Month: November 2018

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University’s master of science (MS) in accounting program has been named seventh on a list of the top 50 best in the nation, as ranked by OnlineMasters.com. In addition to this placement, Bay Path’s program was also recognized as the “Most Accelerated Program.” This is the program’s second placement on a national best-of list this year alone.

“We’re so pleased that the master of science in accounting at Bay Path University was recognized once again for the quality education and career preparation it provides to students,” said Kara Stevens, assistant professor and director of Accounting programs. “Students who graduate from our program are ready to hit the ground running in their chosen accounting industry upon graduation, which many are able to achieve in under one year.” 

According to the site, the review assessed academic quality, student success, and affordability. Researchers devoted more than 90 hours to analyzing every online master’s in accounting program in the U.S., and consulted 35 industry experts, hiring managers, current students, and alumni.

SPRINGFIELD — The fourth installment of the BusinessWest lecture series Future Tense, titled “Power of the Pause,” will take place on Thursday, Nov. 8 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Tech Foundry, 1391 Main St., ninth floor, Springfield.

The lecture, open exclusively to CEOs and business owners, will be delivered by Moira Garvey, senior consultant and facilitator with the Potential Project, and Susan O’Connor, vice president and general counsel at Health New England. The cost is a $25 donation to Tech Foundry. Event sponsors include Paragus IT, the Jamrog Group, and Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

It’s not easy managing in today’s fast-paced, complex, dynamic work environments. Leaders are required to remain focused in the face of a myriad of commitments, have clarity of mind, ensure they are doing the right things (not just doing ‘things’), and maintain calm in the midst of daily storms. But what if we as leaders could hit the ‘pause’ button during our day, step back, and meet challenges with a sense of space, clarity, and focus? What if there was a way to not just get things done, but ensure that what does get done connects us with ourselves, with the people we work with, and, ultimately, with our organization’s deepest values?

Mindfulness is a compelling tool for performance, teamwork, and effectiveness as well as presence, kindness, and balance. Garvey will share why mindfulness is relevant in the workplace and why companies around the globe are incorporating mindfulness to support workplace performance and employee well-being.

In this session, you will also hear how Springfield-based Health New England brought mindfulness training to its associates. In 2015, HNE ran a pilot to enhance its high-performance culture, with 30 leaders participating in a four-month course. HNE leadership knows the key to success is the ability to work at a high level of mental effectiveness, while also remaining resilient in the face of stress. In many industries, including healthcare, the velocity of change, competition, and complexity are constant challenges. Since the successful pilot, HNE has continued to invest in mindfulness training as a way to fortify a culture of high performance that is focused and intentional. In 2017, 63% of the participants held leadership positions.

In the foundational session, Garvey will provide an overview of the nature of the mind and attention, while sharing information on the most recent scientific findings regarding how the brain works and how it can be rewired to enable us to be more focused, calm, and effective at work every day. She will teach a basic mindfulness practice and offer a focus strategy for immediate application.

Metered street parking is available near the venue, and there are several parking-garage options nearby as well. To register, visit businesswest.com/lecture-series-2.

SPRINGFIELD — On the morning of Oct. 5, during the Western Mass Stand Down at the Greek Culture Center in Springfield, Paul DiGrigoli accepted an award from the Western Mass. Bilingual Veterans Outreach Center on behalf of DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology for its continued support of homeless and needy veterans in the community.

The school, located on Riverdale Street in West Springfield, offers free haircuts to all veterans and active service members year-round, and has participated in several veteran-honoring events since opening its doors in 2002.

“I’m only here to pick this plaque up,” DiGrigoli said. “This award truly belongs to my staff and all of our students. Since 2004, we have offered free haircuts to all veterans and active military personnel on all the days that our school is open — not just on Veterans Day. Thank you for giving us our freedom.”

The Western Mass. Bilingual Veterans Outreach Center, headquartered on Franklin Street in Springfield, operates with the mission of serving veterans once out of uniform, regardless of race, gender, or nationality. Most recently, it built 20 apartments for homeless veterans in Springfield and has continually offered financial and job services, healthcare, clothing, and other support.

SPRINGFIELD — The United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) will introduce to the community its new president and CEO, Paul Mina, at a public event on Friday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. at the Monarch Place Plaza in Springfield. All are welcome to attend this event.

Mina brings more than 30 years of United Way experience to the Pioneer Valley and has already stepped into his new role. The UWPV board of directors has entered into a management agreement with the United Way of Tri-County, based in Framingham. Both organizations’ boards voted to approve the two-and-a-half-year management agreement, under which two organizations will share a CEO and other management operations, while UWPV still remains under local board oversight.

“This is not a merger, but a way to gain efficiencies in the back-end management,” said Steve Lowell, chairman of the UWPV board and president of Monson Savings Bank. “Plus we’ll get some much-needed stability in leadership and the value of Paul’s experience and energy. It’s a great opportunity for us.”

SPRINGFIELD — Terry Maxey, former interim director of Open Pantry Community Services Inc., has been selected to permanently lead the agency as director. He has served as interim director of Open Pantry since November 2017, and has been with organization since February 2016.

“Both on a professional and personal basis, Terry is the best person to lead this important agency, and we are fortunate to have him at the helm,” Open Pantry board member Stephen Penna said. “Terry understands our mission and is deeply committed to the community served by this critically important agency. I am confident that, under Terry’s steady leadership, Open Pantry will continue to provide essential services for individuals and families throughout the Greater Springfield region.”

As director, Maxey will be responsible for managing all aspects of Open Pantry, which serves more than 18,000 low-income and disadvantaged people annually, with an approximately $3 million annual budget and 40 staff members.

Open Pantry meets the most basic needs of individuals and families by providing hot meals at its Loaves and Fishes Community Kitchen. It also provides perishable and non-perishable food for people in need in the Springfield area through its Emergency Food Pantry Program. In addition, the pantry offers a program providing food assistance to seniors.

Open Pantry’s Open Door Social Services program provides case management, housing-search assistance, and medical, mental-health, and substance-abuse referrals for homeless people living in area shelters, on the streets, or in temporary locations in Western Mass.

“I have volunteered for Open Pantry Community Services, for over 20 years, and I’m excited for the opportunity to lead this agency to the next level,” Maxey said. “Open Pantry has a great management team and dedicated staff, and we are focused on continuing to deliver the highest-quality social services to those in need in our community.”

Before joining Open Pantry, Maxey served as director of Operations and project manager at Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services in Springfield. There, he helped lead the multi-cultural, multi-service agency dedicated to empowering individuals and families in need. He also held a number of leadership positions within the private sector. He has been recognized for his leadership skills, receiving the 2017 SMOC Housing Team of the Year Award and the MLK Jr. Family Services Employee of the Quarter Award for outstanding performance and leadership.

Maxey is invested in the Springfield community and serves with a variety of organizations, including the executive and operational committees of the city of Springfield Health and Human Services, Springfield-Hampden County Continuum of Care board of directors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Virginia State University and a certificate from Leadership of Pioneer Valley.

LONGMEADOW — Women have been completing their bachelor’s degrees at rates significantly higher than the national average since the inception of the American Women’s College at Bay Path University in 2013, thanks to its digitally enhanced learning model, SOUL (Social Online Universal Learning). This innovative approach to education has earned it recognition among the 2019 Best Online Colleges in America, as ranked by Niche.com. 

“With the American Women’s College’s fully online, accelerated schedule, credit for prior experiences, and generous transfer policy, many students are able to finally obtain an undergraduate degree that may have been in progress for many years,” said Amanda Gould, chief administrative officer. “Our adaptive coursework can help students refresh on content, as needed, on each student’s customized learning path, even if they have had to take breaks in their learning.”

Niche.com ranked colleges based on the following categories: academic excellence, overall value, strength of faculty scholarship, campus quality, diversity, student life, student surveys on overall experience, safety, and location. The university placed 20th on a list of nearly 500 colleges and universities, and is the only New England-based institution to place in the top 20. 

The SOUL model uses data-driven intervention strategies to help mitigate achievement gaps, and has been recognized with more than $5 million in support from industry thought leaders and organizations. SOUL was developed after the American Women’s College was awarded a grant through the First in the World competition administered through the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. The four-year, $3.5 million award was used to develop and continually hone the program by improving educator access to learning data, allowing for targeted feedback and personalized guidance. SOUL has been recognized with several other grants and awards from national foundations, the federal government, and awarding agencies.

“The American Women’s College is focused on being responsive to students’ needs,” Gould said. “From accommodating complex lives with flexible delivery to using adaptive technology to create customized learning paths, to building an entire network of support and community, we try to find ways to meet students where they are and provide them the opportunity to change their lives with education.”

SPRINGFIELD — Through Nov. 15, participating Walgreens stores are asking customers to add a donation at checkout in support of the YMCA of Greater Springfield’s community-strengthening programs.

Supporting the Scantic Valley YMCA in Wilbraham are Walgreens stores at 1919 Wilbraham Road, Springfield; 54 East St., Ludlow; 1440 Boston Road, Springfield; and 171 West St., Ware. Supporting the downtown Springfield YMCA are Walgreens stores at 50 St. James Blvd., 707 State St., 501 Sumner Ave., 619 Chestnut St., and 625 Carew St, in Springfield; 60 Springfield St., Agawam; and 54 Center Square, East Longmeadow.

For more information about the YMCA of Greater Springfield, visit www.springfieldy.org. For further information about sponsorships, fundraising, giving, planned giving, and volunteer opportunities, e-mail Donna Sittard, Development director, at [email protected].

NORTHAMPTON — Webber and Grinnell Insurance announced that Bailey Eastman, commercial lines marketing manager, was named the MAIA 2018 Young Agent of the Year. This award is given to young agents who have demonstrated career growth and success within their agency as well as significant involvement in the community to which their agency belongs.

In addition to Eastman’s work ethic, she is dedicated to her community through volunteering. She is heavily involved with Look Park, has helped organize and run her own nonprofit dealing with child abuse, and serves in various other organizations and community events. She can often be seen out and about representing the agency in a friendly and positive light.

“Bailey has grown quickly in her insurance career and is always willing to take on more,” said Mat Geffin, vice president of Webber and Grinnell. “She is the consummate team player, and I congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition for her hard work and dedication to our company, our industry, and to our community.”

LONGMEADOW — A new public sculpture, “LIFE,” has been installed on the Bay Path University campus. The piece, designed and crafted from a fallen branch of a live oak tree, was created by philanthropist Harold Grinspoon, a longtime resident of Longmeadow and friend of the university.

A dedication for “LIFE” will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 3 p.m. in front of Elliot Hall, and is open to the public. In case of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled. “LIFE” will be on view at Bay Path University for the next two years.

“We are honored to have LIFE featured so prominently on our campus,” said President Carol Leary. “It is a perfect complement to the surroundings and creates a dramatic outdoor art experience for our students and the public. We are deeply grateful for Harold Grinspoon’s generosity.”

After successful careers in business and philanthropy, Grinspoon, at the age of 87, developed a new passion: art. His work as a sculptor started when a towering cherry tree fell in his backyard. Over the course of time, the fallen tree captured his imagination, only to take form and become a lasting piece of artwork. This first sculpture was eventually placed on view at the Mount, the Lenox home and museum of celebrated author Edith Wharton. It was the starting point for the ensuing 26 unique pieces of large-scale sculptures made from reclaimed trees, selected locally, as well as imported from Florida, California, and elsewhere.

Now at age 89, Grinspoon produces his sculptures in a bustling workshop in Agawam with a large team. His work is also currently included in three curated group exhibitions with SculptureNow at the Mount; XTCA: Cross Town Contemporary Art Exhibition presented by the University Museum of Contemporary Art at UMass Amherst; and Art in the Orchard in Easthampton. His works have also been displayed in three public locations: MGM Springfield, the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, and Mass General Hospital in Boston.

SPRINGFIELD — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County will present an event featuring 25 brewers, including local and regional craft breweries pouring alongside award-winning and up-and-coming home brewers. “Brews, Bites & Bids” will take place on Thursday, Nov. 8 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Doors open at 6 p.m.

This year’s event will feature creative cuisine from the chefs at the Log Cabin. Each menu item has been chosen to pair with the variety of beer styles offered. Drew Hastings from WMAS will emcee the event. 

While enjoying brews and bites, guests can bid on items donated by area businesses. Golf outings at a few of the area’s best courses, fine jewelry, and a private party including catering, custom-made beer, and live music are just a few of the items to choose from at the auction and raffle. This event is open to the public, and tickets cost $45.

Brewers in attendance will include Abandoned Building Brewery, Amherst Brewing Co., Arcpoint Brewing, Artisan Beverage Cooperative (Ginger Libation), Beerology, Bear & Bramble, Berkshire Brewing Co., Bottoms Up Brewing, Clear Headed Brewing, Down to Earth Brewing, Fort Hill Brewery, Great Awakening, Greater Good Imperials, Jack’s Abby Brewing, Lefty’s Brewing Co., Mombod Brewing & Chasing the Grain, Monsoon Roastery, Shelton Brothers, Skyline Trading, Swing Oil Beer Co., Tin Bridge, Two Weeks’ Notice, Vanished Valley, and White Lion.

Brews, Bites & Bids has become a signature fundraising event for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County, raising critical funding to support youth-mentoring programs throughout Hampden County, Granby, and South Hadley. All funds raised stay local. Since 2015, the event has raised close to $100,000.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — A Night of Light, the CHD Cancer House of Hope’s annual luminaria fundraising event, returns to the Green at Storrowton Village on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. Storrowton Tavern will serve hot chocolate, cider, and snacks.

The event features hundreds of luminary bags that are lit and placed on the Storrowton Village Green to honor and remember those lost to cancer and those who are survivors. This evening of music, remembrance, and hope honors friends and loved ones and supports the many programs and services offered by Cancer House of Hope. Luminary bags cost $5 each and can be personally inscribed in honor of a friend or loved one. To dedicate a luminaria bag, visit www.chd.org/luminaria.

Cancer House of Hope, located at 1999 Westfield St. in West Springfield, offers free services and therapies and provides emotional, educational, social, and spiritual support in a home-like setting.

Advanced Restoration Group in Easthampton is the presenting sponsor for the event, with other major sponsors including Westfield Bank, Spherion Staffing, Liberty Mutual, Bearingstar Insurance, Northwestern Mutual, Comcast Business, and Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

“With the generous support of Advanced Restoration Group and our other community partners, we can leverage the energy created by this beautiful event over and over, so that those with cancer don’t have to face it alone,” said Joe Kane, director of Cancer House of Hope.

For more information about the luminaria event or Cancer House of Hope, visit chd.org.

NORTHAMPTON — Common Capital, Valley Community Development, and the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce will present “Making Digital Marketing Possible” today, Nov. 2, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley St., Northampton.

This free event — a conversation about using digital marketing to grow one’s business — will feature a panel of small-business owners and marketing specialists, including Kimberley Chagnon, co-owner of Kim’s Upholstery; Amy Scott, founder of Wild Apple Design Group; Dawn Cordeiro, co-owner of Holyoke Hummus Co.; and Mark Firehammer, a digital marketing consultant and marketing services provider at Attract More Clients.

SPRINGFIELD — The Cooperative Credit Union Assoc. recognized Arrha Credit Union with the Excellence in Advocacy Award for promoting the interests of credit unions among its legislative, regulatory, and consumer audiences.

The engagement in advocacy included many outreach efforts, such as Michael Ostrowski, Arrha’s president and CEO, visiting Washington, D.C., to be part of the ongoing credit-union industry legislative discussions, seeking approvals to fully utilize today’s advances in technology, providing financial literacy, and being part of the World Affairs Committee of Credit Union National Assoc. and its world arm, the World Council of Credit Unions, to lend aid and assistance to Puerto Rico’s credit unions.

Ostrowski also traveled to Cuba to engage its government on establishing credit unions and, most recently, to Poland to assist its credit unions in regulatory advocacy with the Polish government. The Excellence in Advocacy Award was given to one credit union in Massachusetts that best demonstrated its commitment to advocacy.

Kristen Coia, operations manager at Arrha Credit Union, received the association’s Young Professionals Award for being an upcoming, proactive professional.

“Kristen’s dedication to the credit union’s members is admirable,” Ostrowski said. “She strives to help every member and employee by saying, ‘yes, we can help you’ and avoiding the ‘no’ word. She looks to find creative ways to solve our members’ needs when a standard answer just will not do.”

SPRINGFIELD — The United Way of Pioneer Valley recently welcomed Marjorie Weeks as director of Resource Development. She brings more than 25 years of experience in fundraising and development as well as school administration.

Weeks has done a considerable amount of counseling and coaching for area nonprofits. Much of her experience has been in the independent school world, including time with Academy Hill School and Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Weeks will spend the majority of her time re-energizing long-standing allies and inspiring others to support the essential work of the United Way of Pioneer Valley.

HOLYOKE — The newly expanded Holyoke Medical Group’s services at 1962 Memorial Dr., Chicopee are now offering walk-in care. Under the medical direction of Dr. Kevin Snow, the Holyoke Medical Group Walk-in Care will offer same-day treatment services for conditions such as a sore throat, aches and pains, fever, and physicals needed for work, school, or sports.

“Holyoke Medical Center is dedicated to listening to our community and responding with the services that will meet the needs of our friends and neighbors. The Holyoke Medical Group Walk-in Care service is one way we are increasing the accessibility of quality healthcare in the Pioneer Valley,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center.

Holyoke Medical Group Walk-in Care is located together with the Primary Care office, with adjoining lab-draw and medical-imaging services. The HMC CORE Physical Therapy Chicopee location is also located within the same complex.

Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The office can be reached at (413) 552-3250. Holyoke Medical Group is the primary-care physician group affiliated with Holyoke Medical Center.

SPRINGFIELD — Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. announced that Susan Fentin, senior counsel, has retired from the active representation of clients after 20 years with the firm.

Fentin joined Skoler Abbott in 1999 after serving as clerk to Judge John Greaney, associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and practicing for several years with the Labor and Employment department of a large law firm in Hartford, Conn. Her expertise in the niche market of employment law enabled her to quickly build a leadership role at Skoler Abbott. In just five years, she was made partner.

“Susan has been an invaluable asset, mentor, and friend,” said attorney Timothy Murphy, a partner at the firm. “Her influence has been profound for us, for her clients, and for our field. She has represented employers of all sizes, from small retailers to companies with locations across the United States. She also regularly presented webinars about significant issues in employment to human-resources professionals and provided thoughtful articles on timely labor and employment-law topics to trade and business publications.”

Fentin graduated magna cum laude from Western New England University School of Law, where she was editor in chief of the Western New England College Law Review. She was the editor of the Massachusetts Employment Law Letter and teaches master classes on behalf of the publisher, Business & Legal Resources (BLR). She will continue to present occasional webinars to national audiences on behalf of BLR and is a regular presenter and keynote speaker for BLR’s annual Advanced Employment Issues Symposium.

In addition, Fentin has a long history of supporting charitable organizations in Western Mass. She has served on the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts board of trustees, including three years as president; the Riverside Industries Inc. board of directors, including stints as vice president and president; and the WFCR Public Radio board of directors, where she also served as president. She currently serves on the board of directors for Greenfield Cooperative Bank and the Children’s Advocacy Center in Greenfield and is vice chair of the board of tribunes of WGBY Public Television. 

Fentin has been named a Super Lawyer since 2008, was one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Massachusetts in 2015, has been recognized as one of the top labor and employment attorneys in Massachusetts by the prestigious Chambers and Partners rating organization, and was honored as a distinguished alumna of the Western New England University Law Review.

AGAWAM — Jean Deliso, CFP has been named a member of the 2018 Chairman’s Council of New York Life. Members of the elite Chairman’s Council rank in the top 3% of New York Life’s sales force of more than 12,000 licensed agents in sales achievement. She has accomplished this level of achievement for seven consecutive years.

Deliso is president and owner of Deliso Financial and Insurance Services, a firm focusing on comprehensive financial strategies that help position clients for a solid financial future since 2000. She has been working in the financial field for 30 years, her first seven in public accounting and the balance working in the financial-services industry. She is a graduate of Bentley College.

Her extensive experience has led to a focus in certain fields, such as cash management, risk management, investment planning, and financial preparation for retirement, as well as times of transition such as divorce or widowhood.

Deliso has been a New York Life agent since 1995 and is associated with New York Life’s CT Valley General Office in Windsor, Conn. She is currently chairman of the board of the Baystate Health Foundation and is a board member of the Community Music School of Springfield. She is past chairman of the board of the YMCA of Greater Springfield, past board member of AAA Pioneer Valley, and a past trustee of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and the advisory council at Bay Path University.

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University’s Center of Excellence for Women in STEM is hosting a discussion on personal branding and marketing yourself with expert executive coach Rita Allen on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. in Breck Suite at Wright Hall located on Bay Path’s Longmeadow campus.

Allen wants to know: are you comfortable talking about your own accomplishments, talents, and the value you have to offer to your employers? Most women aren’t — yet, personal branding and marketing are vital ingredients when seeking a new job, promotion, or career change.

Allen, an executive coach, trainer, consultant, and author of Personal Branding and Marketing Yourself, will share her “Three Ps Marketing Technique” as a key to empowering oneself and building a successful career. A reception and book signing will follow her presentation. One attendee may win a signed copy of her book.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information and to register, visit www.baypath.edu and click on ‘Events.’

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) is the lead partner in a project that will bring $1.6 million in federal grant money to the Pioneer Valley to train community health workers in the battle against opioid addiction.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has awarded HCC $400,000 over two years to add as many as 36 seats per year to its existing community health worker program.

In addition to core studies in community health, students in the program will receive specific instruction and training in addiction and substance-abuse disorders.

Also, HCC’s three regional partners — Holyoke Health Center, Community Health Center of Franklin County, and the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services — will each receive separate $400,000 grants to support on-site practical training of those students.

“This is a really big deal,” said Rebecca Lewis, chair of HCC’s Foundations of Health program. “Each of the health centers is getting a huge award. Part of why we got this is because we took a regional approach. We’ll be recruiting students from all over the Pioneer Valley.”

The course of study will include three classes, free to all participants. The first cohort will begin in spring 2019 with “Core Competencies for Community Health Workers,” followed by “Introduction to Addiction Studies” in the summer of 2019, and concluding with a 125-hour practicum at one of the three health centers in the fall of 2019.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to leverage the resources of our academic partner, HCC, with the real-world implementation of the community health worker role,” said Edward Sayer, CEO of Community Health Center of Franklin County. “Health centers have been leaders in the area of integrated primary care for 50 years, so programs like these that build on developing a skilled workforce are essential to continuing the work of improving the health of our local communities.” 

Community health is an emerging healthcare field, and community health workers are typically employed by agencies to focus on underserved populations, conducting home visits and connecting clients with needed services. They do not provide medical care.