People on the Move

Easthampton Savings Bank announced that Jessica West has been promoted to Branch Officer at the Northampton Street office. West served as Assistant Manager with Eileen Hickle as Branch Officer before her retirement at the end of February. She joined the bank as a Senior Teller for the Belchertown office in 2002, was promoted to Assistant Branch Manager in Belchertown in 2008, then Assistant Branch Manager at the Northampton Street office in 2012. West graduated from Springfield Technical Community College with an associate degree in mechanical technologies, and has taken various CFT courses.
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The Gray House has inducted Candace Pereira to a three-year term on its board of directors. Pereira, a Commercial Lending Officer at United Bank since 2005, served most recently as Senior Credit Analyst following earlier positions as Senior Commercial Loan Associate and Mortgage Representative. Pereira holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts and an associate degree in business administration from Springfield Technical Community College. The Gray House is a small neighborhood human-services agency in Springfield whose mission is to help its neighbors facing hardships to meet their immediate and transitional needs by providing food, clothing, and educational services in a safe, positive environment in the North End of Springfield.
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Denise Dukette

Hampden Bank announced three new members to its Business BankingCommercial Lending group:
• Denise Dukette, Vice President, Commercial Credit Officer, joined the bank in June 2013, as Vice President and Credit Officer of Business Banking. She oversees risk management, credit underwriting, and operational support for the bank’s business-lending functions. Dukette brings more than 30 years of managerial and lending experience, having held leadership roles at commercial and community banks in the Springfield and Hartford markets, including Fleet Bank, TD Bank, and United Bank. She has managed credit departments, loan review, risk management, loan operations, and commercial lending, as well as working at a Western Mass. economic-development agency. Dukette earned a bacherlor’s degree in economics at Wheaton College and an MBA from UConn;



• James Babcock, Vice President, Commercial Lending, has spent nearly all of his 25 years in commercial lending at community banks in the Northern Conn. market, including United Bank, Simsbury Bank & Trust, and First National Bank of Suffield. His new role will include business development in Massachusetts and reaching out into Connecticut. Babcock has a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University and earned an MBA from Babson College; and






• John Downs, Vice President, Commercial Lending, brings more than 30 years of managerial and commercial-lending experience, having held leadership roles at community banks including PeoplesBank and Chicopee Savings Bank. Downs earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from American International College and an MBA from Western New England University.
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Michael Linton, Owner of Michael’s Party Rentals in Ludlow, recently graduated from the Certified Event Rental Professional (CERP) program, developed by the American Rental Assoc. (ARA), one of the party and event rental industry’s most distinguished certifications. Recipients of the CERP certification were recognized at the Rental Show, ARA’s annual trade show and convention, in Orlando, Fla. in February.
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Rick’s Place Inc. recently announced that Donald Mitchell, Director of Projects and Facilities at the YMCA of Greater Springfield and current Vice President of the Board of Directors, succeeds founding board President William Scatolini, who, along with Dan Sheehan and Glen Garvey, established Rick’s Place in memory of their friend from high school, Rick Thorpe, who died in Tower Two of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Mitchell brings enthusiasm and experience to Rick’s Place; since 2008, he operated a local nonprofit in Springfield, assisting small businesses, and has served on a state board and several nonprofit boards. Scatolini’s tenure as President of the board from 2007 to 2014 helped to establish Rick’s Place, and he will continue his involvement with the organization as a member of the executive committee. Rick’s Place, which opened in March 2007 with six youth, provides support to grieving young people and their families. Seven years later, the nonprofit has worked with hundreds of youth throughout Hampden County.