People on the Move

Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. announced that, after 40 years of practicing law, Attorney Jay Presser has retired. “It has truly been an honor for me to be a part of the firm,” said Presser. “My career at Skoler Abbott has afforded me the distinct opportunity of working alongside some of the best lawyers in our region, and I know the firm’s legal reputation will continue on for many years.” Presser, who started with the firm in 1977, has more than 40 years of experience litigating employment cases in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination, and the State Labor Relations Commission. He has successfully defended employers in civil actions and jury trials and has handled cases in all areas of employment law. He has won appeals before the Supreme Judicial Court and the First and Second Circuit Courts of Appeals, and has represented employers in hundreds of arbitration cases arising under collective-bargaining agreements. In addition to his consistent track record in the courtroom, he has received numerous honors, along with more than 20 consecutive years on the Best Lawyers in America list. “As we reflect on Jay’s retirement, we look forward to the future of the firm,” said attorney Timothy Murphy. “With his help, we have assembled an excellent team of legal professionals — a legacy that Jay will leave behind for years to come.”
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The Gaudreau Group Insurance and Financial Services Agency of Wilbraham welcomed Tracy Goodman, Personal Risk Specialist, to its personal insurance team. Using the agency’s access to dozens of carriers to ensure a customized experience for each client, Goodman designs personal risk-management plans for individuals and employer groups, helping protect what’s important to them. She specializes in coverages including life, home, auto, renters, and umbrella. “Tracy takes pride in completing a thorough coverage analysis with each client, helping them to understand their coverage, feel financially comfortable, and know what to expect if they ever have a loss. She’s a valuable addition to our remarkable personal insurance team, and our clients will benefit from her unique skillset and perspective,” said Jules Gaudreau, president of the Gaudreau Group. Goodman has been in the insurance industry since 2008, with prior experience in human resources and recruiting. She is co-chair of programs for the Women Business Owners Alliance, is a volunteer and mentor with Girls Inc., conducts community outreach for the Springfield JCC’s J-Art program, and is a member of the Professional Women’s Chamber. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware and completed a semester abroad at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba, Israel. She is continuing her insurance education in the prestigious Certified Insurance Counselor program.
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Kate Phelon, executive director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, was appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker to the Mass. Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) in September. This appointment is one of three by the governor; the other two are representatives of advanced-manufacturing companies. Phelon will be part of a commission looking at the future of manufacturing in Massachusetts. “I am very honored and excited about this appointment and appreciate the state’s leadership in recognizing the role a chamber of commerce representative can have in not only formulating agenda’s for particular industries, but the outreach we have with our membership,” Phelon said. The purpose of the AMC will be to develop and implement the Commonwealth’s manufacturing agenda with the goal to foster and strengthen the necessary conditions to promote growth and innovation of manufacturing within Massachusetts. The AMC will focus on four areas: workforce development and education; technical assistance, innovation, and access to capital; enhancement of competitiveness, easing cost of doing business, and regulatory review of SMEs; and promoting manufacturing, which will include attracting a talented workforce, and expansion of in-state marketing of the supply chain. In addition, the AMC works in conjunction with President Obama’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, as well as with seven additional states through the National Governors Assoc. Center of Best Practices Policy Academy on Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation. Phelon attended her first full meeting of the collaborative in mid-September and learned first-hand what the subcommittees have been working on. “Right now, the subcommittees are working on a five-year strategic-planning process to develop a strategy to keep manufacturing growing, exciting, inclusive, and innovative,” she said. “I was amazed at the work that has been done by these subcommittees and am very excited to work with stakeholders in the public and private sectors.” As she gets more involved and acclimated to the work this collaborative is conducting, Phelon will share information as it becomes available and will be in contact with local manufacturers as necessary.
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Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. recently welcomed Emily Klassanos and Brian Benson to the firm as part of its next generation of talent.

• Klassanos comes to the firm from Elms College, with previous experience as an accounting intern with a local public accounting firm. She earned a dual bachelor’s degree in accounting and marketing from Elms, where she graduated magna cum laude, with a foundation in both technical work and the creative and strategic applications of marketing and market development. Additionally, she is currently pursuing her master’s degree in accounting and financial planning, also at Elms. She is a member of Mass. Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). In May 2015, she was the recipient of the William Donovan Award in Accounting Excellence at Elms College.

• Benson began his career at MBK as an audit and accounting intern and has also earned a position as an audit and accounting associate. He also graduated from Elms College, with degrees in accounting and business management. He will begin his journey to an MBA at Elms this fall with a concentration in financial planning, followed by a graduate certificate in public accounting. His goal in pursuing a diversified graduate education is to position himself to offer a broad range of expertise to his clients as he progresses through his career. He is a member of the AICPA and MSCPA. “The culture of the firm grows and evolves with each new addition of talented young people such as Emily and Brian,” said MBK Partner Howard Cheney. “They bring vital energy to a staff that is on the precipice of evolution. As a partner, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing our next generation come into their own.”
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At the recent 2016 Mid-Year Mortgage Conference, the Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman magazine, released its annual report on the top mortgage originators in Massachusetts. Beverly Orloski, Vice President and Mortgage Consultant at PeoplesBank, finished first among all Western Mass. loan originators in the report. She was also listed as the top loan originator in the market in 2015. “What makes Bev the number-one consultant in Western Massachusetts is her ability to get the customers comfortable with the process and work with the team in the background to make it all happen seamlessly,” said James Sherbo, PeoplesBank’s senior vice president, commercial lending. Orloski said the thing she likes most about her job is working with people. “You get a certain satisfaction because you take them all the way through the process, from the time they first sit with you through their closing. That can be typically 30 to 60 days, and you’re interacting with them the whole time.” Orloski has more than 30 years of financial and banking experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Elms College and is a graduate of the American Bankers Assoc. Residential and Commercial Lending School. She is a member of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley.
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Bacon Wilson announced that Attorney Lee Dawn Daniel has been selected to join the executive committee of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys (MATA). She is currently serving her second term on MATA’s board of governors, having been appointed by MATA’s president for 2015-16, and then nominated and elected by former MATA officers to continue on the board of governors for another two-year term. “It is my privilege to continue my service to MATA by joining the executive committee,” Daniel said. “I am thrilled to be able to help promote the mission of this tremendous organization, which allows trial attorneys to gather together to share cutting-edge techniques, discuss the latest trends in the law, and improve skills so that we can continue to serve our clients and the justice system of the Commonwealth to the best of our abilities. It’s my honor to serve.” Daniel recently joined Bacon Wilson as of counsel. She is a litigator with more than 30 years of experience representing clients in matters of personal injury. She is a graduate of the Boston University School of Law and the State University of New York at Binghamton with honors, and has secured multiple million-dollar-plus settlements and verdicts throughout her career. She is based in Bacon Wilson’s Northampton location. MATA has operated since 1975, with its membership working to uphold and defend the Constitutions of the U.S. and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to assure that the right to trial by jury will be secure to all, to help people whose rights may be in jeopardy, to protect the independence of the judiciary, to promote public safety and welfare while protecting individual liberties, and to uphold the honor of the profession of law.
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DiGrigoli Salon announced that Tara Cruz has been promoted from a junior stylist to a senior stylist. She graduated from DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology in October 2014 and joined the DiGrigoli Salon Artistic Team as a junior stylist immediately after obtaining her cosmetology license. DiGrigoli Salon, located at 1578 Riverdale St. in West Springfield, has been offering professional beauty services to the public since 1987, is the official styling team for on-air personalities at WWLP-22News and 94.7 WMAS, and is a sponsor of Link to Libraries.
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Ning Jia has joined the faculty of Bay Path University, School of Science and Management, as Director of the MS in Applied Data Science program. Prior to accepting this position, she was a statistician at Affinion Group based in Stamford, Conn., and has also worked at the Hartford Financial Group and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She has also been an assistant professor at Virginia Tech and a teaching fellow at Harvard University. Jia received her bachelor’s degree in business from Fudan University, Shanghai, China, and a Ph.D. in pure mathematics from the University of Minnesota. Her specialties are in combinatorics, biostatistics, statistical modeling, and big-data analysis.
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On Oct. 5, the Glenmeadow community bid farewell to Timothy Cotz, who has served as president and CEO for the past 23 years. This week, in advance of the celebration, Cotz learned that $16,000 has been raised in his honor by staff, residents, and community members for the Glenmeadow Staff Education Fund, which makes scholarship funds available for employees returning to school. In addition, the largest gathering room, formerly known as Great Hall, has been renamed Timothy V. Cotz Hall. Reflecting on his time at Glenmeadow, Cotz said much has changed in the industry since he began, noting that residents are coming to the life plan community later in life, they expect more in terms of quality, and they are healthier and more active. Cotz also noted that the nonprofit itself, known for its holistic mission and innovative programs and outreach to the wider community, has greatly expanded. Once offering services only to residents, the organization now provides services to people living across the Greater Springfield area. Through such innovations as Glenmeadow at Home, the Lifestyle Pass, and Glenmeadow Learning — all programs Cotz helped found — area residents have access to services from transportation and care management to education.
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Sara Bonakdar has been hired as group sales manager for Pioneer Valley Hotel Group. Her primary focus is the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Springfield and Holiday Inn Express in Ludlow. She brings three years of hospitality experience to the position, having previously worked at Homewood Suites in Holyoke and Residence Inn in Manchester, Conn. “I am excited to take on a new challenge by stepping away from hotel operations and entering into direct sales,” Bonakdar said. “I feel I understand what it takes to offer a group a successful stay, and that’s what they will experience with us. Our properties offer guests an excellent value and great quality. That’s a winning combination and should make my job easy.” Connie Foster, director of Sales for Pioneer Valley Hotel Group, added that “Sara’s energy and enthusiasm makes her an excellent addition to our stellar sales team. So far, she’s shown an unending willingness to jump in and tackle new projects and revitalize some older accounts, and she’s only been in the job a month.” Pioneer Valley Hotel Group is a private, local, family-run company that owns and operates La Quinta Hotel in Springfield, Holiday Inn Express in Ludlow, Hampton Inn in Hadley, Comfort Inn in Hadley, and Hadley Farms Meeting House.
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John McClellan, Vice President of Tighe & Bond, received the 2016 Past Presidents’ Award from the New England Water Works Assoc. (NEWWA), the region’s largest and oldest not-for-profit organization of water-works professionals. The Past Presidents’ Award is presented to members of the association who authored the second-most-meritorious paper that appeared in the Journal of the New England Water Works Association during the previous year. McClellan was presented with this award for his article, “Biological Iron and Manganese Treatment: Five Years of Operating Experience in Cavendish, VT,” published December 2015. McClellan is responsible for overseeing projects for Tighe & Bond’s water-supplier clients. He is an active volunteer with NEWWA, serving on the scholarship and filtration committees. He is a member of the American Water Works Assoc. (AWWA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is a former member of the AWWA academic achievement awards committee. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, his master’s degree in environmental engineering, and his Ph.D. from UMass Amherst. He is a registered professional engineer in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut.
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Northstar Recycling announced the appointment of Mark Batiste to its new BDR (business development representative) team in East Longmeadow. His primary objective will be to secure qualified appointments for the sales team by identifying and reaching out to potential prospects throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Batiste holds a bachelor’ degree in marketing from Bentley University in Waltham, Mass.

He spent the majority of his professional career working in the pharmaceutical industry in New York City and the past several years in Western Mass. in new-business development for a national advertising agency.
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Holyoke Mall recently welcomed Kyle Hopkins as Assistant General Manager. Hopkins previously worked as a financial analyst at Pyramid Management Group’s Corporate Office in Syracuse, N.Y. before joining the Holyoke Mall team. He also served as an intern with the Finance/Revenue Department at Pyramid Management Group before graduating from St. Joseph’s University in 2014 with a BSBA degree in finance. “We are fortunate to have Kyle join our team at Holyoke Mall to help with our continued growth and commitment to providing an enjoyable shopping experience to our customers” said Bill Rogalski, the mall’s general manager.