Month: July 2019

BOSTON — Eversource Energy has been selected as a winner of the 2019 Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the government’s highest honor for a company for its support of employees who participate in the U.S. National Guard and Reserves. Eversource is one of only 15 companies nationwide that were selected among more than 2,400 nominations.

The award is the result of the perseverance of Bill Gelinas, a control-room supervisor for Eversource in Berlin, Conn. Gelinas wanted to show his appreciation for the support he received from the company and its employees throughout his 15-year military service, which included four overseas deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

“This is an accomplishment that is truly inspiring and is a testament to the support provided to the Guard and Reserve members who work at Eversource,” said Gelinas, a 12-year employee of the company.

Gelinas said he was deeply touched by the warmth and support he has received from his Eversource colleagues, especially during his numerous deployments. Each time he went overseas, he was overwhelmed by thoughtful care packages and almost daily encouraging e-mails from employees and company leaders.

It also made him empathetic of other soldiers who didn’t have a support system like he did. “It made me realize how special it was and made me want to engage even more to help support other service members,” added Gelinas, who also serves as president of Eversource’s Veterans Assoc.

“We are deeply proud of Bill and honored to be selected for this award,” said Eversource Chairman, President, and CEO Jim Judge. “The Freedom Award speaks to our commitment as a longtime supporter of military and veteran employees. In addition to having a job to come back to and the personal outreach of our employees, our veterans are given formal training to provide them with the opportunity to advance to supervisory-level positions.”

The Defense Employer Support Freedom Award is administered by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense program that since 1966 has promoted relations and understanding between military reservists and their civilian employers. The winning companies will be invited to Washington, D.C. to receive the award from the Secretary of Defense at a ceremony held at the Pentagon in August.

SOUTHAMPTON — Glendale Ridge Vineyard at 155 Glendale Road, Southampton, is again hosting Sunset & Vines, an annual fundraising event for the Northampton Survival Center, on Saturday, July 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

This family-friendly benefit features music by Kate Lorenz and the Constellations, and local comedian Kelsey Flynn will serve as master of ceremonies. Food trucks will include the Bistro Bus, Local Burgy, Little Truc, and Chill Out.

Proceeds from ticket sales — $15 in advance at 2019sunsetandvines.brownpapertickets.com or $20 at the door — go directly toward purchasing food for clients who visit the Survival Center. Children 12 and under are free.

Attendees are invited to enjoy a mini-Tanglewood experience by bringing a blanket or chairs and a picnic if they choose. The rain date is Sunday, July 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Established in 1979 and celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the Northampton Survival Center is dedicated to improving quality of life for low-income individuals and families throughout Hampshire County by providing a stable and reliable source of free, nutritious food all year long. With pantries in Northampton and Goshen, the center is open every weekday, each day distributing more than 3,000 pounds of food to between 90 and 100 of its neighbors in need. The center serves 4,100 clients over the course of the year, a third of whom are children.

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Mall marks its 40th anniversary today, July 5. Since opening in 1979, Holyoke Mall has established itself as the largest shopping destination in Western Mass., currently offering more than 150 dining, entertainment, and retail destinations. 

Throughout the last 40 years, Pyramid Management Group has continued to adapt, evolve, and thrive in an ever-changing market. In 1995, the shopping center expanded, adding an additional 500,000 square feet, and welcomed big-box tenants such as Best Buy and Target. Traditionally located in free-standing or strip-mall locations, the addition of these anchor tenants began an industry-wide trend.

Over the years, Holyoke Mall has welcomed Massachusetts’ first Hobby Lobby, and the Xfinity Store, Toys R Us, and Christmas Tree Shops’ first in-mall locations. The center also continues to attract and expand its dining and entertainment options, most recently adding 110 Grill, Flight Fit N Fun, Round1 Bowling & Amusement, and Sumo Japanese Steakhouse.

“We are happy to grow and change with our shoppers. Forty years is a testament of our success and dedication to providing the highest quality and in-demand dining, entertainment, and retail venues,” said General Manager, Bill Rogalski. “We have more to come and are excited for our next 40 years.” 

Other stores celebrating 40 years at Holyoke Mall include American Eagle, Foot Locker, Gap, GNC, JCPenney, Kay Jewelers, Motherhood Maternity, and the Greek Place.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a partnership with the Veteran Entrepreneurial Training and Resource Network (VETRN) to establish a pilot training program for military veterans who are small-business owners and their immediate family members.

The program will equip these entrepreneurs with the resources and networks necessary to grow their small businesses.  An award of $100,000 from President Trump’s salary from the second quarter of fiscal year 2018 will fund the program.

Starting in September, this 26-week program based in Portsmouth, N.H. will feature 13 weeks of Saturday-morning classroom sessions with 12 to 20 participants, as well as 13 weeks of peer-to-peer mentoring sessions. The course curriculum will include strategic planning, financial management, cash-flow forecasting, marketing the small business, sales methods, human resources, developing a growth plan, access to capital, legal issues, and government contracting.

“While programs exist that help veterans start their small business, there is a critical need for programs that assist existing business owners with growing their business,” said SBA acting Administrator Chris Pilkerton. “Adding VETRN to the SBA resource network will enable us to fill this gap and empower veterans with the training, mentorship, tools, and network they need to achieve their long-term goals.”

Applicants must be a current business owner with at least one year of operation and one employee (not including the owner), and annual revenues of $75,000 or more.  Also required is the passion, dedication, and commitment to grow the small business.

Veteran business owners interested in finding out more information or applying for the September 2019 program can visit vetrn.org to complete an application, or e-mail [email protected].

MARLBOROUGH — Ronald McLean, president and CEO of the Cooperative Credit Union Assoc. Inc. (CCUA), on behalf of Massachusetts credit unions, along with members of the Massachusetts Credit Unions Social Responsibility Committee, presented a check for $202,725 to the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless at the third Annual Stephen D. Jones Credit Union Charity Golf Tournament in support of the “A Bed for Every Child” campaign. 

“The idea of so many children throughout Massachusetts not having their own bed is undreamed-of,” said McLean. “Massachusetts credit unions have banded together to ensure every child has a place to dream. We believe in the good work that the coalition accomplishes and are happy to do our part in helping children get a good night’s sleep to prepare them for a better future.”

Massachusetts credit unions have supported the coalition for more than two decades, surpassing more than $2 million in donations and providing blankets, toys, and books to help families in need. In 2018, Massachusetts credit unions raised $202,725 through efforts including the Stephen D. Jones Charity Golf Tournament and a variety of credit-union-driven initiatives. The need for “A Bed for Every Child” reaches all cities and towns in Massachusetts.

“A Bed for Every Child” began when a concerned inner-city public-school teacher reached out to the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. At the time, the teacher was seeing an increase in the number of students who did not have a bed of their own. As a result, these students were coming to school tired and not ready to learn.

According to Robyn Frost, executive director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, “there is no one face to a child receiving a bed, but they do have one thing in common, and that is, they are growing up in poverty in Massachusetts. The ability for ‘A Bed for Every Child’ to keep up with the demand continues to outpace the coalition’s capacity. We are extremely fortunate to have the Massachusetts credit unions as our partner.”

SPRINGFIELD — In the spring of 2017, BusinessWest and its sister publication, HCN, created a new and exciting recognition program called Healthcare Heroes.

It was launched with the theory that there are heroes working all across this region’s wide, deep, and all-important healthcare sector, and that there was no shortage of fascinating stories to tell and individuals and groups to honor. Two years later, that theory has been validated, and stories that needed to be told have been told.

But there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of heroes who stories we still need to tell. And that’s where you come in.

Nominations for the class of 2019 are due July 12, and we encourage you to get involved and help recognize someone you consider to be a hero in the community we call Western Mass. in one (or more) of these seven categories: Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider, Health/Wellness Administrator/Administration, Emerging Leader, Community Health, Innovation in Health/Wellness, Collaboration in Health/Wellness, and Lifetime Achievement.

Event sponsors include presenting sponsor American International College, partnering sponsors Development Associates and Comcast Business, and supporting sponsor Elms College. To nominate a Healthcare Hero, click here.

SPRINGFIELD — Last Thursday, commissioners representing their respective Hampden and Hampshire county communities had the opportunity to decide who will take the helm of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission as current Executive Director Tim Brennan prepares to bring his more than four decades of service in that role to a close this summer.

Those present selected Kimberly Robinson, who since 2011 has been executive director of the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency, which serves three counties anchored by Metro Reno, Nevada. Previous posts held by Robinson also include head planner for the city of Detroit and planning manager for the Washoe County Department of Community Development.

“I am thrilled and humbled to have been selected by the commission to lead the next chapter in its long history of improving Pioneer Valley residents’ quality of life,” said Robinson. “While Tim Brennan leaves big shoes to fill, I’m grateful that he also leaves the agency with a great reputation and on solid financial and operational footing. I cannot wait to roll up my sleeves and build on the partnerships the agency has cultivated with its 43 member communities to help them succeed, from basic government service delivery to big-picture regional visioning.”

Pending a successful contract negotiation, Robinson and Brennan will work together to identify a time over the next few months for the transition to occur.

“After an extraordinarily rewarding career working with the PVPC’s 43 member communities plus countless numbers of colleagues, partners, and friends, I am now looking forward to welcoming Kim Robinson as our agency’s new leader later this fall,” Brennan said. “Kim undeniably brings an impressive résumé of skills and experiences to this job but, more importantly, a level of personal commitment and energy that I’m confident will serve the Pioneer Valley region and its people extremely well as the Planning Commission continues to tackle the problems and opportunities that will define our region’s future.”

David Starr, the long-time publisher and then president of the Republican, died this week at age 96.

He will long be remembered for his many accomplishments and innovations in journalism — and in the revitalization of Springfield, the city he came to in the late ’70s, at a time when it was already in deep decline.

His passing helps serve as a poignant reminder of the power and importance of the press at a time when the industry is struggling and some worry about its very survival.

Indeed, Starr, while leading efforts to revitalize Springfield through the arts and culture, made the media, and specifically the Republican, a partner in those efforts.

Some criticized him for crossing over some imaginary line between reporting news and participating in the news, but Springfield, and this region as a whole, should be very glad he did cross it.

“Urban revitalization hinges on a true working partnership among elected officials (mayor, city councilors), private business people … and the media,” Starr wrote in a letter to S.I. Newhouse Sr., owner of the chain of newspapers to which the Republican belonged. “Newspapers have the power to nurture or destroy this kind of effort. If a paper can be persuaded to help, then the prospect of success is enormously brighter.

“Many editors are uncomfortable with the thought of participation,” he continued in the same letter. “They do not want to be — and they certainly should not be — mere promoters. But it’s my thesis that once an editor has examined the problem and decided that the proposed solution is a good one, then he does not lose his editorial prerogative by joining the effort.”

Starr wasn’t a promoter, but he certainly joined the effort. And not only did he join it — in many cases he led it; he was one of the founders of Springfield Business Friends of the Arts, and also the Community Foundation of Western Mass. and the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., and active with a number of organizations related to the arts.

He was a do-gooder, but he did a lot more than that. He inspired others to also join the effort, and by the time of his death, he could rightly be proud of the many ways in which Springfield has changed for the better.

FLORENCE — Florence Bank accepted three of the four potential awards for banking excellence in Western Mass. and took part in a panel discussion at the Bank Best Expo! at MGM Springfield on June 28.

As part of the 2019 Banking Choice Awards review by 278,359 independent consumers in a double-blind scientific study, Florence Bank came out on top in Western Mass. in almost every category.

At the expo, Monica Curhan, the bank’s senior vice president and Marketing director, accepted two first-place awards, for customer service and overall quality, and a second-place honor for excellence in technology and tools.

Curhan also sat on a panel of bankers whose institutions consistently rank at the top in independent consumer surveys to discuss best industry practices. She was joined by Stephen Lewis, president of Thomaston Savings Bank and chairman of the Connecticut Bankers Assoc.; Todd Tallman, president and treasurer of Cornerstone Bank in Massachusetts; and Mark Bodin, president of Savings Bank of Walpole in New Hampshire.

“Every decision we make is with the customer in mind, so it’s nice to know our efforts are resonating with our customers,” Curhan said.

The Banking Choice Awards recognize banks that receive the highest ratings from their own customers in four categories: customer service, technology, community contribution, and overall quality. 

The rankings are based upon the Banking Benchmarks, the industry’s gold standard of customer-experience measurement, conducted twice per year among hundreds of thousands of households and businesses to get unbiased opinions of the institutions with whom they bank. The Banking Choice Awards honored the top three institutions in each category from each region in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

In addition to presenting the awardees, the expo also gives attendees the opportunity to network with peers, discover solutions from leaders in the banking community, and learn about the latest products and services in the industry.

AMHERST — The development and fundraising consulting firm Financial Development Agency Inc. (FDA) announced that Sarah Tanner is re-joining FDA as a full partner and one of three principals. Ms. Tanner had worked for FDA for several years prior to becoming director of Development at Friends of the Homeless and Clinical and Support Options.

With more than 20 years of resource-development experience, Tanner has helped a broad range of nonprofits within and beyond Western Mass. to succeed in meeting their fundraising and communications goals and objectives.

“We are very excited to have Sarah back on board as a principal and partner,” said FDA’s Matt Blumenfeld. “Her wealth of experience, familiarity with FDA’s mission and practice, and passion for excellence will serve our nonprofit client base effectively and well, and we look forward to many fruitful years of working together.”

Tanner started her career at the Mile High United Way in Colorado, serving as a marketing manager for information and referral services. She continued in the United Way system, serving in leadership positions with United Ways of New York City, Hampshire County, and the Pioneer Valley. After her tenure as senior vice president of Strategic Communications and Resource Development at the United Way of Pioneer Valley, she worked as a senior program manager at FDA, where she ran several successful capital campaigns as well as providing a variety of consulting services to more than a dozen FDA clients.

In addition to her work in resource development, Tanner serves on the faculty of the graduate programs in nonprofit management and philanthropy at Bay Path University and serves as president of the Western Mass. chapter of Assoc. of Fundraising Professionals. At FDA, she will manage training and coaching programs, as well as executive-search and interim-development services.

Tanner received her master of public administration degree in the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the School of Public Health at UMass Amherst. She is a graduate of the Human Service Forum’s Emerging Leaders Institute, as well as an inaugural graduate of the Leadership Pioneer Valley class of 2012. She was also named to BusinessWest’s inaugural 40 Under Forty class of 2007.

SPRINGFIELD — On June 20, the Horace Smith Fund held its 120th corporators’ meeting at the Carriage House of Storrowton Tavern in West Springfield. Present at the annual meeting were the corporators who unanimously voted to elect Thomas Senecal, president of PeoplesBank, as a new Corporator.

Senecal has more than 25 years of experience in the financial-services industry. In 2016, he was elected president and CEO of PeoplesBank, previously serving as the bank’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. He is a graduate of the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst and is a certified public accountant. He also attended the Tuck Executive Program at Dartmouth College. In addition to his new appointment with the Horace Smith Fund, Senecal also serves as a corporator for Loomis Communities.

Following the annual meeting, the Horace Smith Fund awarded $411,000 in scholarships and fellowships to students who will be pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees this fall.

SPRINGFIELD — Saying he is “bullish” on downtown Springfield, Gov. Charlie Baker was among a group of local and state officials who gathered to ceremonially break ground Monday on a $38 million restoration of the Paramount Theater and Massasoit House Hotel.

The project will transform the Paramount, which opened 90 years ago as a vaudeville theater, into a performing-arts center, while the adjoining Massasoit building will become an 85-room boutique hotel. The property was purchased in 2011 by the New England Farm Workers Council. The 85-room hotel is expected to be completed by December 2020, with the theater expected to finish a year after that.

Main Street Hospitality — whose properties include the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Hotel on North in Pittsfield, and the Porches Inn at MASS MoCA in North Adams — will manage the new Massasoit House Hotel. Main Street CEO Sarah Eustis has been looking to enter the Springfield market for a few years.

Project funding involves roughly $20 million from state and federal historic tax credits and a federal opportunity-zone tax credit. The project will also reap $3.8 million in HUD Section 108 loan funds through the city and the federal government, a $2 million state grant, and private funding.

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University’s bachelor of arts (BA) in leadership and organizational studies (LOS) has been named among the top 20 online programs in the country, as ranked by thebestschools.org.

According to the site, bachelor-degree programs in leadership and organizational studies were ranked based on several categories, including academic excellence, strength of faculty scholarship, reputation, range of degree programs, and strength of online-instruction methodology. Bay Path’s program, offered by its American Women’s College, was acknowledged for its accelerated degree program and its distinct Women as Empowered Learners and Leaders program. 

“The women who complete the exclusively online LOS degree have developed advanced competencies in planning, organizing, and prioritizing work,” said Jacqueline Snyder, lead LOS faculty for the American Women’s College. “Graduates of the program have critically addressed leadership and organizational topics through a diverse set of lenses: their own, their peers, societal, academia, and industry. These experiences foster leaders who can work effectively with others in different situations. An LOS graduate brings to the workplace true grit to persevere, the intellect of multiple perspectives, and the ability to adapt to the different needs of an organization.”

The BA in leadership and organizational studies at the American Women’s College offers 100% online or a combination of online and on-campus courses, with six different start dates per year. The program is offered in an accelerated version, and has the flexibility to be taken full-time or part-time. It also includes access to mentoring, tutoring, library resources, academic resources, and career services.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Freedom Credit Union announced that Ann Manchino will be managing its new West Springfield branch, following Freedom’s recent merger with West Springfield Federal Credit Union (WSFCU).

“Asking Ann to remain on board to oversee our newly opened West Springfield branch was an easy decision,” said Glenn Welch, president and CEO. “From the beginning of the merger discussions with Ann and her board, I found her to be very knowledgeable about the credit union, her staff, and their members. With over three decades of experience in the banking industry, and with her previous role as manager, she brings direct knowledge, skills, and dedication to help integrate the former members of WSFCU, and to our expanded branch network.”

Manchino manages a staff of seven and previously worked for 18 years at WSFCU, serving as its manager for six years. She has a long history of local community involvement, having volunteered with Credit for Life, St. Patrick’s Committee of West Springfield, West Springfield Park and Recreation, and the American Red Cross.

HADLEY — As the UMass Donahue Institute’s newest business group, Connected Beginnings Training Institute (CBTI) further strengthens an already robust portfolio of early-childhood training and technical-assistance services across New England by focusing on the social and emotional health of children from birth to age 8.

Research suggests that positive, supportive, enriching, and nurturing relationships with adults and other children are critical to young children’s social and emotional well-being, mental health, evolving brain architecture, and capacity to learn. Connected Beginnings Training Institute builds the capacity of infant and early-childhood practitioners to engage in nurturing relationships with families and the very young children in their care.

“We recognize the especially critical period of growth in babies and very young children, as well as the unique demands that presents on families and the practitioners that seek to support them,” said CBTI Director Mary Watson Avery. “Our goal is to build the capacity in all the disciplines serving families with very young children, so that they feel ready to support the social and emotional needs of whomever walks in their door.”

Connected Beginnings Training Institute was launched in 2006 by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay/Merrimack Valley Inc. CBTI then partnered with Wheelock College from 2011 to 2018.

The professional-development activities offered by CBTI include training, coaching, assessment, consultation, and evaluation. Each offering is designed to provide practitioners, administrators, and policy makers with the most current and evidence-based research in a wide range of disciplines contributing to the field of infant and early-childhood mental health.

The UMass Donahue Institute has established itself as a national and regional leader in early-childhood training and technical assistance with the Head Start National Center on Program Management and Fiscal Operations and the New England Head Start Training & Technical Assistance business group.

“The addition of Connected Beginnings Training Institute further expands our ability to serve the early-childhood education and care community here in Massachusetts, across the New England region, and nationally,” said Eric Heller, the UMass Donahue Institute’s interim executive director. “We are thrilled to have CBTI’s expertise and reputation join that of our distinguished Head Start training and technical programs.”

SPRINGFIELD — Freedom Credit Union (FCU), a Springfield-based, full-service financial institution with 11 branches throughout Western Mass., announced it now offers an in-house FCU Investment Services division, growing and enhancing a service it previously outsourced.

“Bringing investment services in house made sense for our members and our future growth,” said Glenn Welch, president and CEO. “We wanted to ensure we are meeting our members’ needs by helping them meet their financial goals. Each of our members has unique circumstances, and we want to provide personalized services that reflect this.”

As part of this expansion, Jack Vadnais was named director of FCU Investment Services, and Michael Johnson was hired as associate director.

“Jack has been a tremendous asset to Freedom Credit Union and will be equally valuable to our clients in his new role,” said Welch. “He brings over two decades of experience to the table and will skillfully lead FCU Investment Services into the future. Michael also offers a depth of knowledge, skills, and experience to help guide the division, as well as deep roots in Franklin County.”

As director, Vadnais will manage all aspects of the division and assist clients in achieving their financial goals. He has been working with members of Freedom for eight years as a financial advisor. A Navy veteran, he is a graduate of Bridgewater State College, a certified financial planner, and a licensed insurance agent.

“We are here to advise and educate our clients so they can make the most informed decisions concerning their investments,” said Vadnais. “I’m excited to be able to have a larger impact in helping our members set and reach their financial goals.”

In his role as associate director, Johnson will work mainly with Freedom’s clients in the Franklin County area, advising them about their investment portfolios and providing information about the credit union’s available financial services.

Prior to joining Freedom, Johnson served for nearly 15 years as vice president and financial advisor at Greenfield Cooperative Bank. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics from UMass Amherst and is a Paul Harris Fellow. A former long-time member of the Rotary Club of Franklin County, twice serving as its president, he also served as vice president of the Greenfield Community College Foundation.

“We want to help our clients see the big picture and to think long-term when it comes to their financial choices,” said Johnson. “We are available to work with all of our members who need help understanding their financial picture or developing or managing their portfolio.”

CHICOPEE — Every year, Yankee Home founder Ger Ronan takes out a full-page newspaper ad telling his personal immigrant story and thanking America for helping him become a successful business owner. This year, he is inviting staff and partners to toast the grand reopening of Yankee Home, at 36 Justin Dr., Chicopee, with a celebration on Tuesday, July 2.

“It’s not a traditional reopening since the business never closed,” Ronan said. “It’s more of a relaunch with new branding, imagery, and messaging. It’s the beginning of a new chapter in the storied history of this company.”

Ronan came to the U.S. from Ireland in 1982 with $80 in his pocket. He worked a series of jobs and worked his way up the ladder toward owning his own business. As he says in a recent TV spot, “I built Yankee Home from the ground up, but the story really starts on the roof.” In 2007, he was fleeced by a shady roofer who made off with a $2,500 deposit. This prompted him to start Yankee Home, a business devoted to honest practices with a 100% money-back guarantee.

For Tuesday’s event, Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos will be on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the unveiling of the new Yankee Home branding and imagery. Lunch will be catered by Theodore’s, followed by ice cream from Mr. Whippey. The ribbon cutting begins at noon, followed by lunch at 12:30 p.m.

HADLEY — Harbor Freight Tools will celebrate the grand opening of its new store in Hadley on Wednesday, July 10 at 8 a.m. The store, located at 303 Russell St., is the 15th Harbor Freight Tools store in Massachusetts.

“We’re excited to serve customers in the great city of Hadley,” said Steve Handscomb, store manager. “At Harbor Freight, we’re passionate about providing our customers with the tools they need to get the job done, and always at an affordable price. We look forward to welcoming auto technicians, contractors, woodworkers, homeowners, hobbyists — anyone who needs affordable tools.”

The 15,000-square-foot store will stock a full selection of tools and accessories in categories including automotive, air and power tools, storage, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment, hand tools, and more. Harbor Freight’s hand tools come with a lifetime warranty.

The new Harbor Freight Tools store will be open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

NORTHAMPTON — Karin Jeffers, president and CEO of behavioral-health agency Clinical & Support Options, announced the appointment of Geoffrey Oldmixon as the nonprofit’s associate vice president of Marketing & Development.

Previously, Oldmixon served as director of Marketing for public television station WGBY and director of Communications and Online Services for the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. He holds a master’s degree in interactive communications from Quinnipiac University, a bachelor’s degree in writing and public relations from Bridgewater State University, and a career certificate in grant writing from Fort Hays State University.