Daily News

HOLYOKE — Today, Sept. 23, BusinessWest will stage its annual 40 Under Forty Gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke.

Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a series of steps are being taken to help ensure the health and safety of all those who will be attending the 40 Under Forty Gala. The overriding goal is to create an event that will recognize these rising stars in the manner they deserve, but in a way that addresses the health and safety concerns related to COVID for attendees and Log Cabin employees alike.

Masks must be worn by all attendees when not eating or drinking or seated at their assigned table. All registration and check-in will be conducted outdoors, outside the main entrance. The popular VIP reception hour prior to the event will take place outdoors on the terrace located directly outside the Grand Edna Ballroom.

Finally, both indoor and outdoor seating will be utilized to create the ability for social distancing and spacing between tables: indoors in the Grand Edna Williams Ballroom and the Southampton Room; and outdoors (all tented) on the Grand Edna Terrace, the Southampton Room Terrace, and the Upper Vista (the event space above the Log Cabin that comes complete with breathtaking views of Mount Tom and the valley below).

The plan is to bring portions of the announcement of the 40 Under Forty class live to those in both the indoor and outdoor spaces. Streaming of the proceedings will be available to all those gathered at the Log Cabin and those wishing to join remotely (click here).

Daily News

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University’s ninth annual Cybersecurity Summit will be held virtually on Friday, Oct. 8 from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

This year’s featured speaker will be Jessica Bair, director of Cisco Secure Technical Alliance. The topic of her presentation will be “You Have the Power to Design Your Life: How I Used a Career in Cybersecurity to Design Mine.”

To register, click here. Registration for this event is required, and details on how to join the webinar will be sent to registered participants before the event.

The focus of the presentation will be on how to enter, build, or enhance a career in the cybersecurity space. It will cover the skills required to start a successful career; the current career options in cybersecurity; the building blocks to grow a cybersecurity career path, including current certificates and education options; the mindset needed to navigate a constantly changing field; and strategies to cultivate mentorship relationships and expand networks.

Bair has more than two decades of leadership experience in security. As the director of Cisco Secure Technical Alliance, she and her team focus on building open ecosystems for SecureX and more than a dozen security product offerings. She also manages the Cisco team in the Security Operations Centers for the RSA Conferences and Black Hat global conferences. She began her career as a special agent and computer forensics examiner in the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. She earned an MBA from Pepperdine University.

The Cybersecurity Summit is sponsored by Bay Path University, which offers undergraduate degrees in computer science, computer security, digital forensics, and information assurance, as well as a master of science program in cybersecurity management; and also by the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Today, Sept. 23, Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will join Springfield Prep Charter School students, families, faculty, and partners for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the site of its newly renovated facility in Springfield.

The $20.4 million project will serve nearly 500 students each year from throughout the city of Springfield. The new, 50,000-square-foot location offers students and faculty access to facilities that support a college-preparatory curriculum, including classrooms designed for its unique two-teacher model, breakout rooms for small-group instruction, a full gymnasium with a stage for performances, and dedicated science, art, and dance rooms.

Baker and Polito will tour the school at 12:30 p.m. with a small group of school leaders and students. The formal ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 12:45 p.m. with a keynote address from Baker, followed by remarks from Polito. Addresses from the executive director, a student, a faculty member, and a board member will follow.

The school is located at 2071 Roosevelt Ave., Springfield. Parking is available in the school’s main parking lot (enter from Memorial Drive). The event will be held outdoors or in the school’s gymnasium in the event of rain. Masks will be required for all attendees, and seating will be spaced to allow for social distancing between attendees.

Daily News

HADLEY — Hampshire Mall and PiNZ are partnering with the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce to host the chamber’s September After Five networking event at PiNZ on Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Everyone is invited to come out for a night of networking and team building by engaging in some friendly competition with social activities like ping-pong, billiards, axe-throwing, bowling, and arcade games. Attendees will also be able to sample food from PiNZ’s new holiday menu and book their holiday parties at a discounted rate. A cash bar will be available.

“Our Amherst Area Chamber is thrilled to be able to return to PiNZ to host an evening of networking after nearly a year of closure,” said Claudia Pazmany, executive director. “Together, we will celebrate reconnection, reopening, and rebuilding.”

The featured local nonprofit for the evening will be Community Action Pioneer Valley. Tickets are $10 for chamber members and $15 for non-members. Advanced registration is available by clicking here.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Many pre-retirees focus solely on their 401(k) and pension when deciding when to retire, but neglect to consider how they will find purpose and fulfillment in the next chapter of their lives. A person who retires at age 65 will be active for 20 years or more after leaving their full-time job. How will they fill those 2,000-plus hours they have previously devoted to their career?

Holyoke Community College (HCC) is offering a three-hour workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 27 that will address this major life transition. “Rewire: Finding Purpose and Fulfillment After Retirement” will meet in person from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development on HCC’s main campus, 303 Homestead Ave. The workshop will be facilitated by former career counselor Barbara Foster.

“Retirement is a transition not unlike a career transition where people need to reflect on their interests, preferred skills, and values to determine a new direction in their lives,” Foster said. “Today’s retirees are finding new interests and hobbies, volunteering, establishing new businesses, and pursuing new learning in this third chapter of their lives.”

The workshop will offer a series of exercises and self-assessments, as well as time to reflect, brainstorm with others, and develop goals and a vision for this new chapter of life. Participants will also leave with an extensive list of resources to explore.

To maintain safe social distancing, space is limited, so advance registration is required. To register, visit hcc.edu/rewire, or call (413) 552-2500 for more information. Note that masks are required in all HCC campus buildings regardless of vaccination status.