Day: January 9, 2020

SPRINGFIELD — The directors of the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation announced the retirement of Executive Director Mary Walachy, who has been associated with the foundation for the past 23 years.

Upon her formal retirement in June, Walachy will continue to represent the Davis Foundation in its role as philanthropic lead for the new Educare Springfield early-education center, which is the 24th Educare in the country and the first in Massachusetts.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to work for the Davis family,” Walachy said. “I cannot put into words my feelings of gratitude for the opportunity they have given me to serve as executive director of their family foundation over the last many years. They are truly remarkable people, and this community is blessed to have them dedicated to the important issues facing our community and especially those relating to our children and families.

“Additionally,” she went on, “it has been an absolute honor and privilege to work with so many collaborators in the community and the wonderful organizations that I have come in contact with throughout the 23 years I’ve worked for the Davis Foundation. I know that I will treasure my time with the Davis family and my time involved in this important work for many years to come.”

John and Steve Davis, directors of the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, noted in a statement that “our family has been incredibly blessed to have Mary at the helm of the foundation. Her intelligence, good humor, wit, and compassion for other people helped to guide our work in the community. She has been the driving force of many of our strategic initiatives to make a difference in the region, particularly our work focused on education. We will miss her involvement in the day-to-day management of the foundation, but are pleased to share that Mary will continue to guide the foundation in its role as philanthropic lead for the Educare Springfield facility. She has been a wonderful asset to the foundation and the community, and we wish her only the best as she begins the next chapter of her life.”

Hired in 1997 as the first executive director of the foundation, Walachy’s responsibilities have included development of the organization’s strategic direction, general oversight of its administration, and developing new and proactive funding initiatives.

Under Walachy’s leadership, the foundation established several signature initiatives, including Cherish Every Child, the nationally recognized Reading Success by 4th Grade initiative, the Funder Collaborative for Reading Success, the establishment of Springfield Business Leaders for Education, and the launch of Educare Springfield.

Walachy was named a Woman of Distinction by the Pioneer Valley Girl Scout Council in 2005. She received an honorary degree from Springfield Technical Community College and was awarded the 2015 Humanics Achievement Award from Springfield College.

Walachy currently serves as vice chair of the board of directors of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. She is also a member of the board of directors of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, a member of the board of directors of Libertas Academy Charter School, former board member of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, and on the steering committee of the Massachusetts Early Education for All Campaign.

The Davis Foundation has engaged a consultant and has tapped the national search firm Isaacson Miller to identify a new executive director.

HOLYOKE — Charter Oak Financial, MassMutual Greater Long Island, and MassMutual Greater Hudson have combined. The expanded firm will operate as Charter Oak Financial and will be led by managing partners Brendan Naughton and Brad Somma.

The consolidation is part of a strategic plan to extend Charter Oak’s reach and leverage highly skilled resources to create the scale and infrastructure needed to deliver an enhanced client experience.

Charter Oak now includes 375 advisors and a team of more than 100 specialists and staff servicing clients from offices across Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. The combination also bolsters existing presence in the Chinatowns of Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn.

Naughton and Somma have been industry colleagues since 2001 and bring a combined 30 years of financial-services expertise to their leadership roles. Naughton joined Charter Oak in 2005 as a managing director for the firm’s Stamford office. He filled that role until 2009, when he was appointed managing partner. Somma was a managing director with Charter Oak from 2008 until 2012, when he was appointed managing partner of MassMutual Greater Long Island.

This history — along with compatible leadership values and the market synergies and resources of the three legacy firms — factored into the decision to bring Naughton and Somma together again to lead the combined Charter Oak Financial.

“Brendan and Brad are visionary leaders who each bring unique experiences and leadership to the financial-services industry at large,” said John Vaccaro, head of MassMutual Financial Advisors, MassMutual. “Building on their excellent reputations and history, I am confident that Charter Oak Financial is well positioned to maximize the tremendous opportunities for residents and businesses across the markets they serve. The resources available in the larger firm will provide a tremendous opportunity to invest in progressive strategies to serve the evolving needs of customers.”

Added Naughton and Somma in a joint statement, “it’s a privilege to lead Charter Oak into its next generation. We look forward to delivering an experience for our clients that exceeds their expectations, in service to the communities we’ve called home for years.”

FLORENCE — Florence Bank has hired Andre Motulski as assistant vice president and controller in the Finance department.

Prior to joining Florence Bank, Motulski had served as a financial-institution examiner at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. He studied at Central Connecticut State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in accounting. Additionally, he earned a designation as a commissioned risk management examiner.

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Andre Motulski to our Florence Bank family,” President and CEO John Heaps Jr. said. “He has an impressive background, and we feel he’s the ideal candidate to take on the role of controller. I know we will be seeing excellent results from him in the years to come, and I look forward to watching his success.”

SPRINGFIELD — On Friday, Jan. 24 from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, the Student Prince & the Fort Restaurant will join nearly 30 other restaurants to participate in the 30th annual Chefs for Jimmy at Chez Josef in Agawam. Chefs for Jimmy is an annual fundraising event that, since 1990, has raised more than $1.8 million for adult and pediatric cancer care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute of Boston.

Chefs for Jimmy offers a delicious way to raise funds because it features dishes created by more than 30 chefs from 30 different local restaurants. It’s a fun culinary tasting tour, and the event also includes an ‘opportunity drawing’ and a silent auction. The theme for 2020 to be reflected in the décor and the food presentation is “one night of peace, love, and food”.

Andy Yee, managing partner of the Student Prince & the Fort, is a member of the Jimmy Fund committee, along with Danielle Veronesi, Marketing director of Peter Pan Bus Lines. Both are members of the Bean Restaurant Group. “We didn’t think twice about joining Chefs for Jimmy,” Yee said. “We can’t wait to prepare our special dishes for everyone to try, and it’s a great night to socialize and enjoy the area’s most delicious fare. Cancer research and treatment is near and dear to our hearts. Please help us raise money for the Jimmy Fund.”

Added Veronesi, “it’s an important event, and we need the support of our entire community to make this year the best ever. We thank you in advance, and we hope you join us for one night of peace, love, and food.”

Participating restaurants will include 350 Grill, Burgundy Brook Café, Cerrato’s Pastry Shop, the Chandler Steakhouse, Chez Josef, Dana’s Main Street Tavern, Delaney’s Grill & the Mick, Elegant Affairs, Fazio’s Ristorante, Johnny’s Tavern, Leone’s Restaurant, Longmeadow Country Club, Max’s Tavern, Murphy’s Pub, Nadim’s Downtown, Nina’s Cookies, Nosh Restaurant & Café, On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, Pierce Brothers Coffee Roasters, Pintu’s Indian Restaurant, Rondeau’s Dairy Bar, Shortstop Bar & Grill, the Starting Gate at GreatHorse, Steaming Tender, Storrowton Tavern Restaurant & Carriage House, the Student Prince & the Fort, Tekoa Country Club, Tokyo Asian Cuisine, and Tucker’s Restaurant.