NORTHAMPTON — Common Capital, Valley Community Development, and the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce will present “Making Digital Marketing Possible” today, Nov. 2, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley St., Northampton.

This free event — a conversation about using digital marketing to grow one’s business — will feature a panel of small-business owners and marketing specialists, including Kimberley Chagnon, co-owner of Kim’s Upholstery; Amy Scott, founder of Wild Apple Design Group; Dawn Cordeiro, co-owner of Holyoke Hummus Co.; and Mark Firehammer, a digital marketing consultant and marketing services provider at Attract More Clients.

SPRINGFIELD — The Cooperative Credit Union Assoc. recognized Arrha Credit Union with the Excellence in Advocacy Award for promoting the interests of credit unions among its legislative, regulatory, and consumer audiences.

The engagement in advocacy included many outreach efforts, such as Michael Ostrowski, Arrha’s president and CEO, visiting Washington, D.C., to be part of the ongoing credit-union industry legislative discussions, seeking approvals to fully utilize today’s advances in technology, providing financial literacy, and being part of the World Affairs Committee of Credit Union National Assoc. and its world arm, the World Council of Credit Unions, to lend aid and assistance to Puerto Rico’s credit unions.

Ostrowski also traveled to Cuba to engage its government on establishing credit unions and, most recently, to Poland to assist its credit unions in regulatory advocacy with the Polish government. The Excellence in Advocacy Award was given to one credit union in Massachusetts that best demonstrated its commitment to advocacy.

Kristen Coia, operations manager at Arrha Credit Union, received the association’s Young Professionals Award for being an upcoming, proactive professional.

“Kristen’s dedication to the credit union’s members is admirable,” Ostrowski said. “She strives to help every member and employee by saying, ‘yes, we can help you’ and avoiding the ‘no’ word. She looks to find creative ways to solve our members’ needs when a standard answer just will not do.”

SPRINGFIELD — The United Way of Pioneer Valley recently welcomed Marjorie Weeks as director of Resource Development. She brings more than 25 years of experience in fundraising and development as well as school administration.

Weeks has done a considerable amount of counseling and coaching for area nonprofits. Much of her experience has been in the independent school world, including time with Academy Hill School and Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Weeks will spend the majority of her time re-energizing long-standing allies and inspiring others to support the essential work of the United Way of Pioneer Valley.

HOLYOKE — The newly expanded Holyoke Medical Group’s services at 1962 Memorial Dr., Chicopee are now offering walk-in care. Under the medical direction of Dr. Kevin Snow, the Holyoke Medical Group Walk-in Care will offer same-day treatment services for conditions such as a sore throat, aches and pains, fever, and physicals needed for work, school, or sports.

“Holyoke Medical Center is dedicated to listening to our community and responding with the services that will meet the needs of our friends and neighbors. The Holyoke Medical Group Walk-in Care service is one way we are increasing the accessibility of quality healthcare in the Pioneer Valley,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center.

Holyoke Medical Group Walk-in Care is located together with the Primary Care office, with adjoining lab-draw and medical-imaging services. The HMC CORE Physical Therapy Chicopee location is also located within the same complex.

Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The office can be reached at (413) 552-3250. Holyoke Medical Group is the primary-care physician group affiliated with Holyoke Medical Center.

SPRINGFIELD — Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. announced that Susan Fentin, senior counsel, has retired from the active representation of clients after 20 years with the firm.

Fentin joined Skoler Abbott in 1999 after serving as clerk to Judge John Greaney, associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and practicing for several years with the Labor and Employment department of a large law firm in Hartford, Conn. Her expertise in the niche market of employment law enabled her to quickly build a leadership role at Skoler Abbott. In just five years, she was made partner.

“Susan has been an invaluable asset, mentor, and friend,” said attorney Timothy Murphy, a partner at the firm. “Her influence has been profound for us, for her clients, and for our field. She has represented employers of all sizes, from small retailers to companies with locations across the United States. She also regularly presented webinars about significant issues in employment to human-resources professionals and provided thoughtful articles on timely labor and employment-law topics to trade and business publications.”

Fentin graduated magna cum laude from Western New England University School of Law, where she was editor in chief of the Western New England College Law Review. She was the editor of the Massachusetts Employment Law Letter and teaches master classes on behalf of the publisher, Business & Legal Resources (BLR). She will continue to present occasional webinars to national audiences on behalf of BLR and is a regular presenter and keynote speaker for BLR’s annual Advanced Employment Issues Symposium.

In addition, Fentin has a long history of supporting charitable organizations in Western Mass. She has served on the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts board of trustees, including three years as president; the Riverside Industries Inc. board of directors, including stints as vice president and president; and the WFCR Public Radio board of directors, where she also served as president. She currently serves on the board of directors for Greenfield Cooperative Bank and the Children’s Advocacy Center in Greenfield and is vice chair of the board of tribunes of WGBY Public Television. 

Fentin has been named a Super Lawyer since 2008, was one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Massachusetts in 2015, has been recognized as one of the top labor and employment attorneys in Massachusetts by the prestigious Chambers and Partners rating organization, and was honored as a distinguished alumna of the Western New England University Law Review.

AGAWAM — Jean Deliso, CFP has been named a member of the 2018 Chairman’s Council of New York Life. Members of the elite Chairman’s Council rank in the top 3% of New York Life’s sales force of more than 12,000 licensed agents in sales achievement. She has accomplished this level of achievement for seven consecutive years.

Deliso is president and owner of Deliso Financial and Insurance Services, a firm focusing on comprehensive financial strategies that help position clients for a solid financial future since 2000. She has been working in the financial field for 30 years, her first seven in public accounting and the balance working in the financial-services industry. She is a graduate of Bentley College.

Her extensive experience has led to a focus in certain fields, such as cash management, risk management, investment planning, and financial preparation for retirement, as well as times of transition such as divorce or widowhood.

Deliso has been a New York Life agent since 1995 and is associated with New York Life’s CT Valley General Office in Windsor, Conn. She is currently chairman of the board of the Baystate Health Foundation and is a board member of the Community Music School of Springfield. She is past chairman of the board of the YMCA of Greater Springfield, past board member of AAA Pioneer Valley, and a past trustee of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and the advisory council at Bay Path University.

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University’s Center of Excellence for Women in STEM is hosting a discussion on personal branding and marketing yourself with expert executive coach Rita Allen on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. in Breck Suite at Wright Hall located on Bay Path’s Longmeadow campus.

Allen wants to know: are you comfortable talking about your own accomplishments, talents, and the value you have to offer to your employers? Most women aren’t — yet, personal branding and marketing are vital ingredients when seeking a new job, promotion, or career change.

Allen, an executive coach, trainer, consultant, and author of Personal Branding and Marketing Yourself, will share her “Three Ps Marketing Technique” as a key to empowering oneself and building a successful career. A reception and book signing will follow her presentation. One attendee may win a signed copy of her book.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information and to register, visit www.baypath.edu and click on ‘Events.’

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) is the lead partner in a project that will bring $1.6 million in federal grant money to the Pioneer Valley to train community health workers in the battle against opioid addiction.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has awarded HCC $400,000 over two years to add as many as 36 seats per year to its existing community health worker program.

In addition to core studies in community health, students in the program will receive specific instruction and training in addiction and substance-abuse disorders.

Also, HCC’s three regional partners — Holyoke Health Center, Community Health Center of Franklin County, and the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services — will each receive separate $400,000 grants to support on-site practical training of those students.

“This is a really big deal,” said Rebecca Lewis, chair of HCC’s Foundations of Health program. “Each of the health centers is getting a huge award. Part of why we got this is because we took a regional approach. We’ll be recruiting students from all over the Pioneer Valley.”

The course of study will include three classes, free to all participants. The first cohort will begin in spring 2019 with “Core Competencies for Community Health Workers,” followed by “Introduction to Addiction Studies” in the summer of 2019, and concluding with a 125-hour practicum at one of the three health centers in the fall of 2019.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to leverage the resources of our academic partner, HCC, with the real-world implementation of the community health worker role,” said Edward Sayer, CEO of Community Health Center of Franklin County. “Health centers have been leaders in the area of integrated primary care for 50 years, so programs like these that build on developing a skilled workforce are essential to continuing the work of improving the health of our local communities.” 

Community health is an emerging healthcare field, and community health workers are typically employed by agencies to focus on underserved populations, conducting home visits and connecting clients with needed services. They do not provide medical care.

SPRINGFIELD — Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) announced that Amy Britt has joined the organization as the Leaders OnBoard program coordinator.

In this role, she will be responsible for managing LPV’s board-development program, Leaders OnBoard. The program aims to increase and strengthen the skills and capacities of boards of directors. This program is intended to recruit and train people who are new to board service as well as seasoned board members, with the goal of inspiring and strengthening the leadership provided to the network of nonprofit organizations in the Pioneer Valley.

Amy Britt comes to Leadership Pioneer Valley with a background in communications, marketing, and event management. She worked for Tapestry, a regional public-health agency, for over 10 years, most recently as director of Communications, where she oversaw communications and marketing for the organization, worked with the Development department on fundraising campaigns and events, and supported the agency’s state and federal advocacy efforts.

Britt graduated from Smith College with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and was selected as an American fellow in a U.S. State Department program focused on women’s health leadership in Brazil in 2012. She is a 2014 Leadership Pioneer Valley graduate.

GREENFIELD — PV Squared, a worker-owned cooperative helping Western Mass. and Southern Vermont go solar since 2002, was recently named Cooperative of the Year for Principle 7 – Leadership in Community at the 2018 U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC) annual conference.

The award was given to PV Squared “for receiving national recognition in their field with company accreditation by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, an accreditation awarded to companies that meet a rigorous set of standards regarding installation, employee training and qualification, safe work practices, and customer accountability, as well as their work to provide solar power to communities in Puerto Rico through their work with Amicus Solar Cooperative.”

Each year, USFWC recognizes standout cooperatives and cooperators that are making a difference and leading the way toward workplace democracy. “It’s an honor to be recognized among so many influential cooperatives and cooperators,” said PV Squared General Manager Stacy Metzger. “We work hard at PV Squared to ensure we’re consistently providing quality solar across the board, and believe that the worker-owned cooperative business model is not only crucial to our success, but is essential in strengthening the local economy and empowering workers.”

CHICOPEE — Elms College will host two retreats during November that will invite participants to explore Ignatian spirituality, in the tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The retreat series, titled “Responding to God from the Heart: Ignatian Spirituality & Prayer,” will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, Nov. 7, 14, and 28, in the Faculty Dining Room in the Mary Dooley College Center.

Virginia Collins-English, a certified spiritual director, retreat director, writer, and psychotherapist, will guide participants in finding the nearness of God in daily life, the companionship of Jesus in scripture, and a heart-centered response to God’s desire in prayer.

Sponsored by the Religious Studies Department and the Institute for Theology and Pastoral Studies, these retreats are free and open to the public, and all are welcome to attend one or all of the retreats, but registration is required. To register, call (413) 265-2575 or e-mail [email protected].

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield College School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation will present the Peter V. Karpovich Lecture featuring Army reservist Bradley Nindl, professor in the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, on Wednesday, Nov. 14, starting at 6:30 p.m., in the Cleveland E. and Phyllis B. Dodge Room inside the Flynn Campus Union. The event is free and open to the public.

Nindl, who received his master’s degree in physiology of exercise from Springfield College in 1993, is the current director of the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory and Warrior Human Performance Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh. He will discuss how leveraging scientific and technological advances and evidence-based best practices in physical education and exercise science will yield a fit, ready, and injury-free military. Nindl has a strong focus on exploring science and strategies to help bolster military readiness and national security.

The readiness of the U.S. military is adversely impacted by an unacceptably high incidence rate of physical-training-related musculoskeletal injuries that represent a major threat to the health and fitness of soldiers and other service members and that degrade the nation’s ability to project military power.

Springfield College established the Karpovich Lecture in 1973 in memory of a former faculty member who was an internationally recognized exercise physiologist and one of the principal founders of the American College of Sports Medicine. Karpovich joined the Springfield College faculty in 1927, serving as a professor of Physiology. He was named director of Health Education at the college in 1947 and was appointed research professor of Physiology in 1955.

If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to fully participate in this event, call (413) 748-3413 to discuss your accessibility needs. Springfield College is a smoke- and tobacco-free environment.

CHICOPEE — Elms College, thanks to a generous donation from Richard Meelia, has established the Sisters Kathleen Keating and Maxyne Schneider Experiential Learning Fund to expand experiential learning opportunities for students.

This new fund will allow students to participate in unpaid internships and research experiences related to their majors or career interests; service-learning and mission-trip experiences, whether local, national, or international; and study-abroad trips.

“In addition to ensuring academic success, it is vitally important to provide students with experiences that promote career success and a life of giving to others,” said Joyce Hampton, dean for Student Success and Strategic Initiatives. “This program will allow our students to promote the greater good and also gain skills in their chosen fields, and that will serve them well both personally and professionally.”

The funding will be available to students for experiences beginning in spring 2019, when several students students will receive funding to support their participation in such activities. For eligibility criteria and to apply, students should click here.

Applications are due by Oct. 26 for mission/service trips, Nov. 9 for study abroad, and Nov. 26 for research and internships. Students who are selected to receive awards from this fund will be notified by a formal letter via e-mail by mid-December, and will need to officially accept the funding within a week of notification.

“We are pleased and honored that Richard Meelia has bestowed this gift upon Elms College and our students,” said President Harry Dumay. “Thanks to his vision and generosity, and those of people like him, Elms College is poised like never before to advance the vision of our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph: to empower students to better their own lives and to make a difference in the lives of those around them.”

CHICOPEE — Students at Fairview Veterans Memorial Elementary School were not happy when they learned their field trip to the New England Aquarium in Boston was going to be cancelled due to lack of funding. In fact, many of them were crying.

That’s when Marty Topor, owner of Central Oil, decided to step in and see what he could do. Over the course of an afternoon, he reached out to Bob Pion Buick/GMC and E.J. O’Neill Insurance Agency to enlist them in a fundraising effort to put the field trip back on track. Within a few hours, the three businesses had pooled together enough money to pay for the two buses needed to transport the 100 students to Boston for a day at the aquarium on Thursday, Nov. 1.

“These kinds of trips are a memorable part of being a kid,” says Topor. “I’d hate to see these kids denied a great experience just because they were coming up a few bucks short. We were all very happy to chip in and make it happen.”

The students are happy as well. They’ve invited Topor and the other business owners to the school so they can thank them personally. The business owners and Mayor Richard Kos have also been invited to see the buses off the morning of the field trip. Darby O’Brien Advertising has volunteered to film the trip and create a video for the students to enjoy.

SPRINGFIELD — Ron Davis, a sales professional, business specialist, and founder of WAMF Consulting, has transitioned from president and CEO of the company to chief sales officer. This new position will allow him to offer a comprehensive approach to banks, credit unions, and corporations to support their sales and business-development needs.

After 40 years of selling software and services to financial institutions and corporations in the Northeast, WAMF Consulting was born. WAMF is an acronym for ‘winners are my friends.’

Davis has been recognized nationally, achieved President’s Clubs, and been a top sales performer and district leader. He is trained in major sales methodologies, SPIN selling, power messaging, executive presentations, Dale Carnegie, and strategic selling. Early in his career as an account executive for the Savin Corp., he sold a national contract to United Technologies, the world’s largest corporation at that time.

Davis is certified in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and has a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in business, management, and economics. He has written marketing surveys which were implemented in corporate business plans and rolled out company-wide. He coined the phrase ‘lobby dynamics’ to help bank branch personnel sell more products and deepen the customer experience.

BOSTON — Berkshire Bank was recently named a winner of PR Daily’s 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards in the Employee Volunteer Program category. Berkshire Bank was chosen from a wide pool of entries to receive first prize in the category for the ingenuity and impact of its XTEAM volunteer program.

Berkshire’s nationally acclaimed employee volunteer program provides employees with paid time off to volunteer during regular business hours. Last year, 100% of Berkshire’s employees nationally donated 40,000 hours of service to benefit community organizations.

Berkshire also closes down its offices each June for its Xtraordinary Day of Service, providing all employees with an opportunity to go out in the community and volunteer as a team. In 2018, Berkshire employees completed 74 service projects that ultimately benefited more than 500,000 individuals.

“Out of many outstanding submissions, we found Berkshire Bank’s work truly set a new standard of excellence for all corporate-communications professionals. We congratulate them and look forward to seeing their future successes in this field,” said Justine Figueroa, senior Marketing coordinator at Ragan Communications.

As a winner in the program, Berkshire Bank joins an elite group of past winners, including Alex + Ani, International Paper, St. Joseph’s Health, Bayer Crop Science, Arrow Electronics, Alliance Data, Viacom, U.S. Bank, and Toronto Pearson Airport.

“We’re honored to receive this recognition, but more importantly, we are proud of all of the Berkshire Bank employees who share their time and expertise as part of our XTEAM,” said Gary Levante, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility at Berkshire Bank. “This honor is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and commitment to making our communities thrive.”

HOLYOKE — Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced that Tiffany Raines has been hired as assistant vice president and branch officer of the new Holyoke branch located at 170 Sargeant St.

Raines brings more than 18 years of experience in banking, most recently serving as assistant vice president and banking center manager of PeoplesBank’s West Springfield banking center. In addition to 10 years as a branch manager and spending time managing the West Springfield, Amherst, and East Longmeadow offices, she also spent six years supervising the High Street and Hampden Street offices in Holyoke.

“We are very excited to welcome Tiffany to our team and back into the Holyoke community,” Sosik said. “Her experience and strong ties to Holyoke will be such a positive factor in establishing bankESB’s presence in the community.”

Raines has a strong commitment to serving surrounding communities. She is a past board member of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Rotary Clubs of Amherst, Holyoke, and East Longmeadow. Raines is a graduate of Leadership Holyoke, which is an 11-week community leadership course designed to train and motivate people to volunteer in order to make a positive difference in their community.

Along with Raines, Tenaya Read has been selected as assistant branch manager. Read joined the bank in 2004 and, over the last 14 years, has held the positions of teller, customer service representative, and, most recently, senior teller at the main office in Easthampton (36 Main St.). In addition to Read, Nadean Eaddy has been selected as senior teller. Eaddy joined the bank this past May with 15 years of banking experience, 11 of which were in a supervisor role. She has been promoted from her current role as teller in the South Hadley branch.

The Holyoke branch will have its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Nov. 5. To celebrate the opening, bankESB will raffle off a 2018 Hyundai Accent. In order to win, employees will be giving out 1,000 $1 bills (first come, first served) to anyone who visits the branch. On Saturday, Nov. 10, the winner will be drawn. Second- and third-place prizes are valued at $500.

CHICOPEE — The board of trustees of Elms College voted recently to grant the title of president emerita to Sr. Kathleen Keating in recognition of the lasting impact she has had on the college. 

Keating, a native of Springfield, was installed as the college’s seventh president in 1994. During her tenure, from 1994 to 2001, Elms College underwent extensive changes. In 1997, the college voted to admit male students to all programs of the college, which helped stabilize a declining enrollment. In addition, the college added four new undergraduate majors and one new master’s degree program. She more than doubled the school’s endowment from $2.3 million to $5.8 million and oversaw various campus-improvement projects, including the building of the Maguire Center. She also oversaw the establishment of the Irish and Polish Cultural Centers on the Elms campus.

A 1952 graduate of Elms College, Keating received a master’s degree from Villanova University and a doctoral degree from Fordham University. She joined the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1953.

She worked as a teacher at St. Joseph High School in North Adams and was assistant professor of History at Elms College from 1966 to 1975. She also served as chair of the college’s Division of Social Sciences. From 1975 to 1978, she was president of the National Assembly of Women Religious in Chicago, and she served as president of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from 1979 to 1987. From 1989 to 1993, she ministered in Nicaragua as an associate member of the Maryknoll Sisters, working as a pastoral minister and a professor of English at the Jesuit University of Central America in the city of Managua. She received the Elms Distinguished Alumni Award in 1983 and a number other national and regional awards over the years.

“Sr. Kathleen’s contributions to Elms College are not relegated in the past — her wisdom is very much sought after in the present, as I have turned to her counsel on more than one occasion for decisions that require a firm grasp of the college’s history and the guidance of one who has traveled the road before,” said Elms College President Harry Dumay. “We are thankful for Sr. Kathleen’s vision, determination, and the strong example she has set of tireless service.”

HATFIELD — What do cider-brined pork chops and improv comedy have in common? On Sunday, Nov. 11, Good Stock Farm will hold one of its celebrated four-course wine lover’s meals as a benefit for Happier Valley Comedy, an improv comedy theater and nonprofit organization based in Hadley.

Good Stock Farm offers unique culinary experiences that are one part hosted dinner party and one part expert cooking class. James Beard Award-winning Chef Sanford (Sandy) D’Amato has been cooking and teaching for more than 40 years all over the world, most recently with his partner and wife, Angie D’Amato. Three years ago, the couple discovered another passion: learning and performing improvisational comedy. “Improv has opened our eyes to a whole new way of life and community,” Angie said. “Our only regret is not finding it sooner.”

The D’Amatos are part of a large and growing community of adult students committed to learning the in-the-moment artform of improvisation. In response to this growth, Happier Valley Comedy opened the doors on its new 60-seat performance venue and classroom at the end of the summer. The theater buildout was entirely paid for by fundraising efforts, including a successful Valley Gives Day, when the local community and a far-flung network of supporters — from Seattle to London — raised close to $27,000. Happier Valley Comedy is continuing to raise funds as it reaches for the next goals in the theater, which include installing theatrical lighting, additional acoustic enhancements, and making the stage ADA-compliant to accommodate performers of all physical abilities.

The evening on Nov. 11 will begin with French champagne and hors d’oeuvres in the Good Stock teaching kitchen, then move to the family table for a four-course seasonal dinner with wine pairings. This is where the D’Amatos go deep in their cellar to share some of their favorite wines they have collected and laid down over the years. Various regions like Rhone Valley, Burgundy, Northern Italy, Spain, and Portugal may be represented to complement the evening’s menu. The meal is followed by after-dinner drinks and a casual improvised performance featuring Happier Valley Comedy’s founder, Pam Victor, and Artistic Director Scott Braidman.

There are only 14 spots available at the table. The full menu and tickets are now available at www.happiervalley.com.

SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden County Bar Assoc., in conjunction with WGGB Channel 40, will present a Lawyer on the Line event on Monday, Nov. 19 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Volunteers will provide legal advice on a variety of topics from callers during the evening news broadcast. Individuals needing advice should call (413) 846-0240 to speak to a volunteer.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Employees of hospitality businesses across Western Mass. will have a little extra hop in their step on Oct. 26-31. Starting today, the American Rabbit Breeders Assoc. (ARBA) will hold its 95th annual convention at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.

Representatives of the Pennsylvania-based organization expect to have more than 16,000 rabbits and cavy (animals similar to rabbits, such as guinea pigs) on display.

“This is a major convention event that will have a tremendous impact on our region,” said Mary Kay Wydra, president of the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (GSCVB). “The organizers are expecting 1,500 attendees with registrants from many European nations, and some from as far away as China.”

GSCVB officials are estimating that the six-day event will have an economic impact of nearly $3 million. The Springfield Sheraton Monarch Place Hotel will serve as the headquarters property, and 14 additional local hotels have reserved room blocks for convention-goers.

Attractions all over the region hope to see a boost at the turnstile. ARBA organizers touted the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Dr. Seuss Museum, Six Flags New England, MGM Springfield, Yankee Candle Village, and many more options for attendees to enjoy their downtime. 

“We honestly couldn’t have been more impressed with Western Mass.,” said Randy Gebelein, ARBA’s general chairperson. “From a top-shelf convention facility to outstanding hotels to so many one-of-a-kind attractions, this region met all our needs perfectly. We’re looking forward to an excellent event.”

HOLYOKE — PeoplesBank recently appointed Suzanne Rosenberg as assistant vice president and manager for its West Springfield banking center, and Michael Gay as manager for its Amherst banking center.

In her new position, Rosenberg aims to cultivate a customer-focused, engaging, one-stop resolution environment focused on identifying and providing solutions for all customers’ financial needs. She has 15 years of financial-services and banking experience. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Stonehill College in Easton. She formerly served as a volunteer for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and the Mashpee Boys & Girls Club.

In his new position, Gay aims to provide a positive banking experience to both consumer and small-business customers. He has eight years of financial-services and banking experience. He attended Holyoke Community College and Franklin-Covey organizational training. He formerly served as a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the Therapeutic Equestrian Center of Holyoke.

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) marked the official opening of its new Center for Life Sciences yesterday with a ribbon-cutting celebration featuring lab demonstrations and tours of the 13,000-square-foot, $4.55 million, state-of-the-art facility.

“This is an amazing space,” said HCC President Christina Royal, standing in the crowded lobby of the center on the first floor of the Marieb Building. “This building has not been renovated since 1972. With this facility, we’ve just brought the education level of our biotechnology and life-science programs into the 21st century.”

The Center for Life Sciences, which opened for classes in September for the start of the fall semester, features a suite of new science labs and classrooms and the only ISO-certified cleanroom at any community college in Massachusetts.

“Today we all celebrate another great achievement for Holyoke Community College,” said U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, who noted the importance of community colleges for providing opportunities to aspiring students. “As we’ve watched what’s happened to the cost of higher education, we are all reminded that it is more important than ever to have a flourishing community-college system.”

Jim Peyser, state secretary of Education, said the ribbon-cutting celebration was an important part of the state’s first annual STEM Week.

“What we’re trying to do is shine a spotlight on all the great things that are going on around the Commonwealth in STEM education,” he said. “In Massachusetts, there is something on the order of 600,000 jobs in STEM fields. There are 270,000 or so postings for STEM jobs in the state. This is not just a big part of our economy, but the fastest-growing part.”

Among the other officials and dignitaries on hand for the celebration were Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse and state Reps. Aaron Vega and Angelo Puppolo, who, along with the many visitors and guests, toured the new science labs and talked to biotechnology and microbiology students as they conducted experiments dressed in white lab coats.

“These are our future doctors, future scientists, and future researchers,” Royal said. “These are the types of aspirations that they have as they start here at HCC and look to move on into the workforce or toward opportunities to transfer and continue their educations. It’s wonderful to watch.”

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center provided the majority of funding for the project in the form of a $3.8 million grant, with the balance of the total cost coming from the HCC Foundation.

“We are committed to providing the innovative infrastructure, alongside dynamic educational and experiential opportunities and other necessary resources, to develop the next generation of great scientists, engineers, and life-science entrepreneurs,” Travis McCready, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, said in a statement before the event. “HCC is providing its students with state-of-the-art equipment, facilities, and instruction to gain the skills necessary to further fuel our world-class talent pipeline.”

ENFIELD, Conn. — Asnuntuck Community College, with support from Enfield Together Coalition and funding from the Connecticut Healthy Campus Initiative, is hosting former NFL player and University of Pennsylvania graduate Jeff Hatch in the college’s conference center on Wednesday, Nov. 7.

Hatch, who played for the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will speak to students, staff, and faculty at 12:30 p.m. and will present a second time for the public at 6 p.m. He will share his story of sports injuries, opioid addiction, and recovery. Drafted in 2002 by the Giants, he battled addiction on and off the field until his retirement in 2006. He is now in long-term recovery.

Food and beverages will be served during both presentations. The event is free to everyone.

SPRINGFIELD — Berdie Thompson recently joined the staff of Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts as the Development director. She previously served as the Charitable Gifts and Events coordinator for the Chicopee Savings Bank Foundation for 10 years. In addition, she has six years of fundraising experience and six years of office management in the nonprofit sector and a solid track record of meeting and exceeding fundraising goals. She brings with her a plethora of knowledge about fundraising from both sides of the table. Prior to her involvement in nonprofits, she was in the banking industry for 15 years.

“We are thrilled to have Berdie join our team,” said Jennifer Connolly, president of JA of Western Massachusetts. “She is passionate, well-versed in nonprofits, and, through her work at the Chicopee Savings Bank Foundation, very familiar and supportive of JA’s mission.”

SPRINGFIELD — The New England Commission on Higher Education has granted Springfield College approval to offer distance-education programming. Springfield College will launch its first fully online programs in January 2019.

Fully accredited online programs will be available to students in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with programs including a bachelor of Science in human services, with concentrations in criminal justice, early childhood education, substance-use disorder counseling (addictions), as well as community youth development; and a leadership MBA with a concentration in nonprofit management.

“We are pleased to offer new, transformational online programming for prospective and current Springfield College students,” said President Mary-Beth Cooper. “Not only will our online programs deliver a uniquely immersive and collaborative learning experience, they will also remain true to our mission of educating leaders in service to others. We couldn’t be more excited to share this news.”

The same high-touch, supportive, personalized, and interactive learning experience for which Springfield College has been known for more than 130 years will continue in the online environment, she added. The online courses are offered via the learning management system Brightspace by D2L, a state-of-art network that makes online learning highly interactive, social, and engaging.

“The new online programs usher in a new era of technological sophistication and instructional innovation at Springfield College,” said John Eisler, dean of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies. “Through advanced course design and creation of a highly interactive online classroom, with a maximum class size of 24, our students will experience a more engaging, flexible, time-efficient, and highly social learning environment. Online students will also benefit from a close connection with their own academic success coach who mentors them through the entire program, as well as the support of experienced faculty experts who are dedicated to student success.”