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SPRINGFIELD — The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts announced today that President and CEO Katie Allan Zobel intends to transition out of her role, concluding 17 years of service and a decade-long tenure as executive leader at the foundation.  

Zobel will continue to serve in her role while engaged in continued succession planning with the Foundation Trustees through September 2022.  

“On behalf of the trustees, I want to express my gratitude for Katie’s many contributions to the Community Foundation and to our community. She has led the organization with passion and a deep commitment to its mission and impactful work,” said Paul Murphy, trustee chair. “Under Katie’s stewardship and with the support of her talented and dedicated team, the foundation’s position as the region’s philanthropy hub has been strengthened by the more than doubling of its assets; the building of strong partnerships with donors, institutional partners, and community leaders; and the nearly doubling of its staff capacity. It is without a doubt that Katie is leaving the foundation stronger than it has ever been, which benefits the communities that it serves throughout Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties.” 

Building on the prior accomplishments of the foundation, Zobel has led the foundation through a period of extraordinary innovation, growth, and change. Under her leadership, the foundation launched and directed ValleyGives, which raised more than $10 million through annual one-day, on-line fundraising campaigns for local nonprofits, established new partnerships with state and private philanthropy to expand funding for the region, including the launch of ValleyCreates, a partnership with the Barr Foundation established to support a vibrant arts and creativity sector in western Massachusetts. 

The foundation has also supported research on college completion and expanded funding for local colleges and universities through its Western MA Completes initiative. The Community Foundation has distributed more than $13 million through the COVID-19 Response Fund to support community members and nonprofit partners most severely impacted by the pandemic. 

“It has been a joy, an honor, and a privilege to serve my community as a member of the CFWM team.  I arrived on a three-month temporary assignment that evolved into an amazing 17-years,” said Zobel. “I have had the great good fortune to be connected deeply to an incredibly generous and caring community that gifted me with countless opportunities to work alongside people determined to make the world a better place. 

“I am so proud of what we have built together, how willingly we have supported each other during some of the greatest challenges our communities have experienced, and the promise it holds for our future,” she went on. “It’s been quite an adventure and now it’s time for me to hand over the reins to the foundation’s next leader and seek out my next professional adventure.” 

A national search for a successor will commence this month under Murphy’s leadership. Last week the trustees elected the firm Lindauer to launch a national search for Zobel’s successor. Lindauer has substantial experience in placing highly qualified candidates in organizations like the Community Foundation.  

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SPRINGFIELD — Health New England is offering $100,000 in grants for non-profit organizations that address inequities to improve maternal and infant health. The company’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) grants will award up to $10,000 per organization. 

The DEIB grants will fund non-profits whose programs address health equity and focus on engaging at least one social determinant of health (SDOH). SDOHs are conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that affect health, quality of life, and life expectancy. These may include socioeconomic status, food insecurity, education, access to health care, safe housing, discrimination, violence, and trauma, etc.  

Registered 501(c)(3) non-profits focused on communities in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties are eligible. Eligible organizations can find out more and apply for the grant here. Submissions are due by midnight on May 30. 

“Health New England’s Community Health Needs Assessment shows that Black women in Berkshire, Hampden, and Worcester counties are more likely to receive inadequate prenatal care compared to White women. The same holds for Latinas in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. Funding programs that reduce barriers in accessing critical prenatal care for Black and Latina women will improve health outcomes for moms and their babies,” said Katie Bruno, Health New England’s Public Health and Wellness Program Manager.  

Health New England, a Baystate Health-owned not-for-profit health plan, continues to invest in the health and well-being of the people in the communities it serves. Over the past four years, Health New England’s grants have provided more than $1.2 million in funding to nonprofits in Western and Central Massachusetts.  

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SPRINGFIELD — Kevin M. Sears, AHWD, C2EX, of Springfield, has been elected 2023 first vice president of the National Association of REALTORS®. The election took place at the NAR board of directors meeting. 
Sears is a broker/partner of Sears Real Estate, specializing in single-family brokerage and property management. He has served NAR in numerous capacities, including as a president’s liaison in 2019 and as NAR vice president of Government Affairs in 2017. 

He has a long history of serving in volunteer leadership positions. He served as the 2010 President of the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) and state REALTOR® of the Year in 2006. He has been a member of the MAR Board of Directors since 2000. 

The REALTOR® Association of Pioneer Valley (RAPV) elected Sears as president in 2005 and named him REALTOR® of the Year in 2006. He has also served as a Chair of a number of the association’s committees. 

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ENFIELD, Conn. — Asnuntuck Community College is offering area students a free opportunity to enroll in credit courses at the college this summer.  

Rising juniors and seniors are encouraged to participate. The college will be offering a four credit MED 133 Clinical Medical Assisting course. It will be hybrid, with classes being offered on Tuesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from noon to 2 p.m., with students also responsible for online learning. It will be offered June 28 through July 29. MED133 offers entry level theory and skills as it pertains to the field of medical assisting. Students will be responsible for the purchase/rental of textbook and the purchase of a stethoscope and blood pressure kit (available for less than $30 online). 

The textbook is used for two other courses at Asnuntuck. High school students can consider utilizing Asnuntuck’s free High School Partnership Program to take additional courses in their junior and senior year and utilize the same textbook.  

The second course, also offered to rising high school juniors and seniors, will be the three-credit BMG 202 Principles of Management. Students will only need to purchase or rent a used or new textbook for that course. This course, also hybrid, will require students to be on campus on Wednesday evenings from 6-9 p.m. Students will be responsible to do the remainder of their work online. The course will concentrate on the human side of management and case studies will be a major part of the course. It will run from June 29 to July 29.  

Contact Julie Cotnoir ([email protected]) for additional information on how to apply.  

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HOLYOKE  This summer, Holyoke Community College will be running a free, one-month, intensive line-cook training course at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute. 

The course runs Monday through Friday, June 6 to July 8, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.   

The HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute is located at 164 Race St. in downtown Holyoke.  

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 the restaurant industry.  

“This may be a perfect option for anyone who loves cooking, is thinking about a career as a professional chef, or wants to gain some professional skills in the kitchen,” said HCC assistant project coordinator Maureen McGuinness. 

The program is being taught both online and 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 resume 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 or to register, call (413) 552-2500 or email to [email protected].