People on the Move

Jean Deliso, CFP, from the Connecticut Valley General Office of New York Life, has been listed on the 2023 Forbes Top Financial Security Professionals Best-in-State list. A New York Life agent for 28 years, Deliso is president and owner of Deliso Financial and Insurance Services, a firm focusing on comprehensive financial strategies that help position clients for a solid financial future. She has been working in the financial field for more than 30 years, her first seven in public accounting and the balance working in the financial-services industry. She has developed an expertise in helping business owners and individuals protect and secure their own and their family’s future. Deliso is a Nautilus Group member agent, an advanced-planning resource for estate-conservation and business-continuation strategies. A graduate of Bentley College, she has also been a member of New York Life Chairman’s Council since 2012 and a qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table since 1999. Members of the elite Chairman’s Council rank in the top 3% of New York Life’s sales force of more than 12,000 licensed agents in sales achievement. Active in her community, Deliso currently serves on and is immediate past chairman of the board of the Baystate Health Foundation. She also serves on and is past chairman of the board of the Community Music School of Springfield, and is also a past board member of Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse.

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Bay Path University announced that Anna Zendell has been named program director of the university’s master of healthcare management program. Zendell brings more than three decades of experience as an educator, researcher, and social-welfare advocate to her role. She was most recently the senior faculty program director of the School of Health Sciences and the School of Graduate Studies at Excelsior University, where she oversaw master’s-degree programs in health sciences, healthcare administration, and public administration, in addition to graduate certificates in public-health equity, nutrition, and informatics. Zendell has been a practitioner, educator, administrator, and caregiver, and throughout her career, she has applied that experience to the development of curriculum and teaching methods focused on population health, healthcare systems, screening, and research to practice. She has published research looking at aging, the roles of sibling caregivers, and the impact of regular physical activity on health. Her recent work focuses on collaborative teaching, experiential learning, and working with adult learners.

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Eastern States Exposition (ESE) announced that Greg Sanocki has joined the organization’s Marketing Department as communications & social media specialist. Sanocki completed his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in marketing from Western New England University in December 2014. Shortly following his collegiate career, he joined Westfield State University’s Marketing Department as social media and digital content specialist. In that role for nearly seven years, Sanocki was responsible for developing and administering the university’s official social-media presence, producing video content, and serving as a social-media expert for the campus community. In his new role as communications & social media specialist, Sanocki will be responsible for overseeing ESE’s digital and social-media marketing initiatives, collaborating with departments to ensure seamless digital communication, and creating and producing effective marketing and public-relations communications.

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Bulkley Richardson announced that both Stephen Holstrom and Lauren Ostberg have been included in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. Holstrom, counsel at Bulkley Richardson, was recognized for his work in both professional malpractice law and education law. Ostberg, an associate in the Litigation department and co-chair of the Cybersecurity practice, was recognized in the area of commercial litigation. Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America recognizes lawyers relatively early in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the U.S.

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Florence Bank recently presented its 2023 President’s Award to three staff members for exceptional service. Established in 1995, the President’s Award recognizes outstanding performance, customer service, and overall contribution to Florence Bank. Awardees are nominated by their colleagues at the bank. This year’s award recognizes Calli Paulin, a teller at the bank since 2021; Aaron Bonneau, an IT administrator who has worked at the bank since 2019; and David Lipson, a marketing research analyst who came on board in 2018. Paulin attended Bay Path University in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity. Bonneau holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from UMass Amherst. Lipson holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business management from Western New England University.

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American International College (AIC) announced that Michael Dodge has been named executive vice president for Academic Affairs. He has been serving in this role on an interim basis since March 2022. In this position, Dodge serves as AIC’s chief academic officer and is responsible for the academic operations of the college, including strategic planning for, and day-to-day operations of, the schools of Business, Arts & Sciences; Education; and Health Sciences. He represents the Office of Academic Affairs to internal and external constituencies and is responsible for developing and overseeing comprehensive and integrative structures and processes to support teaching and learning, student success, retention, and graduation. In addition, he oversees the institution’s accreditation and academic-assessment processes and supports the development of meaningful and measurable institution, program, and course student-learning outcomes. Upon his arrival in 2018, Dodge served as dean of Student Success and Opportunity. He additionally served as the principal investigator for the U.S. Department of Education Title III Grant program. He was promoted to associate vice president for Academic Affairs in January 2022. Before joining AIC, Dodge worked for more than a decade at UMass Amherst in a variety of teaching and administrative roles. He earned his doctorate in educational policy, leadership, and administration at UMass Amherst after earning his master’s degree in student affairs from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his bachelor’s degree in secondary education and English from the State University of New York Oswego.

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Country Bank announced that Mary McGovern, executive vice president and chief financial and operating officer, successfully completed the inaugural American Bankers Assoc. (ABA) Wharton Leadership Lab at the University of Pennsylvania last week. She earned an ABA Wharton Executive Leadership Certificate, a prestigious credential that demonstrates her excellence in leadership and strategic planning. The ABA Wharton Leadership Lab is a rigorous, immersive program that challenges executive bankers on the reality of leadership in today’s world at an Ivy League level. The program, which included 42 students, covers topics such as creating and sharing a vision, goal setting, managing talent, driving innovation, and sustaining meaningful relationships. McGovern is an influential executive leader with more than 30 years of experience in the financial-services industry. Her leadership has contributed to the bank’s continued success for the past 12 years. Her participation in the ABA Wharton Leadership Lab reflects her commitment to continuous learning and professional development at a critical time in the industry as regulations, technologies, and the workforce continue to rapidly evolve.

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Samantha Graves recently joined the Royal Law Firm team. She advises clients on various matters involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, wrongful terminations, and violations of FMLA. Her preventive work also includes drafting a variety of employment-related manuals and contracts, such as executive agreements, compensation and commission agreements, and severance and settlement agreements. Graves graduated cum laude from Worcester State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in business administration. She obtained her juris doctorate from Western New England University School of Law.

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Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that six lawyers from the firm were recently recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for 2024, and two were included in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. Along with the year they were first recognized in Best Lawyers in any practice area, they are: Gary Breton (2018), banking and finance law and business organizations (including LLCS and partnerships); Michael Katz (2016), bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law; Kenneth Albano (2020), business organizations (including LLCS and partnerships); Gina Barry (2018), elder law; Hyman Darling (2020), elder law; Peter MacConnell (2021), real-estate law; Daniel McKellick (2023), Ones to Watch in real-estate law; and Tyler Humphrey (2021), Ones to Watch in banking and finance law.

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Northampton Dollars for Scholars announced the appointment of three community members to its board of directors. Anna Zadworny is assistant vice president and Employee Development manager for Greenfield Savings Bank. She has an associate degree in business management from Holyoke Community College and completed Babson College Financial Studies. Valerie Harlow is a learning advisor and facilitator for the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Westfield State University and a master’s degree in training and development from Lesley University. Patricia Mahar works as an area manager in Dining Services at Smith College. She is a graduate of the University of Saint Joseph.