People on the Move

Paul Nicholson, chair of the board of directors for Glenmeadow, announced that Anne Thomas has accepted the position of President and CEO, and will begin work with the nonprofit on Nov. 1. Thomas most recently served as vice president of residential health at JGS Lifecare in Longmeadow, and she has over 25 years of experience working with seniors. “She has strong operational, interpersonal, team-building, and financial-management skills,” Nicholson said. “Most importantly, though, her career has been devoted solely to older adults, and she is passionate about the people she serves, including the staff members she leads. She has demonstrated that she is a driven leader.” Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Providence College in Rhode Island and a master’s in social work from Hunter College in New York. “I’m truly excited about the opportunity to lead Glenmeadow as its next CEO,” Thomas said. “Glenmeadow has earned its stellar reputation by its deep dedication to improving the lives of older adults. As a core value, I have always believed later life should be the best part of life. This philosophy is embedded in the Glenmeadow community, so I was immediately attracted.”

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Matt Roberts recently joined the Gaudreau Group Insurance and Financial Services Agency of Wilbraham as a Business Insurance Service & Sales Assistant. He specializes in helping identify gaps in commercial insurance coverage, as well as areas in which a business may have been overinsured, which results in better control over costs while achieving more solid coverage. “Matt delivers real value to our clients by helping them understand their insurance cost drivers, especially workers’ compensation. He utilizes our industry-leading technology, including forecasting tools and predictive budget analysis, to help our clients stay proactive and have better control over their insurance dollars,” said Jules Gaudreau, president of the Gaudreau Group. Roberts has been in the insurance industry since 2011, when he started his career with a large national carrier. He is a graduate of Lasell College in Newton, with bachelor’s degrees in both accounting and business management.

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Springfield-based law firm O’Connell & Plumb, P.C., announced that attorney Daniel O’Connell was named to the 2016 New England Super Lawyers list in the area of Plaintiff Employment Litigation, and attorney Sarah Ornelas has been named to the 2016 New England Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars list in the area of Plaintiff Employment Litigation. This is the second consecutive year that both O’Connell and Ornelas have been included on these lists. According to the webpage for Super Lawyers, it is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. O’Connell and Ornelas both focus their practice in the areas of employment-based discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination.

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Country Bank announced that Jennifer Bujnevicie and Laura Dennis have been promoted to the position of Regional Managers of the bank’s Retail Banking division. Bujnevicie has been in the banking industry since 2004 and has held several positions during her tenure at Country Bank, beginning as a teller, and just prior to this promotion as operations manager. “I have a passion for customer service and a great love for helping people,” she said. Bujnevicie holds a human resources certificate from the Center for Financial Training, and is currently enrolled in the New England College of Business & Finance, pursuing a degree in business administration. She is a self-proclaimed animal lover and often volunteers her time at the Second Chance Animal Shelter. Dennis joined Country Bank while still in high school as a part-time file clerk in 2000, and became a full-time staff member upon her graduation. She began her career in the Collections department, but then moved to retail banking to be with the customers, and has been there ever since. “I am passionate about working with my team and helping them develop in their positions. The greatest reward for me personally is seeing them reach their professional goals,” she said. Dennis graduated from the New England School for Financial Studies in 2015 and serves as the treasurer for both the Palmer and Belchertown units of the Salvation Army. “I’m very excited to work closely with Jenn and Laura as they lead our branch staff to continued success focused on excellence in customer service and product delivery,” said Brady Chianciola, first vice president of Retail Banking. “They bring with them a wealth of knowledge from the retail aspect of banking as well as a true sense of community, which is so important to Country Bank.”

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Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. announced that three of its attorneys were honored by Super Lawyers for 2016. Each year, no more than 5% of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor:

• Ralph Abbott Jr. was listed in Super Lawyers in the categories of employment and labor law. A partner since 1975, Abbott is known throughout the legal community for his work representing management in labor relations and employment-related matters, providing employment-related advice to employers, assisting clients in remaining union-free, and representing employers before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). He also has numerous credits as an author, editor, and teacher, and a record of civic and community involvement. Since 2010, he has been ranked as one of the top labor and employment attorneys in the state of Massachusetts by the prestigious Chambers USA rating firm;

• Susan Fentin was listed in Super Lawyers in the categories of employment and labor law. She has been a partner at the firm since 2004. Her practice concentrates on labor and employment counseling, advising large and small employers on their responsibilities and obligations under state and federal employment laws and representing employers before state and federal agencies and in court. She speaks frequently to employer groups, conducts training on avoiding problems in employment law, and teaches master classes on both the FMLA and ADA. She has also been ranked as one of the top labor and employment attorneys in the state of Massachusetts by the prestigious Chambers USA and was named one of the Top 50 Women in the Law in 2015; and

• Jay Presser was listed in Super Lawyers in the categories of employment and labor law. Presser has more than 35 years of experience litigating employment cases. He has successfully defended employers in civil actions and jury trials and handled cases in all areas of employment law, including discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, wage hour, FMLA, ERISA, and defamation. He has won appeals before the Supreme Judicial Court and the First and Second Circuit Courts of Appeals, and represented employers in hundreds of arbitration cases arising under collective-bargaining agreements.

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The DiGrigoli Companies (which includes DiGrigoli Salon, DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology, and DiGrigoli Seminars) announced that Judi Real has been promoted to Creative Director. Real started with the company in February 2015 as executive assistant to the CEO, Paul DiGrigoli. From the beginning, her passion for marketing and advertising stood out, and she has been instrumental in many social-media and printed marketing campaigns for all three branches of the company. With her previous position successfully filled, she is now able to devote all of her time to marketing, brand development, and advertising.