People on the Move

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) recently welcomed Brendan Cawley and Garrett Welker to the firm. Cawley is a senior associate in the firm’s Taxation department. Prior to MBK, he worked on a variety of clients and industries as a manager at one of the Big Four national firms. He brings to MBK nearly 10 years of public accounting experience and a strong commitment to helping clients. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Boston College and is an enrolled agent with the Internal Revenue Service. Welker is an associate in the Assurance department. He served for seven years in the U.S. Air Force and went on to become a finance manager at a privately held business in Western Mass. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with a concentration in accounting from Westfield State University. MBK also announced four promotions: Susan Stebbins, CPA to senior manager; Lisa White, CPA to senior manager; Joseph LeMay, CPA to manager; and Kara Graves, CPA to employee benefit plan niche leader. Stebbins, who has been with MBK since 1997, focuses on taxation. In her new position, she will be preparing and reviewing returns, as well as managing several professionals within the firm’s taxation department. A CPA licensed in Massachusetts and Maryland, she is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA). She holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Bentley University. With more than 20 years of public accounting experience, White focuses primarily on federal and state income-tax compliance and planning within the construction and real-estate industries. In her new role as a senior tax manager, she will continue to mentor staff as well as manage the delivery of services directly to many clients. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Middle Tennessee State University and is a member of the AICPA and the MSCPA. She is a CPA licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and in 2011 was named among the 40 Under 40: Members to Watch by the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs. LeMay joined MBK in 2015 and works with organizations throughout Western Mass. in industries such as manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, and other service organizations. In his new role as a manager, he will manage a team in the firm’s Accounting and Auditing department. In addition, he leads initiatives to provide the department with tech updates, serves as a mentor in the firm’s formal mentorship program, and is the leader for the firm’s wellness program. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Westfield State University and a master’s degree in accountancy from Westfield State University. He is a CPA and certified valuation analyst in the state of Massachusetts and is a member of the AICPA and the MSCPA. Graves, who has been with MBK since 2011 and has more than 14 years of experience in accounting and auditing, specializes in employee benefit plans and commercial audits. In her new position, she will be overseeing all of the plans, scheduling teams and field work, researching changes on standards for pension audits, implementing any necessary updates, and facilitating training and annual planning for pension audits. She is a licensed CPA in Massachusetts and holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Roger Williams University and an master’s degree in accountancy from Western New England University. She is a member of the MSCPA and CPAmerica. She serves on the audit committee for the United Way of Hampshire County.

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Country Bank recently announced three executive promotions within the bank’s senior management team. Dawn Fleury, CPA, has been promoted to first senior vice president of Corporate Risk. Before joining Country Bank in 2012, she had a 21-year career with the FDIC as a commissioned senior bank examiner. In her current role, she oversees the bank’s comprehensive risk-management programs, including compliance, corporate risk, internal audit, BSA fraud, commercial credit, commercial loan workout, and residential collections. Miriam Siegel, CCP, CBP has been promoted to first senior vice president of Human Resources and chief diversity officer. When she joined Country Bank in 2018, she brought 26 years of professional experience as the senior vice president of Human Resources for United Bank. In her current role, she oversees all aspects of the bank’s human-resources initiatives, as well as driving talent-management strategies to lead the bank’s learning and development team. She serves on the board of Behavioral Health Network in Springfield and the Wilbraham Personnel Advisory Board. Tom Wolcott has been promoted to first senior vice president of the Commercial Lending and Business Banking divisions. He joined Country Bank in 2019 after a previous career in the financial-services industry that spanned more than three decades, including senior vice president roles at People’s United Bank, United Bank, Citizens Bank, and Fleet Bank, primarily in the Connecticut, Springfield, and Worcester markets. He has extensive expertise in managing diverse and complex commercial clients as well as assisting small businesses with creative solutions to help them achieve their financial goals.

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Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems, announced the appointment of Dean Vitarisi as chief financial officer (CFO) at Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems. Vitarisi’s prior experience included executive-level finance positions with Essen Health Care, Trinity Health Of New England, Yale New Haven Health, St. Mary’s Health System, and St. Raphael Healthcare System. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from Bryant University. He then completed an MBA from Quinnipiac University, followed by a master certificate in healthcare leadership from Cornell University School of Human Ecology.

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The Valley Blue Sox announced that an alumnus of their 2016 season, Hezekiah (Hez) Randolph, will take over for John Raiola as head coach. Randolph has had a successful career in both high-school and collegiate baseball. He was a designated hitter and second baseman for the University of New Orleans Privateers, where he was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American in his freshman year and All-Louisiana First Team during his senior year. He joined the Blue Sox as a player in the summer of 2016, where he was selected for the New England Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Game, in addition to earning second-team honors. He then went on to join the Blue Sox coaching staff as a hitting coach in 2018.

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Country Bank announced that Peter Morales has joined its Innovation & Technology Division as senior vice president. Morales has held several technical leadership positions, most recently as vice president and chief information officer for an international educational organization supporting more than 45,000 students in more than 40 countries worldwide. He also held positions at New York University, (leading technology at the Law and Engineering schools), and the New York and American stock exchanges. Morales began his career developing diagnostic systems for the F18, the jet the Blue Angels currently fly. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, a master’s degree in engineering management, and a doctorate in computer science and information systems. He continues to teach in two master’s programs at NYU and is on the board of directors for several incubator startups and nonprofits.

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Monson Savings Bank announced the hire of Caitlin O’Connor as vice president and marketing officer in the bank’s Marketing department. In her new role, she will oversee all aspects of the bank’s brand and business-line marketing, advertising, public relations, and communications efforts. She will also be responsible for establishing and implementing an effective, innovative, and comprehensive marketing plan that aligns with the bank’s vision, mission, values, and strategic goals. O’Connor has been in the banking industry for 13 years and has 17 years of experience in the marketing and design industry. She is a graduate of Mount Ida College in Newton, now a campus of UMass Amherst. Prior to joining Monson Savings Bank, she held the role of vice president and marketing manager of North Brookfield Savings Bank.

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Jeff Liguori, co-founder and chief investment officer at Napatree Capital, announced the addition of Matt Landon as a partner. With more than 26 years of broad investment experience, Landon began his investment career at MassMutual Financial Group, rising to the role of managing director after a series of promotions. He was later recruited to senior positions at investment-industry leaders Fidelity Investments and T. Rowe Price. He also founded Intelligent Portfolio Services, an early mover in the robo advisor space. Most recently, he held senior advisor roles at Commonwealth Financial Network and LPL Financial, helping families and business owners pursue their financial goals. Landon has earned a reputation as a skilled investment practitioner and trusted advisor to his clients. As a dedicated student of the financial markets and lifelong learner, he has been awarded the prestigious chartered financial analyst (CFA) designation. Locally, he serves as a trustee at Veritas Prep Charter School and is a member of its finance and investment committees. As a lacrosse fan and enthusiast, he also serves on the board of the Longmeadow Boys’ Lacrosse Assoc. and still suits up for an occasional over-40 lacrosse game.

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Pearson Wallace Insurance (PWI), with offices in Pittsfield, Amherst, and Boston, announced that Alex Bennett has been promoted to partner within the agency. Bennett has been with PWI from the beginning, most recently holding the position of vice president of Sales. He will continue to spearhead the growth of sales as well as become involved in the day-to-day operations of the business. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing from Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I., and started his insurance career at Liberty Mutual in personal-lines direct sales in the Greater Boston area.

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Margaret Mack has joined Bulkley Richardson as a member of the law firm’s real-estate practice group. she earned her juris doctor degree from Suffolk University Law School in 2019 and a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from the Catholic University of America in 2016. Prior to joining Bulkley Richardson, Mack was an attorney at the Global 200 law firm of Fragomen, Del Ray, Bernsen, and Lowey in New York City and a law clerk at Seyfarth Shaw in Boston, ranked 75th and 74th, respectively, among all law firms globally. She was also a research assistant for Suffolk University Law School and a legal associate at Integreon, a global provider of alternative legal solutions to leading law firms, corporations, and professional service firms.