Home 2022 January
Business Talk Podcast Special Coverage

We are excited to announce that BusinessWest, in partnership with Living Local, has launched a new podcast series, BusinessTalk. Each episode will feature in-depth interviews and discussions with local industry leaders, providing thoughtful perspectives on the Western Massachuetts economy and the many business ventures that keep it running during these challenging times.

Episode 98: January 31, 2022

George Interviews Tom Senecal, president and CEO of PeoplesBank

BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien has a lively, wide-ranging discussion with Tom Senecal, president and CEO of PeoplesBank. The two talk about everything from the regional economy and the forces that will determine its direction in 2022, to the pandemic and how it has inspired banks, and especially his institution to ratchet up their philanthropic efforts across the region. It’s all must listening, so join us on BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest in partnership with Living Local.

 

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Daily News

MONSON — Monson Savings Bank’s team members donated $8,880 to various local nonprofits in 2021 through the bank’s Team Giving Initiative Friday (TGIF) program.

“One of our most prominent principles here at Monson Savings Bank is supporting the communities that the bank serves,” said Dan Moriarty, president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank. “Western Massachusetts is not only the bank’s home, but home for many of our team members. We work here, live here, and raise our families here. We are invested in the well-being of the local landscape and ensuring that our neighbors’ needs are met.”

The $8,880 donated throughout the year was comprised of individual contributions to the TGIF program, through which employees elect to donate $5 out of each of their paychecks. The money raised is donated to employee-selected 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that support local communities.

“The TGIF program is just one example of our employees holding up the bank’s value of helping our neighbors in need,” Moriarty said. “I often refer to us as a team here at Monson Savings. The TGIF program is a true team effort. Participants of this program donate just $5 out of their pay, and each donation comes together to create a large impact.”

The TGIF program was launched in January 2015. Since its inception, Monson Savings Bank employees have donated a total of $45,170 to various charitable organizations.

Daily News

AGAWAM — OMG Roofing Products promoted Colin Griswold to the position of codes and approvals engineer.

In his new role, he will manage product approvals for OMG Roofing’s product portfolio as well as assist the new-product development team in addressing code and approval issues. In addition, he will work closely with OMG’s private-label customers and code and approval officials with product evaluations, developing technical product specifications, as well as maintaining code approvals and keeping abreast of technical changes and advancements in the commercial roofing industry.

Griswold started with OMG Roofing Products in 2013 in the manufacturing area. Since then, he has held positions as a laboratory technician in the company’s New Product Development & Innovation department, and most recently in the Technical Services department as a technical support specialist.

He is a member of the Single-Ply Roofing Industry and holds an associate degree in engineering from Springfield Technical Community College.

Daily News

NORTHAMPTON — The Russian Ballet Theatre will present a new production of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” at the Academy of Music on Fri., Feb. 11 as part of a tour that includes performances in 52 cities across the U.S., including Minneapolis, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

This performance of “Swan Lake” includes all of the splendor that has mesmerized ballet audiences for over a century, plus a bit more. It delights with new, as well as time-honored, Russian traditions. Detailed, hand-painted sets and added choreography accent the production, and the costumes follow designs originally envisioned by the great theater masters.

Choreographer Nadezhda Kalinina (Mariinsky Theatre, Omsk State Music Theatre, Teatro Lirico) lovingly reimagines the oldest St. Petersburg version of the ballet. With a new prologue, she offers an emotional explanation for the wrath of evil sorcerer Rothbart.

Accomplished designer Sergei Novikov (Mariinsky Theatre, Omsk State Music Theatre, St. Petersburg State Music Hall Theatre) has designed not only new sets but also 150 costumes that bring fresh representation to this timeless ballet.

Irina Strukova’s award-winning makeup artistry enhances the production. Strukova, known for her film makeup (Netflix, HBO, Crazy Rich Asians), has created hair designs and special-effects makeup that, together with the costumes, further enhance this whimsical production.

For more information, visit www.russianballettheatre.com.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELDBusinessWest is currently accepting nominations for the 40 Under Forty class of 2022. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Feb. 11.

Launched in 2007, the program recognizes rising stars in the four counties of Western Mass. Nominations, which should be as detailed and thorough as possible, should list an individual’s accomplishments within their profession as well as their work within the community. Nominations can be completed online at businesswest.com/40-under-forty-nomination-form.

Nominations will be weighed by a panel of judges, and the selected individuals will be profiled in BusinessWest in April and honored at the 40 Under Forty Gala in late June. Event sponsorship opportunities are available.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The 240,000-square-foot, class-A office complex located at 1441 Main St. in Springfield, known as the TD Bank Center, has been sold. The property, located at the corner of Main Street and Harrison Avenue, was sold by an affiliate of TD Bank to a limited-liability company comprised of the principals of Colebrook Realty Services and a company controlled by Jeb Balise, CEO of Balise Auto Group. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

Originally known as Center Square, the property was developed in the early 1980s by a subsidiary of SIS Bank in a project led by Colebrook CEO Jack Dill. Colebrook has managed and leased the building since its opening in January 1982. Most recently, Colebrook partners Mitch Bolotin and Kevin Morin have had responsibility for leasing and managing TD Bank Center. Balise and Colebrook have worked together for nearly two decades on Balise real-estate projects, represented by Bolotin.

“Our team is proud to be partners with Colebrook in a special building right in the heart of Springfield’s downtown,” Balise said.

Dill added that the opportunity to buy the building was a capstone to Colebrook’s long and productive relationship with TD Bank and its predecessors. “We are grateful for the trust and confidence TD has in this partnership going forward, evidenced by the long-term lease commitment it made. We intend to keep the TD logo prominently displayed on 1441 Main Street.”

Morin noted that “another key element in the group’s decision to buy 1441 was our enduring relationships with our tenants and the great people who provide services to them every day: our office, maintenance, and security staff. This is a tightly knit community where all faces are familiar, even if masked at present.”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MP CPAs recently announced the promotion of Melissa English to senior audit manager and Tim Provost to senior tax manager.

English works with clients across a variety of industries, including nonprofits, manufacturers, distributors, and other small to medium-sized businesses. She is also the lead professional for the firm’s employee benefit-plan practice. She performs technical reviews of employee benefit-plan audits and is frequently called upon to assist with research regarding plan issues. Her experiences with benefit plans include working on Internal Revenue Service examinations, voluntary plan corrections, and self-corrections of plan errors.

English joined the firm in 2001 and has more than 20 years of audit experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Westfield State University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and AICPA’s Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center.

She is very active in the community as a volunteer board member of the Down Syndrome Resource Group of Western Massachusetts and the Chicopee Galaxy Youth Athletic Assoc., of which she is also a co-founder.

Provost provides consulting and tax solutions to a diverse group of clients including individuals, partnerships, limited-liability companies, corporations, and trusts. He also has experience working with international affiliates on foreign tax issues, and specializes in working with high-net-worth clients and with private equity firms and their owners.

Provost joined the firm in 2008 and has more than 13 years of experience in personal and business taxation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Westfield State University and a master’s degree in accounting and taxation from American International College. He is a certified public accountant and a member of AICPA.

He is very active in the community as a volunteer board member of the West Springfield Youth Basketball Assoc. and a volunteer youth basketball coach.

Daily News

BOSTON — The Massachusetts state Senate passed a $76 million plan to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 and its variants by providing residents with greater access to tests, vaccines, and masks, prioritizing communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as frontline workers. The plan also provides increased flexibility for unemployment-insurance recipients to address overpayments of pandemic unemployment benefits and funds an expanded multi-lingual campaign to notify unemployment claimants of their legal rights. Much of the funding of the bill is expected to be eligible for reimbursement by the federal government.

“Today’s investments reflect the Senate’s commitment to center equity in the state’s ongoing pandemic response,” Senate President Karen Spilka said. “In addition to maintaining public health, key aspects of this bill, like the distribution of masks, will ensure that our COVID mitigation strategy is fair. Teachers, hospital staff, other frontline professionals, artists, and cultural institutions should not be expected to pay out of their own pockets for masks. Such basic protections are essential to doing one’s job, and providing them will give a small but vital relief.”

The legislation includes a $50 million investment to further increase the availability and encourage usage of both testing and vaccination throughout the state. This allocation includes $7 million to assist community organizations promoting vaccine awareness and education in disproportionately impacted communities and $5 million to expand the capacity of community health centers to test and vaccinate, including funding to hire additional staff.

Notably, $5 million is specifically allocated for increasing vaccination rates among 5- through 11-year-olds, an age group now eligible to be vaccinated but whose vaccination rates remain low in comparison to older residents. The bill also establishes a grant program, in consultation with the Massachusetts Cultural Council, for cultural institutions to help promote vaccine awareness and education.

The bill also allocates $25 million for the state to purchase and distribute high-quality masks in Massachusetts, with priority given to education and healthcare workers.

In response to reports that the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is seeking to collect overpayments in pandemic unemployment benefits that were paid to some Massachusetts residents through no fault of their own, the bill provides funding for the DUA to conduct a multi-lingual, easy-to-understand public-information campaign to notify claimants of their legal rights. The bill also extends the period during which DUA can reconsider a determination of overpayment and requires that the department produce a comprehensive report detailing the status of overpayments.

The bill also extends the authorization for several COVID-19 emergency measures adopted earlier in the pandemic, such as those related to health services in assisted-living facilities, liability protections for healthcare providers, remote notaries, flexibility for local governments and nonprofits to hold meetings virtually, outdoor dining, and beer, wine, and cocktails to go. The bill also requires the secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a vaccine-equity plan and directs the Department of Public Health to publicly post guidance on effective mask usage and recommended testing, quarantine, and isolation periods. Finally, the bill sets the date for this year’s state primary election for Tuesday, Sept. 6.

With a version of this legislation having previously passed the House of Representatives, both the House and Senate will now work to reconcile the bill.

“Our families and frontline workers have done everything asked of them to stay safe and make best use of limited resources during the pandemic,” state Sen. Eric Lesser said. “This $76 million in state funds will provide the tools and additional support to expand our testing and vaccination infrastructure, address staffing shortages, improve vaccination-education efforts, and provide high-quality masks with priority to education and healthcare professionals.”

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Rotary Club of West Springfield will feature Steve Herrell, founder of Herrell’s Ice Cream in Northampton and Steve’s Ice Cream in Somerville, on Thursday, Feb. 3 at 12:15 p.m. at a luncheon meeting at Storrowton Tavern in West Springfield. The public is invited to attend the meeting. Reservations are required, and lunch costs $13.

Herrell, who is known for his rich and creamy ice cream, eclectic variety of flavors, and originating the concept of ice cream mix-ins, recently released a book titled Ice Cream & Me, which spans the last 41 years of his innovative ice-cream business and includes information on the production and methodology of his ice cream as well as personal anecdotes and stories. He will sign books following his presentation.

Reservations are required by Monday, Jan. 31. To reserve a spot, contact Rotarian Sarah Calabrese at [email protected] or (413) 736-1831.

Daily News

LONGMEADOW — After a nationwide search, Bay Path University announced that Frank Rojas has joined the university as the new vice president of Enrollment Management.

In this role, Rojas will oversee many duties, including creating and driving the strategic vision for enrollment, overseeing all aspects of enrollment operations, executing a comprehensive enrollment plan, and identifying and employing strategies that clearly demonstrate the university’s value proposition and align with institutional goals.

“Dr. Rojas emerged from a strong field of candidates,” Bay Path President Sandra Doran said. “His inclusive and creative approach to higher education aligns not only with our mission, but also with our institutional values of innovation and entrepreneurship. We are looking forward to Dr. Rojas joining our community.”

Rojas has extensive experience in higher education, most recently as chief operating officer and executive vice president at Los Angeles Pacific University. In that position, he led a team that successfully drove enrollment growth and increased revenue, while implementing marketing plans and strategies for an online university that also integrated a focus on student support.

As an educator, he is a strong advocate in providing access to learners, including marginalized students in post-secondary higher education. During his career, he has been a results-oriented leader committed to building profitable growth and return on investment both domestically and internationally.

“It is a blessing to be called to serve Bay Path University as its next vice president of Enrollment Management,” Rojas said. “Bay Path University has a rich history providing innovative, career-focused educational programs to students who, in some cases, may not have equitable access to those opportunities. I believe that education can be empowering and transformational. Those are two cornerstones of Bay Path’s mission and resonate deeply with me. I am genuinely excited to be working with Bay Path students, administration, faculty, and staff, contributing in whatever way I can to helping the entire Bay Path community and its legacy.”

Rojas earned a Ph.D. in organizational development and change and a master’s degree in organizational leadership through Fielding Graduate University. In addition, he received an executive MBA through Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from DeVry University.

Daily News

WESTFIELD — The Westfield Athenaeum will present a three-concert chamber music series beginning Thursday, March 10 at 7 p.m., with Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (MOSSO) providing the music. MOSSO violinist Beth Welty is bringing her ensemble, the Aryaloka Quartet, to the Athenaeum to kick off the series. Guy McLain, executive director of the Westfield Athenaeum, will offer a pre-performance talk at 6 p.m., which is free to ticket holders.

Violinists Mark Latham and Beth Welty, violist Noralee Walker, and cellist Sandi-Jo Malmon will perform William Grant Still’s Lyric String Quartet, Charles Ives’ String Quartet #1 Op. 57 “From the Salvation Army: A Revival Service,” Beethoven’s String Quartet in C Major, Op. 59 #3; and an additional piece to be announced at the performance.

“We’re thrilled to bring classical music back to downtown Westfield, and we look forward to working with MOSSO, the Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, to make that happen,” McLain said. Two additional concerts are planned for Thursday, April 14 and Thursday, May 12.

“The members of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra have fond memories of their many summer performances at Stanley Park, and we’re glad to return to Westfield and the Westfield Athenaeum,” Welty said. “We chose an eclectic program to open our Westfield season, including a classic by Beethoven; a work from a major 20th-century New England composer, Charles Ives; a work from an important African-American composer, William Grant Still; and a contemporary selection that most audience members will know.”

Tickets for the concert cost $20 must be purchased in advance at the Westfield Athenaeum during business hours, or online at www.westath.org. Audience members will be required to wear masks.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Interested in beginning a career in the hospitality industry? Holyoke Community College (HCC) is running a free, six-week hotel training program starting Tuesday, Feb. 1.

The hands-on, in-person classes for hotel front-desk workers and hotel-room attendants will take place in HCC’s hotel-training lab on the second floor of the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute on Race Street in downtown Holyoke.

The program runs on Tuesday and Thursdays, Feb. 1 through March 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m. The course will provide students with up-to-date knowledge of the hotel industry, hands-on experience for front-desk and/or room-attendant roles, workplace skills, résumé building, interviewing, job-search assistance, and connections to local employers.

HCC’s hotel lab was equipped using $35,000 from a 2019 Massachusetts Skills Capital Grant, which funds purchases for educational initiatives linked to workforce needs. The lab is a classroom set up like a hotel reception area with front desk and adjoining guest room and equipped with industry-level technology and software.

“Hospitality is a significant industry in our region,” said Jeff Hayden, HCC’s vice president of Business and Community Services. “The hotel lab gives students the ability to learn in a model hotel room and reception lobby, gain knowledge about key-card access systems, and understand point-of-sale technology. This is the kind of experiential training employers have been asking for.”

No high-school diploma or GED/HiSET test is required for admission. Offered as part of HCC’s Business & Workforce Development division, the hotel training course is free to qualifying applicants.

For more information, contact Laura Smith, HCC’s job-placement assistant and Career Development counselor, at [email protected] or (413) 552-2833.

Daily News

ENFIELD, Conn. — The spring semester at Asnuntuck Community College (ACC) has begun, but there is still time to register for courses. The college is offering late-start courses that begin in February or March. Accelerated courses beginning Feb. 4 include Principles of Environmental Science, Intro to Nutrition, Public Speaking, Spreadsheet Applications, Children’s Literature, and First Year Experience.

Accelerated courses offered during the second half of the semester, with a start date of March 28, include Gangs and ‘Families,’ Principles of Management, Organizational Behavior, Infant/Toddler Growth and Development, Special Topics: Behavior Guidance, Exceptional Learner, General Psychology 1, and Principles of Sociology.

Late-start courses are accelerated courses that meet for less time but cover the same material as a traditional 15-week semester. Check with an advisor ([email protected]) to make sure courses fulfill your program’s requirements.

Course Descriptions can be found at asnuntuck.edu/courses-programs/course-descriptions. Visit www.asnuntuck.edu for information on course availability and how to apply and register.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Eight months after announcing plans to sell the chain, Pride Stores CEO Bob Bolduc announced a sale to Arclight Capital Partners.

The 31 stores — with several more in development — will keep the Pride name, and the company’s customers and 525 employees will see little change in day-to-day operations, Bolduc told local news outlets, which is one of the reasons Arclight won out over several other interested parties.

“We had seven actual very serious big bidders who wanted to buy it,” he told Western Mass News. “They were all either national chains or very large regional chains that were strongly interested, and it wasn’t that difficult to pick, because this company wanted to keep everybody in place, and not everybody wanted to do that, and most of all, I want to take care of my employees.”

Bolduc worked at his father’s gas station in Indian Orchard in 1970 before buying him out, thus becoming the third generation of the family to run that business. In addition to running the station, he became a tire and auto-parts wholesaler, specifically a distributor for BF Goodrich and Continental.

But in 1976, Bolduc made the shift that would define his career, buying a self-serve gas station in Indian Orchard. Over the years, he would gradually expand his business, creating the chain of stores known today as Pride. But, more importantly, he developed a reputation as an industry innovator by marrying the self-service station with another emerging phenomenon, the convenience store.

Other innovations would follow; Pride would eventually become the first chain in Western Mass. to put a Dunkin’ Donuts in the stores, and the first to incorporate a Subway. But where the company has really made a name, in recent years, is with its own fresh-food production, supported by the Pride Kitchen, located at the company’s headquarters on Cottage Street in Springfield.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — New England Public Media has named Deepa Krishna director of Finance and Accounting. Krishna will oversee the nonprofit media organization’s $10 million budget, working directly with internal departments as well as community funders and grantors.

“Deepa brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit accounting and grants management,” said Susan Fentin, chair of NEPM’s board of directors. “We are looking forward to having her share her expertise with us as we move forward under the leadership of our new president.”

A licensed certified public accountant, Krishna joins NEPM from the Connecticut Airport Authority in Windsor Locks, where she served as the accounting manager for Bradley International Airport and five general aviation airports, overseeing annual budgets and managing federal and state grants for the nonprofit organization. Prior to that, she was the finance manager for Bristol Hospital and Healthcare Group.

She received her master’s degree in commerce and accounting from Madurai Kamaraj University, India, and her bachelor’s degree in commerce and accounting from Mahatma Gandhi University, India.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) has appointed Michael Dodge associate vice president for Academic Affairs following a national search.

Dodge has been with AIC since 2018, previously serving as dean of Student Success and Opportunity. As dean, he had oversight of the tutoring and advising programs on campus and the James J. Shea Memorial Library, and was instrumental in the success of the AIC’s Plan for Excellence (APEX) program for students, serving as director of the program. In addition, he served as the principal investigator for the U.S. Department of Education Title III Grant program.

While maintaining several of his previous responsibilities, as the associate vice president for Academic Affairs, Dodge will serve as the chief of staff to the executive vice president for Academic Affairs (EVPAA), including responsibility for day-to-day operational support for all areas reporting to the EVPAA, including the schools of Business Arts and Sciences, Education, and Health Sciences. Among his many areas of responsibility, Dodge will represent the Office of Academic Affairs to internal and external constituencies to develop comprehensive and integrative structures and processes to support student success and timely graduation. In addition, he will assist in the institution’s assessment processes and support development of meaningful and measurable institution, program, and course student-learning outcomes. He will research and analyze new program proposals from concept to market.

Prior to joining AIC, Dodge worked for more than a decade at UMass Amherst in a variety of teaching and administrative roles. He earned his doctorate in educational policy, leadership, and administration at UMass Amherst after first earning his master’s degree in student affairs in higher education from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his bachelor’s degree in secondary education and English at the State University of New York Oswego.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Evelyn Rivera-Riffenburg as the college’s executive director of Human Resources.

Rivera-Riffenburg has worked in human resources for more than 25 years. She started her career as a personnel assistant and most recently worked as director of human resources for Chicopee Public Schools. Her previous employment featured positions in human resources for the town of Amherst, Medtronic (formerly Covidien), Hot Mama’s Foods, C&S Wholesale Grocers, and Coca-Cola. She is also an adjunct professor at Bay Path University and Western New England University.

“Evelyn brings an impressive array of skills and experience to HCC and to our executive team,” President Christina Royal said. “She has worked throughout her career in recruiting, employee relations, labor relations, training and development, and as a trusted advisor to hourly and management employees. She is particularly experienced in innovating and improving processes and procedures with digital technology to enhance and improve hiring experiences for potential candidates.”

Rivera-Riffenburg began her undergraduate education at HCC before transferring to Baker College, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human resources management. She holds master’s degrees in communications and information management from Bay Path University and in organizational leadership from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a Society for Human Resources Management certified senior professional, an HCRI senior professional in human resources, and a certified K-12 Title IX coordinator.

“I am super excited to be back here at HCC, where I started my college education,” she said. “I can’t wait to meet everyone.”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — For the second time in six months, the Zoo in Forest Park & Education Center is being recognized for its innovative education programming.

Most recently, the zoo received the 2021 Educational Award of Excellence, presented by the Zoological Assoc. of America for its Kids Go Wild programming.

Kids Go Wild provides a fun, interactive way for school-aged children to learn about various animal species while exploring diets, habitats, adaptations, daily zoo life, and more through cross-hatched science, literacy, and art lessons. Each lesson also meets state education standards set forth by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in at least one or more of the aforementioned disciplines. These lessons were created, developed, and ultimately implemented by the zoo’s director of education, Caroline Cay Adams.

The one-on-one, hands-on interactions offered as part of Kids Go Wild bring the typical textbook science lessons right off the page. Kids Go Wild goes beyond single-program learning objectives by encouraging groups to book multiple programs that are implemented over a longer period of time. This ensures that the educator can scaffold lessons to incorporate themes, vocabulary, and topics from previous lesson plans, as well as offer plenty of opportunities for participants to engage with ambassador animals. Examples of lessons include Animal Adaptations; the Food Web; Living Dinosaurs; and Herbivores, Carnivores, and Omnivores.

In August 2021, Adams also received the Janet McCoy Excellence in Public Education Award from the American Assoc. of Zookeepers for her work on Kids Go Wild.

“The creative, cutting-edge work Caroline is doing as the zoo’s education director is truly remarkable,” said Sarah Tsitso, executive director of the Zoo in Forest Park & Education Center. “Gone are the days when zoo programming was strictly show-and-tell. These are valuable lessons, steeped in science and literacy, that would not otherwise be available to these young students. Caroline is leading the charge when it comes to implementing a whole new species of zoo-based learning. She deserves every award and accolade that comes her way.”

Daily News

WARE — Country Bank announced that Melissa Stefanowich has joined its Retail Banking division. An experienced leader who has been in the retail banking industry for 14 years, she will serve Western Mass. in her new role at Country Bank.

Stafenowich joins Country Bank from Westfield Bank where she was a Retail Banking officer, branch manager, and mortgage specialist. She was responsible for the leadership and management of branch service, sales, operations, and team development. She worked for Chicopee Savings Bank for eight years before it merged in 2016 with Westfield Bank. She is a supporter of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America and Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts.

“I look forward to creating long-lasting relationships at Country Bank with my customers and co-workers,” Stefanowich said. “I am passionate about building connections and helping others succeed.”

Miriam Siegel, first senior vice president, Human Resources, added that “we are thrilled to welcome Melissa to the Retail Banking team; her experience in retail banking, combined with her community engagement, make her a perfect fit for Country Bank. We look forward to Melissa’s enthusiasm and dedication representing Country Bank.”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — In newly released rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Western New England University (WNE) was again recognized among the 2022 Best Online Programs.

Among online MBA Programs, WNE made significant gains, jumping 71 places and ranking 153rd (up from 224th in 2021); among Online Graduate Business Programs (Non-MBA), the university ranked 110th (up from 129th in 2021); and among Online Master’s in Engineering Programs, it ranked 79th, up from 104th. The rankings place Western New England University in the top 10 in Massachusetts for accredited online MBA and graduate business programs and in the top three in Massachusetts for accredited master’s in engineering programs.

For the 2022 edition, U.S. News & World Report assessed 1,728 online degree programs and ranked 1,646, both all-time highs. Best Online Programs rankings credit schools for long-term investments in designing and scaling their student services, technologies, curricula, and instructor training toward distance learners.

Sharianne Walker, dean of the College of Business, credits the College of Business faculty and the high quality of the online curriculum for the impressive gain in both the Online MBA and Online Graduate Business (Non-MBA) program rankings.

“This is wonderful external validation and recognition of the hard work, expertise, and commitment of our faculty to deliver on our mission promise to provide relevant, industry-aligned learning that positions business students for the future of work,” she said, adding that a core commitment of the College of Business is providing students with hands-on, relevant, industry-aligned learning, and the college maintains a rich collaborative relationship with the Business Advisory Board and business partners, which has resulted in the creation of outstanding opportunities for students and faculty to research, innovate, and shape business practice. “As the business world quickly evolves and reinvents itself, we embrace our role as an AACSB business school in preparing both traditional students and working professionals to successfully lead in a dynamic global business environment.”

The Western New England University College of Engineering continues to be top-ranked in the Online Master’s in Engineering Programs category. For the 2022 Best Online Graduate Engineering Programs rankings, U.S. News ranked ABET-accredited schools using five categories: engagement, faculty credentials, and training; expert opinion, services, and technologies; and student excellence.

The College of Engineering offers several full master’s programs online: MS in industrial engineering, MS in engineering management, and MS in electrical engineering. The colleges of Engineering and Business offer a dual-degree master of science in engineering management and an MBA that can be completed entirely online.

“Our graduate students are well-prepared with the future-ready skills and agile mindset they need to add value to their organizations and communities, both for today and for the uncertainties of tomorrow,” said Maria Toyoda, senior vice president for Academic Affairs and provost. “Recognition by U.S. News & World Report of our online programs affirms our continued efforts to prepare graduates to adapt and thrive in a complex and hyper-connected world.”

Daily News

BOSTON — State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg’s Office of Economic Empowerment and Citizens have launched registration for their new Worth and Wealth Seminars. These free virtual trainings will equip Massachusetts women with financial skills and knowledge to build confidence in their economic futures. Participants can choose to enroll in one of the two English-speaking sessions taking place in February and March, or in the Spanish-speaking session scheduled in April.

During each session, participants will attend a kickoff event and four subsequent weekly webinars, where they will learn about salary-negotiation skills, employment rights, investing strategies, and many other topics that will benefit them in their career and personal life. Registration is now open at www.worthandwealth.org, and all Massachusetts women are encouraged to sign up. The first cohort kicks off on Wednesday, Jan. 26 and will meet on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. for the following four weeks.

“By providing women access to quality financial-education resources and tools, we help level the economic playing field all across Massachusetts,” Goldberg said. “These seminars will empower participants with the skills to overcome barriers and to attain the jobs they desire and the pay they deserve.”

The Worth and Wealth Seminars are funded by a grant from Citizens to the Economic Empowerment Trust Fund. Citizens staff also volunteer their time to support the program through one-on-one financial-wellness checkups for interested program attendees and lead regional breakout groups to help encourage deeper learning of the topics addressed in the sessions. The Office of Economic Empowerment also created a ‘Partners Circle’ for Worth and Wealth presenters, nonprofit organizations, and state agencies to get involved in the events and spread the word to their constituencies.

“We must remain steadfast in our efforts to ensure that women, who we know have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, are not left behind as the Commonwealth builds back,” said Lisa Murray, president of Citizens Massachusetts. “Financial knowledge is a key lever for economic mobility, and we’re proud to continue our work with the Office of Economic Empowerment helping women build the skills to take control of their financial futures.”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELDBusinessWest is currently accepting nominations for the 40 Under Forty class of 2022. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Feb. 11.

Launched in 2007, the program recognizes rising stars in the four counties of Western Mass. Nominations, which should be as detailed and thorough as possible, should list an individual’s accomplishments within their profession as well as their work within the community. Nominations can be completed online at businesswest.com/40-under-forty-nomination-form.

Nominations will be weighed by a panel of judges, and the selected individuals will be profiled in BusinessWest in April and honored at the 40 Under Forty Gala in late June. Event sponsorship opportunities are available.

Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s December total unemployment rate dropped by 1.3 percentage points to 3.9% from the revised November estimate of 5.2%, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts gained 20,100 jobs in December. This follows last month’s revised gain of 14,200 jobs. The largest over-the-month private sector job gains were in leisure and hospitality; trade, transportation, and utilities; and educational and health services. Since the employment trough in April 2020, Massachusetts has gained 537,000 jobs.

From December 2020 to December 2021, BLS estimates Massachusetts gained 222,200 jobs. The largest over-the-year gains occurred in leisure and hospitality; professional, scientific, and business services; and education and health services.

The December unemployment rate of 3.9% was the same as the national rate reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Massachusetts labor force decreased by 41,700 from 3,732,000 in November, as 7,900 more residents were employed, and 49,600 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 4.5%.

The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — was down seven-tenths of a percentage point at 65.4%. Compared to December 2020, the labor-force participation rate is down 1.1%.

Daily News

HOLYOKE — As part of its mission to support the region’s hospitality industry, Holyoke Community College (HCC) is running a free, eight-week line-cook training certification course at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute starting Monday, Jan. 31.

The program is designed for those already in the restaurant industry who want to upgrade their skills as well as unemployed or underemployed individuals interested in starting a new career in a high-demand field.

The course, taught by HCC Culinary Arts Professor and professional chef Warren Leigh, runs through March 31, Monday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., at HCC’s culinary-arts facility on Race Street in downtown Holyoke.

The program is taught in two parts — one online and the rest in person at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute. Participants will learn all the essential competencies they need to become successful line cooks: knife skills; how to prepare stocks, soups, sauces, desserts, poultry, fish, and meat; culinary math and measurements; moist/dry heat cooking methods; as well as workplace soft skills, such as building a résumé and searching for jobs.

Offered as part of HCC’s Business & Workforce Development division, the line-cook course is free to qualifying applicants. For more information, call (413) 552-2500 or e-mail [email protected].

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University (WNE) is the first U.S. institution of higher education to feature Oscar Sort, an AI-driven, intuitive, trash-sorting robot. This intuitive robot educates the campus community at the point of recycling and disposal and helps them to better understand how waste is measured, reduced, and eventually eliminated.

Oscar Sort is a signature product of Intuitive AI, a startup company founded by two students at Simon Fraser University in Canada. Oscar uses a display screen and AI camera to identify recycling from trash and instructs users which bin to use when disposing of waste.

According to Intuitive AI, 98% of the world’s waste ends up in landfills, oceans, or incineration chambers, in spite of more than 80% of everyday items being recycled. The core reasoning for this staggering disparity is rooted at the source — the point of disposal — where the user is unsure of how to dispose of their waste appropriately.

“The problem isn’t that people aren’t recycling. The problem is that they are doing it wrong and contaminating the process,” said Melissa Motyka, Aramark general manager at WNE University Commons. “Oscar educates — so it’s a natural fit for higher education. The real benefit is providing a greater understanding of what can be a confusing process for many. We’re hoping that this creates lifelong habits that students will share with their families when they return home, providing an even greater effect.”

Because Oscar’s software is consistently updated as close to real time as possible, WNE has the ability to be at the cutting edge of national and international guidelines for optimal waste and recycling procedures.

Business Talk Podcast Special Coverage

We are excited to announce that BusinessWest, in partnership with Living Local, has launched a new podcast series, BusinessTalk. Each episode will feature in-depth interviews and discussions with local industry leaders, providing thoughtful perspectives on the Western Massachuetts economy and the many business ventures that keep it running during these challenging times.

Episode 97: January 24, 2022

George Interviews Cheryl Malandrinos, president of the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley

On this installment of BusinessTalk, BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien has a lively, wide-ranging discussion with Cheryl Malandrinos, president of the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley. The two talk about the still white-hot housing market in the region and the forces behind it — everything from soaring demand to historically low levels of inventory. She also offers her outlook on if, when, and to what extent, the current picture will change. It’s all must listening, so join us on BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest in partnership with Living Local.

 

 

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) announced the promotions of Christopher Soderberg, Ian Coddington, and Briana Doyle to senior associate; Daniel Eger and Brenden Cawley to tax supervisor; and Corey Jenkins, Chelsea Russell, Eric Pinsoneault, Kara Graves and Matthew Nash to senior manager.

Soderberg has been a member of the Audit department at MBK since 2018. He primarily focuses on not-for-profit, commercial, taxation, and HUD engagements. In his new role as a senior associate, he will take on a larger leadership position at the firm. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounts and management, as well as an MBA with a concentration in financial planning, from Elms College. He is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Coddington is a licensed certified public accountant in Massachusetts who has been working in the firm’s audit department since 2018. His work is predominantly focused on review and compilation, commercial, not-for-profit, employee benefit plans, and business valuation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Westfield State University and an MBA from Fitchburg State University. He is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Doyle started working at MBK in 2018. As a member of the firm’s Audit department, she works on employee benefit plans, not-for-profits, HUD, and commercial engagements. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in accounting from Nichols College. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Eger has been with MBK since 2005, working primarily with large companies and corporations as well as high-net-worth individuals. He has more than 20 years of accounting experience, handling many of the most complicated tax-preparations in these areas, including multi-state tax preparation. He leads the tax intern program at MBK, which has resulted in numerous hires in the firm. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from American International College and is member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Cawley joined MBK in 2020 after spending eight years as a tax professional at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Boston. He provided tax and consulting services for large investment companies with a focus in private equity and credit funds. He received a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Boston College and is an enrolled agent with the Internal Revenue Service, as well as a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Jenkins joined MBK in 2019 after spending five years as a public accountant in New York. She is a leader within the firm’s NFP division, working primarily on audits of not-for-profit organizations and multi-family housing entities. She received her master’s degree in accounting from the University at Albany and her bachelor’s degree from the College of Saint Rose in Albany. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as well as the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and is a certified public accountant in Massachusetts and New York. She is also a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Russell began her career with MBK as an intern in 2015 and has been working full-time in the Accounting and Audit department since June 2016. In her role as manager, she is a key player in the Accounting and Auditing department and primarily focuses on not-for-profit, commercial, and employee benefit-plan engagements. She received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Westfield State University and her master’s degree in accounting from Bay Path University. She is licensed as a certified public accountant in Massachusetts and is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She also co-leads the firm’s community-outreach program.

Pinsoneault joined MBK in 2018. Before that, he worked in public accounting in the Greater Boston area for BDO USA, LLP. He has experience providing audit and attest services for a variety of industries, including technology, manufacturing, transportation, and energy. He currently works closely with many privately held businesses in Western Mass. He received an MBA and a master’s degree in accounting from UMass Boston. He is a certified public accountant in Massachusetts and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Graves is a licensed certified public accountant in Massachusetts and has been with MBK since 2011. She holds a bachelor of accountancy degree from Roger Williams University and a master of accountancy degree from Western New England University. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and CPAmerica and serves on the audit committee for the United Way of Hampshire County.

Nash has been with MBK since 2011 and focuses on audit, review, and compilation engagements. He is a key leader on the commercial, not-for-profit audit, and pension engagement teams. He is presently a senior manager leading engagement teams on a day-to-day basis. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Nichols College and an MBA from Elms College. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and has been a certified public accountant in Massachusetts for the past three years. He is also a board member and treasurer for Springfield School Volunteers, where he also serves on the investment and finance committee, as well as a Ronald McDonald House Golf Tournament committee member.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MassDevelopment has issued a $106,675,000 tax-exempt bond on behalf of Springfield College, which will use proceeds to fund several capital projects.

The college will use $45,095,000 to build and equip a new environmentally friendly and sustainable, 76,000-square-foot health sciences building; this portion of the financing received the Green Bond designation by Kestrel Verifiers, which are approved verifiers accredited by the Climate Bonds Initiative.

The college will use the remaining proceeds to build an academic quad and campus pavilion; renovate classrooms, residence halls, administrative buildings, and the existing health sciences building; improve a steam-plant facility; upgrade walking and running paths and outdoor seating; and refinance previously issued debt. The bond was sold through a public offering underwritten by Hilltop Securities Inc.

“Institutions of higher education are important drivers of our state and local economies as they bring jobs, opportunities, and additional activity to communities across the Commonwealth,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, who serves as chair of MassDevelopment’s board of directors. “MassDevelopment is a valuable partner to those colleges and universities looking to modernize infrastructure and remain competitive hubs of innovation and intellectual exploration.”

MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera added that “this major investment represents Springfield College’s commitment to its students, staff, and the entire Greater Springfield community. MassDevelopment is proud to lend a helping hand to support construction of a new health sciences building and significant upgrades to the college’s campus and academic facilities.”

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno offered “a big thank you to MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera, who — once a mayor, always a mayor — understands that these types of investments into our community are essential to maintain and move forward on capital projects while not hindering an institution’s bottom line. I am very appreciative of MassDevelopment’s continued support, belief, and investment in our Springfield, especially to Springfield College over these past years. This public-private partnership continues to greatly enhance the campus of Springfield College, which in turn has increased overall quality of life to the surrounding neighborhood. In addition, and just as important, these improvements and various upgrades of the amenities and facilities the college has to offer benefits our residents, especially our students and their families.”

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University (WNE) School of Law will host attorney Justin Hurst on Monday, Feb. 7 as part of the school’s Color of Law Roundtable Discussion Series. Hurst will discuss his career path at noon. Registration for this virtual event is at bit.ly/3fgN3ipColorofLaw. The event is free and open to the public.

Hurst was born and raised in the city of Springfield. He is the son of attorneys Frederick Hurst and Marjorie Hurst, who are the founders and publishers of An African American Point of View newspaper. Attorney Hurst is a graduate of Springfield public schools and received his bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia.

Hurst began his service in the Springfield public school district as a secondary English teacher, and assumed the role of coordinator of Implementation for the Striving Readers Adolescent Literacy Initiative. Later, he was appointed director of Implementation for the Striving Readers Adolescent Literacy Initiative.

He received his juris doctor degree from Western New England College School of Law and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. in 2004. He currently serves as manager for London Realty, LLC. In 2013, he was elected as a Springfield city councilor. In 2019 and 2020, he was unanimously voted by his colleagues to serve as president of that body.

The Color of Law series is designed to expose Western New England University law students to attorneys, professionals, and judges of color. The series provides students a chance to network with people of color from the legal community and learn about various career paths.

Daily News

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — In recognition of its continued health and safety response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bradley International Airport has achieved reaccreditation from the Airports Council International (ACI) World Health Accreditation program.

“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have increasingly emphasized the implementation of safety protocols at Bradley International Airport to prioritize the well-being of our passengers and employees,” said Kevin Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority. “We are pleased to have our comprehensive response once again recognized through the rigorous ACI health accreditation process. This is a tremendous recognition of our airport-wide commitment to offer the safest facilities possible for all airport users.”

During the extensive accreditation process, ACI assesses the airport’s response and safety measures throughout the entire passenger journey in line with industry best practices. This includes evaluation of the airport’s cleaning and disinfection, physical distancing (where feasible and practical), staff protection, physical-layout modifications, passenger communications, and passenger-facility enhancements.

The Connecticut Airport Authority voluntary initiated the reassessment after receiving its initial health accreditation from ACI in December 2020.

In addition to surpassing these high industry safety standards, Bradley International Airport offers contactless access to the parking garage and surfaces lots through the airport’s free parking-rewards program; an opportunity to apply for TSA PreCheck at the airport’s enrollment site, which speeds up the screening process and also helps reduce touchpoints; and contactless meal ordering, allowing passengers to easily purchase food online for pickup on their journey through the airport.

Additionally, the airport is continuing to offer voluntary COVID testing for passengers and airport employees in the main terminal’s baggage claim. Free COVID vaccinations and boosters are also available on certain days in the same location. A federal face-covering mandate is also in place for everyone, regardless of their vaccination status.

Community Spotlight

Community Spotlight

By Mark Morris

New Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra

New Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra says a redesign of Main Street is one of the city’s key issues moving forward.

 

As 2022 begins, Gina-Louise Sciarra starts the new year as Northampton’s new mayor. As she settles into the job, the city faces big opportunities and challenges, especially the constant challenge of managing COVID-19 and its variants. Even as the pandemic adapts, Sciarra said she’s confident the workers and businesses in Northampton will also adapt and keep moving forward.

“We have to help our businesses through this really difficult time and figure out what the next stage of our economy is going to look like,” Sciarra said. “We have a special downtown that we want to stay vibrant and keep it the popular destination it’s always been.”

One of the largest projects on the mayor’s agenda involves a redesign of Main Street. Northampton has a uniquely wide main artery, which Sciarra said is lovely in some ways, but it also presents safety issues.

“We’re going to make it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as create more green space,” she said. “The redesign will help us meet the next era of retail and commerce while keeping it a place people want to come and experience.”

Not surprisingly, the Main Street redesign has been a huge topic of conversation among downtown businesses, according to Amy Cahillane, executive director of the Downtown Northampton Assoc. (DNA). Cahillane said some of her members favor keeping the wide Main Street and making crosswalks safer, while others would like to see the street narrowed, allowing for wider sidewalks.

“I don’t think there will be a design that makes everyone happy,” Cahillane said. “At the same time, it’s important for all to understand the magnitude of impact that construction will have on downtown businesses.”

She added that she’s eager to find out if the city will support businesses during the redesign because, after two years of reduced income due to COVID, they will soon face a construction process that also hurts the bottom line.

“We’re going to make it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as create more green space. The redesign will help us meet the next era of retail and commerce while keeping it a place people want to come and experience.”

“I don’t think it can be publicized enough what the construction will look like and how to navigate downtown while businesses are open,” Cahillane said. “I would also like to see financial support for businesses after all they’ve had to endure.”

After years of community input on the project, Sciarra said Northampton is in line to receive nearly 25% from the state for the Main Street redesign project, and that’s enough to keep it moving toward a construction start in 2025.

“Because of the size of this project, we will also modernize the underground infrastructure during the construction period,” she said.

 

Rescue and Recovery

A more immediate task for the new mayor involves $22 million earmarked for Northampton under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Sciarra said one of her first actions will be appointing an advisory committee to determine how to best allocate the ARPA funds. She appreciates that not everyone starts a term in office with these resources.

Vince Jackson

Vince Jackson says businesses have been opening and closing in Northampton at about the same rate during the pandemic.

“It’s spectacular to have these funds, but it’s also a huge responsibility,” she said. “This money comes out of a tragic time, so I want to make sure we steward it well and get the most out of it to benefit Northampton.”

This year will also see a new municipal office with the introduction of the Department of Community Care. This new area of public safety resulted from the efforts of the Northampton Police and Review Committee appointed by previous Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz and Sciarra while she was City Council president. The review committee was charged with looking at what changes should be made to improve public safety.

“Their top recommendation was to create a city department to provide an unarmed response to non-criminal calls,” Sciarra explained.

After hiring Sean Donavan as implementation director for the department in November, the next step is to set up meetings with fire and police dispatchers to figure out how calls from the public will be allocated. Sciarra noted that, because the police have been the default 24/7 responders, they have handled many calls out of their realm.

“Weary because we’re just tired of COVID and the sense that we start to make progress only to see another setback. And wary because of all the uncertainty when you try to plan ahead in this environment.”

“My goal is to bring everyone together so we can figure out how to transfer some of these calls to our new service. We have a lot to do, but it’s exciting to set up a new department,” she said, noting that the goal is to have Community Care up and running by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

From late summer through the fall, many Northampton businesses reported robust sales, some approaching 2019 numbers. In December, the rapid ascension of the Omicron variant of COVID caused the mood to change. Vince Jackson, executive director of the Northampton Chamber of Commerce, explained it as people feeling “weary and wary.”

“Weary because we’re just tired of COVID and the sense that we start to make progress only to see another setback,” Jackson said. “And wary because of all the uncertainty when you try to plan ahead in this environment.”

For Jeffrey Hoess-Brooks, September and October felt like old times. Hoess-Brooks, regional managing director for the Hotel Northampton and Fairfield Suites, noted that, even when business was up, staffing levels were down — which remains an issue. On some days, the housekeeping crew could not finish their work until evening hours because they were so short-staffed.

“Everyone was pitching in to help,” Hoess-Brooks said. “I cleaned more guest rooms this summer than I have in my entire 32 years in the industry.” Still, while January and February are traditionally slow months, he remains optimistic that business and staffing will improve by spring.

Northampton at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1883
Population: 29.571
Area: 35.8 square miles
County: Hampshire
Residential tax rate: $17.89
Commercial tax rate: $17.89
Median Household Income: $56,999
Median Family Income: $80,179
Type of government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Cooley Dickinson Hospital; ServiceNet Inc.; Smith College; L-3 KEO
* Latest information available

To find ways to keep going, Cahillane said many business owners are upgrading their online shopping and ordering capabilities, while others are renovating their locations.

Despite all the challenges, Jackson remains hopeful about the coming year. He pointed out that, since the beginning of the pandemic, Northampton has seen 20 businesses close, but 20 new businesses opened during the same time. “It speaks to the resilience of the community and the example that it sets for the entrepreneurial spirit in Northampton.”

 

Raising All Boats

Meanwhile, Cahillane is busy planning her first community event for 2022, the Northampton Ice Arts Festival, scheduled for Feb. 11, featuring various ice sculptures throughout downtown.

“We’ve got our fingers crossed that we will be able to have the event, especially because it’s outside,” she said, acknowledging the uncertainty while continuing to move forward.

Outdoor dining, which Cahillane has called a lifesaver for many restaurants, remains very popular. Amit Kanoujia, general manager of India House (see story on page 25), is looking to start his outdoor seating earlier and expand it later this year because so many people have asked him to consider it. “In the early spring, our guests bring jackets, and by the fall, they are willing to wear parkas to soak in as much of the outdoor experience as they can.”

Kanoujia remarked on the spirit of cooperation he’s seen among businesses and city leaders to keep moving forward. Jackson echoed that sentiment and added that collaboration is more important now than ever before.

“At the chamber, we try to remind everyone that we are all investors in our community and in our economy,” he said. “When one succeeds, we all succeed.”

Hampshire County

Neighborhood Connections

By Elizabeth Sears

Elizabeth and Lennie Appelquist

Elizabeth and Lennie Appelquist say local small businesses — like their clients — are the economic drivers of communities.

There is a marquee sign on Northampton Street in Easthampton that has become quite the local sensation. This old-fashioned sign has caught the attention of many in the Hampshire County community with its constantly revolving inspirational quotes. It belongs to Cider House Media, a marketing company owned by Lennie and Elizabeth Appelquist, who launched their firm after moving to Easthampton from Los Angeles.

“In 2013, my wife and I ended up moving back here, she grew up here in Easthampton,” Lennie said. His original background was in the film industry, but his hobby in website design ended up developing into its own company. “We still had a lot of clients we were carrying with us, so that’s what we did. We started Cider House here officially.”

Cider House Media provides a wide gamut of marketing services, ranging from branding, website building, and search-engine optimization all the way down to smaller jobs like fixing a website’s e-mail form. No matter how large or small the task, he said, the company focuses on delivering outcomes for whatever needs clients might have.

“At our core, what we really like to do is work with small businesses that matter to their communities, that may not have the resources to do all of the marketing, or the technical expertise to do the website and handle the marketing … but also can’t necessarily afford a really large, big-city firm to take care of all those,” Appelquist said.

The majority of Cider House Media’s clients are local businesses in the Western Mass. region. Its focus has been websites for small businesses that touch their local markets, Appelquist said.

“Our founding belief, our belief that drives us, is that local businesses and small businesses in our towns, not just here in Western Mass. but everywhere, really are the economic drivers of our communities,” he explained. “They’re also a kind of life’s blood. They are what make our communities really awesome, the small businesses, and we just really like to work with them.”

“At our core, what we really like to do is work with small businesses that matter to their communities, that may not have the resources to do all of the marketing, or the technical expertise to do the website and handle the marketing … but also can’t necessarily afford a really large, big-city firm to take care of all those.”

A strong online presence has become a growing need for small businesses as they acclimate to the demands of internet-based consumers. Shortened attention spans paired with the massive shift to remote work brought on by the pandemic has amplified the need for businesses to have fast and efficient websites, Appelquist said.

“We were just having a debate this morning about website loading times,” he told BusinessWest. “The pandemic shed a light on a lot of things, and people really expect a lot out of what they get delivered online, so what they’re looking for trend-wise is a website that loads really quickly. They also want a website that delivers clear information right up front without them having to think too much or dig too deep.”

He explained how savvy consumers not only crave deliverability, but also require accurate information. Cider House Media helps clients take control of their online presence, which involves ensuring the consistency of all representative information found across the web.

“When someone is looking for a service, a product, a restaurant’s hours, the site should load fast, and then there should be a very clear path to the information they’re looking for,” Appelquist said. “A trend we’re seeing with a lot of small businesses is making sure they take control of all of the places where people can interact … their data becomes their brand, and so every touch point on the web, on other third-party websites, on their website, when someone answers the phone at the office, it all becomes representative of what their brand is. If it’s inconsistent, that just says inconsistency to the consumer.”

 

Changing Times

Cider House Media felt the severe impact the pandemic had on small businesses, experiencing client cancellations and a decline in activity at the beginning of 2020. It had just launched its largest-ever online advertising campaign, and an uncertain marketplace led the Appelquists to question if they were going to survive. However, after a few months, they started to see an interesting shift in their business.

“All of a sudden, every business that was out there trying to figure out a way to reach their clients realized they needed to be online, and they needed to understand what they were doing. They needed to understand how online marketing worked, how their social-media worked, and how ads worked,” Lennie Appelquist said.

This resulted in a transition from their initial decline to a sudden flood of business. It has been almost two years since the Cider House Media staff have been able to get together in the office, but business has essentially stabilized.

“All of a sudden, every business that was out there trying to figure out a way to reach their clients realized they needed to be online, and they needed to understand what they were doing. They needed to understand how online marketing worked, how their social-media worked, and how ads worked.”

Even so, the pandemic has caused them to rework their philosophy and really think about how to help their clients leverage the internet and people’s habits to bring in business while simultaneously facing the obstacle of not being able to utilize a physical retail space. “The marketplace changed along with the world, so we had to be agile and change some of our approach as well.”

Cider House Media’s increase in activity during the pandemic did not stop with the growth of its clientele. “One thing that happened over the pandemic is an interesting market we got into — the community-access TV market,” Appelquist said. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Cider House Media has started five and launched four additional websites for public-access television.

“That’s been a real big education, and since one of the things we really love is to work with businesses, nonprofits, local organizations, arts organizations, touchpoints in our community that make a difference … it was our first experience building something that was a real journalistic news resource. Things like that have been great.”

Cider House Media has been involved in several community-oriented projects, perhaps the most noteworthy and high-profile one being One Ferry Project, a mill-building revitalization project in Easthampton.

“Locally, we launched this year a new brand and website for the One Ferry Project,” Appelquist said. “We did the brand, the logo, the marketing tools, all the signage for the building, the website. The process for potential renters or buyers of space, condos, rental units, office space, we created a mechanism for them to inquire on the website and reach whomever they need to reach.”

Cider House Media has been engaging in its community ever since the couple moved into their office in Easthampton. Lennie and Elizabeth are both members of the Cottage Street Cultural District Committee, and Elizabeth is on the board of the River Valley Co-op, as well as president of the Emily Williston Memorial Library in Easthampton. Additionally, they have been regular participants in the Art Walk put on by Easthampton City Arts, which is a program that features art exhibits and creative performances open to the public.

“When we got our office in Easthampton, we wanted to kind of be part of the community and meet people, so we actually asked the director of Easthampton City Arts if we could be part of the Art Walk and have an artist display their work and have people over, and they were like, ‘absolutely, yes,’” Lennie said. “Almost from the time we opened our office in Easthampton, we were a destination on the Art Walk as well as working with them.”

Lennie and Elizabeth opened an art gallery on Cottage Street in Easthampton as a second business in 2018, helping to celebrate the work of local artists by hosting local art events, spoken word, and poetry. The gallery closed as a result of the pandemic, but Cider House Media still remains committed to supporting the arts in Hampshire County.

“One of the things in Easthampton, but also Pioneer Valley and Western Massachusetts, that I just find so, so amazing is how integral the arts are,” Lennie said. “Art, like commerce, is really important, and I think the art and the culture, and the ability to interact with art and meet the artist, and interact and find those people that you intersect with at those types of events … it’s all your community.”

 

Word on the Street

Lennie Appelquist spoke of the charm possessed by the walkable towns of Hampshire County, and how small details like connecting over the marquee sign or the local art exhibits creates a positively unique environment. He noted the ample opportunities for networking, partnerships, and synergies, describing a local butcher participating with a night with food at the local brewery. Above all, he emphasized the community-oriented nature of the area, and how gratifying it is to work with businesses in the county.

“All those opportunities that you have to be part of a community, to create community, to interact with community, are really, really important,” he said. “So I think that’s the part we like the most — helping a lot of our clients give voice to what excites them and drives them to do their business, and why they go do it every day.”

Insurance

What’s Covered?

By Mark Morris

Michael Long

Michael Long says inflation in the cost of construction materials is complicating the equation of replacement protection.

 

When preparing a homeowners policy, insurance companies want to know all the details. They’re not being nosy — they just want to accurately cover any potential loss, even the unexpected ones.

Indeed, insurance agents who spoke with BusinessWest said every homeowners policy begins with a worksheet that captures anything and everything about the home. Inquiries range from the obvious — like the age of the house, square footage, and condition of the roof — to details about the kitchen counters (formica or granite?), whether rooms feature hardwood floors or carpeting, as well as many other questions.

“We ask for lots of details so we can get a true estimate of the home to properly gauge the replacement value,” said Trish Vassallo, director of Operations for Encharter Insurance in Amherst, noting that policies are based on what it would cost to replace the home and its contents if there was an event that resulted in the total loss of the home, such as a devastating fire or tornado.

Insurance companies also try to factor in cost increases in building supplies and labor, so some offer homeowners policies with extended replacement protection that will cover 25% or 50% above the insured amount of the home.

Michael Long, CEO of the Axia Group in Springfield, explained that, with recent hyperinflation in building materials and labor, extended coverage may not be enough. Lumber has experienced a massive increase in price since the beginning of the pandemic, driven by supply-chain issues and an increase in demand. One measure for estimating building costs is the price for a board foot of lumber.

“Customers ask us why their policies increase each year, and the answer is the inflation guard, which keeps the policy in line with current construction costs.”

“Not long ago, a thousand board feet of lumber cost $345,” Long said. “It’s now up to $1,600 per thousand board feet.” That’s why one of the first conversations Long has with his clients is to make them aware of policies that offer guaranteed replacement costs that will cover rebuilding a home no matter what happens to the price of materials and labor.

While guaranteed replacement might be worthwhile for high-value homes, it can be expensive coverage. A more affordable way to keep pace with rebuilding costs comes in the form of policies with inflation-guard endorsements. Trish Woodbury, Personal Lines manager for McClure Insurance Agency in West Springfield, explained that policies with inflation-guard coverage are designed to increase the limits of what the insurance company will pay based on the costs of materials.

“Customers ask us why their policies increase each year, and the answer is the inflation guard, which keeps the policy in line with current construction costs,” she said.

Customers also ask Woodbury why the estimated replacement cost on a homeowners policy is so different than the market value of the home. The main reason is that market value is driven by the ups and downs of the real-estate market and is calculated using the house as well as the lot it sits on.

“The estimated replacement cost is based on all the specs of your house and the amount the insurance company will pay to bring you back to where you were before the incident that caused your loss,” Woodbury said. “We often have to explain the difference because it’s a far different number than the market value.”

That’s why including everything in the house from top to bottom is essential to having it insured. For example, if people fail to report they have a finished basement out of concern they may have to pay higher taxes, they won’t have coverage for a loss.

“We are not trying to uncover a tax increase for the towns; our concerns are, if you have a devastating loss, we want to make you whole again,” Vassallo said. “If you have a finished basement, we want to know how finished — is there a TV room, workout equipment, is there a bathroom down there? These are all important factors so we can come up with the appropriate replacement value and include it.”

 

Water, Water Everywhere

The most common claim for a homeowners policy is water damage from a leaking roof, burst pipe, or faulty toilet. Long pointed out that, if a burst pipe happens when no one is home, damage can be substantial, and the claim can be huge, even approaching six figures.

Because water-damage claims are so common and expensive, Woodbury said homeowners can now install devices to prevent a severe incident.

“One of the devices is an automatic water shutoff when a leak is detected,” Woodbury said. “Insurance companies have begun offering discounts to homeowners who install these.”

Damage from flooding is not covered under a traditional homeowners policy. Insurance companies define flooding as water from the surface and below, usually entering through the foundation of a house. If a homeowner has a mortgage and their house is in a high-risk zone for flooding, they are required to have flood insurance. Long pointed out that changing weather patterns may require a new way to think about flooding.

“Most people figure, if they are not near a river or other body of water, they’re OK,” he said. “If we received 42 inches of rain and your house is on a hill, it could still receive flood damage that would not be covered by a traditional insurance policy.”

“Without umbrella coverage, if you tried to sell your house while there was a personal-liability judgment against you, the creditors could go after the proceeds from the sale.”

Woodbury added that anyone can buy flood insurance, and if a house is not in a high-risk zone, the homeowner will receive a preferred rating and a lower price for the coverage. “It’s available to everyone, and we’ve been encouraging people to consider it.”

In addition to covering the dwelling unit, homeowners policies will also cover personal property — up to a point. If there are special items such as expensive jewelry or fine art, the best approach is to add a coverage rider for those items. As an example of why riders make sense, Vassallo gave an example of someone who owns a $75,000 baby grand piano.

“If you had a total loss, such as a fire, and your content limits are $200,000, replacing the piano would take a huge chunk of that $200,000, leaving you a much smaller balance to cover everything else,” she said. Thus, purchasing an inexpensive insurance rider for the piano gives it full coverage with no deductible, and it no longer affects the personal-property limit. “So, it becomes a separate item that we want to keep separate.”

Another type of policy associated with homeowners insurance is umbrella coverage. These are personal liability policies that provide coverage when the limits of a homeowners and auto insurance policy aren’t enough to pay a claim.

Umbrella coverage was once thought to be necessary for homeowners who have a dog, a swimming pool, or a young driver. Vassallo said. But with payments for personal-injury claims going higher all the time, everyone should consider the added protection of such a policy. “We even suggest it for renters because you never know who’s going to sue you.”

Some people feel they don’t need an umbrella policy because the Homestead Act protects them, Long said. But while it prevents creditors from taking a person’s home, the act’s protection stops there.

“Without umbrella coverage, if you tried to sell your house while there was a personal-liability judgment against you, the creditors could go after the proceeds from the sale,” he noted.

Water damage may top the list of common claims, but Long said dog-bite claims are growing in number. A typical homeowners policy can provide some coverage, but he strongly recommends dog owners have an umbrella policy, as the average claim for a dog bite is $40,000 — and people with a dog-bite claim often pay much more for homeowners policies in the future.

For many years, companies have maintained lists of dogs they will not insure under a homeowners policy. Woodbury pointed out that the list is driven by the number of claims they see for certain breeds.

“The lists change, too,” she said. “Because companies have seen fewer claims on German shepherds and huskies, they have come off some lists.”

Before purchasing a dog, Long recommends homeowners call their insurance agent, especially if they are not set on a particular breed. “Your agent can give you the current list of dogs the companies will not cover with insurance.”

 

Remote Control

While many people work from home these days, that work can take many forms. A person working full-time for a company is different than someone who operates a home-based business. Vassallo said homeowners policies are not intended to protect business exposure, so a person who runs a business out of their home needs to see their agent for a rider to their home policy.

Liability can become an issue if customers come to the home. It’s not unusual for tax accountants, music teachers, and others to have people at their home for business reasons. In insurance terms, that’s a liability exposure that can be addressed with a separate commercial rider for protection.

“Otherwise, using the example of the music teacher, if a student or parent slipped and fell, the teacher would have no protection,” Vassallo said.

Home ownership brings with it plenty of physical hazards. Insurance companies have begun offering protection for virtual hazards such as identity theft and cyberattacks.

Long said cyberattacks are growing at a rate of 200% every year. One of the top schemes is phishing — when a fraudster sends an e-mail that appears to be from a reputable company and encourages the receiver to click on links that compromise their security. But cyberattacks have moved away from laptops and phones and can now impact other areas of the house.

“Hackers are known to access data through WiFi-enabled thermostats,” Long said, adding that those who own WiFi-enabled refrigerators have also experienced attacks by hackers who use the appliance to mint cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin. “Many policies offer identity theft, and we are now strongly recommending our clients to add cyber protection.”

Before a homeowners policy comes up for renewal, agents will contact their customers to make sure their coverage stays up to date. It’s important for insurers to know about improvements such as a kitchen renovation.

“If you’ve upgraded to granite counters, it will now cost more to rebuild your home if you had a claim,” Woodbury said. “We want to make sure the limits on the policy keep up with the cost of rebuilding your house.”

Obviously, homeowners are not looking to pay more for coverage, and there are options for those who are interested only in price. Vassallo tries to help her customers understand why having sufficient coverage is so important.

“This is probably the largest asset they will ever own,” she said, “so let’s make sure we properly protect it.”

Commercial Real Estate

Fighting the Fight

Evan Plotkin

Evan Plotkin says a mural planned for this wall near Stearns Square will pay homage to that area’s important role in Springfield’s history.

Evan Plokin was joking — well, sort of — about just how well his team seemed to manage while he was home battling mesothelioma and rehabbing from complicated surgery to help rid his body of cancer.

“I learned that this place could function just fine without me,” he said, tongue in cheek, noting that his company, NAI Plotkin, completed several deals during those weeks while he was out, putting a cap on a busy year, despite damage done to the economy by the pandemic. “The four months I was pretty much out of action I was thinking the worst, but when I came back, all the deals that were in the pipeline that I thought were never going to close … things suddenly started to happen.”

Overall, this lengthy, ongoing ordeal — he was officially diagnosed with mesothelioma in March 2021 — has been a learning experience on many levels, starting with the disease itself.

Plotkin confessed to knowing little about it when he was diagnosed, other than the only way to be stricken with it is through prolonged exposure to asbestos — or, as he has learned since, through heavy use of talc. And a “review of his life’s story,” as he called it, revealed that he falls into that category.

“I had rashes when I was a youngster, throughout my elementary schools, and I can always remember my grandmother putting the powder on me,” he recalled. “As I got into sports, when I would sweat a lot, I would break out, and the baby powder helped. And I remember when I was playing football in high school, I would douse my shoulder pads with it before every practice and before every game.”

This review of his life and has led to a different kind of learning experience, this one concerning ongoing legal action against Johnson & Johnson — maker of the baby powder he put on those shoulder pads — which he is now a big part of.

“I’m on the creditor’s committee — we just had a meeting recently; five of us are representing 40,000 claimants in this litigation,” he said, noting that these claimants are pushing back hard on J&J’s efforts to form a separate company to capture all asbestos claims related to its baby powder and then, presumably, file bankruptcy. “Every one of us who has this disease wants our day in court, and not have this piled into a bankruptcy settlement.”

While waging battles on these various fronts, Plotkin, who firmly believes he’s on the road to recovery and is now back in his office several days a week, is continuing another fight — his decades-long struggle to return downtown Springfield to the vibrancy he knew when he was young.

Long a staunch advocate for the city and firm believer in the power of the arts as an economic-development strategy — he’s one of the organizers of the annual summer jazz festival in the city — Plotkin said considerable progress has been made in recent years to make Springfield a more attractive place to live and work, but there is still much to be done.

He talked about the need to become creative with the hundreds of thousands of square feet of vacant office space in the city (again, see the story on page 38), to renew and escalate efforts to revitalize the properties on Main Street across from MGM Springfield, and to continue work to use the city’s open spaces, especially its parks, to draw new residents — and businesses as well.

With that, he turned his attention to his latest project, a giant mural that will occupy a wall facing Stearns Square on Worthington Street.

Working in tandem with John Simpson, an art professor at UMass Amherst whose murals grace Elm Street and the I-91 viaduct, as well as the Springfield Improvement District, Plotkin, through a nonprofit he created called City Mosaic, won a grant to transform that wall — currently featuring faded images of cameras and related products sold at a store there in the 1940s — into a history book of sorts.

“It’s going to be a composition — we’re going to give a nod to many of the historic and important people from Springfield, right up to the present,” he said. “It’s going to be the largest mural in the city.”

For this issue, BusinessWest talked with Plotkin about the many battles he’s waging, and the progress he’s making with what could be considered the big picture — figuratively, but also quite literally.

 

Joining the Battle

Plotkin, who has long prided himself on taking good care of his body, exercising, and eating the right foods, said his cancer diagnosis nearly a year ago caught him off guard and left him searching for answers.

“To suddenly be told that you have this terrible disease … that was very traumatic,” he said, adding that, while he became consumed with understanding how he contracted mesothelioma, the more immediate concern was confronting the disease.

He underwent what is known as a HIPEC (hyperthermic chemotherapy) procedure in August. After removing visible tumors through standard surgical procedures, a surgeon will administer HIPEC treatment, during which a heated sterile solution — containing a chemotherapeutic agent — is continuously circulated throughout the peritoneal cavity for up to two hours.

The 10-hour procedure was followed by three months of rehabilitation, said Plotkin, noting that he lost more than 50 pounds through the ordeal, suffered a few setbacks while recovering, and endured a few trips to the emergency room.

But he believes the worst is over and that he is on the road to recovery.

“I’m feeling really good right now, so I’m very optimistic about my future,” he said. “I feel almost as good as I did before the surgery; I just have to watch it … but I’m back to normal, and everything is good for me.”

While knocking on the nearest available wood, Plotkin noted there isn’t much available data on HIPEC. “And the doctors and the oncologists — they don’t have any predictions for you,” he went on. “They just say they want to take film every six months and go from there.”

Meanwhile, he said many others in his situation have not been as fortunate in their fight.

“You hear some of the stories from some of the people you meet, and their stories are not as good. I just learned about a 28-year-old boy who had the surgery who died from complications — kidney problems after the surgery.”

Such stories put more emphasis on the ongoing lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson, which, by many accounts, involve more than 38,000 claimants and nearly $4 billion in damages being sought.

At present, that fight is on a pause of sorts after a bankruptcy judge in North Carolina halted the lawsuits against J&J after that company formed a subsidiary in Texas, known as LTL, to absorb the parent company’s asbestos liabilities. LTL promptly filed for bankruptcy in North Carolina.

The move, known as a ‘divisive merger’ as well as a ‘Texas two-step’ (because that’s where LTL was formed) has been slammed by lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Plotkin said claimants in the various suits are girding for a protracted battle.

“Everyone is lawyering up, and they’re ready to have hearings,” he said. “All this is going to be hopefully resolved, one way or another, in February.”

While the court fight against J&J is now capturing some of Plotkin’s time, he also has his work — a broad phrase, to be sure — keeping him busy.

He said he worked remotely for some time but is now back in his office at 1350 Main St., the one with the view facing south toward MGM Springfield. And he referenced what he can see out his window when talking about the major challenges still facing Springfield.

He said that, when MGM was originally proposed, the thinking — if not the promise — was that the casino, with its front door on Main Street, would bring more vibrancy, not to mention additional commercial development, to both sides of the street and that broad area.

That hasn’t happened yet, in part because most all casino visitors have been entering and exiting through the parking garage (especially during the pandemic), leaving little foot traffic on Main Street and, therefore, a minimal trickle-down effect.

“People go right back in the garage, and they’re out of here,” he said. “And that needs to be fixed; we need to get those people into the downtown.”

Turning his attention back to Stearns Square, he said that area has seen progress on several fronts in recent years, including the park itself, which underwent major restoration efforts a few years ago. Around it are new businesses, including Dewey’s, a jazz club; the promise of new restaurants; and prospects for that area once again being the centerpiece of a walkable city.

The new mural will be part of all this, he said, adding that it will turn back the clock in many respects.

“In one part of the mural, there’s going to be an image of what Stearns Square looked like more than 100 years ago,” he explained, noting that this look back will show how the ‘Puritan’ statue now at the corner of Chestnut and State streets near the Quadrangle was originally in Stearns Square, with the Puritan facing a globe at the turtle fountain in the south end of the park.

“The narrative behind that is the fountain has a giant globe on it with fish and turtles around it, and there’s water,” he explained. “It was the Puritan looking at the new world, and he knew he had to cross over the water to get there.”

 

Body of Evidence

As he related the history of the park and spoke about his mural project, Plotkin said he’s always believed the Puritan statue should return to its original setting.

He admits he’s probably not alone with that view, but he acknowledges that such a move would certainly be a longshot at this point and an uphill battle.

Speaking of uphill battles … he’s been involved with many of them lately, from his fight against mesothelioma to the drawn-out court skirmishes with Johnson & Johnson, to his campaign to revitalize downtown Springfield.

All of them are ongoing to one extent or another, and Plotkin is waging them the only way he knows how: with passion and determination.

 

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Features

Unwelcome Surprises

By Jodi K. Miller, Esq. and Ryan J. Barry, Esq.

 

Jodi K. Miller

Jodi K. Miller

Ryan J. Barry

Ryan J. Barry

A woman injures her ankle while jogging and goes to the local emergency department for treatment. Despite her injury, she makes sure to go to a hospital in her health plan’s network. Some weeks later, she receives a significant — and unexpected — bill from an emergency department physician. While the hospital was in her health plan’s network, it turns out the treating physician was not. Her health plan paid a portion of the physician’s charges, but she is responsible for the remainder.

This type of ‘balance’ or ‘surprise’ bill has been an ongoing issue when patients receive care from out-of-network providers, some of whom then bill patients the difference between their charges and the health plan’s benefit payment for out-of-network services. These bills are often a surprise because the patient either was not able to choose an in-network provider or was unaware that the provider was out of network until after the services were rendered.

“This type of ‘balance’ or ‘surprise’ bill has been an ongoing issue when patients receive care from out-of-network providers, some of whom then bill patients the difference between their charges and the health plan’s benefit payment for out-of-network services.”

Recently enacted legislation at the federal level and in Massachusetts attempt to address this issue.

A new federal law, the No Surprises Act, went into effect on Jan. 1. The No Surprises Act imposes requirements on healthcare facilities and providers, as well as on health plans, in three key areas: emergency services, non-emergency services provided by out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and air ambulance services. When those services are rendered, health plans must make a payment to the out-of-network providers, and patients are responsible only for the cost-sharing obligations they would have incurred had the care been provided in network (e.g., co-payments and deductibles).

If the provider does not accept the health plan’s payment, the plan and the provider must attempt to negotiate a reimbursement rate. If negotiations fail, the plan or the provider can initiate a dispute-resolution process to resolve the issue. In these cases, providers may not bill the patient more than the cost-sharing amount, and they are potentially subject to civil monetary penalties of up to $10,000 per violation if they do so.

The No Surprises Act also provides that out-of-network providers of certain scheduled services may not balance-bill patients unless the provider has given advance notice and obtained written consent from the patient. The act sets out specific requirements for the content of the notice, including a good-faith estimate of the costs incurred and a list of in-network options for the patient. This notice and consent process, however, is not available for out-of-network providers of emergency services and other ancillary services (such as anesthesiology, pathology, radiology, and other diagnostic services), or in circumstances where there no in-network provider is available.

Other provisions of the No Surprises Act, including disclosure requirements for both providers and health plans, also aim to increase transparency and consumer protections. Providers are required to publicly disclose and provide to patients a one-page notice about the balance-billing requirements and prohibitions of the No Surprises Act, as well as state law. As discussed below, Massachusetts, too, has recently imposed new disclosure requirements for providers.

Notably, the protections of the No Surprises Act do not apply to emergency services by ground ambulance providers. In those circumstances, out-of-network ground ambulance providers may still bill patients for significant balances, which are invariably a surprise to patients who had no ability to choose an in-plan ambulance provider in an emergency.

Regulations implementing the No Surprises Act have not been without controversy. Medical associations have criticized the regulations implementing the dispute-resolution process as unfairly favoring health plans. Health plans, on the other hand, have lauded the regulations, maintaining that the process will make healthcare more affordable and avoid unnecessary increases in health-insurance premiums.

On Jan. 1, 2021, Massachusetts passed its own law to address balance billing for non-emergency services. That law, which also took effect on Jan. 1, requires healthcare providers to disclose to patients certain information regarding their participation in patients’ insurance plans and patients’ financial obligations for scheduled procedures and services.

Generally, providers are required to tell patients whether they participate in the patient’s insurance plan. If the provider does not participate in the patient’s plan, the provider must disclose the charges and any facility fees for the procedure or service. The provider must also inform the patient they will be responsible for the charges and any facility fees not covered through the patient’s health plan and that they may be able to obtain the procedure or service at a lower cost from an in-network provider.

The law also imposes new requirements on in-network providers to disclose information to patients regarding charges for procedures or services. Providers must also inform patients if their participation in the patient’s health plan changes during a continued course of treatment and make various disclosures when referring a patient to another provider.

There are two consequences if a provider violates the Massachusetts law. First, if an out-of-network provider fails to provide the required notifications and information, the provider cannot bill the patient at all, except for any co-payment, co-insurance, or deductible that would be payable had the patient received the service from an in-network provider. Second, the commissioner of the Department of Public Health is authorized to fine non-compliant providers up to $2,500 per violation.

The recently enacted federal and state laws seek to provide protections to consumers to avoid inadvertent balance bills from out-of-network providers. As these laws go into effect at the start of the new year, providers and health plans should be ready to implement the requirements, and consumers should see fewer surprises in their mailboxes.

 

Jodi Miller and Ryan Barry are partners in Bulkley Richardson’s healthcare practice.

Hampshire County

Positive Change

By Mark Morris

Ed Wingenbach

Ed Wingenbach says Hampshire College is identifying the urgent challenges of the 21st century and making them the emphasis of the curriculum.

If you were designing a college education today, what would it look like?

That’s the question Edward Wingenbach, president of Hampshire College, discussed with faculty, staff, and students in 2019. Back then, the college was facing financial struggles and even explored the possibility of merging with another institution.

At that time, the college unveiled Change in the Making, a fundraising effort launched with help from documentary filmmaker and Hampshire College alum Ken Burns. While the goal of the five-year campaign is to raise $60 million to directly fund the operations of the college, it also presented an opportunity to reinvent the definition of a liberal-arts education.

Wingenbach said the approach starts with identifying the urgent challenges of the 21st century and making them the emphasis of the curriculum.

“We have adopted four specific challenges that our faculty will incorporate into many of the courses they teach,” he said. For academic year 2022-23, the questions are: how should we act on our responsibilities in the face of a changing climate? How do we disrupt and dismantle white supremacy? How do we decide what constitutes truth in a ‘post-truth’ era? And how can art and creative practices heal trauma?

Jennifer Chrisler, chief Advancement officer for Hampshire College, said the questions were compiled with input from faculty, students, and staff. “It is a way of organizing the college around the kinds of questions the world is facing and that young people really want to tackle,” she explained.

The questions will be reviewed every year to see if new ones need to be added or dropped, Chrisler went on. “It’s a chance for students, faculty, and staff to weigh in on the way the curriculum is shaped on a regular basis. That usually doesn’t happen in higher education.”

Jennifer Chrisler

Jennifer Chrisler

“It’s a chance for students, faculty, and staff to weigh in on the way the curriculum is shaped on a regular basis. That usually doesn’t happen in higher education.”

Recently, the campaign received $5 million from an anonymous doner to establish the Ken Burns Initiative to Transform Higher Education, an effort Wingenbach described as a subset of the overall Change in the Making campaign. The donor had no previous affiliation with Hampshire and didn’t know much about the college until Wingenbach and his staff began talks with them.

“The donor was excited about the work we are doing and wanted to help us accelerate it while, at the same time, honoring Ken Burns, who is someone the donor knows very well,” Wingenbach said.

 

Unique Model

Hampshire College has always sought to transform higher education. Wingenbach said the point of the Change in the Making campaign is to pursue that vision with renewed vigor.

“Most colleges will have students pick an academic track they will study for four years with the hope these courses will prepare them for careers and opportunities that probably didn’t exist when they started college,” he noted.

“By contrast, we’re saying no one knows what the challenges and opportunities are going to be five years from now, but they will require creative, entrepreneurial thinkers who can work across all kinds of fields of knowledge. Students from Hampshire College will have been practicing this approach in increasingly sophisticated ways.”

To illustrate how this works in a real-world setting, Wingenbach gave the example of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. While the vaccine was an amazing accomplishment, it was also important to think about how to communicate with people to persuade them to change their behavior and get the shot. By putting so much emphasis on just the vaccine’s development, he contends that only half the problem was solved.

“The point is that problems get solved when the technical and social sciences work together,” he noted.

While this approach is new to incoming classes, Wingenbach reported that students are enthusiastic about it. Chrisler said donors feel the same.

“Donors are excited because our approach represents an incredibly needed change in higher education today,” she said.

Chrisler added that donors also support the college because, when students leave as alums, they often go on to do extraordinary things. While Burns is the most famous alum, Chrisler cited others, such as Manual Castro who was recently appointed to the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs by New York City mayor Eric Adams, the first time this position has been held by an undocumented person, or ‘Dreamer.’ Chrisler also cited Stephen Gardner, named in December as the next CEO of Amtrak.

“When he came to Hampshire, Stephen was interested in the infrastructure of railroads and music,” she said. “Now he will be able to shape what rail transportation looks like in our country.”

Burns has often credited his success to his experience at Hampshire. In a news release on the anonymous donation, he expressed humility for the gift made in his honor and supported the college’s current efforts.

“I know Hampshire is transformative because I experienced it firsthand,” the filmmaker said. “Fifty years later, our nation needs fresh thinking in higher education, and Hampshire is poised to deliver on that opportunity.”

The anonymous donation is the second substantial contribution since James and Paula Crown invested $5 million in the campaign in late 2020. Early indications show this innovative approach is helping build back enrollments.

“This year’s entering class was nearly 100% over last year,” Wingenbach said. “In addition, we have doubled the number of applications we had at this time last year.”

While admitting there is still much to be done, Wingenbach said enrollments are now comparable to 2016 and 2017, when the college had much larger classes.

 

Looking Ahead

Chrisler recalled the tough days of 2019 as a pivotal time that helped everyone realize the importance of Hampshire College as an institution both for what it has done and what it can do.

“The tough times crystalized for many people the need for Hampshire to remain an independent and thriving college for its students, for the Pioneer Valley, and for higher education overall,” Chrisler said.

These days, as the college continues to innovate and write its next chapter, she said these are exciting times. “Most of us here are deeply grateful to be a part of that story.”

Commercial Real Estate

COVID and Property Value

By Laura Bellotti Cardillo

 

Laura Bellotti Cardillo

Laura Bellotti Cardillo

When property-tax assessments in Massachusetts came out at the end of 2020, many business owners were surprised to find their values had stayed the same or increased. Those assessments were premised on income and expense data from calendar year 2019, and therefore did not factor in the beginnings of the economic impact of the pandemic.

Now that property-tax assessments for fiscal year 2022 are being determined, commercial property owners whose real-estate assets were negatively impacted by the pandemic should take another look. Assessors must rely on calendar year 2020 income and expense data to determine current values and assessments, and after almost two years of living with COVID-19, the question remains whether the pandemic is a temporary anomaly or the economic impact will be of longer duration.

If your commercial real estate has been hit hard by the pandemic, here are some best practices that could help you achieve a reduction in your property assessment and lower your real-estate taxes.

 

Provide Extra Data and Projections

If the pandemic has continued to hamper your property’s performance through 2021, provide data through the third quarter of this year. While the assessment is based on numbers through year-end 2020, proof that things have not improved undercuts the argument that the pandemic is merely a blip.

Projections for 2022, 2023, and 2024 can be helpful in this regard as well. Many industries anticipate that a full recovery will take years. Demonstrating that you are not anticipating a swift bounce-back can support your argument that a reduction now is warranted.

“If the pandemic has continued to hamper your property’s performance through 2021, provide data through the third quarter of this year. While the assessment is based on numbers through year-end 2020, proof that things have not improved undercuts the argument that the pandemic is merely a blip.”

 

Document Use of PPP and Other Relief Funds

In some cases, assessors have asked if businesses received funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or other relief initiatives. It is highly unlikely that these funds would have been used in a way that would increase the value of your real estate, so they should not factor into the fiscal year 2022 assessment.

Because PPP was designed specifically to cover payroll, utilities, and operating expenses, demonstrating in detail how these funds were spent (using materials you likely already have from your loan-forgiveness application) should help assessors put the receipt of these funds in proper context.

 

Values and Assessments Can Change Annually

Municipalities in Massachusetts have the ability to adjust assessments annually. Because values can be recalibrated year to year, now is the time for assessors to lower the values for the commercial property types hit hard by the pandemic.

Assuming certain commercial real-estate markets have begun to tick back up already or will begin to do so in 2022, assessors can make the necessary adjustments if and when the various sectors of the commercial property market roar back to life.

 

Laura Bellotti Cardillo is vice chair of the property-tax and valuation practice at Pullman & Comley. She heads the law firm’s Springfield office.

Opinion

Editorial

 

BusinessWest launched its Top Entrepreneur program back in 1996 to recognize individuals, groups, and institutions that were honoring a tradition that went back centuries and made Greater Springfield a hub for innovation and industry.

For much of that decade, and into the next one, the list of honorees was top-heavy with those from the IT sector, as might be expected. Indeed, that realm was booming, and a legion of young entrepreneurs were starting businesses focused on hardware, software, and developing solutions for clients.

But over the years, this award has also gone to a college president, a hospital president, a municipal utility (Holyoke Gas & Electric), and a hockey team — actually, the owners and operators of that team, the Springfield Thunderbirds. And there have been more traditional entrepreneurs as well, in fields ranging from auto sales to hardware stores; trash hauling to home care.

The common denominator — and there’s certainly more than one — is calculated risk taking and a desire to meet identified, and often unmet, needs. In most all cases, they’ve done so by overcoming several challenges, and, in the case of decades-old businesses (Rocky’s Ace Hardware and Balise Auto Sales come to mind), adapt to changing times.

This pattern is certainly continuing with this year’s honorees, Vid Mitta and Dinesh Patel, the serial entrepreneurs who have made Springfield’s Tower Square their latest and most ambitious undertaking to date (see story on page 16).

Tower Square, originally known as Baystate West, was conceived and built in the ’60s. It was designed to change the landscape in the city, and it did just that, its office tower rising far above everything around it for another two decades. It was created to be a destination, a place where people would work, shop, and dine, and for a while, it worked.

But when shopping patterns changed and malls were erected in the suburbs, it didn’t.

By the time MassMutual, which built the complex, decided to sell it in 2017, it was, in many respects, tired. There were many intriguing tenants, including UMass Amherst and Cambridge College, but still many vacancies on both the retail and office sides. Meanwhile, the hotel on the property had lost its Marriott flag, was operating as the Tower Square Hotel, and had lost most of its original luster.

While most potential investors saw a troubled property and had visions of a fire sale, Patel and Mitta saw a gem — albeit one that needed some polishing. They rolled the dice, knowing their $17.5 million investment was only the first of many that would have to be made.

Since acquiring the property, they have used imagination — attracting White Lion Brewing Co. and the YMCA’s fitness and daycare operations, for example — and persistence (something that’s certainly needed during a pandemic now entering its third year) to bring new life and energy to the property.

The new façade that has gone up on the hotel is somewhat symbolic of this entire project — it is shiny, it is new, and it is turning a lot of heads.

The partners still have a long way to go with this endeavor, to be sure. There are still many vacancies to fill, and the property is still not entirely worthy of the term ‘destination.’

But three years and more than $30 million in investments later, their gamble is showing signs that it will pay off — for them, the city, and the region.

We don’t know how this story will end, but for now, there are many intriguing plotlines. One of them concerns entrepreneurs taking a chance, planning, and working diligently to make a dream become reality.

That’s the same general pattern followed by all the winners of the Top Entrepreneur award since 1996, and it explains why Mitta and Patel are worthy additions to a distinguished list of honorees.

Opinion

Opinion

By Michelle Desaulniers

 

Most everyone has been a passenger on an airplane and heard the safety talk. Very often, the ‘put your own mask on first before helping others’ analogy is used to remind people, in myriad situations, that it is OK — in fact, it is preferable — to practice self-care.

Most of us push self-care and everything that goes along with that notion to the bottom of our to-do list — and we just keep on flying. But what if, at the beginning of 2022, you decided to put yourself and your career first? Start this new year on a different note by taking a personal learning inventory.

At the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE), we are challenging our members to bring their personal development to the number-one position on their to-do list for 2022 by asking themselves these questions:

• How will you make next year count?

• What will you do to take your career to a new level?

• How will you challenge yourself in 2022?

What will it take to get you into a personal growth mindset? Start by thinking about the last time you took a class, attended a training session, or went to a conference. Remember that feeling of accomplishment, the renewed sense of purpose and engagement that you felt afterwards? It was great connecting with peers outside of your organization and sharing ideas, wasn’t it? Wouldn’t you like to feel that again and really get into that forward-thinking growth mindset?

EANE offers a variety of formal opportunities and options to refresh your attitude and to add substance to your learning inventory. The coming year should be punctuated with your own personal learning events that will enable you to return to your daily challenges feeling refreshed, re-energized, and ready to tackle those challenges with a new outlook and armed with freshly minted skills. Not only do you owe it to yourself, but you owe it to your co-workers. They will see your example, and they will follow it.

No doubt everyone is feeling the weight of the world lately, and no one wants to poke their head up for fear of flying objects. But allowing your professional growth to stagnate for yet another year is like putting someone else’s mask on before your own. On an airplane — and in your career — that could lead to disaster.

 

Michelle Desaulniers is a member of the Learning & Development team at EANE.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) Board announced two spring concerts will be hosted at Springfield Symphony Hall on Friday, April 22 and Friday, May 13 with former SSO Music Director Mark Russell Smith serving as guest conductor.

Smith is music director and conductor of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. He previously served as music director for the SSO from 1995 through 2000. He has worked as director of New Music Projects for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and artistic director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Minnesota, and has also served as music director for the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra.

According to Paul Friedmann of the SSO management committee, “Mark Russell Smith is distinguished by his creative programming and dynamic personality. It is with great joy that we announce he will guest conduct concerts in April and May as we bring life back to the stage at Springfield Symphony Hall.”

Details about the concerts, program, and availability of tickets will be forthcoming and available at springfieldsymphony.org.