Susan Mielnikowski: 38
Attorney, Cooley, Shrair, P.C.
Susan Mielnikowski will tell you that, after working as an attorney for 14 years, if she’s met her professional goals, then she’s not doing her job properly. “I don’t think there’s ever such a thing as being ‘done,’” she told BusinessWest. “The minute I reach a benchmark, I’ll raise the bar and set a new one for myself.”
Within her purview as an elder and estate-planning attorney, Mielnikowski sees her role not only as a source of information not only for her clients, but also for the community at large. “For anyone who needs the assistance — insurance agents, financial planners,” she explained, “I consider myself a good resource.”
And many would agree. From her work at the Mason-Wright Foundation retirement community, which she called “a fantastic gem,” to her particular passion, which is Planned Parenthood, Mielnikowski continues to push herself professionally and personally. But there is one interest that, sadly, will be unable to return to this year.
“But only because my daughter didn’t want to play tee ball any longer!” she said with a laugh, explaining why she will be unable to return to the coaching role she held last year in her hometown of Agawam.
While her son’s athletic exploits will still demand some of her time — “he was on the all-stars last year,” she said — work in the community and in the office continues. From starting her own firm years ago, on up to her current position with Springfield-based Cooley-Shrair, where she hopes someday soon to become partner, her work has always been defined by her focus on keeping herself an integral component of the region.
With time opened up from her brief sporting career, she said that pushing her benchmarks can proceed with earnest. “Three years from now, I’d like to be offering the same level of support. Five years ago, my clientele had different concerns than they do today, and I’m sure I’ll change with the times.
“I’m hitting my stride professionally,” she said with confidence. —Dan Chase
Aaron Vega said he never considered himself to be the “big entrepreneur type.”
Foley-Connelly Financial Partners, Foley Insurance Group
When Ian Vukovich is asked, as he often is, just what a project manager does at a bank, his response is, “very exciting work.”
Thomas Galanis says he’s a Renaissance man. “I have good skills, but am able to step outside the box and practice creative problem-solving through the use of technology and other disciplines such as organizational behavior, change management, and project management,” he said.
Thomas Walsh cares deeply about the city of Springfield. He grew up in the historic district of Forest Park and still lives there. “Springfield is a great city. We certainly have our urban challenges, but there are a lot of positive things and positive people who live here,” he said.
At 16 years old, Anthony Gleason was starting his own business while most of his friends were working for others. 
As he talked with BusinessWest for his 40 Under Forty profile, Sean Wandrei was in training for the Boston Marathon. Sort of.
Nancy Bazanchuk says that when individuals with disabilities are competing in sports, they feel like athletes, not individuals who happened to be disabled. 
Meghan Hibner believes the greatest joys in life are found by branching out. “Don’t limit your possibilities,” she says.
Growing up with 11 siblings, Byron White developed a work ethic early on.
David Beturne says it’s very simple to make a difference in a child’s life. 
Amanda Huston is a public face of Junior Achievement of Western Mass., often visible at civic events, raising the profile of the organization that educates young people about business.
Chester Wojcik grew up with a family motto that said, “it is important to put a smile on someone’s face every day.” That principle, combined with his desire to give back to the community and build positive relationships, is a cornerstone of Wojcik’s life.
Raymond Berry says it’s rewarding to know he is making a difference. It’s a mission for him and something he strives to do as an active volunteer in the city of Springfield. 
Peter Zurlino says that his goal when he started out in business was rather simple: “I didn’t want to dread going to work every day.”
Maegan Brooks’ family has lived in Holyoke for several generations, and she believes in the future of Greater Springfield. But negative perceptions, she said, hinders that potential.
When David Kutcher started his first business enterprise, a graphic-arts and Web-design firm, he looked at the strengths of two friends for inspiration.
Karen Buell played three sports at Houghton College in Upstate New York — soccer, basketball, and track and field — and she’s still quite an athlete.
James Michael Leahy’s father emigrated from Ireland to South Boston and married the daughter of two Irish immigrants.
“Information is power, and I have valuable information to give people about the political world,” she said. “I know how to move things forward and know where the levers and push points are in the political world.”
The fuzzy friends are part of a program called Second Step, which Moore, a guidance counselor, uses to coach young children on how to deal with frustrating emotions that can occur in certain situations, such as two kids wanting to play with the same toy at once.
Chris Thompson has a large collection of hockey memorabilia in his office at the MassMutual Center, from assorted pucks and sticks to a framed copy of that famous photo of Bobby Orr flying through the air as he scored the winning goal to cap off the Boston Bruins’ dramatic charge to the Stanley Cup in 1970.
The Wayfarers, as the band was called, played in venues all over Springfield, with frequent appearances at the downtown club Theodore’s. Bessette, who earned a degree in Business Administration at UMass Amherst, managed and promoted the band, while his brother, a graphic artist, designed the outfit’s eye-catching posters, which became the envy of all the other bands in town.
He should know, having spent four years in active service and another five in reserve duty. Earning the rank of major, Murphy knows something about leadership — a trait he employs as president of First American Insurance Agency in Chicopee, a job he grew into.
“I was beginning to research what I would get into,” said Tur, one of the youngest-ever 40 Under Forty honorees. “I knew I didn’t want a typical job coming out of college. I wanted to go out on my own. And I came across a great opportunity.”
She’s been to India and the Far East, all around Italy, to several cities in the U.S., and, last summer, to Iceland. It was a great trip, but frustrating in one respect. A budding photographer, Calvanese wanted a nice shot of an Icelandic sunset. The problem was, she went there in the middle of summer, when the sun was out 24 hours a day.
“I was standing on my couch screaming,” he said while describing his viewing experience of the championship game against Miami of Ohio, during which BU, his alma matter, stormed back from two goals down late and went on to win in overtime. “Coach [Jack] Parker pulled the goalie with three minutes left. There was a lot of time left to be doing that, but the strategy paid off — they came back and tied it.”
For example, at Bay Path College earlier this decade, she developed the college’s Entrepreneurial Program, not only mentoring students in how to start their own businesses, but also forging educational partnerships between the college and area companies.
s a patent attorney, Chadwell works with and for people who come to her with vague ideas, sophisticated plans, and everything in between.
As it turned out, Ludlow-based Studio99Creative — which assists businesses with not only Web design but also total branding efforts — helped this client open up new opportunities in corporate and industrial photography. “So she came back to me to build a Web site for that side of the business, too.”
