Daily News

LONGMEADOW — At its 2019 annual meeting in Atlanta, the Assoc. of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) announced that Carol Leary, president of Bay Path University, was appointed chair of the board.

Richard Guarasci, president of Wagner College, will continue to serve on AAC&U’s board as past chair. The members also voted to appoint William Craft, president of Concordia College, as vice chair of the board. Royce Engstrom, professor of Chemistry at the University of Montana, will continue his term as treasurer.

Two new directors were also appointed to AAC&U’s board: Timothy Eatman, inaugural dean of the Honors Living-Learning Community and associate professor of Urban Education at Rutgers University Newark; and Mary Ann Villareal, assistant vice president, Strategic Initiatives at California State University Fullerton.

“It is a privilege to welcome our new board members as we work together in support of AAC&U and our president, Lynn Pasquerella,” Leary said. “The mission and goals of AAC&U, and our commitment to equity, inclusivity, and innovation, are more critical than ever as higher education grapples with the seismic shifts presented by the 21st century.”

Added Pasquerella, “it is an honor and a privilege to work with such an extraordinary group of higher-education leaders. I look forward to learning from the insights and expertise of AAC&U’s new board members as we seek to achieve our shared objective of advancing liberal education and equity as the foundations for excellence in undergraduate education in service to democracy.”

Daily News

LENOX — James Wolfe has been appointed general manager of Seven Hills, a historic, 57-room boutique hotel in Lenox. Backed by 17 years of senior leadership experience in the hospitality industry, Wolfe joins the hotel in the midst of a repositioning and renovation that is slated for completion this spring. 

Wolfe comes to Seven Hills from Comfort Inn & Suites Sturbridge, where he also served as general manager. Over the course of his career, he has held general-manager positions at hotels throughout the Northeast and Midwest under the Courtyard by Marriott, Hyatt Place, and Residence Inn brands. As general manager of Newark Metropolitan Hotel in Newark, Ohio, he led the 118-room hotel through an acquisition, renovation, and grand opening.

Wolfe has also served as director of operations for Crowne Plaza and the Lofts in Columbus, Ohio, and for Sage Hospitality’s Cherry Valley Lodge and Sheraton Kansas City Sports Complex.

“We’re delighted to welcome James to the Scout family and are confident that his past experience in the Berkshires region and through the renovations process makes him the right choice to lead Seven Hills during this exciting, transformative time,” said Robin Kirk, principal and CEO of Scout Hotels and Resort Management.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JAWM), now celebrating its centennial anniversary, has earned a 5-Star Award from Junior Achievement USA for the third consecutive year.

“The board of directors and staff of Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts are proud to receive this recognition for working for a cause we feel passionate about — giving students knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship,” said Jennifer Connolly, JAWM president. “This recognition is a real testament to the outstanding support we receive from our board of directors, our volunteers, and our local communities.”

Junior Achievement organizations are now judged on five categories: Student Growth/Year-over-Year % Change in Contact Hours; Surplus; Cash on Hand; Debt Ratio, and Current Ratio, defined as current assets divided by current liabilities. All chapters must meet the criteria for Surplus and at least one of the two student ratios, with the level of the star determined by how many of the other three standards are met.

JAWM’s volunteer-delivered, K-12 programs foster work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial-literacy skills, and use experiential learning to inspire students to reach their potential. It provides turnkey solutions for businesses to engage students; rigorous and proven curriculum to educators for Massachusetts frameworks in English-language arts, mathematics, and social studies; and business-startup experience for teens.

In addition, Junior Achievement provides educational programming for K-12 students that supports the newly signed law by Gov. Charlie Baker aimed at giving Massachusetts students the tools they need to navigate their financial futures, including milestones like buying a home and planning for retirement. The law allows state education officials to establish standards around financial literacy, which schools could incorporate into their existing curricula in subjects like math, business, and social sciences.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELDBusinessWest is looking for nominees for its fifth Continued Excellence Award, and will accept nominations through Friday, May 3. The winner of the award will be unveiled at the magazine’s 40 Under Forty gala on Thursday, June 20.

Four years ago, BusinessWest inaugurated the award to recognize past 40 Under Forty honorees who had significantly built on their achievements since they were honored.

The first two winners were Delcie Bean, president of Paragus Strategic IT, and Dr. Jonathan Bayuk, president of Allergy and Immunology Associates of Western Mass. and chief of Allergy and Immunology at Baystate Medical Center. Both were originally named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2008. The judges chose two winners in 2017: Scott Foster, an attorney with Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas (40 Under Forty class of 2011); and Nicole Griffin, owner of Griffin Staffing Network (class of 2014). Last year, Samalid Hogan, regional director of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (class of 2013), took home the honor.

“So many 40 Under Forty honorees have refused to rest on their laurels,” said Kate Campiti, associate publisher of BusinessWest. “Once again, we want to honor those who continue to build upon their strong records of service in business, within the community, and as regional leaders.”

Candidates must hail from 40 Under Forty classes prior to the year of the award — in this case, classes 2007-18 — and will be judged on qualities including outstanding leadership, dedicated community involvement, professional achievement, and ability to inspire. The award’s presenting sponsor is Health New Enlgand.

The nomination form is available by clicking here. For your convenience, a list of the past 12 40 Under Forty classes may be found here. For more information call Bevin Peters, Marketing and Events Director, at (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected].