Karen Buell: 27

Internet Branch Officer, PeoplesBank

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.

She ran in the recent Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Road Race, and, while her time wasn’t her best (actually, it was her worst) — “it was hot; when you’re training in the winter, when it’s in the 30s and 40s, and then you get 75 on the day of the race, that’s a little toasty” — she was happy to be out there competing.

Maintaining a sharp competitive edge is one of many life lessons Buell took away from her college athletic experiences, and she takes it to work every day as Internet Branch officer at Holyoke-based PeoplesBank.

“Twice in soccer we went to the nationals, so I’ve played at a really high level,” she explained. “You learn a lot from that; there are always challenges to overcome. Teamwork plays a big part in it; you have to rely on team members, and there are going to be people with strengths that you don’t have, and you need them for that, and you might have strengths that they can’t provide.”

Another quality she’s borrowed from sports is discipline. “Being an athlete requires a person to be disciplined,” she explained, “to perfect their talents through practice, and even research the best ways to get results.”

These lessons from athletic competition, plus a strong faith in God, have helped Buell blend success in her profession — she’s risen quickly in the ranks, from assistant manager to mortgage consultant to Internet branch officer — with considerable work within the community, much of it ‘green’ in nature. She has helped coordinate Habitat for Humanity projects, planned a Transportation Day for MassRides to help people find carpool matches, and served as project lead for the second annual Environmental Fair on Earth Day. She also teaches financial literacy to children in local schools, and is vice president of the Northampton Area Young Professionals.

Considering all this, it’s easy to see why she’s considered a winner — on the job and off. —George O’Brien

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James Leahy: 36

Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, Alcon Laboratories; Holyoke City Councilor

James Michael Leahy’s father emigrated from Ireland to South Boston and married the daughter of two Irish immigrants.

“Nothing was handed to them. I saw how hard they worked, and that’s been ingrained in me,” said Leahy, adding that his father admired former Boston Mayor James Michael Curley — so much that he named his son after him. “He told me stories about how this mayor helped immigrant people who were struggling. And I’ve been given so much in life that I feel I should give back.”

Over the years, Leahy has served the community with financial philanthropy and volunteer work for organizations including the YMCA, the Holyoke Children’s Museum, the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round, and the Holyoke Boys Club, as well as overseeing the very well-attended 2010 St. Patrick’s parade and road race. Then there’s the Holyoke City Council; he was first elected at age 24 and is now serving his sixth term.

“I work on quality-of-life issues, safe streets, keeping Holyoke affordable, bringing new business into the city,” he said. He helped the Police Department procure financing for bulletproof vests and is working to get them tasers as well, and he received a proclamation from former Mayor Michael Sullivan for testimony in a notable rape case.

Leahy balances all this with about 50 hours of work each week at Alcon Laboratories, a worldwide leader in vision products. There, he trains new employees and sits on a human-resources diversity board among his everyday responsibilities, which focus on products for glaucoma, allergies, and dry eye.

Considering all those roles, it’s no wonder that he makes family time count. A member of Springfield Country Club, he takes turns bringing his kids (ages 9, 8, and 4) to play a few holes of golf in the evening and then shares some one-on-one time over ice cream.

“That’s my quality time with my children,” he said. But it sounds like Leahy strives for quality with all his time.

—Joseph Bednar

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