International College; Celeste Surreira, assistant director of Nursing, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke; Peter DePergola II, director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health; Dr. Matthew Sadof, pediatrician, Baystate Children’s Hospital; TechSpring; the Consortium and the Opioid Task Force; and Robert Fazzi, founder, Fazzi Associates. The seven winners were profiled in the Sept. 4 issue of BusinessWest and the September issue of HCN, and will be feted at the Oct. 25 gala.

Tickets cost $90, and tables of 10 are available. To order tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com. call Healthcare Heroes sponsors include American International College (presenting sponsor), Baystate Health/Health New England (presenting sponsor), National Grid (partner), and supporting sponsors Renew.Calm, the Elms College MBA program, Bay Path University, and Mercy Medical Center/Trinity Health Of New England.

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Big E announced an all-time record for single-day attendance on Saturday, Sept. 22.

On Vermont Day, 172,659 guests visited the Big E, the highest single-day attendance in the history of the fair. To date, 741,080 people have visited this year’s edition of Big E, which runs through Sunday, Sept. 30. Details about the fair can be found at www.thebige.com.

Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — Curran, Berger & Kludt announced that Megan Kludt has become its newest partner. She joined Curran & Berger in October 2010 after working as an immigration attorney for four years in Boston. She is a founding member of the Immigrant Protection Project of Western MA, and has recently gained media attention for her work to free asylum seekers from ICE detention.

Kludt holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign service from Georgetown University, a master’s degree in international relations from Boston University, and a juris doctor with an international concentration from Boston University School of Law.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — As part of a continuing series of non-credit hospitality courses at the new HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute, Holyoke Community College is offering classes this fall for anyone interested in becoming a professional bartender or just looking to perfect classic cocktails at home.

The interactive class runs for seven consecutive Tuesdays, Oct. 16 through Nov. 27, from 6:15 to 9:15 p.m. at the culinary institute, 164 Race St., Holyoke.

The course will cover all the skills necessary to launch a career as a professional bartender. Students will learn how to handle various types of alcohol and how to prepare cocktails from the classics to the trendy, including pouring techniques, glassware, garnishes, legal liability, and customer service.

Quincy McCray, the course instructor, has 23 years of experience in the mixology industry. His company, Liquid Solutions, consults with businesses and trains bar staff, ensuring compliance with liability laws, liquor-inventory management, and TIPS certification.

The course costs $269 plus textbook. For more information or to register, visit hcc.edu/bce or call (413) 552-2324.

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CHICOPEE — The School of Nursing at Elms College, in partnership with Baystate Medical Center Nursing, will host a discussion about the upcoming Massachusetts ballot question regarding nurse-staffing ratios on Thursday, Oct. 18 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Elms College’s Veritas Auditorium. 

Amanda Stefancyk Oberlies, CEO of the Organization of Nurse Leaders in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Vermont, will introduce the issues surrounding Question 1, and then a panel of practicing nurses will speak and take audience questions. Baystate nurses Karissa Gorman, Brittany Foley, and Tara Budriewicz will appear on the panel.

The Elms College School of Nursing has joined with Massachusetts nurses, hospitals, and prominent healthcare organizations in opposing Question 1, which which would institute government-mandated nurse staffing levels at all hospitals statewide.

“On the surface, it might appear that using legislation to set registered-nurse-to-patient ratios would benefit patients, nurses, and hospitals, but that is not the case,” said Kathleen Scoble, dean of the School of Nursing at Elms College. “If approved, the law would require every hospital to adopt rigid registered-nurse-to-patient ratios at all times — without consideration of a hospital’s size or location, and regardless of individual patients’ specific care needs.

“If this legislation is enacted, the impact will be devastating to hospitals, to the quality and safety of patient care, and to the much-respected role of the professional nurses we have been educating for decades,” she added. “Thus, we believe it to be critically important to provide our community and the public at large an opportunity to truly learn about Question 1.”

This event will allow the public to hear directly from nurses and healthcare experts about the issues surrounding Question 1 and how it would affect the day-to-day practice of nursing in Massachusetts, as well as the long-term effects of such legislation on patient care and the nursing profession as a whole.

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SPRINGFIELD — Through Oct. 15, American International College (AIC) will use the college’s social-media platforms and website to feature prominent Hispanic individuals who have helped shape the culture and fabric of our communities locally, nationally, and globally. Leaders in government, human rights, science, medicine, literature, the arts, sports, and entertainment will be highlighted daily. 

As an institution of higher learning with nearly half of its population comprised of first-generation students, one of the hallmarks of American International College is the value it places on diversity.

“The diversity that results from a population with varied backgrounds is one of our strengths,” said AIC President Vince Maniaci. “AIC is very student-centric and believes that, while a college education includes academic and intellectual growth, it must also include the development of personal and emotional intelligence. We all see things through a different prism based on the environment we come from. Being culturally diverse leads to deeper discussions and increased awareness as AIC students make their way into a rapidly changing world.”

To join AIC in this month-long tribute, visit the college at www.aic.edu, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/americaninternationalcollege, or on Twitter, @aiconcampus.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Cultural Partnership (SCP), the parent organization for the Springfield Central Cultural District, recently welcomed Karen Finn as its new executive director. Finn brings a wealth of experience in community service, government, advocacy, and program management to advance the SCP’s mission of sustaining a vibrant arts and cultural environment in Springfield.

The Springfield Central Cultural District, one of 44 designated cultural districts in Massachusetts, encompasses a walkable area of downtown Springfield with cultural attractions such as art, music, theater, dining, historic architecture, and more. The nonprofit was founded in 2014 and now includes more than 50 member organizations representing local arts, culture, and business.

Finn has been an entrepreneur and business owner as well as holding leadership positions within higher education and government. Most recently, she was program and events manager of the Mamdouha S. Bobst Center for Peace & Justice at Princeton University, advancing mutual understanding and respect for all ethnic traditions and religious faiths. She was responsible for all communications including website maintenance, preparation of publications and letters, funding proposals, social-media accounts, and reports. She coordinated and managed events including conferences, seminars, and social events both locally and abroad.

“Karen’s experience in building bridges across diverse communities and her extensive business background make her an excellent choice as executive director of the Springfield Cultural Partnership,” said Eileen McCaffery, SCP board chair.

Finn holds a master’s degree in business and was a recipient of the prestigious U.S. Presidential Management Fellowship, serving in Geneva, Switzerland as part of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Her many years of experience developing local marketing strategies through brand awareness, community engagement, and networking promises to be an asset to the Springfield Central Cultural District.

As executive director of the SCP, she will be charged with developing innovative cultural projects and collaborations, and build upon such signature programming as Art Stop, the painted-piano project, pop-up art, and concerts.

“I’m thrilled to work with the Springfield community, the SCP board of directors, and Springfield city leadership to enhance the visibility of Springfield’s vibrant creative economy,” Finn said.

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CHICOPEE — Elms College announced that its Computer Science department has been awarded more than $188,000 through a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to fund a project designed to spark interest in computer science and related fields among middle-school girls in Holyoke.

The project — which will include participants from UMass Amherst, Holyoke Codes, Girls Inc. of Holyoke, and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke — will combine robotics, coding, and a simulated natural-disaster situation.

The project, titled Girls Involved in Robotics Learning Simulations (GIRLS), was born after Beryl Hoffman, associate professor of Computer Science at Elms College, met Florence Sullivan, professor at UMass Amherst College of Education, at Holyoke Codes, an organization that provides opportunities for kids to get involved in coding, robotics, and technology.

Hoffman and Sullivan aim to learn more about the role of immersive simulation scenarios in encouraging girls to take interest in and learn about computer science and robotics.

“Our whole objective is to get more girls interested in computer science and robotics because the statistics are pretty dismal,” Hoffman said, pointing out that female students tend to make up 15% to 25% of computer-science majors, and that the field of robotics has even lower numbers, according to the National Center for Women and Information Technology.

Hoffman and Sullivan are hoping that hands-on experience will pique girls’ interest and show them the possibilities inherent in computer science and robotics. “Robotics is something that you can touch and see,” Hoffman added. “With robotics, you actually see your coding come to life to solve real-world problems like finding survivors and delivering supplies during a hurricane. I think that really helps to make it real for kids.” 

In year one of the project, the team will finalize all materials and curricula, and test them in single-day workshops. In year two, the educational program will be implemented in partnership with Girls Inc. of Holyoke and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, with 40 to 60 female students expected to participate. In year three, the team will open the program to middle-school-aged boys, too, and analyze the outcomes of coed learning.

The program will incorporate two groups: experimental and control. The control group will receive only the robotics curriculum, while the experimental group will receive the robotics curriculum plus an immersive narrative that provides the framework for the natural-disaster simulation.

“Our idea was to immerse them in a real-world simulation, building off their experiences with Hurricane Maria and hearing about it in Puerto Rico to show that robotics and technology can really help people in those types of situations,” Hoffman said. “We’ll be using wheeled robots and drones, and they’re going to write code and have the robots go off to find survivors or deliver supplies. That will help the girls realize that you can go into technology and still help people, help society, and there’s a real purpose for it. It can be quite creative.”

The team will use pre- and post-tests, as well as surveys, to gauge the girls’ interest in computer science; they also will videotape interviews with participants and analyze their impressions.

Sullivan is the educational researcher on the project; Hoffman, the computer scientist, will be responsible for developing the computer-science and robotics aspects of the curriculum. Hoffman will be also responsible for creating the computer-science and robotics pre- and post-assessments. The team also includes Andrew Pasquale and Lissie Fein of Holyoke Codes, who will develop the curriculum and the pilot program, and education doctoral student Ricardo Poza. 

As part of the grant project, Elms will offer three paid internships, one per year, to junior or senior computer science or CITS (computer information technology and security) majors. “The interns will help teach the research project’s robotics curriculum to the middle-school students,” Hoffman said.

The funding for the three-year grant project, which stems from the National Robotics Initiative branch of the NSF, totals $570,697; the Elms portion is $188,394. The team plans to publish its results and share the curriculum through a project website.

“All we need to do is spark an interest,” Hoffman said. “The middle-school age is when their interests awaken to different career paths. If we can open their eyes a little, even if they haven’t ever considered going into technology, then all of a sudden after this one week, they might think, ‘that was actually really exciting — maybe I do want to explore that.’”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — When Holyoke Medical Center and Western Mass Physician Associates (WMPA) needed help enhancing the skills of their medical assistants, they partnered with Training & Workforce Options (TWO).

TWO developed a curriculum and taught a 10-week class to 15 medical assistants from WMPA. The training was designed to prepare the workers for a national credentialing exam. The TWO course at Holyoke Community College (HCC) was a hybrid of classroom work and online learning taught by a medical assistant.

An additional 25 medical assistants from Holyoke Medical Center Specialty Practices enrolled in a second round of training.

TWO, a collaboration between HCC and Springfield Technical Community College, is designed to deliver high-quality, custom training solutions to the business community to boost bottom-line performance and productivity.

“At TWO, we provide training for a range of businesses throughout the region,” said Sharon Grundel, director of Corporate Training: Healthcare, Nonprofits, and Government Services. “To keep pace with new technologies in the workplace, employers realize that they must invest in skills training to retain good workers, especially in a strong economy.”

Grundel described the training TWO provided to the healthcare workforce as ‘up-skilling.’

“Up-skilling is any education, training, or development program that prepares employees with the knowledge and skills needed to advance their careers,” she said. “And companies realize that, when they invest in employees, retention improves, and that is good for the bottom line.”

Up-skilling — a smaller investment than hiring and training a new worker — serves to create a more well-rounded, cross-trained workforce, Grundel explained.

“Investing in employees is good for business in multiple ways, especially at the entry and direct-care level,” she said. “It helps boost morale. Employees who have training and development opportunities are happier in their roles and have a bright outlook on their future with the company. And that means increased customer satisfaction. When employees are happier with their company and believe in what they are working toward, they do better work.”

Holyoke Medical Center and Western Mass Physician Associates — both members of Valley Health Systems — teamed up with TWO to up-skill the medical assistants who are a critical part of their workforce, Grundel explained.

Medical assistants perform a wide array of clinical and administrative duties that require a range of technical, clinical, and administrative skills. Some medical assistants learn through their years of working on the job, while others are formally educated. As healthcare becomes more technically advanced, medical assistants are facing more federal regulations to work in the field. It is becoming more difficult for members of this profession to secure employment without credentialing.

With assistance from TWO, Western Mass Physician Associates received grant funding from the Workforce Training Fund to provide this training opportunity to 15 medical assistants in preparation for a national credentialing exam. TWO later facilitated another round of training for 25 medical assistants from Holyoke Medical Center Specialty Practices.

In addition to classroom learning, Holyoke Medical Center and Western Mass Physician Associates developed and staffed a full-scale skills day for all trainees. The session included 10 hands-on stations covering clinical and administrative tasks such as checking vital signs, administering injections and medication, taking EKG measurements, and other competency tests.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The second annual class of Healthcare Heroes will be honored at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Healthcare Heroes, a recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched last spring by HCN and BusinessWest. The program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and people providing that care.

This year’s honorees by category are: Mary Paquette, director of Health Services and nurse practitioner, American International College; Celeste Surreira, assistant director of Nursing, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke; Peter DePergola II, director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health; Dr. Matthew Sadof, pediatrician, Baystate Children’s Hospital; TechSpring; the Consortium and the Opioid Task Force; and Robert Fazzi, founder, Fazzi Associates. The seven winners were profiled in the Sept. 4 issue of BusinessWest and the September issue of HCN, and will be feted at the Oct. 25 gala.

Tickets cost $90, and tables of 10 are available. To order tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com. call Healthcare Heroes sponsors include American International College (presenting sponsor), Baystate Health/Health New England (presenting sponsor), National Grid (partner), and supporting sponsors Renew.Calm, the Elms College MBA program, Bay Path University, and Mercy Medical Center/Trinity Health Of New England.

Daily News

AGAWAM — Governors America Corp. (GAC) recently welcomed Michael Rose as director of Engineering and Innovation. He brings more than 15 years of product development and innovation experience within the aerospace industry. In this role, he will lead the engineering department and work closely with technical and marketing executives to broaden the company’s portfolio and develop innovative products for the engine control and adjacent markets.

“I am delighted that Michael has decided to join our team here at GAC,” said President Sean Collins. “His multiple accomplishments and wide-ranging experience will assist our entire organization garner new levels of success.”

Rose brings a blend of business acumen, broad technical knowledge, and facilitation practices that stem from his years of experience in the roles of engineer, business development manager, and project leader at L3 Technologies and MIT Lincoln Laboratories. His addition to the team reflects the company’s focus on innovation, continuous improvement, and engineering execution.

Governors America Corp. is a leading provider of engine governing and system controls to a worldwide list of equipment manufacturers and power providers.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — The Dowd Agencies, LLC announced that Steve Corbin has joined its Holyoke staff as an account executive responsible for overseeing employee benefits.

“We have a rapidly growing employee-benefits division, and we are proud to welcome Steve to our team to help us achieve our ambitious growth plans,” said John Dowd Jr., president and CEO. “Steve has nearly two decades of experience in the sales and servicing of business accounts of all sizes.”

As an account executive, Corbin has a team-management role and oversees the division, including managing the renewal process, negotiating with carriers, coordinating open-enrollment meetings, assisting clients with changes, monitoring claims, and related responsibilities.

Corbin attended Johnson & Wales University and served in the U.S. Army Reserve. Involved in his community as a youth coach for basketball, soccer, and lacrosse, he is also a grand knight at the Knights of Columbus St. Francis of Assisi Council #10698 and a board member for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke.

Jon Lumbra, managing partner of Dowd Financial Services, LLC, noted that employee-benefits programs can be complex and confusing for companies to manage on their own. “Steve joins a dynamic team of financial and employee-benefits experts who partner with companies to create and administer everything from group health, life, dental, and vision insurance to employee-wellness programs, executive compensation plans, and individual and corporate retirement plans, among other programs. The relationships we build are based on trust and professionalism, two qualities Steve has in spades.”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Officials from Springfield, Holyoke, South Hadley, Northampton, Amherst, and UMass are pleased to see long-anticipated ValleyBike Share bikes out and about in their respective communities, as the system has now surpassed 60,500 miles ridden since its launch less than three months ago, with nearly 30,000 total trips.

From Main Street in Springfield to UMass Amherst’s campus, Pioneer Valley residents and visitors alike have embraced this 21st-century urban mobility amenity, which has brought riders of widely varying experience levels into the region’s biking public.

While a majority of these riders have followed the basic rules of the road, ValleyBike Share and local officials remind ValleyBike Share users, as well as anyone else out on a bike, to remember to ride with traffic, never against it; stop at stopsigns and red lights; avoid riding on sidewalks; and use additional bike lighting when necessary for enhanced visibility.

Additionally, ValleyBike Share reminds its users that, while the baskets fitted to the front of the bikes are great for transporting groceries, backpacks, briefcases, and other day-to-day luggage, they are absolutely not for transporting additional passengers. Not only are the baskets not engineered to withstand the weight of a person riding in it, but that additional burden can impact the handling of the bike, putting both people at risk. 

For additional information on the system, the public can visit valleybike.org or contact [email protected] or (833) 825-2453.

Daily News

AGAWAM — As part of organizational changes previously announced by OMG Inc. to accelerate growth, the company has named Peter Coyne to the newly created position of senior vice president and general manager for the Roofing Products division.

In this role, Coyne is responsible for developing and executing the division’s overall strategy for the three recently created divisional business units: fasteners, adhesives and solar, and metal accessories, which includes edge metal. In addition, he is responsible for overseeing Roofing Products’ new product-development and innovation group and its global sales and marketing teams, including key-account sales, customer service, and technical support. He reports to Hubert McGovern, president and CEO of OMG.

“Peter is a great fit for this position,” said McGovern. “He has a proven track record of being an extraordinary leader with a strong focus on creating long-term value for customers and shareholders.”

Coyne joins OMG from Gulftech International, a diversified holding company with five operating businesses serving food-production and processing companies in 85 countries. Working in the company’s Denver headquarters, he served as general manager and head of operations following various roles in finance and operations with Danaher Corp., Saw Mill Capital, and Steel Partners. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the College of William & Mary and an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — PeoplesBank has promoted Aleda Amistadi to the position of senior vice president of Retail and Operations. She formerly served as first vice pesident of Operations and has 22 years of banking experience.

“While I have led Operations here at PeoplesBank, I actually started my banking career in retail, so I am very familiar with that aspect of the industry,” Amistadi said. “I believe that combining retail and Ooperations leadership into one position will create better communications and decision making internally, which will lead to an improved customer experience.”

Amistadi earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University and an MBA from Western New England University. She also earned a Wharton leadership certificate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Six Sigma green belt certification from Duke University Continuing Studies MindEdge Online Learning. She is also a graduate of the ABA Stonier School of Banking.

Amistadi serves on the board of directors and the finance committee for Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Emily Harman, director of the Office of Small Business Programs for the Department of the Navy, in partnership with the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts Assistance Center, will conduct a small-business workshop titled “Doing Business with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps” on Thursday, Sept. 20 as part of Springfield Navy Week, Sept. 17-23.

In 2017, the Department of the Navy awarded $3.2 billion in contracts to businesses in Massachusetts, with more than $66.8 million going to small businesses within 50 miles of Springfield. Industries awarded contracts include engineering services, aircraft manufacturing, commercial and institutional building construction, commercial and institutional building construction, radio and television broadcasting, wireless communications equipment manufacturing, and more.

The small-business workshop, slated for 10 a.m. to noon at the TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield, is designed to educate small businesses on how to do business with the Navy and Marine Corps. The workshop will also cover how to find out about upcoming contracting opportunities and how small businesses can contribute to the warfighter mission.

There is no cost to attend. Parking is available behind the conference center at a rate of $1 per half-hour. Reservations are required to attend. To register, click here or e-mail Karen Tetreault at [email protected].

Daily News

HADLEY — Associated Industries of Massachusetts and UMass Amherst University Without Walls will host a panel discussion on the workforce skills gap and tuition-reimbursement benefits on Thursday, Sept. 27 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St., Hadley.

Industry and workforce-development leaders will detail the current skills gaps facing Western Mass. industries and the impact that employee-friendly educational programs and tuition-reimbursement benefits can have in closing those gaps. University Without Walls (UWW) staff and student panelists will detail how non-traditional higher-education programs can benefit both employees and their employers, helping working adults increase their level of education while balancing work, life, and family.

Keynote speaker Cheryl Scott is the executive director of the MassHire State Workforce Board, which serves as an advisory board to Gov. Charlie Baker on building a strong workforce-development system that is aligned with economic-development goals and education policies. Scott has worked in workforce-development policy and programming for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since 2009, and helped to spearhead the Massachusetts Career Readiness Initiative, a statewide effort to enhance basic skill development and work-readiness credentialing across the workforce-development, adult-education, and community-college systems.

Panelists include Joanne Berwald, vice president of Human Resources at Mestek Inc.; Jason Randall, director of Human Resources at MGM Springfield; Jesse Lederman and Myles Sanders, pre-admissions advisors and recruitment coordinators for UWW; and Joan Iwanicki, UWW student.

“For over four decades, UWW has been working to provide an option for non-traditional adult students to take the next step in their careers by earning a bachelor’s degree,” said Ingrid Bracey, director of UMass Amherst University Without Walls. “The skills gaps that exists today support the need for programs like ours that help working adults develop the knowledge, skills, and credentials they need to move up in their careers, as well as meet the growing needs of industry.”

Dawn Creighton, Western Mass. director of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, added that her organization has identified the skills gap as a major concern, and believes a discussion about tuition reimbursement is important for retention, recruiting, and job development.”

The cost of the event is $25, and includes coffee and a continental breakfast. To register, click here. For more information, e-mail Creighton at [email protected].

Daily News

SOUTH HADLEY — Local businesses and individuals took a swing — or many — at changing the lives of children and families living with disabilities in Western Mass. through their participation in a day of golf at the Orchards Golf Club earlier this month, benefiting the WillPower Foundation.

Tournament sponsors included Orthotics & Prosthetics Laboratories, LePage Financial Group, JP’s Restaurant, Alekman & DiTusa Attorneys at Law, Pride Stores, and McCarthy’s Pub.

Chicopee was well-represented, as a team from Rubner Oil won the tournament, with O’Neil Insurance placing second. Players from Northampton, West Springfield, Holyoke, South Hadley, Monson, Amherst, Springfield, and other communities also joined in the event.

“I love this tournament — it’s the best of all I play in,” said attorney John Connor. “The players are always fun, the mood is special, and we know that our playing and bidding on auction items is helping people right here in our community. We all know someone with a disability, and WillPower gives our neighbors an easy way to get a bit of help when no one else does. I appreciate that my donation is staying in Western Mass. and making a real difference to people.”

The proceeds from this tournament are passed directly to families through small grants of up to $500 for therapy-based items or inclusion-focused services that give relief to parents and the right supports to their children.

WillPower Foundation serves individuals and families living with disabilities in Western Mass. by providing financial assistance when insurance and other programs do not. Recognized this year as a BusinessWest Difference Maker in time for its tenth anniversary, the organization plans to expand services to the community through its easy-to-access grant application for items not covered by insurance. Five grant cycles annually are managed by a volunteer committee who thoroughly review each application with caring and compassion, as well as by focusing on individual impact.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Attorney Karen Jackson of Jackson Law, an elder-law and estate-planning firm, will teach a series of classes highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning at Holyoke Community College.

The six-hour course, called “Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know,” will be presented in three two-hour sessions on Mondays, Oct. 15, 22, and 29, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Jackson will present comprehensive subject matter on what she calls “the core estate plan” and will explain key estate-planning documents as well as trusts, as well as providing stories and examples. She will also discuss the probate-court process and Medicare hot topics, as well as community care programs and MassHealth planning for nursing-home care.

“The course will explain the basic building blocks of an estate plan and a plan for home and nursing home care, if needed,” Jackson said. “From that foundation, we will also consider the various specialized trust documents that support this planning. I will clarify the probate-court process and what it means to probate a will. And, finally, we will explore current MassHealth issues that are affecting seniors.”

While participants may attend only one session of their choosing, they must still pay the full course cost of $89. To register, call Holyoke Community College at (413) 552-2500 or visit www.hcc.edu/bce.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Massachusetts Gaming Commission reported that MGM Springfield generated $9,456,976.90 in gross gaming revenue between Aug. 23 and Aug. 31, its first week of operation.

Slot machines generated $7,347,491.15 in revenues, while table games generated $2,109,485.75. Of that, or $2,364,244.23, will go to the state in taxes.

The Gaming Commission also reported that the Plainridge Park Casino, a slots-only facility operated by Penn National Gaming, generated $15,380,183.28 in gross gaming revenue in August, and $7,536,289.81 in tax revenue. 

MGM Springfield is taxed by the state on 25% of its gross gaming revenue. Under its host-community agreement, MGM pays the city of Springfield $17.6 million annually in lieu of taxes.

Daily News

WILBRAHAM — USI Insurance Services (USI), a world leader in insurance brokerage and risk management, announced the acquisition of the Gaudreau Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1921, the Gaudreau Group is a commercial-insurance, employee-benefits, personal-risk, and financial-services firm insuring more than 6,000 businesses and families across 14 states. Jules Gaudreau, company president, represents the third generation of the Gaudreau family to lead the company. He will join USI’s New England regional management team as president of the company’s Springfield office.

“We are excited to welcome the clients and experienced professionals from the Gaudreau Group to the USI family,” said Joseph Fico, USI New England’s regional CEO. “By joining together as one, we look forward to continuing Gaudreau’s long-standing tradition of providing superior service to clients through the USI ONE Advantage, a unique platform that delivers innovative risk-management and employee-benefit solutions with bottom-line financial impact.”

Added Gaudreau, “joining USI marks an exciting milestone for our company. USI is an established leader in the risk-management, insurance-brokerage, and consulting market, known for their best-in-class solutions, including proprietary analytics, local and national resources, and team-based planning. This partnership will not only sustain, but strengthen our long-standing reputation for delivering superior solutions, expertise, and service to our clients in the New England region and beyond.”

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Mark Hudgik as its new director of Admissions.

Hudgik is an HCC alumnus from the class of 2002 who returns to campus with 14 years of experience working in academic admissions, most recently as director of Admission at Greenfield Community College, where he started as a senior Admission counselor in 2009. He had previously worked as assistant director of Admissions at Bay Path University in Longmeadow and as Admissions director at the Berkshire Hills Music Academy in South Hadley.

After graduating from HCC with his associate degree in liberal arts, Hudgik earned his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Massachusetts and his master’s degree in higher education administration from Bay Path.

He enrolled at HCC in 2000 after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, as an aerospace-propulsion and jet-engine journeyman and programs manager. For two years as a student at HCC, he worked in the college Career Center.

“The experience I had as a student at HCC was probably the most formative of any that got me where I am in my career,” Hudgik said. “My work-study experience really got me interested in higher ed. As somebody who is really interested in people’s stories and likes to do different things, admissions was a really good fit.”

Daily News

CHICOPEE — Polish National Credit Union (PCNU) was recently awarded the Bronze CFS/SPF 2017 Impact Award at annual conference of CUSO Financial Services, LP and Sorrento Pacific Financial, LLC in San Diego. The conference is an opportunity for businesses to come together to share and discuss best practices as well as hear from industry experts. This award is given to a financial institution that demonstrates an excellent job of building awareness through branch marketing efforts.

“As the investment industry becomes more competitive, financial institutions must be increasingly creative and resourceful when it comes to the promotion of their investment-services program,” said James Kelly, president and CEO of Polish National Credit Union. “Not only is our team receptive to our ideas, they are eager to participate and shed light on all the fantastic options there are for our members to reach their financial goals through PNCU Financial Services.”

Founded in 1921, The Polish National Credit Union provides a full range of financial services to individuals, families, and businesses. The organization operates eight Western Mass. branches plus a satellite office at Chicopee Comprehensive High School.

Cover Story

Working in Concert

Executive Director Susan Beaudry

Executive Director Susan Beaudry

As the Springfield Symphony Orchestra prepares to kick off its 75th season on Sept. 22 with “Gershwin, Copland, and Bernstein,” it faces a host of challenges shared by most orchestras its size, especially a changing, shrinking base of corporate support and a need to make its audiences younger. Susan Beaudry, the SSO’s executive director, says the way to stare down these challenges is through imaginative responsiveness — and especially greater visibility through stronger outreach. And she’s doing just that.

Susan Beaudry says there’s a great deal of significance attached to the fact that the Springfield Symphony Orchestra turns 75 this season — starting with the harsh reality that fewer institutions of this type are reaching that milestone.

Indeed, several orchestras, including one in New Hampshire, have ceased operations in recent years, and many, if not most, others are struggling to one degree or another, said Beaudry, executive director of the SSO for more than a year now.

The reasons have been well-documented — the decline of many urban centers where such orchestras are based, falling attendance, declining corporate support, ever-increasing competition for the public’s time and entertainment dollars, and an inability to attract younger audiences are at the top of the list. The SSO is confronting these obstacles as well, Beaudry told BusinessWest, as well as the additional challenge of not knowing who will manage its home (Symphony Hall) after the Springfield Performing Arts Development Corp. announced last week that it will no longer manage that venue and CityStage, leaving the immediate future of those venues in doubt.

But while the institution is not as healthy financially as it has been in the past, it embarks on its 75th season on solid footing (there’s been a 20% increase in the annual fund since Beaudry’s arrived, for example), with determination to stare down the challenges facing it and seemingly all arts institutions, and optimism that an improving picture in Springfield and especially its downtown will benefit the SSO moving forward.

And Beaudry is a big reason for all of the above.

The former director of Development for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Beaudry was recruited to the SSO three years ago to lead development efforts for the institution. When Peter Salerno retired in the spring of 2017, she became interim executive director and later was able to shed that word ‘interim.’

“If you’re always doing your product behind closed doors, then it’s easy for other people to decide who you are and to give you an identity in the community. So it’s our job to open those doors, to get out, and to be playing.”

She brings to her role experience with not only fund-raising but business management — she’s a graduate of the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, began her career as a national and international product marketing manager for Gardner-based Simplex, and operated her own restaurant.

She’s calling on that wealth of experience to create a new business plan for the orchestra — figuratively but also literally — that focuses on raising the profile of the SSO, introducing more people to orchestral music, and taking full advantage of what is, by most accounts, a rising tide in Springfield and its downtown.

Summing it all up, she said the orchestra has to do much more than what it’s done through most of first 75 years — perform about once a month, on average, at Symphony Hall.

“One thing that I’ve recognized since I’ve been here is that we can and must do a better job with our outreach and education and sharing the good work that we do with the community,” she explained. “If you’re always doing your product behind closed doors, then it’s easy for other people to decide who you are and to give you an identity in the community.

Principal percussionist Nathan Lassell

Principal percussionist Nathan Lassell was one of the SSO musicians featured at a recent performance at the Springfield Armory, an example of the orchestra’s efforts at greater outreach within the community.

“So it’s our job to open those doors, to get out, and to be playing,” she went on, adding that there have already been some good examples of this effort to move beyond Symphony Hall and creating more visibility. There was the SSO string quartet playing in the renovated National Guard Armory building at MGM Springfield’s elaborate gala on the eve of its Aug. 24 opening. There was also a sold-out performance of percussionists at the Springfield Armory on Sept. 1, a performance that Beaudry described as “the coolest chamber event concert I’ve ever seen in my life,” and one that did what needs to be done in terms of changing some perceptions about the institution.

“People were cheering and laughing, and it was so engaging,” she recalled. “People walked out literally moved; they now have a new perception of what orchestral music can be like.”

There will be more such performances in the future, including 4U: A Symphonic Celebration of Prince, an MGM presentation featuring the SSO, on Sept. 18, said Beaudry, adding that, overall, the orchestra, at 75, must create the opportunities and support system it will need to celebrate 100 years and the milestones to follow.

It’s a challenge Beaudry fully embraces and one she’s essentially spent her career preparing for. And she believes the timing is right for the SSO to hit some very high notes moving forward.

“We’re sitting at the pinnacle place,” she said. “We have a chance to hit it out of the park.”

Achievements of Note

It’s called the League of American Orchestras.

That’s the national trade association, of you will, for symphony orchestras. The group meets twice annually, once each winter in New York and again in the spring at a different site each year; the most recent gathering was in Chicago.

At that meeting, as at most others in recent years, the topics of conversation have gravitated toward those many challenges listed earlier, and especially the one involving lowering the age of the audiences assembling at symphony halls across the country.

“Every arts organization is looking to lower the average age of its patrons,” she explained. “That’s the only way to secure your future — having people joining you at those lower ages, at a lower ticket price, and eventually that will filter upwards and be your replacement audience.”

Chicago and New York are only a few of the dozens of cities Beaudry has visited in her business travels over the course of her career, especially when working for Simplex, maker of the time clock, among many other products, as divisional senior marketing director — specifically, a division devoted to a fire-suppression and alarm product line.

“This was a job where you on a plane every Monday, and you didn’t come home till Friday,” she explained, adding that this lifestyle — especially eating out all the time — helped inspire what would become the next stage in her career, as a restaurateur.

“As a result of all this travel, I became very interested in regional cuisine,” she explained. “When you’re the marketing person visiting from headquarters, they want to take you to what they’re proud of — their symphony, their museum, their opera, and their best restaurant; after a while, those meals start to grow a little thin, as do your pants.

“So I would say, ‘instead of going to a big, fancy meal at yet another steakhouse, let’s find a little hole in the wall that’s a representation of what the cuisine is in this area,’” she went on. “So I became really interested in food.”

So much so that, when she became a mother, and that ‘get on a plane Monday, return home on Friday’ schedule wasn’t at all appealing anymore, Beaudry, after staying at home for a few years, opened her own restaurant, Main Street Station, in Chester, not far from her home and where she grew up, and just down the street from the Chester Theater Company, which her parents ran.

She described the venture as a hobby, one she pursued for three years, before “returning to work,” as she called it, specifically with the Boston Symphony as director of the corporate fund for Tanglewood. She stayed in that job for seven years before being recruited to South Florida to set up the annual fund for Junior Achievement, before returning to this region.

She said she was approached by David Gang, president of the SSO (he’s still in that role) and encouraged to apply for the open position as director of Development for the orchestra. She did, and came aboard nearly three years ago.

Beaudry said she welcomed the opportunity to succeed Salerno, and for a number of reasons. First and foremost, there was the opportunity to lead an orchestra, one of her career goals. But there was also the opportunity to orchestrate (no pun intended) what would have to be considered a turnaround effort for the institution.

And as she commenced that assignment, she did so knowing that she had a number of strong elements working in, well, harmony.

“People were cheering and laughing, and it was so engaging. People walked out literally moved; they now have a new perception of what orchestral music can be like.”

Starting with the conductor, Kevin Rhodes, who has been with the SSO for 18 years, remarkable longevity in that profession, and has become in ways a fixture within the community.

“He’s such a high-energy, high-profile person,” said Beaudry. “And he’s so willing to jump in to help promote the SSO. In the commercials on TV, he’s willing to dress up in costume, be in character, and be light and silly. And that goes a long way toward changing the perception of what’s happening at Symphony Hall, that it’s not stodgy and stuffy and only for a certain demographic.”

Another strong asset was the board, Beaudry went on, adding that many of the 30-odd members have been with the institution for many years and thus bring not only passion for the SSO but a wealth of experience to the table.

“We’ve been lucky to have board members who have stayed with us for a very long time,” she explained. “So you have institutional knowledge and history and some people who have been through the ups and downs of the organization and can give new leadership like myself feedback about things that have been tried in the past, things we haven’t done in a while that might be successful, and more. To have that kind of leadership has been very helpful.”

Sound Advice

But a well-known, community-minded conductor and a committed board are only a few of the ingredients needed for success in these changing, challenging times, said Beaudry.

Others include imagination, persistence, and a willingness to broaden the institution’s focus (and presence) well beyond what would be considered traditional.

And this brings us back to that list of challenges facing the SSO and all or most institutions like it, starting with the development side of the equation, where the corporate landscape is changing. Elaborating, Beaudry said that, in this market and many others, fewer large companies remain under local ownership, and thus there are fewer potential donors with keen awareness of the institution, its history, and importance to the city and region — a reality far different than what she experienced in Boston.

“The corporations have left or merged — you used to be able to hit five banks in a week and take care of half your season in corporate sponsorships,” she told BusinessWest. “Now, you have to call long-distance; running into the bank president on the street corner just doesn’t happen anymore. You’re taking to someone who doesn’t have any idea what you are or who you are to the community or what the giving history or the relationship history has been, and, sometimes, not interested in learning about it.”

Then, there’s the growing competition for the time and entertainment dollars of the public, she noted, especially the young professionals that comprise the constituency the SSO — and all arts institutions, for that matter — are trying to attract.

“You need people that have discretionary income and time,” she explained, adding that the latter commodity is becoming the more difficult for many people to amass. “Busy parents who are running to soccer games and ski races and cross-country matches are exhausted come Saturday night. Not only are we competing with how busy family lives have become, we’re also competing with the ease of entertainment right in your home. Come Saturday night after a really busy work week and really busy Saturday taking care of your life, do you have the energy to get dressed up on Saturday night and go out when you can order a pizza, open a bottle of wine, and order any movie you want on Netflix?”

In this environment, which, she stressed again, is not unique to the city and this symphony orchestra, greater outreach, and making more introductions, is all-important.

“If the environment’s changed and you’re still doing the same things, eventually you’re going to see your own demise,” she said. “So you need to be reactive and responsive. One of the things I’ve done is increase the number of events that we have. Events are a nice way to introduce yourself to the community, shake a lot of hands, and meet a lot of people in one evening — and from there you can build further relationships and start meaningful relationships around giving.

This was the case at the Armory concert and the performance at MGM’s grand opening, she said. Hearkening back to the former, she said it’s clearly an example of what the SSO needs to do more often — partnering with other organizations and institutions within the community and putting itself in front of before new and different audiences.

“The Armory had a concert series, and we contacted them and said we wanted to participate,” she recalled. “As a mission-driven community partner, we need to be doing more of that; we need to be out in the community.”

And the performance resonated, she said, not just in enthusiastic applause for the performers, but, perhaps even more importantly, in pledges for all-important financial support.

“I literally had people telling me, as they were leaving, that they were going to be giving us more money — they were so impressed, they wanted to increase their gift to us,” she recalled. “And in the end, that’s what keeps us playing — people loving what we do and becoming excited to support it.”

While adding more events, the SSO is also adding more family-oriented performances to its lineup, said Beaudry, adding that, in addition to the annual holiday celebration in early December, there will be On Broadway with Maestro Rhodes, featuring songs from Oklahoma, Carousel, Guys and Dolls, and other Broadway hits, and also a Movie Night with Maestro Rhodes, featuring music from Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia, and many other timeless hits.

Moving forward, Beaudry said the opening of MGM’s resort casino and the coming of big-name acts like Stevie Wonder, who performed on Sept. 1, and Cher, who’s coming to Springfield on April 30, will bring more people to Springfield and, hopefully, expose them to more of its assets, like the SSO, CityStage, and others.

“As they say, a rising tide lifts all ships,” she noted, adding that the SSO could certainly be one of those ships, especially if works to become more visible across the area and even more of the fabric of the community. “When people are checking out a new place, sometimes they’ll open themselves up to new experiences.”

The Big Finale

Taking in a performance by a symphony orchestra would be a new experience for many, and moving forward, it is Beaudry’s goal — and mission — to make it something … well, less new.

It’s a challenge facing all those attending meetings of the League of American Orchestras, and one that can only be met, as she’s said repeatedly, by being imaginative, responsive, and reactive.

Beaudry and the SSO are working diligently to be all those things, and because of that, and to borrow a term from this industry, things are more upbeat.

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

MGM Springfield

Looking at His Reflection

Mike Mathis, seen here with Anita Bird

Mike Mathis, seen here with Anita Bird, assistant general manager of the Starbucks at MGM Springfield, says the $960 million initiative has gone from being a campaign and project to being an employer and operator.

When Mike Mathis rode down Main Street with Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno in the back of a Rolls-Royce (built in the city) on Aug. 24, it was the symbolic end to a journey that began nearly six years earlier. Or one stage of it, anyway. Indeed, Mathis, president and COO of MGM Springfield, made it clear that the journey continues, personally and professionally, as the casino works over the next few years to ‘hit its stride,’ as he put it.

Mike Mathis said there were so many high points during the journey to opening the $960 million MGM Springfield that he was having some trouble listing and ranking some that stood out above the others.

As for low points, well, he didn’t have any trouble at all with that assignment.

There was one stood out well above the others, and it brought with it some lessons — and humility — that served him well for the rest of the sojourn that climaxed on Aug. 24 when the resort casino opened, but is still very much ongoing.

It came in the fall of 2015 as the design of the casino, and, more specifically, its hotel, changed considerably — from a 25-story glass tower that would dominate the skyline to a five-story facility along Main Street that would blend in. And especially at a hastily arranged press conference to announce the change and the days that followed.

Mathis, named president and COO of MGM Springfield roughly a year and a half before that day, looked uncomfortable and quite defensive at that press conference, called after news of the design change leaked out in the local press and spurred a reaction he and others within the company were not prepared for after years of doing business in Las Vegas and other locales where such design changes aren’t really news, let alone confidence-shattering developments.

“Some of our naysayers took advantage of that and accused us of a bait and switch,” Mathis recalled. “Meanwhile, some of the folks that were more pessimistic about what our intentions were — despite years of goodwill I thought we had earned — seized on that moment.

“It was almost a condition of … this community had seen such a tough run that even some of our supporters thought that maybe MGM is too good to be true — the commitment is too good to be true — and used that change to say, ‘I told you so.’ That was challenging on many levels for me personally and the team.”

“It was almost a condition of … this community had seen such a tough run that even some of our supporters thought that maybe MGM is too good to be true — the commitment is too good to be true — and used that change to say, ‘I told you so,’” he went on. “That was challenging on many levels for me personally and the team.”

Elaborating, he said that he and his team members were all very visible in those days — and throughout the process — and some of those they greeted on the streets in the days following the announcement made their feelings known.

“I got a lot of personal flak on the streets, some of it not so gracious,” he recalled. “But that was a very small window and from a small majority, and that’s what I kept telling myself. And we weathered that storm, and we got the right information out. We didn’t handle it perfectly by any means, and I told the mayor that, but we got past it.”

Indeed, and on Aug. 24, Mathis and Mayor Domenic Sarno shared an energetic high-five as they opened the doors to the casino complex just before 11 a.m., capping a six-year journey that actually began in Brimfield, not Springfield, as some may recall.

Or at least the first part of the journey.

Mike Mathis says it takes two to three years for a facility like MGM Springfield to fully “ramp up.”

Mike Mathis says it takes two to three years for a facility like MGM Springfield to fully “ramp up.”

Building and opening the casino was obviously a long and difficult assignment, but it was just a step in the process, said Mathis, who told BusinessWest that MGM Springfield has gone from being a campaign and a project (one that officially ended on Aug. 24) to being an employer and an operator. And with that change, there are new responsibilities — for him and the team.

“That means thinking about the customer first, and everything flows from that,” he explained, adding that one of the things he’s most proud of to date is how the workforce, much of it without any experience working in gaming, has progressed. “There’s so much you can overcome in our industry with a positive attitude, and that’s been really gratifying to see.”

For this issue, BusinessWest talked with Mathis, clearly the face of MGM Springfield, about the journey he’s on — the parts have been completed and the ones still to come.

A Solid Bet

As noted earlier, when Mathis, then vice president of Global Gaming Operations for MGM’s hospitality division, first arrived on the scene in Western Mass. with the goal of helping the company win one of the coveted casino licenses in the Bay State, the focus wasn’t on Springfield, but tiny Brimfield.

That’s where Mathis, who described himself as the “MGM advance Massachusetts guy,” first touched down and commenced learning all about Massachusetts politics, zoning, and more.

Eventually, he and the team would learn some other things — primarily that a Turnpike exit needed to make a Brimfield casino happen was not in the cards, as they say in this business, and also that Brimfield residents weren’t very responsive to the idea of having a project of this scale in their proverbial backyard.

“We mistakenly thought, because they host the antiques fair a few times a year that brings in hundreds of thousands of people a year, that they would be receptive to this attraction,” he recalled. “What we learned is that they like that a few times a year — to let their town get taken over — but they weren’t looking for that 365 days a year.”

Mathis and the team at MGM would learn many other things in the weeks, months, and years to come, especially the fact that they were not in Las Vegas anymore, and that things move much more slowly in the Bay State.

They also learned a lot about Springfield, which, in the early going, was emerging as a competitor to Brimfield. And the more they learned, the more they came to like the city and understand that whichever proposal emerged from the City of Homes would be a formidable candidate for the Western Mass. license.

Fast-forwarding a little, by late 2013, MGM’s plan to place a resort casino in Springfield’s South End was the only Western Mass. proposal still on the table after voters in West Springfield and Palmer rejected casino referendums and officials in Springfield chose the MGM option over two others placed into contention.

But still the fight wasn’t over, as MGM had to withstand a statewide referendum bid to ban casinos in November 2014, which it did, when 59% of voters gave the go-ahead to commence the casino era.

All that was left now was to design and build the facility, staff it up, meet a host of conditions set by the city and the Mass. Gaming Commission, and eventually open the doors.

“I remember the humility of Jim Murren walking into his [Sarno’s] office and saying, ‘mayor, we do these all the time, but we want to make sure we understand what your goals are before we even think about what we want to do here.”

Mathis, of course, was involved in every step of the process, and he recalls it as the most challenging but ultimately rewarding experience in his career.

“Seeing crowds enjoy this product that we created out of thin air, and seeing it serviced by a bunch of my friends and supporters and volunteers that I’ve been with since we were knocking on doors back in 2012 and 2013 … that’s as good as it gets,” he told BusinessWest. “That’s been the highlight of my career.”

As he looks back on that process, dozens, if not hundreds, of memories float to the surface — from attending neighborhood council meetings across Springfield to working with volunteers to summon the votes to defeat the ballot initiative on gaming, to visiting the Springfield Armory with MGM Chairman Jim Murren to learn about city history and architecture, and especially the influence of Frederick Law Olmstead, who designed not only Central Park in New York but Forest Park in Springfield.

And, yes, that uncomfortable press conference when the design change was announced.

Early on the in the process, when Mathis was still on the advance team and not yet the face of the project, he recalls watching senior-management members as they worked to develop a relationship with Springfield and its leaders — and learning from those experiences.

Mike Mathis and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno ride in style on opening day of MGM Springfield

Mike Mathis and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno ride in style on opening day of MGM Springfield — in a Rolls-Royce made in the city — at the symbolic end of a journey that began six years ago.   Getty Images

“My memory from those early days was how important it was for the chairman of our company to really understand what the mayor wanted,” he recalled. “I remember the humility of Jim Murren walking into his [Sarno’s] office and saying, ‘mayor, we do these all the time, but we want to make sure we understand what your goals are before we even think about what we want to do here.’”

All In

Actually, MGM doesn’t really do this all the time. It opened National Harbor in Maryland in late 2016, and another casino in Detroit a few years earlier. But it hasn’t opened many in this country, and hadn’t opened anything in the middle of an urban area like downtown Springfield.

So this was a pioneering effort in many ways, and for Mathis, who had previously done considerable work for the company overseas, in locales ranging from Singapore to Toronto, it was, quite obviously, a significant career stepping stone to be put in charge of it all.

To put that in perspective, he flashed back to the Gaming Commission session in early 2014 (he easily summoned the exact date, Jan. 24), when he was announced as the president of the project.

“There was a huge round of applause, and I recognized some of the voices in the audience saying ‘attaboy,’ and that was based on some of the relationships I had formed over the two years before that,” he recalled. “It was a special moment, and it really cemented for me how important this project was going to be for not just the company but the community, and they saw me as the face of it. And I thought that I owed them personally to deliver on the commitment; there was no way I was going to let these people down.”

He said the biggest challenges involved with coming to a new market like Massachusetts is understanding the local population’s experience with gaming, and its wants, needs, perceptions, and fears.

“We would go into neighborhood meetings and ask how many people had been to Las Vegas,” he recalled. “And not many had, and that told me that, to the extent that they know gaming, they know it in a regional way, and they don’t know some of the great things we do in Las Vegas, a lot of which is MGM.

“And that gives you some perspective on the group and the level of education you have to give them,” he went on. “Because I knew what the fear was — the fear was a slot box that would be cavernous and unimaginative and prey on the worst elements of the business. Overall, you have to identify with people on a very personal level and overcome some of the stereotypes people have from watching movies about what a casino operator is.”

Now that MGM Springfield is open, there’s been that shift he described, going from being a project to an operation. For him, the day-to-day is obviously much different, with a great deal of time spent on the casino floor.

“I view my role, especially in this early stage, as being quality assurance,” he explained. “I try to put on the eyes of the customer and walk through every space and observe every interaction.”

I do so with the mindset, ‘what is the customer experiencing, from the minute they enter our garage, or even further downstream — what are they experiencing as they travel on I-91 or the Turnpike?’” he went on. “‘What are they seeing for signage? What are they seeing in terms of access and traffic?’ These are all things I’m trying to see from their perspective.”

He said he will frequently engage patrons, asking them about their experience, their meal, and more. And many times, they’ll engage him because they recognize him from all those times he’s been in the news — and walking around the city, through the good times and the bad.

That’s when happens when you’re the face of the operation.

As for MGM Springfield as an operation, not a project, he said that, overall, it takes two to three years for a resort casino like this one to “hit its stride,” as he put it.

“That’s the typical ramp-up,” he went on. “There’s a lot of runway for us to do more business and more profitable business moving forward, especially as understand our staffing patterns, our peaks and valleys throughout the week and throughout the season, and what the customer wants and doesn’t want.”

Next Question

When asked what comes next for him — a prolonged stay in Springfield, a new assignment in another corner of the world, or something in between — Mathis said he really hasn’t had any time to think about that.

“The journey was amazing, and I’d be worried about trying to replicate it — if I could replicate it,” he explained. “This has been pretty unique, and it would be a mistake to think I could find another Springfield and do what we did here.”

And with that, he went back to the casino floor to engage customers and be engaged by them.

The journey has, indeed, been amazing, but in most all respects, this trip is far from over.

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