People on the Move

Westfield State University (WSU) President Linda Thompson has appointed Kevin Hearn as vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. Hearn will begin his duties on July 3. With 30 years of higher-education experience, his curricular and co-curricular leadership spans enrollment, student affairs, academic support, and communications. He most recently served as vice president for Enrollment Management at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, where he was responsible for leadership and management of all staff and operations within the offices of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and international admissions, as well as the office of Financial Aid. Prior to this role, he served as vice president for Strategic Enrollment Management at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia and vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at Niagara University in Lewiston, N.Y., and held leadership roles in Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at Dean College in Franklin, Mass. Hearn earned his doctorate in education from Nova Southeastern University in Miami, his master’s degree in counseling and educational psychology from Rhode Island College in Providence, and his bachelor’s degree in political science from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. Westfield State also appointed David Caruso temporary provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, starting Aug. 1. With more than 35 years of higher-education experience, Caruso brings a strong background in the classroom, as a researcher, and an administrator. Prior to his retirement, Caruso served as president of Antioch University New England (AUNE) from 2006 to 2013. There, he led the successful implementation of the 2007-12 strategic plan and doubled the campus annual fund. He launched AUNE’s first successful Horace Mann Spirit of Service Awards ceremony that provides funds for the general scholarship endowment. He also served on the boards of the New Hampshire College and University Council and Campus Compact for New Hampshire. Previously, he was provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Worcester State University from 2002 to 2006. Earlier, he held faculty and administrative appointments at the University of Hartford, the University of Rhode Island, Purdue University, and Indiana State University. In 1995, he was awarded the American Council on Education Fellowship, a program designed to develop senior leaders in higher education. In 2014-15, he returned to Worcester State as interim provost. Caruso obtained his Ph.D. in Human Development at Cornell University and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Sonoma State University.

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On June 1, Gary Rome, president and CEO of Gary Rome Auto Group, promoted two internal employees. Timothy Ferreira has been promoted to chief operating officer of the company, and Kevin Schechterle has been promoted to general manager of Gary Rome Hyundai. Ferreira has been with the organization for 21 years as fixed operations manager, parts manager, and most recently general manager at Gary Rome Hyundai. He has played a significant role in the dealership’s success, with record-breaking months, high employee retention, and numerous awards, including cleanest dealership and #1 in customer satisfaction, and most recently the 2023 TIME Dealer of the Year Award and Hyundai Board of Excellence. He was instrumental in the design and build of the upgraded, 34,000-square-foot GDSI 2.0 Hyundai dealership in 2016; installation of the dealership’s solar field; and electric-vehicle infrastructure, which includes six level-2 chargers and two level-3 chargers; and he is currently overseeing the design and build of the 10,000-square-foot car wash, dog wash, and detail center on site. In his new position as COO, Ferreira will oversee the entire operational management of Gary Rome Hyundai, Gary Rome Kia of Enfield, and the new car wash, dog wash, and detail center, expected to open this fall. The position of chief operating officer is a newly created position for the auto group, due to the expediential growth of the dealerships and development of the new car-wash facility. Schechterle has been with Gary Rome Hyundai for nine years and held the positions of service manager, sales manager, and general sales manager. He will continue to expand his expertise in sales and daily operations of the dealership in his new role and is focused on customer satisfaction and employee retention. He will oversee all departments, including sales, finance, service, parts, business development, marketing, human resources, accounting, and corporate culture.

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Bulkley Richardson recently welcomed attorneys Julie Dick and Daniel Sacco to the firm. Dick is counsel in Bulkley Richardson’s family-law practice. She counsels individuals, couples, and families on all matters relating to domestic relationships. Prior to joining the firm, she was an attorney at Community Legal Aid, where she represented clients in probate and family courts and district courts as a part of the Family Law Unit. She earned a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from Ohio State University in 2013, and a juris doctorate from Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2016. Sacco is counsel in Bulkley Richardson’s litigation department, where he works with clients on preparing for administrative proceedings and trials. He has many years of experience helping public and private companies and educational institutions address regulatory compliance-related issues, including both responding to alleged compliance violations and developing compliance policies and programs. Prior to joining Bulkley Richardson, Sacco was a partner at Lindquist & Vennum in Minneapolis. Most recently, he was senior associate director of Research Compliance at UMass Amherst. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College in 1996 and a juris doctorate from the University of Maine School of Law in 2003.

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Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy, P.C. (DWPM) announced that attorney L. Alexandra Hogan will join the firm in an of-counsel capacity in the firm’s Springfield office, effective July 11. Hogan is a partner at Sabella Hogan, P.C. in Springfield. Prior to obtaining her license to practice law in 2008 and her juris doctorate at Western New England University School of Law, she earned a bachelor’s degree in legal studies at Bay Path University. She represents individuals, businesses, insurers, and receivers in civil litigation, business, commercial real-estate, and bankruptcy matters. Hogan is actively involved in the community, presents on peer and judicial panels, and has been a member of several local boards and committees. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

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Monson Savings Bank (MSB) announced the recent promotion of Catherine Rioux to commercial loan officer. She will continue to be based out of the Monson Savings Bank Loan & Operations Center, located at 75 Post Office Park in Wilbraham, and will work to help borrowers secure financing for their business. She will be assisting throughout the entire lending process, from origination to closing and beyond. Rioux has worked in many departments of the bank. In 2006, she started her career in banking as a high-school intern in MSB’s Human Resources department. She later accepted a position as a receptionist, then moved to the Retail Banking department shortly after. In 2013, she joined the Residential Lending department as a residential loan servicer. In early 2015, she accepted a position in the Commercial department as a commercial loan servicer. She thrived in this department and would go on to become a junior credit analyst before being promoted to credit analyst and then commercial portfolio manager. Prior to her most recent promotion, she served as commercial portfolio officer. Rioux enjoys being involved in the local communities. She is a member of the Monson High School scholarship committee and supports local organizations, serving as a board member for I Found Light Against All Odds and volunteering for St. Patrick’s Church. She is a graduate of Western New England University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Additionally, she is a graduate of the New England School of Financial Studies and the Springfield Regional Chamber Leadership Institute.

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Berkshire Agriculture Ventures (BAV) announced the appointment of Rebecca Busansky as its new executive director, following the successful tenure of interim Executive Director Glenn Bergman. Bergman’s leadership during a critical period at BAV resulted in significant advancement for the organization over the past two and a half years. Under his guidance, BAV experienced solid growth as he built a team of experts to lead BAV’s programs and successfully secured support for the organization’s initiatives. Bergman will collaborate with Busansky over the upcoming month to ensure a smooth transition. Busansky was formerly a program director at the Franklin County Community Development Corp. (FCCDC). Her work there focused on helping local farms thrive and increasing food access. She and her team launched the PVGrows Investment Fund, and she also managed the Massachusetts Food Trust Program.