People On the Move

James Sheils, a partner with Springfield-based Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., recently received the first John Auchter Award from Goodwill Industries of the Pioneer Valley for more than three decades of service to the nonprofit organization. The award, which honors those who show extraordinary dedication to community service, is named for the late John Auchter, a Pioneer Valley attorney whose own distinguished service to Goodwill included 40 years as director, president, and chairman of the board. Sheils has served on the Goodwill board for more than 30 years, during which time he has worked as legal counsel to the agency.

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Gov. Deval Patrick has appointed Westfield State University alums Terrell Hill and Steven Marcus to serve as members of the Westfield State University Board of Trustees.  Hill is the founding principal of High School Inc., Hartford’s public insurance and finance academy, which opened in 2009. The school is a National Academy Foundation finance academy, whose goal is to prepare young people for college and career success based on industry-focused curricula, work-based learning experiences, and business-partner expertise. Marcus is a licensed, certified social worker who has dedicated his life to improving the lives of those in need as CEO and owner of multiple diversified healthcare enterprises, including New England Geriatrics and West Central Family and Counseling. The board is comprised of 11 trustees, one of whom is elected by the student body and one who represents the alumni; all are appointed by the governor and serve for a five-year term.

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Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. announced that President and CEO Michael Daly has been elected Chairman of the Board of Directors effective on Jan. 1, 2013. The board has also elected current Chairman Lawrence Bossidy to the new position of Lead Independent Director effective on the same day. Identical elections of Daly and Bossidy were made by the board of Berkshire Bank, the banking subsidiary of Berkshire Hills Bancorp. “I’m honored to assume the leadership of the Berkshire board, and I look forward to continuing the strong focus on business execution which has been a hallmark of Larry Bossidy’s long and distinguished leadership of our company,” said Daly. “I’m delighted that he will continue to have an active role in his new capacity as lead independent director. Our team has built a locally focused, customer-centric institution and invested in a strong infrastructure positioned across the middle of our four-state region. The board and the company remain committed to responsibly serving the financial needs of our markets and to providing strong returns to our investors.” Bossidy added, “the election of Mike Daly as chairman recognizes his success as CEO in building our strong franchise, and the confidence of our directors in his judgment, business acumen, and leadership. I look forward to working with him in my new role.” Daly was appointed president and CEO of the company and the bank in October 2002. During his tenure as chief executive, he has navigated Berkshire through significant growth, market-share expansion, and profitability gains. Total assets have risen to $5.5 billion, with 75 branches operating in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. Among Daly’s achievements are the creation of Berkshire Bank’s distinctive “America’s Most Exciting Bank” brand platform and the development of a high-performance, team-oriented culture. Berkshire is now one of the country’s 100 largest exchange-traded banks. In recognition of its standing and achievements, Berkshire recently moved its stock listing to the New York Stock Exchange. Bossidy joined the board as chairman in 2002 and serves on the compensation and corporate governance/nominating committees. His career has included the positions of chairman and CEO of Honeywell International, chairman and CEO of AlliedSignal, COO of General Electric Credit, president of General Electric’s Services and Materials Sector, and vice chairman of General Electric. Bossidy has also served as a member of the board of directors of Merck & Co., J.P. Morgan, and K&F Industries Holdings. In his new position, he is expected to have involvement in agenda-setting, communication with other independent directors, planning, and performance-evaluation activities. Berkshire also announced the retirement of Catherine Miller as a director of the company and the bank, effective immediately.

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The board of directors of the Mental Health Association Inc. (MHA) recently announced the appointment of Joan Ingersoll as the new Executive Director of the organization. She succeeds Linda Williams, who retired from MHA this month. Ingersoll, formerly president and CEO of Allied Community Services in Enfield, Conn., was selected by MHA’s executive search committee. Ingersoll began her 10-year tenure at MHA in late October. As president and CEO of Allied Community Services, she led a $10 million organization that provides services to individuals with intellectual disabilities.  She previously served for seven years as vice president at the Corporation for Independent Living in Hartford, a nonprofit developer of housing for people with disabilities. Her background includes leadership positions at disability agencies in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, as well as direct service experience. Ingersoll began her career at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. where she served as special assistant to the commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.

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The Trustees of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts have appointed Katie Allan Zobel as its next President and CEO, and she has accepted the appointment, effective Jan. 1, 2013. For more than eight years, she and her job-share partner, Kristin Leutz, have led the Philanthropic Services team at the Community Foundation, most recently as vice presidents. A magna cum laude graduate of Boston College, she served as the director of Annual Giving for WGBY before working for 10 years for Amherst College, directing its Alumni Fund during a period when it established a college record for percentage participation that still stands. During her tenure at the foundation, she earned her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation from the American College. Additionally, Zobel has served on the boards of directors for the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity and the Amherst Education Foundation, where she recently completed a two-year term as board president. She also regularly volunteers as an on-air fund-raiser for WGBY. “Vigorous growth and careful stewardship are the hallmarks of the Community Foundation’s first 20 years,” said Zobel. “I intend to move the foundation into an exciting new period of growth and am honored for the opportunity to serve the community I love. When I first arrived at the foundation to provide interim assistance, I intended to stay for three months until a new development director was hired. Within a few weeks, I was strategizing about how I might stay longer. Eight years later, the motivation to lead this organization has never been stronger.”

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Elms College recently honored senior Laura Fusini with the Bishop Joseph F. Maguire Award during the Western Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association (WMCOPA) President’s Inaugural and Annual Awards meeting. The award was established by WMCOPA in honor of retired Bishop Joseph Maguire in recognition of his outstanding service as the association’s chaplain for 33 years. The honor, which includes $1,000 to assist in meeting educational goals and professional objectives, is given annually to an Elms College junior or senior who is enrolled in the field of religious studies, or has made outstanding contributions to the community-service or campus-ministry programs. An English and Religious Studies double major with a 3.8 GPA, Fusini participates in a Bible study group and is the editor of Bloom, the college’s student-run literary magazine. She has been a Deanery Scholar all four years at Elms and will participate in a college service trip to Baltimore in January, where she will work in a soup kitchen and food pantry.

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Florence Savings Bank announced the following:

• Shelley Daughdrill has been elected Vice President and Branch Manger for the bank’s Amherst office. Daughdrill joined FSB in December 2005. She is a graduate of Westfield State College and the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Amherst and the Highland Valley Elder Services Financial Exploitation Audit Team, and a volunteer for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Daughdrill is a recipient of FSB’s Presidents Award, the bank’s Community Support Award, and the Stavros’ Paul Winske Access Award; and

• Kristen Adams has been elected Assistant Vice President of Marketing for the bank. She joined FSB in 2011. Adams is a graduate of UMass Dartmouth, and is a graduate of the inaugural class of Leadership Pioneer Valley. Adams is a volunteer for the Cutchins Program and a member of the Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce and Northampton Area Young Professionals.

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Jody Dion has joined the Wing Memorial Hospital and Medical Centers team as the new executive director of VNA and Hospice. She will be replacing Barbara Hitchcock, who is retiring after 12 years in the role. Dion has more than 20 years of experience in home healthcare and was most recently manager of Quality Improvement at UMass Memorial Medical Center Home Health and Hospice. She is a registered physical therapist.  Wing Memorial VNA and Hospice is located at 40 Wright St., Palmer. For information or to make an appointment, call (413) 283-9715.