People on the Move
Adam Moreau
The Springfield Rocks Media Group announced the addition of Adam Moreau as a senior media advisor for Rock 102, Lazer 99.3/98.5, and the digital team. He will officially join the team in January. Moreau began his career in radio more than 20 years ago and is excited to return to his roots while also bringing more than two decades of experience in multimedia sales. His passion and expertise, beginning in radio and encompassing television and advertising agency experience, will further enhance the media group’s ability to deliver multimedia solutions to clients across the region. He will serve clients throughout the group’s regional footprint. He will be based in the East Longmeadow office and report to Scott Monson, director of Sales, who echoed the sentiments of Ekblom, emphasizing the positive impact this addition will have on the team’s innovative approach to sales and exceeding clients’ needs. Moreau is a graduate of Western New England University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus in marketing communications/advertising, as well as an MBA.
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Kelly Martins
bankESB recently hired Kelly Martins as social-media manager, based at its 36 Main St., Easthampton office. Martins earned a master’s degree in nonprofit management and philanthropy with a focus on strategic planning and implementation from Bay Path University. She joins the bank from GRATI Consulting, where she was the director of Marketing & Business Development.
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The Springfield Museums announced that President and CEO Kay Simpson received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from the New England Museum Assoc. (NEMA). Each year, NEMA honors an individual who has made exceptional contributions to the museum field over the course of a distinguished career. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a professional’s commitment to excellence, leadership in the field, service to others, and support of NEMA. Simpson is an experienced and entrepreneurial president and CEO with a history of working in museums and a background in leading high-profile curatorial and education projects that garner national attention. She provides strategic direction for one of New England’s premier cultural institutions, comprised of five museum buildings, the outdoor Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, and the childhood home of Theodor Seuss Geisel. Under her leadership, the Museums opened the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum in 2017, which resulted in a dramatic increase in attendance and coverage from regional, national, and international media outlets. A strong proponent of museums as engines of economic development and urban revitalization, Simpson helped establish a cultural district in downtown Springfield and was instrumental in an inclusive public arts initiative that activated a public park that had been closed for decades. She passionately believes that museums are not only vibrant community centers for all, but also attract tourists and entrepreneurs, which in turn help communities foster new business growth for everyone’s benefit. Her service to NEMA includes her work as chair of the Education Professional Affinity Gathering and membership on the association’s board of directors.
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Alexandra Chapman
Hometown Wealth Management congratulates Alexandra Chapman on her new role as a financial advisor, offering wealth-management and investment services through LPL Financial, located at bankESB’s 36 Main St., Easthampton office. Chapman started at bankESB in 2019 as a part-time teller and transitioned to work in the Commercial Credit department shortly thereafter. In May 2022, she joined Hometown Wealth Management as Operations associate. From financial planning and investment services to insurance, she assists both individuals and businesses in developing, implementing, and monitoring strategies that help them pursue their financial goals. Chapman holds an MBA with a concentration in financial management from Husson University. In addition, she earned a certificate in small business management from Husson University.
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Jay Queenin
Jay Queenin has been appointed to the Westfield State University board of trustees. Queenin replaces trustee Madeline Landrau whose 10-year term ended March 1. Queenin has worked in the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General as director of Intergovernmental Affairs, assistant attorney general, and chief of Administration and Finance. He also has served as assistant district attorney in the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. For nearly 20 years, Queenin has been president and owner of Specialty Bolt & Screw (SBS) in Agawam, a privately held company founded in 1977. SBS provides inventory-management solutions to global original-equipment manufacturers and has approximately 300 employees in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Finland, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Queenin earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Providence College and a juris doctorate from Suffolk University Law School.
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Berkshire Money Management (BMM), a financial and retirement planning firm with offices in Dalton and Great Barrington, announced that Michael O’Brien has joined the team as a financial paraplanner. Most recently, O’Brien worked in the insurance industry. He has a strong background in client service and financial planning, with experience helping high-net-worth individuals protect their assets and their futures. He is a licensed property and casualty insurance agent and is currently studying for the Series 65 exam so he can advance into a junior advising role. At BMM, he is focused on supporting the director of Financial Planning and learning how to deliver personalized service to the firm’s clients. O’Brien is a former Mr. Taconic and 2024 graduate of the Berkshire Leadership Program and holds a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in Spanish from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
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Jenni Lanoue
Shonda Pettiford
Greenfield Community College (GCC) announced the appointment of two distinguished leaders, Jenni Lanoue and Shonda Pettiford, to its board of trustees. Their extensive backgrounds in healthcare, education and organizational leadership are expected to bolster the college’s commitment to serving its diverse student population and enhancing community engagement. Lanoue is a long-time resident of Franklin County and a GCC alumna, having graduated with an associate degree in Nursing in 2003. With nearly two decades of experience at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, she currently serves as chief Nursing officer and director of Patient Care Services, overseeing multiple nursing units and leading initiatives that enhance patient care and safety. Pettiford brings a wealth of experience in operations and communications. Currently serving as director of Operations at Five Colleges Inc., she has a strong background in strategic planning, human-resource management, and collaborative initiatives across multiple higher-education institutions. Her previous roles include CEO of Gravity Switch and director of Communications at UMass Amherst. She has served the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts as board president.
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Holyoke Chicopee Springfield (HCS) Head Start recently elected its 2024-25 Policy Council, composed of parents of currently enrolled children and members-at-large from the communities served by HCS Head Start, which may include parents of children who were formally enrolled. This group of leaders includes Amber Cichowski, Massachusetts Head Start Assoc. (community representative); Chalen Vasquez, Parkside Early Learning Center, Ludlow; Cinnamon Smith, Westover Job Corps (community representative); Dakota Bailes, Westover Head Start Center, Chicopee; Fanny Perez, Mason Square Head Start and Early Head Start Center, Springfield; Gladys Rivera, Carew Street Head Start Center, Springfield; Jeimy Diaz, Churchill Head Start Center, Holyoke; Katherine Gasque, Madison Head Start and Early Head Start Center, Springfield; Milagros Arocho Pumarejo, Robinson Gardens Head Start Center, Springfield; and Sulema Chaj, Mason Square Head Start and Early Head Start Center, Springfield.
