Picture This
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The Power of Choice
Bay Path College staged its 16th annual Women’s Leadership Conference on April 29 at the MassMutual Center. More than 1,000 attendees took in the day-long event, which took the theme ‘The Power of Choice,’ and featured keynoters Wes Moore, a youth advocate, Army veteran, business leader, and author of The Other Wes Moore; Alison Levine, team captain of the first American women’s Everest expedition; and Victoria Kennedy, attorney and advocate for health care reform and women’s issues.
At above left, Levine (center) talks with Bay Path President Carol Leary and her husband, Noel. Bottom left, the large crowd mingles in the concourse area.
Coming Together
Elms College and Springfield Technical Community College recently announced a new partnership through which classes in an Elms bachelor’s degree completion program in social work will be held at STCC. The program will benefit STCC students and alumni, as well as area residents with associate’s degrees, who are interested in a career in social work. Seen at the announcement are, left to right: Richard Parkin, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, STCC; Walter Breau, vice president for Academic Affairs, Elms College; Ira Rubenzahl, President, STCC; and Sr. Mary Reap, Ph.D., President, Elms College.
Celebrating Entrepreneurship
The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation Entrepreneurship Initiative Awards Ceremony and Banquet was staged April 27 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The event featured an Elevator Pitch Competition featuring representatives of all the area colleges and universities. From top left: Lindsay Weaver, winner of the Elevator Pitch Competition, shares her idea for a business called Polar-EYES (a soft contact lens that provides outdoor UV protection, the power of polarization, and can transition from dark to light as traditional sunglasses do); Harold Grinspoon (light jacket) and keynote speaker Johnny (Earle) Cupcakes (center, front) are joined by the spirit winners from area colleges; Nate Lare, a student entrepreneur whose company, RDS Enterprise, provides a self-contained, semi-permanent disaster-relief housing kit, was the runner-up in the Elevator Pitch Competition; Adena Lavin (right), a student entrepreneur from Mt. Holyoke College, is seen at her exhibit of kale snacks. Her business is called ‘Pow! Chow,’ and she’s assisted by Lauren Palulis. Their exhibit was was one of 35 at the awards ceremony.
Photos by Shana Sureck
Not Just Business as Usual
Al Verrecchia, retired CEO and chairman of the board of Hasbro, was the keynote speaker for a program titled Not Just Business as Usual, presented by the Springfield Technical Community College Foundation on April 26. Event organizers also honored two area companies, Balise Motor Sales and Smith & Wesson, for their continued success and contributions to the local community. From top, STCC President Ira Rubenzahl (right) with Smith & Wesson CEO Michael Golden, and Rubenzahl with Balise President Jeb Balise. Emcee Frank Quigley (left), president of F.D. Quigley & Associates, a member of the STCC Foundation Board, and vice president of the STCC Alumni Advisory Board, with Michael Oleksak, executive vice president of Berkshire Bank and president of the STCC Foundation Board.
Royal LLP Open House
The law firm Royal LLP staged an elaborate open house on April 14 at its new location at 270 Pleasant St. in Northampton. Here, Principal Amy Royal, left, with Anne Weiss, owner of Weiss Consulting.
