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Michael J. Dias Foundation

By
Class of 2025

A Parent’s Darkest Hour Has Become a Beacon of Light and Recovery

 

Michael J. Dias was a smart kid — an athlete and pianist who excelled in high school and college. He didn’t fit the stereotype of a drug abuser.

So, when he took his life after struggling with steroid addiction, his mother, Grace, had to know why. So she got in touch with Michael’s friends, and what she heard shocked her.

“It turns out he was on massive amounts of steroids. He tried to bulk up, and there were a lot of characters at the gyms selling that stuff,” she told BusinessWest, adding that she also found out he was selling to support an ever-more-desperate habit.

“It was a rude awakening. The thought process in society is that the drug users are kids that grew up in the streets of Springfield that were homeless, that didn’t have good families, didn’t have the right upbringing. Well, we lived in a 3,200-square-foot home in Ludlow. My kids had everything. And they were great students, both of them. So that didn’t make sense.”

Around the same time, Grace’s nephew was struggling with addiction, and the family started a support group for people in similar situations, then raised funds to create awareness in schools. Later, with her sister away on a trip, her nephew wound up detoxing in her house, then wanted her to take him to a sober home in Worcester.

“I dropped him off in this house that was disgusting. People were smoking in there; the house was filthy. I left there crying, thinking, ‘I just left my nephew in a space that I wouldn’t leave my dog in. How is he going to get better in a place like that?’

“We thought, ‘that doesn’t happen in our little community. My children couldn’t possibly know about that world.’ But it’s everywhere.”

“So, on the way home, I had this bright idea — I don’t know, they come to me at times — that we should start a foundation. And we should open a sober house.”

So a small group — Dias and her sisters, plus a few friends — set about raising money and wound up buying and fixing up a two-story home in Springfield for around $40,000, all the funds they had. In 2014, Michael’s House opened as a haven for men in the early stages of addiction recovery. There, she explained, they enjoy the support of a community of peers, guided by staffers who understand the path to recovery, in an atmosphere of accountability. Residents are encouraged to find employment and pay a modest rent.

And that’s how the foundation’s story begins — but not remotely where it ends. We’ll tell the story in a linear fashion, with every step along the way demonstrating how the Michael J. Dias Foundation has been, and continues to be, worthy of the title Difference Maker.

 

Tragedy into Victory

Katie and Ed Wilczynski were among the earliest members of the Michael J. Dias Foundation board. Like Michael, their son, Sean, grew up in a close-knit family in Ludlow.

“We were churchgoing people. He was involved in Boy Scouts and travel sports. We were together all the time as a family. He was very active in school,” Katie said. But life can take some sad, unexpected turns, and Sean’s turned quickly into painkiller addiction.

Michael J. Dias Foundation board members

Michael J. Dias Foundation board members (from left) Ed and Katie Wilczynski, Mary Ellen Metzger, and Grace Dias.
Photo by Bob Zemba, Simple Truth Imaging

“Somewhere along the way, he injured his back and mentioned it to a classmate, and the classmate said, ‘oh, I’ve got something that might take the edge off of that.’ We think that’s where it started,” Ed explained. “He was a very talented hockey player, and he had aspirations of going on and doing more with his hockey. He was a driven, committed, very smart kid.”

Katie said society has become much more open to talking about the pervasiveness of drug addiction — and the fact that it doesn’t discriminate.

“We thought, ‘that doesn’t happen in our little community. My children couldn’t possibly know about that world,’” she said. “But it’s everywhere. So our big issue, in trying to help Sean when we recognized he had a problem, was trying to understand the world of recovery and how it works and detoxing and trying to find sober homes and treatments and how to work insurance.”

Thus began a series of sober homes (some effective, many not) and relapses for Sean, who eventually succumbed to addiction and lost his life. But the experience gave the Wilczynskis valuable insight as the foundation developed Michael’s House, especially when it came to life outside it. In short, Sean had struggled outside those residences.

“We started recognizing gentlemen leaving our houses oftentimes fell into that same category,” Katie said. “One year just wasn’t enough to get a good, stable job to be able to financially sustain them or catch up on childcare payments, or reconnect with family and rebuild the connections that had been damaged by some of their drug use. So we recognized, whatever our second home would be, it needed to be a transitional home that would give our guys extra time if they felt they needed more stability in one area of their life.”

An anonymous donor’s generosity in late 2017 paved the way for Sean’s Place, the foundation’s transitional sober home, which opened in early 2019. This residence offers a social model for sobriety, creating a secure environment for residents to support each other in a less-structured environment than Michael’s House.

“Every guy that has ever relapsed and left our houses, I’ve never heard any of them say, ‘I didn’t like it there; I would never go back.’ Normally, they would call me and thank me for the chance they had to be here because, to them, it was a gift.”

“We also felt that some of the guys leaving Michael’s House graduated from the program, but the only place they had to go was back into the environment they came from, back into the neighborhoods, with the same old friends who may not be supportive of their new lifestyle, or are still using themselves,” Ed said. “This just provided an extra step for them to set up some goals and continue to work on their recovery, but in a safe environment.”

In 2020, the foundation acquired a third sober-living residence called Christian and Brian’s House, which operates much like Michael’s House, serving as a supportive and nurturing community for men in the early stages of their recovery. The purchase was made possible through a combination of foundation funds and a generous contribution from the Forest Park Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds in memory of Christian Diaz and Brian Metzger, two compassionate, charismatic friends who lost their lives to addiction.

Mary Ellen Metzger, Brian’s mother and another Michael J. Dias Foundation board member, said her son’s recovery path was frustrating and, in the end, fruitless.

“Our journey took us all over Massachusetts, to a lot of sober homes and a lot of programs. And, much like Katie found, some places were just big houses where they took your rent. There was no program whatsoever. In our foundation, we follow a 12-step recovery program. It’s clean, it’s sanitary, it’s safe, it’s a structured environment, and it provides a support system that fosters recovery as people navigate that difficult time in their lives.”

The Forest Park Project has been a great comfort to Mary Ellen. “It said to me that his friends remember him as more than his problem. And all of us in this foundation realize that these young men and women who are cursed with this disease of addiction, they didn’t choose it, and they are much more than their disease.

Michael’s House

Michael’s House was the first of three (soon to be four) sober homes opened by the Michael J. Dias Foundation.
Photo by Bob Zemba, Simple Truth Imaging

“The message isn’t that you’re a throwaway, like some sober houses where they don’t care what you do,” she added. “The message is, we know you’ve got it in you to succeed, and we’re going to help you to do that. We try to take people where they are and bring them forward.”

 

A Home for Women

Michael’s House, Sean’s Place, and Christian and Brian’s House have a combined capacity of 44 men — but no women. That will soon change.

The Michael J. Dias Foundation launched a $500,000 capital campaign last year aimed at funding the creation of a 16-bed sober home for women. So far, $214,000 has been raised, with generous contributions from individuals, businesses, and community leaders helping to propel the campaign forward. Donations can be made online at www.mdiasfoundation.org/capital-campaign.

The campaign’s chair, Dr. Megan Miller, an assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UMass Chan Medical School – Baystate and an addiction-medicine specialist, is a big believer in the project.

“I am very well-versed in how addiction affects women,” she said. “Gender-specific care is so important, especially in the early stages of recovery. In terms of receiving gender-specific care for substance abuse, women are an underserved population in Western Massachusetts. There is a dire need for a women’s sober home here.”

Ed Wilczynski agrees. “We did a little research last year before we started the capital campaign. We found that, in Western Massachusetts, only 11% of the beds were female-focused. The rest of the state had 25% of the sober beds focused on females. From a statistical perspective, 32% of those seeking recovery assistance are women. There’s a big disparity with beds available — especially the safe beds that we aspire to. So we decided that was the time to at least start the journey.”

As for the foundation’s journey, Dias believes it has been guided by God in many ways, from the way the members came together to the way needed funding and gifts have emerged. She’s especially proud that the organization has never taken on debt, paying for each project with money on hand instead of financing the properties.

It’s a dedicated group, too. There are four paid employees, including Executive Director Karen Blanchard, and everyone else, including all the officers and board members, are volunteers. As Karen Wilczynski put it, “your heart has to be in this.”

It really is a family, Dias said, one that provides temporary families for men (and someday women) in need of such a structure.

“Every guy that has ever relapsed and left our houses, I’ve never heard any of them say, ‘I didn’t like it there; I would never go back,’” she added. “Normally, they would call me and thank me for the chance they had to be here because, to them, it was a gift.”

And relapses do happen, Ed Wilczynski said. That’s the nature of addiction, which these parents know all too well.

“However, when it has happened to some of our residents, we are one of the first calls they make after they get out of detox, that they want to come back to us,” he added. “They know we had something, and they want to come back and get that reinforcement and work with our group again and then go back out on their own.”

Metzger said her son’s story didn’t end in a good place — but his legacy certainly has.

“In the 10 years of going through that merry-go-round with him, this was the only type of program that was set up for success,” she told BusinessWest. “I think every person involved in our houses feels valued, like they’re something special. You can have hopes and dreams, and we’re going to support them. And we’re going to hold you accountable — because that’s what real life does.”

John Doleva

By
John Doleva
Class of 2025

President and CEO, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

He’s Led the Shrine Through Crisis and onto Stable Footing

John Doleva knows a little something about recognition programs.

Indeed, he’s president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which, in addition to being a sports museum, annually inducts a handful of individuals and groups, across all levels of the game, into the shrine.

In fact, he’s the one who gets to call these people and let them know they’ve reached the pinnacle of this sport.

So when he was called to inform him that he was named a Difference Maker for 2025, the shoe was on the other foot, and he was both humbled and a little … well, reluctant.

“Why me? I’m just doing my job,” he asked.

Maybe. But this job, which he’s held since 2001, has been far more challenging — and even more rewarding — than he could possibly have imagined when he took it.

The rewards have come from overcoming those challenges, most of them financial in nature, and taking the Hall from a position where it didn’t know every two weeks if it could make payroll or if it would have to file for bankruptcy, or if it might be moved to another city, to where it is now: financially stable and with a secure future. In Springfield.

And most would say he isn’t just doing his job — he’s also been active in his community, especially regarding youth sports, childhood literacy, and other initiatives.

Jerry Colangelo, the former owner of the Phoenix Suns, long-time Hall of Fame board of governors member, and its current chair, has seen the transformative change at the shrine and credits Doleva with being the right leader at the right time.

“He’s always talked about how important the Hall of Fame is to the city of Springfield and the great interest he’s had, and the Hall has had, in promoting the city,” Colangelo told BusinessWest. “When you look at the progress the Hall of Fame has made, I give a great deal of credit to John Doleva. He’s been a great leader, and I think he’s a very valuable asset for the city of Springfield. The Hall of Fame is in the best financial condition it’s ever been in, by far, and the future looks great.”

Frank Colaccino, another long-time board member, agreed. “John doesn’t waver — he’s a hard-working guy; he doesn’t give up,” he said. “He’s one of the key reasons this organization is where it is today. John is the engine that makes it go.”

Looking back, Doleva told BusinessWest that it was never his intention to stay at the Hall long enough to have people describe him in such terms. Indeed, he said his plan was to stay a few years and then return to the sporting-goods world from which he came.

What kept him from going back, what kept him at the Hall, was the enormity of the challenge and opportunity to lead the shrine through it.

“When you look at the progress the Hall of Fame has made, I give a great deal of credit to John Doleva. He’s been a great leader, and I think he’s a very valuable asset for the city of Springfield.”

“I wouldn’t call it a thrill, but it was the thrill of managing something that that was seemingly impossible,” he said. “It was a like a firefight; you get into it, and you’re making progress — you can feel it, you can see it. It took a long time, and there were a couple of stumbles like the 2008 recession. But I enjoyed seeing the Hall reposition itself — that was exciting to me.”

Over the past 20 years or so, the Hall has gone from $14 million in debt to a $4 million endowment. Doleva acknowledges both that the latter is certainly not enough, and one of his goals is to greatly grow that number, and that the turnaround at the Hall was not the work of one man.

John Doleva says the successful capital campaign accompanying a recent renovation of the Hall exemplifies its stronger financial footing and status within the basketball community.

John Doleva says the successful capital campaign accompanying a recent renovation of the Hall exemplifies its stronger financial footing and status within the basketball community.
Photo by Bob Zemba, Simple Truth Imaging

But those who know him say it’s Doleva’s leadership and ability to build vital relationships that were weak or non-existent that made it possible.

And that’s one of many reasons why he’s a true Difference Maker.

 

Not a Slam Dunk

As noted earlier, Dovela came from the sporting-goods world, specifically Spalding, then based in Chicopee at the site of what is now a Callaway golf-ball manufacturing plant.

He was 25 when he joined the company as assistant product manager in the early ’80s, eventually rising to vice president and general manager of the company’s Sporting Goods Group. He said his years working for President George Dickerman, noted for being a tough, demanding manager, were difficult, but ultimately invaluable learning experiences.

“Those first few years, I went through the wringer with him … there were lots of times when I said, ‘this is crazy, I’m going to quit, I’m going to quit, I’m going to quit,’” he recalled. “But the lightbulb went off one day that what he was doing was preparing those who wanted to be prepared to be really good managers.

“You were always ready with your numbers, for instance, and you had two or three options for every question you anticipated him asking,” he went on. “And I think that really helped me with my business thinking.”

Doleva said those years at Spalding under Dickerman certainly helped steel him for what was to come at the Hall, which he joined in 1999 as vice president of Marketing, with the encouragement of Dickerman, one of the many leaders forced out when Spalding was acquired by KKR in 1996. (Doleva took a package from Spalding and worked briefly for a technology company in the Berkshires before coming to the Hall.)

Just a few years later, when then-president Don Gibson left, Doleva was placed in the role of chief operating officer, and a year later, he was named president and CEO and thrust into what could only be called a crisis.

“Those first few years, I went through the wringer with him … there were lots of times when I said, ‘this is crazy, I’m going to quit, I’m going to quit, I’m going to quit. But the lightbulb went off one day that what he was doing was preparing those who wanted to be prepared to be really good managers.”

Indeed, the new Hall of Fame on the city’s riverfront was opening after a failed capital campaign and amid $14 million in debt that suffocated the institution.

Colangelo remembers Doleva calling him at the height of this crisis in 2002, asking for advice, and soliciting his help. Colangelo responded by pledging financial support and telling other NBA owners — “I didn’t ask them, I told them” — to support the cause as well.

The money raised by the NBA provided vital breathing room, but the crisis was far from over, and huge amounts of debt remained. The firefight, as Doleva described it earlier, would continue for years.

Describing how he and his team were able to steer the Hall out of serious debt, onto stable financial footing, and raise more than $30 million during a recent capital campaign to renovate the shrine, he said it’s been about building relationships — with the NBA, the NCAA, high-school basketball, other bodies, and especially the hall of famers themselves.

“When I first came to the Hall, we’d have enshrinement, and we’d invite existing hall of famers back, but we wouldn’t pay for their flights, we wouldn’t pay for their hotel, we wouldn’t pay for their ticket to enshrinement,” he explained. “And the return was very low; I remember one year we had five hall of famers return and a class of three. It wasn’t a very crowded room.

John Doleva, left, with former UMass coach John Calipari

John Doleva, left, with former UMass coach John Calipari at his induction ceremony, has led the Hall through times of both growth and extreme challenge.

“The first thing I said when I took over — and this is when we had all that debt and no money — is that ‘we have got to offer to pay for hall of famers to come back, with a guest; we’re going to pay for their airfare, we’re going to pay for their hotel and their ground transportation … we’re going to treat them like hall of famers. And we’re going to bet that this will pay off in the future because they will get more involved.’”

And they have, with 58 hall of famers coming to Springfield for enshrinement ceremonies last fall, joining the 13 being inducted. Meanwhile, these inductees have become foot soldiers, as Doleva called them, acting as ambassadors for the Hall and taking part in its many events around the country.

 

Nothing but Net

This brings Doleva back to something he said earlier about seeing the Hall reposition itself over the years “from a place that had a lack of knowledge and lack of respect from the basketball community to something that was meaningful and respected and, in fact, revered.

“We’ve changed the minds of a lot of people in basketball about what the Hall is, what it represents, and what kind of quality image it has in the game,” he went on, adding that this work never stops.

While repositioning the Hall, Doleva has also become quite involved in the Western Mass. community. He’s active with the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, and also with efforts to create the annual Hoophall Classic, one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious high-school basketball tournaments, and Hooplandia, the annual 3-on-3 basketball tourney staged at the Big E, with select division championship games at the Hall.

Meanwhile, he has also been involved with the nonprofit Link to Libraries (LTL) — as a reader, program sponsor, and youth mentor — as well as the Greater Springfield YMCA, Springfield College, the Red Cross of Pioneer Valley, the Springfield Rescue Mission homeless shelter, and other area agencies.

“John is a dynamic, hardworking, caring, and humble man. He excels in many things, including his work at the Hall of Fame, but more importantly, he excels at being a truly wonderful and generous human being,” wrote Susan Jaye Kaplan, co-founder of LTL, as she nominated Doleva for the Difference Makers award. “He goes the extra mile each day, and not just in his work-related duties. He cares greatly for his Western Mass. community, and it is evident on a daily basis.”

Getting back to his role as the one who calls inductees with the good news, Doleva said that’s a bittersweet day — because he’s also the one who calls those who came up short in the annual voting.

And there are sometimes tears from those in both camps, he said, adding that this makes the day somewhat difficult.

As for the phone call he received from BusinessWest … there were repeated attempts to minimize his contributions to the Hall, the game, the city of Springfield, and this region by simply saying, “I’m just doing my job.”

But Doleva has been doing much more than that. He’s been a real leader and a true Difference Maker.

John Delaney, Director Ride to Remember

By
Class of 2025

He Started a Bicycle Trek That Honors the Fallen and Impacts the Living

John Delaney remembers, in vivid detail, the day his colleague, Springfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose, died.

It was June 4, 2012, and Delaney was having lunch with his wife when his phone started blowing up. Ambrose had been shot in the line of duty, responding to a domestic disturbance.

“I raced to Baystate Medical Center and went into the ER, and when they saw me coming in, they directed me right to the room where a team of doctors and nurses were working on him,” Delaney recalled. “When I got in the room, Kevin was lying there. And within 30 seconds to a minute, the doctor pronounced him dead. It was kind of tough to take.”

He also recalled listening to dispatch from the hospital parking lot, to all the 911 calls still pouring in. “The world didn’t stop, and the police officers couldn’t stop just because they just lost one of their own.”

Delaney was tasked with planning Ambrose’s funeral — attended by some 5,000 police officers — and a celebration of life afterward, but he and some colleagues wanted to do something more to commemorate their friend. The death later that summer of Westfield Police Officer Jose Torres, who was struck by a truck in the line of duty, got them thinking about a broader event to honor fallen officers. “My friends and I were bike riders, so we said, ‘why not do a bike ride in their honor?’”

They planned a route from Springfield to Boston and figured maybe 50 people would participate, but about 170 signed up, and the Boston Police Department helped out by closing off the route to cars from Boylston Street to the State House.

“I’m riding along guys that I’d worked with for years, state troopers, police officers from around Western Massachusetts, and they’re all crying, strong guys that really show no emotion while they’re working, but they showed emotion that day,” Delaney recalled.

The initial organizers — Delaney, Officers Mike Goggin and Eddie Vanzant, and Gary Kennedy, who owned Competitive Edge Ski & Bike — knew this should be a regular event, but what they didn’t know was that, 14 years later, Ride to Remember would grow into one of the biggest cycling events in Massachusetts, drawing more than 500 riders per year and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for worthy causes while honoring the memories of local fallen heroes from the ranks of police officers, firefighters, and corrections officers, as well as the families that must carry on after they’re gone.

“Every year, we ride for somebody to make sure that their family becomes part of the Ride to Remember family. And we let them know that we’re never going to forget. So every year we do the ride, we remember their names; we have signs with their pictures emblazoned on them along the route,” Delaney said. “We’re making sure that the average citizens that we protect and serve every day know that these cops gave their lives to protect them.”

 

Service in His Blood

Delaney understands the risk, sacrifice, and sometimes deep loss that come with public-service careers.

“I guess public service was in my blood. My grandfather died fighting a fire in Springfield. He was an acting deputy chief, but a captain in one of the station houses. He was always one of the first ones in, and he died fighting a fire. I never met him. That was way before I was born.

“And then my dad died when I was 10. He was in the Navy, also serving the public and the safety of citizens. So I guess that ran through my blood.”

“I’m riding along guys that I’d worked with for years, state troopers, police officers from around Western Massachusetts, and they’re all crying, strong guys that really show no emotion while they’re working, but they showed emotion that day.”

Delaney retired as a Springfield Police sergeant seven years ago — again, acutely aware that many officers don’t make it to retirement — and continues to teach at American International College. “I’m teaching young kids what it’s like to be a cop, hoping to mold them to become good police officers. And I continue on with this ride to make sure people don’t forget. That’s the only reason why I do it.”

He credits his wife, Gabriela, for being his “right hand,” not only helping with copious planning on logistics, supplies, and more, but grounding him when he becomes stressed.

“Every year I do this, I say to her a month before the ride, ‘this is the last year; I can’t do it anymore,’ because it’s stressful to feed everybody, hydrate everybody, transport people, make sure people are safe. We can’t publicize the route because I fear something might happen to the riders because there are a lot of crazy people out there. A lot goes into this ride, and I don’t sleep the night before the ride, but I pedal every mile, every year.”

Seven years into retirement from the Springfield Police Department, John Delaney has remained deeply involved in Ride to Remember.

Seven years into retirement from the Springfield Police Department, John Delaney has remained deeply involved in Ride to Remember.
Photo by Bob Zemba, Simple Truth Imaging

Ride to Remember is no longer a one-way trek to Boston, instead embarking on a different round-trip journey every year, always starting and ending in downtown Springfield. This year, it will head to Hartford and back, not for the first time; other years have employed routes that head to Worcester or wind around Western Mass.

“As we’re planning the route, we have to go to every jurisdiction that we hit along the way to get permits, to let them know we’re coming,” Delaney said. “It grew from 170 to 500. That’s a lot of people on a bicycle. If you see it in person, it just goes on forever. We have police officers on motorcycles, escorting the whole way, and we never have to stop. All the local jurisdictions help out. They’re all on board, and they meet us at each border.”

But the riders do stop for at least four rest and refreshment breaks, and everyone stays together; it’s not a competitive event, but a communal one.

“You don’t have to be a cop, fireman, or corrections officer to do the ride. Everybody can do the ride. Our oldest person that does the ride every year is 85 years old, and they start at 16, 17 years old,” he explained. Three Peter Pan buses follow along, and if anyone can’t keep up or finish a leg, they can put their bike on a truck and get on the bus, where volunteers offer hydration and massages; an ambulance also trails the pack for more serious concerns. Those on the buses can rejoin the ride at any stop.

“It’s more than just a ride. It’s a powerful tribute to the dedication and sacrifice of our local law-enforcement officers and first responders who put their lives on the line every day.”

“These are weekend warriors; they’re not like Tour de France professional bikers. We only go 13 miles an hour, which is a conversational pace. I highly encourage people to take part in this. People come up to me after every ride and say, ‘this is one of the best days of my life.’”

That’s because they’re pedaling for a reason, he added. “There’s camaraderie. You’re riding alongside people you don’t know, most of whom are first responders, and they develop friendships as they’re pedaling along. And if you get a flat tire, Competitive Edge changes it in 30 seconds, like it’s a NASCAR pit stop.”

 

Mutual Aid

Ride to Remember, which takes place on Sept. 6 this year, charges just $200 to participate. A winter indoor event has been added in recent years, which takes place this year on March 2 at Scantic Valley YMCA in Wilbraham and costs $45. But corporate sponsorships, including PeoplesBank, Country Bank, AFC Urgent Care, and Domino’s Pizza, among other partners, are critical.

Riders gather in downtown Springfield, as they do at the start of every Ride to Remember.

Riders gather in downtown Springfield, as they do at the start of every Ride to Remember.

Over the years, proceeds have supported many causes in the region, including Christina’s House, On-Site Academy, Square One, multiple police and firefighter memorials, several neighborhood playgrounds and soccer fields, and other community-based initiatives.

Shannon Mumblo, who founded Christina’s House and was honored by BusinessWest as a Woman of Impact in 2021, when she served as the nonprofit’s executive director, was one of three individuals who nominated Delaney as a Difference Maker this year.

“It’s more than just a ride,” she wrote. “It’s a powerful tribute to the dedication and sacrifice of our local law-enforcement officers and first responders who put their lives on the line every day.”

Those aren’t just words for Mumblo, who backs them up by organizing the ride’s 100-plus volunteers every year, Delaney said. “She gives them jobs, makes sure the rest stops are manned, helps collect the donated food … she’s a monster. She does everything, and with a smile on her face.”

With the support of people like that, as well as his dedicated wife and everyone else who contributes to the event’s success, it’s no wonder Delaney stressed, multiple times, that this Difference Makers honor isn’t his alone — not by a longshot.

And, again, the community impact is huge. Ride to Remember has supported Christina’s House — which takes in homeless mothers and their children and helps them return to independence — to the tune of about $250,000 over the years. Ambrose’s widow, Carla, chose that nonprofit as one of the ride’s supported causes because, Delaney said, Ambrose was a family man.

“I can remember when I was a younger cop, and we would come across women with kids sleeping in the bus station. We had no avenue … where do you take those people? It was definitely a void that needed to be filled in the community, and Christina’s House is filling it.”

As noted, other nonprofits have benefited from the ride as well. “We donate to a charity that helps police officers and counsels them through post-traumatic stress,” said Delaney. “If they witness a shooting or if they witness a baby dying, that weighs heavy on a cop’s shoulder. A lot of times, they have nowhere to turn, so we donate to that. I’m very proud of the charities that we donate to. All of them are based here in Western Massachusetts.”

He said the ride is deeply personal to each rider in their own way.

“A really good friend of mine, Sal Persico, was a police officer in Florida, and he came up here to live. I coached his daughters in soccer. He was my best friend; he was like my brother. He did every ride with me, but he died of a massive heart attack, taken way too early in life. I ride for him every year. His family is like my family.

“So every year, before the ride, I always give a little speech after a prayer, and I say, ‘the Ride to Remember means a lot to a lot of people. Everybody out here that’s riding, remember somebody that you’ve lost, that you’ve loved in life. It could be a father, uncle, grandmother, best friend, or the police officers. While you’re riding, remember that person. That’s what it’s about.”

Delaney still does plenty of riding on his own time. “My friends and I will go out and do 100 mikes a week. It’s just part of our nature.”

But even for those who can’t say the same, Ride to Remember is a very doable — and deeply meaningful — effort, one that truly makes a deep impact in the region. Just like the Difference Maker who helped start it because he wanted to keep some heroes’ memories alive.

Mychal Connolly

By
Class of 2025

CEO, Stand Out Truck

A Passionate Marketer and Mentor, He’s Helping to Raise Up Other Entrepreneurs

Mychal Connolly believes in entrepreneurship, but he also believes in learning and mentorship and absorbing the examples of success stories before him.

That’s why he’s fond of talking about the influences in his own life, like Yankee Candle founder Mike Kittredge, Vermont Teddy Bear founder John Sortino, Jelly Belly founder David Klein, and many others.

“I say this all the time: if you ever had the chance to speak to Mike Kittredge, you would know really quickly that it wasn’t about the candles when he sold for $500 million,” Connolly said. “You’ll know Mike Kittredge could have sold used chewing gum, and it would have been a $500 million used chewing-gum company. I loved that guy, man. And John Sortino’s the same way.”

But while he’s learned lessons about ideas, marketing, selling, and growing a business from those famous names, he’s also drawn inspiration from his adoptive father, Harry Connolly, who owned a pest-control business in their native Bahamas.

“I remember one night, the hotel that he was spraying forgot he was coming,” he said, and they left guard dogs roaming free — and Harry was badly hurt. “It was like a horror scene — there was blood everywhere. And you know, this man, the next night, was out spraying the homes he had lined up for that day. That made a serious impact on me.”

Connolly has gathered all these lessons — on hard work, dedication, innovation, and more — and applied them during an entrepreneurial career that actually began at age 9, when he would take some of the candy his grandmother brought back from trips to Florida and sell it to classmates in school.

But his first real business, launched in 2008, was Stinky Cakes, which offered practical gifts to new parents, most notably cakes shaped from diapers. As a result of his early success in business and marketing, he was asked to do some teaching, guest lecturing, and mentoring of young entrepreneurs by groups like Valley Venture Mentors and EforAll Holyoke.

One course was called the “100 Grand Plan,” which, as that name suggests, explains how to make one’s first $100,000. Among the keys to doing so, and one that is often overlooked, is marketing.

These efforts led to the creation of the Launch and Stand Out Agency, which is where Connolly learned about non-traditional advertising — including mobile, digital billboards, which became the basis of his current business, Stand Out Truck, which will celebrate five years in business on March 9.

That’s right. He started a very public-facing business on March 9, 2000.

“I never got to run my year-one business plan,” he recalled. “My year-one business plan was to completely figure out the owner-operator model. But on March 13, the world shut down.”

Which meant 2020, dominated by COVID, was a time of navigating challenges, pivoting, and putting into action all the lessons he had learned about business and marketing from the Kittredges and Sortinos of the world. He made sure he started out with enough capital to withstand some very soft months, and he found some creative avenues for his traveling billboard, like graduation messages for students whose ceremonies had been canceled.

Since that start, the company has steadily built a base of hundreds of clients, from local businesses to large, national brands, and even, in one case, President Biden, when he was pitching what would become the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. And Connolly is planning to expand as well, possibly with a third truck and a larger team.

“Mike Kittredge could have sold used chewing gum, and it would have been a $500 million used chewing-gum company. I loved that guy, man.”

Meanwhile, he continues to mentor young people, most notably his son, Mychal Connolly Jr., — known to most as Mikey — who has been busy building his own first enterprise, Realistic CEO.

In short, Connolly Sr. has not only been an example of entrepreneurship, he’s helping others follow that path as well, benefiting not only their own careers and families, but the region’s economy. That’s the impact of an unconventional, charismatic, inspiring Difference Maker.

 

Realistic Plans

It’s also, as noted, the impact of a father on his oldest son’s entrepreneurial dreams.

The two of them co-authored a motivational book titled I Am a CEO. Realistic CEO after a high-school teacher told Mikey during a class project that his goal of becoming a CEO was, well, unrealistic. The book, illustrated by local artist DeAndra Roy, aims to inspire people to chase their dreams, no matter the odds.

Mychal Connolly’s son, Mychal Connolly Jr. (left),

Mychal Connolly’s son, Mychal Connolly Jr. (left), has been influencing young people through his Realistic CEO enterprise.

Mikey also launched the Realistic CEO Podcast, a platform where he interviews successful business owners, CEOs, founders, presidents, executives, and community leaders. Coincidentally, two of his early guests were members of the Difference Makers class of 2025 — John Doleva and Dan Moriarty.

As he studies communication and journalism at Holyoke Community College — he made the dean’s list last semester while running his podcast and public-speaking business — Mikey is honing his skills in those fields through real-world experience, while teaching others what he learns about becoming a CEO.

“It’s definitely exciting,” he said. “A teacher who started following me on Instagram said she bought the book and she read to her class. Then she posted that one of her students already wants to start a nail-salon business. I thought it was kind of cool that, simply by reading my story, the teacher was able to see the vision of her student wanting to start her own nail salon.”

Connolly loves seeing his son work for his dreams — which currently involves a goal of distributing 500,000 copies of the book over the next five years and taking his inspirational message to young people on a much wider stage than Western Mass. — and knowing he can provide an example of successful entrepreneurship from his own life.

“When I think back to Stinky Cakes and all the things I wish I knew then, I’m able to tell him,” he said. “But I say to him, ‘dude, I can open doors for you, but I’m never walking through the door for you.’”

One recent initiative is a one-for-one program where anytime someone purchases a copy, Mikey donates one to a kid in a low- to moderate-income community or book desert.

“When I meet someone, I don’t see someone who is maxed out. When I’m talking to my clients, I’m not talking to them where they are today. I live in the future. So I’m sitting at the top of the mountain enjoying a coffee or tea with them at them being their best, at their peak. And that’s what I do for myself every day.”

“So his business model is that, after he does the 500,000 copies and makes an impact in so many communities, he’s going to be booked to speak all around the world on how to create an impact as a youth,” Connolly said. “And he really wants to make an impact. He wants to be an example. He wants young people — and older people — around the country to look at him and go, ‘man, you know what, you’re right, I can do this right now. And it doesn’t matter if someone says it’s unrealistic — I have a plan, and I can do this, just like the kid in the book.’”

Family support is important to Connolly, who often talks about the influence of his wife, Adrienne, in his life.

“A lot of people see the wins, and they go, ‘oh, man, Myke’s doing great.’ But in business, sometimes it’s days, weeks, months where everything’s going wrong. And in those times, she’s the glue. From Stinky Cakes to the agency to Stand Out Truck, when it’s going wrong, she’s the glue. She’s the reason I’m able to do a lot of what I do.”

That said, the successes are real.

“I’m very good at marketing, and we get some massive clients. To be able to serve them with my business, it’s a great thing,” he told BusinessWest. “I’ve built a pretty strong team of designers, writers, videographers, all these pieces that you need to run a successful marketing campaign.”

He stressed that his Launch and Stand Out Agency performs the necessary work in the background so his clients can shine up front.

“My son is one of my clients at the agency, and a big reason for so much of what he’s doing out there is because of the Launch and Stand Out Agency. He’s the rock star, and we quietly do the work behind the scenes from a marketing and advertising standpoint.”

Mychal Connolly has taken Stand Out Truck to clients both within and well outside this region.

Mychal Connolly has taken Stand Out Truck to clients both within and well outside this region.
Photo by Bob Zemba, Simple Truth Imaging

One thing his famous mentors — Kittredge, Sortino, and Klein — taught Connolly is that marketing is, at its heart, a simple thing. So he keeps it simple when delivering lessons through Marketing and Cupcakes, his long-time entrepreneurship networking and mentorship program.

“I love entrepreneurship, man. I believe in entrepreneurs. Like, I believe in people,” he said, before adding, “I believe in kind people. And, like I always tell people, in a world of 8 billion, you’d be hard-pressed to find 1 billion just straight evil people. I think the majority of people in the world are really good people. And I love serving people.”

 

King of His World

Connolly’s handle on social media is standouttruckking — a bold decision, which he humbly explained.

“Some people are like, ‘you call yourself a king?’ And I go, ‘listen, the king is the greatest servant amongst the community. The people choose their king. Just because you have nice clothes and nice jewelry, that don’t make you a king. The king is a servant — the biggest servant in the community. And I believe in serving.”

And promoting clients in any way he can, including telling their stories right on his website through essays and photos. He’s a believer in their success, and he understands their struggles.

“I’ve been climbing these steps for so long, and every time I get to next step, it plateaus, and I feel like I’m not good enough or I don’t know anything,” he said. “But it’s not in a negative, self-defeating way — it’s like, ‘no, no, no, now it’s time to level up.’

“I don’t see people as they are; I see people at max potential,” he added. “So when I meet someone, I don’t see someone who is maxed out. When I’m talking to my clients, I’m not talking to them where they are today. I live in the future. So I’m sitting at the top of the mountain enjoying a coffee or tea with them at them being their best, at their peak. And that’s what I do for myself every day. Even the days when I don’t want to do it.”

“I can be having the worst day ever, but I can’t live in that space,” Connolly added. “That’s a skill you develop because I think everybody deals with the negativity, bad days, and you could turn it into impostor syndrome and curl up in a ball, or you could say, ‘well, here’s an opportunity to level up.’ There’s real value in communicating that to people, because everyone needs that.”

Even a Difference Maker.

Andrea Bordenca

By
Class of 2025

CEO, DESCO Service

She Thrives by Bringing People Together to Cultivate Community

 

Early in life, and then as she started her career, Andrea Bordenca had no real desire to work within, let alone manage, the business started by her father, DESCO, a healthcare emergency field-service response organization.

“I said, ‘it’s your thing, dad, but I don’t know if it’s my thing,’” she recalled, adding that she did work for the company in various capacities in her youth, but began working professionally as a technical writer and later handled marketing for her husband, an artist specializing in murals.

But things changed when her father got sick with kidney cancer.

“I thought it was something I needed to do to help my parents … and I eventually fell in love with it,” said Bordenca, who joined her mother, a nurse practitioner, in managing the venture, taking the role of president. Over the past 20 years, Bordenca, now CEO and chairperson, has expanded its services from laboratories to hospitals, surgery centers, clinics, restaurants, and hotels, taking sales from $4 million to $10 million while greatly improving profitability as well.

But her success in growing the company and taking it the next level is not why she has been named a Difference Maker for 2025, although it’s certainly part of her inspiring story.

Instead, it’s what she’s done at the space that … well, also serves as DESCO’s headquarters, at 200 Venture Way in Hadley.

There, she has created what she calls the Venture Way Collaborative, with the emphasis on the last word in that title. There, she brings together diverse voices and provides both the physical space and positive environment for people to grow and achieve something she never felt growing up — a sense of belonging.

“I thrive when people of all ages, races, and genders are in dialogue together,” said Bordenca, a self-described entrepreneur, executive coach, and youth and adult leadership educator. “And I believe that the only way toward systemic change is by bringing all community stakeholders together to create change together.

“In my leadership and coaching, I work with people to develop a grounded and powerful presence rooted in what drives them,” she went on. “This starts with creating awareness of how people see themselves. That awareness then creates choice to move differently in the world. The root of all these conversations is care. What are we taking care of? What needs more care? A common missing piece in the leaders, parents, and kids I work with is ourselves.”

She does this at Venture Way Collaborative, which she described as far more than space that can be rented for events, team-building exercises, community gatherings, nonprofit fundraisers, and yoga classes — although it is that, too.

“We don’t just rent space; we form relationships,” she told BusinessWest, adding that the collaborative is a “space for community members to work, learn, and explore creative solutions together.”

It is home to DESCO, which now boasts more than 60 employees and serves businesses across the country, but also Generative Leadership Consulting, which she serves as managing partner, as well as Lead Yourself Youth and the Women’s Collaborative, two initiatives she founded to enable those constituencies to address issues and challenges together and collaboratively.

Ira Bryck, the former director of the family business center at UMass Amherst, and a Difference Maker himself in 2020, first met Bordenca as she came to the center to navigate the many complex issues that confront those in family businesses.

In nominating her for this award, he said she helps individuals, and especially young people, become the best versions of themselves.

“When I would try my best, I wasn’t as good as my peers or my sister, so I developed this narrative that I was stupid because I didn’t do well in school, and I would try my hardest.”

“Her leadership methodology combines neurolinguistics, mindfulness, emotional literacy, and somatics, and this comprehensive approach facilitates the embodiment of leadership rather than passive learning,” he wrote. “She focuses on developing awareness and creating choices for people to move differently in the world, with care at the root of all conversations.

“On top of all these ventures and accomplishments, she is a wholesome, kind, generous, curious, inspired person, who loves nothing more than to make the universe a better place to live,” Bryck went on, adding that the sum of her accomplishments and attributes certainly makes her a Difference Maker.

 

Life Lessons

Before talking about what she’s created with the Venture Way Collaborative, Bordenca first talked about her own life, her own struggles to try to fit in, and her inability to see her own worth, because the two are related.

She grew up in Medfield, an affluent community in Eastern Mass., and struggled, as she put it, to feel like she belonged.

“I wasn’t a great student, and my older sister was,” she recalled. “And even though I looked like everyone else — it was a white-dominant town — I really struggled in school, and I was seen as disruptive.

“When I would try my best, I wasn’t as good as my peers or my sister, so I developed this narrative that I was stupid because I didn’t do well in school, and I would try my hardest. And as a defense mechanism, I ended up skipping school, got into drugs, and was just disruptive to get the acceptance of my peers. I recognize that now as an adult, but didn’t know it at the time.”

Andrea Bordenca says her many programs are designed to give people something she didn’t have growing up — a sense of belonging

Andrea Bordenca says her many programs are designed to give people something she didn’t have growing up — a sense of belonging.
Photo by Bob Zemba, Simple Truth Imaging

A psychological determination would reveal that she had four learning disorders, including ADHD, and this helped her overcome feelings of being “stupid,” as she put it, although she struggled with various medications prescribed for her.

She credits her husband with helping her understand that “there was nothing crazy about me — I just didn’t fit into the box I was supposed to be fitting into in the town that we were in.

“That gave me some hope,” she went on, adding that she eventually took herself off those medications and “found what it was that gave me a sense of belonging.” And, in the simplest of terms, the Venture Way Collaborative was created to help others do the same.

She broke ground for the collaborative in 1999, just a few months before the pandemic arrived. COVID initially kept the facility from doing what it was designed to do — bring people together, in person — but Bordenca carried on through Zoom, and admits that her timing was actually good because she could not have afforded to build the facility amid the soaring construction costs that arrived post-pandemic.

As she mentioned earlier, it is physical space where people can meet, but it’s much more than that.

“It’s a physical space that manifests a place where I want to feel good, and where I want others, when they come in, to say, ‘this is good; I feel welcome.’ There are high ceilings, there’s expansiveness, there are bold colors — there are a lot of touches I curate so people feel like this is home,” she said. “I want it to be expansive and creative.”

That’s especially true of a large, 1,000-square-foot space that is called, among other things, the ‘classroom,’ or the ‘studio,’ depending on who’s using it.

“It has no furniture in it in, so there’s room to move around,” she said. “Everything I do has a component of awareness of the body and the nervous system, so I want to make sure that, when I’m doing leadership training, people can feel their bodies and are aware of their movement because that’s not something we’re taught to be aware of.”

The space now hosts groups ranging from the Queer Valley Library to the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts; from the Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley to Faces of Medicine, which shares the journeys, successes, and struggles of Black female physicians.

 

Building Emotional Resilience

Beyond her work at DESCO and as a landlord at 200 Venture Way, Bordenca is also a coach, working with both adults and young people. As part of these efforts, she created Lead Yourself Youth and the Women’s Collaborative to bring people together and create dialogue.

The former is not an official nonprofit, but rather an informal entity that provides professional development. Bordenca has worked with groups ranging from Girl Scouts to students and educators at the MacDuffie School in Granby and the Hadley school system, and focuses on normalizing different emotions, ranging from anxiety to frustration, using hands-on activities like juggling and sewing.

“A lot of it is helping people build that emotional resilience through these safe spaces of practice and simulation,” she said, adding that she does the same with women, a discussion that will take her to … golf.

“I talk to women professionals who say, ‘I golf, and I hate golfing,’” she explained, adding that she once put herself in that category. “And I say, ‘why do you golf, then?’ And they say, ‘that’s where the decisions are made.’

“I’ll say, ‘if this isn’t your thing, what is something that you can create that might attract some golfers and maybe non-golfers that are also influencers, decision makers, people that you’re trying to close deals with?’” she went on. “‘Can you create another event, like a hike or even a trip to an amusement park?’”

That’s just one example of how she encourages people to help cultivate communities by being creative and focused on knocking down walls instead of doors.

Overall, Bordenca said her broad focus is on helping individuals of all ages, genders, and life paths find common ground and that sense of belonging that eluded her in her youth.

“If people don’t have the people around them that have the same value system, they’re not going to get very far because they’re just going to have people tell them they’re wrong or ‘that’s the wrong way,’ which was a lot of my childhood,” she explained. “The work that I do with other children and also educators and other organizations is … ‘hey, there’s no right or wrong way; it’s just based on values and your compass.’

“If you work in an organization, if you live in a community, if you’re part of a family whose value systems are different, who are the people that you can find that share your values so you don’t feel crazy, isolated, alone, or so you don’t have to compete or fight so hard? It doesn’t have to be that way.

“As social animals, we need other people,” she continued. “And just because of the way we’re taught and we learn, I think it’s really difficult, especially post-COVID with all the social and emotional issues that children and people are having, especially Gen Z, to know how important it is, and how possible it is, to find the people who are just like you.”

Helping individuals do that — helping people find that sense of belonging — is just one of many reasons why Bordenca is truly a Difference Maker.

Sheryl Blancato

By
Sheryl Blancato
Class of 2025

CEO, Second Chance Animal Services

Her Growing Operation Saves Lives While Keeping Families and Pets Together

Twenty-six years ago, Sheryl Blancato opened an animal shelter. And quickly realized it wasn’t enough.

“The initial plan was, ‘hey, we’re going to help the animals.’ But I quickly realized that it’s a band-aid. There was a much bigger issue here, and I’m a root-cause person. And the root cause is, ‘why are these animals coming into the shelter?’ That’s why we started doing vaccine clinics, because the animals were dying of preventable diseases, and we also did spay and neuter to prevent overpopulation.

“I still remember the day I went to my husband and said, ‘you know what? We need to start having hospitals because too many animals are being surrendered for perfectly preventable, treatable things, and it’s overwhelming the shelters. And if they’re already in a loving home, why not keep them there?’”

That idea became the foundation of everything Second Chance Animal Services does: addressing the root causes of why families have to give up their pets, and then keeping those families and pets together.

“You can never build a shelter big enough to help every animal in need,” Blancato said. “But you can build things to keep them out in the community where they’re already in loving homes.”

Programs like Homebound to the Rescue. The idea behind that initiative is that many senior citizens can’t afford to provide basic medical care for their pets or don’t have transportation to bring them to a vet. So Second Chance visits low-income senior-housing areas to offer low-cost vaccinations, testing, and other care, so the animals stay healthy and, just as important, don’t have to be surrendered because they can’t be properly cared for.

Then there’s Project Keep Me, which provides temporary housing for the pets of domestic-violence survivors, enabling their owners to seek safe housing arrangements while ensuring the well-being of their animal companions, and later returning them to a more stable environment. Without such a program, people in crisis often have to choose between staying in a dangerous situation and losing their beloved pets.

“I saw some people surrendering because they were in domestic-violence situations,” Blancato recalled. “They had somewhere to go, but they didn’t want to leave their pet, and they couldn’t bring their pet in this situation until they could sort things out,” she said. “So we hold on to those pets for up to 90 days, so they can go to their sister’s house, where their dog doesn’t get along with her cat. We’ll hold the dog for you; you get to your sister’s, get safe, get the assistance you need to get somewhere else, and then take your dog back.”

Second Chance now offers a similar service to veterans who need to seek medical treatment outside their home for an extended period. “If they can’t bring the animal with them, they’re not seeking the treatment. So we’re doing the same thing: we’ll give you up to 90 days so you can go get the treatment you need, get on the right path, and get your animal back.”

In fact, many of the programs that have evolved from that initial small shelter in East Brookfield were developed with the same goal in mind: to not only help animals find homes, but keep as many as possible from being surrendered at all.

This focus has seen Second Chance expand its reach dramatically over the past 26 years. It now encompasses four hospitals (in North Brookfield, Springfield, Worcester, and Southbridge) and serves more than 56,000 animals a year — a number that grows steadily every year.

Blancato has occasionally run into people who take the attitude of, ‘if they can’t afford pets, they shouldn’t have pets.’

“So I present examples. ‘What about your grandmother? Your grandfather died, and that little puppy, or that little cat, is their whole life.’ Or, ‘think about the single mom. I was a single mom at one time with three kids. That dog was everything to me. God forbid I had a serious medical issue; I didn’t have the money for it. But that dog meant so much to me and my kids at that time.’ And they say, ‘all right, I get it.’”

“The average family has less than $500 in emergency money. So, if you’re raising kids, $8,000 is a lot of money. I couldn’t have done it when I was a single mom. There’s no way. I would have had to make a really heart-wrenching decision.”

With tens of thousands of animal-loving families also getting it — and getting the help they need but could not otherwise afford — Blancato has made a career of keeping pets in loving homes. That’s the work of a true Difference Maker.

 

Paws for Concern

Blancato has often told the story of a puppy named Buster that she — then a single mother of three — adopted during her 20s, following a tough stretch in which her husband left and she battled cancer. Because Buster liked to escape his yard, Blancato got to know East Brookfield’s animal-control officer, and they became friends — and he eventually offered her a job as an animal-control assistant. He retired not long after, and she took over his role.

She’d pick up a lot of strays that were never claimed, and she struggled to get them medical care and into homes, so she decided to start a shelter on a neighbor’s donated plot of land. By that time, she had adopted another dog, Dusty, who had been abused.

Project Good Dog matches behaviorally needy dogs with inmates in pre-release programs at local correctional institutions.

Project Good Dog matches behaviorally needy dogs with inmates in pre-release programs at local correctional institutions.
Photo by Bob Zemba, Simple Truth Imaging

So, while raising three children — and, by that time, two stepchildren — she took $400, raised whatever else she could, and built the adoption center that still sits on the property today.

The shelter was offering spay/neuter services and vaccines in the early years, but Blancato realized she could do more to keep pets and families together through expanded veterinary care. The first hospital was built in neighboring North Brookfield in 2010 and expanded to full-service care in 2013, and the other three hospitals followed, giving Second Chance a broad footprint across Central and Western Mass.

In addition to the hospitals and the programs mentioned earlier, Second Chance offers the Helping Hands outreach, which assists dozens of rescue sites, shelters, and municipal facilities by providing low-cost spay/neuter and vet care; Project Good Dog, which matches behaviorally needy dogs with inmates in pre-release programs at local correctional institutions, providing 24/7 care and training for the dogs while teaching handlers patience, compassion, and responsibility; a pet-food pantry; mobile adoption, education, and vet-care events; and much more.

The low-cost hospital care for families that need it can be the difference between keeping a pet and losing it. For example, the week before Blancato spoke with BusinessWest, a patient’s dog had swallowed a baby’s pacifier.

“That’s a $6,000 to $8,000 surgery in emergency. They didn’t have it. We were able to do it for $1,000. That’s life-changing for them,” she recalled. “The average family has less than $500 in emergency money. So, if you’re raising kids, $8,000 is a lot of money. I couldn’t have done it when I was a single mom. There’s no way. I would have had to make a really heart-wrenching decision.”

Other area veterinary hospitals have actually sent patients to Second Chance to avoid what Blancato called “economic euthanasia.” And the model of subsidizing care for low-income patients is catching on in other places, she added, though it’s not for the faint of heart.

“When someone says, ‘we want to start a hospital,’ I’m like, ‘OK, here’s the deal. It’s expensive, it’s hard, and you have to have a business mind because we work on a very tight budget.’”

That budget — about $10 million annually — comes in several forms: grants, individual donations, legacy gifts from people who pass away and leave money, as well as hospital co-payments and adoption fees. “We don’t get enough in the hospitals to sustain it all, so we need those donations.”

“What people don’t realize is the cost of medical equipment in veterinary medicine is equal to that in human medicine. It’s very expensive, and it doesn’t last forever. We also want to attract the best vets, the best techs, the best staff. And they need to get paid.”

And many clients do, indeed, pay full cost, which helps to subsidize those who need a hand.

Second Chance has gained national attention; it was one of just 12 organizations in the U.S. chosen by PetSmart Charities to be part of its inaugural Accelerator grant program. “The three-year, $1.1 million grant will go toward upgrades in our hospital, as well as helping expand the staff from 12 vets to 26 last year, while increasing total staffing by 20%,” Blancato said.

Sheryl Blancato spends time at each of Second Chance’s four hospitals every week.

Sheryl Blancato spends time at each of Second Chance’s four hospitals every week.
Photo by Bob Zemba, Simple Truth Imaging

“That’s huge. What people don’t realize is the cost of medical equipment in veterinary medicine is equal to that in human medicine. It’s very expensive, and it doesn’t last forever. We also want to attract the best vets, the best techs, the best staff. And they need to get paid. They have bills to pay, too. So it’s staff, it’s equipment, it’s overhead. We have to raise all that money.”

 

Team Effort

Blancato, like several other Difference Makers this year, was quick to deflect the idea of this award as an individual one.

“This is not about me. We have over 100 staff, we have hundreds of volunteers … it’s a massive thing now. And what I tell staff when they come on is, ‘this is not just a job. This is the one job that, at the end of every day, you can get in your car, take 30 seconds, and think about at least one impact you had that day. It could be on a person. Maybe you were able to save that pet.’”

Like the family who brought in an ailing, 17-year-old cat, ready to say goodbye to an animal they adored. But Second Chance ran a quality-of-life exam and found the cat had thyroid disease, which was very treatable with medication.

“To be prepared to say goodbye and then take the cat home, that’s life-changing for those people. We gave them another two, maybe three years,” she went on. “We have hundreds of those stories. I always tell the staff when they come on, ‘yes, you’re getting a paycheck’ — we take good care of our staff. But they also get to have that rewarding experience — every day, something is going to be life-changing.”

Meanwhile, Second Chance’s adoption center has a 99.9% live release rate, an incredibly high number for a no-kill shelter.

“It’s amazing. As animal control, I used to pick up litters of puppies running down the street, and I just wanted to keep puppies off the street,” Blancato recalled. “To watch it evolve, with all the innovation and the programs and how many people are impacted, you sit back and go, ‘wow.’

“I always tell people, you can’t say, ‘I’m just one person. I can’t make a difference,’ because that’s not true. Yes, you’re one person, and yes, you have your limitations, but if you have a vision that people can see, then others will join in. That’s how this has become what it is. It’s your vision, then it’s other people coming out of nowhere, and the next thing you know, you have a whole army behind you. And that’s really exciting.”

 

Jennie Adamczyk

By
Class of 2025

Executive Director, Providence Ministries

She Hears the Cries of the Poor and Speaks Up for Them

They called it ‘Fashion for Compassion.’

This was a fundraiser staged by Holyoke-based Providence Ministries for the Needy (PMN). Area ‘celebrities’ would stroll down a runway modeling clothes from area stores, with proceeds from ticket sales benefiting the nonprofit, which provides services ranging from a soup kitchen to sober homes for men.

Jennie Adamczyk was working for Ross Insurance, handling sales and marketing, and, through her work to bolster the agency’s social-media profile, she had reached that ‘celebrity’ status and was asked, along with her boss at Ross, to become one of the models.

So she did, sporting some offerings from Old Navy, and, in the process, getting to know some of the leaders at PMN and learning much more about its multi-faceted mission. She became intrigued, and soon she would get far more involved.

Fast-forwarding quite a bit (we’ll go back in more detail later), she became its executive director five years ago and commenced what could be called a turnaround for the agency, greatly improving morale among staff members, creating an even sharper focus on its mission, and nurturing a culture of caring.

“I’ve always tried to lead by example here — ‘this is how I want you talk to people, this is how I want you to engage with people.’ Everyone gets treated with dignity and respect,” said Adamczyk, who firmly believes that she and her staff members embody the spirit of Sr. Margaret McCleary, SP, founder of PMN, an agency affiliated with and sponsored by the Sisters of Providence.

“We model ourselves after Sister Margaret: if you see a need, you meet that need to the best of your ability,” she said. “And there’s no judgment. It’s not our job to decide if someone is worthy of help; that’s not what we do. We make sure that they’re fed, their stomachs are full, and we send them on their way. That is the attitude we take across all our programs, and it comes from her.”

We talked with Sr. Margaret, who described Adamczyk as the right person in the right place at the right time.

“She’s a wonderful administrator, but more than that, she has a courageous spirit,” she said. “This is needed when advocating for the least among us. Jennie hears the cries of the poor and speaks up for them and embraces them always with respect and dignity.”

Sr. Mary Caritas, SP, who served on the board of PMN for many years before recently stepping aside, agreed.

“She was never trained for the job she’s in, but she’s a natural. She took over at a time when we needed a real turnaround, and I’m very proud of the way she’s done that. She came into her own very quickly, and she’s just a natural leader,” she said, citing, as one example, how Adamczyk stepped forward when the city of Holyoke needed a pop-up warming shelter and converted the chapel in the former convent that serves as home to many PMN programs for that purpose.

“She takes people off the street like that when it’s cold, and there’s discipline, there’s love, and respect, but people have to abide by the rules,” Sr. Caritas went on. “And, for the most part, people do that willingly because there’s so much love and concern for who they are.”

“We model ourselves after Sister Margaret: if you see a need, you meet that need to the best of your ability. And there’s no judgment. It’s not our job to decide if someone is worthy of help; that’s not what we do.”

Adamczyk described her work as “challenging, exhausting, and fulfilling,” essentially because of the constituencies being served and the circumstances under which they come to Providence Ministries for help.

“You’re working in an environment where you never, ever see anyone at their best,” she explained. “People are coming in, and they’re depressed, they’re hungry, they’re financially crippled, they have an abuse history … the list goes on and on.

“No one’s at their best, and that takes a toll,” she went on. “But if we can instill a little bit of hope, a little bit of joy into the people we serve, then it’s all worth it.”

This is the attitude she brings to her work, the attitude she has instilled in her staff, the attitude that permeates this agency. And for making it so prevalent, so ingrained in the fabric of PMN, Adamczyk is truly a Difference Maker.

 

A Perfect Match

As she talked about her not-so-subtle career change, going from insurance sales and marketing to being the program manager at Providence Ministries for the Needy, Adamczyk said that, on many levels, and to most people, it didn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Jennie Adamczyk says she patterns her approach to managing Providence Ministries after its founder, Sr. Margaret McCleary (right).

Jennie Adamczyk says she patterns her approach to managing Providence Ministries after its founder, Sr. Margaret McCleary (right).

Indeed, this was a lateral move. The salary wasn’t any higher, and the benefits were no better. But deep down, she knew this move was one she needed to make, personally and professionally.

“It felt right, like I was supposed to be here,” she told BusinessWest. “It felt like home — this is where I’m supposed to be — and that this mission is what I’m supposed to be doing. There was an overwhelming sense of peace being here; I felt that this is where God wanted me to be.”

Flashing back to her participation in Fashion for Compassion, Adamczyk said that, soon thereafter, the director at Providence Ministries asked her to join the agency’s fundraising committee, which she did, helping to create an enduring fundraiser called Retro Game Night, at which participants take part in old classics like the Match Game, Password, Name That Tune, and others.

Success in that realm led that same executive director to ask Adamczyk to become program director of PMN, an agency she knew about but had never visited. In fact, she practically had to ask for directions because she hadn’t been to that section of Holyoke, even though she lived in the city.

She was soon promoted to associate director when the director went out on maternity leave. And when that individual left, she became interim director, and then director when the candidate initially awarded that position did not pan out.

“She’s a wonderful administrator, but more than that, she has a courageous spirit. This is needed when advocating for the least among us. Jennie hears the cries of the poor and speaks up for them and embraces them always with respect and dignity.”

Today, Adamczyk leads the many programs at PMN, which fall into two categories — life-preserving and life-changing. The former includes Kate’s Kitchen, which served 74,000 people last year, and has seen demand of its services rise amid inflation and other economic woes; Margaret’s Pantry, which distributed 2.7 million pounds of food last year and has likewise seen demand for its services soar; St. Jude’s Clothing Center; and foodWorks@Kate’s Kitchen, a culinary training program that offers unemployed and underemployed individuals job training in the culinary field.

Meanwhile, the latter includes three sober houses for men, Loreto House, Broderick House, and McCleary Manor.

In addition, there is that pop-up warming shelter, a unique facility to say the least, and one of many programs in the former convent, which now, thanks to Adamczyk, also houses the agency’s administrative offices — before, they were at McCleary Manor, behind Providence Hospital — a move that speaks to her approach to this agency and its mission.

“When I first came here, I requested that my office be down here, because how can you run the programs if you’re not where the programs are?” she said, adding that all staff is at the Hamilton Street facility, and board meetings are staged there as well.

 

Warming to Her Caring Approach

Administering the agency’s programs is what Adamczyk does for a living. How she and her staff administer them is what makes her a Difference Maker.

As she talked about the ‘how’ element to her work, she started by saying, “I’m not corporate,” and returned to her thoughts about her approach and guiding philosophy, echoing that of Sr. Margaret McCleary.

“I tend to act when there’s a need, much like Sr. Margaret would have,” she said, adding that she doesn’t always follow all the policies and procedures when adding or amending a program. “That’s sometimes difficult to do in this kind of world; sometimes you just need to act and make a decision.”

Jennie Adamczyk with staff members

Jennie Adamczyk with staff members, from left: Michael Clark, facilities manager; Stephanie Trombley, marketing coordinator; and Axel Fontanez, housing manager.
Photo by Bob Zemba, Simple Truth Imaging

Such was the case when she decided that Kate’s Kitchen would serve dinner in addition to lunch — because the need was (and is) there, and so was the infrastructure.

“We were already serving lunch, we had the staff … it just seemed like a no-brainer to open the doors for dinner as well,” she said, adding that this mindset guides her in everything she does, and in every program within PMN.

The pop-up warming shelter — open when the temperature dips below 10 degrees or the wind chill falls below zero, and with a capacity for 25 beds and more if need arises, which it often does — is another example.

It’s not your typical shelter in most respects — everything from allowing married couples to stay together to providing hot showers; from making popcorn and hot chocolate for the guests and popping in a movie to providing fresh clothes and food.

“Our job with the pop-up shelter is not to rehabilitate anyone,” Adamczyk explained. “A lot of them are coming in and using; they will actively detox with us through the evening, but they’d rather be sick than be out in the cold.

“We had a mother and her autistic son stay with us this last stretch of open nights,” she went on. “They came to us in the morning and said, ‘we want to thank you for opening because we would have died in our tent last night, it was so cold; I’m afraid we wouldn’t have woken up.’

As for the movies, they’re part of larger efforts to provide those who need the shelter “a moment of feeling normal; it doesn’t feel like they’re not seen,” she explained.

“I’ve never myself experienced that, but I can only imagine that walking through a day and feeling as if no one sees you — and if they do, it’s a negative connotation — would be pretty heavy,” she continued. “So we try to be as loving and positive as we can those shelter nights.”

Meanwhile, operation and staffing of this shelter speaks to the way Adamczyk has improved morale at PMN and created a culture of not only giving back, but going perhaps above and beyond. Indeed, there isn’t a separate staff for the shelter, she explained, adding that regular staff who volunteer to work there do so knowing they go straight from that detail to their regular job.

“I have many staff that are going to work overnight and still have their day job in the morning,” she said. “They are giving of their time, energy, and resources to meet the needs of these people. They say they do it because I do it.”

 

Bottom Line

Adamczyk likes to say she’s a Protestant living in a Catholic world.

She recalled that, when she reminded of Sr. Caritas of this, she jokingly responded, “well, everyone is flawed in some way.”

She certainly doesn’t consider it a flaw that, on occasion, she may not follow all the rules or procedures when adding a program or a service. Like Sr. Margaret, when Adamczyk sees a need, she tries to meet it.

That makes her the right manager for PMN — and also a Difference Maker.

UMass Downtown Opens in Amherst

By
Daily News

AMHERST — UMass Downtown, a multi-purpose retail, event, and meeting satellite space in downtown Amherst, opened on Feb. 11 at 108 North Pleasant St., in the town’s central business district.

The welcome center for prospective UMass Amherst students and their families will serve as a boutique retail satellite and campus information center during regular business hours and a hub for town-gown interaction with community members. In the evenings, the space will regularly host small lectures, readings, and workshops.

Micah Ariel James has been appointed director of UMass Downtown, which is managed by the Office of Community Relations and University Events in partnership with UMass Auxiliary Enterprises. Responsible for the location’s day-to-day management, James will work collaboratively with campus and community partners to provide a dynamic UMass experience in the heart of Amherst.

“We are thrilled to welcome Micah to our Community Relations and University Events team,” said Tony Maroulis, executive director for Community and Strategic Initiatives. “Micah will be a key member of our group and will lead this exciting new initiative.”

Nancy Buffone, associate vice chancellor for University Relations, added that “we are so excited to bring a UMass presence to our vital town center. UMass Downtown is something we have worked on for a long time and is another step in answering Chancellor [Javier] Reyes’ call for more UMass in the community.”

A recent transplant to the Pioneer Valley, James most recently served as the inaugural Outreach and Equity coordinator for the city of North Liberty, Iowa, from 2021 to 2024. In that position, she established, supported, and sustained welcoming, inclusive, and accessible city initiatives and community events. Her duties included directing partnerships and operations for the Ranshaw House, a city-owned historic home that serves as a community meeting space and satellite location for social-services organizations from neighboring cities to provide in-town support for residents.

Between 2015 and 2021, James oversaw mission-driven initiatives centered on campus and community learning, creative engagement, and youth and family programming at Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa. She has a bachelor’s degree in playwriting from Colombia College Chicago and a master’s degree in theatre arts from the University of Iowa.

“UMass Downtown is a place of town-gown convergence and activity,” James said. “We will curate and attract programming that puts the talent of the campus on display in the community, while partnering with organizations and businesses to strengthen downtown Amherst.”

A grand-opening celebration of UMass Downtown will be announced in the coming weeks.

Greenfield Savings Bank Welcomes Vincent Gaffney

By
Daily News

Vincent Gaffney

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB) announced the addition of Vincent Gaffney as vice president, senior trust officer within the bank’s Wealth Management & Trust Services division.

With more than 12 years of experience in banking and trust services, Gaffney brings a deep understanding of wealth management, trust administration, and estate settlement. Prior to joining GSB, he served as vice president, trust officer at Two Rivers Bank & Trust and Hills Bank and Trust Co. He holds a juris doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law and has built a strong career helping individuals and families navigate complex financial and estate-planning needs.

In his new role at GSB, Gaffney will focus on serving customers across the region, guiding clients through estate planning, investment management, and trust administration.

“We are excited to welcome Vincent to our Wealth Management & Trust Services team,” said Tom Meshako, president of Greenfield Savings Bank. “His extensive experience and client-centered approach align perfectly with GSB’s commitment to providing personalized and trusted financial services to our customers.”

Country Bank Supports Communities with More Than $900,000 in Donations in 2024

By
Daily News

WARE — Country Bank, a full-service financial institution serving Central and Western Mass., reported more than $900,000 in donations for 2024. The bank’s philanthropic efforts supported local nonprofits across its communities, with 462 organizations receiving grants throughout the year.

In addition to financial contributions, Country Bank team members dedicated 1,958 hours of volunteer service, demonstrating their ongoing commitment to giving back. Furthermore, 39 team members served on 95 nonprofit boards and committees, actively contributing their time and expertise to advance these organizations’ missions.

Recognizing the importance of financial literacy, Country Bank hosted seven Credit for Life Fairs for more than 2,000 high-school seniors, educating them on credit, budgeting, and the long-term impact of financial decisions. Additional classes were conducted at various schools across the region and Christina’s House, a home for women and children who are homeless or near homelessness.

As part of its annual Season of Difference campaign, Country Bank partnered with the WonderFund to support those involved with the Department of Children and Families system throughout Central and Western Mass. Through this collaboration, the bank contributed more than $20,000, reinforcing its commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families.

Among the organizations receiving support were Junior Achievement, EcoTarium, Main South CDC, Venture Community Services, Why Me/Sherry’s House, Boys & Girls Clubs, Behavioral Health Network, Way Finders, HomeFront Strong, United Way of Pioneer Valley and Central Massachusetts, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Worcester County Food Bank, Juniper Outreach, Square One, Friends of the Homeless, along with 22 senior centers and 23 food pantries across the region.

“At Country Bank, our commitment to enriching the communities we serve is at the heart of everything we do,” said Mary McGovern, president and CEO of Country Bank. “We take great pride in supporting organizations that make a meaningful impact, whether through financial contributions or the dedication of our team members. Giving back isn’t just part of our mission — it’s a responsibility we embrace to help strengthen the places we call home and make a difference in the lives of those we serve.”

BusinessWest Seeks 40 Under Forty Nominations

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — BusinessWest is currently accepting nominations for the 40 Under Forty class of 2025. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 27.

Launched in 2007, the program recognizes rising stars in the four counties of Western Mass. Nominations, which should be detailed in nature, should list an individual’s accomplishments within their profession as well as their work within the community. Nominations can be completed online by clicking here.

Nominations will be weighed by a panel of judges, and the selected individuals will be profiled in the April 28 issue of BusinessWest and honored at the 40 Under Forty Gala in June.

Building Permits

By
Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of January 2025.

CHICOPEE

CHICWC LLC
2189 Westover Road
$5,969,082 — Install storage racking in existing warehouse space

City of Chicopee
274 Front St.
$10,896,658 — Renovations and reconfiguration of building interiors and offices at the Chicopee City Hall main building and annex and associated structural work

Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield
30 College St.
$16,600 — Install smoke sealant over interior masonry walls and install fire-rated ACT and grid

Salmar Realty LLC
246 McKinstry St.
$207,477 — Build new medical office space, including unisex bathroom, waiting and reception area, and multiple offices and exam rooms

Solenis LLC
1111 Grattan St.
$17,648 — Roofing

EASTHAMPTON

Cil Realty of MA Inc.
3 Strong St.
$23,655 — Install new wet fire sprinkler system

John Dunphy
49-53 Union St.
$10,000 — Frame and drywall interior office walls

HADLEY

Russell 116 Partnership
423 Russell St.
N/A — Exterior signage for Courtyard rebrand

W/S Hadley Properties II LLC
355 Russell St., Suite 20
N/A — Modify existing sprinkler system

PITTSFIELD

Berkshire Medical Center Inc.
725 North St.
$9,000 — Replace two exterior doors

Berkshire Medical Center Inc.
725 North St.
$75,385 — Demolish building at 769 North St.

Berkshire Medical Center Inc.
810 North St.
$15,000 — Replace old steel support columns in basement and add additional wood and steel members for support

City of Pittsfield
1 Wendell Ave.
N/A — Install two prefabricated sound-isolation rooms

The Cooper Center LLC
116 North St.
$313,000 — Interior renovation at 1 Fenn St., third floor, including selective demolition, new partition walls, reconfiguration of MEPFP systems, and new finishes

Hillcrest Extended Care Services Inc.
171 Valentine Road
$16,080 — Replace gas-fire RTU on roof of two-story building

One O Three Elm Street LLC
103 Elm St.
$10,000 — Install new vinyl panels on walls

SPRINGFIELD

143 Main Street Realty Corp.
125 Main St.
$40,000 — For change of use throughout Monkey Wrench Building, enclose rear stairs and install new exit doors, reconfigure front stairs and door for Unit 125A, alter hallway to provide access to first-floor bathroom, repair handrails throughout, make required handicap-accessibility repairs

Fontaine Investment Corp.
510 Cottage St.
$950,000 — Alter interior office space and install new windows in main office of Fontaine Brothers

Membos LLC
818 Boston Road
$7,500,000 — Interior demolition for tenant build-out

Membos LLC
818 Boston Road
$200,000 — Alter interior tenant space for Wingstop

Mercy Medical Center
300 Stafford St.
$153,556 — Alter interior office space in Suite 256 of physicians’ office building

MGM Springfield Redevelopment LLC
1 MGM Way
$377,600 — Repair/replace fire-damaged shaft at MGM Springfield casino

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
665 Cottage St.
$6,323,137.30 — Addition for indoor bus storage and maintenance portion for prep bay; paint booth and storage area; upgrades to fire-protection, mechanical, and electrical systems for electric buses

Springfield Foodservice Corp.
1 Performance Blvd.
$2,366,579 — Install high-pile storage racking system for addition to existing building for expansion of cold-storage warehouse, docks, and office uses for Performance Food Group

Tree House Properties LLC
4 Maple St.
$32,900 — New acoustic ceiling, floor coverings, and interior wall

Worthington Street LLC
80 Worthington St.
$16,000 — Erect gazebo over existing deck in rear patio of the Zone

Picture This

By
representatives of Southampton Community Cupboard
Picture This

Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]

 

Ice Out Hunger

For the second consecutive year, Florence Bank partnered with UMass Sports Properties and the UMass Amherst hockey team to Ice Out Hunger in the region at a time when food insecurity is at a record high. Since October, the bank has awarded $500 grants to Western Mass. food pantries at each UMass home game, and before the season ends, 19 nonprofits will have benefited. A different food pantry is highlighted during the first intermission of each home game, and a fan is chosen to ride on the Mullins Center’s Zamboni, which has been wrapped with Florence Bank’s branding. Pictured: representatives of Southampton Community Cupboard (left) and Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals (right), two of the 19 organizations that received grants.

representatives of Southampton Community Cupboard

representatives of Southampton Community Cupboard

 

Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals

Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals

 

 

Making a Career of IT

On Jan. 14, Tech Foundry graduated its fall 2024 cohort of students, who dedicated 18 weeks to advancing their technology skills. The event was held at the Community Music School of Springfield. Brandon Garcia and Florentino Zamarripa IV were elected by their classmates to speak about their experiences in the program, and both talked passionately about the community they built during their time at Tech Foundry and the personal obstacles they overcame. State Rep. Carlos González (pictured at left) served as keynote speaker and personally congratulated each graduate, recognizing their dedication and achievements and encouraging them as they entered the tech workforce.

Tech Foundry graduated its fall 2024 cohort of students

Tech Foundry graduated its fall 2024 cohort of students

 

State Rep. Carlos González (pictured at left)

State Rep. Carlos González (pictured at left) served as keynote speaker and personally congratulated each graduate, recognizing their dedication and achievements and encouraging them as they entered the tech workforce

 

Agenda

By
Agenda

40 Under Forty Nominations

Through Feb. 27: BusinessWest is currently accepting nominations for the 40 Under Forty class of 2025. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 27. Launched in 2007, the program recognizes rising stars in the four counties of Western Mass. Nominations, which should be detailed in nature, 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 the April 28 issue of BusinessWest and honored at the 40 Under Forty Gala in June.

 

Young Women in Leadership Award Applications

Through March 1: Applications for the 2025 Young Women in Leadership Award are available from the Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley. A local recipient will receive a $1,000 award, funded by the Zonta Club of the Quaboag Valley, and will be entered for the district award. The district recipient will be eligible for a $5,000 award from Zonta International. According to Zonta Club Scholarship Chair Patricia Pupek, the goal of the Leadership Award is to encourage young women to participate in leadership positions by recognizing a young woman’s commitment to the volunteer sector, evidence of volunteer leadership achievements, and dedication to building a better world for women and girls. Applications can be obtained from high-school guidance counselors or at zontaqv.org/scholarships and must be submitted electronically with supporting documentation no later than March 1. Applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 19 on April 1, studying at a secondary school, college, or university in a Zonta district. Questions can be directed to [email protected].

 

Chicopee Chamber Shining Stars Gala

Feb. 28: The Chicopee Chamber of Commerce announced the recipients of its 2025 Shining Stars, recognizing individuals whose exceptional contributions strengthen and inspire the community. This year’s honorees are AJ Crane, owner of A. Crane Construction, as Citizen of the Year; Ashley Batlle, owner of Beauty Batlles Lounge, as Volunteer of the Year; the Springfield Thunderbirds as Business of the Year; and Health New England as Nonprofit of the Year. The Chicopee Chamber introduced Shining Stars in 1985 when Ernest Laflamme Jr. was recognized as the first Citizen of the Year. Recipients are selected by a nominating committee chaired by Laflamme and including Carol Campbell of Chicopee Industrial Contractors, Ted Hebert of Teddy Bear Pools, City Treasurer Marie Laflamme, Michael Siddall of Siddall & Siddall, P.C., and Jeffrey Sattler of Liberty Bank. The 40th annual Shining Stars Gala will take place from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at the Castle of Knights at 1599 Memorial Dr. Tickets cost $75 per person. To purchase tickets or inquire about sponsorships, visit www.chicopeechamber.org or call (413) 594-2101.

 

Bingo Night Fundraiser

March 21: The Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce announced its Handbag & Hand Tool Bingo Night fundraiser will take place at 6:30 p.m. at AMVETS Post 74 in Three Rivers. Doors open at 6 p.m. The chamber will produce 10 bingo rounds, each with a grand prize featuring one of seven designer handbags or one of three premium tools up for grabs. Tickets can be purchased on qhma.com. The registration fee is $40 per person and includes 10 bingo cards, a bingo dauber, snack platters, a bonus raffle ticket, and a cash bar. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce and its ongoing mission to assist its more than 200 member businesses succeed and grow with programs and initiatives throughout the year.

 

Second Chance Auction Gala

March 29: Second Chance Animal Services will host its 26th annual Auction Gala at the AC Marriott in Worcester. This is Second Chance’s most important fundraiser of the year, raising critical funds to help provide life-saving services to more than 56,000 pets in need. The evening will feature hundreds of silent auction items, raffles, and a small but exclusive live auction offering one-of-a-kind experiences. With a relaxed cocktail and dressy-casual dress code, the event is designed to be an enjoyable evening for all, combining great company with opportunities to make a meaningful impact. All proceeds will support Second Chance’s mission to transform the lives of pets by providing affordable veterinary care, keeping pets with their families, and finding loving homes for animals in need. Tickets are on sale now, and seating is limited, so early reservations are encouraged. Businesses and individuals can also support the event by sponsoring, which includes recognition in event materials, highlighting their commitment to supporting pets in need. Donations to the auction are another way to get involved, with unique goods, services, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences being especially popular. To purchase tickets, become a sponsor, or donate auction items, visit www.secondchanceanimals.org/dinner-auction or email [email protected].

 

Difference Makers Gala

April 9: Tickets are now on sale for BusinessWest’s 17th annual Difference Makers awards gala at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The class of 2025, profiled in this issue of BusinessWest and at businesswest.com, are Jennie Adamczyk, executive director of Providence Ministries; Sheryl Blancato, CEO of Second Chance Animal Services; Andrea Bordenca, CEO of DESCO Service; Mychal Connolly, CEO of Stand Out Truck; John Delaney, director of Ride to Remember; John Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame; the Michael J. Dias Foundation; and Dan Moriarty, president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank. Tickets cost $95 per person, and tables of 10 are available. They can be purchased at businesswest.com/eventcalendar/difference-makers-tickets. The 17th annual Difference Makers program is sponsored by Burkhart Pizzanelli, the Royal Law Firm, TommyCar Auto Group, and Westfield Bank.

 

Link to Libraries Gala

May 8: Link to Libraries announce its biennial gala, an evening that celebrates the organization’s transformative impact in the community while raising vital funds to ensure children have access to the books and programming they deserve. This year’s gala, taking place at the Basketball Hall of Fame, will feature a Swifty-themed evening inspired by Taylor Swift’s celebrated Eras Tour. Guests will enjoy an elegant night filled with cocktails, dinner, an auction, and the opportunity to connect with others passionate about the power of reading to transform lives. All proceeds from the gala go directly to Link to Libraries, a nonprofit committed to fostering literacy by providing books and programming for children in underserved communities. Tickets cost $90 per person, or $250 for VIP tickets that include a pre-gala VIP cocktail reception. Tickets are available at www.linktolibraries.org.

 

Hooplandia 2025

June 20-22: Registration is now open for Hooplandia, the third annual 3-on-3 basketball tourney and festival, at hooplandia.com. The event will take place at Eastern States Exposition (ESE) and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Games will be played at the ESE complex, with special games held at the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2024, 75 basketball courts allowed accommodation for more than 650 games played by approximately 2,100 participants of all ages. Diverse divisions include young girls and boys, women, men, high-school ages, college level, OGs, veterans, and more. Players in the Special Olympics and Unified division can look forward to free registration, and those in the Hoops & Heroes division, such as active and retired first responders and military personnel, have access to discounted registration. Players are invited to build teams of four, create their own unique team name, design their uniforms, and register at hooplandia.com. Fees range according to age. Those that register before the end of the day on March 10 are treated to the 3 Point Perks package, which grants early teams access to limited-edition goodies. 3 Point Perks are not available after March 10, and registration prices increase after May 26 for late teams.

 

People on the Move

By
People on the Move
Kevin Whitney

Kevin Whitney

After an extensive national search, Kevin Whitney has been selected as president and chief operating officer for Cooley Dickinson Hospital (CDH), effective March 15. Whitney currently serves as vice president of Community Operations for the Mass General Brigham (MGB) Community Division. In addition, since last May, he has been serving as interim vice president, Patient Care Services (PCS) and chief nursing officer (CNO) for CDH, where he has helped advance quality and safety initiatives, enhanced nurse staffing, and accelerated recruitment and retention efforts. In his new role, he will oversee hospital operations and inpatient and outpatient clinical care, including the VNA and Hospice, budgeting, and operating performance. With more than 34 years of experience in healthcare, Whitney is a seasoned clinician and an enthusiastic, strategic, and innovative leader in both community and academic medical-center settings, with proven quality, operational outcomes, and financial performance. Prior to his current roles, he served for two years as chief operating officer for MGB Healthcare at Home. From 2017 to 2022, he served as senior vice president, PCS and CNO for Newton-Wellesley Hospital, providing strategic and operational leadership for nursing and PCS. From 2011 to 2017, he served as associate chief nurse for Surgical, Orthopedics, and Neurosciences at Massachusetts General Hospital. Prior to joining MGB, he worked at Emerson Hospital for 20 years, serving in clinical and leadership roles, including vice president, PCS and CNO. Whitney earned his doctor of nursing practice, executive leadership degree from the MGH Institute of Health Professions; a master’s degree in health care administration from Framingham State University; a bachelor’s degree in nursing from UMass Lowell; and an associate degree in paramedic technology from Northeastern University.

•••••

Brian Regnier

Brian Regnier

John McMahon

John McMahon

Josh Kelly

Josh Kelly

OMG Roofing announced it has restructured its management team. Brian Regnier has been brought in as the new vice president of Sales and Marketing. He is responsible for developing and executing the division’s overall sales and marketing strategy as well as overseeing the company’s Marketing and Customer Service departments. Regnier joins OMG from Duro-Last, a well-established manufacturer of custom-fabricated thermoplastic single-ply roofing systems, where he was vice president of Sales. Earlier, he managed New England commercial sales for Beacon, the largest publicly traded distributor of roofing, waterproofing, and related exterior products in the U.S. and Canada. John McMahon was promoted to senior vice president and general manager, where he will work with Regnier and Adam Cincotta, vice president of the Adhesives business unit to drive the company’s top-level strategic initiatives. McMahon has been with OMG since 2002 in a variety of leadership roles. He was promoted to vice president of Sales and Marketing for OMG Roofing in early 2024 after spending 22 years with FastenMaster, where he most recently led the Decking business unit. Rounding out the new team is company veteran Josh Kelly, who has been named as senior vice president of the Fastener business unit and Roofing Technical Services. He will oversee the company’s primary roofing-fastener operations, which includes RoofGrip, RhinoBond, PowerGrip, OlyFlow, and the OMG Roofing technical services team. Kelly started with OMG in 1991 as a project coordinator and has held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility since then. He most recently served as senior vice president of Business Development, but has extensive experience with the company in sales, marketing, and product development, including the innovative RhinoBond system.

•••••

Alex Leslie

Alex Leslie

MP CPAs recently announced the promotion of Alex Leslie to tax supervisor with the firm. He provides consulting and tax solutions to a diverse group of clients, including individuals, partnerships, corporations, and trusts. He specializes in working with businesses in many industries, including construction, manufacturing, and wholesale and distribution, among others. Leslie joined the firm in 2016 as an intern and started full-time in 2017. He is a certified public accountant in the state of Massachusetts. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. MP CPAs also announced the promotions of two team members, Kelly Braese and Estefania Cabrera, to senior associates. Braese started with the firm as an intern in January 2022 and transitioned to full-time in June 2022 upon her graduation. She is a graduate of Western New England University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She provides tax and consulting services to a diverse group of clients including individuals, corporations, partnerships, estates, and trusts. She is currently the chairperson of the firm’s marketing and networking committee and also takes an active role in the recruitment of students from local colleges and universities. Cabrera started with the firm as an associate in January 2020. She is a graduate of Bay Path University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting. She provides tax and consulting services to a diverse group of clients, including individuals, corporations, and estate and gift tax returns. She is currently an active participant in the firm’s social action and training committees.

•••••

Vanessa Stratton

Vanessa Stratton

Polish National Credit Union (PNCU) announced that Vanessa Stratton has joined the institution as vice president of Finance. Stratton, a certified public accountant, brings more than a decade of experience in the banking industry. She earned an MBA with a focus in finance and has held several key positions throughout her career, including chief financial officer and treasurer at a community bank. Her areas of expertise include financial analysis and reporting, GAAP compliance, internal control, and investment management. In her role as vice president of Finance, Stratton will oversee PNCU’s financial operations, including financial reporting, budgeting, and cash-flow management. She will also work closely with the executive team to implement strategic financial initiatives and support the credit union’s growth.

•••••

Kuhn Riddle Architects & Designers announced that Lindsay Comeaux Schnarr, AIA has joined its growing architectural team. Her primary architectural interest is in public spaces, and she is pleased that her first project is working on CitySpace in Easthampton, renovating an existing historic building to include a theater space and other community-use areas. Schnarr interned as a student with Kuhn Riddle from 2009 to 2011 and continued after graduation through 2014. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 2002 from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and graduated in 2011 with her master’s degree in architecture from UMass Amherst. She has been on the Amherst Design Review Board for many years, taught design as an adjunct lecturer at UMass Amherst from 2015 to 2020, co-founded the Emerging Professionals Development Program for the Western Massachusetts American Institute of Architects (WMAIA), and is a member of WMAIA’s Women in Architecture Committee.

•••••

Jonathan Denmark

Jonathan Denmark

MountainOne announced the promotion of Jonathan Denmark to executive vice president of MountainOne Bank. In addition to his new leadership responsibilities, he will continue to serve as president and chief operating officer of MountainOne Insurance Agency. Denmark will celebrate 10 years with MountainOne in March. Early in his tenure as president and COO of MountainOne Insurance, he led the consolidation of MountainOne’s insurance agencies, True North Insurance and Coakley, Pierpan, Dolan, and Collins, and oversaw the rebranding of the combined agencies to MountainOne Insurance. His efforts also established a strong partnership with OneDigital for the agency’s group benefits business line. Under his leadership, MountainOne Insurance has continued to expand, acquiring three agencies, opening a new office in Stockbridge, and expanding the agency’s presence to the Pioneer Valley. Denmark’s growth strategy, coupled with his expertise and dedication, have positioned the agency as a core contributor to MountainOne’s overall success. Denmark recently assumed the role of board chair of the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority (PEDA), which oversees the William Stanley Business Park. The park, home to the MountainOne building at Silver Lake and the Berkshire Innovation Center, is poised for significant development in the coming years. Denmark’s leadership at PEDA will further align economic growth opportunities with community development in Pittsfield and beyond.

•••••

Devan Summers

Devan Summers

LUSO Federal Credit Union announced that Devan Summers has joined the credit union as vice president of Member Services and Community Development. With more than 12 years of experience in the financial-services industry, he brings a wealth of expertise and a strong commitment to member-focused solutions. In his new role, he will oversee member services, foster community partnerships, and lead initiatives aimed at driving growth and enhancing the member experience. “We are excited to welcome Devan to LUSO,” President and CEO Jennifer Calheno said. “His extensive experience in the financial industry and passion for community development align perfectly with our commitment to helping our members achieve their financial goals. I am confident that his leadership will play a pivotal role in our continued growth and success.”

•••••

UMassFive College Federal Credit Union announced three recent management promotions. Brittany Ward has been promoted to senior branch manager of the UMassFive’s Hadley and UMass Amherst branches. She started her career at the credit union 10 years ago as a member service specialist. During the last decade, she has held numerous roles, including Retail Training specialist, video teller supervisor, Contact Center assistant manager, and video teller manager. For the past three years, she has served as branch manager of the Hadley branch. Eurika Boulay has been promoted to senior branch manager of UMassFive’s Northampton and Northampton VA Medical Center branches. She began her career at the credit union nine years ago as a member service specialist. Her roles have since included Northampton branch backup supervisor, Northampton VA Medical Center manager, and, most recently, Northampton branch manager. In her new new role, she will continue to ensure the delivery of high-quality member service, maintain branch compliance, and collaborate with UMassFive’s Community Outreach manager to strengthen the credit union’s presence in the Greater Northampton community. Jamie Paradee has expanded her role as Digital and Payment Services assistant manager. She began her UMassFive career in 2007 as a part-time teller at the Hadley branch before transferring to the Northampton branch as a senior teller. In 2012, she transitioned back to the Hadley branch, where she was promoted to interim branch supervisor, and then took on the role as the credit union’s first Facilities manager. In this role, she oversaw numerous branch remodels, a position that later expanded into Support Operations manager. After a brief time away from UMassFive, she returned in 2024 as a Payment Services specialist before being promoted to her current role.

•••••

Karen Sargent

Karen Sargent

Pittsfield Cooperative Bank announced the hiring of Karen Sargent as the new assistant vice president and branch manager of its Dalton branch location. With an impressive track record in banking and a deep commitment to community engagement, she brings a wealth of experience and leadership to her new role. Sargent joins Pittsfield Cooperative Bank with more than 15 years of experience in the financial-services industry. Her expertise spans branch operations, customer relationship management, business banking, and team leadership at several regional institutions, including Adams Community, Berkshire, Citizens, and NBT banks. In her role as branch manager, she will oversee daily operations, mentor staff, and strive to ensure the delivery of exceptional service to the bank’s customers. A lifelong resident of Berkshire County, Sargent is deeply rooted in the community and has been actively involved in various local organizations. Her commitment to strengthening local ties and supporting community initiatives aligns seamlessly with the bank’s dedication to serving the region.

•••••

Peter Rosskothen

Peter Rosskothen

UMassFive College Federal Credit Union (UMassFive) recently announced the addition of Peter Rosskothen to its board of directors. A seasoned business professional, he brings more than 35 years of business experience to UMassFive. He first became involved with the credit union through utilizing its business banking products and services five years ago. With an educational background in finance from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, and studies in hotel & restaurant management from UMass Amherst, Rosskothen has demonstrated a wide array of skills in organizational finance, budgeting, branding, marketing, strategic planning, and community relations. Throughout his career, he has also dedicated time to volunteer work, serving as a board member for several organizations, including People’s Savings Bank, the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Springfield Visitors and Convention Bureau.

•••••

Pioneer Valley Financial Group (PV Financial) announced that Meghan Monaghan has successfully passed her Series 66 financial exam, officially earning her the title of financial advisor. Monaghan began her journey with PV Financial in the summer of 2022 as a finance intern, where she was responsible for preparing investment proposals, reports for the Operations department, and data entry. In December 2022, she graduated from Bentley University with a bachelor’s degree in finance, concentrating in financial planning, and a minor in business management. Upon graduation, she was welcomed back to PV as a full-time client relationship manager. In this role, she worked alongside the firm’s advisors to build relationships and provide exceptional customer service to clients. She embarked on her journey of studying and taking securities-industry exams, eventually transitioning to the role of paraplanner earlier in 2024, focusing more on the in-depth planning aspects of financial services. After two years of hard work and successfully passing five exams, Monaghan earned the title of financial advisor, making her the only female financial advisor at PV.

 

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook

Northfield Mount Hermon Receives $50 Million Bequest

GILL — Northfield Mount Hermon has received its largest-ever gift and one of the largest donations ever to an independent school. The $50 million bequest from the late John Mitchell, who graduated in 1956, will endow need-based scholarships and expand support for faculty, key objectives of the school’s $275 million fundraising campaign. Mitchell arrived at the Mount Hermon School for Boys in 1952 as a scholarship student from an unheated home in a small town in Eastern Mass. Recognized early as academically gifted, he participated in several sports and thrived in his NMH courses, graduating as class valedictorian. Following NMH, he earned degrees from Yale and NYU and went on to a long and distinguished career as president of Global Manufacturing at Pfizer. Mitchell later served on the NMH board of trustees, where he brought a particular focus on finances and campus planning. With characteristic pragmatism and modesty, he made numerous gifts to top off the budget for faculty housing projects, athletics facilities, the early-childhood center, and related campus improvements.

 

Gagne Wealth Management Group Recognized by Forbes

GREENFIELD — Gagne Wealth Management Group has been named to the Forbes 2025 Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams list, a prestigious recognition that highlights the top financial-advisory teams across the country. Since founding the firm 15 years ago, Merrill Gagne has built Gagne Wealth Management Group from the ground up, developing a client-centric approach that emphasizes goal-oriented financial planning, personalized investment strategies, and risk management. The firm is dedicated to creating customized portfolios tailored to each client’s aspirations, ethical values, and risk tolerance, ensuring a financial strategy that is both empowering and educational. Merrill, who now leads a team of financial advisors, has a history of industry accolades, including being named a Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisor last year, along with being featured on Forbes’ Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors list. Earlier in his career, he was recognized as a top producer at Northwestern Mutual, achieving #1 in the Platinum category for the Eastern Region.

 

MSB Unveils Recipients of Community Giving Initiative

MONSON — Late last year, Monson Savings Bank asked local community members to cast votes for their local nonprofit of choice. Now, the bank is announcing its 2025 Community Giving Initiative recipients. This was the 15th year Monson Savings Bank ran its Community Giving Initiative poll. The public’s excitement to cast their vote has grown throughout the years. This year, more than 4,100 people submitted a vote, a record-breaking response. Now that the votes have been counted, the bank is planning to donate a total of $25,000 among the top 10 vote recipients. They are: I Found Light Against All Odds (Springfield), Scantic Valley YMCA (Wilbraham), Friends of Hampden Seniors (Hampden), South End Community Center (Springfield), Women’s Empowerment Scholarship (Greater Springfield), Monson Free Library (Monson), Whip City Animal Sanctuary (Westfield), Miracle League of Western Massachusetts (Springfield), the Graceful Swan (Ware), and Springfield Ballers (Springfield).

 

UMass Amherst Ranks in Top 20 for Online Programs

AMHERST — UMass Amherst’s online education programs are recognized among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s just-released 2025 rankings. For the fourth consecutive year, the university continues to place in the top 20 public and private colleges and universities for its undergraduate and graduate online degree programs. Three UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management bachelor’s and master’s online business programs placed in the top five in their respective categories, including master’s business programs supporting military veterans and active-duty service members that do not award an MBA. UMass Amherst online bachelor’s degree programs moved up one spot to 19th out of 350 public and private colleges and universities, and the university remains the only New England institution in the top 20. Among UMass Amherst’s online bachelor’s degree programs represented are degree completion through the University Without Walls interdisciplinary studies program, as well as business administration, nursing, sociology, and sustainable food and farming. The Isenberg School of Management bachelor’s degree in business program ranks No. 5 out of 218 institutions and was the only New England university— public or private— to place in the Top 20. In online master’s business programs, UMass Amherst also placed at No. 5 out of 206 institutions. In other graduate degree programs, Isenberg’s MBA program ranks at No. 16, and the university placed No. 13 in MBA general management, a new category this year. UMass Amherst online programs also ranked in the top 15 for their support of veterans and active-duty service members. The non-MBA master’s program improved to second in the nation, and its bachelor’s program climbed two spots to 11th, while the online MBA ranks 14th. Finally, the Elaine Marieb School of Nursing placed 30th, and the master’s education program climbed 12 spots from last year.

 

PeoplesBank Reports on Donations, Volunteer Hours

HOLYOKE — PeoplesBank announced that its community investments have totaled $1.6 million annually for the past three years, and $16,364,028 over the past 12 years. The bank made 557 nonprofit grants in 2024, 14 exceeding $15,000, with the average being $3,500. Further, 208 associates or board members participated in matching gift donations or workplace giving pledges for a total of $55,750. Meanwhile, bank associates volunteered 8,500 hours in the community, and sit on boards of directors and committees for nonprofits. The bank is also committed to three longer-term capital campaigns for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Square One, and Behavioral Health Network, for a total of $550,000.

 

Hot Plate Brewing Co. Recognized by USA Today

PITTSFIELD — Hot Plate Brewing Co., the only Latina-owned brewery in Massachusetts, was recently named a finalist for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for Best New Brewery.

Since opening its doors in downtown Pittsfield in February 2023, this mission-driven organization has been garnering attention on a local, regional, and national level, for both its beers and the impact it is making in the community. Sarah Real, owner and head brewer, was also recently elected to the Massachusetts Brewers Guild board of directors as well as the Pink Boots Society board of directors, largely because of the work she has been doing to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in an overwhelmingly male industry. While Hot Plate is garnering attention in the world of craft beer, it has also been awarded for its work by organizations as varied as Mass Econ, National Alliance on Mental Illness Berkshire County, and Berkshire Pride. In 2024, it raised more than $10,000 for a variety of mission-aligned nonprofit organizations, including the Pittsfield Area Council of Congregations, which collectively raised more than $27,000 for this year’s Fuel Fund, which the brewery supported in several ways.

 

Florence Bank Supports Cooley Dickinson Campaign

FLORENCE — Florence Bank has pledged $75,000 to Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s $26 million Transforming Emergency Care Campaign to renovate, expand, and enhance the Emergency Department (ED) and improve the standard of care. Cooley Dickinson broke ground on the extensive project to transform the ED in 2023. Project goals include reducing wait times, increasing patients’ comfort and privacy, enhancing staff communications, and improving the standard of care. The undertaking is one of the largest capital investments in the hospital’s history, and this is the final year of the campaign. Florence Bank is a loyal supporter of Cooley Dickinson and, over the years, has donated to many campaigns, most recently the new Childbirth Center, North Building, and Cancer Center, and has supported many programmatic needs, such as nursing development. Construction in the ED is ongoing, with a new addition in the works and pods being constructed and renovated in phases. Dukette said ED staff have adeptly worked around the construction, reassessing and realigning workflows as necessary.

 

STCC to Replace 164 Windows in Garvey Hall

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) has launched an extensive window-replacement project at Garvey Hall, an historic building on campus, thanks to $792,000 in Fair Share funding from the Healey-Driscoll administration. The window-replacement effort, managed by STCC’s Facilities Department, combines the need for historic preservation with modern energy-efficiency improvements. Facilities and Kuhn Riddle Architects of Amherst worked with the National Park Service to specify a window that met the historic and energy-efficient requirements. The project involves replacing 164 windows on the west side of the building, facing the campus green. Funding for the project comes from the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance through the state’s Fair Share Amendment funds. The allocation of these funds specifically supports projects aimed at energy efficiency, making this effort a match for the college’s needs. The phased project began on Dec. 9 and is expected to be completed by early February.

 

Big Y Donates 1 Million Meals to Food Banks

SPRINGFIELD — Big Y’s annual Sack Hunger campaign provides funds for four food banks within its two-state marketing area. In turn, these food banks support local soup kitchens, food pantries, senior food programs, daycare centers, and many others of the 2,100 member agencies they help every day. Their goal is to maximize access to nutritious food and other resources that support food security for those at risk of hunger. Throughout this past holiday season, customers and employees generously supported Sack Hunger at Big Y supermarkets and Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors. Every $5 donation brought 10 meals to those in need of support. Additionally, Big Y added more ways to boost their efforts with specific proceeds from the produce, floral, and meat departments, along with a portion of every one of Big Y’s family of private-label brands. Big Y’s Sack Hunger campaign started in 2010, when 740 meals were donated. With this year’s 1 million meals, the program continues to expand its efforts to support those in need. Big Y’s Sack Hunger donation is part of its ongoing support throughout the year, including almost daily donations of meat, fresh produce, and bakery products, along with grocery, frozen, and dairy items. The four regional food banks are the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, the Worcester County Food Bank, the Greater Boston Food Bank, and Connecticut Foodshare.

 

Berkshire Bank Reports 100% Employee Volunteerism in 2024

BOSTON — Berkshire Bank employees achieved a milestone in 2024: 100% participation in the company’s award-winning volunteer program. In all, employees completed more than 250 company-sponsored projects that totaled more than 11,500 hours of service across Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as thousands more hours volunteering as individuals in their hometown communities. Named for the X in its logo, Berkshire’s XTEAM employee volunteer and giving program is a central element of its workplace culture, providing employees with an easy way to put the bank’s corporate values into action and help local communities. In addition, the Berkshire Bank Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Berkshire Bank, invested more than $1.7 million in local communities across its five-state footprint in 2024, including more than $450,000 from October to December. For the year, nearly 400 nonprofits benefited from foundation grants and other giving, which included more than 110 nonprofits in the last three months of 2024.

 

Davis Foundation Supports Local Farmer Awards

AGAWAM — The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation has become the newest lead funding partner with a contribution to the Local Farmer Awards, a program in its 11th year providing annual grants of up to $2,500 to Western Mass. farmers, helping them purchase capital equipment used as an ongoing part of farm operations. Harold Grinspoon — whose foundation, in partnership with Big Y and the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, and in collaboration with 15 other community funders, makes these awards possible — described the Davis Foundation gift as “a pivotal moment in our ability to help more deserving farmers.”

 

Community Bank Reports Charitable Giving for 2024

DEWITT, N.Y. — Community Bank announced that its charitable giving, in conjunction with its parent company and affiliated subsidiaries, totaled more than $3.9 million in 2024. More than 2,200 nonprofit organizations that provide essential services to the communities the company serves received support through sponsorships and donations. The bank’s parent company, Community Financial System Inc., includes the companies OneGroup Insurance, Benefit Plans Administrators, and Community Bank Wealth Management. Among last year’s charitable-giving efforts, more than $200,000 was given to United Way agencies across the company’s footprint through a combination of corporate contributions and employee payroll deductions. Beyond financial support, Community Bank branches often host charitable drives and events as a way for employees, customers, and community members to participate in charitable-giving efforts. Employees across Community Financial System Inc. also volunteer their time to a variety of local nonprofits, including cultural, civic, economic-development, and social-service organizations and charities. In 2024, the organization’s team members committed more than 17,800 hours to volunteer initiatives to give back to their communities, and more than 405 team members served on not-for-profit boards and committees.

 

 

 

Incorporations

By
Incorporations

The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.

AGAWAM

WPO Ministries Inc., 232 Walnut St., Agawam, MA, 01001. Paul Elie Illouz, same. Not-for-profit corporation organized to teach and preach the gospel to all people, conduct evangelistic and humanitarian outreach, and license and ordain ministers of the gospel.

BELCHERTOWN

Stumpbusters Inc., 29 Pheasant Run, Belchertown, MA 01007. Michael Thomas, same. Stump-grinding services.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Hillside Apples Inc., 106 Hillside Dr., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Robert Douglas, same. Crypto-currency trading.

GREAT BARRINGTON

Community Busk Inc., 6 Knob Hill Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Eugene Carr, same. Nonprofit organization established to enhance community engagement and economic development by inspiring and educating small towns and municipalities to create dynamic downtown street arts and music festivals, and to guide others in how to create arts and music festivals.

HATFIELD

Scoopin Up Smiles Inc., 18 Scotland Road, Hatfield, MA 01038. Adele Stiles, same. Mobile ice-cream parlor.

HOLYOKE

Paper City Futbol Club Inc., 426 Maple St., Holyoke, MA 01040. Jesse Castellano, same. Soccer club.

MONSON

Monson Police Association Inc., 110 Main St., Monson, MA 01057. Paul Mayo, 56 Trudeau Dr., Unit 3D, Warren, MA 01083. Nonprofit corporation organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes, including making distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3).

NORTH ADAMS

Rewild N Restore Ltd., 79 Brooklyn St., North Adams, MA 01247. Brittian Francisco, same. Nonprofit corporation offering environmental consulting on construction projects to aid in making the project more environmentally friendly, placing emphasis on ecological surveys focused on finding ways to better understand and promote growth and rewilding of ecosystems.

PITTSFIELD

Alfa Chemistry Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Donghai Chen, same. Clinical testing service provider.

Aztech Energy Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Alan Zindler, same. Solar EPC, PV, energy services and PV system design.

Forca Global Construction and Renovations Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Isais Sanchez, same. Construction services.

Oddsjam Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Ankit Goyal, same. Sports tech.

The Paraklis Foundation Inc., 82 Wendell Ave., Suite 100, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Adan Bernard, 63 Rockland St., Stoughton, MA 02072. Helping others find a place of comfort and peace.

SOUTHAMPTON

Soutra Building Co., 117 Pleasant St., Southampton, MA 01073. Christopher Soutra, same. Construction/builder.

SPRINGFIELD

7 Star Sumner Inc., 914 Sumner Ave., Springfield, MA 01118. Muhammad Ali Saleem, 188 Clearwater Circle, Ludlow, MA 01056. Convenience store with gas station, cigarette, vapor, and lottery.

Livingwater Holdings Inc., 40 Ravenwood St., Springfield, MA01119. Brian Aguasvivas, same. Business of purchasing, renovating, and reselling residential properties, commonly known as house flipping, including acquiring properties, managing renovation projects, and selling the renovated properties.

Step-N with All Youths Inc., 43 Blunt Road, Springfield, MA 01109. Candejah Pink, same. Nonprofit organization established to assist and empower youth and young adults by providing comprehensive support, guidance, and resources to create a nurturing environment.

WESTFIELD

Absolute Quality Construction Services Corp., 48 Yankee Circle, Westfield, MA 01085. Filip Bochkar, same. Construction services.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

MF Trucking Inc., 56 Fairview Ave., West Springfield, MA 01089. Ali Bahrawi, same. Trucking.

Doing Business as Certificates

By
DBA Certificates

The following business certificates and/or trade names were issued or renewed during the month of January 2025.

BELCHERTOWN

ADM Group
41 Hickory Hill
Michael DelVecchio

Cottage Grove LLC
37 Cottage St.
Stephen Lanphear, Margaret Lanphear

Fig and Vine Studio
65 Old Amherst Road
Vincent Bonilla, Elisha Bonilla

A Greater Community Cooperative
240 Stebbins St.
Juliana Salva

Hands, Heart and Soul
163 Old Enfield Road
Donna Buxton

Integrity Towing
293 North Liberty St., Suite 3
Shawn Souza

Major D’s Property Services
275 Barton Ave.
Stephen Delude

Masterpiece Finishes
152 South Washington St.
Gary Clark

Mike Beaudry Home Inspections
140 Chauncey Walker St.
Michael Beaudry

My Massage
60 Old Bay Road
Michael Suchenicz

Naturally Yours
240 Stebbins St.
Juliana Salva

Pollywoguen Creations
53 Springfield Road
Robert Carr

RS Publishing Group
534 North Washington St.
Richard Zych

Snow’s Plumbing & Heating
376 Bardwell St.
William Snow

Swift River Valley Auto Wash
5 George Hannum Road
Richard Lemelin

Tony’s Heating & Cooling Service
74 Howard St.
Anthony Mateus

Ufriends
30 Tucker Lane
Brendan Fitzpatrick

Wayne Versace
20 Hemlock Hollow
Wayne Versace

PITTSFIELD

Attack a Crack
82 Wendell Ave.
Connecticut Sealers LLC

Berkshire Alarm Systems
122 Karen Dr.
Richard Stevens

Berkshire Hair Removal
27 Mountain Dr.
Kelly Bonnie

Blonding by Chelsea
54 Wendell Ave.
Chelsea Hill

Blue Q
703 West Housatonic St.
Seth Nash

Cultural Market
101 Dalton Ave.
Philippe Boua

Eldridge Associates
100 Commonwealth Ave.
Scott Eldridge

Four Seasons Property Services
69 Wellington Ave.
Miguel Mejia

Great Wall Foot Spa
119 Elm St.
Tian Fang

Greylock Technology Solutions
46 Cecelia Ter.
Luke Brown

HomeGoods
694 Merrill Road
HomeGoods LLC

Impact Hacker
33 Highlawn Dr.
Patrick Danahey

Kindlewood Outdoors LLC
11 Belvidere Ave.
Brian Barde

Kuri Whitehill
54 Wendell Ave.
Kuri Whitehill

MacDonald Electric Co.
21 Orlando Ave.
Shawn McDonald, Scott McDonald

Mass State Energy
82 Wendell Ave.
Creations Industries Inc.

Moira J. Chiusano
60 Osward Ave.
Moira Chiusano

O’Donnell Co. of Connecticut
82 Wendell Ave.
Chris Starace

P&W Carpet and Upholstery LLC
9 Vivian Ave.
Steven Fish

Painted-by-SB
54 Wendell Ave.
Shelby McLear

Peter’s Heating and Cooling
181 Lenox Ave.
Peter Torres

Precision Brows
644 North St.
Precision Brows LLC

R.W. Gavin III Contracting
20 Commercial St.
Roger Gavin III

Samel’s Deli and Catering
115 Elm St.
MRM Hospitality LLC

Samuel Utz LMHC
106 Wendell Ave.
Sam Utz

Selvanelle
82 Wendell Ave.
Silvianora Fashions & Apparel LLC

Surface Stripping Inc.
4 Industrial Dr.
Benjamin Melle

Wearwuf!
66 Clarkson Ave.
Sewing with Soul Inc.

Yury’s Kitchen LLC
496 Tyler St.
Yury’s Kitchen LLC

SOUTHWICK

Andrew LeBlanc
24 Shore Road
Andrew LeBlanc

Angelo’s Barbershop
513 College Highway
Kyle Stearns

Christ Lutheran Church
568 College Highway
Christ Lutheran Church

Christ Lutheran Church – Daily Grind
568 College Highway
Christ Lutheran Church

Christ Lutheran Church – Open Arms Childcare Center
568 College Highway
Christ Lutheran Church

Interstate Coach Builders
633 College Highway
Richard Battistoni

Quicklube & Wash Inc.
657 College Highway
Kenneth Schnarmann

TRNails
320 College Highway
Tiffany Rindels

Bankruptcies

By
Bankruptcies

The following bankruptcy petitions were recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Readers should confirm all information with the court.

Afonso, Avelino G.
11 Watson Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Chapter: 7
Date: 12/31/2024

Belisle, Donald
122 Kibbe Road
Otis, MA 01253
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/15/2025

Brown, Jeffrey Mark
8 Ridgeview Dr.
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/13/2025

Clawson, Anjilah P.
41 Piquette Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/09/2025

Flores, Ruth E.
24 Wait St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/06/2025

Green, Dossie L.
50 Church St., Unit 1L
West Springfield, MA 01089
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/08/2025

Henshaw, David B.
79 Long Plain Road
South Deerfield, MA 01373
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/13/2025

Jones Home Improvement
Jones, Robert M.
Jones, Kathi J.
20 Red Bridge Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/07/2025

Kwolek, Jeffrey J.
57 Leadmine Road
P.O. Box 36
Southampton, MA 01073
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/10/2025

McClain, Shawn
41 Gould Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/08/2025

Michalski, Mary
9 Florence Road
Florence, MA 01062
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/07/2025

Picardi, Carmine
25 Helen Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/07/2025

Potvin, Jessica A.
266 Jarvis Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/07/2025

Rosansky, Mark
561 Granby Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/08/2025

TruVariety Films, LLC
Fantastick Patrick
Connor, Patrick W.
Becerra, Veronica M.
32 Kensington Ave.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/09/2025

Turner, Shawn Michael
87 Moulton St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/02/2025

Vega Perez, Chris
154 Oak St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/15/2025

White, John R.
White, Dale G.
35 Barbara Lane
Feeding Hills, MA 01030
Chapter: 7
Date: 01/08/2025

Williams, Allyson Violet
52 Governor Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/08/2025

Winters, Ryan W.
49 McArhur St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/07/2025

Zielinski, Allan Michael
71 State St., Apt. 325
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter: 13
Date: 01/13/2025

Zelinski, Richard A.
207 Monson Turnpike Road
Ware, MA 01082
Chapter: 13

Real Estate Transactions

By
Real Estate

The following real estate transactions (latest available) were compiled by Banker & Tradesman and are published as they were received. Only transactions exceeding $115,000 are listed. Buyer and seller fields contain only the first name listed on the deed.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

527 Main St.
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: 527 Main LLC
Seller: Michael Epstein
Date: 01/17/25

30 Smith Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Frederick C. Feiker
Seller: Karen A. Sullivan
Date: 01/07/25

CHARLEMONT

144 Avery Brook Road
Charlemont, MA 01370
Amount: $36,500,000
Buyer: Andrew B. Nitschke
Seller: Thomas Knight
Date: 01/06/25

DEERFIELD

Cross St.
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Jesse D. Hunsicker
Seller: Peter M. & J. Kuzdeba Jret
Date: 01/09/25

55 Eastern Ave.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Jeremy Ober
Seller: David Hayes
Date: 01/16/25

GILL

143 Barney Hale Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Shari L. Sollars
Seller: Nicole A. Gaspar
Date: 01/09/25

GREENFIELD

42 Colrain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: First Generation Investors Group
Seller: Eds Enterprises LLC
Date: 01/15/25

1 Coombs Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Davis Property Mgmt. Inc.
Seller: Eds Enterprises LLC
Date: 01/14/25

50 Glenbrook Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Just Roots Inc.
Seller: Timothy J. Ballard
Date: 01/15/25

108 James St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Rohan J. Providnce
Seller: Parody Builders LLC
Date: 01/07/25

140 Leyden Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $348,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Ballard
Seller: Jane M. Rozak
Date: 01/15/25

8 Marshall St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $302,000
Buyer: John I. Sheldon
Seller: Teresa A. Podlesney
Date: 01/10/25

35 Mill St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Benegan 2 LLC
Seller: Jen & Bob FT
Date: 01/08/25

17 Silver Place
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $313,000
Buyer: Silver Place LLC
Seller: In-Town Self Storage LLC
Date: 01/10/25

HEATH

148 Taylor Brook Road
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Suzanne Davis
Seller: Stephen Parker
Date: 01/15/25

LEVERETT

132 Shutesbury Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Burns
Seller: Zachary Woodis
Date: 01/15/25

MONTAGUE

77 5th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Jacob Goldman
Seller: Elizabeth Ramlow
Date: 01/10/25

97 Greenfield Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $306,500
Buyer: Allison Lamb
Seller: Karen M. Shippee
Date: 01/15/25

55 Main St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $276,280
Buyer: Pacled Properties Inc.
Seller: William L. Phillips TR
Date: 01/08/25

369 Old Greenfield Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Evelyn L. Nemec
Seller: Francis M. Doughty
Date: 01/15/25

NORTHFIELD

68 Cross Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Tyler Zilinski
Seller: John S. & Alice R. Dembek TR
Date: 01/07/25

153 Main St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $344,000
Buyer: Erica Kotarski
Seller: Robin B. Paquette
Date: 01/10/25

619 Millers Falls Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Carlton M. Brown
Seller: Powers Int.
Date: 01/14/25

6 Pine St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Peter A. Doran
Seller: Melissa K. Heckman
Date: 01/14/25

ORANGE

34 Carpenter St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Samuel Nelson
Seller: Megliola Realty LLC
Date: 01/15/25

53 Cottage St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Zanga Development LLC
Seller: Lorna L. Robichaud
Date: 01/07/25

65 East Myrtle St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Tegra Properties LLC
Seller: Nathaniel C. Dillenback
Date: 01/16/25

399 East River St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: John Jewell
Seller: Luanne L. Goguen
Date: 01/15/25

108 Mattawa Circle
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Leah C. Wilson
Seller: Hammonds Pamela A., (Estate)
Date: 01/13/25

WARWICK

45 Pine St.
Warwick, MA 01378
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Emily Graton
Seller: Kanin Graton
Date: 01/08/25

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

61 Carmel Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Clark L. Dore
Seller: Ronald J. Pudlo
Date: 01/16/25

148 Clover Hill Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Amy F. Geracitano
Seller: John W. Dunlop
Date: 01/09/25

518 Franklin St., Ext.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Steven M. Forni
Seller: Sandra J. Forni
Date: 01/13/25

17 Giffin Place
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Jeffrey D. Paquin
Seller: Debra B. Brignoli
Date: 01/17/25

5 Granger Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Winfield S. Safford
Seller: Elena M. Wells
Date: 01/17/25

65 Harvey Johnson Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Raymond Parent
Seller: Jillian M. Thibault
Date: 01/15/25

475 Meadow St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Maggie Wang
Seller: Ronald F. Bulat
Date: 01/07/25

452 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Hayden M. Mendrala
Seller: John E. Lens
Date: 01/10/25

795 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: David R. Champiney
Seller: Kenneth M. Pietras
Date: 01/10/25

65 Pheasant Run Circle
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Joel M. Coelho
Seller: Thomas M. Roberts
Date: 01/16/25

32 Reed St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: James Griffin
Seller: Jaclyn A. Wright
Date: 01/06/25

853 South West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $368,000
Buyer: M. A. Laflamme-Champigny
Seller: Felicia A. Skowyra
Date: 01/10/25

66 South Westfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Stephen J. Grabowski
Seller: Christine M. Losito
Date: 01/14/25

59 Strawberry Hill Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $353,000
Buyer: Christopher Howe
Seller: Steven R. Reed
Date: 01/08/25

92 Sylvan Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Joshua Mitchell
Seller: William Lynch
Date: 01/10/25

BRIMFIELD

1084 Dunhamtown Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Roger D. Richard
Seller: Margaret A. Coan
Date: 01/15/25

14 Paige Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Unit Kirat Rai Organization
Seller: Kim Ames
Date: 01/15/25

CHESTER

56 Middlefield Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Jesus Jimenez-Rodriguez
Seller: James R. Wellspeak
Date: 01/17/25

 

CHICOPEE

137 Bay State Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Josette Silaire
Seller: DMS Properties LLC
Date: 01/10/25

135 Blanan Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Ruth E. Payano-Cabrera
Seller: Cross, Norman E., (Estate)
Date: 01/15/25

Chicopee St., Lot 6
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: AK Remodeling Inc.
Seller: Chicopee Property Mgmt. LLC
Date: 01/10/25

107 Clairmont Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Cynthia Montanez
Seller: Judith G. Wolcott
Date: 01/16/25

606 East Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $266,000
Buyer: Nelson Sharpe
Seller: Amber L. Wassmuth
Date: 01/09/25

Empire St., Lot 4
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Timofey Pchelka
Seller: Chicopee Property Mgmt. LLC
Date: 01/15/25

Empire St., Lot 5
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Timofey Pchelka
Seller: Chicopee Property Mgmt. LLC
Date: 01/15/25

75 Felix St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Rafael Perez
Seller: Gerald L. Gamache
Date: 01/07/25

69 Francis St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Julie Dasilva
Seller: Kimberly Lareau
Date: 01/08/25

7 Gaspee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Enrique Galarza
Seller: Deborah L. Pouliot
Date: 01/14/25

1 Highland Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $409,000
Buyer: Murtadha Jaber
Seller: 3 Highland LLC
Date: 01/06/25

27 Janine St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: John D. Griffin
Date: 01/07/25

39 Labelle Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Rhonda Butler
Seller: Andrew Santo
Date: 01/17/25

74 Percy St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $499,900
Buyer: Hingris Alcantara
Seller: Daniel F. Muldoon
Date: 01/09/25

91 Providence St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $667,500
Buyer: 91 Providence Street LLC
Seller: Robert A. Arcott
Date: 01/14/25

EAST LONGMEADOW

9 Edwill Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Jonida Balazi
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 01/17/25

101 Melwood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Lumturi RT
Seller: Michael W. Keating
Date: 01/16/25

600 North Main St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: HC Twinkle LLC
Seller: WN Management LLC
Date: 01/10/25

136 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $356,047
Buyer: Monique Downey
Seller: Baltsois, James, (Estate)
Date: 01/06/25

89 Pine Grove Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $820,000
Buyer: Ryan Hess
Seller: Timothy F. Sirard
Date: 01/15/25

421 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $599,900
Buyer: Jeffrey Panting-Crespo
Seller: Marth-E LLC
Date: 01/13/25

9 Revere St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $304,000
Buyer: James Kwaskin
Seller: Jamie Downing
Date: 01/09/25

855 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $451,000
Buyer: Jake Belanger
Seller: Jeffrey D. Paquin
Date: 01/17/25

118 Thompkins Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Jonathan Twyman
Seller: Matthew L. Weiss
Date: 01/14/25

HAMPDEN

199 Chapin Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Vijay Renga
Seller: King Jr., Leon K., (Estate)
Date: 01/10/25

69 Valleyview Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Bridget K. Delaney
Seller: Frances Ferrera
Date: 01/08/25

HOLLAND

33 Lakeshore Dr.
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $255,500
Buyer: Joseph Angelico
Seller: David L. Whitman
Date: 01/13/25

HOLYOKE

40 Chapin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Charlette M. Fontaine
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 01/10/25

75 Cherry Hill
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Alicia A. Higgins
Seller: Long, Michael E., (Estate)
Date: 01/09/25

53-57 Chestnut St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $2,200,000
Buyer: Witman Residential LLC
Seller: Sadkowski Real Estate LLC
Date: 01/10/25

1 Fairfield Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Marli O. Nonaka
Seller: Appleton Grove LLC
Date: 01/08/25

86 Kane Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Danielle Cousineau
Seller: Liquori, Norman James, (Estate)
Date: 01/07/25

104 Lincoln St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: A-O-K RT
Seller: Land Trust No 104
Date: 01/17/25

194-196 Lyman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $2,200,000
Buyer: Witman Residential LLC
Seller: Sadkowski Real Estate LLC
Date: 01/10/25

24 Old Jarvis Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Thomas J. Kennedy
Date: 01/07/25

10 Upland Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Brandon A. Grise
Seller: Stephen E. Westcott
Date: 01/09/25

14-16 West Glen St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Michael D. Jimenez
Seller: Nikysha D. Harding
Date: 01/10/25

LONGMEADOW

18 Barbara Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Samantha H. Carleton
Seller: Maria O. Perales
Date: 01/07/25

64 Hillcrest Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $434,900
Buyer: Hillcrest Property Group LLC
Seller: Bernard N. Stone
Date: 01/10/25

74 Riverview Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Dustin H. Patten
Seller: Buzzards Bay LLC
Date: 01/10/25

199 Tanglewood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $668,000
Buyer: William Rivell
Seller: Karen M. Angelides
Date: 01/10/25

144 Viscount Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $805,000
Buyer: Caroline St.Clair
Seller: Beachwood Builders LLC
Date: 01/14/25

36 Warren Ter.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Simone Enright
Seller: Enrique Salz
Date: 01/17/25

147 Wild Grove Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $337,000
Buyer: Natalie S. Komaiszko
Seller: Peter P. Savich RET
Date: 01/09/25

447 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Ingolfur Bergsteinsson
Seller: Kenneth Tamsin
Date: 01/08/25

LUDLOW

Balsam Hill Road, Lot 66
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $177,900
Buyer: Aura G. Kennedy
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 01/10/25

762 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Louis Bonavita
Seller: Daniel E. Rae
Date: 01/15/25

840 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $229,500
Buyer: William Elsden
Seller: Justin Enriquez
Date: 01/06/25

Equinox Pass, Lot 90
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $177,900
Buyer: Ana Mejia
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 01/17/25

16 Georgetown Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Allison E. Brissette
Seller: Alec Ostrowski
Date: 01/08/25

45 Glenwood St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Jason Balut
Seller: Joseph D. Lapointe
Date: 01/14/25

68 Howard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: Nuray Karaca
Seller: Darrell P. Albee
Date: 01/08/25

82 McLean Pkwy.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $412,000
Buyer: Daniel M. Loftus
Seller: John A. Bettencourt
Date: 01/09/25

15 Nash Hill Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Ryan C. Belden
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 01/06/25

87 Prokop Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Amjad Real Estate LLC
Seller: Laurie A. Escalante
Date: 01/08/25

33 Turning Leaf Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $900,000
Buyer: Dong P. Shin
Seller: Daniil Gerasimchuk
Date: 01/14/25

23 Walnut St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: William Raleigh
Seller: Ilda A. Santos
Date: 01/16/25

24 Windwood Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $467,250
Buyer: Simone Scarlett
Seller: Judith A. Nicoll LT
Date: 01/08/25

95-97 Winsor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $3,300,000
Buyer: Cosmic Developers LLC
Seller: HP Rum LLC
Date: 01/13/25

16 Woodland Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $759,000
Buyer: Chloe Reid
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 01/17/25

MONSON

2 Maplelawn Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Charles Carroll
Seller: Peter D. Rock
Date: 01/17/25

240 State Ave.
Monson, MA 01069
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Justin Pluff
Seller: Richard W. Brooks
Date: 01/07/25

MONTGOMERY

60 New State Road
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Brian Dagostino
Seller: 60 New State Road Land TR
Date: 01/14/25

PALMER

1029 Baptist Hill Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $364,900
Buyer: Lise K. Benware-Hesse
Seller: Diane W. Miller
Date: 01/10/25

2022 Calkins Road
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $308,000
Buyer: Wendy Ballard
Seller: John Morrison
Date: 01/06/25

2-B Forest Hills Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $248,000
Buyer: Ileana Garcia
Seller: JM Properties LLC
Date: 01/10/25

4054 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Andrew Liverseidge
Seller: Make Investments Great Again LLC
Date: 01/07/25

3205 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $501,678
Buyer: Bailee C. Fontaine
Seller: B. & B. Realty Partners LLC
Date: 01/17/25

4161 Pleasant St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Resolute RT
Seller: Henry G. Marx
Date: 01/08/25

SPRINGFIELD

70 Amore Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Yovanny J. Colon
Seller: Joshua Cruz-Birriel
Date: 01/07/25

17 Arvilla St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Garry Porter
Seller: Andrew S. Teasley
Date: 01/06/25

137 Benz St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Andrew Teasley
Seller: Kimberly J. Weir
Date: 01/07/25

300 Birnie Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $27,300,000
Buyer: Springfield 300 MP RK6 LLC
Seller: Neos Realty LLC
Date: 01/09/25

37 Bretton Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $298,000
Buyer: Curtis Johnson
Seller: Cramer, Maria L., (Estate)
Date: 01/06/25

15 Burns Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Sandra Seymour
Seller: Ileana Garcia
Date: 01/09/25

81 Carnavon Circle
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: John M. Breton
Seller: Kimberly L. Williams
Date: 01/10/25

152 Carroll St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Alexander Mendez
Seller: Bonnie A. Whitehouse
Date: 01/07/25

62-64 Catharine St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Stephen McGibbon
Seller: Jermel Jacobs
Date: 01/13/25

53 Champlain Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Donavan E. Dulude
Seller: Naples Home Buyers TR
Date: 01/14/25

61 Clearbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Vitaliy K. Oliyevskiy
Seller: Alexander H. Racicot
Date: 01/17/25

35 Cliftwood St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $321,000
Buyer: Ofelia Perez
Seller: John Tran LLC
Date: 01/06/25

230-232 College St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Yuderka Santana
Seller: Olmsted RT
Date: 01/13/25

569 Cooley St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Norma Maldonado
Seller: Lyle Douglass
Date: 01/09/25

17-19 Crown St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Jean M. Obedi
Seller: Detric Watkins
Date: 01/14/25

117 Croyden Ter.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Joseph A. Mickens
Date: 01/08/25

36-38 Dearborn St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $353,000
Buyer: Michael J. Morency
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 01/10/25

26 Dwight Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Anthony M. Santaniello
Seller: Maria T. Matos
Date: 01/10/25

126 East St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Jonathan M. Martinez
Seller: Campagnari Construction LLC
Date: 01/08/25

25 East Canton Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Vanessa P. De Payamps
Seller: Carmen Jones-Greenberg
Date: 01/15/25

23 East Hooker St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Shantal V. Reynoso
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 01/10/25

89 East St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: Lindsey Roberts
Seller: Malia Homebuyers LLC
Date: 01/16/25

44-46 Edgewood St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Genevieve Construction Development Group
Seller: Barbara J. Collins
Date: 01/07/25

153 Ellsworth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Abigail Morales
Seller: Amanda L. Upchurch
Date: 01/16/25

42 Fenwick St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Gloria Y. Sanchez
Seller: Nres LLC
Date: 01/10/25

176 Florida St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Elaida De La Rosa
Seller: Edwin Rivera
Date: 01/17/25

45 Gail St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $396,000
Buyer: Alan Robinshaw
Seller: Owen P. Kelleher
Date: 01/08/25

28 Glen Albyn St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: William Rivera
Seller: Linda M. Landry
Date: 01/09/25

17 Glenoak Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Siahra Feliciano
Seller: Jordan A. McEwan
Date: 01/10/25

40 Goldenrod St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Carrasquillo Fix Up LLC
Seller: Naples Home Buyers TR
Date: 01/15/25

92-94 Hamburg St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Toyin Adeniyi
Seller: Paul H. Francisco
Date: 01/15/25

32-34 Hampden St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $549,000
Buyer: Parent Villages Inc.
Seller: New England Farm Workers Council
Date: 01/07/25

39 Hartwick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Dieu Lam
Seller: Autumn Briggs
Date: 01/16/25

70 Hartwick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Anthony Diaz
Seller: Ryan A. Hess
Date: 01/15/25

75-77 Healey St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Maritza Chatman
Seller: John D. Caldwell
Date: 01/09/25

49 Hillmont St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Yaribel N. Navarro
Seller: Illumination Home LLC
Date: 01/16/25

182 Jasper St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Aldo Properties LLC
Seller: Vitaliy V. Gladysh
Date: 01/08/25

251 Jasper St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $263,000
Buyer: Stephanie Joanides
Seller: Allied Property Mgmt. LLC
Date: 01/14/25

73-75 Kenyon St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $211,600
Buyer: Seattle Bank
Seller: Geneva Ross
Date: 01/06/25

154 Kimberly Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Mpr Properties LLC
Seller: Bobby J. Coleman
Date: 01/09/25

171 King St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Luis D. Lopez Santos
Seller: Round Two LLC
Date: 01/15/25

64-66 Knollwood St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Sara Andrade
Seller: James Moro
Date: 01/17/25

144 Lang St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Grace L. Acosta
Seller: Susan Lam
Date: 01/10/25

38-40 Longhill St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $557,000
Buyer: Dayairis Mejia
Seller: Tavernier Investments LLC
Date: 01/17/25

77 Lorimer St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $442,500
Buyer: Emmanuel J. Tejada
Seller: Christian Wiernasz
Date: 01/17/25

55-59 Margaret St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $443,877
Buyer: Gabriel Lopez
Seller: 55 Margaret Street LLC
Date: 01/08/25

32 Marsden St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Geecaa Investments LLC
Seller: Robert A. Desautels
Date: 01/13/25

20-22 Marshall St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Sarvelio R. Mejia
Seller: Leonel Perez
Date: 01/09/25

68-70 Massachusetts Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $397,000
Buyer: Ronny Leonardo
Seller: Kelnate Realty LLC
Date: 01/17/25

128 Mill St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: 128 Mill LLC
Seller: 128 Mill St. RT
Date: 01/13/25

117 Monrovia St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: MPR Properties LLC
Seller: Davis, Joanne M., (Estate)
Date: 01/08/25

519 Newbury St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Juan C. Acevedo
Seller: Moretti, David Scott, (Estate)
Date: 01/16/25

7-9 Noel St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Carleen M. Huynh
Seller: Danalax LLC
Date: 01/09/25

105 Overlook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Stanley Home Investments LLC
Seller: Michael H. Joseph
Date: 01/13/25

1333 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Geecaa Investments LLC
Seller: Hector Concepcion
Date: 01/06/25

1362 Page Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Better Builders Construction LLC
Seller: Michael A. Nixon
Date: 01/09/25

1730 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Peter Kochanowski
Seller: Allison M. Hanna
Date: 01/15/25

392 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $385,500
Buyer: Charlene Coelho
Seller: Clark, Sandra B., (Estate)
Date: 01/15/25

86 Paulk Ter.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Melissa A. DeMendez
Seller: Blue Oak Development LLC
Date: 01/09/25

197 Pheland St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Nitza D. Ortiz-Borges
Seller: Richton & Wynne LLC
Date: 01/14/25

760 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Victoria L. Langlois
Seller: Katherine J. Costello
Date: 01/17/25

40 Preston St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $319,900
Buyer: Abhee Singh
Seller: Hedge Hog Industries Corp.
Date: 01/10/25

35 Ranney St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Harold Albee
Seller: Federal National Mortgage Assn.
Date: 01/08/25

88 Redlands St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Emmanuel L. Russell
Seller: Jeffrey Leblanc
Date: 01/15/25

117 Regal St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: James J. Dowd
Seller: Michael J. Jaczyk
Date: 01/10/25

29 Senator St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Mohammad Mourad
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 01/09/25

51-53 Sterling St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Gandy Vasquez-Mora
Seller: Emmanuel D. Tejada
Date: 01/17/25

50 Stevens St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $1,750,000
Buyer: Cosmic Developers LLC
Seller: Sms Real Estate Investments LLC
Date: 01/13/25

60 Sylvan St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Jose E. Paulino
Seller: Michelle Vernon
Date: 01/16/25

19 Taft St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Minh T. Nguyen
Seller: Secretary Of Veterans Affairs
Date: 01/17/25

17-19 Washington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Eufemio G. Ortega
Seller: Posiadlosc LLC
Date: 01/07/25

151 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Gustavo Lopez
Seller: Elizabeth R. Blood
Date: 01/17/25

282 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Linc Suppliers Corp.
Seller: Word Of Life Ministries
Date: 01/13/25

342 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: House Hack Helpers LLC
Seller: Miguel A. Suarez
Date: 01/15/25

56 Winding Lane
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Carlos H. Vazquez
Seller: Norma I. Maldonado
Date: 01/09/25

SOUTHWICK

383 College Hwy.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Christopher Johnson
Seller: Edward Graczewski
Date: 01/17/25

434 College Hwy.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $153,300
Buyer: Alkame Projects LLC
Seller: Noga, Benjamin, (Estate)
Date: 01/16/25

1 May St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Justin L. Enriquez
Seller: William Cavanaugh
Date: 01/08/25

1232 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Nextgen Real Estate LLC
Seller: Brian Duggan
Date: 01/07/25

1244 Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Nextgen Real Estate LLC
Seller: Brian P. Duggan
Date: 01/07/25

4 Woodside Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $392,500
Buyer: Kenneth J. Roberts
Seller: Shelbey A. Thayer
Date: 01/14/25

TOLLAND

101 Owls Nest Lane
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Dianne Pothier
Seller: Juhasz, Joseph J., (Estate)
Date: 01/16/25

WESTFIELD

3 Allen Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $372,500
Buyer: Phong H. Nguyen
Seller: Miles Stern
Date: 01/16/25

15 Bates St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Extremely Clean 2 LLC
Seller: Wicked Deals LLC
Date: 01/15/25

9 Brenda Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Liam Holohan
Seller: Samantha W. Bouthillette
Date: 01/10/25

33 Briarcliff Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $419,900
Buyer: William Riley
Seller: Timothy B. Wengert
Date: 01/17/25

18 Day Lily Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Steven Garib
Seller: Bent Tree Development LLC
Date: 11/18/24

24 Elise St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Mps Monarch Real Estate LLC
Seller: Chk Realty Partnership
Date: 01/13/25

360 Falley Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Ievgenii Gusiev
Seller: Bach, Glenn S., (Estate)
Date: 01/17/25

12 Franklin Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Donna J. Hoynoski
Date: 01/16/25

12 Hayre St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $266,000
Buyer: Christine A. Oconnell
Seller: Baines, Gerald E., (Estate)
Date: 01/13/25

30 Lozier Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $357,000
Buyer: Artsem Ivanou
Seller: Robert J. Marco
Date: 01/15/25

72 Mill St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $555,000
Buyer: 89 South Maple Street LLC
Seller: Global Mill Street LLC
Date: 01/10/25

511 Ridge Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Wonderlyn D. Murphy
Seller: Congamond Management LLC
Date: 01/06/25

Southampton Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Andrew D. Kurtz
Seller: Inpart LLP
Date: 01/09/25

215 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Maryellen Newsom
Seller: Nancy S. Barton
Date: 01/06/25

117 Tannery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Nick Zaporozchenko
Seller: Xi L. Chen
Date: 01/15/25

WILBRAHAM

23 Briar Cliff Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $1,001,000
Buyer: Araya Property LLC
Seller: Joanne Hetherington
Date: 01/13/25

8 Colonial Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Peter Rochford
Seller: Michele Messina
Date: 01/17/25

16 Hemingway Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Muharrem Gunaydin
Seller: Nazneen Sultana
Date: 01/15/25

1335 Tinkham Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $612,000
Buyer: Joanne Hetherington
Seller: Mark Chapin
Date: 01/15/25

WEST SPRINGFIELD

40 Connecticut Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Mahmoud Hamad
Seller: Congamond Management LLC
Date: 01/16/25

42 Fabyan St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $254,900
Buyer: Tomly Yau
Seller: Timothy J. Gonzalez
Date: 01/17/25

18 Kings Hwy.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $343,000
Buyer: Asia M. Higginson
Seller: Edwin R. Colon
Date: 01/17/25

274 Lancaster Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Samantha Whelihan
Seller: O’Brien FT
Date: 01/15/25

1022 Main St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $440,755
Buyer: 1022 Main St. West Springfield
Seller: Ale Ventures LLC
Date: 01/07/25

585 Rogers Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Asma Usman
Seller: Marianna Cosentini
Date: 01/06/25

19 Talcott Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $233,800
Buyer: Shi H. Wu
Seller: Ronald J. Howley
Date: 01/17/25

105 Vincent Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Battista & Sons Property Mgmt.
Seller: Gail S. Fitch
Date: 01/06/25

36-38 West School St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Nathaniel James
Seller: Raphael Deh-Atheba
Date: 01/13/25

76 Wolcott Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Naples Home Buyers TR
Seller: Richard R. Lapierre
Date: 01/08/25

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

Concord Way, Lot 57
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Bercume Construction LLC
Seller: Joel M. Greenbaum
Date: 01/10/25

13 Edge Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Laura A. Wylie
Seller: Mary E. Egan
Date: 01/10/25

32 Kendrick Place
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $850,000
Buyer: North Harlow LLC
Seller: Kendirck Place Partners LLC
Date: 01/10/25

40 Kendrick Place
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: North Harlow LLC
Seller: Pelham Road Partners LLC
Date: 01/10/25

203 Northampton Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Wild Onion Rentals LLC
Seller: Good Ol Daves LLC
Date: 01/06/25

23 Kettle Pond Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $675,000
Buyer: Katherine L. Hayes
Seller: Kathleen M. Chalanda
Date: 01/10/25

38 Pine St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Willary Properties LLC
Seller: Beyer, Judith A., (Estate)
Date: 01/14/25

820 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $765,000
Buyer: Scott Kaplan
Seller: Mary E. McInnis
Date: 01/17/25

140 Sunset Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $605,000
Buyer: Aini LLC
Seller: Railroad St. Partners LLC
Date: 01/10/25

10 Tyler Place
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $902,500
Buyer: V&H Property 10 Tyler Place LLC
Seller: Rocky Hill Road Partners LLC
Date: 01/07/25

BELCHERTOWN

25 Helen Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: John Rafferty
Seller: Arina C. Picardi
Date: 01/14/25

11 Jensen St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Pacheco Property Holdings LLC
Seller: Lois A. Hatt
Date: 01/17/25

445 Michael Sears Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $225,225
Buyer: Mass. Home Buyers LLC
Seller: Soundview Home Loan TR 2007
Date: 01/15/25

40 Munsell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $541,081
Buyer: Theodore J. Lablanc
Seller: M&G Land Development LLC
Date: 01/13/25

314 North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $735,000
Buyer: Christopher Mullins
Seller: Gregory Fedora
Date: 12/19/24

257 Old Enfield Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $397,500
Buyer: Jeremy Beal
Seller: David Lesiege
Date: 01/17/25

28 Rockrimmon St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $975,000
Buyer: Carla L. Hoffman
Seller: Glen F. Bogdanovich TR
Date: 01/06/25

225 State St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Eric D. Lebeau
Seller: John Wildman
Date: 01/10/25

52 Warren Wright Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Sean T. McDonough
Seller: Bachand, Lorraine V., (Estate)
Date: 01/17/25

EASTHAMPTON

106 Clark St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $452,441
Buyer: Carlton & Clarissa FT
Seller: Thomas Kirchner
Date: 01/16/25

13-15 Dartmouth St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Alan K. Holota
Seller: Charles Miller
Date: 01/06/25

12 Gula Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Ian Hogan
Seller: Christopher T. Huxley
Date: 01/16/25

23 High St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Regina Grant
Seller: Essa FT
Date: 01/14/25

8 Keddy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Maura MacLean
Seller: Robert A. Porter
Date: 01/07/25

12 Oliver St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: David Deland
Seller: James E. Paul
Date: 01/10/25

66 Pomeroy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $710,000
Buyer: Christopher T. Huxley
Seller: David A. Hardy Contractor
Date: 01/16/25

GRANBY

329 Chicopee St.
Granby, MA 01013
Amount: $901,500
Buyer: John M. Mullen
Seller: Kotowicz Custom Homes LLC
Date: 01/16/25

HADLEY

1 Adare Place
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $891,000
Buyer: James R. & J. M. K-Jackson TR
Seller: Rosemund LLC
Date: 01/10/25

4 Joelle Ter.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $426,000
Buyer: Michael Banach
Seller: Bromwich, Sandra A., (Estate)
Date: 01/10/25

NORTHAMPTON

604 Bridge Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: MC Pickett LLC
Seller: Angela M. Fydenkevez
Date: 01/13/25

23 Cahillane Ter.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Cole Cateneo
Seller: Steven Luzi
Date: 01/14/25

36 Conz St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Timothy O’Reilly
Seller: Conz St. TR
Date: 01/14/25

125 North St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $627,500
Buyer: Emily N. Gresh
Seller: Katie Temes
Date: 01/06/25

20 Norwood Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $438,500
Buyer: Craig Nelson
Seller: MacDonald, Roberta M., (Estate)
Date: 01/15/25

SOUTH HADLEY

Alvord St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $750,000
Buyer: Barstows Longview Farm Inc.
Seller: Diane J. Lauzier
Date: 01/08/25

73 Alvord St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Barstows Longview Farm Inc.
Seller: Diane J. Lauzier
Date: 01/08/25

37 Haig Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $364,000
Buyer: Matthew Remillard
Seller: Daviau & Robert Properties LLC
Date: 01/10/25

7 Helm St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $331,000
Buyer: Atif Z. Mian
Seller: Kathryn Blanchard
Date: 01/15/25

36 Hollywood St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Sophie Theroux
Seller: Miranda J. Sexton
Date: 01/13/25

221 Lathrop St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Sean Lucey
Seller: Eric D. Simard
Date: 01/10/25

1 Maple St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Gerardina Caizan
Seller: Q Offers-A LLC
Date: 01/10/25

8 San Souci Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $1,150,000
Buyer: Wicero LLC
Seller: Tamara W. Granger RET
Date: 01/10/25

33 Upper River Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $599,000
Buyer: Jean D. Karera
Seller: Anthony J. Scibelli RET
Date: 01/16/25

6 Valley View Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $724,000
Buyer: Eric D. Nelson
Seller: Magali Medina
Date: 01/15/25

30 Wilson St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Pedro J. Santiago
Seller: Pawel K. Misniakiewicz
Date: 01/10/25

SOUTHAMPTON

34 Bluemer Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Prime Flips LLC
Seller: Elsa B. Kraemar
Date: 01/09/25

48 Pleasant St.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $789,000
Buyer: Keith D. Saltmarsh
Seller: Matthew P. Biskup
Date: 01/10/25

75 Russellville Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $679,000
Buyer: Alex G. Bouthillette
Seller: Ryan L. Geeleher
Date: 01/10/25

WARE

12 Aspen St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Jack T. Wilkins
Seller: Dh&n LLC
Date: 01/06/25

36 Dunham Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Sanuska Ppudel-Mullarkey
Seller: Jason Malek
Date: 01/16/25

80 Pleasant St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Trinity Episcopal Church
Seller: Ware Masonic Building Assn. Inc.
Date: 01/17/25

44 South St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $161,500
Buyer: Nasser H. Chehimi
Seller: Hud
Date: 01/16/25

22 Walnut St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Roland F. Toussaint
Seller: Charming Enterprises LLC
Date: 01/17/25

WILLIAMSBURG

16 Hemenway Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jillian Gadreault
Seller: Nancy I. Ferguson
Date: 01/17/25

20 Kingsley Ave.
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Lynn Whitney
Seller: James R. Ayres
Date: 01/08/25

WORTHINGTON

786 Old North Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Christine D. Jones
Seller: Granger, Kenneth M., (Estate)
Date: 01/06/25

8 Ring Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Sarah I. Blaser
Seller: Rachel H. Flichtbeil
Date: 01/17/25

79 River Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $645,000
Buyer: Carmen E. Kaechler
Seller: Bethany F. Corbett
Date: 01/17/25

Celebrating the Difference Makers

By
Opinion

Editorial

The name came naturally.

Indeed, as the leadership team at BusinessWest was finalizing plans to create a new recognition program back in 2009, all that remained was a name. And as they talked about the individuals, nonprofits, and institutions that could, and would, be honored in the years to come, Difference Makers was the logical fit.

It says it all, and it describes, efficiently and succinctly, the dozens of honorees recognized since we launched this endeavor 16 years ago. It’s the same with the eight honorees for 2025, all of whom are making a difference in their own way, as is made clear in the stories in the special center section of this issue. They are:

• Jennie Adamczyk, executive director of Providence Ministries for the Needy (PMN). She oversees programs that include a soup kitchen, a pantry, sober homes for men, and a warming shelter. But it’s not what she does that makes her a Difference Maker, but show she does it, with determination and imagination that mirrors that of PMN founder Sr. Margaret McCleary: if she sees a need, she works aggressively to meet it.

• Sheryl Blancato, CEO of Second Chance Animal Services. She’s a true believer that all animals deserve a second chance, and from humble beginnings 26 years ago, she and her team have created a wide-ranging nonprofit, including four veterinary hospitals, that helps more than 56,000 animals each year. Her goal has always been to help not just pets, but their families, in an effort to keep them together.

• Andrea Bordenca, CEO of DESCO Service. Yes, she’s the leader of a successful healthcare emergency field-service response organization, but she’s a Difference Maker because of her many initiatives to bring people together, create dialogue, build community, and help young people, women, and other constituencies become the best versions of themselves.

• Mychal Connolly, owner of Stand Out Truck. He’s a serial entrepreneur and the successful owner of a unique marketing business, but he’s a Difference Maker because of the way he’s become a mentor, role model, and true inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly young people, and for the way he’s helped many of them overcome challenges and get off the ground or to the next level.

• John Delaney, director of Ride to Remember. When a fellow Springfield police officer, Kevin Ambrose, died in the line of duty, Delaney helped create what has become one of the region’s premier bicycling events — not a competitive ride, but a communal one that has raised awareness of fallen heroes and money for a host of important charitable causes across the region.

• John Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. When he took this job, he expected to stay a few years and then return to the sporting-goods world from which he came. Instead, he’s stayed more than 20 years, leading the Hall through myriad challenges while also becoming greatly involved in the Western Mass. community, especially with programs involving young people and sports.

• The Michael J. Dias Foundation. From the crushing loss of her son to drug addiction, Grace Dias created a supportive community of fellow grieving parents — and then created something more: an organization that operates three (soon to be four) sober homes where individuals in recovery can develop resilience, responsibility, accountability, and a chance to move on to a successful life of independence.

• Dan Moriarty, president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank. A star athlete in high school and college, and a participant in marathons and Ironman competitions today, he makes frequent use of sports phrases and metaphors, especially those involving the importance of teamwork. He practices what he preaches and leads by example, and has built a strong team that is committed to getting involved and giving back.

Opinion

By Contributor
Opinion

Effective Communication Is Key

By Sam Borsari

Emerging human-resources (HR) professionals are faced with a rapidly changing business environment, which has greatly emphasized the value of effective communication. Hybrid and remote workforces have become a reality for many, which means there are greater communication barriers than there were several years ago. Additionally, the shifting workforce brings generational differences that must be addressed.

Emerging HR professionals need to ask themselves, ‘how am I communicating with intention to maintain expectations, engagement, and culture for those working in various capacities?’ To make matters more challenging, these professionals are also learning how to navigate a seemingly complex political environment, which has triggered swift employment-law changes. Clearly communicating these updates while working to reduce internal conflict is essential to mitigate risk and ensure understanding.

Coinciding with effective communication, emerging HR professionals should focus their attention on developing their emotional intelligence (EQ) — the ability to recognize, understand, and manage both their own emotions and their relationships with others. EQ is comprised of self-awareness, self-management, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

While this may seem apparent to some, emotional intelligence is essential for emerging HR professionals, as it helps foster trust among their employees and strengthens internal relationships. By having a high level of emotional intelligence, emerging professionals will be able to lead by example and encourage a culture of collaboration and open communication. It will also allow them to better manage difficult conversations with more confidence.

Emerging HR professionals are in a unique and exciting position. They bring fresh eyes and a new perspective to pre-established processes. However, implementing change within an organization as an emerging professional comes with challenges, especially when it comes to gaining the respect and influence of senior leaders. This hurdle can create a mental roadblock, limiting the individual’s ability to drive change and showcase their potential leadership capabilities.

This is why honing influence and relationship-building skills is essential for emerging HR professionals. While this doesn’t happen overnight, developing business acumen and learning to align HR initiatives with broader business goals is a way to start. These skills will allow emerging professionals to have a voice at the table and a chance at greater success within their HR role.

If emerging HR professionals aren’t initiating change themselves, they are at the forefront of managing it, whether due to evolving employment laws, shifting business landscapes, or changing workplace expectations and/or culture. This is now more apparent than ever. Emerging HR professionals must be able to guide their team through transitionary periods and help them navigate uncertainty. These moments present a valuable opportunity to demonstrate leadership ability and resiliency even in high-pressure situations.

This makes adaptability and change management incredibly important skills to develop. To build on this, emerging professionals should focus on staying up to date with compliance changes, embrace the idea of continuous learning, and develop strategic procedures to support their organization through periods of transition.

 

Sam Borsari is a member experience specialist with the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. This article first appeared on the EANE blog; eane.org

Journalist Hoda Kotb to Keynote Bay Path University’s Women’s Leadership Conference

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Daily News

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University announced that award-winning journalist, author, and television personality Hoda Kotb will be the keynote speaker at the 28th Women’s Leadership Conference (WLC), taking place in Springfield on Thursday, April 3.

“Our conference theme this year is ‘Amplify.’ It speaks to stepping into your power and elevating your voice with confidence and clarity,” said Karen Woods, conference chair. “Hoda Kotb personifies all of that — as a trusted journalist covering international conflicts, Hurricane Katrina, and the Olympics; as a warm, wise friend in her Today show role; and as a mother sharing the challenges and sacrifices of working parents. We can’t wait to meet her in person.”

Most well-known as the former co-anchor of NBC News’ Today and co-host of Today with Hoda & Jenna, Kotb joined Today as a co-host of the fourth hour in 2008, alongside Kathie Lee Gifford, and recently retired from the show after 17 years, during which time she received several Emmy Awards for her work.

A New York Times bestselling author, Kotb has written eight books and continues to host the popular podcast “Making Space with Hoda Kotb,” while raising her two daughters in the suburbs of New York City.

The WLC will also feature lunchtime speaker Amelia Rose Earhart, a pilot, author, and reporter who, inspired by her namesake, circumnavigated the globe in a single-engine aircraft. Earhart has 15 years of experience as a helicopter and breaking-news reporter in Denver and Los Angeles, has sent numerous teenage girls to flight school during her 10-year tenure as president of the Fly with Amelia Foundation, and hosts a tech podcast focused on the future of AI in business.

This year’s conference will also feature breakout sessions led by business experts and coaches, including Shira Abel, a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who taps into her experience working with companies such as Siemens, Samsung, AXA, and Allianz to speak about navigating the complexities of modern business and the impact biases and expectations have on success.

In addition, the WLC will welcome Jackie Glenn, former chief diversity officer at Fortune 500 EMC Corp. and founder and CEO of Glenn Solutions, where she partners with executives to reimagine organizational practices and implement strategies such as cultural assessments, executive coaching, and advisory services to foster thriving, innovative workplaces. An instructor at Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education, Glenn continues her mission to equip leaders with the tools to succeed through her work in the school’s Women Leaders: Advancing Together program.

For further information on the conference, sponsorship opportunities, and ticket sales, visit baypath.edu/wlc.

Amherst BID Welcomes Robert Allingham as Marketing & Communications Manager

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Daily News

AMHERST — The Amherst Business Improvement District (BID) recently introduced Robert Allingham as the new Marketing & Communications manager. With a strong background in community engagement and business development, he brings a passion for fostering connections and creating marketing strategies aimed at elevating Amherst’s downtown.

Allingham has spent the past few years working closely with Amherst-area businesses, supporting their growth through strategic marketing, social media, and outreach efforts. His expertise spans hospitality, education, and nonprofit sectors, all with a focus on strengthening local businesses. With an MBA from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., he has learned to blend creative marketing with strong business strategy to drive meaningful impact.

“What I enjoy most about my work is the relationships I build,” he said. “Seeing the success of a small business I’ve worked with, watching a campaign bring people together, or helping an event create lasting memories — these moments fuel my passion for what I do.”

At the BID, Allingham will focus on enhancing outreach, strengthening partnerships, and promoting Amherst as a premier destination to live, work, visit, and explore. From special events to digital storytelling, he is eager to collaborate with local businesses, cultural partners, and community members to create impactful initiatives.

Wanda Mooney Earns Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist Designation

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Daily News

Wanda Mooney

SHELBURNE FALLS — Wanda Mooney, a real-estate professional with Coldwell Banker Community REALTORS with 30 years of real-estate experience, has completed the Luxury Home Marketing training offered by the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. This independent authority provides training and designation for real-estate agents specializing in the upper-end residential market.

By completing this training, Mooney has also earned membership in the Institute, granting her access to exclusive resources and benefits that enhance her ability to market upscale residential listings. This membership allows her to connect with qualified buyers seeking properties.

In addition to this achievement, Mooney is a Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Home Specialist, adding another level of premier marketing to showcase her clients’ properties at the highest level.

Berkshire Bank Helps Square One Develop Next Generation of Leaders

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Leaders from Berkshire Bank, including its regional president and the head of its foundation, joined Square One staff and preschool children to announce the renewal of the foundation’s Adopt-a-Classroom sponsorship.

This $5,000 gift supports Square One’s commitment to early education and care by helping to offset the costs of classroom supplies, technology, and professional development, enhancing every child’s early-learning experience.

“We are so pleased to support the important work of Square One because we know that investing in the education and development of our children today will help create a better tomorrow in the Pioneer Valley and beyond,” said Jim Hickson, Berkshire Bank’s Pioneer Valley regional president.

Lori Kiely, managing director of the Berkshire Bank Foundation, noted that “the foundation prioritizes programs that foster upward economic mobility for those who are underserved in our communities, and the programs of Square One go a long way toward achieving this goal and enhancing economic equity in greater Springfield.”

Square One Vice President of Development & Communication Kristine Allard added that “developing the next generation of leaders takes many hands. We are so grateful to Berkshire Bank and all of the wonderful supporters who share in our mission and vision, by providing our children with all the tools and resources they need to be successful.”

Holyoke Mall Releases Community Impact Report, Celebrates Record Year for Visits

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Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Mall released its 2024 Community Impact Report, highlighting the results of the center’s collaboration with Western Mass. nonprofit community organizations over the past year.

In 2024, the Holyoke Mall hosted almost 200 nonprofit events and partnered with more than 30 local organizations that utilized the center for meeting space, fundraising, and awareness campaigns. In addition to the record number of events, the mall also welcomed an increase in visits for 2024, at 7.9 million. Guests traveled from all over New England, the Northeast, and even from Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, and Arizona.

“We are honored to partner with nonprofit organizations throughout the Pioneer Valley to help them make a difference,” said Kristen Hinckley, Marketing director at Holyoke Mall. “Thank you to our partners in the community for continuing to allow us to help support their mission. We’re proud to have such a thriving hub in Western Massachusetts.”

The mall welcomes not-for-profit organizations looking to benefit from the center, whether for a tabling opportunity, for fundraising and awareness campaigns, or to host a large event in the common area. Event space and tabling are free for nonprofit use. Groups are asked to fill out and submit the required paperwork at www.holyokemall.com/community.

Chamber of Greater Easthampton to Hold Coffee & Connections on Feb. 28

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Daily News

EASTHAMPTON — The Chamber of Greater Easthampton will hold its first Coffee & Connections of the new year on Friday, Feb. 28 from 8 to 9 a.m. at its WorkHub on Union co-working space at 33 Union St., Easthampton.

“Coffee & Connections is a way to jump-start your morning and build relationships, strengthen professional networks, and grow stronger connections,” said Moe Belliveau, the chamber’s executive director. “We know not everyone can make an afternoon or evening networking event, so this is an opportunity to kick off your day with purpose and connection.”

Registration is complimentary and open to all business, organizational, and community leaders; however, registration is required due to limited registrations available. For more information or to register, visit the chamber’s events calendar at www.easthamptonchamber.org or email [email protected].

Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity to Host Open House on Feb. 19

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Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH) will host an interactive open house beginning at 5:30 p.m. at East Forest Park Library, 136 Surrey Road, Springfield, for anyone curious about the organization’s mission and eager to get involved. The event will include a Q&A session, and free refreshments will be served. Click here to reserve a spot.

“Discover how you can make a difference,” said Olga Callirgos, GSHFH Homeowner and Programs coordinator. “Whether you want to swing a hammer, donate, or simply spread the word, there’s a place for everyone in our Habitat family.”

GSHFH is a housing ministry dedicated to strengthening communities by empowering low-income families to change their lives and the lives of future generations through homeownership and home-repair opportunities. This is accomplished by working in partnership with diverse people, from all walks of life, to build and repair simple, decent, affordable housing. GSHFH has helped roughly 100 local families realize their dream of homeownership over the last 38 years.

Springfield Partners for Community Action Welcomes Ramona Matos

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Partners for Community Action, an anti-poverty agency, announced the hiring of Ramona Matos as SNAP Outreach and Enrollment coordinator. She will provide outreach services to recruit, enroll, and assist clients in recertifying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Additionally, she will build relationships with external agencies and establish connections within the community to promote Springfield Partners’ services.

“Springfield Partners is incredibly proud to be expanding our SNAP outreach to help even more residents in need in Greater Springfield,” said JC Schnabl, deputy executive director at Springfield Partners. “Ramona’s extensive community connections will enable her to significantly impact those who could benefit from SNAP. She exemplifies the kind of person who is compassionate, eager, and willing to go the extra mile for her neighbors.”

Prior to joining Springfield Partners, Matos was a senior clerk for Springfield Public Schools, providing daily data entry and customer service, while assisting with any school-related issues. Prior to that, she was an outreach worker for the city’s Department of Elder Affairs, offering support and outreach services such as wellness calls and assistance with benefits. She received her associate degree in science from Holyoke Community College.

LaPier, Dillon & Associates Welcomes Christopher Walker, Kara Stevens

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Daily News

Christopher Walker

WEST SPRINGFIELD — LaPier, Dillon & Associates, P.C. announced the recent hiring of Christopher Walker as tax supervisor. Walker has been working in public accounting since 2013 and brings extensive experience to the firm, especially in partnerships, corporations, trusts, and not-for-profit taxation.

Walker is a certified public accountant licensed in Massachusetts. He received his bachelor’s degree with a concentration in accounting and a minor in economics at Westfield State University, and went on to achieve his master’s degree in business analytics at Bentley University. He is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.

LaPier, Dillon & Associates, P.C. also welcomes Kara Stevens as an audit manager. She is the founding director of the master of science in accounting program at Bay Path University, where she is also still working as an educator. Prior to becoming a professor, she had worked in public accounting as an audit manager. She has extensive auditing knowledge serving clients in manufacturing, not-for-profit, and private sectors that require annual audits.

Stevens is a certified public accountant licensed in Massachusetts. She received both her BBA and MBA in accounting at the University of Massachusetts, and received a doctorate with a concentration in finance at Pace University. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of CPAs, and the American Accounting Assoc.

Berkshire Money Management Welcomes Sarah Curtiss, Jacqueline Ferry

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Daily News

DALTON — Berkshire Money Management (BMM), a financial and retirement-planning firm with offices in Dalton and Great Barrington, announced two new additions to its operations team: Sarah Curtiss and Jacqueline Ferry.

As front office coordinator at BMM’s Great Barrington office, Curtiss strives to create a friendly, welcoming, and helpful atmosphere for visitors and callers alike. She brings to the team 22 years of experience in multi-tasking, customer service, and office administration developed while onboarding Snowsports instructors and managing the Reservations department at Ski Butternut. She earned her bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries biology at the University of Vermont.

As operations support partner, Ferry supports day-to-day operations and compliance efforts while providing key support to BMM’s chief operating officer. Before joining Berkshire Money Management, she honed her affinity for data analysis and sharp attention to detail during a seven-year tenure in program support and case management at Berkshire Health Systems. She earned master’s degrees in criminal justice and forensic psychology from Arizona State University.

Hometown Financial Group Names Reed Whitman Executive VP, CFO

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Daily News

Reed Whitman

EASTHAMPTON — Hometown Financial Group, parent company of bankESB; bankHometown; North Shore Bank; Abington Bank, a division of North Shore Bank; and Hometown Mortgage, hired Reed Whitman as executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Whitman joins Hometown Financial from Brookline Bancorp Inc., where he most recently was treasurer of the $11.5 billion holding company. Whitman brings specific expertise in community banking organizations that operate within the multi-bank holding-company structure, as well as more than two decades of experience that includes leading transformational mergers and acquisitions, balance-sheet restructuring, new business pitches, and process redesign and execution.

Whitman assumed the position earlier this month, ahead of the retirement of Gilbert Ehmke, who served as Hometown Financial Group’s senior executive vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer for nearly 10 years.

President and CEO Matthew Sosik said Whitman’s understanding of the organization’s business model will be a tremendous asset to Hometown Financial and its continued strategic growth.

“Reed’s extensive experience in financial strategy, scaling operations, and transformative mergers and acquisitions will play a pivotal role in ensuring our company is poised for continued financial success while allowing our banks to focus on sustained growth in their individual markets,” Sosik said. “At the same time, we’re grateful to Gil for his years of dedication to Hometown Financial, driving years of strong financial performance and solidifying our position as one of the largest mutual bank holding companies in the country. We congratulate Gil and wish him well in his retirement.”

Added Whitman, “I look forward to working with everyone at Hometown Financial to have a hand in ensuring the organization remains able to execute its long-term growth strategy. I’m excited to play a significant role in helping Hometown Financial remain a leading player in the region’s financial landscape.”

Trinity Health Of New England Names Dr. Robert Roose President of Community Hospitals

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Daily News

Dr. Robert Roose

HARTFORD, Conn. — Dr. Robert Roose has been named president of Community Hospitals for Trinity Health Of New England. In this role, he will lead strategic execution and operational direction across the organization’s acute-care hospitals, Mercy Medical Center in Springfield; Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, Conn; and Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Conn., further aligning leadership and integrating clinical care and resources.

Valerie Powell-Stafford will continue to provide executive leadership for Saint Francis Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital in Hartford, Conn.

Prior to this new position, Roose served as president of Mercy Medical Center in Springfield and Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, leading with a focus on people and performance that was instrumental as both hospitals achieved not only the highest patient experience and colleague-engagement scores across the entire regional health ministry, but also numerous ‘A’ safety grades from the Leapfrog Group, as well as growth in key areas, including medical oncology, inpatient discharges, and robotic surgery. He also successfully oversaw several strategic projects, including the development of the Andy Yee Palliative Care Unit at Mercy, the opening of the Geriatric Wellness Pavilion at Johnson, and the completion and transition of care into the $50 million S. Prestley & Helen Blake Ambulatory Care Center in Enfield, Conn.

Roose has been a member of Trinity Health Of New England since 2013, previously serving as chief medical officer and vice president of Behavioral Health at Mercy Medical Center. As chief medical officer from 2019 to 2022, he played a pivotal role in guiding Mercy through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before joining Trinity Health Of New England, Roose served as director of Quality Improvement and medical director in the Division of Substance Abuse at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y. He is board-certified in family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and addiction medicine and was recognized as the 2013 Addiction Medicine Physician of the Year by the New York State Department of Health’s Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. A respected thought leader, he has also contributed to numerous local, state, and national committees and served as a media expert and public speaker.

Attorney Marylou Fabbo Recognized as Go-To Employment Lawyer

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Marylou Fabbo

SPRINGFIELD — Skoler Abbott attorney Marylou Fabbo has been selected as one of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s Go-To Employment Lawyers for 2025. This program recognizes top lawyers across the Commonwealth who are leaders in employment law and have a history of successful representation.

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly has a long tradition of recognizing accomplished lawyers in different areas of the law. “I am truly honored that my peers voted to include me as one of the exceptional employment attorneys in Massachusetts,” Fabbo said.

For more than 60 years, Skoler Abbott has solely represented employers and management in employment and labor matters. Fabbo has been with Skoler Abbott for 30 years. In 2000, she was named a partner, and she heads the firm’s litigation team. She has successfully represented the firm’s clients in state and federal courts and agencies in all areas of employment law. She is also the firm’s immigration expert.

Fabbo has also been recognized by Boston Magazine as a Super Lawyer and has been designated as one of the Top Women in Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

When Disaster Strikes, Financial Preparation Saves Time, Money, Heartache

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Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Wildfires in California. Hurricanes in Florida. While natural disasters like these are less common here in Western Mass., blizzards, tornadoes, fires, and more still pose threats. The experts at Freedom Credit Union shared some advice to help residents prepare in advance to save time, money, and heartache if disaster strikes.

“Disaster, whether personal or widespread, can strike anytime,” Freedom Credit Union President Glenn Welch said. “The more you can prepare now, the better off you’ll be later. Just as you stock up on salt, shovels, and other supplies before a blizzard, you should anticipate your financial needs in an emergency, so you have what you need on hand.”

Compiling important documents and storing them in a safety deposit box at your financial institution — or another safe place that is waterproof and fireproof — is the first step. This includes savings and checking-account numbers; tax statements; insurance policies; debit- and credit-card information; pay stubs; and legal documents, including birth, marriage and adoption certificates, deeds and titles, Social Security cards, military service records, wills, and other estate-planning documents.

Include a list of important contacts and phone numbers, such as your mortgage representative, landlord, healthcare providers, insurance agent, lawyer, and others you might need to reach in an emergency if you didn’t have access to your mobile phone.

“It’s also wise to have cash set aside in case you don’t have access to banks or ATMs,” Welch advised. “Think about what you might need to ensure you can access food and other necessities easily in a time of crisis.”

He added that photos and videos of valuables can also help make insurance claims proceed more quickly after a disaster. “Record a video of your home and its contents, and take pictures of items of special value. Store all the documents, contacts, cash, and images you gather in a single, safe place where you can easily access them if needed. Be sure to add a reminder on your calendar to review all the materials once a year and make any necessary updates.”

Liberty Bank Announces Record-breaking Community Impact in 2024

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Daily News

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — David Glidden, president and CEO of Middletown-based Liberty Bank and president of the Liberty Bank Foundation, announced that the bank and its charitable foundation achieved another record year, with $4.8 million in corporate sponsorships and grant awards, as well as teammate volunteerism.

• Liberty Bank invested approximately $2.7 million in corporate sponsorships, donations, and other initiatives to more than 400 community organizations in Connecticut and Massachusetts. This includes their strong and ongoing community partnerships with the American Cancer Society, YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs, cultural and arts groups, business and industry organizations, and professional sports teams.

• The Liberty Bank Foundation awarded 141 grants totaling nearly $2.1 million, investing in programs and services that assist thousands of lower- to moderate-income children and families in the areas of education and training, affordable housing, and food security. This was Liberty’s highest dollar amount awarded in a single year.

Among the highlights in 2024 was the foundation’s 21st annual Thanksgiving Food Drive with local Rotary Clubs and the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, which raised $728,712 for Thanksgiving meals and food pantries. The foundation also made its largest-ever single grant when it awarded $1 million to support the Middlesex YMCA’s All Together Better capital campaign.

• Liberty Bank teammates logged 15,928 hours in volunteerism in 2024 with 631 organizations. One hundred percent of Liberty teammates participated in some kind of community volunteer activity in 2024.

• Liberty Bank invested $15.5 million in the development of various affordable-housing projects and solar-energy projects, and provided capacity building to several community-development financial institutions; invested $46.8 million in lending to a variety of affordable-housing developments; took part in 313 community-outreach activities covering various aspects of financial education; and offered 90 Academy of Small Business classes for first-time entrepreneurs.

• Liberty Bank completed its three-year Community Reinvestment Act examination conducted by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Liberty was awarded an overall rating of ‘Outstanding,’ acknowledging that the bank has an outstanding record of helping to meet the credit needs of its assessment area, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.

“Our ‘Be Community Kind’ tagline is more than just our marketing brand. It’s the highest standard we set for ourselves when it comes to improving lives in our communities for generations to come,” Glidden said. “This year marks Liberty Bank’s 200th birthday, and what better way to kick off this historic year than announcing our most recent record-breaking results in corporate and charitable giving, volunteerism, and investments in community development.”

Community Action Pioneer Valley Executive Director Clare Higgins to Retire

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Daily News

Clare Higgins

GREENFIELD — Clare Higgins will retire in the summer of 2025 after nearly 14 years as executive director of Community Action Pioneer Valley (CAPV).

Higgins assumed directorship of CAPV, the region’s federally designated anti-poverty agency, in September 2011 after serving six terms as mayor of Northampton. She came to CAPV with not only her history in municipal government, but experience as a childcare teacher, director of a childcare center, and childcare advocate, collaborating with legislators to meet the needs of children and families. Heading the agency that runs and administers Head Start & Early Learning Programs for the region felt both like a natural next step.

Higgins’s first job with a Community Action agency was as a teacher in a preschool classroom; from there, she became a staff representative for a daycare and human-services union. After that, she was the childcare teacher director for Sojourn Inc., a teen parent childcare program. There, she got her first major taste of budget management and grant and proposal writing.

“Clare is an incredible communicator,” said Charity Day, CAPV board president. “She has the ability to put big, systemic problems into concrete terms and help our elected officials understand what their financially vulnerable constituents face, and what they need. She has a deep understanding of how poverty affects a community and what is required to make change.”

State Sen. Jo Comerford added that “Clare has long been my teacher and continues to set an example to me of life well-lived. News of her retirement is nothing short of seismic. Her service at Community Action, as well as regionally and statewide, has been exemplary. As Clare passes the torch, I extend my heartfelt gratitude, and gratitude on behalf of my entire team, for her leadership and work on behalf of our constituents and the entire Commonwealth.”

During Higgins’s time as executive director, Community Action Pioneer Valley has expanded its offerings to the community. In addition to its information and referral phone line, Head Start services, food pantries, Home Energy Assistance Program, and WIC, CAPV houses RSVP, a volunteer program for seniors; weatherization and other home-modification services; and the Three County Continuum of Care, which works at a systems level to end homelessness, as well as increased services for youth, young adults and young parents, and families. Today, CAPV offers nearly 40 different programs to support individuals and families across Franklin and Hampshire counties. In 2023, the agency served more than 28,000 people in the Pioneer Valley.

During her tenure, Higgins has seen CAPV through a recession and recovery, a global pandemic, and the current housing crisis. Throughout these challenges, she has kept the needs of CAPV’s clients and staff at the center of decision making.

“Clare finds real joy in connecting with people and problem solving, whether they’re a preschool student or a member of Congress,” said Jessye Deane, executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and former Community Action staff member. “I think her greatest gift to CAPV has been her ability to communicate the realities of poverty to people who’ve never experienced it, and to help our legislators and community partners to understand both the harshness of the situation and the good they can do when they partner with us to address economic injustice.”