Day: September 12, 2019

SPRINGFIELD — The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield (YPS) board of directors elected Amie Miarecki, director of Community Relations at Sunshine Village, as the new board president.

Miarecki is the former vice president and will serve a two-year term, succeeding Ashley Clark, Cash Management officer at Berkshire Bank, who has six years of board service and leadership, including a two-year term as president. As provided by the organization’s bylaws, Clark has reached her maximum consecutive years of board service and will remain an advisor to the board of directors.

The YPS board of directors also elected Meredith Perri, High School Sports editor for MassLive, to a two-year term as the vice president, and Andrew Mankus, director of Operations for Residential Dining at UMass Amherst, to a two-year term as treasurer.

“I am excited to follow in the footsteps of the visionaries that began YPS all those years ago,” Miarecki said. “I look forward to continuing a legacy of leadership that celebrates all our area has to offer. Along with a dynamic board of directors, we will fulfill the mission and bring even more professional-development, cultural, and recreational opportunities to our membership as well as make contributions through our YPS Cares foundation. We welcome our members and community partners to join YPS as we do our part in the renaissance of Springfield.”

Added Clark, “YPS is built to provide Springfield’s young professionals with the tools they need to succeed, personally and professionally. Many great leaders have passed through our doors over the last 12 years. Today’s new leadership team will undoubtedly continue to embrace the mission of YPS and provide Springfield with positive impact and value for our membership. It was a great honor to serve as president, and I have made many lasting connections because of YPS.”

SPRINGFIELD — Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced that attorney Michele Feinstein, a shareholder in the firm, has been certified as an accredited estate planner (AEP) by the National Assoc. of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC).

The AEP designation is a graduate-level, multi-disciplinary specialization in estate planning that requires estate-planning professionals to meet special education, experience, and knowledge requirements, as well as ongoing continuing-education requirements.

The NAEPC is a national network of affiliated estate-planning councils and credentialed professionals. It includes more than 270 estate-planning councils and provides services to an estimated 30,000 individual members. It has nearly 2,000 active AEP designees with representation in nearly every state of the country. The professionals are typically within the accounting, insurance, legal, trust-services, philanthropic, or financial-planning fields, all of whom spend at least a third of the time on estate planning.

In addition to estate-planning administration, Feinstein concentrates her practice in the areas of elder law, health law, and corporate and business planning, including all aspects of planning for the succession of business interests, representation of closely held businesses and their owners, and representation of physicians in their individual and group practices.

Feinstein has received many professional recognitions, including repeated selection to Super Lawyers of Massachusetts, Top Women Attorneys of New England, Best Lawyers in America, and Top Women of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

SPRINGFIELD — Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO; John Lund, chief financial officer; and Michael Kelley, mortgage originator at Arrha Credit Union, invite everyone of all ages and abilities to help raise Alzheimer’s awareness funds toward a cure at the James E. Graham Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 14 and the 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sunday, Sept. 15.

“The golf tournament and walk are about continuing to build a community to honor our loved ones and find a cure,” Lund said.

During the golf tournament Lund, on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Assoc. and as chair of the executive leadership committee, will read a proclamation from the City Council proclaiming Sept. 14 Jimmy Graham Day.

“It is a great honor to help champion the walk,” he said. “My sincerest thanks goes to Justin Hurst, president of Springfield City Council, and the council at large for their tremendous acknowledgement. As a caregiver of my father, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and recently passed away, I appreciate the importance of a support network. It’s hard to watch a loved one lose their memory and no longer know who you are. There are many stories just like mine, and at Arrha, we want others to share theirs. Together, we can build awareness and shine a light on this terrible disease.”

Added Kelly, “my family and I are honored to help fight against Alzheimer’s, a disease that has affected several members in our family. We are proud to be involved with the Alzheimer’s Association and take part in the walk. We welcome everyone to join us.”

On Sept. 14, the four-person scramble begins at 11:30 a.m. at Agawam Municipal Golf Course (click here to register), and on Sept. 15, the 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s opens 8:30 a.m. at Holyoke Community College (click here to register).

BOSTON — Brooke Thomson, most recently vice president of Government Affairs for AT&T and a former senior official with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, will become executive vice president of Government Affairs at Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM).

Thomson is no stranger to AIM. She has served as a member of the its board of directors and executive committee and chaired the board’s government affairs committee for the past year. She replaces John Regan, who took over as president and CEO of the 3,500-member business association in May.

“Brooke Thomson will allow AIM to move forward without missing a beat on critical upcoming debates on transportation, healthcare costs, and education funding. She brings unparalleled intelligence and experience to the complex issues that AIM tackles every day on behalf of Massachusetts employers,” Regan said.

Joanne Hilferty, president and CEO of Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries in Boston and chair of the AIM board of directors, added that “Brooke understands both government affairs and the broader mission of AIM as an association of forward-thinking employers working to make Massachusetts a better place for everyone by empowering success and creating change.”

Thomson joined AT&T in 2013. Her duties for the telecommunications company include legislative and regulatory affairs in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She came to AT&T after six years in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, where she served as chief of the Business, Technology and Economic Development Division. Prior to that, she worked as legal counsel to the Massachusetts Legislature’s Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

Thomson is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and Mount Holyoke College. Her political experience includes managing the successful campaign of Martha Coakley for attorney general in 2010.

“I am thrilled to be joining AIM, the leading voice for businesses for 104 years,” Thomson said. “I look forward to working with the outstanding AIM Government Affairs team to ensure that the organization remains a champion of business in the state as we continue to move Massachusetts forward.”