Day: December 3, 2021

Bacon Wilson Welcomes Tyler Humphrey, Viktoriia Protsyk, Troy Tanzer to Team

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that Tyler Humphrey, Viktoriia Protsyk, and Troy Tanzer have joined the firm as associate attorneys.

Bacon Wilson’s managing partner, Kenneth Albano, welcomed the new associates, noting that “attorney Tyler Humphrey joins us with significant experience in business and finance, while attorneys Viktoriia Protsyk and Troy Tanzer have both been working with the firm as law clerks for some time. Tyler’s professional experience in the Boston area and Viktoriia and Troy’s familiarity with the firm from their time as clerks make all three of them important and very welcome additions to our team of exceptional lawyers here at Bacon Wilson.”

Humphrey is a member of Bacon Wilson’s business, corporate, and finance team. He has significant experience in business matters, including real-estate transactions, business formations, and dispute resolution. He has been practicing law for seven years, having earned his juris doctor degree cum laude from Suffolk University Law School in 2015, and a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State College in 2012. He was named to the Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch list for 2021-22 in the area of banking and finance law.

Protsyk is a member of Bacon Wilson’s estate planning and probate team. She is licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and Connecticut, and will sit for the Florida bar exam in February 2022. Fluent in both Russian and Ukrainian, she received her juris doctor degree cum laude in 2021 from Western New England University School of Law, and earned a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Central Connecticut State University in 2018.

Tanzer is a member of Bacon Wilson’s land use, zoning, and development team. He earned his juris doctor degree in 2021 from Western New England University (WNE) School of Law, having also earned an MBA the same year from WNE. He received his bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from WNE in 2017. He volunteers his time to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance clinic in Springfield, providing assistance with tax-return preparation and electronic filing. He works primarily from Bacon Wilson’s Amherst location.

MCLA Department of Business Administration Earns ACBSP Accreditation

By
Daily News

NORTH ADAMS — MCLA’s Department of Business Administration has earned accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). This accreditation covers all the department’s business-degree paths, as well as the college’s MBA program.

A global accreditation agency, ACBSP focuses on recognizing teaching excellence, determining student learning outcomes, and a continuous improvement model. ACBSP’s student-centered teaching and learning approach, which is measured and analyzed for quality, ensures that students gain the right skills from their educational investment. Institutions with programs accredited by ACBSP are committed to continuous improvement that ensures their business program will give students the skills employers want.

“This means we have reached a level of rigor and discipline that puts us in the top tier of business programs worldwide,” said Professor of Business Tom Whalen, who is also department chair. “This will keep us reviewing what we’re offering to students, so we continue to make improvements to keep our program rigorous and competitive. This accreditation will give our graduates that much more credit in the job market.”

MCLA’s Department of Business Administration already has an excellent track record for job placement. Recent graduates have secured full-time work at major national companies like BDO Consulting, General Dynamics, and Google. MCLA accounting majors who sit for the certified public accountant exam currently have a 100% pass rate.

In its review, “the Board of Commissioners noted the excellent self-study and accredited all programs with no follow-up notes required,” said Steve Parscale, the ACBSP’s chief accreditation officer. “This is a rare achievement.”

Whalen added that “we’ve known for quite a while we have a really solid program. I’m so proud of what my colleagues have done to get this accreditation. Professor of Economics Chali Nondo has been a champion and a true superman in doing the work to get us here. Associate Professor Tara Barboza has done wonderful work with our accounting program and is a true mentor to her students. Our graduates are out in the world, getting excellent jobs. This accreditation fits in really well with our mission.”

Nonprofit Leaders Attend Zoominar on Florence Bank’s Customers’ Choice Program

By
Daily News

FLORENCE — Twenty-six Hampden County nonprofit leaders attended Florence Bank’s first Zoominar event in mid-October to learn about participation in the bank’s Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program.

The organizations have since launched individual efforts to raise awareness about their missions in hopes of helping them gain votes — and funds — at the bank’s 20th annual Customers’ Choice celebration in May 2022.

“So generous,” said Laurie Flynn, president and CEO of Link to Libraries. “Thank you so much. Florence Bank is such a wonderful community partner.”

Nonprofit leaders who missed the Zoominar and would like a link to the video can contact Erin Defoyd, Marketing Communications manager/officer, at [email protected].

Florence Bank held the informational event as it now has three branches in Hampden County — in West Springfield, Springfield, and Chicopee — and bank leaders want all nonprofits to be aware of the grant program so they can take advantage of the opportunity.

“Part of our mission is philanthropic in nature,” President and CEO Kevin Day told attendees on the Zoominar. “We provide support to the communities we serve in many different ways. Twenty years ago, the bank began asking our customers where some of the bank’s donations dollars should be spent, and our Customers’ Choice program was launched. Listening to customers was a natural extension of how we run our bank.”

Zoominar attendees also heard Defoyd give an overview of the materials in the bank’s Customers’ Choice PR kit and talk specifically about using social media to promote the program. Janice Beetle of Beetle Press, who partners with the bank’s marketing team, talked about how to customize the press-release template.

Monica Curhan, senior vice president and Marketing director, served as moderator and also introduced the managers of the three Hampden County branches: Emily Tower, West Springfield; Nikki Gleason, Springfield; and Kimberly Downing, Chicopee.

To qualify for a community grant, organizations must receive at least 50 votes from Florence Bank customers. In the past 20 years, Florence Bank has donated $1.3 million to 158 nonprofit organizations. In 2020, almost 7,000 votes were cast, and 32 nonprofits accepted grant awards in May, with a total of $100,500 handed out.

These nonprofits attended the Zoominar: Homework House, Litwin School PTO, Square One, Link to Libraries Inc., Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield, Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield, Chicopee Fire Department, Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, Greater Holyoke YMCA, Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts, Kiwanis Club of Springfield, Randall Boys & Girls Club, Revitalize CDC, Rick’s Place, Ronald McDonald House of Springfield, the Gray House Inc., the Parish Cupboard, Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Transitions Through Motion, Valley Opportunity Council, and YMCA of Greater Springfield.

These organizations are listed on the voting page and in a promotional piece being handed to customers in the Hampden County branches through Dec. 31, when voting closes.

The bank’s kit for nonprofits includes an information sheet on the Customers’ Choice program, a sample flyer to display, and a press release leaders can adapt and send to the media. To access the Community Grants Kit, visit www.florencebank.com/customer-choice-kit.

Customers of Florence Bank can vote for a nonprofit by visiting www.florencebank.com/customers-choice-community-grants or voting in a Florence Bank branch.

Come Celebrate This Year’s Women Of Impact On Dec. 9

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — BusinessWest will honor its fourth annual Women of Impact on Thursday, Dec. 9 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place. Tickets cost $85 per person. To purchase tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail [email protected].

This year’s class, like the first three, demonstrates the sheer diversity of the ways women leaders in our region are making an impact in business, the nonprofit world, and in the community. Profiled the Oct. 27 issue of BusinessWest, they are:

• Jessica Collins, executive director of the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts;

• Elizabeth Dineen, CEO of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts;

• Charlene Elvers, director of the Center for Service and Leadership at Springfield College;

• Karin Jeffers, president and CEO of Clinical and Support Options;

• Elizabeth Keen, owner of Indian Line Farm;

• Madeline Landrau, Program Engagement manager at MassMutual;

• Shannon Mumblo, executive director of Christina’s House; and

• Tracye Whitfield, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion officer for the town of West Springfield and Springfield city councilor.

The event is sponsored by Country Bank and TommyCar Auto Group (presenting sponsors) and Comcast Business and Health New England (supporting sponsors).

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