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Alumni Achievement Award

James Krupienski Wins BusinessWest’s Alumni Achievement Award

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Alumni Achievement Award Features Special Coverage

James Krupienski receives his AAA trophy from Brandon Okezie, president and COO of Baystate Noble Hospital, and BusinessWest Associate Publisher Kate Campiti.

All A’s

James Krupienski calls it “paying it forward.”

That’s his way of describing his mindset of paying homage to those who mentored and counseled him early in his career by doing the same with the next generation of young accountants at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK), where he’s a partner.

“I had a lot of mentoring at different levels — it started with a professor in college, and then a tax attorney that I’m still friends with, and then at PWC [PricewaterhouseCoopers], where I started, and then at MBK; there were some great partners I had as resources,” he told BusinessWest. “There were a lot of great people to surround myself with, and I made a point to reach out to them, ask questions, and get their advice.

“And over time, I look at the younger staff here, and I see a group of great people; I see a lot of people who remind me of me when I was that age,” he went on. “And I want to do as much to help them as people helped me.”

This desire to pay it forward is one many reasons why Krupienski was chosen by a panel of judges to be the latest recipient of BusinessWest’s Alumni Achievement Award, sponsored by Baystate Health and Health New England and presented annually to the 40 Under Forty honoree who has, in those judges’ eyes, most embellished his or her track record of success in their chosen field and with giving back to the community.

He was presented with the award at the 40 Under Forty gala on June 11, after being introduced along with fellow finalists Modesto Montero-Forman, founder of Libertas Academy Charter School; Adam Quenneville, owner of Adam Quenneville Roofing and Siding; and Ciara Speller, anchor for WWLP-22 News and founder of the Jeffrey Speller Foundation ‘4 Change.’

Krupienski’s nomination for the award spells out continued success and advancement in his career — he’s risen from CPA manager in the Health Care and Pension Audit divisions to partner at the firm — and continued work within the community, both in his hometown of Westfield and across the region.

Indeed, the day after he took home his AAA plaque, he was one of a few dozen employees at MBK and PeoplesBank (both businesses are located in the same office tower in Holyoke) taking part in a build-a-bed initiative for the nonprofit A Bed for Every Child.

“It was exciting — there were at least 15 people from each organization, and they built about 20 beds,” said Krupienski, adding that another of his priorities is to continue and build on a culture of giving back at the firm.

But his work to pay it forward and be a mentor is another big reason why he is now a AAA recipient.

When asked what he tries to impart on younger team members, he paused a minute and then said he encourages them not to be afraid to fail — “because that’s how you learn. It’s going to happen — it happens to everyone — and you want to do it in a way that’s constructive and you’re getting something out of it.

“Whether it’s a manager reviewing a first year’s work or me as a partner reviewing a manager’s work … we’re going to find things; that’s why we review everything here,” he went on. “But that’s also how that new hire learns and can grow to the manager level, and also how the manager can learn, see things from a different perspective, and grow to the partner level down the road.”

As a partner, he acknowledged that he’s busy, but makes the time to spend time with younger team members at different levels, from those interning at the firm — his son, Jimmy, was one of them this past year — to those working their way up. And he does so in different settings, from a charity golf tournament (he invited an audit manager to play with him at an upcoming event) to Krupienski’s Korner, a gathering spot in the break room at MBK that he created to help team members get a reprieve from the pressures of tax season on Friday afternoons after 5.

It’s all part of those collective efforts to pay it forward — work that helps explain why Krupienski has joined a rather exclusive club: Alumni Achievement Award winners.

—George O’Brien

Introducing BusinessWest’s 2026 Alumni Achievement Award Finalists

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Alumni Achievement Award Cover Story Features

In 2015, BusinessWest, created a new recognition program that would eventually be called the Alumni Achievement Award (AAA), recognizing those individuals who have most expanded upon the résumés that earned them membership in the now-800-strong 40 Under Forty club.

And while there is usually one winner each year (there have been two on a pair of occasions), we profile all the finalists for the award each year because … well, just being among the handful of top scorers is an achievement of note.

“Last year I was very surprised and honored to have been named a finalist for the 40 Under Forty Alumni Achievement Award,” said Jeffrey Fialky, managing shareholder at Bacon Wilson, P.C. and last year’s AAA winner. “Surprise gave way to astonishment when being named the recipient of the award.

“I was beyond humbled to receive this award among a pool of other candidates and finalists, all of whom represent the highest echelon of excellence throughout our region — personally, professionally, and through their contributions to the community,” Fialky added. “While there is only one named recipient, it is really a distinction that is shared among everyone who works to better our region through their hard work, dedication, and commitment to community — and for that I extend my congratulations to all nominees and finalists.”

The four finalists that rose to the top, according to a panel of three independent judges, including Fialky (see page 22), are James Krupienski, partner at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (40 Under Forty class of 2010); Modesto Montero-Forman, executive director of Libertas Academy Charter School (class of 2020); Adam Quenneville, owner of Adam Quenneville Roofing and Siding (class of 2009); and Ciara Speller, evening anchor at WWLP-22 News (class of 2023).

Their stories on the following pages certainly convey continued excellence in the professional world, continued commitment to giving back to the community, or both. They also provide some looks into the personal lives of some outstanding individuals, each of them worthy of the award known as AAA.

The winner will be announced at the start of this year’s 40 Under Forty gala on Thursday, June 11 at the MassMutual Center. The presenting sponsor of this year’s Alumni Achievement Award is Baystate Health/Health New England.

Meet the 2026 Alumni Achievement Award Judges:

The previous year’s AAA honoree traditionally serves as a judge the following year, and Jeffrey Fialky is no exception, having won the award in 2025 following 40 Under Forty honors in 2008. As managing shareholder at Bacon Wilson, P.C., he chairs the law firm’s corporate and commercial department and is also a member of the municipal department. He specializes in sophisticated business, financing, and commercial real estate transactions, representing the interests of business owners and lending institutions, as well as municipalities and landowners. A board member with the Springfield Regional Chamber and a trustee with the Springfield Museums, he has also been involved with causes ranging from the United Way and the American Cancer Society to the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield and Leadership Pioneer Valley. 

Rania Kfuri has been a convener, connector, and motivator in many ways over the years, having served in a wide variety of roles, from a stint working for the mayor of Chicago to an entrepreneur who developed a unique travel bag for young parents; from her time at Smith College, which she served in several roles, to a Philanthropy officer for Baystate Health, and her most recent role as vice president for Philanthropy, Sales, and Marketing at Glenmeadow, where she provided leadership and direction to key revenue-producing areas; developed strategies to secure annual, planned, and donor-directed gifts; and pursued partnerships with other local organizations. Named a BusinessWest Woman of Impact in 2025, she is deeply involved with a wide range of community groups and causes, including Revitalize CDC, Girls on the Run, the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, and the city of Westfield, where she served on a master plan committee. 

Julie Quink is managing principal at accounting firm Burkhart Pizzanelli, P.C., where she is involved in the accounting and consulting aspects of the practice and manages engagements of various sizes and complexity, as well as performing forensic and fraud-related services. Named a BusinessWest Difference Maker in 2026, she is a trustee of Baystate Health and Monson Savings Bank, chairperson of the Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School committee, a finance committee member of the East Quabbin Land Trust, board chair for Greater Springfield Senior Services, and treasurer of Square One, the Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce, Hardwick Rescue & Emergency Squad, and the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County. She is also an adjunct faculty member in Elms College’s MBA accounting program and a 2017 recipient of the MSCPA’s Women to Watch awards. 

The Four Finalists for 2026 are:

James Krupienski

Partner at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C

Modesto Montero-Forman

Executive Director, Libertas Academy Charter School

Adam Quenneville

President, Adam Quennevile Roofing & Siding

Ciara Speller

Evening Anchor, WWLP-22 News

The winner will be announced at the start of the 20th annual 40 Under Forty gala on Thursday, June 11 at the MassMutual Center.
Click here to reserve your tickets today!

Presenting Sponsor:

James Krupienski

By
Alumni Achievement Award

Partner at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C

It’s called ‘Barrett’s Barracks.’

It’s named after the late Jim Barrett, long-time managing partner at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C., and it’s actually his former office.

It’s where the tax interns hang out, and this past year, the space had even more meaning for James Krupienski, one of the firm’s partners, who works closely with those interns. That’s because his son, Jimmy, was one of those who called the space home this past year, following a stint as an audit and accounting internship.

“It was nice to have him here and work with him,” said Krupienski, adding that Jimmy, who graduated earlier this month from Westfield State University, worked with some of his clients and had the chance to offer feedback on the job. “Your family thinks they know what you do, but they really don’t, and he really got a chance to see what I do, and having him at home go to bat for me for me when my wife asks me why I was working so late … that was helpful.”

Jim Krupienski when he was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2010, and today (top)

Jim Krupienski when he was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2010, and today (top)

Jimmy’s tax internship is poignant for many reasons, starting with the old ‘how time flies’ adage. Indeed, Jimmy is front and center in his father’s 40 Under Forty photo from 2010, wearing his ‘Westfield T-ball’ T-shirt.

He’s come a long way since then, and so has his dad, who is making a return appearance as an Alumni Achievement Award finalist after first achieving that honor last year. The award is given to an individual has built upon their résumé — as a professional, a leader, and someone who gives back — and Krupienski has done that on those fronts and many others, as we’ll see.

At the firm, he has grown into a respected leader, a partner focused on areas such as marketing and professional development, including work with the interns, while also setting a tone for community involvement. He does this through his own work within his hometown of Westfield — he’s been involved with everything from Little League (as coach and treasurer) to the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce; from the YMCA of Greater Westfield, where his daughter, Hayley, will be working this summer, to the Westfield State Foundation, which he now chairs — but also through support of firm-wide initiatives to back causes and agencies ranging from A Bed for Every Child to Habitat for Humanity to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

“Jim’s philosophy highlights that, while an individual’s contributions are great, developing a strategic plan for firm-wide involvement compounds those efforts, creating a multiplier effect,” wrote Howard Cheney, another of the partners at MBK, who nominated him for the Alumni Achievement Award.

“Beyond individual contributions, Jim has played a pivotal role in his firm’s community involvement, leading monthly initiatives that encourage team members to engage with local organizations,” Cheney added. “Through sponsorships, Jim and his firm have supported more than 75 local organizations per year, with personal donations to many of them, highlighting his dedication to making a lasting impact in his community.”

“Jim’s philosophy highlights that, while an individual’s contributions are great, developing a strategic plan for firm-wide involvement compounds those efforts, creating a multiplier effect.”

Meanwhile, Krupienski has also grown as a respected leader and the mentor at the firm, one whose best talent might be the ability to listen.

Fast Facts

Age: 47

40 Under Forty Class: 2010

Title Then: CPA Manager, Health Care and
Pension Audit Divisions,
Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

Title Now: Partner,
Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

Walk-up Song: “Dream On” by Aerosmith

Years an AAA Finalist: 2

“Jim leads from intention, rather than from ego,” wrote Sarah Rose Stack, a marketing consultant for MBK and formerly its director of Marketing and Recruitment, who wrote a letter to the AAA judges supporting Krupienski’s nomination. “He makes the final call, but only after thoughtfully considering professional input.
I never felt small or unimportant working for him. Not every idea I brought forward was the right one, but I always felt safe presenting it. We arrived at the best solutions together.

“At the end of the day, what defines a leader is whether people feel seen, respected, and empowered in their presence,” Stack went on. “Jim makes people feel important. He makes them feel capable. He makes them feel safe to stretch and grow.”

When asked what he likes most about what he does, Krupienski paused a moment before listing client work and how he can help individual business owners with their issues, challenges, and growth opportunities, but also professional development and helping others get to … well, where he is right now.

“I’d love to retire at some point — I don’t want to be doing this when Im 75,” he said. “And the only way that’s going to happen is if we have a great team behind us. To see people grow and develop and how I can help with that in different ways, that’s very rewarding.”

As for Jimmy, he’ll be wrapping up his internship soon and then starting another one at the Hartford-based accounting firm CohnReznik.

“I wanted him to spread his wings a little bit … they’re a competitor, but not really a competitor,” said Krupienski, adding that the experience with the larger firm will provide another layer of experience and perhaps guide the direction his career takes.

That step is another example of the way Krupienski balances work, family, and community, taking leadership roles in each case. And it’s yet another example of why he is again a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award. 

—George O’Brien

Ciara Speller

By
Alumni Achievement Award

Evening Anchor, WWLP-22 News

When Ciara Speller thinks back to 2023, she remembers a bittersweet year.

That’s the year she was elected to 40 Under Forty due to her success at WWLP-22 News — not just in front of the camera, but also away from it, with all the preparation, writing, editing, and more that goes into airing a newscast every weeknight — as well as her work in the community.

But her father, who was battling a rare form of bile duct cancer called cholangiocarcinoma, couldn’t attend the 40 Under Forty gala that June.

“He wanted to make it to the awards, but unfortunately he was too sick to make it. But he came down with my mom that weekend, so when I got home, I got to tell him all about it,” she recalled. “That was my last award that he saw.”

Ciara Speller

Ciara Speller when she was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2023

That’s because Jeffrey Speller passed away just a few months later.

Ciara knew she wanted to turn her grief into something meaningful and impactful. So she and her mother launched the Jeffrey Speller Foundation ‘4 Change’ in his honor. Having raised and donated more than $50,000 over the past two years, the foundation’s mission is centered around creating opportunities for underserved youth to participate in golf programs. 

“He was an avid golfer who had a dream of providing resources for economically challenged youth,” Speller explained. “Golf is a really expensive sport. His own father passed away when he was a child, unfortunately, so he never got to experience the game until he could afford to do so as an older adult.

“He really credited golf with positively shaping his life, allowing him to climb up the corporate ladder, meeting so many great people — both in business and as friends,” she went on. “Golf is one of those sports that creates amazing partnerships and connections. And he said, ‘how great would it be if our underserved and economically challenged youth were exposed to the game at a younger age? Imagine what their lives could be.’”

These days, Speller doesn’t have to imagine — she’s already impacting those young lives through the game.

The foundation’s main fundraiser is an annual tournament that started with 80 golfers its first year, and will assemble 140 for the third annual event this Aug. 8 at Wyckoff Country Club in Holyoke — the track where her father’s ashes were scattered under a tree near the first hole.

“Golf is one of those sports that creates amazing partnerships and connections. And he said, ‘how great would it be if our underserved and economically challenged youth were exposed to the game at a younger age? Imagine what their lives could be.’”

That annual fundraiser has turned into a series of donations — to a local middle school golf program, the Springfield Ballers’ golf program, a nonprofit organization called the First Tee, and more, including donations of golf clubs to kids of all ages.

“Our motto is, ‘together, we’re changing lives for good,’” Speller said. “And we’ve expanded to helping families and children in need. For the holidays, we fully decorated a Christmas tree and outfitted it with gift cards — that landed with a mother who has cancer as well, somebody who understands what we went through, whose family is going through the same thing. Just to give them a little holiday cheer was amazing.”

Speller is also a dedicated cholangiocarcinoma advocate in other ways. In February, she spearheaded an awareness event and flag raising in Springfield, bringing the community together to honor those impacted by the disease; as part of the initiative, several landmarks across the city were illuminated in green. That same month, the Jeffrey Speller Foundation ‘4 Change’ hosted a celebrity bartending event, raising $10,000 to support patients, families, and programs in her father’s memory.

Fast Facts

Age: 33

40 Under Forty Class: 2023

Title Then: Evening Anchor,
WWLP-22 News

Title Now: Evening Anchor,
WWLP-22 News

Walk-up Song: “Golden”
by Jill Scott

Years an AAA Finalist: 1

All that is deeply gratifying, but so is Speller’s career anchoring the weeknight newscast at WWLP, for which she recently received a Merit Award from the Massachusetts Broadcasters Assoc. for her feature story on internationally acclaimed fashion designer (and Springfield native) Justin Haynes. In her role as anchor, she has reported on some of the region’s most impactful events, and has also contributed to the station’s Black history initiatives, hosting and producing segments that highlight the local community.

“I’ve always been a storyteller,” she told BusinessWest. “I have a degree in dance as well, and I found at a young age that I could tell stories with my words and with my emotions — and now, I can bring attention to communities that may not have a light shining on them,” she said, adding that her work often draws the attention of local leaders and decision makers, effecting positive change. “Just being able to highlight the good work that people are doing, the needs of the community, that’s been incredibly impactful.”

Meanwhile, this October, Speller will be honored at the 11th annual 100 Women of Color Gala, which recognizes high-achieving, community-minded women from across Connecticut and Massachusetts — a major recognition, to be sure.

“To think that what I’m doing — what I feel is a regular day in my life — speaks to people, that’s pretty cool,” she added. “And the foundation has become a huge part of who I am and my identity. I’m just happy to keep giving back and making a difference — and I hope to grow more and impact even more people’s lives.”

—Joseph Bednar

Modesto Montero-Forman

By
Alumni Achievement Award

Executive Director, Libertas Academy Charter School

When Modesto Montero-Forman was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2020, the school he founded — Libertas Academy Charter School in Springfield — was already a burgeoning success story, expanding from just 90 sixth-graders at its start in 2017 to a full middle school. But plenty of growth was still to come.

“We found a building on Chestnut Street that served as our starter home — an office building that we converted into a school and blew out some walls to open a number of classrooms,” he recalled. “And the focus for the first portion of our history was really getting the school off the ground and getting the right academic performance.”

Modesto Montero-Forman when he was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2020

Today, after adding a grade each year — with a slight pause for the pandemic — and expanding to both a middle and high school, Libertas Academy now serves just under 600 students in grades 6-12, having graduated its first senior class in 2025.

“As a college prep school, our goal is to prepare our students academically, socially, and emotionally for the demands of college. And last year was the first year that we got to do that. We’re proud to say that 100% of our students were accepted into a four-year college,” Montero-Forman explained, with 87% of them choosing to follow that higher-ed path.

While opening a school almost a decade ago was a major challenge, he added, “in the second half of our founding story, the focus has been on getting the high school right, ensuring that we have a robust college prep program and support. Our college team supports our students throughout the entire process, everything from SAT preparation to crafting their college list to writing the personal statements for their applications and working with families on the FAFSA.”

It all culminates in an energetic ‘senior signing day’ when the students’ achievements and future plans are celebrated. That all resonates with Montero-Forman, who has always described himself as forward-looking.

He said his upbringing — in a low-income, Christian home — fostered a sense of focus and a dedication to finding a way to make a difference in his community.

As an immigrant, he initially thought about becoming an immigration lawyer, but while in college, he worked for an Upward Bound program as a mentor and tutor, and was instantly drawn to working with young people in communities like the ones Libertas now serves, he told BusinessWest, explaining his path into the education world.

Part of that trajectory, in recent years, has been securing the school’s current home on Liberty Street, a new structure that Libertas leases, and raising $3 million from private individuals and foundations to outfit for its March 2025 opening.

“We just had classrooms before, no specialty spaces, and we knew that our students deserved and needed so much more than that,” he said. “So we were able to secure a partnership with a private developer here in Springfield who was able to work with us to design a school to fit our model. So now we have a gym, a cafeteria, an art room, a weight room, a music room, a library — all those things that we didn’t have before. And this is our permanent home.”

“Now we have a gym, a cafeteria, an art room, a weight room, a music room, a library — all those things that we didn’t have before. And this is our permanent home.”

Fast Facts

Age: 37

40 Under Forty Class: 2020

Title Then: Executive Director,
Libertas Academy Charter School

Title Now: Executive Director,
Libertas Academy Charter School

Walk-up Song: “The Realness”
by RuPaul featuring Eric Kupper

Years an AAA Finalist: 1

It’s also one of the highest-performing charter schools in Massachusetts. In the most recent MCAS results, students have shown dramatic increases in proficiency; the school ranks first in Massachusetts for student growth in math and third for growth in English language arts (ELA). Libertas is also one of only 13 school districts that is outperforming pre-pandemic performance in both ELA and math.

“Seeing our mission come to fruition — getting students to graduate from high school and, more importantly, persist in college — has been very gratifying,” Montero-Forman said, adding that those efforts include a scholarship program and other supports for alumni that help them stay on their path in college.

“Most of our students are, like me, first-generation college students. And that may not have been the trajectory they would have experienced in a different school system. I think we’ve played an integral role in showing them what was possible and preparing them academically, and then providing the right supports along the way so that not only could they envision themselves in those spaces, but they could actually be admitted into those institutions and now persist.”

Montero-Forman is persisting in other ways; he’s currently board president of the Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley, and he was chosen for a program called the North Star Fellowship, through which he has worked to research and understand the education landscape in Connecticut, specifically Hartford, since it’s close to Springfield and serves a similar population.

“We are very much considering opening a second school in the Hartford community, hopefully by the fall of ’28,” he said.

He has also married since his 40 Under Forty recognition. “We are hoping to adopt,” he told BusinessWest. “I will continue to do good work here at Libertas, but growing my family and thinking about legacy and impact … that’s what I’m really excited about.”

—Joseph Bednar

Adam Quenneville

By
Alumni Achievement Award

President, Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding

“Under Our Roof.”

That’s the name Adam Quenneville, president of Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding, has affixed to a podcast he started a few months ago.

It features conversations with business leaders who are heavily involved in the community, said Quenneville, adding that he recently had Nate Costa, president of the Springfield Thunderbirds, on the show, and he was really looking forward to his next guest, Gary Rome, president and CEO of the Gary Rome Auto Group.

Adam Quenneville when he was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2009

“He’s kind of my hero when it comes to involvement in the community, and I’ve told him that personally,” said Quenneville, noting that Rome, one of BusinessWest’s Difference Makers in 2022, has become a role model of sorts for him on the subject of giving back and getting involved. “That guy is a superstar.”

Without doubt. But Quenneville has become a hero to some, a role model to many others, and a superstar in his own right for the way he has created a culture of giving back at the roofing company he launched 31 years ago.

That’s especially true when it comes to the roofs the company donates to area nonprofits and others — an average of three to five a year now. The company has gifted roofs to Revitalize CDC, Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen, the YMCA of Greater Springfield for some of its properties, and, more recently, a 10,000-square-foot roof for the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield.

That was a project that hit home, said Quenneville, noting that the agency provides lodging and meal expenses for the parents of children enduring difficult healthcare journeys. Quenneville’s two children had extended stays in Baystate’s Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which is why he’s such a strong supporter of that institution.

And he supports many others as well, as we’ll see, but first … back to those roofs.

Beyond nonprofits, the company, through its AQ Cares division, is now donating free roofs on an annual basis to a veteran, a first responder, and a teacher, with the public choosing winners among received nominations.

“He has made giving back a meaningful part of his company’s identity through charitable initiatives, sponsorships, and direct support of local causes.”

Overall, and like previous finalists for the Alumni Achievement Award, Quenneville is being recognized for building on an impressive résumé of both accomplishments in business and work within the community.

With the former, he has steadily grown his business, from a few crews to 10 on average, while also broadening the list of services to include siding, windows, gutters, roof repair, roof cleaning, and more. Annual revenues have grown from $4 million when he joined the 40 Under Forty club to nearly $20 million today.

In 2025, the company was named one of three national finalists for Roofing Contractor magazine’s Residential Roofing Contractor of the Year, eventually losing out to a company exponentially larger. 

His company has evolved with the times, said Quenneville, noting that, in addition to the podcast, he uses a YouTube channel to educate consumers who are more into research than past generations, with videos on a wide range of subjects, such as whether to repair or replace a roof. In many cases, it can be the former, he noted, adding that he often advocates for repair to keep roofing materials from filling up landfills.

“We’re releasing three long videos and two short videos per week along with blogs that match that content,” he said, adding that he works out of a studio in his office and creates the videos of another way of giving back.

Fast Facts

Age: 54

40 Under Forty Class: 2009

Title Then: President,
Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding

Title Now: President,
Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding

Walk-up Song: “Eye of the Tiger”
by Survivor

Years an AAA Finalist: 1

As noted earlier, beyond the donated roofs, Quenneville and his company have become involved with a wide array of area nonprofits, causes, and institutions, not only the YMCA of Greater Springfield and Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen, but also the Thunderbirds, UMass sports, and the Miracle League of Western Massachusetts.

As he talked with BusinessWest, he was lamenting recent headlines concerning budget cuts and the possible elimination of sports at South Hadley High School (he’s an alum), and how he intends to get involved and help the school continue those programs.

“I offered to put $1,000 up and then $100 for every roof we do between now and then,” he said, adding that the school will need hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep its sports, and efforts to help are in their early stages.

His planned involvement there is just example of how he has taken a leadership role when it comes to community involvement — and several giant steps toward emulating his role model, Rome.

“He has made giving back a meaningful part of his company’s identity through charitable initiatives, sponsorships, and direct support of local causes,” wrote Morgan Bennett, marketing director of Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding. “His leadership has helped strengthen partnerships with youth organizations, nonprofits, and community events throughout the region.

“Adam’s example shows that true leadership is not only measured by growth and achievement,” she continued, “but also by how consistently someone shows up to support the people and communities around them.”

That’s what Quenneville celebrates with his new podcast, and it’s also the tone he sets at the company he started and has led to continued growth and impact within the community.

And that’s why he’s a finalist for another prestigious honor, the Alumni Achievement Award.

—George O’Brien

Celebrating Four Class Acts

By
Alumni Achievement Award Opinion

BusinessWest launched its 40 Under Forty program in 2007 to recognize the rising stars in the 413. It’s become an immensely popular initiative that has created a somewhat exclusive club, if you will, one that now boasts 800 members.

That’s a big number, and something to bear in mind when considering a spinoff from that original program, something we call the Alumni Achievement Award, which, as that name suggests, recognizes 40 Under Forty winners who have continued to build on their résumés, both professionally and with their work in the community.

This is a far more exclusive club and, in many ways, a more notable achievement, just because of those numbers.

Which brings us to our latest AAA competition, presented by Baystate Health/Health New England. There can be only one winner — and he or she will be announced at the 40 Under Forty gala on June 11. But we celebrate our finalists because it’s an honor just to be in that group. And their accomplishments provide us with a great opportunity to tell more stories about individuals who continue to excel and find new ways to give back and make a difference.

Each of our finalists has a unique story, but there are common denominators, especially a commitment to this region and using their talents to improve quality of life here. Each story is compelling, and each finalist is certainly worthy of being the next AAA winner:

• Jim Krupienski, part of the 40 Under Forty class of 2010 and a finalist for the AAA in 2025, has risen to the rank of partner at the accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka, where he is a real leader and mentor to many young people entering the field. And he gives back to the community in many ways, whether it’s through his own work with the Westfield State Foundation or the Westfield YMCA, or the way he encourages the firm to support agencies ranging from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to Habitat for Humanity.

• When Modesto Montero-Forman entered the 40 Under Forty class of 2020, he had been leading the middle school he founded for three years. Now, Libertas Academy serves grades 6-12 — around 600 students in all — and graduated its first class of high-school seniors last year. He has also shepherded the school to a new, larger location, where it has been able to expand its educational and enrichment offerings, while overseeing some of the most impressive math and language arts performances in the state.

• Adam Quenneville launched his roofing enterprise, known today as Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding, 31 years ago, and he was honored for that success with inclusion in the 40 Under Forty class of 2009. But not only has he continued to expand his client base — growing revenues by 500% over the past 17 years — but the company has also become well-known for its philanthropic endeavors, gifting roofs to numerous area nonprofits and donating free roofs annually to veterans, first responders, and teachers.

• It took Ciara Speller only three years since being honored in the 40 Under Forty class of 2023 for her success as evening anchor at WWLP-22 News. And it’s not hard to see why. Since that time, she has turned a personal tragedy — the death of her father to a rare form of cancer — into the Jeffrey Speller Foundation ‘4 Change,’ which raises tens of thousands of dollars every year to help young people participate in golf. Ciara’s father believed in the power of the sport to connect people and improve lives, and she is certainly seeing his vision to fruition.

As noted earlier, all four are worthy of the AAA award, and all four should be celebrated for all they’ve done, and all they continue to do in — and for — this region. 

Meet the 2025 Alumni Achievement Award Finalists

By
Alumni Achievement Award Cover Story

All AAAs

In 2015, BusinessWest, created a new recognition program. Well, let’s call it a spinoff of an existing initiative.

Indeed, the Alumni Achievement Award recognizes those individuals who have most expanded upon the résumés that earned them membership in the 40 Under Forty Club.

And while there is usually one winner each year (there have been two on a pair of occasions), we profile the finalists for the award each year, because … well, just being among the handful of top scorers is an achievement of note.

The five stories on the following pages certainly convey continued excellence in the professional world — usually with a step or two or three up the ladder — and continued commitment to giving back to the community. They also provide some looks into the personal lives of some outstanding individuals, each of them worthy of the award known as AAA.

The Five Finalists for 2025 are:

Click on the photos below to read their stories

Jeff Fialky

Managing shareholder at Bacon Wilson, P.C.

Amelia Holstrom

Partner at Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C.

James Krupienski

Partner at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C

Ryan McCollum

Owner of RMC Strategies

Orlando Ramos

State Rep. 9th Hampden District

The winner will be announced at the start of the 19th annual 40 Under Forty gala on Thursday, June 19 at the MassMutual Center. Once again, the presenting sponsor of the AAA program is Health New England.

Meet the 2025 Alumni Achievement Award Judges:

Ashley Bogle is assistant general counsel and director of Legal Services for Health New England, where she manages the day-to-day operations of HNE’s Legal Department, from reviewing contracts to providing regulatory guidance and maintaining licenses and accreditation. A 40 Under Forty honoree in 2021 and a founding member of HNE’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging committee, she was recognized by the Urban League of Springfield this year as its Health & Wellness Hero for her commitment to health equity, legal advocacy, and community enrichment.

A 27-year veteran of Monson Savings Bank, Dan Moriarty has been the institution’s president since 2020 and added the title of CEO in 2021. Earlier this year, BusinessWest named him one of its 2025 Difference Makers, largely for his commitment to the community — he volunteers about 200 hours a year — but also his stewardship of a philanthropic culture at Monson Savings, which has given about $1 million to 420 organizations over the past five years, with employees donating about 1,700 hours in the community each year.

Meghan Rothschild, a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2011 and the recipient of the 2024 Alumni Achievement Award, is president and owner of the marketing and public relations firm Chikmedia, which puts an emphasis on female-run organizations and women business owners, offering strategic marketing planning and creative public relations. Increasingly in demand as a public speaker on topics ranging from enterpreneurship to social media training to women’s health, she is also a melanoma survivor and a fierce advocate for skin cancer awareness and prevention.

Orlando Ramos

By
Orlando Ramos
Alumni Achievement Award

State Representative, 9th Hampden District

Orlando Ramos

Orlando Ramos

Orlando Ramos when he was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2014, and today (top)

Orlando Ramos when he was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2014, and today (top)

Orlando Ramos has a small classic car collection.

He once had four vehicles, but recently sold a 1974 Corvette. He still has a 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo, a 1989 Chevy Camaro IROC-Z, and a 1991 Ford Escort, and shows them all at area shows.

The Escort doesn’t sound particularly sexy, and Ramos acknowledged that, but it has taken home a lot of hardware at those shows, as has the Monte Carlo, he said, adding that the Camaro wins at pretty much every competition he brings it to.

Beyond first-place ribbons, the cars bring Ramos memories, a chance to meet new people and add more friends to an already large roster, and, perhaps most importantly, some relaxing moments to counter the many chaotic ones at the State House and within his district.

“I try to drive them on the weekends when I get some downtime, and I do some car shows on the weekend if I’m not busy with work,” he told BusinessWest. “It takes my mind off things. That’s where I find my peace — driving my classic cars … no radio, just the sound of the engine with the windows down.”

He considers the cars a passion, one of two that he has, with the other being the city of Springfield, which is now his sole focus within the 9th District (he used to represent a small section of Chicopee).

He grew up in the City of Homes, among several other places (his family moved frequently in his youth), graduated from Putnam Vocational Technical High School, did some boxing in the city, and later settled in Indian Orchard, which he still calls home. He served on the City Council, including as its president, before being elected to the House, and ran, unsuccessfully, for Springfield mayor in 2023, leaving the door wide open for another run down the road.

Most of those who nominated Ramos for the Alumni Achievement Award — and there were several — called him an ambassador for the city, a mentor to young people, and, in many ways, an inspiration to those in the minority community.

FAST FACTS

Age: 42
40 Under Forty Class: 2014
Title Then: Springfield City Councilor
Title Now: State Representative, 9th Hampden District
Walk-up Song: “Aguanile” by Marc Anthony
Years an AAA Finalist: 2

In addition, he’s a prolific filer of bills designed, in many cases, to safeguard the interests of his constituents while also addressing inequalities that still exist on many levels.

Indeed, Ramos said he filed 27 bills at the beginning of this session, the most he’s ever filed, and they involve everything from regulations for facial surveillance technology (there currently are none) to measures to protect taxpayers and cities and towns from utility companies that withhold property taxes by closing existing loopholes.

“The law was intended to help small, mom-and-pop businesses and individual residents that were struggling to pay their tax bills,” he explained. “It wasn’t meant to help multi-billion-dollar utilities to abuse that loophole.”

In addition to all this work at the State House, Ramos remains actively involved with the community, whether it’s in his neighborhood, where he sits on the Indian Orchard Citizens Council; coaching in a basketball league; turning up at car shows; or supporting small businesses.

“I always try to show up at small businesses and festivals and community events and be supportive of everything that’s happening in the community,” said Ramos, who has a new initiative that touches on many of his priorities, goals, and efforts to make a difference.

It’s called Ties to Success, and it’s designed to teach young men in Springfield public schools how to tie a tie — what he calls an important but overlooked life skill.

“Eventually, I hope to reach every graduating class in the city,” he said, adding that, in this, the program’s inaugural year, he and others working with him started with about 30 students at Putnam.

“I’ve recruited about 15 volunteer mentors from the public and private sector,” he said. “In addition to learning how to tie a tie, each student will leave with a brand-new tie, written instructions, and the invaluable experience of connecting with positive role models from the business and government sectors.”

Speaking of tying the knot, Ramos, a proud single parent of daughter, Ariana, now 21 (who was his date at his 40 Under Forty gala), announced that he recently got engaged to a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2024, Natalie Mercado, owner and CEO of Sweetera & Co.

That adds another passion to a man who has several, including those cars. You might say he’s a driving force for positive change. Many people do.

—George O’Brien

Ryan McCollum

By
Ryan McCollum
Alumni Achievement Award

Owner, RMC Strategies

Ryan McCollum

Ryan McCollum

Ryan McCollum when he was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2012, and today (top)

Ryan McCollum when he was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2012, and today (top)

Ryan McCollum says he likes to have the circles in his life intersect.

And by circles, he means people who are in his life for various reasons — clients, friends, colleagues, elected officials — and causes and agencies he supports, everything from early childhood education provider Square One to the game of golf, especially for populations not generally associated with it.

To get his point across, McCollum gave a couple examples that help tell his story, and this particular story of how he is again a finalist for the coveted Alumni Achievement Award.

One references his involvement with a group called 16 Lyrics (formed with 15 friends), which is committed to combating racism and, among other initiatives, helps provide schools with books featuring diverse characters, authors, and storylines — “because, whether it was books or TV, it was hard to find characters that looked like me,” he noted.

“We had a golf tournament last year,” he said of 16 Lyrics. “I had Trap Golf, which I work with to bring people in the game, donate a bunch of stuff. I had a client from PricewaterhouseCoopers play with me. I made sure to ask elected officials to play or sponsor — we had a cart full of state reps. My wife and daughter helped in planning it. Circles intersected: my charitable world, a lobbying client, my family, and all my friends, and Get Set Marketing designed and printed all the tee signs and the like, and I work with them.”

FAST FACTS

Age: 45
40 Under Forty Class: 2012
Title Then: Owner and Principal, RMC Strategies; Marketing Consultant, Get Set Marketing
Title Now: Owner, RMC Strategies
Walk-up Song: “Get By” by Talib Kweli
Years an AAA Finalist: 2

The second example involves one of his clients, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia, and the kickoff to his re-election campaign in February.

Garcia wanted Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll to attend, and McCollum made some calls and secured an appearance, not just for that announcement, but also for a tour of the Hope for Youth Arts Center (formerly CityStage), a project being undertaken by another McCollum client, Robert Bolduc, and his Center for Hope & Families Foundation. He also helped organize a fundraiser for the lieutenant governor at LightHouse Holyoke, a non-traditional middle and high school that is another McCollum client. And to top it off, Young at Heart, the Northampton-based chorus and yet another client, performed at the event.

You might say bringing worlds together and having circles intersect is what McCollum does. Professionally, he’s an entrepreneur, the owner of RMC Strategies, a consulting firm that partners with Get Set Marketing to provide one-stop shopping for those with political marketing needs. He’s worked on several campaigns over the years, including those for Garcia and State Rep. Orlando Ramos, another of this year’s AAA finalists (see story on page 19).

McCollum is also heavily involved in the community and has been for decades. He’s among the founders of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield and currently sits on several boards, including those for Square One, Suit Up Springfield, 16 Lyrics, the Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley, and the National Conference for Community and Justice.

“When people ask me what I do, I tell them I’m a political consultant, I tell them I’m a lobbyist, but I do a lot of connecting of folks whom I think should be connected,” he said, adding that this unique and important skill has defined his professional career and personal life.

And it certainly explains why is a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award for the second time in three years.

As does his outlook on simply … being kind.

“Kindness, and being kind, is a great business and career strategy, and on so many levels,” he told BusinessWest. “Especially in my business — the relationship business. Treating people kindly goes a long way. It can be hard to be kind all the time, because we’re all human … but it’s important, and it’s something I work on.”

As for the game of golf, McCollum plays whenever he can — he’s partial to Springfield’s municipal courses, Franconia and Veterans — and has become involved with various efforts and outfits, such as Trap Golf out of Atlanta, which was created to bring more people into the game, “especially communities that don’t intersect with it often,” as he put it.

“I like to be America’s golf guest,” he joked, adding that he plays with friends as well as entering tournaments for various causes throughout the summer.

“It’s a great game,” he went on, adding that, among other things, it provides more opportunities to enable circles to intersect and for him to continue his work as a connector.

—George O’Brien

 

FAST
FACTS

Age: 45

40 Under Forty Class: 2012

Title Then: Owner and Principal, RMC Strategies; Marketing Consultant, Get Set Marketing

Title Now: Owner, RMC Strategies

Walk-up Song: “Get By” by Talib Kweli

Years an AAA Finalist: 2

James Krupienski

By
James Krupienski
Alumni Achievement Award

Partner, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

James Krupienski

James Krupienski

Jim Krupienski when he was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2010, and today (top)

Jim Krupienski when he was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2010, and today (top)

It’s called Krupienski’s Korner.

That the name of the … let’s call it gathering spot in the break room at the accounting firm Meyers Brothers Kalicka.

Jim Krupienski is host and unofficial bartender at the Korner on Friday afternoons just after 5 during tax season. He said tax preparers and others at the firm can get a libation if they are so inclined, but also, and more importantly, a much-needed reprieve from the pressures that build as April 15 approaches.

FAST FACTS

Age: 46
40 Under Forty Class: 2010
Title Then: CPA Manager, Health Care and Pension Audit Divisions, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.
Title Now: Partner, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.
Walk-up Song: “Dream On” by Aerosmith
Years an AAA Finalist: 1

“It’s just a way for people to step away after a long week and just talk about something other than tax returns, take a deep breath, and unwind,” said Krupienski, noting that, with his Korner, he is continuing a tradition started years ago by retired partner Bob Perry, who operated Perry’s Pub for those same reasons.

Korner keeper is one just one of the many additional roles and responsibilities Krupienski has assumed since he joined the 40 Under Forty club in 2010. Then, he was CPA Manager for the Health Care and Pension Audit Divisions. Now, he’s one of six partners who together manage all operations at the firm.

Krupienski’s focus points are marketing and what’s known as the firm’s Business Development Group, an initiative that empowers emerging professionals to develop their networking skills, build a clientele, and foster strong client relationships.

To this and his many other assignments, Krupienski brings energy, creativity, a strong emphasis on teamwork, and a mindset of building a stronger firm through a focus on people. All this helps explain why he is a first-time finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award.

“Jim has not only enhanced his professional stature but also elevated the firm’s reputation in the broader business community,” wrote Howard Cheney, another of the firm’s partners, who nominated Krupienski for the honor. “This ongoing commitment to excellence, innovation, and community engagement has significantly contributed to the firm’s success and continued growth, marking Jim as a pivotal figure in its upward trajectory.

“Jim’s contributions to the firm’s corporate culture, especially through initiatives like Krupienski’s Korner, illustrate his dedication to creating a cohesive, supporting, and engaging workplace environment,” Cheney continued. “These somewhat intangible contributions to the firm are invaluable, playing a significant role in enhancing employee satisfaction and morale.”

Krupienski, who became partner in 2017, said his new role and responsibilities have created learning experiences on many levels that are, of course, continuing. He listed COVID as one of those experiences.

“That was an interesting, challenging time … we were all learning together,” he said of the partnership team. “We’d have partner meetings several times a week just to figure out the next steps while the governor was making his decisions; we were trying to figure it all out and make very quick, very real decisions that were impacting people and their well-being. And this was the in middle of tax season.

“Through it all, we learned a lot about ourselves, about our firm, about our employees — and in the end, we came out stronger,” he went on, adding that this learning continues on many levels.

And while he continues to mature as a leader, mentor, and motivator, Krupienski remains active in the community, especially in his home community of Westfield. There, he is involved with everything from Little League to the Chamber of Commerce to the YMCA. He is also current chair of the Westfield Foundation.

Meanwhile, he is involved with the firm’s many efforts to support area nonprofits and individual causes and initiatives. Under his influence, MBK has supported entities such as Habitat for Humanity of Greater Springfield and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts through donations, volunteering, and raising awareness. He’s also a strong supporter of the firm’s Dress Down for Charity Days, a fundraising effort that benefits various local charities, including the Veterans Home at Holyoke and the Massachusetts Special Olympics.

And he is continually encouraging those at the firm, especially the young professionals, to get involved themselves, as supporters of nonprofits, but also as board members, roles that support those agencies but also help individuals develop into leaders in the community.

When not working — at MBK or in the community — Krupienski is usually spending time with family — wife Megan, son James, and daughter Hayley. His children were very young when he joined the 40 Under Forty club, but are now a junior in college and a graduating high school senior and softball player, respectively, with James poised to follow his father into the accounting field.

—George O’Brien

 

 

 

Amelia Holstrom

By
Amelia Holstrom
Alumni Achievement Award

Partner, Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C.

Amelia Holstrom

Amelia Holstrom

Amelia Holstrom when she was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2015 and today (top)

Amelia Holstrom won’t ever have any trouble remembering when she joined the 40 Under Forty club.

It was near the time her first child was born. Make that very near.

Indeed, the day after Holstrom posed for her 40 Under Forty photo — “they told me to bring a prop; I said, ‘isn’t my stomach enough of a prop?’” — she was in labor. She recalls being in the hospital after delivery and facing a deadline to pick a walk-up song for the gala.

FAST FACTS

Age: 39
40 Under Forty Class: 2015
Title Then: Associate Attorney, Skoler, Abbott & Presser
Title Now: Partner, Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C.
Walk-up Song: “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky
Years an AAA Finalist: 1

“I didn’t have a lot of time to think, so I just went with the theme from Rocky,” she recalled, adding that the gala at the Log Cabin that June marked her first real public event since she gave birth to Carter, who is now 10 and an avid soccer player.

Attending his games, and also her younger son Reid’s track meets, are just a few of the many things Holstrom now packs into a busy schedule that also includes many forms of giving back, including several roles within her home community of Wilbraham, as well her day (and sometimes night) job as a partner with the Springfield-based law firm Skoler, Abbott & Presser.

It’s a schedule that’s helps explain why she is a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award for 2025.

Holstrom was an associate attorney when she became a member of the class of 2015. Today, she is a partner and one of the leaders of a firm that specializes in employment law, a subject Holstrom likes to talk about, and on many different levels, from interviews with the press to leadership roles in events hosted by the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast, MassHire Springfield, and others.

“I pride myself on being able to explain complex issues in everyday language so that everyone will understand and get a grasp of what they need to know.”

This is an intriguing area of the law, she told BusinessWest, one where there is both constant change and an overriding mission — to help employers stay on of top of all that change and, at the same time, avert potential legal trouble.

“In this area of the law, I have a unique opportunity to advise employers before something happens,” she said. “I can give them advice so that, if they are sued by an employee, they’re in the best position to defend that matter. And sometimes, I can guide them through the process with a specific employee issue, and a lawsuit never arises.

“Employment law is an area of the law that changes frequently, and it’s really important for employers to keep up with that change,” she went on. “If they don’t do that, they could find themselves facing a lawsuit, including a wage-and-hour claim or another type of claim. So I’ve dedicated my time to learning employment law inside and out, knowing everything there is to know.”

Helping employers navigate the rough seas created by constantly changing employment law requires several skills, said Holstrom, especially the ability to both listen and communicate effectively.

“One of my mentors when I first started with the firm really talked about how knowing the information is one thing, but being able to explain it to supervisors and managers in a way that is understandable is the most important part of the equation,” she noted. “I pride myself on being able to explain complex issues in everyday language so that everyone will understand and get a grasp of what they need to know.”

And there are several areas they need to know, including, most recently, paid family medical leave and issues involving diversity, equity, and inclusion.

As for other items on her busy schedule … these include serving with several area nonprofits, including the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, as chair of board development; the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, as a member of the personnel committee; Clinical & Support Options, as a board member and clerk; and the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce, as legislative chair.

Meanwhile, in Wilbraham, she serves as vice chair of the town’s Commission on Disabilities, chair of the Personnel Advisory Board, and, most recently, library trustee; she filled a short-term vacancy on that board and was recently elected to a three-year term.

These various contributions to the community were recognized by the Massachusetts Bar Assoc., which honored Holstrom with its Community Service Award for Hampden County in 2016.

And then, there’s her family, for which she always finds time, and to which there will always be a special connection to 40 Under Forty.

—George O’Brien

 

Jeffrey Fialky

By
Jeffrey Fialky
Alumni Achievement Award

Managing Shareholder, Bacon Wilson, P.C.

Jeffrey Fialky

Jeffrey Fialky

Jeff Fialky when he was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2008, and today (top).

Jeff Fialky says being managing shareholder of a law firm allows him to “put my money where my mouth is.”

For decades, he’s been counseling business owners large and small on matters from personnel to growth through acquisition to being prepared for the future and whatever it might bring.

And now, he’s doing all of the above and more for Bacon Wilson, a firm celebrating its 130th birthday. Fialky says it’s his job — his mission, in fact — to make sure it’s around for another 130.

“We have 115 employees, four offices, and we’re looking to expand — we’re looking at other geographic areas, other firms, other attorneys looking to join,” he said. “And you balance that with a business with exponentially increasing expenses, which creates unique challenges, but is exciting for someone who has been representing businesses and business owners for 30 years.”

Including the recently announed class of 2025, there are 760 members of the 40 Under Forty club. Fialky is now among the … let’s call them ‘most senior.’

“Will humans get to a point where they’re satisfied looking at a blinking cursor and a computer screen? I don’t think I’ll see that in my lifetime, but as lawyers, as a legal industry, we must be thinking about what the future has in store.”

He was honored in 2008, the program’s second year, just a few years after joining Bacon Wilson as an associate. That was so long ago, honorees didn’t have their own walk-up music, as they do now. When asked what he may have chosen, Fialky gave an answer that spoke to just how many years have passed.

“My tastes have changed over time … it would probably be something country now,” he said. “Back then, probably Beastie Boys, Metallica, or something in between; now it’s country.”

While his tastes in music have changed over the years, so have the responsibilities for Fialky, a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award several times early on (the award was created a decade ago), but not recently. His ascension to managing partner has something to do with his return to the field, as does his continued involvement with the community.

With the former, he noted, it’s an intriguing challenge at any time, but especially now — for the legal industry and for business in general.

FAST FACTS

Age: 55
40 Under Forty Class: 2008
Title Then: Associate Attorney, Bacon Wilson, P.C.
Title Now: Managing Shareholder, Bacon Wilson, P.C.
Walk-up Song: None
Years an AAA Finalist: 4

“I enjoy this side of what I do,” said Fialky, who remains chair of the firm’s corporate and commercial department and serves as the senior mergers and acquisitions attorney as well. “I enjoy the entrepreneurial aspect, as well as the management, and they’re different.

“The management side is the day-to-day, P&L and balance sheet, the budget,” he went on. “The entrepreneurial side is imagining where the future lies and the practice of law in the Pioneer Valley.”

Which brings him to the subject of AI, technology that is casting a shadow over the future if many industry sectors.

“I don’t think we’ve seen it yet in our day-to-day, but you have to be realistic that it is going to change the way the practice of law looks in the future, maybe five to 10 years out,” he told BusinessWest. “Predicting what that’s going to look like is more art than science, but you must be thinking that far out as you see the billions that are being invested in AI and will continue to be.

“For so long, people wanted to look their lawyer in the eye; they wanted to hear from a human being when they were asking, ‘what should I do?’” he went on. “Will humans get to a point where they’re satisfied looking at a blinking cursor and a computer screen? I don’t think I’ll see that in my lifetime, but as lawyers, as a legal industry, we must be thinking about what the future has in store.”

As for his work in the community, Fialky continues to be involved with several nonprofits and business groups. That list includes the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce, which he has served as a board member since 2007 and as chair from 2013 to 2016, and the Springfield Museums, which he has served as a trustee since 2012.

Previously, he has been involved with agencies and causes ranging from the United Way to the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield; from Leadership Pioneer Valley to the American Cancer Society.

Today, while continuing to give back and leading Bacon Wilson into its next 130 years, he finds time for family, especially his son, Samuel, born just after he was presented with his 40 Under Forty plaque, and daughter Madeline.

“They’re both just wonderful, so I spend a lot of time with them,” said Fialky, the now country music fan who has returned to being a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award.

—George O’Brien

 

 

Meghan Rothschild

By
Meghan Rothschild
Alumni Achievement Award

President and Owner, Chikmedia

Meghan Rothschild today (above) and as a 40 Under Forty winner in 2011.

Meghan Rothschild today (above) and as a 40 Under Forty winner in 2011.

Meghan Rothschild started speaking in public when she was just 20 years old.

She had become a survivor of melanoma, a common and deadly form of skin cancer, and she began speaking out about her diagnosis as an advocate for sun safety and cancer prevention, turning a negative into a positive.

Over the ensuing two decades or so, she would become a natural behind the microphone, addressing subjects ranging from skin cancer to social media to leadership skills and how to build them. She would also become a sought-after presenter and media host, including red-carpet coverage on behalf of Explore Western Mass. (the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau) for Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement, as a panelist for the RISE Women’s Leadership Conference, and regular media-outlet contributions including The Rhode Show, Mass Appeal on WWLP, iHeart Radio, and more.

It wasn’t until recently, though, that she delivered what she called her first ‘keynote address.’ It came at the Pioneer Valley Women’s Conference staged last month at the Marriott in downtown Springfield. The conference’s theme was Unleashed, and the unofficial title of her address was “Living Authentically Unleashed.”

“These were my tips for how to live an authentically unleashed life,” she told BusinessWest. “Being authentic, unleashing your emotions, unleashing your power, bringing empathy back into the workplace and acknowledging that people are human beings and not machine — things like that.”

When asked if she lived her own life authentically unleashed, she said, “I would certainly say that, yes. It means being free of of concern over how others view you, finding your true authentic mission and purpose, not being afraid to speak your mind, using your voice to set boundaries, knowing your own self-worth, all of those things,” she added.

Building an impressive portfolio of public speaking engagements and living her own life authentically unleashed — in all those ways she described — are just two of the many ways Rothschild has grown and evolved, personally and professionally, since she became a 40 Under Forty honoree in 2011 while serving as Development and Marketing manager for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

The most obvious is the creation and continued growth of the marketing and public-relations business she founded called Chikmedia, a full-service, boutique firm that provides clients nationwide with graphic design, social-media management, public relations, expert positioning, event management, and more.

But there is more to this story, including involvement within the community that takes many forms, from a Girls & Racism town hall created in collaboration with Girls Inc. to a Campaign for Healthy Kids PSA designed to help raise funds for the children and families that rely on Square One and were severely impacted by COVID, to her creation of the Chik of the Future Scholarship, designated for a young woman of color pursuing a degree in a marketing-related field.

The sum of these accomplishments has made Rothschild a repeat finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award. In fact, this is the fourth time that panels of judges have made her one of the top scorers.

It’s easy to see why, starting with her success in business.

She told BusinessWest that, while she considers herself an entrepreneur at heart, she never anticipated growing an agency to where it would have several team members and more than 40 clients at any given point.

“I started this to really take a calmer approach to my career, and it’s been the exact opposite,” she said. “Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, but the business has just blossomed.”

Indeed, it now boasts clients ranging from TIZO, a national skin-care line, to local businesses and nonprofits ranging from the Log Cabin to Girls Inc. to the recently opened event venue 52 Sumner.

But she is perhaps more proud of the work that she and the agency are doing in the community. She is involved with the Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts as a board member, for example; runs in several 5Ks, like the one staged recently to support Dakin Humane Society; and brings added value to the many nonprofits within the client portfolio as another way to give back.

“I do influencer marketing myself, so on social media, I’m constantly talking up my clients and sharing their events and throwing myself in the hat as a marketing tool for them — because I find that’s sort of a seamless way for me to give back,” she said.

And then, there are initiatives like the Chik of the Future Scholarship, which has grown in scope and monetary value over its five-year history thanks to the support of several local businesses, as well as the She Votes campaign spearheaded by the team at Chikmedia in collaboration with Girls Inc. The goal of the campaign was to pre-register as many teen girls to vote as possible and to raise $21,000 for the She Votes curriculum. Voting pre-registrations were outstanding, Rothschild said, and the fundraising campaign concluded 3% above goal.

“I started this to really take a calmer approach to my career, and it’s been the exact opposite. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, but the business has just blossomed.”

Maybe the best indication of how far she has come, and how her impact has grown, is her increasingly crowded schedule, filled with various speaking engagements that reflect her many areas of expertise.

Last year, for example, she was in Dallas to appear at a major beauty conference to share her personal experience with skin cancer and talk about TIZO. She also addressed the Bradley Chamber of Commerce this month and hosts a series of workshops for Head Start programs across New England.

Overall, she’s speaking four to six times a month on average, with the subject matter ranging from skin-cancer prevention to entreprenership; from social-media training to talks that would be considered motivational in nature.

She said it’s taken her the better part of a decade to “get into a really good groove,” as she called it, developing a style that makes heavy use of humor and that engages the audience in whatever it is she’s talking about.

“When the topic is something outside my comfort zone, like a motivational speech, that fuels me,” she said. “It makes me take a moment and really think about what I’m going to say. I can stand up and talk about social media for six hours and not even bat an eye, but motivational-style speaking is completely different.”

There are many things that fuel Rothschild today, everything from working with her team to grow Chikmedia to providing scholarships to girls of color looking to enter the marketing field, to … well, living life unleashed.

All that explains why she is an Alumni Achievement Award finalist. Again.

—George O’Brien

40 Under Forty 2024 Alumni Achievement Award

By
Alumni Achievement Award Cover Story

2024 Finalists Continue to Lead by Example

Left to right: Andrew Melendez, Meghan Rothschild, Payton Shubrick, and Craig Swimm

In 2015, BusinessWest introduced a new award, an extension of its 40 Under Forty program. It’s called the Alumni Achievement Award (AAA), and as that name suggests, it recognizes previous 40 Under Forty honorees who continue to build on their résumés of outstanding achievement in their chosen field and in service to the community.

Along with honoring one winner (or, on a couple of occasions, two) each year, the program also gives us a chance to visit with, and write about, several finalists each year — which gives our readers an opportunity to read about the interesting and impactful things going on in their lives. After all, for most 40 Under Forty alums, that award recognizes only the beginning stages of where their paths will take them.

So read the links below for the subsequent, and often surprising, chapters in the lives of Andrew Melendez, Meghan Rothschild, Payton Shubrick, and Craig Swimm. These four were chosen by a panel of three independent judges among this year’s AAA nominees. The same judges were then tasked with agreeing on the ultimate winner, who will be revealed at the 18th annual 40 Under Forty Gala on Thursday, June 20 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

As the profiles that begin on page 5 reveal, these four finalists truly embody the spirit of this award. Their stories convey leadership, ongoing commitment to the region’s economic and civic life, and an ability to pivot and evolve as opportunities present themselves. They are, in a word, inspiring.

Special thanks to Health New England for its continued sponsorship of the Alumni Achievement Award.

 

Andrew Melendez

Founder, Latino Economic Development Corp

 

Meghan Rothschild

President and Owner, Chikmedia

 

Payton Shubrick

Founder and CEO, 6 Brick’s LLC

 

Craig Swimm

Senior Vice President, Audacy Springfield

Meet the Alumni Achievement Award Judges

By
Alumni Achievement Award
Ashley Bogle

Ashley Bogle

Ashley Bogle is assistant general counsel and director of Legal Services for Health New England, where she manages the day-to-day operations of HNE’s Legal Department, from reviewing contracts to providing regulatory guidance and maintaining licenses and accreditation. A 40 Under Forty honoree in 2021, Bogle is a founding member of HNE’s diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) committee, which strives to embed DEIB and health equity into HNE’s strategic plan, mission, operations, community outreach, and member community. She currently serves as president of Art for the Soul Gallery’s board of directors in addition to working on other community projects.

Corey Murphy

Corey Murphy

Recipient of the 40 Under Forty award in 2009, Corey Murphy is president of First American Insurance Agency and CMS Associates, second-generation businesses started in 1986 and 1994, respectively. First American has two locations, in Chicopee and Brimfield. A veteran of the U.S. Marines who served four years of active duty and 16 years in the Reserves, Murphy has served on the boards of the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce and Soldier On Inc., including stints as chair of both boards. He currently serves on the Holyoke Community College Foundation Board, recently completing three years as board chair.

Amy Royal

Amy Royal

Amy Royal is the founding owner and principal of the Royal Law Firm LLP, a boutique, woman-owned corporate law firm headquartered in Western Mass. with additional offices in Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Royal is a 2009 40 Under Forty recipient and the 2023 40 Under Forty Alumni Achievement Award winner. She is a trial attorney specializing in management-side labor and employment law and commercial litigation. Active in the community, she is a volunteer and board officer at several area nonprofits, including the Springfield Ballers and the Center for Human Development.

 

Craig Swimm

By
Craig Swimm (center) with Dina McMahon and Chris Kellogg from the WMAS Kellogg Krew.
Alumni Achievement Award

Senior Vice President, Audacy Springfield

Craig Swimm today (above) and as a 40 Under Forty winner in 2007.

Craig Swimm today (above) and as a 40 Under Forty winner in 2007.

Craig Swimm was in the very first class of 40 Under Forty honorees.

That’s was 2007, for those who don’t know the history. And for Swimm, who would turn 40 just a few months later, he acknowledged that this would be his only shot at attaining that honor.

As he reflected on all that has changed since he received his plaque on the stage at the Log Cabin that spring, Craig paused a second, said “wow,” and then paused again as if deciding where and how to start.

Indeed, there have been momentous changes, in his own life and career obviously, and in radio and with his broadcast group, which now includes 94.7 WMAS, sports station 105.5 WEEI, and a new Spanish station, Nueva 98.1 WHLL. And in general, with the Great Recession, other economic ups and downs, a pandemic and its aftermath, the emergence of social media, and so much more.

As for radio and the changes that have come to the industry and his group in particular, Swimm had to do some counting.

“Let’s see — there’s been one, two, three mergers, two bankruptcies, and a lot of other changes,” he said while giving the Readers Digest version of the progression from Citadel Broadcasting, which he served as sales manager when named a Forty Under 40 honoree, to the entity known as Audacy, a huge group with a presence in more than 100 markets, including Greater Springfied.

But what he chose to focus on more is what hasn’t changed over all that time — the team at Audacy Springfield, which has remained largely intact over those years, even through mergers and downturns in the economy; the fact that station WMAS remains live and local, at a time when far fewer stations can make those claims; and especially the stations’ commitment to the community.

That commitment, through Swimm’s direction, now includes everything from book drives to job fairs to the hugely successful radiothon to benefit Baystate Children’s Hospital, which, in many ways, eptoimizes the station’s commitment to the community and Swimm’s own desire to use its impresssive reach to make an impact.

“Success to Craig is watching his team become better versions of themselves.”

“We’ve raised more than $4 million since we started this,” he said, adding quickly that the station’s efforts have also yielded books, winter coats, bike helmets, and much more.

Those who nominated Swimm for the Alumni Achievement Award — and there were several from Audacy Springfield that did so — described him as a caring and effective manager, but also a mentor.

Craig Swimm (center) with Dina McMahon and Chris Kellogg from the WMAS Kellogg Krew.

Craig Swimm (center) with Dina McMahon and Chris Kellogg from the WMAS Kellogg Krew.

“Success to Craig is watching his team become better versions of themselves,” wrote Chris Duggan, an account executive. “That can be said for current employees, but also past employees who have gone on to new careers. They all will say that they owe their success to Craig for the type of manager and mentor he was.”

Dina McMahon, an on-air personality and member of the Kellogg Krew, agreed, and talked about something she called Swimm’s ‘1% philosophy.’

“Craig has strongly supported many local organizations, but he is always looking to make something bigger, better, stronger,” she wrote. “His philosophy is always do 1% better today than the day before, and he lives by that motto.

“One of our biggest community efforts is the 94.7 WMAS Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Radiothon for Baystate Children’s Hospital,” McMahon added. “Each year, Craig spearheads the station’s effort, encouraging more sponsors to support the cause, coming up with new and innovative ideas to encourage donations and volunteers. And he is the first to say after the event, ‘OK, let’s meet and come up with new ideas for next year.’”

Lucie Rubba, sales planner and administrator at Audacy Springfield, had this to say: “Craig possesses an exceptional resourcefulness, consistently navigating through challenges with adeptness and resilience. His ability to improvise effectively when faced with obstacles underscores his leadership prowess, demonstrating fairness and astuteness in all his endeavors. He embraces every challenge with open arms, whether it’s a 3K run/walk, a food drive, or particularly an event for children. He is invariably present, ready to lend his support in any capacity needed.”

For his part, Swimm said his job comes down to leading Audacy Springfield through the myriad challenges now facing all radio stations and groups — and all media outlets, for that matter — and also making sure that Greater Springfield, one of the smaller markets in the huge Audacy portfolio, is heard loud and clear. And while doing that, he’s always looking for new ways to make an impact within the community.

“Every day is a little different,” he acknowledged. “But I’m always focused on our two clients — the listeners and our advertisers. Every one of my decisions involves making sure we’re putting out a good product and that we’re connecting to the community.”

He points to numerous success stories, but especially the CMN radiothon and the job fairs, conducted in conjunction with MassHire Springfield, that are staged at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

The job fairs have changed and evolved as the economy has, he told BusinessWest, noting that, most recently, they’ve become a way for employers struggling to fill openings to become visible and tell their stories to those looking to enter the job market or take their next career step.

“We started during the Great Recession, and I think we’ve found jobs for 10,000 people since we started this,” he explained. “Back then, we had three companies and 5,000 people show up; now we have 40 companies and 300 people show up. I’m super proud of it because we’ve found so many people jobs; people have walked out of these expos who were hired on the spot. They’re walking through the Hall of Fame, and they’re saying, ‘I got hired.’ They’re happy, there’s tears, and … you’re part of that.”

He’s been part of a great many things since he joined the 40 Under Forty club 17 years ago, and he’s continously looking for ways to add to that list, while continuing to be an effective manager and mentor. This is the very definition of the Alumni Achievement Award and the reason why Swimm is now a finalist for that honor.

—George O’Brien

Payton Shubrick

By
Payton Shubrick
Alumni Achievement Award

Founder and CEO, 6 Brick’s LLC

Payton Shubrick today (above) and as a 40 Under Forty winner in 2019.

Payton Shubrick today (above) and as a 40 Under Forty winner in 2019.

Payton Shubrick joined the region’s 40 Under Forty club in 2019, when she was serving as ‘Innovation and Design Thinking manager’ for MassMutual.

That was one of the years when the honoree profiles consisted of answers to questions designed to provide some real insight into whom these individuals were and, well … what made them tick.

In Shubrick’s case, they certainly did.

Indeed, when asked how she defines success, she said, “living a life of intentionality — one that allows you to smile unwittingly with excitement because of what you do, understand that hard times are a necessary evil to get to good times, and live a life that the ones you love are proud of.”

When asked what three words best describe her, she replied, “innovative, tenacious, visionary.”

And when asked what she’s passionate about, she wrote, “I am passionate about challenging the status quo. It is not easy, nor it is ever comfortable, but one fearless choice at a time, one brave decison at a time, one courageous action at a time … you can change the world. In the end, some of life’s best moments are on the other side of fear.”

These answers explain the motivations for Shubrick’s subsequent career move — a bold entrepreneurial venture, a cannabis dispensary she would call Six Brick’s, a nod to the six people in her immediate family, many of whom are involved in this operation. And the words and phrases she used in those answers almost eerily portend what an extreme challenge this venture would become. Indeed, the cannabis industry has changed profoundly over the past few years as prices have fallen and the herd of players has been subsequently thinned; nearly 40 dispensaries in the Commonwealth have gone out of business over the past few years.

“The days of ‘if you build it, they will come’ are long gone,” Shubrick said simply when asked to describe the current state of the industry, casting new light and reflection on the answers to those questions five years ago and references to being innovative and visionary, and also hard times, brave decisions, courageous actions, and, yes, challenging the status quo.

“The business is definitely competitive, and prices continue to compress, but I’m extremely grateful for the team that I lead and the customer base we’ve been able to grow, and hopefully will continue to grow.”

In many ways, that’s what she was doing when she desired to take a leap, leave the relative comfort of corporate America and Mother Mutual, and not just start a business, but a cannabis dispensary — becoming a “legal drug dealer,” as she put it — at a time when many large multi-state operators, or MSOs, as they’re called, were eyeing Springfield, in a way that Shubrick, who had seen them come to the City Council first-hand while she was interning for that body, found more than a little disturbing.

“Hearing these multi-state operators talk about Springfield more as a profit center rather than as a place with people really became a catalyst for me wanting to get involved in this industry, especially acknowledging that I was a political science major and African studies major, so I understood and knew first-hand the horror that cannabis had done prior to its legalization in communities like Springfield,” she told BusinessWest. “And I really didn’t like the idea of having dispensaries owned and controlled only by wealthy white men who had no real community ties to Springfield or any real desire to see Springfield be able to leverage this industry and do better and provide not just jobs, but career paths for people.”

Inspired by this desire to challenge what could be considered the status quo, and further inspired by entrepreneurial family members — and especially her grandfather, Hercules Shubrick, who got into the recycling business long before that became meanstream and also owned two convenience stores — she launched Six Brick’s in some of the underused space in the Springfield Republican building nearly two years ago.

“Perhaps it was through complaints and the support of my family or a combination of the two, but I found myself in the process of starting up an adult-use dispensary,” she went on, “wanting to set the tone that those in the community could participate in the legal cannabis community and have authentic representation from the community, as opposed to some performative notion of hiring someone who is a person of color, but isn’t actually an owner/operator.”

Since opening, there has been success and recognition, for both Shubrick and her venture. She has been named to another 40 Under Forty list, this one compiled by Marijuana Venture, and was also named Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the New England Cannabis Assoc. Six Brick’s, meanwhile, was named Best Adult Use Dispensary in the state by that same agency.

But there have been challenges as well as the industry has retreated from its strong start of a few years ago.

“Ignorance is definitely bliss; I did not know nor fully understand all that I was getting myself into,” she said. “The business is definitely competitive, and prices continue to compress, but I’m extremely grateful for the team that I lead and the customer base we’ve been able to grow, and hopefully will continue to grow.”

In other words, and to recall those answers from her questionnaire five years ago, nothing is easy, nor is life in this industry anything approaching comfortable. But she is determined and, yes, tenacious, in her quest for both continued success in this business and opportunities to help people victimized by old cannabis laws and non-violent convictions — crimes that are no longer crimes under current state law. Indeed, she has helped many get professional legal guidance to expunge their records and clean their CORI records so they can move on in life.

To sum up her accomplishments to date and her outlook on the future, we return to that questionnaire one more time, and Shubrick’s answer to the question ‘what goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day?’

“I remind myself of the words of Maya Angelou,” she replied. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

She has certainly done all that, and this helps explain why she is not only a success in an extremely challenging business, but why she is a finalist for another honor — the Alumni Achievement Award.

—George O’Brien

Andrew Melendez

By
Andrew Melendez
Alumni Achievement Award

Founder, Latino Economic Development Corp.

Andrew Melendez

Andrew Melendez today (above) and as a 40 Under Forty winner in 2015 .

“How has the candidate been able to inspire others through his or her work?”

That’s a question that was added to the nomination form for the Alumni Achievement Award a few years back, with the goal of gaining some additional insight into why a certain candidate is worthy of the prestigious award — beyond the positions and titles on a résumé or a list of contributions when it comes to community involvement.

And in many cases, that question has provided some keen insight into not just what someone does for a living, but the impact of what they do.

Such is the case with Andrew Melendez, founder of the Latino Economic Development Corp. and a driving force in helping aspiring business owners get a venture off the ground or to the next level.

“He serves as an inspiration by demonstrating that, with access to the right resources and support, individuals from any background can achieve prosperity and success,” wrote Edna Rodriguez, director of Behavioral Health for Trinity Health Of New England. “His work highlights the transformative power of empowerment, education, and community support in overcoming barriers and realizing one’s full potential.”

And she had more to say on that subject.

“By championing inclusivity and providing opportunities for all, Andrew exemplifies the belief that everyone deserves a chance to thrive and contribute meaningfully to society,” Rodriguez went on. “His story serves as a beacon of hope and encouragement for those striving to build a brighter future for themselves and their communities, regardless of their starting point.”

Melendez’s story is, indeed, an intriguing and inspiring one, with several interesting chapters. These include everything from a short stint as coordinator of an early-literacy initiative led by the mayor of Holyoke to work managing and supervising about 500 substitute teachers for Springfield Public Schools; from a stint as executive director of the short-lived Agawam YMCA Family Center (he was in that role when he joined the 40 Under Forty class of 2015) to a turn in the private sector as operations director for CVS Health, where he was responsible for the efficient operation of multiple locations. There was also a stint as Western Mass. director for Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

“He serves as an inspiration by demonstrating that, with access to the right resources and support, individuals from any background can achieve prosperity and success.”

During that time with AIM, the pandemic hit, providing Melendez with some real insight into the reach and power of business assocations.

“They had an HR hotline; you could call and ask questions of a lawyer,” he recalled. “I said to myself, ‘this is amazing — all these multi-million-dollar companies are getting all this support.’ And I was thinking that, if all these large companies are getting support, we need to be giving support to our minority micro-businesses.”

This led to brainstorming, conducted with other leaders from the Latino community, such as state Sen. Adam Gomez, Springfield City Councilor Orlando Ramos (himself a past AAA finalist), and others to create the Latino Economic Development Corp.

The agency is unique in that it is not a chamber of commerce, nor a business incubator, although it serves as both in many ways. The LEDC provides support to entrepreneurs for all demographic groups (despite its name) in many ways and on many levels. That list includes everything from direct financial support through grants to a pool of coaches — experts who can assist entrepreneurs with everything from writing a business plan to marketing and public relations to support with coping with the huge amounts of stress that come with having one’s name on the business.

And over the past 30 months or so, the agency has made some real strides.

“We’ve brought close to 15 new businesses to downtown Springfield, we’ve given out $200,000 in mini-grants, and we’ve started a new cohort called the Latino Economic Development Institute, and we’ve just graduated 40 people in that cohort, and we have another 15 graduating this week … I could go on and on,” he said. “We have 12 different coaches doing one-on-one coaching; we’re leading the charge in micro-business support.”

Melendez, who was has been instrumental in getting the LEDC off the ground, shaping its unique mission, and running its operation, told BusinessWest that the work is impactful — and inspirational on many levels — although nothing about entrepreneurship is easy, so some of the conversations are difficult.

“Almost every day, I’m talking with someone who has this great idea that they want to bring to the table; they want to talk about creating a business plan, and I walk them through the process,” he said. “But small businesses and micro-businesses do fail; just this morning, I was talking with someone … they’re having a hard time, they’re not sure what to do, and don’t know whether to close their doors or not.

Whether it’s those first conversations — the ones about taking a bright idea to market and developing a business plan — or the harder ones, about whether to keep the doors open, the goal is the same, he said: to provide the business owner with support and a plan for moving forward.

“There are exciting conversations, and there are hard conversations,” he went on. “And I love the environment we’ve created, which is in many ways the first of its kind in the Bay State.”

For Melendez, this latest work is the culmination of everything that came before it career-wise, steps where he developed a passion for others and cultivated myriad skills, especially when it comes to organization, building teams, developing relationships, making connections, and getting things done.

All of this has come together at the LEDC, where not all dreams come true, but all dreams are given their best chance to come true.

And Melendez, through his work and the example he has set, is a huge part of the agency’s success.

As Rodriguez noted, he serves as an inspiration “by demonstrating that, with access to the right resources and support, individuals from any background can achieve prosperity and success.”

This has made Melendez a leader, a 40 Under Forty honoree, and now, an Alumni Achievement Award finalist.

—George O’Brien

Introducing the Alumni Achievement Award Finalists for 2023

By
Alumni Achievement Award Cover Story

All AAAs

In 2015, BusinessWest introduced a new recognition program. Actually, it was a spin-off, or extension, of an existing recognition program — 40 Under Forty. The concept was rather simple: to recognize the individual (or individuals — there have multiple winners a few years) who has most improved upon their résumé of excellence, in both their chosen field and with their service to the community. Over the past several years, the competition for what has become known as the Alumni Achievement Award has been spirited, as it was this year. Indeed, a panel of three judges, including the 2022 honoree, Anthony Gleason III, scored nominations featuring individuals across several different sectors of the economy. The four highest scorers, the finalists for the 2023 AAA honor, are profiled here. They are: Ryan McCollum, owner of RMC Strategies; Orlando Ramos, state representative and Springfield mayoral candidate; Amy Royal, founder and CEO of the Royal Law Firm, and Michelle Theroux, executive director of the Berkshire Hills Music Academy. The AAA winner will be announced at this year’s 40 Under Forty gala on June 15 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House.

Select each finalist below to read their story:

Ryan McCollum

Ryan McCollum

Owner of RMC Strategies

Orlando Ramos

Orlando Ramos

State representative and Springfield mayoral candidate

Amy Royal

Amy Royal

Founder and CEO of the Royal Law Firm

Michelle Theroux

Michelle Theroux

Executive director of the Berkshire Hills Music Academy

This year’s 40 Under Forty Alumni Achievement Award is Presented by:

Ryan McCollum

By
Ryan McCollum
Alumni Achievement Award

Owner, RMC Strategies

Ryan McCollum

Ryan McCollum has grown not only his business but his civic impact since being honored by 40 Under Forty in 2012 (below).

Ryan McCollum 2012

Ryan McCollum 2012

When he became a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2012, Ryan McCollum had already established an impressive track record of entrepreneurship, community involvement, and simply being an advocate for, and supporter of, the Western Mass. region and its business community.

Indeed, at that time, he had established RMC Strategies, a full-service consulting and government-relations firm, as a force in the region. Meanwhile, he was involved in civic work — and helping to promote and strengthen the 413 — on many levels, from his work to help launch the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield to his service on the board of Best Buddies.

To say that, over the past 11 years, he has only built on this deep and impressive résumé would be a huge understatement.

As an entrepreneur, he has established two new ventures — Shoe Leather, a text-messaging marketing company, and Goldilox, an online payment platform for candidates and nonprofits — and he is also part-owner of a cannabis dispensary set to open this fall in Monson, part of the growing portfolio of Holyoke-based DAZE, one of his clients at RMC.

Speaking of RMC, McCollum continues to grow that venture and take it in different directions. Indeed, while he still handles political campaigns — he served as consultant to Joshua Garcia in his successful bid to become the first Latino Mayor of Holyoke in 2021, for example — he continues to build his client list and, recently, his portfolio of work as a lobbyist. When he spoke with BusinessWest, McCollum was driving to Boston to lobby for the Coalition for an Equitable Economy. He’s also done some lobbying for a company looking to enable small businesses — bars, restaurants, and private clubs — to be a part of the burgeoning sports-betting scene across the state.

But it’s his ongoing efforts to expand his volunteer work within the community that is perhaps most impressive.

Indeed, the current list of agencies and causes he’s involved with includes Suit Up Springfield and Square One, which he serves as a board member; Roca, which he serves as an advisory board member; the Springfield Museums, where he has been a member of the marketing and communications committee; the Children’s Museum in Holyoke, for which he was a celebrity dancer for its Fancy Steps fundraiser this year; and many others. He’s even involved in work to help bring others into the game of golf, a sport he discovered years ago and is now somewhat passionate about.

“If ever Ryan leaves a board, he immediately joins two more,” wrote Timothy Allen, principal at Birchland Park Middle School in East Longmeadow and a 40 Under Forty winner himself (class of 2013), who nominated McCollum for the AAA. “Despite the success of his personal business, it is still the community side of his work that drives his daily motivation.”

Increasingly, this work in the community has involved efforts to combat racism and level the playing field for all residents of the 413 — and beyond.

McCollum is now a board member for the Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley as well as the National Conference for Community and Justice, and he recently became a member of the Longmeadow Coalition for Racial Justice Task Force. And then, there’s the recently formed nonprofit he founded (with 15 friends and colleagues, many of them involved in education) called 16 Lyrics.

“We fight to conquer and dismantle systemic racism through education, community outreach, and intensive support of those in the same battles.”

“We fight to conquer and dismantle systemic racism through education, community outreach, and intensive support of those in the same battles,” he said of the agency’s mission statement. “Our first initiative has been to provide kids with books that have diverse characters, diverse authors, diverse storylines — and we do that all over the country; we’ve given out books that we’ve purchased from Black-owned bookstores to places in New Jersey, Chicago, and, of course, Massachusetts. It’s been fun, and I think we’re already making a difference.”

While his work in the community and as a business owner and lobbyist are all impressive, perhaps McCollum’s most important work, Allen said, is as a connector — connecting residents, political candidates and office holders, and organizations with resources and opportunities for growth and advancement.

“He is the person to call to connect people and form other lasting bonds, which further creates great energy and outcomes here in Western Mass.,” Allen wrote. “Instead of sitting on each board he is asked to sit on, he’s working on setting up a talent bank of young and diverse leaders to sit on boards and fill other roles he’s often asked himself to take on.

“While clearly becoming an even more of a behind-the-scenes and sometimes out-front leader in the community, it’s Ryan’s ability to push for others that sets him apart,” Allen continued. “He consistently extends opportunities to those who may not have the connections or relationships to be thought of, but have the talent and love of the community to serve as well as anyone.”

When he became a 40 Under Forty honoree in 2012, McCollum summed up his work — and his overall mindset — this way: “I want to leave the world a better place than I found it … this is the driving force behind everything I do.”

That is still the force that drives him, and 11 years later, there is much more to talk about when it comes to ‘everything I do.’

And that’s why he is one of the finalists for the Alumni Achievement Award in 2023.

 

—George O’Brien

Orlando Ramos

By
Orlando Ramos
Alumni Achievement Award

State Representative, 9th District

Orlando Ramos

Orlando Ramos’ 40 Under Forty photo in 2012 (below) emphasized he’s a fighter in more ways than one — and that hasn’t changed.

For his studio photograph when he became a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2014, Orlando Ramos chose to put on his blue boxing gloves and robe — he trained under legend Duke Belton and fought for several years — with a dress shirt and tie underneath.

The juxtaposition of those clothing items was well-thought-out, and quite poignant.

Indeed, at that time, when Ramos was 31 and serving as a Springfield city councilor (Ward 8) and district director for state Sen. James Welch, he was essentially sending a message — that he was still fighting … just not in the ring. Instead, he was fighting for Springfield, the city where he grew up (the Pine Point neighborhood, to be more specific), and its residents.

That fight took him to the presidency of the City Council, a role he carried out for two years, 2017 and 2018.

Today, the fight continues, but in a different setting. Sort of. Instead of City Hall in Springfield, Ramos’ professional mailing address is now the State House in Boston, where he serves as representative for the 9th District, which represents Pine Point and other neighborhoods in the northern part of the city.

But Ramos is looking to come back to City Hall, in this case the corner office. Indeed, he is a candidate for mayor in what promises to be a heated fight (there’s that word again) that will play out over the several months. We’ll get back to that in a minute.

First, there’s Ramos’s ongoing fight for the city and how it has evolved over the past several years, a progression, and an escalation, if one chooses to call it that, which impressed the panel of judges weighing nominations for the Alumni Achievement Award and made him a finalist for that coveted award.

His story of service to the community starts more than 15 years ago, when Ramos, who began his professional career as a carpenter and later was appointed union steward of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 108, was offered an internship in the governor’s Western Mass. office, whetting his appetite for public service.

He was later offered a full-time position as Welch’s district director, and successfully ran for City Council in 2013.

Ramos said he chose to take his work to fight for Springfield to the State House to essentially broaden his impact.

“I saw an opportunity to bring more resources back to the community,” he told BusinessWest, adding that he was first elected during the COVID pandemic, a time that “highlighted so many inequalities and so many needs in Springfield.”

He added that “we needed a leader with experience to navigate the Legislature, and that’s why I decided to run.”

He said his freshman term was a productive one, with three bills that he authored passing the House. Elaborating, he said the sports-betting bill that eventually passed was the version that included diversity, equity, and inclusion language that he wrote. Another bill he steered through concerned biomass plants and essentially removed state subsidies for such facilities, a measure he believes was the “final dagger” for a controversial biomass plant proposed for Springfield.

“I love my job as a state representative, but I feel there is a need in the city, and I feel that I am the right person for the job.”

The third bill concerned regulation of facial-surveillance technology. It passed both the House and Senate, but was vetoed by then-Gov. Charlie Baker. He is hopeful that it will pass this year.

As for his decision to run for mayor, Ramos said he believes it’s time for a change in Springfield, and a time to seize more opportunities, especially within the broad realm of economic development.

“I see that there is a need in the city for a new vision,” he told BusinessWest. “I love my job as a state representative, but I feel there is a need in the city, and I feel that I am the right person for the job. We’ve had a lot of missed opportunities, and I feel that people are ready for a new mayor.”

He said he was the first person on the ballot and has hit the ground running when it comes to his campaign. “I’ve been knocking on doors ever since. And I’m going to continue knocking on doors until election day.”

Areliz Barboza, coordinator of the nonprofit agency known as Listening with Love, who nominated Ramos for the AAA honor, summed up Ramos’s work, and his passion for Springfield and its residents, this way:

“I believe he is an ambassador for our community. He is not only an elected official, but he is also a mentor to our young people,” she wrote. “He has the heart to serve our seniors. He has devoted himself to be the change within his family and in our community. Even with his busy schedule, he still manages to always make time to go above and beyond for our community. I believe his integrity and passion to serve our community speaks volumes and brings inspiration that creates the change we need in Springfield.”

Those sentiments explain why he has been elected city councilor and state representative, why he became a 40 Under Forty honoree in 2014, and now, why is a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award.

 

—George O’Brien

Amy Royal

By
Amy Royal
Alumni Achievement Award

Founder and CEO, the Royal Law Firm

Amy Royal

Amy Royal had only recently launched her law firm in 2009 (the photo highlights an early client), and now the firm has a physical presence in four states.

Amy Royal is in pretty much the same place she was last year at this time … well, at least when it comes to BusinessWest’s Alumni Achievement Award competition.

Indeed, her scores from a different panel of judges have again made her a finalist for the coveted honor, which is why she is now clearing her schedule for the third Thursday in June to enable her to be at the Log Cabin to see if it is her name being announced as the AAA winner for 2023.

But in many other respects, Royal is in a different place — literally and figuratively.

She is now living in Eastern New York, where she is hard at work opening the newest office for the law firm she started in 2008 (and which earned her 40 Under Forty honors the following year), now known as the Royal Law Firm. That new office is in Albany, the state’s capital, giving the firm a presence now in the Empire State and most of New England.

“I’ve been working really hard to expand our footprint here,” she said from New York, “and obviously continue to build in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire…”

As for the Massachusetts office, it is located in the historic Alexander House, just a few hundred feet down Elliot Street in Springfield from the federal courthouse. For Royal, acquisition and subsequent renovation of the stately mansion has become a passion, one we’ll get back to later.

For now, know that this new home for the Springfield office, and Royal’s affection for it, is enough to prompt her to commute from just outside Albany to Springfield several days a week; travel time is about an hour, she said, just a little longer than it took her to get to Springfield from from her former residence in Deerfield.

Getting back to that notion of Royal being back where she was this same time last year, she is — and then again, she isn’t.

Which helps explain why she is again a finalist for the AAA award.

Indeed, many of the same accomplishments that impressed the judges in 2022 impressed them again this year. These include her ongoing work to grow the firm, take it to new markets, and add to an already-impressive client list that includes Google, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Macy’s, Panasonic of North America, and KeyBank.

“For our clients that are national and international corporations, having a presence in the state of New York is huge to them. It’s an important piece to our continued growth; we had most of the New England states covered, and this was the next logical step.”

The latest expansion effort, as noted, is in Eastern New York, a new office that Royal believes will open some doors for the firm, which once focused exclusively on representing employers in labor and employment-law matters, but in recent years has pushed into other areas of the law, especially the broad realm of commercial litigation.

“For our clients that are national and international corporations, having a presence in the state of New York is huge to them,” she explained. “It’s an important piece to our continued growth; we had most of the New England states covered, and this was the next logical step.”

Royal said she is closing on some real estate for the New York office while also recruiting lawyers to staff it, work that has become increasingly challenging given the ongoing workforce crisis that has touched seemingly every sector of the economy, including the legal community.

Beyond the law firm, Royal has always been entrepreneurial, and that trend continues as well. In New York, she and a partner are closing on an ambitious project that will bring an indoor sports facility and childcare center together in one complex.

Meanwhile, what has also impressed the judges, last year and again this year, is her work in the community, which includes a long track record of service to the Center for Human Development, which recently marked its 50th anniversary; she is currently board president. She is also heavily involved with the Springfield Ballers, a nonprofit that provides opportunities for young people to take part in sports and which won its own honor from BusinessWest this year — the Difference Makers award. Royal is an active board member with the agency, and in the past has served as a coach.

But since being named a finalist last year, Royal has continued to build on this track record of involvement — in Western Mass., and now in New York as well. Locally, she has played a lead role in the creation of another nonprofit agency focused on young people and sports. It’s called Northeast Revolt, and it will feature multiple basketball teams that will involve young people, girls and boys, in grades 3 through high school, in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York.

As for the Alexander House, the Royal Law Firm has settled in there, but renovation work continues, she said, adding that the work has become a labor of love.

Interior renovations are essentially complete, she said, adding that work there has included rewiring; installing central air; remodeling of bathrooms, the kitchen, and office spaces; and much more.

Now, the focus shifts to the exterior and work on the historic pillars, painting the building, and restoration of the fence surrounding the property.

“We’re giving a facelift to the entire building,” Royal said, adding that the work on Elliott Street mirrors what she is doing with the law firm — and youth sports, for that matter — in many respects; she’s setting the stage for decades of growth and continued success.

And that’s why, at least when it comes to the Alumni Achievement Award, she is in the same, good place she was last year.

 

—George O’Brien

Michelle Theroux

By
Michelle Theroux
Alumni Achievement Award

Executive Director, Berkshire Hills Music Academy

Michelle Theroux

Michelle Theroux was one of the inaugural 40 Under Forty honorees in 2007 (below), and has made some significant impacts since.

Michelle Theroux was a member of BusinessWest’s first class of 40 Under Forty honorees. That was back in 2007, for those who don’t know the history of this program.

At that time, she was executive director of Child and Family Services of Pioneer Valley, and as she talked with BusinessWest on that occasion, she noted that her background in dance — she began studying tap, jazz, and ballet at age 5; added dance instruction when she was just 16; and later toured nationally in a jazz-based children’s show — helped her generate the skills, including discipline, drive, and “balance,” needed to effectively lead a nonprofit.

In her 40 Under Forty picture, her ballet shoes are prominently displayed. In her profile piece, she noted, “now, dance is sort of my balancing piece. It evens out stress. Still, in my life, sleep is optional.”

Sixteen years later, as she was being interviewed as a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award — the first time she has achieved that honor — the shoes were not visible, but the arts are still a big part of her life, personally and professionally. And between her day job, the arts, and her considerable work within the community, sleep … well, that remains optional.

Indeed, she still dances and teaches dance, and that day job, one she has held for the past decade, is executive director of the Berkshire Hills Music Academy. The South Hadley-based facility is a unique, college-like program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as autism and Down syndrome, who are looking to expand their social, vocational, and music skills in a music-infused environment.

“Our uniqueness comes from how we integrate music, dance, and other art forms into our programs so that individuals who are musically talented or art-minded can use that to scaffold to other skills, creating better opportunities for independence and developing their life skills such as money management, cooking, and more,” she explained.

Students at the school are provided with opportunities to perform locally, individually, and as part of groups, Theroux noted, and in settings ranging from local schools to Fenway Park, where students have sung the national anthem.

“It gives individuals who otherwise would not have had that opportunity the chance for their ability to be heard, not necessarily their disability,” she went on. “When you hear one of our performers playing, you hear their music; you don’t see their disability — and that’s the mission behind all that we have done.”

Theroux’s role there brings her passion for managing nonprofits and her passion for the arts together in a role she finds both challenging and, in many ways, invigorating.

“This place really blended my nonprofit-management skillset with my dance background,” she said, adding that, during her tenure, she has been able to put the agency on firmer financial ground while expanding its footprint and growing its client base.

“When you hear one of our performers playing, you hear their music; you don’t see their disability — and that’s the mission behind all that we have done.”

As she leads the organization, Theroux continues to lean on those skills she honed through dance — and an impressive track record of managing nonprofits; after spearheading a merger between Child & Family Services and the Center for Human Development, she remained with CHD, serving as vice president of its clinical division.

At Berkshire Hills, she has acted as a change agent for the nonprofit, stabilizing all facets of the operation, creating an operational budget surplus, doubling the operating budget over a two-year period, expanding contracts with the Department of Developmental Services, and exceeding set goals for a capital campaign.

While building on her impressive résumé of work leading nonprofits, Theroux has also built upon a strong track record of service to the community. Most notably, she currently chairs the board of trustees for Mercy Medical Center, and is also a regional board member for Trinity Health Of New England.

But her involvement in the community takes many forms, especially in South Hadley, where she lives and works. She has been a board member for the South Hadley/Granby Chamber of Commerce for nearly a decade now, and served as president of the board from 2018 to 2022. Within the community, she is a member of the Master Plan Implementation Committee and the Redevelopment Authority, and is also a town meeting member.

Other work within the region includes a decade of service to MicroTek Inc., a Chicopee-based manufacturer of custom cable and wire configurations that maintains a focus on employing people with disabilities and supporting these individuals. Theroux has served on its board of directors since 2014, currently as its vice president. Previously, she has been involved with the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts and the Human Service Forum.

At Mercy, Theroux has led the board during a time of extreme challenge — the pandemic tested the hospital and its staff in every way imaginable.

“It was awe-striking in a lot of ways,” she said, “starting with your admiration for the healthcare workers and the day-to-day challenges that they were facing, on all levels — those on the front lines, the administrators trying to make sure everyone was safe, everyone throughout the entire system.
“And then, you’re dealing with the reality of a pandemic and patients who were fighting in the ICUs and the COVID units,” she went on. “You were seeing both, while trying to manage and make sure that you could get as many resources into place as possible to support both ends of that paradigm.”

Her work to help lead the Mercy system through those dark and challenging times is just one example of how Theroux has continued to grow as a manager and a leader since she was first named a 40 Under Forty honoree, and why she is a finalist for the AAA Award.

 

—George O’Brien

2022 Alumni Achievement Award

By
Alumni Achievement Award Cover Story

2022 Finalists Are Inspirational Leaders within the Community

 

In 2015, BusinessWest introduced a new award, an extension of its 40 Under Forty program. It’s called the Alumni Achievement Award, and as that name suggests, it recognizes previous honorees who continue to build on their resumes of outstanding achievement in their chosen field and in service to the community. Recently, a panel of three judges identified the three finalists for the 2022 award — Amanda Garcia, Anthony Gleason II, and Amy Royal. The winner for this year will be unveiled by Alumni Achievement Award presenting sponsor Health New England at the 40 Under Forty Gala on June 16 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. As the profiles that begin on page 7 reveal, these three finalists embody the spirit of this award. Their stories convey true leadership and are, in a word, inspiring.

Amanda Garcia

Associate Professor of Accounting and Finances, Director of the MBA Program, Elms College

 

Anthony Gleason II

President and Co-founder of the Gleason Johndrow

 

Amy Royal

Founder/CEO, the Royal Law Firm

 

 

Amy Royal

By
Amy Royal
Alumni Achievement Award

Founder/CEO, the Royal Law Firm

Amy Royal

Amy Royal

Amy Royal is a big believer in that old adage — the one about how if you want something done, give that task to a busy person.

“I’ve seen that happen so much over the course of my career,” she told BusinessWest. “Those busy people — they just make it happen. They’ll return things very quickly; they get things done, and done right.”

For quite some time now, Royal, founder and CEO of the Springfield-based Royal Law Firm, has been the very definition of that proverbial busy person — and that’s probably why people keep asking her to do things, with ‘people’ meaning everything from legal clients to area nonprofits to those running the Springfield Ballers (more on them later).

Indeed, Royal is busy with all kinds of things these days, and the sum of this work inside and outside the office (and on her new office) certainly helps to explain why she is a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award in 2022.

Let’s start with the office. Back in 2009, when Royal was honored as a member of the third 40 Under Forty class, she was busy putting the law firm she established on a path to consistent, diverse growth. To say that she has succeeded with that assignment would be an understatement.

Indeed, the firm has grown in size — it now boasts a team of 11 — while also greatly expanding its book of business, its geographic footprint, and its service areas.

When the firm was launched, it was focused exclusively on representing employers in labor and employment law matters. It still does a lot of that, but it has pushed into other areas of the law, as Royal explained.

“It was a long time coming before I decided to expand beyond that; we still only represent organizations, but now we do it in other practice areas beyond where we started,” she explained. “I’m representing Merck Corp. in federal court here in a products-liability claim; my litigation has expanded beyond labor and employment law to commercial litigation generally.”

Merck is just one of many national and international clients in the firm’s portfolio. Others include Google, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Macy’s, Panasonic Corp. of North America, and KeyBank.

As for geographic expansion, the firm now has satellite offices in Hartford, Providence, and Bennington, Vt. (the latest facility to open), and Royal has ambitious plans to soon be in all six New England states.

And her entrepreneurial exploits extend beyond her law firm. Indeed, she has been involved in many other business ventures, including the purchase and subsequent expansion of West Side Metal Door Corp., a distributor and fabricator of metal doors and frames. There have been several real estate development projects, the latest being her purchase of the historic Alexander House, just down the street from the federal courthouse.

Royal is in the process of restoring the 6,000-square-foot home, built in 1811, and relocating the law firm’s headquarters there.

Meanwhile, Royal has long been busy outside the office, donating her time and talents to several nonprofits, especially the Center for Human Development. She has served on its board for more than 14 years, and is currently its president. She has also served on other boards, including serving as president of United Way of Hampshire County.

She has also coached many youth sports, from basketball to baseball, and created the 501c3 corporation for the Springfield Ballers, a nonprofit providing opportunities to young people in athletic programs. She serves as clerk of the Ballers board, and has been involved in writing grants to attain the funds to create more opportunities for more young people.

“We serve more than 400 kids in the Greater Springfield area in sports like basketball, both boys and girls, lacrosse, golf, and others,” Royal explained, adding that the initiative started as a girls’ basketball league and has expanded and evolved “massively from there.”

This is a volunteer operation, she went on, where those involved often wear many hats, as she does. She was asked to coach this year, as she has many times in the past, but had to decline — for a good reason.

“This is probably my older son’s last season in AAU, so I really want to watch him play basketball,” she said, adding that this is one example of how she works to balance the many priorities in her life.

When asked where she finds the time for all that she does and is asked to do, Royal said she makes it, because each aspect of her life is important to her — her family, her law career, and her many commitments to this region, which is her life-long home.

“I grew up here, and I care about the community and see that as something that is really important,” she said. “It’s something that both my parents were involved in; they made it a priority, and I’m simply following their example.”

In doing so, she has certainly become one of those busy people from that old adage that others entrust with important tasks — and a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award.

 

George O’Brien

Anthony Gleason II

By
Alumni Achievement Award

President and Co-founder of the Gleason Johndrow Companies

Anthony Gleason II

Anthony Gleason II

 

You might call it the ‘snowball effect.’

That’s one poetic way to describe what has happened since Anthony Gleason started his own landscaping business when he was 16, and especially since he was honored as a member of the Forty Under 40 Class of 2010.

Things have… well, snowballed. And in all kinds of ways.

The landscaping company he started with a $1,500 pickup truck and a lawnmower has grown into one of the largest snow-removal contractors in the country — the 32nd largest to be exact, at least according to the latest rankings in Snow Magazine, with more than $10 million in revenues in 2021. It now boasts a number of large contracts including the city of Springfield (250 locations), UMass Amherst and its 157 parking lots of various shapes and sizes, Western New England University, and many others, and has extended its geographic reach well beyond Western Mass.

“We’re servicing the entire state of Massachusetts — we’ll go out to Worcester and Boston — and go south into Hartford,” he told BusinessWest. “We just keep trying to grow wherever we can with the kind of work that makes sense.”

Meanwhile, the real estate portfolios of the many companies he’s now involved with continue to grow. The combined portfolio now boasts properties valued at more than $25 million, he said, and it includes office, industrial, self-storage, and other properties.

“We’re servicing the entire state of Massachusetts — we’ll go out to Worcester and Boston — and go south into Hartford. We just keep trying to grow wherever we can with the kind of work that makes sense.”

And Gleason’s involvement in the community — both on a personal and company-wide scale — continues to snowball as well, especially in Springfield. Indeed, both Gleason personally and Gleason Johndrow Landscaping have become huge supporters of the Spirit of Springfield, as both a sponsor and with in-kind donations, as we’ll see, but his work to give back extends well beyond the SOS to several other causes and organizations.

To sum it all up, Gleason, 36, who was also a finalist for the AAA award in 2019, travels back in time to when he was just getting started with that pick up truck while still in high school.

“I started with a few accounts … and I just went after it,” he said, adding that this is the mindset that has propelled his landscaping company — and many other business interests — forward, making it a force not only within its highly competitive industry, but within the community as well.

As he talked about his landscaping company and its status among the largest and most successful in the country, Gleason said it is well-positioned within that competitive market. It is large enough — with 150 employees and more than 75 vehicles — to handle the needs of large-scale clients like the city of Springfield and UMass Amherst, but also nimble enough to handle assignments of any size.

“Snow services is our largest offering and it’s what I think sets us apart,” he explained. “I do believe we’re really good at it, and we’re well-equipped. We’re going to continue to grow, but we’re going to try to do it modestly and do it the right way, with the accounts that make sense for our business model.”

With all this success in business comes a responsibility to give back, said Gleason, and he does this in many ways, perhaps most notably, and visibly, with the Spirit of Springfield and its many endeavors.

Since 2015, Gleason Johndrow Landscaping has been heavily involved with the SOS’s annual pancake breakfast, touted as the largest in the world. A team of 20 from the company provides help with logistics and operations — everything from loading batter onto a refrigerated truck to dispensing supplies to three cooking tents and 10 beverage stations.

Starting that same year, the company has been a sponsor of Bright Nights at Forest Park’s ‘Happy Holidays Springfield’ display. In 2017, the company was the lead sponsor, and Gleason the co-chair, of the City of Bright Nights Ball, the SOS’s largest annual fundraiser. In the years that have followed, it has supported the gala as a Golden Circle Sponsor.

But, as noted earlier, Gleason and the company have given back in many other ways as well. Examples include the donation of labor and resources to Southampton’s Norris Elementary School playground project, support for the Gunnery Sergeant Thomas J. Sullivan Park in Springfield, and ongoing support to a host of agencies, including Empty Arms Bereavement, the Mayflower Marathon, Springfield Cultural Council, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and many others.

While doing all this, Gleason has become an inspiration, role-model, and cheerleader of sorts for employees and others in the community, said Judy Matt, president of the Spirit of Springfield, who is one of many who nominated Gleason for the AAA award.

“He continues to inspire others by meeting with employees, colleagues, and friends to assist them with personal financial management, budgeting, and retirement investments,” she wrote. “He has encouraged employees to purchase homes or multi-family buildings, and often has helped them reach their goals of home ownership. He is always willing to donate his time and knowledge and to share his story of success so that others can achieve even greater accomplishments; this has been one of his main objectives throughout his career.”

You might say this objective is just part of the snow-ball effect, a success story that has many chapters still to be written.

 

George O’Brien

Amanda Garcia

By
Alumni Achievement Award

Associate Professor of Accounting and Finances, Director of the MBA Program, Elms College

Amanda Garcia

Amanda Garcia

Amanda Garcia has some simple advice for those she counsels in the Entrepreneurship program at Elms College — and pretty much everyone else she mentors at one level or another.

“I tell them not to be afraid to fail, and that you can learn from failure,” Garcia, now a repeat finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award, told BusinessWest. “A lot of times as an entrepreneur, whatever you start with is not what you end up with. So I encourage the students to understand that failure is OK — just learn from the failure and figure out what you can do better next time.”

And this is advice that extends to all those in business, she went on, not simply those who happen to own the business.

“If you’re too afraid to fail at something, you’ll never take the risk to start something new,” she explained. “A new program, a new initiative … any of that is a risk, because you’re putting your name on it, and sometimes things don’t go well.”

Suffice it to say that Garcia practices what she preaches, and that simple philosophy helps explain why she is again a finalist for the AAA award. Indeed, she has demonstrated several times that she is not afraid to fail, taking on new career challenges, new initiatives in the realm of higher education, and even her own entrepreneurial venture, an accounting firm that bears her name.

Most all of that has occurred since she was honored as a member of the 40 Under Forty Class of 2010. At that time, she was vice president of Operations for Junior Achievement of Western MA. And while she’s still heavily involved in JA, as we’ll see later, she has shifted her career path from the nonprofit realm to higher education.

“If you’re too afraid to fail at something, you’ll never take the risk to start something new. A new program, a new initiative … any of that is a risk, because you’re putting your name on it, and sometimes things don’t go well.”

At Elms College, where she started as lecturer in Accounting, she is currently an associate professor of Accounting and Finances and interim director of the MBA program, which she co-founded in 2012. Since then, she’s helped grow that program to include graduate degrees in several areas, including Accounting, Financial Planning, Healthcare Leadership, Management, and many others.

Meanwhile, Garcia helped launch the Entrepreneurship program at the school, and currently oversees that initiative and is co-director of the First-year Seminar and Innovation Challenge for students in that program.

Explaining that initiative, she said it is aptly named — students are placed into teams that are challenged with conceptualizing a product and service and pitching it in a competition that earns the winners some capital to take their venture forward.

“Students learn about design thinking, they learn how to pitch, they learn about innovation and how to tackle big problems that seem to have no answer,” she explained, adding that as an advisor and leader of the program, she also teaches them how to work in teams and be a good team member.

As for those big problems with no answers, she said that over the years, teams have addressed some of them with imagination, determination, and solutions in various phases of development.

“Last year’s winner pitched a roommate-matching app where the students would design the surveys to determine what is important to them in a roommate,” she explained, noting the importance of such a service. “A bad roommate is the number-one reason for a student leaving college or not living on campus.”

As for her own entrepreneurial venture, Amanda Garcia, LLC, launched in 2008, she has grown it from a sole proprietorship to three employees. It specializes in small business, rental properties, and tax planning for individuals with investments.

While the many aspects of her work keep her busy, she makes time for giving back to the community, especially Junior Achievement.

Indeed, she still has strong ties to the organization, serving as its accountant, co-chair of its annual golf tournament, a JA volunteer, and chair of the JA EnTEENpreneur Challenge, where, again, she is helping young people develop ideas and begin the process of transforming them into businesses.

Summing up all that she does, as a college professor, an accountant, and as a JA volunteer, Garcia said she is educating people and helping them succeed, as she has, in business and in life. It’s a role she takes very seriously, said Jennifer Connolly, president of Junior Achievement of Western MA, who nominated Garcia for the AAA award.

“Over the years, Amanda has helped dozens of area students and their families navigate applying for college, and then mentored those students through their college years,” she said. “She maintains close contact with many of her students after graduation, mentoring them as they navigate the world of work. She gives of herself, her time, and her money to support many organizations in the area.”

Overall, Garcia doesn’t have much direct experience with failure, so she can’t exactly speak from experience there. But she has considerable experience when it comes to overcoming fear of failure and accepting new challenges — on the job, with her business, and with everything that life can throw at someone.

Helping people overcome that fear and reach higher is just one of the ways she is making an impact in the region. And it’s just one of many reasons why she is a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award.

 

George O’Brien

 

40 Under Forty 2021 Alumni Achievement Award Finalists

By
Alumni Achievement Award Cover Story

In 2015, BusinessWest introduced a new award, an extension of its 40 Under Forty program. It’s called the Alumni Achievement Award, and as that name suggests, it recognizes previous honorees who continue to build on their résumés of outstanding achievement in their chosen field and in service to the community. Recently, a panel of three judges identified the five finalists for the 2021 award — Tara Brewster, Gregg Desmarais, Anthony Gulluni, Eric Lesser, and Meghan Rothschild. The winner for this year will be unveiled with Alumni Achievement Award presenting sponsor Health New England at the 40 Under Forty Gala on Sept. 23 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. As the profiles that begin on page 7 reveal, all five finalists embody the spirit of this award. Their stories convey true leadership and are truly inspiring.

 

Tara Brewster

Vice President of Business Development, Greenfield Savings Bank

Gregg Desmarais

Vice President and Senior Private Client Relationship Manager

Anthony Gulluni

Hampden County District Attorney

Eric Lesser

State Senator, First Hampden and Hampshire District

Meghan Rothschild

President and Owner, Chikmedia

 

Past Alumni Achievement Award Winners:

2020

Carla Cosenzi
President, TommyCar Auto Group, Class of 2012
Peter DePergola
Director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health, Class of 2015

2019

Cinda Jones
President, W. D. Cowls, Inc., Class of 2007

2018

Samalid Hogan
Regional Director, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center, Class of 2013

2017

Scott Foster
Attorney, Bulkley Richardson, Class of 2011
Nicole Griffin
Owner, ManeHire, Class of 2014

2016

Dr. Jonathan Bayuk
President of Allergy and Immunology Associates of Western Mass. & Chief of Allergy and Immunology at Baystate Medical Center, Class of 2008

2015

Delcie Bean
President, Paragus Strategic IT, Class of 2008

Anthony Gulluni

By
Alumni Achievement Award

Hampden County District Attorney

It’s called the Emerging Adult Court of Hope, or EACH for short.

The court, blueprinted by Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni in partnership with Springfield District Court and the Massachusetts-based youth-justice nonprofit Roca, is one of very few in the country to focus specifically on high-risk young adults typically aged 18 to 25.

And it was created with the goal of helping these young adults — whose brains, research has shown, are still developing, and whose understanding of consequences and of risk taking is not the same as it is for adults — break the cycle of crime and incarceration that has ruined so many lives by intervening and putting them on the path to not just a job, but a career.

“These are young people who are starting off 100 steps behind, really at birth,” Gulluni told BusinessWest. “They are born into really poor situations, disadvantaged situations with poor role models around them … they never get off on the right foot in school, they’re not supported, they’re not enriched, they’re not resourced, and they end up committing crimes.”

EACH is just one of the number of new programs, initiatives, and events launched by Gulluni and his office since he prevailed in the race for Hampden County DA in 2015, a lengthy list that easily explains why the judges made him a finalist for the 2021 Alumni Achievement Award. Others include:

• A Cold Case Unit that has experienced a number of successes, including an arrest and later a guilty plea to first-degree murder in the 1992 slaying of Lisa Ziegert and, more recently, what amounted to a deathbed near-confession on the part of defrocked Catholic priest Richard Lavigne in the death of Chicopee altar boy Daniel Croteau (Lavigne died before he was set to be charged with the crime);

• The Hampden County Addiction Task Force, a collaboration of community resources, local and state law enforcement, healthcare institutions, service providers, and community coalitions working toward the common goal of a county-wide approach to addressing drug overdoses, addictions, and preventions;

• Development of the Western Massachusetts Human Trafficking Task Force, a collaboration of local, state, and federal law-enforcement partners working on a new approach to pursuing and prosecuting human-trafficking cases based on an understanding that some of those who are traditionally prosecuted for prostitution are victims of force, threat, and coercion;

• The Campus Safety Symposium, which focuses on a multi-disciplinary team approach to the investigation of sexual-assault and domestic-violence complaints and a review and update of applicable laws and the legal issues frequently occurring during these investigations;

• A training event called “Protect, Report and Preserve: Fighting for Elders and Persons with Disabilities” for service providers and care workers to learn best practices for the recognition and reporting of abuse;

• Creation of the District Attorney’s Youth Advisory Board, which consists of local high-school students who meet on a regular basis with the DA’s office to address issues facing today’s teens and research-effective prevention strategies;

• A training event called “How Can You Not Remember? Understanding a Victim’s Response to Violence” for members of the law-enforcement community to highlight a trauma-informed approach to interviewing victims of sexual assault;

• The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children conference, designed for healthcare, mental-health, law-enforcement, and school professionals to provide tools and skills for recognizing and accessing the necessary resources in the aid of children suspected to be victims of exploitation;

• A #StoptheSwerve public-service-announcement contest for Hampden County high-school students to highlight the dangers of impaired driving; and

• A summer job fair and 3-on-3 basketball tournament that combines fun with a chance to learn about employment opportunities.

Slicing through all those new initiatives, Gulluni said that they are the embodiment of the mindset he took while first campaigning for the office.

“During that campaign, we communicated to the public that we could build a safer community by engaging with young people, by preventing crime, and by dealing with the core issues that cause crime, namely addiction, mental illness, and others, while also continuing to do the core work of the district attorney and law enforcement,” he explained, “which is to deter serious crime and to take people who are violent and repeat offenders off the streets.

“And when I look back on the first six and half years, I really feel that we’ve lived out that very philosophy,” he went on, adding that recent headlines have provided testimony to the progress his office has made.

Lavigne’s deathbed interview with Massachusetts State Trooper Michael McNally, which was front-page news across the state and beyond, tops that list in most respects, but there have been many other developments, including multiple arrests of members of the Knox Street Posse, a local street gang in Springfield, the first strike made by the Strategic Action and Focused Enforcement Team, which operates out of the DA’s office. The sweep resulted in the seizure of 20 firearms, 100,000 bags of heroin, and approximately 2.8 kilograms of cocaine.

And then, there’s EACH, which was first conceived more than four years ago. It first convened in March 2020 and was slowed in its development by the pandemic, but early results are very positive, said Gulluni, noting that the court has caught the attention of both the press and other regions looking to emulate it because of its potential to intervene and help steer young, high-risk youths to a different path.

“We’re intervening and wrapping these young people with support and services,” he explained. “We have seven young people in the court, and they’ve really begun their turnaround. And we’re dealing with high-risk young people — these are people with records who have committed serious offenses for which they would almost certainly be going to jail.”

As noted, EACH is just one of the initiatives that have not just made Gulluni a finalist for this award, but are changing lives in this region.

 

—George O’Brien

Meghan Rothschild

By
Meghan Rothschild
Alumni Achievement Award

President and Owner, Chikmedia

Meghan Rothschild says the role of event emcee comes naturally to her — and that’s just one of the many reasons why the requests for her to take on those duties keep pouring in from groups ranging from the Ad Club of Western Massachusetts to the American Cancer Society’s regional chapter.

She’s adept behind the mic and standing in front of people because … well, she’s had a lot of experience doing so — as a college instructor, specifically in marketing and public relations, and as a public speaker delving into subjects ranging from social-media marketing to sun safety (she is a melanoma survivor who started survivingskin.org to help share her message).

Sometimes she gets asked to emcee, but quite often she volunteers, one of many ways she gives back to specific nonprofits and the community at large.

“I really enjoy it,” she said. “And I try to use a little humor, a little self-deprecation, and try to get people to laugh; I try to reflect what the organization wants me to reflect.”

Rothschild, a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2011, has been a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award, formerly known as the Continued Excellence Award, on several occasions. And it’s easy to see why different panels of judges have come away so impressed.

Indeed, over the ensuing decade, she has continued to add scores of new lines to her résumé (figuratively but also quite literally).

She started Chikmedia in 2014 and has grown the agency to a staff of five and a client list that includes Dunkin’ Donuts, Papa John’s Pizza, Square One, and many others. In addition to being an entrepreneur, Rothschild has also become a mentor to several young women in the region and a coach and resource for many women-owned businesses looking for effective ways to tell their story.

Efforts in this realm also include the recent creation of scholarships for women of color pursuing degrees in marketing and public relations. Last year, the first for this initiative, the company awarded one $500 scholarship; this year, it awarded four because several area companies heard about the program and wanted to be part of it.

“This was something we felt passionate about last year, when everything was going on in the country and there was so much turmoil over racial injustice,” she told BusinessWest. “It was something we needed to do to give back and try to combat these issues; since we’re very much focused on women’s empowerment, we thought this was a great way to support a young woman who is pursuing a degree in this field.”

In addition to her success in business and efforts to mentor and coach other women in business, Rothschild is well known for the many ways in which she gives back to the local community, and especially its nonprofits.

Indeed, she has become a resource on many levels, from those aforementioned emceeing duties to the way in which she engages the classes she teaches at Springfield College and Southern New Hampshire University in building social-media strategies for selected nonprofits (five to 20 of them, depending on the size of the class).

Meanwhile, Chikmedia chooses three to five nonprofit events each year to sponsor on a pro bono basis, with help ranging from free publicity to fundraising to event coordination. Beyond that is ongoing support to several nonprofits. Rothschild said she started her company with such efforts to give back in mind, and it has become a huge part of the culture of the business, one that others are now striving to emulate.

“We donate five hours of time every month to Girls Inc. of the Valley, we work with Square One, we have been very involved for years with all of the Food Bank of Western Mass. events, and I’ve been volunteering for and emceeing events for the American Cancer Society for many years,” she said, offering just a partial list of such efforts.

But Rothschild and her company go further in their backing of nonprofits by compelling their for-profit clients to make support for, and alignment with, a nonprofit part of their overall marketing plan.

“Every marketing strategy I devise for my for-profit clients aligns them with a nonprofit that makes sense for their mission; that’s something I’ve always been passionate about,” she explained. “Yes, you can buy traditional advertising, and that’s great; you can place digital advertising, you can do all these things. But if you can find a nonprofit or a charity you can support, it’s going to really help reinforce your mission, but it’s also what you should be doing.”

Rothschild’s effort to mentor others, work within the community, and be a role model to countless others was summed up perfectly by Heather Clark, event manager for Baystate Children’s Hospital, who nominated her for the Alumni Achievement Award.

“People tell me all the time how much Meghan inspires them through her passion for not only helping businesses to succeed through great marketing and PR, but also her straightforward approach,” she wrote. “She cares deeply about her clients and about the nonprofits for which she volunteers her time. Most importantly, Meghan is as authentic as a person gets, and is the best friend anyone could ask for. She has personally lifted me up more times than I can count and encouraged me to follow my dreams.

“She doesn’t settle for mediocre, but instead demands the best from herself and everyone around her,” Clark went on. “I truly wouldn’t be in the career I am today without her encouragement and leadership. I have learned so much about business, marketing, and events, and I push myself each day to present myself in a way that would make me proud.”

Those sentiments, echoed by many others, explain not only why Rothschild is a finalist for this award, but why she has become a true business leader in this region — in every sense of that word.

 

—George O’Brien

Eric Lesser

By
Eric Lesser
Alumni Achievement Award

State Senator, First Hampden and Hampshire District

Eric Lesser

Eric Lesser

Eric Lesser says he doesn’t know if a proposed high-speed rail project linking the eastern and western parts of the state has enough support on Beacon Hill to become reality.

What he does know is that the concept has never been this close to becoming reality, and he isn’t shy about touting his role in getting what has become known as ‘east-west rail’ as far down the tracks as it has ever traveled.

“We’re at a closer and more exciting moment than we’ve ever been,” he said of the initiative. “With Joe Biden in office, with the feasibility study done … after eight years of advocacy and work, we have the best chance we’ve ever had of making this reality.”

The rail proposal is just one of the initiatives Lesser has led since first being elected to the First Hampden and Hampshire District Senate seat in 2014 (and earning a 40 Under Forty nod the following year). Most, but not all, of them have fallen into the broad realm of economic development and, more specifically, into the area of leveling the playing field between east and west within the Commonwealth and bringing opportunities to the people — and communities — of the four western counties.

“The animating principle of both my campaign in 2014 and, really, every day I’ve been in office since then has been unlocking and creating economic opportunity for Western Mass. that’s comparable and equal to people in Eastern Mass.,” said Lesser, a first-time finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award. “I will have succeeded if a child born in Springfield or Chicopee or anywhere in Western Mass. has the same shot at making a good living and supporting a family as a kid born in the Boston area.”

By now, most know the story of how Lesser, then 29, moved to the State House from the White House, specifically a position in the Obama administration as a special assistant to Senior Advisor David Axelrod. Lesser, who has a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard and a juris doctor from Harvard Law School, started his career as an aide on Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Today, he holds several leadership positions in the Legislature. He is Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, Senate vice chair of the Joint Committee on Financial Services, Senate vice chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, and Senate chair of the Joint Legislative Manufacturing Caucus, the Gateway Cities Caucus, and the Libraries Caucus.

Recent initiatives have included a number of efforts to bolster the state’s manufacturing sector and raise awareness of the 10,000 vacant manufacturing jobs in the four western counties, including work to create apprenticeship tax credits and fund mid-career training programs for workers. Lesser has also been at the forefront of efforts to create the Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights, which recently became law in the Commonwealth.

As for those efforts to level the playing field between east and west, they come in a number of forms, said Lesser, who started by referencing the Clinical Trials unit at Baystate Health, which will open in the fall, part of the Life Sciences Bill passed several years ago. It will create jobs, but also enable people in this part of the state to take part in clinical trials without having to travel to Boston.

He also cited his efforts to lead an initiative to encourage more people to relocate to Western Mass. through a remote-worker incentive, which would pay workers up to $10,000 to move to this region, a concept that, given the lessons provided by the pandemic about where people can work and how, proved to be ahead of its time.

And then, there’s east-west rail.

“Frankly, I got laughed out of a lot of rooms when I talked about connecting Springfield and Boston by train service,” he told BusinessWest. “People said it would never happen; they said it was something we shouldn’t focus on. But now, our chances are as good as they’ve ever been, and the next year will provide the answer. We need to get the federal money secured, and we’re closer than we’ve been to seeing that happen.

“A major unfinished piece is the governor supporting it from there,” he went on. “That’s a major piece that requires our focus and our attention. An eyelash isn’t batted about investments in Boston, but when an investment will help the whole state … suddenly there’s a lot of questions about how expensive it will be.”

Lesser’s latest assignment is as co-chair of the new Future of Work Commission, which will include 17 members from across the state who will address a topic that was already dominated by question marks before the pandemic.

“These are some of the biggest questions in society right now,” he said. “How are people going to work in an era of remote working? How are benefits going to work? How is commuting going to work? What does transportation look like when people are no longer in 9-to-5, in-an-office-building jobs? How is automation going to be impacting society? These are some of the biggest questions we have, and this commission will look to answer them.”

Summing up his first seven years in the Legislature, Lesser said this time has been a learning experience, and what he’s learned is that change and progress come through patience and diligence.

“Success in politics is about methodical, persistent progress,” he explained. “Sometimes it’s two steps forward, one step back; sometimes it’s two steps forward, three steps back. But staying focused on the ultimate goals and working collaboratively with people is the key. One of the things I’ve seen seven years in is that some of the seeds we’ve planted back in 2015, 2016, and 2017 are now blooming.”

By keeping that focus and working collaboratively, Lesser has certainly seen many of his initiatives bear fruit, which helps explain why he is a finalist for the coveted Alumni Achievement Award.

 

—George O’Brien

Gregg Desmarais

By
Gregg Desmarais
Alumni Achievement Award

Vice President and Senior Private Client Relationship Manager, TD Private Client Group

Gregg Desmarais

Gregg Desmarais

It was more than 10 years ago now, but Gregg Desmarais still remembers the day one of his managers at TD Bank invited him to spend part of a Saturday joining others as they did some work revitalizing one of Springfield’s neighborhoods.

“I joined him and a few other volunteers cleaning up an old lady’s house and tidying up her yard, cutting down some trees, stuff like that,” he recalled. “I liked doing that kind of work anyway, and knowing that it helped someone in need made it even more enjoyable.”

And so began what has become a long and ongoing tenure of service to Revitalize Community Development Corp. (CDC), a nonprofit that serves the Greater Springfield area and performs critical repairs and modifications to the homes of low-income families with children, the elderly, military veterans, and individuals with special needs. That service punctuates a résumé that has made Desmarais a finalist for the 2021 Alumni Achievement Award.

A member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2015 (three of this year’s finalists are from that class), Desmarais captures the essence of this award, which was created that same year to recognize those who have built upon their track records in both business and service to the community.

He has steadily risen in the ranks at TD Bank, moving from an assistant store manager in Agawam to vice president and manager of the store in his hometown of Westfield, then to manager of the flagship office in downtown Springfield, the post he was in when he took his walk down the 40 Under Forty red carpet at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House.

Today, he serves as vice president and senior private client relationship manager for TD Private Client Group, a business of TD Wealth.

In that role, he serves as a liaison to whom those in the area branches refer high-net-worth customers. “I’m their point person for anything to do with their finances, be it deposits, lending, financial planning, investment-management services, trust and estate work, and more,” he said, adding that he works with others to see that all these various needs are met.

His work covers essentially all of Western Mass., and he works with TD employees in, and customers of, more than 20 branches stretching from Longmeadow to Great Barrington. It’s rewarding work, he said, noting that many of the aspects of work with high-net-worth individuals is complex and involves solving problems.

“I’ve been in customer service my whole career, so this is essentially the culmination of everything I’ve done,” he told BusinessWest. “Not many people can say, ‘I love what I do,’ but I can.”

Like all those in financial services, Desmarais said the pandemic has created a number of challenges when it comes to customer service, which have forced adjustments when it comes to how work is carried out and where. Indeed, he’s been to his office at the bank’s local headquarters at 1441 Main St. only a few times over the past 16 months.

“We’re just reinventing ourselves and figuring out new ways of doing business, like videoconferencing, and it’s been working out just fine,” he said.

While working to serve high-net-worth individuals, Desmarais continues a long track record of service to the community, especially with Revitalize CDC. When named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2015, he told BusinessWest, “I take advantage of any opportunity to get out of my suit and tie, get my hands dirty, and give back to the community; I want to make Springfield as healthy, safe, and beautiful as it can be.”

He meant that quite literally. While he has given back in a number of ways, including as chairperson for three years during the Community Foundation’s annual Valley Gives fundraiser, as a former member of the United Way of Pioneer Valley’s grant approval board, and service on the fundraising committee for the American Cancer Society, he is best known for his work for Revitalize CDC, where he has also risen in the ranks, if you will.

Indeed, he moved from volunteer that Saturday a decade ago all the way to chairman of the board (a role he recently relinquished), although he remains quite active with this nonprofit group, in fundraising and also as a house captain for its rebuilding events.

During his tenure with Revitalize CDC, and especially as chairman of the board, Desmarais worked to improve fundraising efforts and create more community events for the nonprofit, enabling it to grow and serve more families each year. Under his leadership, Revitalize CDC officially became a community-development corporation in 2015.

During COVID, Desmarais helped orchestrate a needed shift in services, with volunteers mostly unable to go into individuals’ homes. Indeed, the nonprofit found new ways to give back.

“We had a few projects to rehab here and there, but mostly we were bringing sanitary products, household cleaners, masks, and food to people,” he explained. “We found more ways to help people in those difficult times.”

Colleen Loveless, president and CEO of Revitalize CDC, who nominated Desmarais for the Alumni Achievement Award, summed up not only his work with her group, but his ability to inspire others to give back.

“Gregg exemplifies the characteristics of a strong, community-based leader — vision, mentorship, hands-on service, and a positive understanding of the strength of the local community,” she wrote in her nomination. “He quickly saw the underserved population of Springfield residents who could directly benefit from the services of Revitalize CDC, and he understood that it would take a more robust fundraising structure.”

In these and other ways, Desmarais truly exemplifies the characteristics of an Alumni Achievement Award finalist — an individual who continues to build on an already strong record, both in business and within the community.

 

—George O’Brien

Tara Brewster

By
Tara Brewster
Alumni Achievement Award

Vice President of Business Development, Greenfield Savings Bank

Tara Brewster

Tara Brewster

Tara Brewster likes to refer to herself as a “recovering entrepreneur.”

She uses that phrase to describe everything from how she can’t fully unplug while on vacation (which she was when talking with BusinessWest) to life in general after she and partner Candace Connors sold the clothing store they created, Jackson & Connor, in 2013.

She has spent the years since … well, recovering from a thoroughly enjoyable time running her own business and essentially deciding what comes next for someone with entrepreneurial energy still to be tapped and a deep commitment to serving the community.

Actually, many things have ‘come next,’ from some work in consulting to her current assignment as vice president of Business Development for Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB); from a wide range of work within the community, especially in Hampshire County, to something new and completely different — her own radio show.

Indeed, Brewster recently succeeded Ira Bryck as the host of the weekly Western Mass. Business Show on WHMP. She started only a few months ago and admits to still being in the process of learning the ropes and becoming comfortable behind the mic.

“I’m still kind of shaking off the jitters and the ‘how am I going to craft my voice,’” she told BusinessWest. “And I’m still figuring out what I can ask and how deep I can go, all those things. I’m still learning, and it’s been a lot of fun.”

Meanwhile, she was already quite comfortable with getting involved in the community, but has only become more so in recent years, donating her time and talents to agencies and causes ranging from the Hampshire Regional YMCA to the Downtown Northampton Assoc. (DNA) to the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. But more on that, and how the sum of her work has made her a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award, later.

First, we flash back to when Brewster sold Jackson & Connor — a difficult time, as she described it, because she really didn’t know what to do with herself and fill the void created by selling the business that had been her passion — or one of them, anyway.

“I was like, ‘this was my whole identity; what am I going to do now?’” she said, adding that she worked as a consultant for the Vann Group (which helped her sell the business), and later did some work for the Springfield Business Improvement District and CityStage. Through those assignments, she reconnected with her former loan officer from Greenfield Savings Bank, who took her to lunch, at which Brewster did a lot of ‘complaining’ (her word) about being a consultant and how different it was from the retail world she was in.

She remembers saying, “‘after a decade of being entrepreneurial and making my own economy, I think I’m ready to go back to being an employee — but no two days can be the same; it has to be entrepreneurial, I’ve got to have freedom, and I have to be out and about in the community and making an impact.’”

All of which is serendipity, because that loan officer was essentially there to encourage her to apply for a position in business development at GSB, a job that offered essentially everything she just said she needed.

Overall, her job at the bank, which began in late 2016, has allowed her to take her work within the community to an even higher plane, one that recently earned her the Kay Sheehan Spirit of the Community Award, presented by the Community United Way of Hampshire County.

That involvement, which includes work with the YMCA, DNA, MassHire, Double Edge Theatre, Pathlight, Safe Passage, the chamber, and many other groups, was put into its proper perspective by Bryck, who not only gave Brewster the keys to the radio show he handled for more than a decade, but nominated her for the Alumni Achievement Award.

“Tara exemplifies for many what commitment and giving back looks like,” he wrote. “Western Mass. is fortunate to have Tara continuing to improve our backyard. She is a person for whom each day is a blessing, and she shows her appreciation, and uses her position, in ways that help fellow humans.

“I know a lot of people who see Tara as an inspiring leader,” he went on. “They are lit by her fire, and they become better people by seeing her compassion and action. She embodies sincerity and is brilliant at luring others into the river that she flows with.”

Brewster, a member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2009, summed it up this way: “To work for a community bank in Western Massachusetts is just a gift, especially for someone who is a true philanthropist at heart, someone who really sees the jeweled web of a region and understands that everything happens because of connections, everything happens because you make asks, everything happens because you see others before you see yourself.”

As for the radio show, she sees it as an extension of her work in business — and in the community — and she has committed herself to using the show to give a platform to those who need to tell their story.

“I try to focus on people in the community who need to be highlighted and aren’t necessarily highlighted,” she explained. “I have a real bent in my heart toward nonprofits, so I try to bring them on so they can talk about themselves. Also, people of color. COVID really took off my rose-colored glasses and put on some pretty intense eyeglasses from which I now view a lot of the work that I do, how we are in the community, how we treat each other, and who has the mic.”

Her work sharing the airwaves is just the latest installment of ‘what comes next’ for this recovering entrepreneur, a list that now also includes being a finalist for the 40 Under Forty Alumni Achievement Award.

 

—George O’Brien

Carla Consenzi, Peter DePergola Take Home Coveted Prize for 2020

By
Alumni Achievement Award Special Coverage

Class Acts

As they came together via Zoom to decide who would take home the coveted Alumni Achievement Award for 2020, the three judges who scored the nominations kept talking about how hard their final assignment was. Indeed, they admitted that all five finalists — Carla Cosenzi, president of TommyCar Auto Group, Peter DePergola, director of Clinical Ethics at Baystate Health; Mike Fenton, attorney with Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin and a Springfield city councilor; Paul Kozub, founder of V-One Vodka; and James Leahy, assistant director of Business Development and Promotion Sales for the Massachusetts State Lottery and a Holyoke city councilor — were more than worthy of the honor, formerly known as the Continued Excellence Award. As they debated the merits of each finalist, the judges had a difficult time settling on one winner of this award, sponsored again this year by Health New England. So they instead decided to honor two.
Carla Cosenzi

Carla Cosenzi, president of TommyCar Auto Group, with her children, Niko and Talia.

• Cosenzi, who adds this honor to two others from BusinessWest (40 Under Forty in 2012 and Women of Impact in 2019), was chosen both for what she’s done in business — expanding the auto group started by her father with several new dealerships — and for what’s she’s done in the community. Chief among her accomplishments in that latter category has been the creation of the Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament, staged each year to raise funds to battle brain cancer, which claimed her father when he was just 52 years old.
Peter DePergola

Peter DePergola, director of Clinical Ethics at Baystate Health.

• DePergola, who has emerged as not only a regional, but national and even international leader in the emerging field of bioethics, also now has three plaques from BusinessWest on his desk. Indeed, in addition to 40 Under Forty (class of 2015), he was also named a Healthcare Hero in the Emerging Leader category in 2018. The first, and still the only, bioethicist in this region, he recently wrote a white paper titled “Ethical Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Novel Coronovirus Disease,” published in the Online Journal of Health Ethics, and also served on the state’s Crisis Standards of Care Advisory Committee. BusinessWest congratulates these two deserving winners, who continue to raise the bar for professional and personal achievement in Western Mass.

Alumni Achievement Award Finalists

By
Alumni Achievement Award Cover Story

Finalists for Award Are Leaders in Business — and in the Community

Launched in 2015, and known then as the Continued Excellence Award, BusinessWest’s Alumni Achievement Award recognizes a previous 40 Under Forty honoree who has continued to build on his or résumé as a rising star in this region and leader both in business and within the community. The five finalists for 2020 — Carla Cosenzi, Peter DePergola, Mike Fenton, Paul Kozub, and James Leahy — epitomize what this award, sponsored by Health New England, is all about, and why it is among the most coveted of BusinessWest’s many awards.

 

Carla Cosenzi

She’s driven to succeed — in business and in the community

>>Read More

Peter Depergola

This pioneer remains on the leading edge in the field of bioethics

>>Read More

Mike Fenton

He has a passion for the law, and for serving his constituents

>>Read More

Paul Kozub

This entrepreneur — and his label — have come a long way in 15 years

>>Read More

James Leahy

This city leader has always been an ambassador — and a connector

>>Read More

 

 

 

 

Carla Cosenzi

By
Carla Cosenzi
Alumni Achievement Award

President, TommyCar Auto Group

She’s Driven to Succeed — in Business and in the Community

Carla Cosenzi

Carla Cosenzi has become a solid role model for her children, Niko and Talia, when it comes to getting involved in the community.

Carla Cosenzi moved into her new office at Northampton Volkswagen some time ago.

But she’s never quite found the time to fully decorate.

Indeed, there are a number of drawings created by her children that haven’t found their way on to the walls yet, and, likewise, there are several plaques, photos, BusinessWest awards (in the plural), and assorted pieces of memorabilia still waiting to be hung.

Among them is a popular framed poster featuring an image of legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi above the words ‘What it takes to be Number One,’ and a quote that has become one of her favorites:

“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit.”

The poster once belonged to her father, Tom, and she more or less inherited it from him — along with a number of other things. She said her father lived by the words in that quote — especially the part about doing things right all the time — and, not surprisingly, she does as well.

“I try to instill in my children — and especially my daughter, because she’s older — the importance of community and giving back to the community. And she will often attend events with me; it’s important for her to be there with me to see that it’s not just about giving money — it’s about getting involved.”

She’s inherited his entrepreneurial spirit — she and her brother, Tom Jr., have greatly expanded the business, adding several dealerships in recent years — as well as his commitment to serve the community, especially with the Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament, staged each year to raise funds to battle brain cancer, which claimed her father when he was just 52 years old. Since it was launched in 2009, the tournament has raised more than $1 million to support brain-tumor research at the Dana Farber Center for Neuro-Oncology.

But also through the Carla Cares Program, which could be called the philanthropic arm of TommyCar Auto Group. The program assists charitable and nonprofit organizations across Western Mass., Southern Vermont, Southern New Hampshire, and Northern Connecticut. Just a partial list of organizations it has supported through donations and other forms of support includes Baystate Children’s Hospital, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Unify Against Bullying, NoHo Pride, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Dress for Success Western Massachusetts, and many others.

This desire to serve the community — and to do things right all the time — is an operating mindset, if you will, that has earned Cosenzi not only her 40 Under Forty plaque (class of 2012), but another BusinessWest honor as well — the Difference Makers award in 2019. And it was on display the day BusinessWest visited Cosenzi. The golf tournament was just a few days away, and, as always, she was involved with every detail, right down to the gift baskets for the silent auction and raffle.

“I like to get involved in every aspect of this — it’s who I am,” she said. “It’s been that way from the beginning.”

But the fact there was a tournament at all is testimony to Cosenzi’s competitive spirit and desire to continue the fight against brain cancer.

Indeed, in the year of COVID-19, a number of fundraising events such as this one have been canceled or gone virtual — not that you can play a virtual golf tournament. But Cosenzi, after a number of discussions with tournament committee members — and talks with Twin Hills Country Club, where it took place — decided to press ahead and make something happen.

And they did. It wasn’t as large as in recent years — one course instead of two and, therefore, perhaps half the number of golfers — but it was a memorable start to the drive to get to the second million dollars in donations.

And while Cosenzi was busy helping with last-minute details of the tournament, so too were her children, especially her daughter, Talia, who has become a fixture at the event in recent years. Indeed, she has her own tent, Talia’s Tent, from which she sells lemonade for the cause. Because of the pandemic, she won’t be able to do that this year, so she’s making bracelets and sugar scrubs to sell online the day of the tournament.

“I’m proud to say that they know what they’re raising money for, and they’re very excited to help,” she said. “They feel like they’re part of making the difference, which is really exciting for me to see in my children.

“I try to instill in my children — and especially my daughter, because she’s older — the importance of community and giving back to the community,” she went on. “And she will often attend events with me; it’s important for her to be there with me to see that it’s not just about giving money — it’s about getting involved.”

Thus, the words on that Vince Lombardi poster have been passed down to a third generation of the Cosenzi family. They all live by the notion that you don’t do things right only once in a while.

—George O’Brien

Peter DePergola

By
Peter DePergola
Alumni Achievement Award

Director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health

This Pioneer Remains on the Leading Edge in the Field of Bioethics

Peter DePergola

Peter DePergola, wearing his mask outside Baystate Medical Center, a new requirement, has become a national leader in the emerging field of bioethics.

Peter DePergola described it as a “haunting experience.”

He then amended that statement slightly — but poignantly.

“It was incredibly haunting,” he told BusinessWest while retelling his experiences writing a white paper eventually to be titled “Ethical Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19),” published in the Online Journal of Health Ethics.

As that title suggests, this is a guide to help medical professionals and healthcare facilities decide who would be treated for the virus and how; specifically, it addresses how limited resources are to be expended and in what circumstances. It was a guide that kept him up nights while he was writing it, and one he truly hoped no one would ever have to use.

But when he wrote it — at the height of the surge that hit the eastern part of the state in April — it seemed likely, if not almost certain, that his own employer, Baystate Health, would be putting it to use.

“I really thought — I truly believed — that we would be using this policy within weeks,” he said, adding that he was working with administrators at Baystate who were preparing to become overwhelmed and would need guidance on, among other things, how to proceed when the number of patients who needed a ventilator exceeded the number of machines available.

It never came to that, and DePergola hopes it never does, but his white paper is there for use if the circumstances arise.

As for why it was so haunting, he said he was writing guidelines, or thresholds, for receiving care that he knew his own loved ones would not meet.

“As I wrote it, I realized that people that I cared about, even my own mother, may not qualify, or meet the criteria, that I have developed in collaboration with my colleagues, to receive a life-sustaining resource,” he said. “It was incredibly difficult to separate my own personal feelings and moral responsibilities to my family from the greater good of the public.”

DePergola’s white paper goes a long way toward explaining why he has become a leading voice in the emerging field of bioethics, not only in this region, but across the state and the nation. And also why he has, for the first time, become a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award, five years after receiving his 40 Under Forty plaque, and two years after receiving another of BusinessWest’s honors — its coveted Healthcare Heroes award in the category of Emerging Leader.

But there are many other examples, including his steady, if not meteoric, rise within the ranks of experts in the bioethics field.

When he joined the other members of the 40 Under Forty class of 2015 at the Log Cabin, he was a staff ethicist at Baystate and the only person to hold that title in Western Mass. Now a professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities at Elms College, he’s still the only ethicist in the 413, but his influence now extends well beyond this region.

This was evidenced by his appointment to the Commonwealth’s Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) Advisory Committee in the spring.

The 17-member panel, which in April produced a document titled “Crisis Standards of Care Planning for the COVID-19 Pandemic,” was comprised mostly of noted experts from institutions in the eastern part of the state, including Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston’s Children’s Hospital. And DePergola was, by his estimate, 20 years younger than any other member.

He remembers a number of heated discussions among the members of the panel, including one that involved whether healthcare providers should receive primary access to scarce resources.

“For a while, I was the minority on that subject, saying that I did think that healthcare providers should get priority because they are the means by which we can care for many more people,” he told BusinessWest. “So even on just utilitarian grounds, which is not the best way to make moral decisions, it just made sense that, if we didn’t take care of the individuals who are, in essence, the tools by which we could heal the general public, then there would be no one else. If we didn’t prioritize them, what incentive would they have to come to work?”

A revised version of the committee’s “Crisis Standards of Care Planning” eventually did stipulate that healthcare workers would get priority, and it included a number of other measures contained in DePergola’s white paper.

The fact that the two documents are now very similar speaks to just how quickly and profoundly DePergola his risen to the status of national, and even global, leader in the field of bioethics.

And also why he is one of the five finalists for the Alumni Achievement Award.

—George O’Brien

Mike Fenton

By
Mike Fenton
Alumni Achievement Award

Attorney, Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin; Springfield City Councilor

He Has a Passion for the Law, and for Serving His Constituents

Mike Fenton

Mike Fenton has now spent more than a decade representing Springfield’s Ward 2.

When he was running for the Ward 2 Springfield City Council seat in 2009 while attending law school at Western New England University, Mike Fenton, who was competing in a deep, well-credentialed field, didn’t think he’d win.

“And when I did win … I didn’t think I’d stay,” he told BusinessWest, figuring that, in time, maybe a few years, he would be immersed in his law career and essentially done with his service to the city.

Suffice it to say Fenton was wrong with both of his projections. Indeed, 11 years later, he is still representing Ward 2 while still building that law practice — he’s a partner with the Springfield-based law firm Shatz, Schwartz, and Fentin, specializing in commercial real estate, business planning, commercial finance, and estate planning.

“A few years into it, I just fell in love with it,” he said of his multi-faceted work with the City Council. “I fell in love with all of it — with helping constituents, the city budget, and some of the more complicated aspects of city government; it’s very rewarding work.”

These sentiments explain why Fenton is now a multiple-year finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award, previously known as the Continued Excellence Award. He hopes that 2020 will be the year he’ll break through, but he admits to having other things on his mind right now.

“I fell in love with all of it — with helping constituents, the city budget, and some of the more complicated aspects of city government; it’s very rewarding work.”

That list includes the now nationwide focus on police-community relations — “we’re taking steps to increase accountability and transparency within the department” — and especially COVID-19. The pandemic is impacting both his law practice — there’s been a general slowing of the commercial real-estate market, but an understandable surge in estate-planning work — and the city of Springfield, which is impacted in many ways, especially within its business community.

As Fenton talked about the changing landscape, one can hear the concern in his voice and the passion he has for serving the city he grew up in.

“The biggest casualty to this pandemic, after you take in the public-health and human cost, which is obviously first and foremost, is commercial real estate and the economy,” he noted. “The commercial real-estate market was doing much better than it had in the decades leading up to 2020, and then the pandemic hit, and like every other place, not only this country but around the globe, it’s a completely different environment now.

“There’s no doubting that Springfield was hitting its stride, and the pandemic has thrown us a curveball,” he went on. “Everything from stalled progress at MGM to questions now about development in the area around the casino, to Worthington Street and what’s going to happen there, to losing Big Mamou’s … there’s a lot of losses that will have to be made up when we get to the other end of this pandemic.”

Fenton said he’s looking forward to serving the city as it works to recover from those losses. To explain this passion, he flashed back to 2009 and his decision to seek public office. Actually, he started the discussion with a different decision — the one to attend law school at Western New England, which offered him a full scholarship, instead of Boston College, where he thought he was headed.

That decision, which he now counts among the most important (and best) of his life, brought him back home. And as he was making that decision, his cousin sent him a news article detailing how Springfield was going through a change in its charter, moving from nine at-large city councilors to a 13-member board, with eight of them representing wards. And this started talk of a possible run for one of those seats.

“I was a political science major, but I never thought about a career in politics — I didn’t want a career in politics,” he explained, adding that a City Council seat wasn’t a career, but it was “a great opportunity to meet people and serve the city I love.”

So he ran, launching his career just a few weeks after graduating from Providence College. And again, to his surprise, he prevailed against a number of opponents with better name recognition and better credentials.

He now represents Ward 2, which includes Hungry Hill, East Springfield, and Atwater Park, balancing a long list of city responsibilities with an equally hectic schedule within his law practice. “I’ve been successful at balancing the two because I’m extremely passionate about both of them,” he told BusinessWest. “Politics, and elected office, is not my career, and it will never be my career — but I really enjoy serving my city in this capacity.”

With that, he explained not just why he’s a finalist for the Alumni Achievement Award, but why he’s now been a finalist several times.

—George O’Brien

Paul Kozub

By
Paul Kozub, left
Alumni Achievement Award

Founder, V-One Vodka

This Entrepreneur — and His Label — Have Come a Long Way in 15 Years

Paul Kozub, left

Paul Kozub, left, seen here with business partner and former Patriots star Ty Law, is growing V-One into a national brand.

When BusinessWest caught up with Paul Kozub recently, he had just wrapped up some promotional video work with Ty Law, former New England Patriots standout cornerback and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2019.

Law is now a partner with Kozub in his venture, V-One Vodka, and the videos being shot were at the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. That’s because V-One has been named the official vodka of the Hall for this year — when most all activities, including the induction ceremony, have been postponed because of the pandemic — and next.

The juxtaposition of all this — official vodka of the Hall of Fame, Ty Law as spokesperson — help show just how far Kozub and his label have come since he became part of the very first 40 Under Forty class in 2007. Back then, he was struggling to get his brand off the ground and into bars, restaurants, and package stores in the 413. It wasn’t exactly a one-man show, but it was very close, with Kozub making most of the deliveries himself.

Today, he’s in four states — Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire — and he’s poised to enter four more, including Ohio. He had plans to be in roughly 30 by this fall, and signed on with a distributor to make that happen, but COVID-19 has put many of the plans … well, on ice.

“In Florida, Texas, and some of these other states, there are so many problems that it’s not a good time to launch a new brand,” he noted. “Are the bars and restaurants open? Are the bars closed? That’s typically half our business.”

But Kozub, who was named BusinessWest’s Top Entrepreneur in 2016 and thus has a few pieces of hardware from the magazine on display somewhere, has certainly come a long way in the 15 years since he started this journey in his basement, using a few thousand dollars left to him by his uncle to create his own vodka.

“You have to have that perseverance; there are so many hurdles when you’re running a business — and in today’s present moment, there are even more. You have to love what you do and have the passion for it. If there’s a roadblock or wall, you have to figure out a way around it or through it.”

Indeed, he now has his own distillery in Poland; work continues to expand his footprint geographically; he’s spent $500,000 to create a new bottle — an important part of the puzzle in this industry; and he continues to defy the odds when it comes to making a vodka label stand out and be successful in an immensely crowded field.

“About 97% of new vodkas fail within the first three years,” said Kozub, who used that statistic to segue his way back to the pro football Hall of Fame and a discussion he had recently with its president, Dave Baker.

“We talked about the 33 million people who have played football, the 27,000 who have played in the NFL, and the 300 who are in the Hall of Fame. What did it take for those people? What qualities did they have to have to be one of those 300?” he asked rhetorically, drawing a parallel to those who get to the top of their field in any business, and especially his.

“You have to have that perseverance; there are so many hurdles when you’re running a business — and in today’s present moment, there are even more,” he said while answering his own question. “You have to love what you do and have the passion for it. If there’s a roadblock or wall, you have to figure out a way around it or through it. When it comes to vodka … yes, you have to have a great product, but you have to be willing to work very hard.”

Kozub’s been doing that since he first launched V-One in 2006, trading in life as a loan officer at a local bank for the life he’s always dreamed of — one as an entrepreneur.

It’s not an easy life, certainly, but it’s the one he certainly prefers.

“When you run a small business, it has to be your life,” he said in conclusion. “I don’t know many small-business owners who are playing a lot of golf or have a lot of time on their hands. For me, it’s all about my family and about my business.

“To be successful, you have to love it,” he went on. “Like I told Dave Baker … my worst day at V-One was better than my best day of being a banker. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. The challenges that come up — the financial challenges, the HR challenges, the legal challenges … all those things don’t end. And we’re still a very small brand; if we do get bigger and become a national brand, the challenge then becomes how do you stay successful — how do you stay on top?”

As Kozub said, the challenges — the roadblocks and the walls — keep coming. And he rather enjoys finding ways to get through them or around them.

—George O’Brien