Company Notebook
MGM Resorts Opens Springfield Office
SPRINGFIELD — MGM Resorts International has opened an office in downtown Springfield, at 1441 Main St., the TD Bank Building. An opening reception was staged on Oct. 9. “The opening of our community office in Springfield is an important and exciting milestone for MGM Springfield,” said Bill Hornbuckle, MGM’s chief marketing officer. “MGM Springfield is about helping to create a better future for an entire city, and to do that we want our neighbors to have convenient access to our team so they may get all of the information they want about our proposal.”The MGM Springfield Community Office was opened so neighbors, residents, and the local business community may easily come and go while visiting downtown, said Hornbuckle. The community is invited to stop in and learn more about the company and the proposed development in Springfield, and get answers to any questions as well as offer any thoughts and suggestions they may have regarding MGM’s proposal and the economic benefits it would bring to Springfield. “Springfield is a great city worthy of an even greater future, and MGM Resorts International wants to be a part of that future,” he said. The MGM Springfield Community Office will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Creative Strategy Agency Relocates Downtown
SPRINGFIELD — The Creative Strategy Agency, a digital-marketing agency, recently moved its office location to the former 19th-century hotel located at 1242 Main St. in downtown Springfield. “Moving our office to downtown Springfield was a logical business decision,” said Alfonso Santaniello, president and CEO. “We are heavily involved in the local community, and it made sense to move our space to the heart of it all.” The Creative Strategy Agency specializes in web, mobile, and video marketing strategies.
PeoplesBank Invests in Hampshire County Regional Chamber
NORTHAMPTON – The founding board of the Hampshire County Regional Chamber recently announced that PeoplesBank has come on board as a key financial supporter, offering a $30,000 investment over two years. In addition, Tom Senecal, executive vice president and chief financial officer for PeoplesBank, will be joining the founding board. “We are encouraged that Tom and PeoplesBank think that a regional chamber is the best approach for taking on the economic challenges of our region, and we are grateful for their support,” said Suzanne Beck, executive director of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce and the interim director for the Regional Chamber. “PeoplesBank has a strong reputation as a bank that invests generously in key regional initiatives. This is a prime example of that type of investment. They are putting a significant amount of money into an initiative that gears Hampshire County to have a greater presence and greater profile within the region.” Said Senecal, “PeoplesBank has a strong commitment to the communities we serve. We were supportive of the initial study on a regional chamber, and in investing in the initiative, we hope for improvements in the local economy, which we think a regional chamber can bring to the area. Economic growth will occur if more businesses develop a regional viewpoint; we need a business outlook that is more comprehensive than one restricted by political or community boundaries. We’re a regional economy, and, therefore, a business outlook generated by a regional chamber makes a lot of sense.” Beck said that, with the investment from PeoplesBank, the Regional Chamber has now raised 42% of its $400,000 startup goal.
Westfield State Summer Program Wins Regional Award
WESTFIELD — Westfield State University’s summer program “Westfield Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)” has been honored with the Innovative and Creative Program Award by the University Professional and Continuing Education Assoc. (UPCEA). “Engaging students during the summer can be challenging. Our CSI program provides a unique educational opportunity whose content is topical, timely, and doesn’t feel like learning,” said Kim Tobin, dean of Graduate and Continuing Education. “This award is really a recognition of the faculty and staff who work hard throughout the year to provide a high-quality educational experience for our students.” In its second year, Westfield CSI is an interactive, two-week-long residential program for students entering their freshman, sophomore, and junior years of high school. Students work in small teams to solve a fictional murder case by using forensic science, criminal-justice techniques, and crime-scene-investigation technology. While the program revolves around solving crimes, there is also a college-preparatory component. Each weekday, students attend classes that teach them skills related to the college search, including essay writing, choosing the right college and major, and even tips on living away from home for those who are nervous about living on their own for the first time. In addition to classroom learning about CSI technology, students perform investigative laboratory work. This lab work is divided into four separate stations: using a microscope to examine forensic materials, creating crime scenes using a computer and a PowerPoint on what is done during an autopsy, fingerprinting, and fuming the prints and suspect identification. At the end of the program, each team submits reports on its findings. Each report is evaluated on specific elements of the case, and prizes are awarded to the winning teams. “What makes this program different is that teens in the community get to explore a side of criminal justice and investigation that very few people, law-enforcement professionals included, are able to experience,” said Meaghan Arena, summer programs coordinator. Arena will accept the award at the 2012 UPCEA New England Conference at the Cliff House Resort in Ogunquit, Maine on Oct. 25. Fellow program organizer Jessica Tanesey and Westfield CSI instructors Robert Stering and John Sterson will also attend. Westfield CSI is now in the running for the national award in the same category, which will be announced in March.
