SPRINGFIELD — Valley Venture Mentors CEO Liz Roberts announced that she will be leaving her position as of July 13, at which time current chief operating officer Kristin Leutz will take the helm of the organization that has been dedicated to nurturing entrepreneurship in Western Mass.

Roberts plans to depart after a period of growth for Valley Venture Mentors (VVM). During her tenure, she launched the Startup Accelerator program, in which entrepreneurs receive five months of training, mentoring, office space, and access to equity-free funding. Entrepreneurs who graduated from all VVM programs generated $51 million in revenue and fundraising during the past three years, and created 500 full-time and part-time jobs over the course of 2017. The Startup Accelerator program earned recognition as a model rural accelerator by the Obama administration.

“I’ve always said that leadership is not a sprint, and it is not a marathon,” Roberts said. “It is a relay, and it is smart to pass the baton at just the right time. It’s not only the right time, but Kristin Leutz — with her expertise in management, passion for entrepreneurship, and commitment to Western Massachusetts — is absolutely the right person.”

Prior to joining Valley Venture Mentors as COO in 2017, Leutz served as vice president for Philanthropic Services at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, where she helped create programs such as Valley Gives. Leutz also aided entrepreneurs at VVM as a volunteer mentor for many years before joining the team. She has had a career in global philanthropy and business leadership spanning organizations like MassMutual and RefugePoint, a Cambridge- and Nairobi-based, globally recognized social-impact startup. She has led operations, fundraising, and marketing, and brings decades of experience to her role at VVM.

“I’m deeply honored to be given this opportunity,” said Leutz, “and I’m excited to work even closer with the amazing community of entrepreneurs and mentors that Liz Roberts has cultivated and engaged at VVM.”

The team includes Ronald-Molina Brantley, the former senior program manager for the city of Springfield, VVM’s vice president of Operations; Dorota Glosowitz, vice president of Programs, overseeing the Mentorship and Startup Accelerator programs; Stephannie Kirby, an alumna of VVM’s Collegiate Accelerator, as Program Manager; and Christian Setian, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, as the new Partnerships and Events assistant, working with VVM’s sponsors and volunteers from the community.

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Thunderbirds were honored by the American Hockey League with four Team Business Service awards at a gala reception during the board of governors’ annual meeting at Hilton Head Island, S.C.

As part of its Team Business Services program, the AHL honored one club from each conference for top revenue growth in four areas during this past season: overall ticket sales, season-ticket sales, group-ticket sales, and corporate sponsorship sales. 

For the 2017-18 season, the Thunderbirds took home two Awards of Excellence in the areas of season-ticket sales growth and corporate sponsorship sales growth. This marked the second consecutive season that Springfield captured these awards.

“After an extremely successful first season, it was a lofty goal and challenge within our organization to achieve an award-winning second season,” said Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa. “These awards of excellence would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our front office, but they also would not have come to fruition without the continued support of our fans and corporate partners. Their involvement with the Springfield Thunderbirds is pivotal to the success of our entire organization, and we are privileged to be able to share these honors with them.”

These awards came just weeks after the Thunderbirds received numerous honors at the 2018 AHL Marketing Meeting presented by ExteNet Systems in Des Moines, Iowa. At that meeting,the Thunderbirds received the AHL award for Most Unique Community Relations Promotion. This past March, Thunderbirds player Eddie Wittchow approached team management with the idea of presenting loyal season ticket holder Katrina King with specialty glasses that would allow Katrina, a legally blind fan, to have the ability to see the action — through her own eyes — for the first time in her life. 

Springfield was also recognized for achieving a greater-than-15% increase in per-game full-season equivalents, a statistic that tracks the combined sales of all ticket packages. The Thunderbirds’ corporate sales team also was recognized for having a greater-than-15% growth in corporate cash sponsorships generated in the market. The organization also was honored for reaching the benchmark of a greater-than-15% growth in per-game group-ticket-sales revenue for a second straight season.

On an individual level, Thunderbirds Senior Account Executive Matthew McRobbie beame the first Thunderbirds sales representative to be recognized as the Eastern Conference’s Top New Season Ticket Sales Executive. 

“It is fantastic that the Springfield Thunderbirds continue to be such a resounding success story in just two seasons,” said Thunderbirds Managing Partner Paul Picknelly. “These honors continue to validate the hard work of so many people who strive to make the Thunderbirds a must-see entertainment attraction in the city of Springfield. We want to thank our sponsors and fans for their continued loyalty to this team and this city.”

SPRINGFIELD — Kimberley Lee, a recognized leader in the nonprofit sector of the Western Mass. region, has joined the staff of MHA, a nonprofit provider of residential and support services to people impacted by mental illness, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, and homelessness. Lee is taking on the newly created role of vice president of Resource Development and Branding for MHA.

“Kim Lee is the first member of our leadership team whose primary focus will be to develop our organization’s face to the community,” said Cheryl Fasano, president and CEO of MHA. “She is well-known to leaders of government, media, and business state-wide, and her achievements in building strategic alliances have resulted in new resources and innovative solutions delivered through nonprofit businesses. We are excited to have her on our team at MHA.”

Lee previously served in communications and development roles in several local nonprofit organizations, including CHD, Square One, the Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Community United Way. She has advanced these organizations and the people they serve with an active voice in the community and through vigorous advocacy achieved by constant policy influence at the local, community, and state level.

A lifelong resident of Western Mass., Lee earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Westfield State College.

HOLYOKE — PeoplesBank has joined Big Y as a sponsor of the 2018 Great New England Air & Space Show, specifically by underwriting the appearance of Team Fastrax, a professional skydiving parachute demonstration team.

“This was a unique opportunity for us to honor those who served or are serving, as well as area veterans and active military personnel,” said Thomas Senecal, president and CEO of PeoplesBank. “It also is an investment in economic development, as the Air & Space Show brings thousands of people here, and it has an overall $15 million economic impact on the region.”

Team Fastrax has performed thousands of exhibition skydives at entertainment venues as far away as Moscow, Russia, and Normandy, France. Approved to jump in highly restricted airspace, it is the only parachute demo team to have performed over Ground Zero (on 9/11), the Pentagon, Independence Hall, and the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

To sponsor Team Fastrax, PeoplesBank worked with the Galaxy Community Council, a nonprofit that supports Westover and assists with putting on events like the air show.

The 2018 Great New England Air & Space Show will be held on Saturday and Sunday, July 14-15, and gates will open at 8 a.m. Shows are expected to start at 10 a.m. Attendance and parking are free.

BOSTON — Confidence among Massachusetts employers weakened considerably during June as tariffs, rising raw-material costs, and approval of paid family and medical leave in the Bay State raised concerns about business growth. 

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Business Confidence Index dropped 5.3 points to 61.3 last month, its lowest level since August 2017. Confidence remains well within the optimistic range, but the June decline left the BCI slightly below its level of a year ago.

Though analysts say the volatility in business confidence during May and June may reflect some statistical anomalies, the comments provided by employers on the monthly AIM survey suggest that companies are becoming increasingly concerned about a perfect storm of issues on the federal and state levels.

“It is certainly significant that the AIM Business Confidence Index is lower than it was in June 2017. It is also significant that many of the individual indicators that make up the overall index — ranging from employer hiring plans to their views of the Massachusetts economy — are also lower than they were a year ago,” said Raymond Torto, chair of AIM’s Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) and lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Design. “It will be interesting to see how confidence changes during the summer as Massachusetts continues to operate at virtually full capacity.”

The AIM Index, based on a survey of Massachusetts employers, has appeared monthly since July 1991. It is calculated on a 100-point scale, with 50 as neutral; a reading above 50 is positive, while below 50 is negative. The Index reached its historic high of 68.5 on two occasions in 1997-98, and its all-time low of 33.3 in February 2009. It has remained above 50 since October 2013.

The constituent indicators that make up the overall Business Confidence Index all lost ground during June. The Massachusetts Index assessing business conditions within the Commonwealth fell 7.2 points to 62.8, leaving it 1.4 points lower than in June 2017. The U.S. Index ended the month at 60.0, down 9.3 points for the month but 2.6 points better than a year ago. June marked the 100th consecutive month in which employers have been more optimistic about the Massachusetts economy than the national economy.

The Current Index, which assesses overall business conditions at the time of the survey, declined 2.6 points to 63.5. The Future Index, measuring expectations for six months out, fell 7.5 points to 59.1. The Current Index gained 1.6 points during the year, while the Future Index lost 2.6 points.

Employer views of their own companies also weakened. The Company Index declined 3.3 points to 61.2, down 1.2 points for 12 months. The Employment Index ended the month at 55.0, a 3.3-point decrease for the month and 3.1 points lower than a year ago. The Sales Index lost 2.9 points for the month and 0.2 points for the year.

Manufacturing companies (62.5) were slightly more optimistic than non-manufacturers (60.2). Companies in the eastern part of Massachusetts (63.3) were more bullish than those in the west (58.7).

“It’s interesting to note that medium and small companies remain significantly more optimistic than larger companies, reversing the typical pattern,” said Edward Pendergast, managing director at Dunn Rush & Co. “Entrepreneurial companies continue to drive growth here in Massachusetts.”

SPRINGFIELD — The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) announced that Rania Kfuri and MaryLynn Murray have joined its Board of Directors. They will each serve a three-year term.

Kfuri currently works as the Communications and Partnerships officer for the Solidago Foundation. Throughout her life experiences, she has worked to support educational opportunities and access to resources that improve the lives of women and girls. She has a professional background in international development, with a master’s degree in ethics, peace, and global affairs from American University in Washington D.C.

Murray is vice president for Commercial Lines and Sales at the Insurance Center of New England. She holds an MBA with a concentration in human resources and has been employed in the insurance industry since 2002. She previously served on the board of the Agawam Small Business Assoc. and on the Women’s Fund marketing committee.

In addition, new officers elected include Haydee Lamberty-Rodriguez as board president (formerly vice president), Leigh Rae as vice president (formerly board clerk), and Pia Kumar as clerk. Layla Taylor, immediate past board president, will remain on the board through June 2019.

SPRINGFIELD — For the second consecutive year, customers of Pride Stores and store management are showing support for Square One in a big way. 

Pride recently held a campaign where customers were encouraged to purchase a Square One ‘square’ for $1 at all Pride locations. Pride owner Bob Bolduc agreed to match all the donations in support the children and families served by Square One. Bolduc, along with his team, presented a check for $13,000 to Square One on July 3.

“We are so grateful to Bob Bolduc, the Pride staff, and their many loyal customers for their very generous support of our work,” said Kristine Allard, chief Development & Communications officer for Square One. “Not only did the campaign raise much-needed funds to support Square One’s work in the community, it was a great way to raise awareness of the programs and services that our agency provides. Whether we are teaching children to read and write, inspiring an appreciation of fine arts, providing a nourishing meal, or developing a healthy love of play, everything we do is driven by our vision of a bright future for all children, despite the daunting challenges many of them face at home.”

SPRINGFIELD — Crocker Communications Inc. has been honored with the exclusive ATSI 2018 Award of Excellence for the 10th year. This award is presented annually by the Assoc. of TeleServices International (ATSI), the industry’s trade association for providers of telecommunications and call-center services, including telephone answering and message delivery across North America and the UK.

Independent judges are contracted by ATSI to evaluate message services over a six-month period. The scoring criteria includes response time, courteousness of the representative, accuracy of the call, knowledge of the account, and overall impression of the call.

“The ATSI Award of Excellence is one of the many ways businesses in our industry can measure their customer-service levels as it relates to agent performance,” said ATSI President Josue Leon. “Agents are evaluated on how they interact with callers based on established call-handling criteria. The program gives participating companies bragging rights — and with good reason.”

The award was established 22 years ago as a means to improve the overall quality of the call-center industry by setting expectations and measurements to ensure a successful call-handling experience. 

SPRINGFIELD — Due to expanding needs, Bulkley Richardson has moved from its Amherst location into a more spacious office at 380 Russell St. in Hadley.

“This move supports the growing needs of our clients and offers a more centralized location in Hampshire County,” said Peter Barry, managing partner of the 35-attorney firm. “The move is another example of the firm striving to exceed client expectations. We can accommodate more attorneys working in the new space, which means offering a greater range of services to our clients.”

Seunghee Cha, partner, will be located primarily in Hadley, where she has a comprehensive estate-planning and administration practice, including special-needs planning for individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She looks forward to “welcoming my Springfield colleagues to Hampshire County and offering a greater breadth of services to both new and existing clients.”

Added Scott Foster, chair of the firm’s business and finance group, “our client base continues to grow, especially as we expand our services to meet the evolving changes to legal needs. Among other areas, a Hampshire County office is relevant to the unique needs of startups, reality of cybersecurity threats, and emergence of cannabis facilities. Our clients range from large hospitals and medical practices to small brewery startups, and nationwide manufactures to local farmers and artists — and a whole lot in between. By having a local office, it just brings us closer to these clients.”

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito administration and MassDevelopment announced $2,155,000 in funding for the third round of Collaborative Workspace Program grants, a MassDevelopment program that accelerates business formation, job creation, and entrepreneurial activity in communities by supporting infrastructure that fuels locally based innovation. Eligible organizations may apply for either seed grants to plan and study the feasibility of new collaborative workspaces, or fit-out grants to develop and expand existing workspaces.

Through its first two rounds of grants, the Collaborative Workspace Program provided $3 million in funding to more than 50 organizations for the planning, development, and build-out of different types of collaborative workspaces. This new round includes $1.5 million from the Commonwealth’s capital budget and $655,000 from the Barr Foundation, the second installment of a three-year, $1,965,000 grant to the program to expand support for arts-related collaborative workspaces in the Commonwealth.

“Through our 2016 Economic Development Legislation, our administration implemented the Collaborative Workspace Program to enable investments in community-based innovation infrastructure to provide entrepreneurs across Massachusetts with the resources to turn ideas into businesses,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. “Throughout the Commonwealth, participating communities are making progress in creating welcoming and productive spaces. We look forward to investing further in our statewide innovation ecosystem.” 
Added MassDevelopment President and CEO Lauren Liss, “funding awarded through the Collaborative Workspace Program has helped advance community-based innovation and entrepreneurship in cities and towns across the Commonwealth. Thanks to continued support from the Baker-Polito administration and the Barr Foundation, MassDevelopment is thrilled to kick off a third round of grants that will provide even more organizations with the resources they need to create or enhance collaborative workspaces in their community.”

MassDevelopment’s continued partnership with the Barr Foundation broadens the reach of the Collaborative Workspace Program to include the creative sector, a critical source of innovation and positive community change.

Proposals are due via e-mail at [email protected] by 5 p.m. on Friday, July 20. Funding decisions are expected to be announced at the end of September.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Normandeau Technologies Inc. (NTI) attended the National Assoc. of School Resource Officers in Reno, Nevada in June. The annual, one-week NASRO conference brings together SROs from throughout the U.S. and international locations to meet, discuss the current state of school safety, and receive updates and training on the latest issues surrounding school-safety policy and procedures for school-based law-enforcement officers.

NTI has undertaken a program to introduce the StaffAlerter Emergency Notification System (ENS) to school districts throughout the New England area. In association with this endeavor, Brett Normandeau, president and owner of NTI, is positioning the StaffAlerter with organizations associated with K-12 education, including NASRO. StaffAlerter is an ENS and cloud-based systems control. Any teacher or staff can press a button on a wi-fi personal access device and send a notification to thousands of people, lock doors, sound alarms, and page over loudspeakers.

“The turnout at the show was over 1,000 SROs, and we were able to demonstrate StaffAlerter to many of the attendees,” over the three days of the NASRO conference exhibition, Normandeau said. “The response was overwhelmingly positive, and we were also able to talk to the SROs to get their inputs for features they would want to see on the StaffAlerter that could improve their jobs.”

NASRO national leadership spent time with NTI to see and hear about StaffAlerter and were impressed and positive with their feedback, he added. NTI is looking to attend future SRO regional and national meetings as both exhibitor and presenter.

NORTHAMPTON — The Friends of Northampton Trails and Greenways will host a statewide conference of community rail-trail advocates and government policymakers on Saturday, July 28 at Union Station in Northampton.

The keynote speaker will be Kurt Gaertner, director of Land Policy and Planning for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), who is responsible for statewide land-use and land-conservation policies as well as sustainable development. 

Gaertner also serves as the Massachusetts secretary of state’s designee on the Massachusetts Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, and he represents the EEA on the Governor’s Trails Team. He is an adjunct faculty member at Boston University in its City Planning and Urban Affairs Program, where he has taught since 2009.

Gaertner will deliver the lunchtime address at the sixth Golden Spike 2018 Conference to be held over the past 16 years. Before lunch, in two separate one-hour sessions, a series of speakers will discuss updates and news along the path of the Mass Central Rail Trail from Boston to Northampton, and then from Northampton to New Haven, Conn. These talks will be highlighted by aerial maps via a live Google Maps feed. 

The event is open to residents of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The program begins at 8 a.m. with registration, breakfast, and networking. At 9:15 a.m., an update on the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail from Boston to Northampton will be offered, and Gaertner’s plenary session will begin at 12:30 p.m. The plenary costs $35 and includes lunch.

The goal of the conference is to update participants on new developments and the various uncompleted sections of the rail trail that stretches from New Haven to Northampton and across Massachusetts from Northampton to Boston.

As part of the conference, eight bicycle and walking tours of varying lengths, featuring topics from local history to flora and fauna along the rail trail, will be offered on Friday, July 27 and Saturday, July 28 at 2:30 p.m. The cost is $15 per tour.

Funding for the conference was provided by a $9,460 Recreational Trail Educational grant from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation as well as gifts from Greenfield Savings Bank and the national engineering firm VHB. To register for the conference or a tour, visit www.gs2018.org.

SPRINGFIELD — Comcast announced the appointment of Daniel Bonelli as vice president of Finance for the company’s Western New England Region, which includes more than 300 communities in Connecticut, Western Mass., New York, Vermont, and Western New Hampshire.

In this role, Bonelli will oversee all financial operations, including finance and accounting, warehouse and materials, information technology, facilities, security, fleet management, and environmental health and safety.

Bonelli began his career with Comcast in the Western New England Region in 2007 as a financial analyst. He quickly progressed to manager and then director before being promoted to senior director of Finance in 2014. In 2016, he relocated to the Philadelphia area, where he served as senior director of Finance for one of Comcast’s largest regions, overseeing a team of 60.

“Dan has an outstanding background in finance and operations,” said Michael Parker, senior vice president of Comcast’s Western New England Region. “His expertise in analysis, planning, and execution make him the ideal leader to oversee our financial operations, and we’re thrilled to welcome him back to Connecticut to join our regional leadership team.”

Bonelli graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance from Central Connecticut State University.

HOLYOKE — Annie Rosa signed up for the free Line Cook Training program at Holyoke Community College with a clear objective in mind — get a job working in one of the new restaurants opening soon at MGM Springfield.

The 38-year-old Springfield resident had worked in other restaurant kitchens, including Cracker Barrel, Cafe Lebanon, and Subway, but admits that most of her experience came from cooking for her family. She needed a professional boost. 

“I’m an MGM hopeful,” she said earlier this month, not long after starting daily classes at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute. Then, before the four-week training program concluded on June 29, Rosa accepted an offer to work as a pantry chef at the Chandler, MGM’s fine-dining steakhouse. She starts July 30.

“I’m no longer a hopeful. I’m part of the show,” she said. “I came here with a plan. I passed my ServSafe training and my TIPS training. I made new friends. I learned new things. And to work for MGM and have the possibility of growing my career with them — that was my ultimate goal. Overall, it was an awesome experience.”

So far, half the students in the program — four of the eight who completed the training — have been offered restaurant jobs with MGM.

Applications are now being accepted for the next round of Line Cook Training, which is free to experienced kitchen workers who want to take their culinary skills to a higher level.

“This is designed for professionals who have been out there for a while,” said HCC Culinary Arts instructor Warren Leigh. “Maybe they’re prep cooks, maybe they’re line cooks and they want to get better. They want to move up. That’s what we’re hoping to get in the next round also. That way we can push them to be better. We can make them better with their knife skills, really master sautéing, really master grilling — as best as we can in four weeks.”

Classes will run Monday through Friday, July 23 through Aug. 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the new HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute at 164 Race St., Holyoke. Class topics include moist and dry cooking methods, soups, stocks, sauces, knife skills, culinary math, and ServSafe and TIPS certifications. Students will also participate in résumé workshops and mock interviews.

The program is funded partly through a $50,000 grant HCC recently received as winner of the Deval Patrick Prize from the Boston Foundation for expanding its Culinary Arts program to help address workforce needs.

Applicants must have at least two years of experience working in the culinary industry. For more information or to register, call Ann Rocchi, job placement assistant, at (413) 552-2753, or Milissa Daniels, career development counselor, at (413) 552-2042.

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — The Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) announced that the credit-rating agency S & P Global Ratings has raised Bradley International Airport’s rating on its general airport revenue refunding bonds from ‘A’ to ‘A+’ with a stable outlook.

“S & P Global Ratings is one of the most respected and widely used sources for credit ratings,” said Charles Gray, chairman of the CAA Board of Directors. “We’re pleased that the agency shares our confidence in Bradley International Airport’s fiscally responsible management team and the airport’s continued success.”

S & P Global Ratings assigns a credit rating for Bradley International Airport’s public debt obligations. Some of the factors taken into account during the rating process include the airport’s strong financial and risk-management practices, steadily improving liquidity, low and declining debt burden, strong origin and destination base, diverse service-area economy, airline diversity, and increasing number of enplanements and positive trends. 

“Our business model is to attract new air carriers and to improve facilities while maintaining a competitive cost structure,” said Kevin Dillon, executive director of the CAA. “The raised rating demonstrates our continued financial stability and growth. It is an important indicator of Bradley Airport’s strength in the aviation marketplace and its key role as an economic driver in the region.”

HOLYOKE — Every year, the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women asks every state legislator to nominate someone from their district as an “Unsung Heroine.” For state Rep. Aaron Vega, this year’s pick was Debbie Flynn-Gonzalez, program director at the Gándara Center’s Hope for Holyoke peer-recovery support center.

Flynn-Gonzalez was honored with more than 100 other women on June 20 at the Massachusetts State House’s Great Hall. Each Unsung Heroine received a citation signed by Gov. Charlie Baker and had her bio read aloud at the event.

“I am so impressed with Deb’s leadership among our most vulnerable and the supportive community she’s created,” Vega said. “I’m proud that she has been able to do this work in my hometown, and we’re all the richer for it.”

Flynn-Gonzalez began her career in social work as a mental-health clinician performing outreach work in Holyoke 24 years ago before her personal background in recovery led her to work with the recovery community. She launched the first peer-recovery program for pregnant and parenting women in Holyoke and led that program for eight years. She has been program director at Hope for Holyoke for three years.

“Recovery is different for women,” she says. “For a mother in recovery, your children are your greatest source of motivation. I always understood that as someone who has walked in their shoes.” 

Hope for Holyoke has 300 active members, with an average of 50 people accessing the center daily. One of the members, Kaitlyn, who leads a spiritual journey group there, has high praise for Flynn-Gonzalez. “People walk through these doors broken,” she said. “Starting our day feeling loved is difficult. Deb always makes me feel cared for. She brings out the best in me.”

At the event, Flynn-Gonzalez noted that she couldn’t help but think of the many people in recovery she had meet throughout the years. “For me, it is just such an honor to be part of their journeys. For some of them it is very brief, and they move on. But for others, they remain a part of my life as they continue to grow. Some of them even work in the field now, and they are the new generation of women who will be carrying on this all-so-important peer-recovery work.”

Flynn-Gonzalez earned her bachelor’s degree in social work at UMass Amherst and her master’s degree in counseling and psychology from Cambridge College. She is fluent in Spanish and said she learned the language on the streets of Holyoke and from the mothers she worked with early in her career.

BOSTON — A new, statewide study of marijuana use among Massachusetts residents found that about 21% of adults had used marijuana in the past 30 days, and the proportion of marijuana use was highest among 18- to 25-year-olds.

The study, conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), was mandated by the Legislature as part of its revisions to the 2016 adult-use marijuana law. The purpose of the study was to investigate the patterns of use, methods of consumption, and general perceptions of marijuana; incidents of impaired driving and hospitalization related to marijuana use; and the economic and fiscal impacts for state and local governments.

“The study establishes a baseline measurement of how marijuana is used and how that affects public health, public safety, and potential revenue in the state before adult-use marijuana becomes widely available,’’ said Marc Nascarella, the study’s principal investigator.

Among the study’s other highlights, smoking is the most common method of marijuana consumption, although more than 40% of marijuana users report using multiple methods of use. More than half of adults perceive marijuana to have slight or no risks and use marijuana for non-medical purposes.

A survey of patients who use marijuana products for medical use suggests that the average person uses marijuana 24 days a month, with the majority using marijuana products for at least 21 out of the past 30 days.

Among respondents that use marijuana, 34.3% reported driving under the influence. Overall, 7.2% of the adult population drove under the influence of marijuana in the past 30 days, and 11.3% of adults rode with a marijuana-using driver in the past 30 days. This is similar to estimates from a survey of medical marijuana patients that found approximately 10% of respondents drove under the influence in the past 30 days.

The number of marijuana-related calls to the Regional Poison Control Center in Massachusetts has been increasing over time. The calls include incidents of unintentional exposures among children, with the majority of calls related to 10- to 19-year-old individuals, and/or exposure to dried marijuana flower. The proportion of calls increased after medical marijuana was available in the Commonwealth. 

Economic projections suggest that marijuana will increase Massachusetts state revenue by about $215.8 million in the first two years of retail sales. The increase will largely come from sales and excise taxes collected on retail purchases. Based on experiences from states with existing legalized adult use, sales-tax revenue is expected to be higher in the second year ($154.2 million), as compared to the first year ($61.6 million). 

The study began in early 2017 and was conducted by DPH, in consultation with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. In addition to state-agency expertise, DPH partnered with the UMass Donahue Institute/UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Mathematica Policy Research Inc., and JSI Research and Training Inc. to assist with the execution of the study.

SPRINGFIELD — The Center for Human Development (CHD) has named Ben Craft its vice president of Community Engagement.

In the newly restructured position, Craft has been charged with deepening the nonprofit human services agency’s relationships in the communities it serves in Massachusetts and Connecticut. In the role, he will oversee strategic communications, marketing and development as well as community, government, and provider relations.

Craft brings a strong background in communications, engagement and advocacy to CHD, coupled with almost 10 years of experience in healthcare and public policy at a critical point in CHD’s growth and development.

 “We are excited to have Ben join us at a time when CHD is not only expanding our network of human services into more communities, but also at a time when we are playing a critical and growing role in the new model of care management, and connecting people with complex needs to more preventive and supportive services,” said Jim Goodwin, president and CEO of CHD. 

“Stronger relationships with our partners, collaborators, funders, and the community at large are absolutely critical to helping us further our mission of positively changing lives through our network of human services, and Ben’s technical grasp of the critical issues of healthcare along with his skills as a relationship builder, communicator, and connector will supercharge this effort,” Goodwin explained.

Craft, who grew up in East Longmeadow, started his career in New York at The Wall Street Journal and worked at the United Nations as a communications officer before returning home to Western Mass. in 2008 to work for Baystate Health, most recently as the Senior Director of Government and Public Affairs. He is a 1996 graduate of UMass Amherst.

SPRINGFIELD — Joined by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Paul Picknelly, president of Monarch Enterprises, Jeff Lomma of the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce and other guests, a team of United Bank employees officially cut the ribbon to its new location   at 1414 Main Street- One Monarch Place on Thursday.

Earlier this year, the bank moved its branch from 115 State St. into the first floor of One Monarch Place, the signature office tower in Springfield. Thursday marked its ceremonial opening of the new branch location.

United Bank noted several reasons why they wanted to relocate to One Monarch Place, including creating a more modern, ergonomically-designed floor plan and optimizing space to enhance the banking experience for their personal, commercial and business banking customers.

The Monarch Place location has private offices for bankers to privately meet with customers, including offices for the Bank’s branch manager, financial advisor, mortgage banker and business banker who cover the Springfield market. The space provides better company branding opportunities due to everyday pedestrian traffic on the street level and among visitors and potential customers who work or utilize the amenities inside the building. The location also provides greater exposure among other neighboring businesses – including the new Starbucks that opened next door.

“United Bank’s commitment to first-class banking and community giving in the Greater Springfield market dates back to 1882. Today, we are celebrating another milestone that underscores our commitment to our customers who bank with us at Monarch Place, strengthening our community partnerships in Springfield and attracting new personal, commercial and business banking customers,” said William H.W. Crawford, IV, CEO & President of United Bank. “It’s the type of physical banking location that is more inviting to our customers and potential customers looking to bank with a local, established and reputable banking partner in downtown Springfield.”

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College President Dr. Mary-Beth A. Cooper is pleased to announce the appointment of Kathleen Martin of to the position of executive director of the Capital Campaign and Campus Strategy. Martin begins July 2.

The appointment marks Martin’s return to Springfield College, where she received both her doctorate in Physical Education with a Specialization in Sport Psychology and her Master of Science in Physical Education (athletics administration concentration). She also began her teaching career at Springfield College.

“We are delighted to welcome Kathy back home to Springfield College,” said Cooper. “Her extensive background in senior administrative roles make her an exceptional fit to lead strategic initiatives that are underway at Springfield College.”

Martin will be responsible for coordinating the overall strategic direction of the College’s capital campaign, strategic plan, and campus master plan. Through the development of strong collaborative relationships with the office of the president, the college’s senior leadership team and key stakeholders, Martin will serve as the primary lead, strategist, and coordinator of strategic initiatives.

Most recently, Martin served as vice provost and chief educational compliance officer and Title IX coordinator at Bay Path University. She also held the positions of director of Institutional Research and Special Projects, and assistant provost for Academic Affairs.

SPRINGFIELD — As business use of drones continues to expand, Springfield Technical Community College will offer an introductory three-day course to train people to become pilots of the unmanned aircraft systems.

Intro to sUAS (small unmanned aircraft systems) will be taught on Saturdays — Sept. 8, 15 and 22 — between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at STCC.

The Federal Aviation Administration has released regulations that pave the way for expanded commercial use of the aircraft systems commonly called drones. As part of the guidelines, drone pilots are required to pass the FAA’s remote pilot knowledge test “Unmanned Aircraft — General” to receive an FAA remote pilot certification and be able to use drones for commercial purposes.

STCC’s comprehensive 18-hour ‘Intro to sUAS’ course provides hands-on skills training for aspiring business operators to fly drones safely and efficiently and helps them prepare for FAA certification. 

Goldman Sachs Research estimates the economic impact of sUAS technology to be $100 billion between 2016 and 2020. Much of this growth comes from the application of drone technology to existing industries, as well as emerging businesses yet to be created, their growth facilitated by the FAA regulations which went into effect in 2016. 

Industry applications include construction, agriculture, insurance, real estate, public safety, inspections, law enforcement, ecommerce, environmental conservation and mapping, to name a few.

“It’s the next transformative technology that will change how business is done for many industries,” said Elliot M. Levy, senior director for the Workforce Development Center at STCC. “We are offering the most comprehensive, up-to-date course material available so that members of our business community can be among those who are capturing this technology’s potential.”

STCC President John B. Cook said the drone course exemplifies the college’s effort to bring technology innovation to the regional workforce.

“This course focuses on one of the most innovative technologies today, and STCC is pleased to offer this unique workforce opportunity,” Cook said. “This training is ideal for people working in a wide range of fields.”

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Experience the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder at Little House Family Day Saturday, July 14, at Storrowton Village Museum.

Wilder, best known for penning the Little House on the Prairie books, had adventures on the American frontier that have captivated the imaginations of children for well over 100 years, whether on the written page or via the popular television series based on her books.

Different 19th century activities will take place throughout the day, so guests can enjoy a whole day of fun or participate in a few favorites. 

Visitors can also play old-fashioned prairie games on the Village green, learn about foraging on the frontier, and make corn husk dolls. Bring your best detective skills because this year will include a new scavenger hunt and anyone who completes the hunt will receive a small prize.

The day’s special guest will be Laura Ingalls historical interpreter, Rosalie Silliman. She will give two presentations, including one in the Village’s one-room schoolhouse, for a taste of what Laura’s life was like as a schoolteacher.

“It’s an annual tradition to celebrate Laura Ingalls Wilder and her New England heritage here at Storrowton. Her ancestors hail from Corinth, Vt., and Grafton, N.H., which isn’t too far away. This event is now in its fourth year and a favorite for many of the families that return each year,” museum director Jessica K. Fontaine said.

Tickets for Little House Family Day are $8 in advance via storrowtonvillage.com (through 7/13/18) or $10 on the day of the event. All children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, visit storrowtonvillage.com/p/tours-and-events/little-house-family-day

HARTFORD, CT – Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) announced today that ridership on the new CTrail Hartford Line passenger rail service exceeded 10,719 customers during its first full week of regular operations from Monday, June 18 through Sunday, June 24, during which full-fare tickets were required.

The service launched on Saturday, June 16, and was free for all riders on the first two days of operation.

“We know that it will take some time for this new rail service to grow to full maturity and become part of the everyday lives of Connecticut residents, but there is definitely an excitement about this long-overdue train service,” said Malloy. “At the end of the day, this transit service is about building vibrant communities that attract businesses, grow jobs, and make our state a more attractive place to live, visit, and do business.”

“I’ve spoken with scores of riders who have begun to use the Hartford Line and who are saying their commute has become much easier and less stressful,” CTDOT Commissioner James P. Redeker said. “With easy access and connections with our CTtransit buses, we are opening up all kinds of options for getting around Connecticut – whether you’re going to work, to school, or simply playing the role of tourist.”

Stations along the line from north to south include New Haven Union Station, New Haven State Street, Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, Hartford, Windsor, Windsor Locks, and Springfield, Massachusetts. Trains run approximately every 45 minutes during the weekday morning and evening peak periods.

The Hartford Line connects commuters to existing rail services in New Haven that allow for easy connections to Boston, New York City, and beyond, including the New Haven Line (Metro-North), Shore Line East, Amtrak Acela and Northeast Regional services. CTtransit local bus service is also available at most stations along the line, and connections to the CTfastrak bus rapid transit system is available in Hartford.

SPRINGFIELD — Comcast today announced the appointment of Daniel Bonelli as vice president of Finance for the company’s Western New England Region, which includes more than 300 communities in Connecticut, New York, Vermont, Western Mass. and Western New Hampshire.

In this role, Bonelli will oversee all financial operations, including finance and accounting; warehouse and materials; information technology; facilities; security; fleet management; and environmental health and safety.

Bonelli began his career with Comcast in the Western New England Region in 2007 as a financial analyst. He quickly progressed to manager and then director before being promoted to Senior Director of Finance in 2014. In 2016, Bonelli relocated to the Philadelphia area where he served as senior director of Finance for one of Comcast’s largest regions that serves Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey and oversaw a team of 60. Over the span of his tenure, his responsibilities included financial oversight and operational support for technical and engineering operations; call centers operations, sales and marketing operations; administrative and personnel administration; and fleet management. 

“Dan has an outstanding background in finance and operations,” said Michael Parker, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s Western New England Region. “His expertise in analysis, planning and execution make him the ideal leader to oversee our financial operations and we’re thrilled to welcome him back to Connecticut to join our regional leadership team.”

Bonelli graduated with a bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Central Connecticut State University.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Casting Crowns, an award-winning contemporary Christian Rock band, will perform at The Big E’s xfinity arena Sept. 16.

Made up of seven members, Casting Crowns holds the distinction of Billboard’s top selling act in Christian music with more than 11 million records sold worldwide. With their latest album, The Very Next Thing, Casting Crowns progresses in its journey to bring listeners closer to their faith.

Front man Mark Hall draws inspiration from real-life experiences. The local church is the heartbeat of the band and he maintains his more than 25-year role as the student pastor at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

All Casting Crowns band members remain active in ministry in the Atlanta, Ga., area and tour according to their local church commitments. Members include Megan Garrett, Josh Mix, Juan and Melodee DeVevo, Chris Huffman, and Brian Scoggin.

On June 21, The Horace Smith Fund held its 119^th Corporators’ Meeting and scholarship awards ceremony in the Carriage House at Storrowton Tavern for recipients, their parents and school counselors, and Corporators.

Wayne Webster, Chair of the Board of Trustees, announced that this year there were 30 Walter S. Barr Scholarship awards, with 25 given to graduating high school seniors and five given to recipients already attending college. The William R. Rooney Award was granted to one candidate who has had special needs. There were also six Walter S. Barr Fellowship recipients. Providing that students maintain at least a B average in college, each scholarship provides a total of $10,000 over four years and each fellowship provides $12,000 over three years.  Therefore, The Horace Smith Fund is pleased to have granted a total award of $382,000 to area students this year.

The Horace Smith Fund was established in 1899 by the successful and generous philanthropist Horace Smith.  He and Daniel Wesson were the founders of Smith & Wesson, located in Springfield.  Smith’s will provided that the residual of his estate, after several bequests to relatives and institutions, was to be used for public purposes at the discretion of his executors. They decided that it should be used to help deserving students finance their education.

The Walter S. Barr Scholarships and Fellowships are named for a West Springfield businessman, whose widow left the bulk of the family estate to The Horace Smith Fund in 1950. The William R. Rooney Award is named for a past Executive Director with a desire to assist special needs students.  All recipients must be residents of Hampden County.

The keynote speaker and dance performance artist was Jessica M. Baker of Southwick, a 2016 graduate of Point Park University and past recipient of the Walter S. Barr Scholarship.

Students were selected on a variety of criteria, including their test scores, class rank, extra-curricular activities, and a personal written account of why the student feels deserving of financial assistance.  Applications for next year’s awards will be available Sept. 15 on-line at www.HoraceSmithFund.org or by calling (413) 739-4222.  

WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — The Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) announced that the roadway construction at Bradley International Airport’s Route 20 entrance is approaching its final stages. During these next phases of construction, access to the airport from the Route 20 connector will not be interrupted, however, new traffic patterns will be put in place to allow for the completion of the construction.

“This is an exciting time at Bradley International Airport,” said CAA Executive Director Kevin A. Dillon, A.A.E. “We’re committed to taking the travel experience at the airport to the next level and that starts with the arrival at the airport. The new roadway will completely change the way travelers enter the airport, most importantly it will make access easier and safer. It will also bring us one step closer to the development of the Ground Transportation Center, which will be another major improvement for our travelers.”

The CAA began the construction of the new roadway system in June 2017. The project involves the realignment of Schoephoester Road along with a portion of the airport’s lower roadway system, as well as the construction of a modern roundabout. Ultimately, when construction is complete, these changes will provide a new entrance to the airport at the Route 20 access point.

The main feature of the new roadway system is the modern roundabout which is an effective tool to reducing vehicle speeds while maintaining high levels of traffic. The new roadway system will also result in the opening of a 19-acres site, which will be used for the future development of the airport’s Ground Transportation Center.

During these next phases of construction, and over the course of the next six months, there will be several changes to the traffic pattern in order to achieve the final roadway configuration. Construction signs and variable message boards will be present along the roadway to alert travelers to these changes. Information about the changes in traffic patterns will be available on the airport’s website, www.bradleyairport.com. Travelers are advised to plan ahead and allow extra time when coming to the airport during this time period.

The construction of the new entrance to the airport is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2018. The total cost of the project is approximately $11,000,000.

SPRINGFIELD — United Personnel announced the expansion of its Connecticut-based team. Nancy Scirocco Nesbitt has joined the company as its new vice president of Business Development for the Connecticut region, while Brandon Houston, United Personnel’s new director of Client Services, is leading the expansion of the firm’s Information Technology Division.

Scirocco Nesbitt, most recently vice president for Government and Not-for-Profit Banking for Webster Bank, brings more than 20 years of management, client-support, and economic-development experience to her position with United. Past positions include vice president of at the Metro Hartford Alliance, adjunct professor at Central Connecticut State University, and contract administrator at Otis Elevator. She has an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut. She serves on the Governor’s Task Force for Abused Children and is a former board member of Internhere.com and the Special Olympics of Connecticut.

Houston has more than 10 years of human-resources experience, with a specialty in recruiting and placing software engineers, developers, architects, project managers, infrastructure, and security personnel. He most recently worked as a senior account manager for Prestige Staffing in Atlanta. Other prior positions include recruitment management roles at Latitude Inc. and Maxim Healthcare. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Tennessee and is involved with the Metro Hartford Alliance and HYPE.

“United Personnel is excited about the opportunity to expand our human-resources and recruiting services in the Connecticut marketplace,” said United Personnel President Tricia Canavan. “Nancy and Brandon will lead our innovation in recruitment and placement services, providing significant value to both our clients and candidates.”

GREENFIELD — PV Squared, a local solar company based in Greenfield, was recognized for creating the most positive impact for its workers and the world, based on an independent, comprehensive assessment administered by the nonprofit B Lab.

PV Squared is honored in the Best for Workers and Best for the World lists. The assessments measure a company’s impact on its workers, community, customers, and the environment.

The Best for Workers designation assesses the company’s relationship with its workforce and how it treats its workers through compensation, benefits, training, and ownership opportunities. The category also focuses on the overall work environment within the company by assessing management/worker communication, job flexibility, corporate culture, and worker health and safety practices. PV Squared made the list because it is a worker-owned cooperative that implements a collaborative and transparent decision-making process, and has created a safe environment for workers to share their ideas and beliefs.

“With the rise of anger at a system that feels rigged, people are hungry for companies like PV Squared, who are changing the system by building businesses that seek to create the greatest positive impact,” said Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of B Lab. “Best for the World is the only list of businesses that uses comprehensive, comparable, third-party-validated data about a company’s social and environmental performance. As consumers, talent, and investors increasingly demand transparent, values-aligned businesses to buy from, work at, and invest in, companies will need to not just be the best in the world but the best for the world. Not just to be nice — but to be the most successful.”

Of PV Squared’s 44 employees, 24 are worker-owners. The company has provided renewable-energy solutions to residential and commercial clients in the Pioneer Valley and surrounding regions since 2002.

SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden County Bar Association (HCBA) announced the recipients of four scholarships for the 2018-19 academic year.

Andrew Berthiaume and Victoria Lyne, both students at Western New England University School of Law, have been awarded the John F. Moriarty Scholarship, which was established in 1985 to extend the standards of professional and personal excellence in the practice of law.

In addition, Patrick Greenhalgh, student at the University of Connecticut School of Law, and Symin Charpentier, student at Suffolk University, were awarded the Colonel Archer B. Battista Veterans Scholarship. The scholarship was established in memory of the late colonel and HCBA past president who dedicated his career to helping veterans. The scholarship was available to any veteran pursuing a legal degree.

EAST LONGMEADOW — Local author and business owner Carleen Eve Fischer Hoffman is featured in the new book The Waiting Room: Invisible Voices of Lyme.

The book is a compilation of 27 real-life stories released to help raise Lyme disease awareness, to encourage sufferers to keep fighting, and to help caregivers and doctors understand how to better support those with Lyme disease. Compiled by author Vickie Gould, the book outlines the struggles that sufferers go through on a daily basis, and aims to raise awareness and understanding of the disease.

“It was difficult for me to write my story, and I was hesitant to release it for fear of what my family, friends, and colleagues would think — and, in fact, I had missed the deadline while contemplating my decision,” said Fischer Hoffmann, owner of the Clutter Doctor Inc. “But then I thought to myself, what if, by sharing my story, someone reading it got inspired to speak up and get help? Of course I would be happy with that.”

Added Gould, “it is our hope that this book will not just raise awareness for Lyme disease, but also give hope to those suffering. Suicide is a top killer of those suffering from Lyme disease, and part of the angst that goes along with it is the fact that many family and friends don’t believe in Lyme, as it’s an invisible disease. I want this book to help those who surround Lyme sufferers, including doctors, to believe, love, and support them so the suffering can end.”

The book is available for purchase on Amazon, and all profits will be donated to the Lyme documentary The Monster Inside Me.