Departments People on the Move

People on the Move

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno announced recently that he has appointed Attorney Mary McNally as the new Executive Director of the Springfield Parking Authority (SPA). “Mary brings a wealth of experience with her from the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office as well as serving as the previous SPA Board Chairwoman, said Sarno. “Attorney McNally has played a pivotal role in the turnaround in the operations of the authority. I look forward to working with her in an increased capacity as we continue to utilize the SPA as an economic-development tool in downtown Springfield.” McNally has most recently served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer in the Hampden District Attorney’s Office under District Attorney Mark Mastroianni. In addition, McNally was appointed in 2010 as Chairwoman of the Springfield Parking Authority by Sarno. During her tenure, she has overseen the refinancing of authority debt and institution of the SPA Capital Improvement Plan and the SPA-funded Downtown Security Plan.  Previously, she operated a Springfield-based law practice for 27 years. “I am pleased to be named the Executive Director of the Springfield Parking Authority,” said McNally. “I look forward to the opportunity to contribute and engage the authority in the growing economic-development renaissance in the city and to serve the residents and businesses of our great city.” Springfield Parking Authority Chairman Al Chwalek said that “Mary, as Chairwoman, has done a great job leading the Parking Authority through the last two transformative years. Now, as the new Executive Director, she is poised to partner the authority with several major projects in the city.” McNally, a resident of Springfield, is a graduate of Western New England School of Law as well as Elms College. Her bar admissions include the state of Massachusetts and the U.S. District Court.
•••••

Daniel Patrick Morrissey

Daniel Patrick Morrissey

The regional law firm Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that Attorney Daniel Patrick Morrissey has joined its office. He will continue practicing in the areas of civil litigation, personal injury, workers’ compensation and immigration law. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Spanish at Elms College, President of the Forest Park Business Assoc., and Vice Chairman of the Springfield Zoning Board of Appeals. He also is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Springfield and a past board member of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center. He received his law degree from Western New England University School of Law, a master’s degree in Spanish from Middlebury College, and his undergraduate degree from UMass Amherst. Morrissey will be based at the law firm’s Springfield office. With 40 attorneys, Bacon Wilson, P.C. is the largest law firm in Western Mass. Additionally, it boasts 65 paralegals, secretaries, and other support staff to assist with clients’ legal work. The firm’s four offices are located in Springfield, Westfield, Northampton, and Amherst.
•••••
Steve Shaw

Steve Shaw

The Holyoke-based IT networking and consulting firm VertitechIT has named Steve Shaw Vice President. Shaw will head up marketing and communications and assist with business-development efforts for the firm, which has offices in five states. Shaw has spent 30 years in the marketing and communications industries as a television reporter, production-agency founder, and multi-media network executive. “Business IT consulting is often viewed as a commodity,” said VertitechIT CEO Michael Feld. “Steve’s experience as a communicator, entrepreneur, and business executive gives us the opportunity to brand ourselves as a unique player in the IT marketplace.” VertitechIT is a leading provider of IT networking services to the healthcare and business communities throughout the Northeast and across the country. The company recently opened its new national headquarters in Holyoke.
•••••
Paul Mokrzecki

Paul Mokrzecki

Easthampton Savings Bank announced that Paul Mokrzecki has been named Senior Vice President of the ESB Government Banking Division. In that role, Mokrzecki will be responsible for all facets of municipal depository and lending activities. He comes to ESB with a depth of experience in municipal banking and municipal government. Prior to joining ESB, Mokrzecki spent 14 years as Senior Vice President of Government Banking at People’s United Bank, formerly Bank of Western Mass. He built an understanding for municipal banking needs by working as treasurer for the towns of Hadley and Greenfield for a combined 24 years prior to becoming a banker. “We are extremely lucky to have Paul join our team,” said ESB President and CEO Matthew Sosik. “He is highly respected in the municipal community, and he has a deep pool of contacts throughout the cities and towns in Massachusetts. His vast municipal banking experience will elevate our Government Banking division to new heights. Combining Paul’s expertise with ESB’s customer-first philosophy will be an attractive mix to municipalities looking at their banking options.” Mokrzecki has a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and an MBA from UMass Amherst. He is a member of the Franklin/Hampshire Collectors and Treasurers Assoc., the Berkshire County Collectors and Treasurers Assoc., and the Worcester County Collectors and Treasurers Assoc. He is a past board member of the Mass. Collectors and Treasurers Assoc. (MCTA). Mokrzecki has served as an instructor at the MCTA annual school for more than 20 years. He is a certified Massachusetts municipal treasurer and a certified Massachusetts municipal collector.
•••••
Mansour Ghalibaf

Mansour Ghalibaf

The National Restaurant Assoc. Educational Foundation recently honored Mansour Ghalibaf, owner of Hotel Northampton, as one of its 2014 Faces of Diversity American Dream Award winners. The honorees were recognized at a gala on April 29, during the National Restaurant Assoc. Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. “The restaurant industry has provided opportunities for millions of people throughout the U.S., and the recipients of the 2014 Faces of Diversity award demonstrate the incredible opportunities they have been able to create as a result of working in the restaurant industry,” said Rob Gifford, executive vice president of strategic operations and philanthropy for the National Restaurant Assoc. and the National Restaurant Assoc. Educational Foundation. “We are proud to recognize the achievements of Mansour. His dedication to the industry and commitment to achieving his dream is truly exceptional.” In 1979, Ghalibaf, an Iranian immigrant, was attending college and working in a restaurant to pay his tuition when he was told he would be deported back to Tehran — at the height of the Iranian Revolution. Along with those closest to him, Ghalibaf endured a tense month under scrutiny from government officials and was on the brink of homelessness before he secured a visa to remain in the U.S. His status no longer in jeopardy, Ghalibaf pursued the American dream with dedication: he completed his college degree, got married, and continued to excel in the hospitality industry. His persistence and passion for the industry allowed him to work his way up from the kitchen to a hotel owner. After serving as general manager of the historic, 106-room Hotel Northampton for 16 years, Ghalibaf purchased the hotel and has since grown sales from $2 million to $7 million. Ghalibaf has been named Restaurateur of the Year by the Massachusetts Restaurant Assoc. and was inducted into the Massachusetts Hospitality Hall of Fame. “It is an incredible honor to receive this award, which celebrates the American dream,” he said. “Rarely do success stories come down to a sole individual, and I am so grateful for the many friends, family, co-workers, and associates — including those in the organizations that nominated and selected me for this distinction — who have been essential to my success. The hospitality industry is one place where the American dream is still within reach. We are without a doubt in the best business in the world.”
•••••
Consolidated Health Plans (CHP) announced that Juan Campbell has joined the company to lead its sales division. In this role, Campbell will be responsible for leading new-business development of student health, special risk, and other consumer products. Campbell brings a wealth of experience in sales, operations, strategic marketing, and business-development strategies to CHP. He has more than 20 years of experience in the health-insurance marketplace serving the needs of commercial clients. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Western New England University and completed the Executive Management Program from Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He serves on the board of directors for the Children’s Study Home and the Westmass Area Development Corp., and on the Legislative Steering Committee of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield.
•••••
Dr. John Schreiber has been appointed President of Baystate Medical Practices and chief physician executive of Baystate Health, joining the health system’s senior leadership team. Schreiber comes to Baystate from Tufts Medical Center in Boston, where he served as Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics. He was also chief administrative officer and pediatrician-in-chief of the Floating Hospital for Children, the 100-bed primary affiliate children’s hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine.