Home Posts tagged Education (Page 28)

Country Bank Contributes $7,250 to Local Schools

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Daily News

WARE — Country Bank surprised 29 local schools that participate in the bank’s Savings Makes Sense School Banking Program with $250 gift cards to Staples. Each school received the donation to help cover the cost of back-to-school supplies.

“We know how difficult it is for the schools to have the supplies they need when budgets become tight. They are truly so grateful and appreciative of this gift,” said Jodie Gerulaitis, Financial Education officer at Country Bank, adding that teachers typically spend about $250 of their own money annually to purchase items for their classrooms.

Country Bank serves Central, Western, and Eastern Massachusetts with 15 offices in Ware, Palmer, Brimfield, Belchertown, Ludlow, Wilbraham, Paxton, Charlton, Leicester, West Brookfield, and Worcester. It sponsors the Savings Makes Sense program and the award-winning Credit for Life program in its communities. For more information, visit www.countrybank.com.

UMass Donahue Institute Announces Nonprofit Support Services

By
Daily News

HADLEY — UMass Donahue Institute announced the formation of a new business group that will focus on supporting the financial strength of nonprofit organizations.

Led by Sharon Vardatira, who boasts 19 years of nonprofit consulting experience, the Nonprofit Funding & Fiscal Solutions group will provide customized consultation, coaching/mentoring, and hands-on intervention for clients to strengthen and expand their financial capacities, manage their finances, and respond to funding crises.

“I have been privileged to spend the better part of my career building the capacity of nonprofit organizations to bring about positive change in their communities, help vulnerable and disadvantaged populations, improve quality of life, and establish long-lasting, positive social change,” Vardatira said. “We look forward to significantly increasing the financial stability of a wide variety of nonprofits working on a range of critical issues.”

Added J. Lynn Griesemer, executive director of the UMass Donahue Institute, “the addition of Nonprofit Funding and Fiscal Solutions to the Institute broadens and deepens the scope of services we provide to the Commonwealth, New England, and across the country. Ms. Vardatira is well-known to the Institute as a highly experienced grant-writing and fund-development consultant. She brings a wealth of expertise and experience assisting organizations that possesses a wide range of missions and populations served.”

The new group will complement the Institute’s other services, including applied research and program evaluation, economic and public policy research, early-childhood services, organizational development, and democracy education and international programs.

Enfield Registers Growth Across Several Sectors

By
Community Spotlight Features

Community Spotlight

Courtney Hendricson spends a moment with Sean Vaccarella

Courtney Hendricson spends a moment with Sean Vaccarella in the newly opened Vitamin Shoppe on Elm Street.

Courtney Hendricson thinks of herself as a matchmaker.

Although it’s an unusual way to describe the job of a town official, she is doing all she can to strengthen and facilitate the growth of Enfield’s key industries by introducing people to each other and keeping them informed about opportunities via networking events and social-media platforms.

“Some of our key industries are really strong, and others are burgeoning, but we’re taking a very proactive approach to growth, and I have relationships with builders, developers, site selectors, property owners, and brokers,” said the assistant town manager of development services. “It’s my job to connect them and let them know what is happening in town.”

Retail business is among the community’s key industries, and it is home to 3,000 stores. “Enfield is a regional retail destination, and many people spend their Saturdays here,” Hendricson said, pointing to the presence of industry giants such as Sears, Home Depot, and Costco, as well as a plethora of other stores and eateries found in the mall, shopping centers, and business corridors easily accessible off Interstate 91.

She added that the retail corridor — which starts immediately after vehicles exit from 91, runs along Elm Street, and connects to Freshwater Boulevard — continues to grow.

“Starbucks and the Vitamin Shoppe opened in late August in a renovated building on Elm Street that used to be an Arby’s restaurant, Asian Grille and OMI Grocery are opening this month on Enfield Street, and a new, 14,500-square-foot Goodwill store is under construction on Palomba Drive,” Hendricson said. “Hannoush Jewelers put up a new building on Elm Street, expanding from a much smaller space in the Stop & Shop Plaza, and Chick-fil-A built a pad site and opened in the parking lot of an existing shopping center on Hazard Avenue.

“We rarely have vacancies in our retail corridors, and when they occur, the space is filled very quickly,” she continued, adding that the town is working with a food franchiser who hopes to move into the former Rockville Bank building, which sits on 1.1 acres and has been empty for several years.

One of the town’s many retailers, Vitamin Shoppe Manager Sean Vaccarella, views Enfield as an ideal location.

“We’re really excited to be here; the economy is thriving in terms of retail, and there are acres of stores in Enfield,” he said. “We’re looking to penetrate the market and develop a footprint here.”

Advanced manufacturing is another thriving industry, and a pipeline of employees is continually being created, thanks to the strong program at Asnuntuck College.

“They’re known as the leader in Connecticut for this type of education. In fact, the governor took their model and replicated it in other community colleges across the state. Enfield students are exposed to the program in middle school, and every grade from that point on has a program for interested young people,” Hendricson said. “The advanced-manufacturing industry here is robust. ”

The third key industry in town is logistics and distribution. “We’re very strong in this area,” she told BusinessWest. “Advanced Auto Distribution Center moved to Enfield after completing a major renovation of a former 400,000-square-foot Lego warehouse and brought more than 200 jobs here in the last year, and Brooks Brothers Distribution Center is in Enfield and is thriving in our industrial park.”

Hallmark Cards Distribution Center plans to close next June, but town officials are working to connect Hallmark’s commercial real-estate team with interested brokers. “It’s critical to fill all of our buildings to their best use, and we are very proactive in this area,” Hendricson said.

The town is also looking for an interested manufacturer or tenant to occupy a 235,000-square-foot building on 19 acres at 35 Manning Road. “It’s zoned industrial and is part of the commercial real estate that is available,” she told BusinessWest.

Meanwhile, growth is occurring in residential real estate, and revitalization efforts continue in the Thompsonville section of town.

For this, the next installment in BusinessWest’s Community Spotlight series, we look at the many forms of progress being recorded in this community just south of the Massachusetts state line.

Raising Awareness

While existing, traditional sectors of the economy are thriving in Enfield, town officials want to build even more diversity into the equation.

For example, while there are some biomedical-related companies in Enfield, officials want to increase their number.

“The industry is growing, and we’re trying to cultivate it here. Johnson Memorial Hospital has a campus in Enfield, and we have companies that are thriving,” Hendricson said, mentioning Davita Enfield Dialysis on Palomba Drive as an example. New zoning was created about 18 months ago within a few industrial sites to spur growth and facilitate the use of properties for biomedical manufacturing, which include Metro Park North on Route 5, a 135-acre site that could be subdivided.

Town officials are encouraged by the decision by Cirtec Medical Systems, LLC to move from East Longmeadow into a new, 35,000-square-foot plant in Enfield. It will have a 5,000-square-foot clean room and a 6,000-square-foot, controlled-environment assembly space, in addition to a machine shop and laboratory. The company provides outsourced services for the medical-device industry that are used in stroke recovery and heart-disease treatment.

“The move will bring 100 jobs to Enfield, and they have told us they plan to add another 50,” Hendricson said. “We’ve made a concerted effort in the past year to do more outreach to spur additional economic growth. We have also strengthened our revitalization efforts in Thompsonville, and continue to foster an environment that provides new ways to unite our business community.”

To that end, the city’s Economic Development Commission held its first Business Development Summit on Sept. 23, and the 150 available slots were filled quickly.

“It highlighted all of our key industries, and people came from both the Greater Hartford and Springfield areas,” Hendricson said, adding that there were breakout sessions with panels composed of experts who discussed the town’s main industries: advanced manufacturing, logistics and distribution, healthcare and the environment, and the future of retail.

“These are areas where we are really strong, and our goal was to showcase them,” she told BusinessWest, adding that each participant received a booklet with photos and detailed information about every available commercial property in town. “The properties range from 600 to 235,000 square feet; from small, rentable spaces downtown and in Thompsonville  to an available building in our retail corridor that was a car dealership. We worked hard on the summit in hopes that, by bringing players to the table together, they could make deals.”

She added that copies of the booklet, which contain photos and detailed information about available property, were given out last year during a breakfast for commercial real-estate developers.

Hendricson also records quarterly video news clips called “V-News,” which can be seen on YouTube and keep viewers up to date on economic development.

She just finished her third video, and a link to each broadcast is e-mailed to more than 3,000 of what she refers to as “key players,” who range from commercial and residential real-estate developers to businesses and CEOs of leading companies.

Efforts have also been made to streamline the town’s permitting process and make sure it is consistent and predictable. To that end, Enfield recently purchased new, customer-friendly software that is being customized and will allow people to apply for a permit online, 24 hours a day, then check its status.

“It’s exciting. We’re really trying to serve developers and businesses and figure out what we need to do to get people to invest and grow their companies,” she explained.

Growth is also being recorded in residential real estate. A 340-unit, luxury apartment community called Mayfield Place is under construction, and will contain 10 two-story buildings.

“There is a real demand for this type of housing. Bigelow Commons is completely filled, and these units are likely to appeal to professionals,” Henricson said, referring to the former carpet mill that was renovated and converted to apartments.

In addition, revitalization efforts continue in Thompsonville, which include infrastructure improvements. “We’ve been very proactive; we have formed partnerships with building owners and continue to work with state officials to make sure a new transit center there becomes a reality,” she went on, explaining that the vision for Thompsonville is to turn it into a vibrant, walkable village centered around the transit center, as a commuter rail line between New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield is slated to begin operating next year.

Moving Forward

Town officials urge business owners and investors to visit www.thinkenfield.com, a site established a year ago devoted entirely to news and opportunities related to economic development.

“It contains demographics on all of our commercial properties,” said Hendricson. “There is also a calendar of current events and information about revitalization work being done.”

In addition, Enfield offers space for business classes and meetings free of charge, and employees in its information-technology department help new businesses with tasks ranging from creating Excel spreadsheets to establishing websites.

“We continue to show investors and developers the potential of Enfield,” she went on. “The town is on the move, and we are making things happen. There is room to grow and open a business here.”

Enfield at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1683 in Massachusetts; annexed to Connecticut in 1749
Population: 44,654 (2010)
Area: 34.2 square miles
County: Hartford
Residential Tax Rate: $29.89 (plus fire district tax)
Commercial Tax Rate: $29.89 (plus fire district tax)
Median Household Income: $68,356
Type of government: Town Council; Town Manager
Largest Employers: MassMutual; Hallmark Cards Distribution Center; the Lego Group
* Latest information available

2015 Super 60

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Super60Feature
Sections Super 60

Success Stories Offer Measures of Optimism

Super60logoThe Springfield Regional Chamber’s annual Super 60 lists have consistently reflected the depth and diversity of the region’s economy, and the Class of 2015 is no exception. Ranked by Total Revenue and Revenue Growth, this year’s honorees reflect the vibrancy of sectors ranging from healthcare to manufacturing; retail to financial services — and much more.

A quarter-century after its inception, the Super 60 program continues to document not only the growth and sustained success of area businesses, but the vitality of the local economy.

The Springfield Regional Chamber — formerly the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield — has been issuing annual lists of its largest-revenue and fastest-growing members since 1990, documenting, over time, the businesses that keep the region running.

“There’s a reason we break it down by Revenue Growth and Total Revenue,” said Jeffrey Cuiffreda, Springfield Regional Chamber president. “I think it shows we have a lot of mature industries on the largest-revenue list, and to get to that level, you have to be around a long time and have a stable base, and that shows the good foundation of our economy.

“At the same time,” he went on, “we’re finding newer and newer companies that come along, and that’s oftentimes where the growth comes from. There’s usually a good cross-section of industries there, which shows the diversity of the growing companies that add to our employment base.”

Being named to the Super 60 has also become a bragging right for businesses large and small, and a highly anticipated fall tradition. The Super 60 companies will be honored at a luncheon on Friday, Oct. 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Chez Josef in Agawam, presented by Health New England and sponsored by Berkshire Bank, WWLP-TV22 News, and Zasco Productions.

To be considered, companies must be headquartered in Hampden or Hampshire counties or be a member of the Springfield Regional Chamber, have revenues of at least $1 million in the last fiscal year, be an independent and privately owned company, and have been in business at least three full years. Companies are selected based on their percentage of revenue growth over a full three-year period or total revenues for the latest fiscal year.

“Small business is the backbone of our region, and the success of this year’s winners is a clear indication that our regional economy is strong,” Ciuffreda said, adding that, while all winners in the Total Revenue category had revenues in excess of $4 million, one-third exceeded $30 million. The Total Revenue winners combined for more than $1 billion in revenues.

In the Revenue Growth category, all winners had growth in excess of 20%, while one-third had growth in excess of 65%. In addition, 11 companies in the Total Revenue category also qualified for the Revenue Growth category, and 19 companies in the Revenue Growth category also qualified for the Total Revenue category. Each was placed in the list where it ranked highest.

Topping the Total Revenue category is NUVO Bank & Trust Co. in Springfield, followed by Whalley Computer Associates Inc. in Southwick and Sarat Ford-Lincoln in Agawam. In the Revenue Growth category, Springfield-based City Enterprise Inc., a woman-owned commercial and residential builder, finished on top for the second straight year, followed by Aegenco Inc. in Springfield and Holyoke Community College Foundation Inc.

Emily and Oliver Rich, founders of Tea Guys, will keynote the Oct. 23 Super 60 luncheon. Founded in 2002, Tea Guys has steadily expanded, tapping into the strong consumer demand for superior tea products. The company has expanded its online platform to include a brick-and-mortar location in a 10,000-square-foot retail store and production facility in Whately. Boasting more than 120 blends, the company offers its blends as loose teas, K-style cups, and a tea beverage concentrate product for the hospitality industry, and are sold nationwide.

Luncheon reservations are $50 for Springfield Regional Chamber members and $70 for non-members. To reserve tickets, visit www.springfieldregionalchamber.com or e-mail Sarah Mazzaferro at [email protected].

TOTAL REVENUE

* Qualified for both lists

1. Nuvo Bank & Trust Co.*
1500 Main St., Springfield
(413) 787-2700
www.nuvobank.com
Dale Janes, CEO
NUVO Bank is a locally owned, independent small-business bank located in downtown Springfield. NUVO provides loans, deposits, and cash-management services for personal-banking and business-banking needs.

2. Whalley Computer
Associates Inc.*
One Whalley Way, Southwick
(413) 569-4200
www.wca.com
John Whalley, President
WCA is a locally owned family business that has evolved from a hardware resale and service group in the ’70s and ’80s into a company that now focuses on lowering the total cost of ownership of technology and productivity enhancement for its customers. Whalley carries name-brand computers as well as low-cost performance compatibles.

3. Sarat Ford-Lincoln
245 Springfield St., Agawam
(413) 789-5400
www.saratford.com
Jeff Sarat, President
Founded in 1929 by John Sarat Sr., Sarat Ford has become the largest Ford dealership in Western Mass., and today, grandson Jeff Sarat leads the company. The full-service dealership includes a state-of-the-art body shop, and a new, 10,000-square-foot expansion offers a 24-bay service center that houses a $1 million parts inventory featuring Ford, Motorcraft, Motorsport, and a variety of other specialty manufacturers.

Associated Electro-Mechanics*
185 Rowland St., Springfield
(800) 288-4276
www.aemservices.com
Elayne Lebeau, Owner/CEO
Associated Electro-Mechanics is a diversified, one-stop industrial sales and service center servicing the New England region and beyond, with a variety of industrial repair and rebuilding services.

The Assoc. for Community Living
220 Brookdale Dr., Springfield
(413) 732-0531
www.theassociationinc.org
Barbara Pilarcik, Executive Director
For 60 years, the Assoc. for Community Living has been creating opportunities, building relationships, and improving lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. The agency’s caring and experienced workforce empowers individuals with developmental disabilities to live with dignity, bringing fulfillment, community, and valuable relationships into their lives.

Baltazar Contractors Inc.*
83 Carmelinas Circle, Ludlow
(413) 583-6160
www.baltazarcontractors.com
Frank Baltazar, President
Baltazar Contractors has been a family-owned and operated construction firm for more than 20 years, specializing in roadway construction and reconstruction; all aspects of site-development work; sewer, water, storm, and utilities; and streetscape improvements.

Bay State Elevator Co.
275 Silver St., Agawam
(413) 786-7000
www.bseco.com
Harold Potts, President
Established in 1908, Bay State Elevator works with architects, builders, and business owners to install state-of-the-art elevators of all sizes and shapes. The company also specializes in modernization and maintenance of elevator systems. It boasts six offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Vermont.

Braman Chemical
Enterprises Inc.
147 Almgren Dr., Agawam
(413) 732-9009
www.braman.biz
Gerald Lazarus, President
Braman has been serving New England since 1890, using state-of-the-art pest-elimination procedures for commercial and residential customers. The company has offices in Agawam, Worcester, and Lee, as well as Hartford and New Haven, Conn.

Charter Oak Insurance &
Financial Services Co.*
330 Whitney Ave., Holyoke
(413) 374-5430
www.charteroakfinancial.com
PETER NOVAK, GENERAL AGENT
A member of the MassMutual Financial Group, Charter Oak been servicing clients for 127 years. The team of professionals serves individuals, families, and businesses with risk-management products, business planning and protection, retirement planning and investment services, and fee-based financial planning.

Community Enterprises Inc.
441 Pleasant St., Northampton
(413) 584-1460
www.communityenterprises.com
Dick Venne, President and CEO
In 1972, some progressive staff members at Northampton State Hospital applied for and received a small grant to develop a program to train residents to live and work outside the hospital. In the 40 years since, Community Enterprises has grown into a multi-faceted program that supports the employment, educational, and independent-living goals of people with disabilities in three states.

Cutchins Programs for
Children & Families Inc.
78 Pomeroy Terrace, Northampton
(413) 584-1310
www.cutchins.org
Jay Indik, Executive Director
Cutchins Programs for Children & Families boasts 37 years of providing care not easily found in today’s healthcare environment. It offers residential, outpatient, and special-education services for children and families struggling with the effects of trauma and mental illness in a sanctuary of safety and love.

The Dennis Group*
1537 Main St., Springfield
(413) 746-0054
www.dennisgrp.com
Tom Dennis, CEO
The Dennis Group offers complete planning, design, architectural, engineering, and construction-management services. The firm is comprised of experienced engineering and design professionals specializing in the implementation of food-manufacturing processes and facilities.

Environmental Compliance
Services Inc.*
588 Silver St., Agawam
(413) 789-3530
www.ecsconsult.com
Mark Hellstein, President and CEO
For more than 25 years, ECS has specialized in environmental site assessments; testing for asbestos, lead, indoor air quality, and mold; drilling and subsurface investigations; and emergency-response management.

Filli, LLC d/b/a Con-Test
Analytical Laboratory*
39 Spruce St., East Longmeadow
(413) 525-2332
www.contestlabs.com
Thomas Veratti Sr., Founder
Established in 1984, Con-Test provides environmental consulting and testing services to a variety of clients throughout Western Mass. The laboratory-testing division originally focused on industrial hygiene analysis, but rapidly expanded to include numerous techniques in air analysis, classical (wet) chemistry, metals, and organics, and has the capability for analyzing nearly all water, air, soil, and solid materials.

Gandara Mental Health Inc.*
147 Norman St., West Springfield
(413) 736-8329
www.gandaracenter.org
Dr. Henry East-Trou, CEO
Focusing on the Latino/Hispanic community, Gandara Center provides substance-abuse recovery, mental-health, and housing services for men, women, children, adolescents, and families throughout the Pioneer Valley.

Holyoke Pediatrics
Associates, LLP
150 Lower Westfield Road, Holyoke
(413) 536-2393
www.holyokepediatrics.com
Carole Hebert, Manager
Holyoke Pediatric Associates is the largest pediatric practice in Western Mass., serving patients from Pioneer Valley communities at offices in Holyoke and South Hadley. The group medical practice comprises board-certified pediatricians, certified nurse practioners, and more than 75 clinical, nutritional, and clerical support staff, and has served the healthcare needs of infants, children, and adolescents since 1971.

Kittredge Equipment Co. Inc.*
100 Bowles Road, Agawam
(413) 304-4100
www.kittredgeequipment.com
Wendy Webber, President
Founded in 1921, Kittredge Equipment Co.is one of the nation’s leading food-service equipment and supply businesses. It boasts 70,000 square feet of showroom in three locations — Agawam, Williston, Vt., and Bow, N.H., making it the largest total showroom in New England, with in-stock inventory of equipment and smallware consisting of more than 7,000 different items. The company also handles design services, and has designed everything from small restaurants to country clubs to in-plant cafeterias.

Marcotte Ford
1025 Main St., Holyoke
(800) 923-9810
www.marcotteford.com
Bryan Marcotte, President
The dealership sells new Ford vehicles as well as pre-owned cars, trucks, and SUVs, and features a full service department. Marcotte has achieved the President’s Award, one of the most prestigious honors given to dealerships by Ford Motor Co., on multiple occasions over the past decade.

Maybury Associates Inc.
90 Denslow Road, East Longmeadow
(413) 525-4216
www.maybury.com
John Maybury, President
Since 1976, Maybury Associates Inc. has been designing, supplying, and servicing all types of material-handling equipment throughout New England. Maybury provides customers in a wide range of industries with solutions to move, lift, and store their parts and products.

Poly-Metal Finishing Inc.
1 Allen St # 218, Springfield
(413) 781-4535
www.poly-metal.com
Jason Kudelka, President
Poly-Metal Finishing Inc. has served the metalworking industry for more than three decades and specializes in providing the aerospace, military, and com­mercial sectors with complete anodic services: sulfuric anodizing, color anodizing, chromic, hardcoat, polylube pro­cessing, chemical conversion of aluminum, and pre-bond coatings.

Rediker Software Inc.
2 Wilbraham Road, Hampden
(800) 213-9860
www.rediker.com
Richard Rediker, President
Rediker software is used by school administrators across the U.S. and in more than 100 countries, and is designed to meet the student-information-management needs of all types of schools and districts.

Riverside Industries Inc.
One Cottage St., Easthampton
(413) 527-2711
www.rsi.org
Charlene Gentes, President
Now in its 45th year, Riverside Industries provides individualized services combining life-skills development, rehabilitation, and employment options for more than 270 adults living with developmental disabilities from 33 communities. Riverside also offers a wide range of innovative therapies and programs, including music, art, farming, yoga, and other classes.

Specialty Bolt & Screw Inc.
235 Bowles Road, Agawam
(413) 789-6700
www.specialtybolt.com
Kevin Queenin, President
Founded in 1977, Specialty Bolt & Screw (SBS) is a full-service solutions provider of fasteners, vendor-managed inventory (VMI) programs, and c-class commodities. Based in Agawam, it has locations in Valcourt, Quebec; Juarez, Mexico; Queretaro, Mexico; Rovaniemi, Finland; and Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Tighe & Bond Inc.
53 Southampton Road, Westfield
(413) 562-1600
www.tighebond.com
David Pinsky, President
Having celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011, Tighe & Bond specializes in environmental engineering, focusing on water, wastewater, solid-waste, and hazardous-waste issues, and provides innovative engineering services to public and private clients around the country and overseas.

Troy Industries Inc.
151 Capital Dr., West Springfield
(413) 788-4288; (866) 788-6412
www.troyind.com
Steve Troy, CEO
Troy Industries was founded on the principle of making reliable, innovative, over-engineered products that function without question when lives are on the line. The choice of special ops, law enforcement, and war fighters worldwide, Troy Industries is a leading U.S. government contractor that designs and manufactures innovative, top-quality small-arms components and accessories and complete weapon upgrades.

United Personnel Services Inc.
1331 Main St., Springfield
(413) 736-0800
www.unitedpersonnel.com
Patricia Canavan, President
United provides a full range of staffing services, including temporary staffing and full-time placement, on-site project management, and strategic recruitment in the Springfield, Hartford, and Northampton areas, specializing in administrative, professional, medical, and light-industrial staff.

Valley Opportunity Council Inc.
35 Mount Carmel Ave., Chicopee
(413) 552-1554
www.valleyopp.com
Stephen Huntley, Executive Director
The Valley Opportunity Council (VOC) is the largest and most diverse community-action agency in the region. It has a network of support and collaborative services that include energy assistance, nutrition, early education and childcare, adult education, senior services, housing, money management, and transporation.

W.F. Young Inc.
302 Benton Dr., East Longmeadow
(800) 628-9653
www.absorbine.com
Tyler Young, CEO
This family-run business prides itself on offering a variety of high-quality products that can effectively improve the well-being of both people and horses with its Absorbine brands.

WestMass ElderCare Inc.*
4 Valley Mill Road, Holyoke
(413) 538-9020
www.wmeldercare.org
Priscilla Chalmers, Executive Director
WestMass ElderCare is a private, nonprofit agency with a mission to “to preserve the dignity, independence, and quality of life of elders and disabled persons desiring to remain within their own community.” The agency offers a variety of services for elders, their families and caregivers, and persons with disabilities. Programs and services include supportive housing, home care, options counseling, adult family care, nutrition programs, adult foster care, and group adult foster care.

Westside Finishing Co.
15 Samosett St., Holyoke
(413) 533-4909
www.wsfinish.com
Brian Bell, President
A leading powder coater, Westside Finishing began more than 30 years ago as a liquid-coatings job shop. Today, it offers a much wider array of services, including silk screening, pad printing, trucking, sub-assembly, final packaging, and more. Over the years, Westside has significantly increased the size and volume capability of parts it is able to coat by installing new coating equipment, increasing inventory, and bringing new members onto the team.

REVENUE Growth

* Qualified for both lists

1. City Enterprise Inc.*
38 Berkshire Ave., Springfield
(413) 726-9549
www.cityenterpriseinc.com
Wonderlyn Murphy, president
City Enterprise Inc. offers skilled general-contracting services to the New England region. The company prides itself on custom design and construction of affordable, quality homes and the infrastructure surrounding each project.

2. Aegenco Inc.*
55 Jackson St., Springfield
(413) 746-3242
Spiro Vardakas, President
Aegenco, an energy-conservation consulting firm, has grown steadily since its inception in 2005.

3. Holyoke Community College Foundation Inc.
303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke
(413) 552-2546
www.hcc.edu/the-hcc-foundation
Erica Broman, executive director
The Holyoke Community College Foundation was created four decades ago to help the college meet the needs of the region’s citizens and workforce, by raising both funds and awareness and supporting programs and activities in keeping with the mission of the college.

Aegis Energy Services Inc.*
55 Jackson St., Holyoke
(800) 373-3411
www.aegisenergyservices.com
Lee Vardakas, Owner
Founded in 1985, Aegis Energy Services is a turn-key, full-service provider of combined heat and power systems (CHPs) that generate heat and electricity using clean, efficient, natural-gas-powered engines. These modular CHP systems reduce a facility’s dependence on expensive utility power, reduce energy costs, and reduce one’s carbon footprint.

CanAm Fibers*
100 State St., Ludlow
(413) 525-9018
www.canamfibers.net
Peter Meuiner, president
CanAm Fibers has established itself as a well-known and highly respected supplier of varied and specialty-grade paper products to export markets, particularly third-world countries, a segment that allows CanAm to offer domestic suppliers a feasible and economically advantageous avenue in which to dispose of excess material.

Chemex Corp.*
11 Veterans Dr., Chicopee
(413) 331-4460
www.chemexcoffeemaker.com
Liz Grassy, president
The Chemex coffeemaker was invented in 1941 by Dr. Peter Schlumbohm. Made simply from non-porous, borosilicate glass and fastened with a wood collar and tie, it brews coffee without imparting any flavors of its own. Chicopee-based Chemex Corp., a family-owned company, manufactures Chemex coffeemakers, bonded filters, handblown water kettles, and accessories for worldwide distribution.

Detector Technology Inc.*
9 Third St., Palmer
(413) 284-9975
www.detechinc.com
Jay Ray, president
Detector Technology is a leading manufacturer of products and systems for OEM and equipment manufacturers, specializing in channel electron multipliers, glass extrusion and fabrication, and motion-control products. With a state-of-the-art fabrication and production facility, An ISO 9001-certified commapny, DeTech has been delivering for its customers for more than 20 years.

East Baking Company Inc.*
104 Whiting Farms Road, Holyoke
(413) 536-2300
www.eastbaking.com
Danny Serra, President
East Baking Co. offers a full line of fresh and frozen bakery products, with an extensive product line including everything from wraps and pitas to yeast rolls and frozen dough, with full-service distribution in Western Mass. and Connecticut.

Fletcher Sewer & Drain Inc.
824a Perimeter Road, Ludlow
(413) 547-8180
www.fletcherseweranddrain.com
Teri Marinello, President
Since 1985, Fletcher Sewer & Drain has provided service to homeowners as well as municipalities and construction companies for large pipeline jobs from Western Mass. to Southern Conn. From unblocking kitchen sinks to replacing sewer lines, this woman-owned company keeps up to date with all the latest technology, from high-pressure sewer jetters to the newest camera-inspection equipment.

The Gaudreau Group
1984 Boston Road, Wilbraham
(413) 543-3534
www.gaudreaugroup.com
Jules Gaudreau, president
A multi-line insurance and financial-service agency established in 1921, the Gaudreau Group combines the traditional service philosophy of an agency with the talents of a dynamic marketing organization. With the expertise and resources that enable clients to respond to an ever-changing economic environment, the agency offers a broad range of insurance and financial products from basic life, home, and auto insurance to complex corporate services, employee benefits, and retirement plans.

Grand Prix International Inc.*
34 Front St., Indian Orchard
(413) 543-8887
www.grandprixintl.com
Michael Fisher, President
Since 1978, Grand Prix International has grown to become a leading independent game manufacturer, offering a wide range of services, from graphic design to project management, manufacturing, and freight forwarding. GPI has extensive experience with custom product packaging, specializing in plastic molding, tins, clamshells, blister cards, set-up boxes, neck boxes, wood boxes, and displays.

Hampden County Career
Center Inc. d/b/a CareerPoint
850 High St., Holyoke
(413) 532-4900
www.careerpointma.com
David Gadaire, executive director
Since 1996, Hampden County Career Center Inc., d/b/a CareerPoint, has been serving the workforce and economic-development needs of individual job seekers, social-service agencies, and the business community throughout Hampden County and beyond. The center transforms the maze of complex, bureaucratic employment and training programs into one seamless service-delivery system for job seeking and employer customers alike.

Hayden Corp.*
333 River St., West Springfield
(413) 734-4981
www.haydencorp.com
John Hayden, President
Founded in 1919, Hayden Corp. is an ISO 9002-2008 registered provider of thermal spray coatings and other wear- and corrosion-control surfaces, providing comprehensive pre- and post-surfacing services, including preparatory machining, finish grinding, and metallurgical coating quality analysis.

Human Resources Unlimited Inc.*
60 Brookdale Dr., Springfield
(413) 781-5359
www.hru.org
Don Kozera, President and CEO
HRU’s programs annually help more than 1,500 people with physical and mental disabilities or who are disadvantaged by poverty or homelessness, by providing a unique and holistic approach to skill building, job-readiness training, placement, and support. Each year, HRU works with about 140 area employers, providing them with a skilled, reliable workforce while simultaneously creating employment opportunities for its members.

James J. Dowd & Sons
Insurance Agency Inc.*
14 Bobala Road, Holyoke
(413) 538-7444
www.dowd.com
John Dowd Jr., President and CEO
Founded in 1898, Dowd is one of the oldest, most experienced insurance agencies in Massachusetts. The staff includes fully licensed and certified insurance and financial services agents and brokers with a full complement of professional license and designations to insure that clients receive proper insurance and financial-services guidance.

Kielb Welding Enterprises
d/b/a Advance Welding
47 Allston Ave., West Springfield
(413) 734-4544
www.theperfectweld.com
Christopher Kielb, President
Since 1978, Kielb Welding Enterprises, d/b/a Advance Welding, has served its clients with high-quality welding, brazing, and metal fabrication with state-of-the-art facilities and more than 100 years of combined welding experience. The company recently added 6,000 square feet of new facilities and actively participates as role models to young people who may someday seek a career in welding.

Lancer Transportation & Logistics*
311 Industry Ave., Springfield
(413) 739-4880
www.sulco-lancer.com
Todd Goodrich, President
Lancer Transportation & Logistics is a licensed third-party freight brokerage company. Since 1979, Lancer has been providing full-service transportation-brokerage services throughout North America.

Ludlow Heating & Cooling Inc.
1056 Center St., Ludlow
(413) 583-6923
www.ludlowheatingandcooling.com
Karen Sheehan, President
In business since 1978, Ludlow Heating & Cooling is a full-service energy company dedicated to providing quality heating and cooling products, including home heating oil, boilers, furnaces, hot-air systems, humidifiers, air cleaners, and air-conditioning systems. Services include home heating-oil delivery, 24-hour emergency service, annual tuneups, and equipment installations.

Market Mentors, LLC*
30 Capital Drive, Suite C, West Springfield
(413) 787-1133
www.marketmentors.com
Michelle Abdow, principal
A full-service marketing firm, Market Mentors handles all forms of marketing, including advertising in all mediums, media buying, graphic design, public relations, and event planning.

Northeast IT Systems Inc.
777 Riverdale St., West Springfield
(413) 736-6348
www.northeastit.net
Joel Mollison, President
Full-service IT company providing business services, managed IT services, backuop and disaster recovery, and cloud services, as well as a full-service repair shop for residential customers, including file recovery, laptop screen replacement, PC setups and tuneups, printer installation, virus protection and removal, and wireless installation.

O’Connell Professional
Nurse Service Inc.*
14 Bobala Road, Holyoke
(413) 533-1030
www.opns.com
Francis O’Connell, president
For more than two decades, O’Connell Professional Nurse Service has grown to deliver a range of home-health and staffing services across the Pioneer Valley. Services range from nursing care and geriatric healthcare management to advocacy and transportation.

ONsite
Mammography, LLC*
815 N Road, Westfield
(413) 642-3759
www.osmammo.net
Karl Schmidt, President and CEO
ONsite Mammography is the develops and operates digital mammography services within the ob/gyn profession. It offers a comprehensive portfolio of project-management, installation, and operational services that eliminate the administrative burden to physicians and staff, thereby allowing them to remain focused on the delivery of quality patient care, which can now include digital mammography.

Orthotics & Prosthetics Labs Inc.
300 Birnie Ave., Suite 3, Springfield
(888) 432-5488
www.oplabs.com
Jim Haas and Blaine Drysdale, Owners
Orthotics & Prosthetics Labs provides physician-directed orthotic and prosthetic services to meet the personal needs and improve the health status of the area people. It offers a complete range of quality orthotic and prosthetic devices and services, specializing in custom-made braces and prosthetic limbs, but also stocking the most popular off-the-shelf braces.

Paragus Strategic IT*
84 Russell St., Hadley
(413) 587-2666
www.paragusit.com
Delcie Bean IV, president
While still in high school, Delcie Bean founded Paragus IT in 1999, first under the name Vertical Horizons and then Valley ComputerWorks. Under the Paragus name, it has grown dramatically as an outsourced IT solution for area clients. From information technology solutions to CMR-17 compliance to EMR implementation, Paragus provides business computer service, computer consulting, information-technology support, and other proactive services to businesses of all sizes.

PC Enterprises d/b/a Entre Computer*
138 Memorial Ave., West Springfield
(413) 736-2112
www.pc-enterprises.com
Norman Fiedler, CEO
PC Enterprises, d/b/a Entre Computer, assists organizations with procuring, installing, troubleshooting, servicing, and maximizing the value of technology. In business since 1983, it continues to evolve and grow as a lead provider for many businesses, healthcare providers, retailers, and state, local, and education entities.

Pioneer Valley Financial
Group, LLC
535 East St., Ludlow
(413) 589-1500
www.pvfinancial.com
Joseph Leonczyk, Charles Myers, and Ed Sokolowski, Managing Partners
Realizing a need to provide a comprehensive, relationship-focused approach to financial planning, the partners at PV Financial Group opened their doors in 2002. Serving both individuals and organizations, the firm’s financial planners and financial advisors craft unique strategies for each client based on individualized needs, tolerances, and time horizons.

Powervestors II, LLC
55 Jackson St., Holyoke
(413) 536-1156
www.aegisenergyservices.com
Spiro Vardakas, Owner
PowerVestors provides services in power-generating equipment installation throughout the region.

Squier Lumber & Hardware Inc.*
5 Squier Ave., Monson
(413) 267-5542
www.squierlumber.com
Chris Haley and Kevin Haley, Owners
Serving the local community since 1874, Squier is the oldest continuously operating business in Monson. It offers lumber, building materials, paint, garden supplies, hardware, windows, doors, wood pellets and bagged coal, hearth products, and pellet, coal, and wood stoves.

Universal Plastics Corp.*
75 Whiting Farms Road, Holyoke
(800) 553-0120
www.universalplastics.com
Joseph Peters, CEO
Since 1965, Universal Plastics has been a leading force in the custom thermoforming industry. It specializes in precision custom thermoforming, a plastic-manufacturing process that converts a sheet of plastic into a highly detailed finished product with less tooling investment than other plastic molding processes.

V&F Auto Inc.
443 Springfield St, Agawam
(413) 789-2181
www.vfauto.com
Frank Palange, owner and president
Since 1988, V & F Auto Inc. has been a local, family-owned and -operated auto-repair center servicing Agawam and neighboring areas. As an approved AAA auto-service shop, its ASE-certified technicians have years of experience working on both domestic and import vehicles of all makes and models and can work with customers to find cost-effective repair and maintenance alternatives.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• Oct. 21: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St., Hadley.

• Oct. 28: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at Loomis House, 298 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• Nov. 4: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Join the Greater Easthampton, Greater Northampton, and Amherst Area chambers along with our host, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, for a networking extravaganza. Sponsored by Duseau Trucking.

• Nov. 6: 
CheckPoint 2015 Legislative Summit. Registration and networking, 11 a.m.;
 welcome, lunch, and keynote speaker, noon to 1:30 p.m.; Chamber View
Dialogue with chamber executives, followed by legislative response, 1:30-3 p.m.; cocktail reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres, 3-4 p.m. Keynote speaker: state Senate President Stanley Rosenberg. Also hear from Tim Wilkerson, regulatory ombudsman of Economic Policy Development at the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions to invited legislators.

• Nov. 7: 15th Annual Greater Easthampton Chamber Viva Las Vegas Bowl-a-Thon, at Canal Bowling Lanes, 74 College Highway, Southampton. Two sessions: 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. A night of fun, laughs, music by DJ Jay Paglucia, and pizza as you help support funding this season’s holiday lights.

• Nov. 11: Monday Morning with the Mayor, 8-9 a.m., Burger King, Easthampton.

• Dec. 3: Holiday tree lighting and visit from Santa, 6:30-8 p.m., at Pulaski Park, Easthampton.

• Dec. 4: Greater Easthampton Chamber Snow Ball, 6-11 p.m., at the Garden House, Look Park. An old-fashioned, elegant, holiday affair. Sit-down dinner featuring Meyers Catering, live music, and dancing featuring Maxxtone. Dress in style, black tie optional.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376

• Oct. 21: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at Northeast IT Systems Inc., 777 Riverdale St., West Springfield. Business networking event. Refreshments, 50/50 raffle, and door prizes. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for all others. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sign up, or visit holyokechamber.com.

• Oct. 22: Leadership Holyoke/Meet at Wistariahurst Museum, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A leadership series with HCC faculty members participating as instructors and facilitators. Community leaders will participate as speakers. Sponsored by PeoplesBank and Holyoke Community College.

• Oct. 28: Murder Mystery Dinner, 6-9 p.m., at the Yankee Pedlar, 1866 Northampton St. Networking cocktail hour at 6-7 p.m., with full-course dinner to follow. Sponsored by Meyers Brothers Kalicka and Baystate Restoration Group. During “Mystery at the Masquerade,” trade clues with other guests and solve the crime at this night of masks and murder. Cost: $49.95 for members, $52.95 for non-members and at the door.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• Nov. 4: November Arrive @ 5 Open House, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by Cooley Dickinson Hospital, 30 Locust St., Northampton. Cost: $10 for members.

• Dec. 2: December Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., at Hampshire Council of Governments, Northampton. Sponsored by Applied Mortgage. Cost: $10 for members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• Oct. 19: Long-term-care Planning, 4:30-5:30 p.m., at Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Sponsored by Renaissance Advisory. Cost: free for chamber members, $30 for non-members. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618

• Nov. 2: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., hosted by Amelia Park Children’s Museum, 29 South Broad St., Westfield. Event is free and open to the public. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Nov. 6: CheckPoint 2015 Legislative Symposium, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., hosted by the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, Holyoke. Cost: $50 for chamber members, $60 (paid in advance) for non-members. For sponsorship opportunities, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Nov. 9: Eat & Educate: Business Insurance Options, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Westfield Bank, 141 Elm St., Westfield. Presented by Shawn Torress & Kevin Green of Westfield Wealth Management and Westfield Bank. Cost: free for chamber members, $30 for non-members; $75 to attend all three Eat & Educate workshops. RSVP required. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Nov. 12: November After 5 Connection, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Ezra’s Mercantile, 34 Elm St., Westfield. Refreshments will be served. Bring your business cards and make connections. Cost: $10 for members, $15 cash for non-members. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER
www.professionalwomenschamber.com
(413) 755-1310

• Nov. 4: PWC Headline Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., co-located at the Western Mass Business Expo, MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield. “New England’s Skills Gap in Advanced Manufacturing,” featuring Alison Lands, senior manager of Deloitte Consulting, LLP. Cost: $40. Reservations may be made online at www.professionalwomenschamber.com. The Professional Women’s Chamber is a division of the Springfield Regional Chamber.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER
www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.
(413) 787-1555

• Nov. 4: Springfield Regional Chamber Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., co-located at the Western Mass Business Expo, MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield. Pull up a bar stool for a casual conversation with Harpoon Brewery CEO and co-Founder Dan Kenary. Cost: $30 in advance, $35 at the door). Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Nov. 12: Springfield Regional Chamber After 5, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Tech Foundry, 1391 Main St., 9th Floor, Springfield. Cost: $5 for members, $10 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Nov. 19: Springfield Regional Chamber Government Reception, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Carriage House, Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Meet socially with your local, state, and federal officials. Cost: $50 for members, $70 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Nov. 24: Springfield Regional Chamber Pastries, Politics and Policy, 8-9 a.m., hosted by TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield. Featuring Hampden Country District Attorney Anthony Gulluni. Sponsored by the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. Cost: $15 for members, $25 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ourwrc.com
(413) 426-3880

• Oct. 28: Food Fest West, 5:30-8 p.m., at Chez Josef, Agawam. The event will feature the foods of area restaurants, including Chez Josef, Classic Burgers, Crestview Country Club, EB’s, Hofbrau Joe’s, Murphy’s Pub, Partner’s Restaurant, Pintu’s, and more. Proceeds raised by Food Fest West will go toward the Partnership for Education and the WRC Educational Fund, which provides grants to businesses for on-the-job training and continuing-education needs. Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Tickets may be purchased online atwww.westoftheriverchamber.com. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

Agenda

By
Agenda Departments

Warm Up the Night

Oct. 22: The Family Outreach of Amherst will host its fourth annual Warm Up the Night event from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Lord Jeffery Inn, 30 Boltwood Ave., Amherst. The tent at Lord Jeffery Inn will be transformed into a strolling culinary extravaganza. Enjoy delicious small bites, sips, and tastes from an eclectic mix of local food vendors, including 30Boltwood, Bistro 63 at the Monkey Bar, the Blue Heron, Bread and Butter, Carr’s Ciderhouse, the Alvah Stone, Jasper Hill Farm, Sun Kim Bop Food Truck, and more. Features this year include a pig roast, live music by musicians the Winterpills and Roger Salloom, and a special appearance by local guitar legend J Mascis. Tickets are $45 per person. Visit www.chd/familyoutreach for more information or to register, or contact Rachel Condry at (413) 548-1272 or [email protected].

Survivor Journeys Halloween Gala

Oct. 30: Survivor Journeys invites the community to its first annual Halloween Gala at 6 p.m. at Storrowton Tavern Carriage House. The cost of the gala is $50 per person and includes dinner, music, and dancing. A cash bar will be available. Entertainment includes psychic mediums Nicky Taylor and Drianna Buonaducci, as well as practitioners from the Feeding Hills Wellness Center. Costumes are optional. Survivor Journeys provides social and emotional support services to cancer survivors, families, and caregivers. Services are built on collaboration with local providers and cancer survivors, along with regional and nationally recognized cancer organizations. Survivor Journeys, which serves adults, young adults, and pediatric cancer survivors, was co-founded by Dr. Jay Burton, founder and medical director of the Primary Care Cancer Survivorship Program of Western New England, and Maryann Palealogoupolus, a licensed independent clinical social worker. Survivor Journeys also announced that the organization will benefit from the generosity of S. Prestley and Helen Blake, who have offered a $25,000 matching grant challenge to the organization. The Blakes will match all funds raised by the end of year, up to $25,000. Visit survivorjourneys.org to register for the gala or for more information about support groups and developing programs.

Western Mass.Business Expo

Nov. 4: Comcast Business will present the fifth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News in partnership with Go Graphix and Rider Productions. The business-to-business show will feature more than 100 booths, seminars and Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs, and a day-capping Expo Social (see the special section in this issue for details). Current sponsors include Comcast Business, presenting sponsor; Health New England, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, MGM Springfield, and Wild Apple Design, director-level sponsors; the Isenberg School of Business at UMass Amherst, education sponsor; 94.7 WMAS, media sponsor; and Peerless Precision, robotics and manufacturing sponsor . Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $750. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

Spirit of Skiing Award

Nov. 7: Cal Conniff will be honored by the New England Ski Museum (NESM) at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The event is open to the public. NESM’s Spirit of Skiing Award is given to honor a skiing notable who manifests the motto, “skiing is not just a sport, it is a way of life,” attributed to ski pioneer Otto Schniebs. Previous winners include Olympic medalists Stein Eriksen and Penny Pitou, U.S. Olympians Tom Corcoran and Tyler Palmer, Killington Ski Resort founder Preston Smith, renowned ski instructor Herbert Schneider, and ski-show impresario Bernie Weichsel. Conniff spent his professional life working for the betterment of the ski-area industry, managing the Mt. Tom Ski Area from 1968 to 1973. He put the small facility on the national map by developing extensive night skiing and one of the earliest snow-making systems in the country in the 1960s, two innovations that were soon emulated throughout the resort industry. During his tenure at Mt. Tom, Conniff targeted the youth market, introducing thousands to the thrill of downhill skiing through numerous school programs. Conniff took over leadership of the National Ski Areas Assoc. in 1973, moving its offices from New York City to West Hartford, Conn. and ultimately downtown Springfield in 1978, where it remained until his retirement in 1990. He was inducted into AIC’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011, and to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in 1990. Tickets to the Nov. 7 event, which starts at 5 p.m., cost $75 and are available by calling the NESM at (603) 823-7177 or visiting www.skimuseum.com/events.

Aaron Smith, P.C. Supports United Way Day of Caring

By
Daily News

EAST LONGMEADOW — Aaron Smith, P.C., a certified public accounting firm serving individuals and businesses in the Pioneer Valley, supplied 10 volunteers for the United Way of Pioneer Valley Day of Caring last month.

The Day of Caring is the largest day of service in the Pioneer Valley, bringing more than 1,000 people together to complete community-service work throughout the region. Aaron Smith employees participated in the Day of Caring by working with a local YMCA to close up a summer camp for the season. Camp Weber, part of the West Springfield YMCA, has been serving young people for more than 150 years. Generations have enjoyed the 75 acres of wooded property located on Dewey Street, which needs a thorough cleaning at the beginning and end of each season.

“It was a pleasure working with Camp Weber as part of the United Way Day of Service,” said Joanna Smigiel of Aaron Smith. “We helped by sweeping out the various buildings at the camp and cleaning refrigerators, sinks, cabinets, and washrooms. We also moved picnic tables inside for the winter, moved various supplies into an indoor storage unit, and generally cleaned up the grounds.”

The Day of Caring was established to promote the spirit of volunteerism, increase awareness of local human-service organizations, and demonstrate how people working together for the common good can accomplish great things.

“It’s such a rewarding experience to help an organization that brings joy, education, and life skills to our area youth,” said Scott Betsher, certified public accountant and director at Aaron Smith. “We pride ourselves on our relationship with the United Way of Pioneer Valley, knowing that what we do together really makes a difference in the communities we serve. We are not afraid to roll up our sleeves to get the job done. This is how we approach our volunteer work and how we work on your business.”

Governor Files Landmark Substance-abuse Legislation

By
Daily News

BOSTON — Continuing a series of initiatives to combat the opioid epidemic, Gov. Charlie Baker unveiled legislation to provide medical personnel with the power to intervene with patients suffering from addiction, control the spread of addictive prescription opioids, and increase education about substance-use disorder for providers and in the community.

The bill, titled “An Act Relative to Substance Use Treatment, Education and Prevention,” contains several additional provisions developed by the Governor’s Opioid Working Group to address prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery.

“Combating the opioid epidemic in the Commonwealth calls for a comprehensive approach, and filing today’s landmark legislation is a critical step toward creating more effective treatment pathways and better controlling opioid-prescribing practices for first-time patients,” Baker said. “Our administration has already implemented a series of the working group’s recommendations to tackle this epidemic from every angle, ranging from prevention to recovery support.”

This bill calls for new requirements for practitioners, educators, and communities and amends the civil-commitment statute to specify that women committed for substance-use treatment may be sent to new secure treatment units approved by the departments of Public Health and Mental Health, and ends the practice of sending women to MCI Framingham for treatment.

Further, medical professionals will be granted the authority to involuntarily commit an individual for treatment for 72 hours if they pose a danger to themselves or others. Currently, individuals suffering from substance-use disorders can be held for treatment only through an order from the courts, which are not always in session, limiting access for families and patients in need of a 24-hour ‘front door’ to treatment for a substance-related emergency.

To better control opioid-prescribing practices, the legislation contains a provision limiting patients to a 72-hour supply the first time they are prescribed an opioid or when they are prescribed an opioid from a new doctor. Practitioners will also be required to always check the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) prior to prescribing an opioid to a patient, and will be required to fulfill five hours of training on pain management and addiction every two years.

“Our administration is utilizing every tool in the toolbox to fight the opioid crisis tainting every corner of the Commonwealth,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, adding that the bill “serves as the latest call to action to execute a dynamic strategy, and we look forward to working with the legislature to enact meaningful laws to help our citizens.”

A full update on the progress of the Governor’s Opioid Working Group can be found at www.mass.gov/stopaddiction.

State Unemployment Rate Drops to 4.6% in September

By
Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate dropped to 4.6% in September, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Thursday.

The preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts lost 7,100 jobs in September. The job losses occurred in the education and health services; trade, transportation, and utilities; construction; and manufacturing sectors. However, year-to-date, Massachusetts has added 46,900 jobs.

The preliminary estimates show 3,406,700 Massachusetts residents were employed in September, and 163,100 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,569,800. The labor force decreased by 21,900 from 3,591,700 in August, as 17,200 fewer residents were employed and 4,600 fewer residents were unemployed over the month.

The statewide unemployment rate in August was 4.7%. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell 1.0% from 5.6% in September 2014. The September state unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 5.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“The Massachusetts unemployment rate continues to decline. Although the state experienced job losses in September, the overall jobs picture is strong,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II said.

The state’s labor force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — decreased 0.4% to 64.9% over the month. The labor-force participation rate over the year has decreased 0.6% compared to September 2014.

September 2015 estimates show that 3,406,800 residents were employed, and 163,100 were unemployed. There were 35,400 fewer unemployed persons over the year compared to September 2014.

The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in professional, scientific, and business services; leisure and hospitality; and education and health services.

Barnes & Noble Fall Book Fair to Support Link to Libraries

By
Daily News

ENFIELD, Conn. — Barnes & Noble shoppers in Enfield, Conn. can help support Link to Libraries this week. When purchasing any item between Thursday, Oct. 15 and Saturday, Oct. 17, tell the cashier, “I support Link to Libraries.” A percentage of the purchase will benefit Link to Libraries, helping to make education matter for underserved youth in Western Mass. and Northern Conn.

Those who can’t attend the Barnes & Noble book fair at 25 Hazard Ave. can support the organization online by visiting bn.com/bookfairs between Thursday, Oct. 15 and Thursday, Oct. 22 and entering book-fair ID 11692266 at checkout.

People on the Move

By
Departments People on the Move

Local news hires, promotions, awards, and appointments October 6, 2015

 

Nancy Shendell-Falik

Nancy Shendell-Falik

Nancy Shendell-Falik, who for the past two years has served in a dual position at Baystate Health as senior vice president/chief operating officer and chief nursing officer for Baystate Medical Center, has been promoted to president of Baystate Medical Center and senior vice president for hospital operations at Baystate Health. Her appointment becomes effective Oct. 1. “During her two years at Baystate, Nancy has propelled the organization as both a system leader and COO/CNO of Baystate Medical Center. Her new role is an important step in our journey toward becoming a fully integrated health system, ensuring that we deliver care most effectively and efficiently,” said Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health. “As Baystate Health continues to develop a regional model of care, an important new directive for Nancy will be to help us to achieve a greater alignment between our five hospitals, physicians, and other community providers.” Baystate Health consists of Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware, and its newest members, Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer and Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield. In Shendell-Falik’s new role, the presidents of Baystate Franklin Medical Center, Baystate Health’s Northern Region, Baystate Noble Hospital, and Baystate Health’s Eastern Region will report to her. Before coming to Baystate, Shendell-Falik — an experienced healthcare and nurse leader with years of success improving the quality of patient care, hospital efficiency, and patient satisfaction — served as senior vice president for Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children in Boston. During her tenure there, she demonstrated a collaborative style of leadership in championing numerous initiatives to improve clinical quality, patient safety, and patient experience. She implemented a system of performance scorecards across all departments, served as executive sponsor of Tufts’ Patient and Family Advisory Council, and sponsored a novel leadership-education program. Prior to her work in Boston, Shendell-Falik served as senior vice president, Patient Care Services, at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey. While at the 673-bed, regional-care teaching hospital, she led similar successful initiatives to improve quality and safety, implemented a nurse-residency program, and reduced nursing vacancy rates. Since joining Baystate in July 2013, Shendell-Falilk has encouraged new interdisciplinary collaborations as a way to further improve patient experience, and served as the architect behind developing standard attire for various caregivers to help patients identify who is providing their care. Also, under her leadership, Baystate Medical Center was named to an elite group of High Performing Hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report for 2015-16. Shendell-Falik holds a master’s degree in nursing from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Rutgers College of Nursing. She was a fellow of the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Program. She holds membership in numerous professional societies and organizations, including the Mass. Organization of Nurse Executives, the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows Alumni Assoc., the National Assoc. for Female Executives, and the American Organization of Nurse Executives. She has published more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles in national journals on topics such as team-based care, achieving Magnet status, and implementing clinical practice guidelines. Keroack noted that Shendell-Falik’s appointment is a milestone in the history of Baystate Health, marking both the first female president and first nurse as president of Baystate Medical Center. “I am extremely excited about the opportunity to guide our nationally recognized hospital into the future,” she said. “I look forward to working collaboratively with staff and leaders of all Baystate facilities to deliver care that is compassionate, of the highest quality, and affordable. As I prepare to assume my new role, I am honored and humbled to be the first woman and nurse to hold this position at Baystate.” For more information on Baystate Medical Center, visit baystatehealth.org/bmc.

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Jason Curtis

Jason Curtis

Tighe & Bond, a New England leader in civil engineering and environmental consulting, recently hired mechanical engineer Jason Curtis to bolster its growing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) team. He has experience designing a range of institutional, educational, residential, healthcare, commercial, and combined heat and power projects throughout the region. He will work primarily out of the firm’s corporate office in Westfield. Curtis has managed projects from the conceptual design phase through construction administration. He has completed HVAC system designs and overseen the production of MEP and fire-protection construction documents. Known for working closely with owners and architects in design-coordination efforts, he also has performed energy models and life-cycle cost analyses to evaluate various prospective energy-conservation measures for renovation projects. “Jason is a welcome addition to our MEP team,” said David Pinsky, president and CEO of Tighe & Bond. “As the demand for our mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering services has grown, we have expanded our staff to better serve our clients and provide more integrated services. We now have a robust MEP team of 10 that quickly respond to our clients’ needs.” Curtis earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Union College. He is licensed in both Massachusetts and Connecticut, and is registered in Accredited LEED AP Building Design + Construction. In addition, he is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers.

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Regional accounting firm Whittlesey & Hadley, P.C. announced the following promotions to senior audit associate: Timothy Bessette, Nicholas Deets, Patrick Kelly, Caitlin Main, Alex McCabe, James Mercadante, Steve Norris, Andrew Pires, Michael Ray, and Kyle Rounseville. In addition, Rachel Hahn has been promoted to senior tax associate. In the firm’s wholly owned subsidiary, the Technology Group, LLC, Hadas Davis was promoted to senior network engineer, and Kenneth Blain was promoted to network engineer. “I am pleased to see our team’s dedication to accounting and technology excellence,” said Drew Andrews, the frm’s managing partner. “These promotions are the result of our clients’ continued satisfaction in all that we do for them.”

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Elizabeth Fitzgerald

Elizabeth Fitzgerald

Joseph LeMay

Joseph LeMay

Robert Spano

Robert Spano

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. announced the hiring of three new associates: Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Joseph LeMay, and Robert Spano. Fitzgerald graduated summa cum laude from Elms College with two bachelor’s degrees, in accounting and information systems and in business management and marketing. She is currently enrolled in the MSA program at Elms. As an undergraduate student, she earned the Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship, the Margaret & Agnes O’Donnell Scholarship, and the Donald A. & Dorothy F. Axtell Grant Scholarship. Before pursuing accounting, Fitzgerald worked as a customer-service professional at a local bank. In her current position, she works closely with clients to meet their engagement needs and supports the lead accountant in matters including compliance testing and financial analysis. LeMay comes to MBK from Westfield State University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and an MSA. He brings a background in bookkeeping, cost-accounting analytical research, and public-accounting experience to his position through various internships in both public accounting and private industry, including an internship with Meyers Brothers Kalicka. As an associate, his responsibilities include performing audit testing for various industries as well as tax returns for individuals and businesses. Spano holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from American International College, where he is currently enrolled in the MSAT graduate program. He specializes in field work and compliance testing. Before joining the firm, he completed an internship at a local firm, where he gained experience in taxation and fraud examination. “Elizabeth, Joseph, and Robert represent the next generation of accountants in our profession,” said Howard Cheney, partner and director of the firm’s Audit and Accounting practice. “They are young, vital, and motivated to provide quality service to our clients. At MBK, we believe strongly in the development of our next generation to ensure the continuity of the service we provide to our clients. We couldn’t have asked for better candidates.”

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HUB International New England, a division of HUB International Limited, a global insurance-brokerage, risk-advisory and employee-benefits firm, announced multiple new hires in its East Longmeadow office to meet the needs of its expanding products, services, and customer demand:

Eileen Maxwell

Eileen Maxwell

• Appointed as an employee benefits client relationship manager, Eileen Maxwell will be responsible for assisting staff with client relations, service, sales, and administrative activities of new and existing group benefit accounts. With almost 30 years of experience, she has an extensive background in planning, evaluating, implementing, relationship building, and managing all aspects of employee benefits; and

Marayda Pagan

Marayda Pagan

• Marayda Pagan joins the Personal Lines department as an account manager and will be responsible for assisting clients with their home, auto, and personal-liability umbrella coverages. She has held various positions in the insurance industry, starting out as an office assistant before being promoted to processor. She also held the position of Personal Lines manager. Cynthia Squires has been hired as the manager of Select Business for small to medium-sized business accounts in the Commercial Lines department. She has been in the insurance industry for almost 30 years and brings an extensive amount of knowledge and leadership skills to the agency. She will be responsible for the day-to-day management and servicing of small-business accounts, providing oversight and direction to commercial-lines staff, leading quality-control and product-analysis processes, managing departmental retention, acquiring new business goals, and staying on top of the latest industry changes and trends. “We’re thrilled to welcome Eileen, Marayda, and Cynthia on board during this exciting period of growth for the company,” said Timm Marini, president of HUB International New England, formerly FieldEddy Insurance. “Their respective experience will be an essential part in helping to further the agency’s goals of expanding our products and services while maintaining the highest level of service standards and best value to our clients.”

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After 20 years at Dakin Humane Society, Executive Director Leslie Harris announced her resignation effective Oct. 2 to pursue a new opportunity at Quonquont Farm & Orchard in Whately. “Leslie’s vision and leadership has given Dakin incredible momentum and untold success stories,” said Charlotte Cathro, Dakin’s board treasurer. “Since joining the organization in 1995, Leslie grew Dakin from an all-volunteer, foster-based network to one with more than 60 employees between its two locations in Springfield and Leverett, a full-time spay/neuter clinic that has performed more than 60,000 surgeries, and a multi-million-dollar budget. I know I speak for the entire board in expressing my appreciation for Leslie’s stewardship of Dakin and wish her great success in her new role.” Under Harris’s leadership, Dakin Humane Society grew from serving 300 animals in its first year to more than 20,000 in 2014. She led the charge to merge operations with Greenfield’s Pioneer Valley Humane Society in 2006 and the expansion of operations to Springfield in 2009. Today, Dakin encompasses two adoption centers and the Community Spay/Neuter Clinic. Due to Dakin’s affordable, wide-reaching spay/neuter programs, intake of local homeless kittens has declined 46% in the past six years. Dakin has met its dual goals of eliminating euthanasia as a means of controlling pet overpopulation in the Pioneer Valley and guaranteeing the placement of every adoptable animal that arrives at its front doors. Harris currently oversees the organization’s $3.7 million budget. “It has been my honor and pleasure to serve as Dakin’s executive director,” Harris said. “This was a hard decision to make, given my love for animals and Dakin, but I know the organization will continue to thrive and evolve thanks to its dedicated staff and volunteers. I will continue to be an enthusiastic supporter of Dakin’s work.” Dakin’s board voted to appoint its recent president, Nancy Creed, to the position of interim executive director. The board will now conduct a search for a permanent replacement who, according to Cathro, “exemplifies our guiding principles, is committed to our mission, and can lead the organization into the next phase of its development, expand community goodwill, and challenge the Dakin nation to bigger and better things.”  Dakin Humane Society is a local, nonprofit organization that relies solely on contributions from individuals and businesses that care about animals to bring its services to the community. For more information, visit www.dakinhumane.org.

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Facial Cosmetic & Maxillofacial Surgery, P.C. announced the hiring of surgeon Justin Clemow. Clemow earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, then attended the UConn School of Dental Medicine from 2003 to 2007, where he was awarded the Student Oral Surgery Award. In 2007, Clemow was accepted into the oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) residency at the University of Florida Jacksonville. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine in 2011, completed an internship in general surgery at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, and completed his OMFS training as the administrative chief resident in 2013. He was decorated with multiple awards during residency, including the Resident Advocate Award, Best Teaching Resident Award, and SICU Resident Award. After residency, Clemow worked for two years in private practice with Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in Cleveland. He served as assistant clinical professor for the Case Western Reserve OMFS residency, provided level-1 trauma coverage at MetroHealth Medical Center, and also provided trauma and OMFS call coverage at Fairview Hospital, part of the Cleveland Clinic system. Clemow’s specific surgical interests include facial trauma and reconstruction, general anesthesia, corrective jaw surgery, obstructive sleep apnea surgery, and complex dental implant procedures, including bone grafting. He is a fellow of the American Assoc. of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and a diplomate of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons (board-certified). He maintains certification in BLS, ACLS, PALS, and ATLS.

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Dress for Success (DFS) announced that it has appointed Gina Golash Kos to its board of directors. Golash Kos brings vast nonprofit leadership experience to the table — both in her role as CEO at Sunshine Village and in leadership positions in the region’s nonprofits. She is currently a trustee of Elms College and a member of the executive committee of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. She previously served on the board of trustees of Westfield State University and is a past chairperson of the boards of the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce.

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The board of directors of the newly-formed Springfield Regional Chamber has elected officers to lead the organization: Daniel Keenan, chair; Patricia Canavan, vice chair; Barbara-Jean Deloria, treasurer; and David Parke, clerk. “The leadership of our new organization is incredibly strong,” said chamber President Jeffrey Ciuffreda. “With their breadth of knowledge and experience, combined with the talent, commitment, and capabilities from the entire board, the Springfield Regional Chamber is poised for continued growth and to maximize the investment our members place in us.” Keenan is senior vice president of government and community relations for the Sisters of Providence Health System. He has been a member of the chamber’s legislative steering committee since 2006, previously serving as its chair. He had served on the board of directors of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) since 2010, most recently as its vice chair. Prior to joining SPHS, he served six terms as a Massachusetts state representative, holding several key committee assignments, including vice chair of Insurance, Ways and Means, and Taxation. Canavan is president of United Personnel. A member of the board of directors of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, she most recently served as its vice chair. Canavan also served on the ACCGS board for the past two years. Canavan lends her leadership to other boards of directors, including the Baystate Health Foundation, Springfield Public Forum, and the Northampton Chamber of Commerce. Deloria is a senior vice president at Florence Bank. She was a member of the ACCGS board of directors since 2005 and served as its board treasurer since that time. She is a past president of the West Springfield Chamber of Commerce and Dress for Success Western Massachusetts and serves on the Mass. Small Business Review Board. Parke is a partner with Bulkley Richardson and a member of its business and finance department, focusing on general corporate and business matters, mergers and acquisitions, and other transactional work. He served on the ACCGS board for the past nine years and, according to Ciuffreda, was instrumental in the formation of the Springfield Regional Chamber. He serves on Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Inc. and is past chair and current member of the Friends of the Homeless board of directors.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

By
Chamber Corners Departments

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• Oct. 30: Chamber Legislative Breakfast, 7: 15-9 a.m., at the Lord Jeffery Inn, 30 Boltwood Ave., Amherst. Sponsored by Eversource. Cost: $15 for members, $20 for non-members.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• Oct. 13: Table Top Expo & Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, and Springfield Regional chambers of commerce. Exhibitor tables are $125 for members of the participating chambers. Cost to attend: $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Open to the public.

• Oct. 16:  Lunch & Learn with Thom Fox, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Hampton Inn, 600 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. “Want to Make More Money: All You Have to Do is Ask!” Cost:  $15 for members, $23 for non-members.

• Oct. 21: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St., Hadley.

• Oct. 28: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at Loomis House, 298 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• Oct. 8: Networking by Night, at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital Health Center Southampton. Join us and our host for a Fall Fiesta celebration, and enjoy a fun night of networking, interactive health stations, and appetizers provided by Meyers Catering. Sponsored by Dollars for Scholars.

• Oct. 19: Celebrity Bartenders, 6 p.m., at Opa Opa Brewery. Join in on all the fun and laughs as you help support funding this season’s holiday lights.

• Nov. 4: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Join the Greater Easthampton, Greater Northampton, and Amherst Area chambers along with our host, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, for a networking extravaganza. Sponsored by Duseau Trucking.

• Nov. 6: 
CheckPoint 2015 Legislative Summit. Registration and networking, 11 a.m.;
 welcome, lunch, and keynote speaker, noon to 1:30 p.m.; Chamber View
Dialogue with chamber executives, followed by legislative response, 1:30-3 p.m.; cocktail reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres, 3-4 p.m. Keynote speaker:  state Senate President Stanley Rosenberg. Also hear from Tim Wilkerson, regulatory ombudsman of Economic Policy Development at the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions to invited legislators.

• Nov. 7: 15th Annual Greater Easthampton Chamber Viva Las Vegas Bowl-a-Thon, at Canal Bowling Lanes, 74 College Highway, Southampton. Two sessions:  3 p.m. and 6 p.m. A night of fun, laughs, music by DJ Jay Paglucia, and pizza as you help support funding this season’s holiday lights.

• Nov. 11: Monday Morning with the Mayor, 8-9 a.m., Burger King, Easthampton.

• Dec. 3: Holiday tree lighting and visit from Santa, 6:30-8 p.m., at Pulaski Park, Easthampton.

• Dec. 4: Greater Easthampton Chamber Snow Ball, 6-11 p.m., at the Garden House, Look Park. An old-fashioned, elegant, holiday affair. Sit-down dinner featuring Meyers Catering, live music, and dancing featuring Maxxtone. Dress in style, black tie optional.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376

• Oct. 7: The Chamber Coffee Buzz Morning Networking, 7:30-9 a.m., at Dean Technical High School, 1045 Main St., Holyoke. The Coffee Buzz is a great way to jump-start your day with the opportunity to meet business and community leaders while enjoying coffee and a light breakfast. The Coffee Buzz series is sponsored by Lyon & Fitzpatrick, LLC. Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse will help launch the chamber’s new morning networking series. Public-school receiver Stephen Zrike Jr. will be the guest speaker. Free to the business community. Sign up online at holyokechamber.com or call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376.

• Oct. 13: Table Top Expo & Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, and Springfield Regional chambers of commerce. Exhibitor tables are $125 for members of the participating chambers. Cost to attend: $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Open to the public. Call the Holyoke chamber at (413) 534-3376 to secure your table or sign up online at holyokechamber.com.

• Oct. 14: Autumn Economic Development Business Salute Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., at the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Sponsored by Holyoke Medical Center, Ferriter & Ferriter Law, and Resnic, Beauregard, Waite and Driscoll. Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., is keynote speaker. Other guests include Andrew Crystal, vice president at O’Connell Development Group Inc.; Marcos Marrero, director of the Holyoke Economic and Development Office; E. Denis Walsh of Weld Management; and John Aubin of Open Square. New members Holyoke Signs & Design, Elevation Art and Framing, Century Homecare, and Presley Law, PLLC will also be recognized, as well as FlynMar Rubber & Plastics’ 45th anniversary and Open Square’s 25th anniversary. Tickets include a buffet breakfast and cost $25 for members with advance reservations and $30 for all others. Reservations may be made online at holyokechamber.com.

• Oct. 21: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at Northeast IT Systems Inc., 777 Riverdale St., West Springfield. Business networking event. Refreshments, 50/50 raffle, and door prizes. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for all others. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sign up, or visit holyokechamber.com.

• Oct. 22: Leadership Holyoke/Meet at Wistariahurst Museum, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A leadership series with HCC faculty members participating as instructors and facilitators. Community leaders will participate as speakers. Sponsored by PeoplesBank and Holyoke Community College.

• Oct. 28: Murder Mystery Dinner, 6-9 p.m., at the Yankee Pedlar, 1866 Northampton St. Networking cocktail hour at 6-7 p.m., with full-course dinner to follow. Sponsored by Meyers Brothers Kalicka and Baystate Restoration Group. During “Mystery at the Masquerade,” trade clues with other guests and solve the crime at this night of masks and murder. Cost:  $49.95 for members, $52.95 for non-members and at the door.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• Oct. 7: October Arrive @ 5 Open House, 5-7 p.m., at the chamber office. Sponsored by Pioneer Training, Innovative Business Systems, and Florence Savings Bank. Cost: $10 for members.

• Nov. 4: November Arrive @ 5 Open House, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by Cooley Dickinson Hospital, 30 Locust  St., Northampton. Cost: $10 for members.

• Dec. 2: December Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., at Hampshire Council of Governments, Northampton. Sponsored by Applied Mortgage. Cost: $10 for members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• Oct. 13: Table Top Expo & Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, and Springfield Regional chambers of commerce. Exhibitor tables are $125 for members of the participating chambers. Cost to attend: $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Open to the public.

• Oct. 14: Oktoberfest After 5 Connection, 5-7p.m., at East Mountain Country Club, 1458 East Mountain Road, Westfield. Sponsored by Highland Valley Elder Services and MedExpress Urgent Care. Cost: $10 for members, $15 cash at the door for non-members. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Oct. 19: Long-term-care Planning, 4:30-5:30 p.m., at Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Sponsored by Renaissance Advisory. Cost: free for chamber members, $30 for non-members. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618

NORTH CENTRAL CONNECTICUT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ncccc.org
(860) 741-3838

• Oct. 20:  Networking Lunch, noon-1:30 p.m. For more information, contact the chamber at (860) 741-3838 or [email protected]

• Oct. 22:  Business to Business Expo, 4:30-7:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 1 Bright Meadow Blvd., Enfield, Conn. For more information, contact the chamber at (860) 741-3838 or [email protected]

NORTHAMPTON AREA YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY

www.thenayp.com
(413) 584-1900

• Oct. 8: October Networking Social, 5 p.m., at McCray’s Farm. Join us for our monthly networking social, complete with fall fun such as pumpkin picking and hayrides. Cost: free for NAYP members, $10 for non-members. RSVP with the chamber.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER

www.professionalwomenschamber.com
(413) 755-1310

• Oct. 7: PWC Headline Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Munich Haus, 13 Center St., Chicopee. Featuring Kathleen Corbett, former president of Standard & Poors, lead director of the MassMutual board of directors, and founder of Cross Ridge Capital. Cost: $30 for PWC members, $40 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.professionalwomenschamber.com.

• Oct. 20: PWC Ladies Night, 5-7 p.m., at Kate Gray, 398 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow. Enjoy complimentary wine and refreshments. Reservations are complimentary but required. Reservations may be made by contacting Gwen Burke at [email protected] or (413) 237-8840.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER

www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• Oct. 7: Springfield Regional Chamber Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at Crestview Country Club, 281 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Featuring Duane Cashin, sales growth strategist, motivational speaker, sales trainer, business development consultant, and author. Saluting Noonan Energy (125th anniversary) and Adam Quenneville Roofing, Siding and Windows (20th anniversary). Sponsored by United Personnel. Cost: $20 for members in advance, $25 for members at the door, $30 for generation admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Oct. 13: Table Top Expo & Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, and Springfield Regional chambers of commerce. Exhibitor tables are $125 for members of the participating chambers. Cost to attend: $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Open to the public. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Oct. 14: Springfield Regional Chamber Lunch-n-Learn, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at La Quinta Inn & Suites, 100 Congress St., Springfield. “Creating Marketing Campaigns Perfect for the Holiday Season,” with local authorized Constant Contact representative Liz Provo. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for general admission.Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Oct. 23: Springfield Regional Chamber Super 60, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Chez Josef, 176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Honoring the region’s top performing companies. Featuring keynote speakers Emily and Oliver Rich – the Tea Guys. Cost: $50 for members, $70 for general admission. Tables of eight or 10 available. Reserve by Oct. 14. No walk-ins accepted, no cancellations after deadline. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com
413-426-3880

• Oct. 6: West Springfield Mayoral Candidates Forum, 6 p.m., at West Springfield Town Hall. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

• Oct. 7: Wicked Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hosted By John P. Frangie, M.D., West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

• Oct. 28: Food Fest West, 5:30-8 p.m., at Chez Josef, Agawam. The event will feature the foods of area restaurants, including Chez Josef, Classic Burgers, Crestview Country Club, EB’s, Hofbrau Joe’s, Murphy’s Pub, Partner’s Restaurant, Pintu’s, and more. Proceeds raised by Food Fest West will go toward the Partnership for Education and the WRC Educational Fund, which provides grants to businesses for on-the-job training and continuing-education needs. Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Tickets may be purchased online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

Agenda

By
Agenda Departments

Rake in the Business Table Top Expo

Oct. 13: The Springfield Regional Chamber is once again partnering with the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield chambers of commerce on the 18th annual Rake in the Business Table Top Expo and Business Networking Event from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Castle of Knights, 460 Granby Road, Chicopee, sponsored by Nuvo Bank & Trust Co. The expo provides local vendors an affordable opportunity to exhibit products and services to consumers. Last year, more than 100 vendors participated in the event, including photographers, marketing firms, staffing firms, banks, entertainment venues, and health insurers. Exhibitor space is available for $125, which entitles the exhibitor to an eight-foot, skirted display table and two complimentary entry passes. Electricity is limited but available upon request. The Table Top Expo is open to all chamber members as well as the general public for a nominal fee of $5 per person in advance, $10 at the door. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com. The event is sponsored by platinum sponsors Health New England, PeoplesBank, MedExpress Urgent Care, and Noble Visiting Nurse and Hospice Services; gold sponsors Nuvo Bank, Peoples United Bank, and BusinessWest; and silver sponsors Spectrum Business, Chicopee Savings Bank, Elms College, Dave’s Truck Repair, the Republican, Easthampton Savings Bank, and First American Insurance Agency. For more information or to exhibit, contact Sarah Mazzaferro at [email protected] or (413) 755-1313.

Women’s Fund Men of the Year Award

Oct. 13: The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) will celebrate its inaugural Men of the Year Award recipients from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow. The Women’s Fund Men of the Year Award will honor three men from our region who, in their professional or personal lives, have made significant contributions to ensure economic and social equity for women and girls. More than 200 participants are expected to attend, including local and state elected officials. The event is open to the public and will include craft beers, dinner, and live music. Tickets cost $65 and may be purchased online at www.womensfund.net. “We are thrilled to host this inaugural awards event that will highlight how men are working with us to create a better world for women and girls,” said WFWM CEO Elizabeth Barajas-Román. “Together, we can make a difference.” The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts is a public foundation that invests in local women and girls through strategic grant making and leadership development. Since 1997, the Women’s Fund has awarded more than $2 million in grants to nearly 100 organizations in the region.

Warm Up the Night

Oct. 22: The Family Outreach of Amherst will host its fourth annual Warm Up the Night event from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Lord Jeffery Inn, 30 Boltwood Ave., Amherst. The tent at Lord Jeffery Inn will be transformed into a strolling culinary extravaganza. Enjoy delicious small bites, sips, and tastes from an eclectic mix of local food vendors, including 30Boltwood, Bistro 63 at the Monkey Bar, the Blue Heron, Bread and Butter, Carr’s Ciderhouse, the Alvah Stone, Jasper Hill Farm, Sun Kim Bop Food Truck, and more. Features this year include a pig roast, live music by musicians the Winterpills and Roger Salloom, and a special appearance by local guitar legend J Mascis. Tickets are $45 per person. Visit www.chd/familyoutreach for more information or to register, or contact Rachel Condry at (413) 548-1272 or [email protected].

Western Mass. Business Expo

Nov. 4: Comcast Business will present the fifth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News in partnership with Go Graphix and Rider Productions. The business-to-business show will feature more than 100 booths, seminars and Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs (the former featuring Harpoon Brewery CEO Dan Kenary as keynote speaker), and a day-capping Expo Social. Current sponsors include Comcast Business, presenting sponsor; Health New England, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, MGM Springfield, and Wild Apple Design Group, director-level sponsors; the Isenberg School of Business at UMass Amherst, education sponsor; Better Business Bureau, professional sponsor; and 94.7 WMAS, media sponsor. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $750. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

Wedding-dress Maker Fashions a Business Niche

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CeliaGraceFeature1015a
Features

Celia Grace

Marcelia Muehlke

Marcelia Muehlke displays one of the many fair-trade weddings dresses her company now offers.

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of articles that will appear over the next several months to shine a spotlight on the growing amount of entrepreneurial energy being tapped in the region.

Emily Cohen admits she didn’t know a whole lot about wedding dresses and the process of finding one when she informally launched her search at the start of this year, roughly four months after she and Ted Eiseman announced their engagement.

In fact, she told BusinessWest she was surprised to learn it would likely take several months to choose a dress and fulfill an order, a reality that provided a new sense of urgency to the matter as January turned to February.

And it was to be compounded by feelings of frustration as she visited various shops and mulled the myriad, almost universally unappealing, options presented to her.

“I went to three or four local wedding stores, and it was just not a good fit for me,” said Cohen, an acupuncturist by trade. “Everything was factory-made, polyester, made in China, with a lot of it catering to a real Disney-princess-slash-Barbie-doll look. I’m more oriented to natural fibers, and because of what I do, I’m into holistic things. I was having trouble finding something that was flattering and well-made and suited my tastes.”

These were just some of the sentiments she was expressing to a friend when that individual put her on the path to an eventual solution.

“She said, ‘I babysit for someone who has a fair-trade wedding-dress company — her dresses are beautiful; go take a look online,’” said Cohen, adding that she followed up on that tip, met Marcelia Muehlke, founder of Celia Grace Wedding Dresses, and was eventually fitted for a silk dress known as the ‘Jane.’

That’s short for Jane Goodall, the British primatologist, anthropologist, leading expert on chimpanzees, and one of several pioneering women for whom Muehlke has named her various creations.

There’s also the ‘Teresa’ (Mother Teresa); ‘Eileen’ (Eileen Collins, one of the first female astronauts); ‘Eleanor’ (crusading first lady Eleanor Roosevelt); ‘Maya’ (poet and author Maya Angelou); ‘Amelia’ (aviator Amelia Earhart), and many others.

Putting women like Cohen on a first-name basis with all those first names is one of the many challenges Muehlke has confronted while launching and developing one of the more unique of the many new entrepreneurial ventures unfolding across the region.

Indeed, she said most women have never considered the concept of a free-trade dress (one produced in a country and manner that respects human rights and environmental sustainability), know that such a dress exists, or know that Muehlke’s the reason one exists.

The process of changing all that and moving the business well beyond the ‘friend-of-a friend’ stage in terms of how awareness is generated — although that still happens, obviously — has been a learning experience, and one that is ongoing for Muehlke and partner and dress designer Alix Kivlin.

Summing up her first three years in business, Muehlke says the venture has gone from concept to what she called a “nationally acclaimed brand,” with the ‘Jane,’ ‘Teresa,’ and others now sold in shops in or just outside several major cities, with Brooklyn and Washington, D.C. being the latest additions.

“We’ve built a stable, ethical, international supply chain, which is ready to grow with us,” she explained. “We’ve earned coverage in eight of the top 10 online wedding magazines, we’ve developed 20 bestselling styles, and we have two thriving sales channels, in stores and direct, that gives us full coverage of North American and Europe. That’s pretty good, especially in such a slow-moving industry.”

Looking forward, she plans to continue what has been a very controlled pattern of growth (more on the importance of such a pace later) and thoughtfully move the company in several potential-laden directions.

The evolving strategy includes adding shops in more markets — both in this country and eventually abroad — as well as expansion into other product lines (everything from mother-of-the-bride dresses to First Communion outfits, all worthy of the label ‘free trade’), and exploration of new revenue streams, such as the emerging trend of wedding-dress rentals, rather than purchases.

Emily Cohen — seen here with her husband, Ted Eiseman

Emily Cohen — seen here with her husband, Ted Eiseman, after their wedding this summer — was sold on every aspect of the ‘Jane’ dress.
Photo by Darlene DeVita Photography

For this, the second installment in its series on emerging entrepreneurial ventures across the region, BusinessWest looks at an enterprise blending concepts that are old, new, borrowed, and, well, you get the idea.

Sew Far, Sew Good

As she talked with BusinessWest about her venture and what comes next, Muehlke was involved with the many aspects of preparation for New York International Bridal Week. In fact, she had just finished up some calls with bridal-shop owners to set up appointments.

The three-day, biannual spectacle, to be staged Oct. 10-12 at Pier 94, is, in many respects, this industry’s Super Bowl, with hundreds of exhibitors, many of them wedding-dress makers, looking to catch the attention of thousands of retailers and wholesalers from across this country and around the world.

Muehlke, who will patrol booth #262 (there are nearly 1,000 of them), said that, during the last show, she and Kivlin were able to essentially cinch a deal with another prominent bridal shop (this one just outside Boston) and make countless new introductions — connections that will hopefully pay dividends down the road.

The goal for this year’s show is simple — more of the same, she said, adding that, while relationship building is a key to success in any business sector, that’s especially true in the wedding industry, a roughly $50 billion business.

That’s because, while styles can change profoundly with one royal wedding (Kate Middleton’s dress brought back sleeves and lace, for example), overall, this industry moves slowly compared to most components of the fashion business, and those who sell the dresses devote money and valuable showroom space to new makers only after careful consideration and confidence that the product will sell.

“Bridal shops buy the dresses — usually one of the most popular styles in a size 12 — and then they place orders off those dresses year-round,” she said while explaining how most of her dresses are sold. “So it’s a fairly deep initial cost for them, especially when it’s a fairly new line like ours. And it’s a risk, because they need to know that we’re going to deliver every single dress on time and in perfect condition.

“It takes a while to build that trust,” she went on. “They want to get to know us personally and as a business, and that can take a while. Some shops will say, ‘I love this idea’ and pick you up, but, generally speaking, it takes some time to earn that trust; it took one of our shops more than two years to go from first contact to buying the collection.”

New York International Bridal Week is a time for advancing that process, she said, adding that she enjoys the show for many reasons, including the fast pace, tremendous energy, high stakes, and those opportunities to make an impression.

But there’s something else.

“I think my favorite part is being surrounded by so many smart, savvy, interesting businesswomen,” she explained. “The bridal industry, as you’d expect, is dominated by women and women business owners, so it’s just really neat to get together with all these women of different ages and from different states and countries, all coming together to make their businesses successful.”

While she’s still rather new to the industry, Muehlke certainly seems worthy of those adjectives she used to describe her peers, although she readily admits she’s still learning by doing.

Muehlke said that, like many business ventures, this one was born of necessity — she desired a free-trade dress for her own wedding, and when she couldn’t find one, she decided to not only make one, but also fill the void for others. Indeed, after completing her MBA at UMass Amherst, she traveled to Asia and set up a supply chain that would create high-quality garments that she and others could wear with pride.

She began working with women in a sewing group in Cambodia, contracted with a designer in New York, and got her venture off the ground and on the runway.

She’s won a number of awards and accolades for her early success — everything from a Grinspoon Entrepreneurial Success Spirit Award in 2011 to membership in BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty Class of 2015 (she’s only 31).

More importantly, she’s made considerable progress with not only selling dresses, but selling a concept.

She defines ‘free trade’ as a global, social movement that leverages trade, instead of monetary aid, to help people in the world’s poorest countries. In her case, she partners with shops in Cambodia and India that pay a living wage, do not use child labor, and ensure safe, healthy, and empowering work conditions.

“We trust those people to use that money to better themselves, better their families, and better their communities in ways they see fit,” she explained, adding that the shops employ mostly women. “And research has shown that, when you put money in the hands of women, they are more likely than men to invest in the health and education of their children. So it has a much more positive ripple effect when you’re investing in — and empowering — women.”

Growth Patterns

Cohen said she didn’t really know she wanted a fair-trade dress until she was introduced to the idea. And her only regret is that she didn’t know about such a dress sooner.

“I didn’t know such a thing existed,” she told BusinessWest, adding that she was attracted not only by the quality, but also the fact that the dress was made from silk, which made her dress both comfortable and meaningful.

“Once I picked out the dress, tried it on, and ordered it, Marcie sent me pictures of the women making the dress in Cambodia,” she explained. “They’re in this beautiful, light-filled space … it looked like they were having a good working experience. It makes me feel good to spend my money that way.”

The ‘Jane,’ a.k.a model 1504, features a “wonderful fit-and-flair shape that helps the body in all the right places, so it and provides a comfortable and flattering fit,” said Muehlke, adding that it is made from something called ‘heirloom eco-silk,’ which is hand-woven on wooden looms that use no electricity, thus carrying on a centuries-old tradition.

“Jane has clean and elegant lines, thanks to a timeless sweetheart bodice accented with vintage-inspired floral lace and a gently flared slim A-line skirt that can’t wait to be danced in,” reads the description on the company’s website. “The finishing touch? Delicate straps and a low, dipping back with covered buttons beautifully showcase a feminine back.”

The model, which sells for about $2,600, which is toward the higher end for a wedding dress, has caught and passed the ‘Teresa’ as the most popular of the dresses now offered, although others are enjoying success as well.

Overall, Muehlke’s business plan, one that continues to undergo alterations (yes, that’s an industry term), calls for continued but very controlled growth.

Indeed, moving too quickly and expanding too broadly is an unwise course not only in the wedding industry, but the free-trade genre, if you will, as well, she said.

“In the bridal world, if you miss a deadline and you miss a wedding, that’s terrible both for the shop and for your brand, and something we can’t let happen,” she explained. “And in the fair-trade world, if we do a 10-fold increase in our orders, we need to make sure that our supply chain can handle that without doing crazy things and making their workers work terrible overtime hours and cancel their vacations or pay them improperly for that.

A view of the back of the ‘Teresa,’ named after Mother Teresa

A view of the back of the ‘Teresa,’ named after Mother Teresa, one of the most popular options in the Celia Grace collection.

“So we are slowly and gradually building our supply chain in two ways,” she went on, adding that the company is building capacity with its existing partners — two in India and one in Cambodia — by working with them to add seamstresses and capacity and create more time on their schedule for Celia Grace production. At the same time, it is adding producers, including one in Nepal, another candidate in Cambodia, and other groups under consideration.

“We’re onboarding them slowly, getting to know them, and putting them through their paces,” she noted, “so, as we grow, we’re able to bring them online.”

Growth could come in several ways, she said, adding that, while there is still plenty of room for new designs (and first names) in wedding dresses, there are other avenues as well. These include other types of fair-trade clothing, such as mother-of-the-bride dresses and options for other occasions.

Meanwhile, the company looks to broaden its reach internationally and add shops in other countries.

“Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada are quite a bit ahead of us in terms of eco- and ethical weddings,” she explained. “So that’s the next big frontier for us — getting shops to carry us in those countries.”

Meanwhile, another important challenge is simply to raise awareness of the concept of the free-trade wedding dress, something that would greatly facilitate efforts to reach and surpass some of those expansion goals.

“There are so many brides out there who would love the concept if they even knew it was an option,” Muehlke explained. “We have to figure out how to find those brides who have a big heart, but don’t know that their wedding dress can be so much more meaningful.”

Fabric of the Community

Emily Cohen was found in time, and she sees some poetic justice in that eventuality.

Indeed, she told BusinessWest that she was hoping to have her grandmother, a dressmaker, fashion something for her wedding, but she passed away just a few months shy of her 100th birthday, well before the big event.

A Celia Grace wedding dress was easily the next best thing, Cohen went on, adding that the values it represents echo those that dominated her grandmother’s life.

“She was in my heart and in my mind as I was searching for a dress, because she really cared about those things, and I felt that she would have been proud to have me wear that dress,” Cohen said.

Her story helps explain how this entrepreneurial venture has managed to weave its way to its success, and why women are finding its products are such good fits — in so many ways.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

From Beer to Manufacturing, the Expo Has It All

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Features

Making It Happen

The final countdown is underway.

Indeed, the fifth annual Western Mass. Business Expo is now a month away, and the final details are falling into place. The show, which will showcase more than 150 area businesses and feature more than eight hours of programs that will be informative, educational, and inspirational, will bring together popular elements from Expos past, and introduce some new ones.

“Since we started the show in 2011, one of the slogans we’ve used to promote it has been, ‘why would you be anywhere else?,’” said Kate Campiti, BusinessWest’s associate publisher and sales manager. “And that’s especially true this year. On November fourth, the MassMutual Center is the only place you’d want to be.”

WMBExpo 2015 LOGOIf you were anywhere else, you’d miss what promises to be an enlightening and entertaining start to the day at the Springfield Regional Chamber’s October breakfast. It will feature Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Harpoon Brewery, in a “casual conversation” with BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien. Kenary will also take questions from the audience.

If you were elsewhere, you would miss a timely and thought-provoking talk by Alison Lands, senior manager in Deloitte’s Strategy & Operations practice. She served as a co-author and editor of the New England Council and Deloitte’s recently published report, “Advanced to Advantageous: The Case for New England’s Manufacturing Revolution,” which will form the basis of her talk at a lunch hosted by the Professional Women’s Chamber.

If you were anywhere else, you couldn’t take in any of the 16 educational seminars scheduled on four tracks: Sales & Marketing, Workforce Development, Entrepreneurship, and ‘Hottest Trends.’ The 45-minute talks, scheduled throughout the day, include “Building a Pipeline of Sales Opportunity,” “Inside Tech Foundry: Workforce in Progress,” “Bullying in the Workplace,” “How to Work with Humans: Harnessing the Power of Employees,” “Securing Your Business from White-collar Crime,” “7 Essential Elements of a Successful Business,” and much more.

And if you happened to be elsewhere, you’d miss a number of special features and programs; the return of last year’s highly successful Retail Corridor; the ever-popular Pitch Contest staged by Valley Venture Mentors; a Healthcare Corridor; a robotics demonstration by students at regional schools, including Pathfinder Regional High School; a Technology Corridor; the day-capping Expo Social (one of the best networking events of the year); and much more.

Comprehensive details of the show and a map of the show floor will be presented in a special Expo Preview to appear in the Oct. 19 issue of BusinessWest, and also in a special Show Guide to be inserted into the Nov. 2 issue of the magazine and distributed at the Expo itself.

The Expo will again be presented by Comcast Business, which has been the show’s lead sponsor since BusinessWest began producing it in 2011. Director-level sponsors are Health New England, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, MGM Springfield, and Wild Apple Design Group. The Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst is the education sponsor, and 94.7 WMAS is the media sponsor.

Fast Facts

What: The Western Mass. Business Expo
When: Nov. 4
Where: The MassMutual Center, Springfield
Events and Activities: Breakfast hosted by the Springfield Regional Chamber, featuring Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Boston-based Harpoon Brewery; lunch hosted by the Professional Women’s Chamber; Show Floor Theater presentations; informational seminars; Pitch Contest; matchmaking opportunities; robotics displays; Business Support Center hosted by the Economic Develoment Council of Western Massachusetts; and more.
Exhibitor Information: 10’ x 10’ booths from $750.
For More Information: Call (413) 781-8600, or go to www.wmbexpo.com

Event Aims to Raise Awareness, Funds for Breast-cancer Research

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Autos Sections

It’s a Pink Party

By any measure, Sandy Cassanelli is living the American success story at a young age, raising two daughters and serving as CEO of Greenough Packaging in West Springfield, the business she co-owns with her husband, Craig.

But she also understands that youth is no guarantee against cancer.

Cassanelli was diagnosed with stage-3 breast cancer in 2013, at age 37, well before women typically start regular mammograms. After a tough fight that included a bilateral mastectomy, eight rounds of chemotherapy, and 28 days of radiation, doctors told her she was cured.

“I was fine for about two years,” she told BusinessWest. “Then, in April of this year, they told me my breast cancer had spread to my liver.”

It was a devastating blow, because, as she explained, once cancer metastasizes into other parts of the body, “you’re never cured. You can be treated, but not cured. I’m lucky enough to be at Dana Farber right now, being treated with a new medicine that was a trial and was recently approved by the FDA, in hopes it won’t metastasize further and spread to other parts of the body.”

Throughout her cancer fight, Cassanelli forged a bond with representatives of the Massachusetts and Connecticut chapters of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting breast cancer. Impressed by the charity and its assurance that all money raised locally stays local, she wanted to do something to boost its profile. So, with the help of the Fathers & Sons auto group and Max Catering & Events, she’s throwing a party.

The purpose of the “Pink Party” — to be held Thursday, Oct. 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Fathers & Sons dealership at 989 Memorial Ave. in West Springfield — is to raise awareness of the mission of the Massachusetts affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and to raise funds to support the local fight against breast cancer.

There is no cost for admission, but donations are appreciated. Cocktails and hors d’ouevres will be provided by Max Catering and Events. Silent-auction items include Patriots tickets with club-level seating and premium parking. Guests are encouraged to wear pink in support of those fighting breast cancer. Anyone wishing to attend should RSVP to Cassanelli at [email protected]. Those who cannot attend but wish to donate to the cause may do so at www.komenmass.org.

The Massachusetts affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure (Komen Mass) works with, and on behalf of, breast-cancer survivors and those who support them in local communities. The organization is dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable residents in Massachusetts from the impacts of breast cancer, particularly those who face barriers to care. Komen Mass sponsors various fund-raising events, including the Race for the Cure, and is a resource for information and education on breast health throughout the Commonwealth.

Cassanelli said she had met Fathers & Sons President Damon Cartelli at Komen events and was pleased that he offered to host the Pink Party. “We want to raise awareness of what Komen does for the people of Massachusetts, and encourage people to get their mammograms early,” she added. “Really, early detection is key, and we want to get the word out.”

Massachusetts has the second-highest incidence of breast cancer in the U.S. This year alone, more than 5,000 Massachusetts residents will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Seventy-five percent of funds raised by Komen Mass are invested back into Bay State communities through local grants that provide education, screening, and treatment services. The remaining 25% is invested into life-saving research.

To date, Komen Mass has invested over $68 million in Massachusetts-based organizations and an additional $26 million in research in the Commonwealth, and has contributed to numerous breast-cancer research breakthroughs over the past 30 years.

Cassanelli’s voice broke a little bit as she expressed hope that research funded by Komen and others may pave the way for a cure, and that she will be able to watch her daughters grow up. “People don’t realize this does affect young people. But it can happen to anybody.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Why Divorce Mediation Is an Appealing Alternative to a Court Fight

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Law Sections

Let’s Talk

WeddingDivorceARTdp

Couples who decide to end their marriage are often dealing with the most upsetting, stressful time of their lives, and the prospect of fighting tooth and nail in court to decide issues like child custody, visitation, and finances only piles on the emotional trauma. That’s why divorce mediation — a less costly, less stressful alternative to a contested divorce — is gaining in popularity. It’s a process that doesn’t deal in who’s right or wrong, but allows two people to take control of a bad situation and talk it out — often for the first time in years.

Divorce is difficult — perhaps the roughest, most emotionally draining experience of a person’s life.

So why, Michael Frazee asks, would a couple want to make it even harder?

“The court system already struggles to problem-solve in divorce, and then they add regulations, they add rules, and they add requirements to each divorce without regard for the actual needs of the parties, and especially the needs of the children,” said Frazee, a family-law attorney who practices with Divorce Mediation Group in Springfield.

“Mediation doesn’t impose any template on any case because every family situation is different,” he went on. “We help them navigate the divorce process by applying creative problem solving. Really, we help people come to their own solutions, as opposed to imposing a boilerplate approach on them, which is what the court system does.”

In other words, he told BusinessWest, while the litigated divorce process has only become thornier to people already going through a tough time, “we live in solutions; we don’t live in problems.”

Increasingly, divorcing couples are taking notice, and the field of mediation has experienced an uptick in recent years even as the divorce rate has quietly crept down.

“The goal is to have a more respectful, less expensive process — both emotionally and financially — while trying to resolve issues of divorce or dissolution of marriage,” said attorney Julie Dialessi-Lafley, who counts divorce mediation among her practice areas at Bacon Wilson in Springfield. “That can include child-custody issues, who pays for college education, uninsured medical expenses … anything the parties might disagree on. In mediation, it’s supposed to be a non-litigious setting with a neutral mediator, who tries to help the parties come to their own agreements and resolution.”

At its heart, the process is all about control, she explained.

“Mediation differs from litigation in the sense that the parties craft their own settlement; they’re advocating for themselves,” she said, noting that, while the couple may occasionally retain attorneys, they don’t control the process for the two parties. “The mediator’s role is really as a facilitator. The goal is to get them to an agreement. Judges don’t want to make this decision. A judge will say, ‘I’ll decide this, but at the end of the day, you’re in the best place to know what’s in your best interest and your children’s best interest; you know more about your life than I do.’”

For this issue’s focus on law, BusinessWest examines the process of divorce mediation, and — considering the financial and emotional benefits — asks the question, why would a couple not choose mediation?

Give and Take

As it turns out, there are several answers to that question.

“I think some people have the perception that their spouse will not engage in a cooperative process, and some feel like they need the additional strength of having a laywer to rely upon,” said Bruce Clarkin, who launched Divorce Mediation Group in 1989. “But the people we see are so relieved to have a solution to the biggest problem they ever face in their life; I think it motivates them to work really hard to get a solution.”

And they’re doing so at a much lower cost than paying two attorneys to fight out every issue in court.

Julie Dialessi-Lafley

Julie Dialessi-Lafley says the cost of mediation — both financial and emotional — is typically far less than in a litigated divorce.

“At a time when the legal cost of divorce is exploding exponentially, the costs of a mediated divorce remain pretty stable and predictable,” Clarkin said. “We can predict at the outset what mediation is going to cost about 80% of the time, and the typical cost is between $1,500 and $2,000.

“The reason the cost is so low is the process is so efficient,” he went on. “It’s very problem-solving-oriented. You learn how your clients see the future and try to help them achieve that goal. Meanwhile, litigation has only become more expensive and is often so unsatisfactory.”

Frazee agreed, adding that it’s mainly a lack of awareness about the mediation process that holds some couples back. “It’s a cooperative, collaborative process. And, again, when you consider the expense of litigated divorce versus the expense of a contested divorce, why wouldn’t someone at least try it? We do a free consultation, and the vast majority of people who meet with us come to understand what the process is, and want to engage in the process right away.”

He added that some 80% of all litigated divorces wind up back in court for some tangential issue. “Whereas, with a mediated divorce, you’re rarely back in court. You’ve already set yourself, as a divorcing couple, on a path to better parenting and better communication, as opposed to being adversaries in the court system.”

Dialessi-Lafley says the overwhelming majority of clients are positive about forging an agreement they can both live with. One exception would be couples with serious, closeted issues involving each other or their children that need to be worked out in therapy before they can work on their divorce agreement.

“We’re definitely not therapists,” Dialessi-Lafley said, but the training necessary to be certified as a divorce mediator emphasizes getting divorcing couples to communicate more effectively — perhaps more than they have in years.

“In all these years,” she said, thinking back over 19 years in practice, “the common thread in every divorce is lack of communication. They don’t communicate about intimate issues, child issues, financial issues … whatever the issue is, communication is the problem.”

Agreeing to mediation, she went on, is basically an agreement to communicate — to be willing to talk and listen in equal measure.

“There’s no blame here. It’s more, ‘let’s see if you can actually hear each other,’” she told BusinessWest. “I have had parties who would run each other over in the street if given the chance. When they come in, they’re angry and tense and negative about the process. But if they’re willing to try it, and you can get them to open up, it’s a start.”

Some couples require what she called ‘shuttling’ at first, putting them in separate rooms initially and talking with them one on one. Often, they eventually wind up in the same room, talking.

As for couples who choose litigation, “they may not know about mediation or understand it,” Dialessi-Lafley went on. “Or, very commonly, one party may have a stronger personality, and the other thinks, ‘I won’t be able to advocate for myself and say what I need to say.’ One party may be worried they’ll give up more than they should.”

However, she added, “the goal is to get to a resolution, and the process itself is designed to keep the parties respectful of each other — I wouldn’t use the word ‘amicable,’ but at least able to have less tension and less consternation between them.”

Building Trust

Alison Patton, a family lawyer and mediator who blogs at lemonadedivorce.com, said the ideal mediator, first and foremost, listens intently and asks questions not for the purpose of deciding who’s right or wrong, but to better understand two people who are seeking to resolve some very challenging issues.

“When your mediator is listening, validating, and empathizing with your spouse, this is a good thing,” Patton writes. “It may not feel good; it may bring up the ‘not true! What about me!’ feelings typical of what one feels in mediation when the other person is getting to talk.

“But know that your mediator’s focus on your spouse is intentional and necessary to get your case to a settlement,” she continues. “It doesn’t mean your mediator is taking sides or agreeing with what your spouse is saying. It doesn’t mean your mediator likes your spouse more or that he doesn’t believe your version of the facts. You have a good mediator if he is intently listening and nodding his head and asking your spouse clarifying questions and summarizing what your spouse said (as long as you get your turn too).”

Frazee agreed. “Being an active listener is imperative as a mediator, and guiding the discussion — and note that I didn’t say controlling the discussion.”

Clarkin went a step beyond that and said the mediator’s role is one of leadership, which includes getting both parties to totally buy into the process and have confidence that he is neutral. “Some people come here and fight like cats and dogs, and we’re trained to deal with that. But even then, when clients have confidence in the process, it most often works out in their favor.”

Bruce Clarkin, left, and Michael Frazee

Bruce Clarkin, left, and Michael Frazee say a good mediator shows the kind of leadership that breeds confidence in his or her neutrality.

It helps, Frazee added, that anything said to a mediator is completely private and confidential and, importantly, inadmissible in court on the rare occasions the couple can’t work out their own solution and opt for litigation. Those who come to recognize the mediation room as a safe space often surprise themselves, and their partners, with their candor.

“Honestly, a lot of people say things to each other that could have been said — and should have been said — years before they sat down with us,” he went on. “That sort of openness — especially between parents — is critical to the success of the process. I agree that the mediator leads in the sense of guiding the dialogue between the parties, but the goal is always working toward a resolution of the issue.”

That said, Clarkin added, “I don’t inquire about what went wrong in the marriage. I always see that as information that belongs to clients, and most of the time, it’s not helpful for me to hear it.”

A Few Clicks Away

What has been helpful for practitioners of divorce mediation, Clarkin told BusinessWest, has been the tendency of consumers to research what they plan to purchase on the Internet — a trend that affects everything from car sales to travel bookings to … divorce.

“Mediation is coming of age at the same time the Internet is becoming the default resource for the middle-class consumer,” Clarkin said. “Years ago, when someone was on the cusp of divorce, they asked their brother-in-law what lawyer they should call; now, when a divorce is on the horizon, they go to the Internet. It’s self-determination; people are making decisions before they even call. And by the time people get through using the Internet to research this, they’ve already made a decision whether mediation is likely to work for them. It’s really changed the landscape in a huge way.”

In some cases, Frazee said, “we see people who have already started charting an agreement and want to make sure their agreement will be approved by the court. They’re not coming to us for verification, necessarily, but a lot of them understand what the process is and have already started framing some areas of agreement and disagreement.”

In other words, they’re taking control. “If the same people go to the court system, they have a template and expenses imposed on them.”

That matter of control, for couples who can bring themselves to talk rationally with each other, is a major benefit of mediation, Dialessi-Lafley said. After all, the issues involved in divorce are wide-ranging and can impact families for decades. “And you can’t quantify the emotional impact of a litigated divorce.”

A contested divorce is also subject to the scheduling whims of the court, whereas a couple in mediation agrees to their own schedule and timeline, which peels back another layer of stress, Dialessi-Lafley added.

For an increasing number of divorcing couples, just stepping back from the stress of constant fighting and actually trying to communicate makes a lot of sense.

“When I see one spouse listening, validating, asking questions, and empathizing, I don’t assume he or she is agreeing with what is being said or backing down. It means to me that this person is mature and kind enough to honor and respect their spouse’s feelings, in spite of it all,” Patton writes. “Truly, the real secret of divorce mediation is that simple — feeling heard, honored, and respected by the person you loved enough to marry.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

In Retirement, Planning Is Key to Making Your Money Last

By
Retirement Planning Sections

For the Long Haul

By KATE KANE

Kate Kane

Kate Kane

Some people have a clear idea of how they want to live once they stop working. For many others, however, retirement is a step into the great unknown. The problem is, without a road map for turning your savings into a sustainable stream of income, it’s difficult to create the type of lifestyle you want for the future.

Planning for retirement is a lifelong process that should begin as soon as you start working and continue throughout your retirement years. Whether you are five years from retiring or 30, the following steps can help you achieve financial security for when the big day finally comes.

1. Practice Retirement

Like most people, you may spend years fantasizing about the day when you can finally stop working. But what will your retirement look like? Financial experts recommend that you think about what you want to do when you retire and then ‘practice’ some of it first.

For example, if you’d like to move to a warmer climate, try vacationing there several times to get a sense of what it might cost and how it feels not just in the winter, but in the heat of summer. Or, if you plan to watch your grandkids full time, take a week or two to do a test run. The goal is to try out your plans, determine whether you truly enjoy and can afford them, and make needed adjustments before you commit.

2. Match Your Expenses and Income

As you think about your lifestyle in retirement, your expenses will fall into two groups: essential expenses (your needs) and discretionary expenses (your wants). Within discretionary expenses, you also may have one-time expenditures, such as funding a grandchild’s education or adding a sunporch to your home. Whether you make a spreadsheet on your computer or simply list your expenses on a pad of paper, the goal is to create a retirement budget that captures as many anticipated costs as possible.

Next, consider the money you’ll have coming in. Typically, retirees draw from three categories of income in retirement: guaranteed sources of income (such as Social Security, pensions, and lifetime income annuities), savings and investments, and any employment income.

Once you know what you’re likely to have coming in, pair your income and expenses based on their priority, matching your needs with your guaranteed income sources first. If the predictable income you expect won’t cover all your essential expenses, you may want to either adjust your plans or consider converting a portion of your savings into a regular stream of income. Conversely, if you have a surplus, you can use the extra money to cover any discretionary expenses.

3. Decide Which Account to Tap First

One way to maximize the amount of money you may have in retirement is by planning the order in which you spend your different investment accounts. The starting point is to consider whether you plan to use your assets for ongoing expenses in retirement or to pass them along to your heirs or charities.

For many, it makes sense to draw from taxable accounts first in order to keep the assets in retirement accounts growing tax-deferred for as long as possible. Tax-exempt accounts, such as Roth IRAs, should be spent last. However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the order in which you should liquidate your assets.

If you plan to pass your assets along to your heirs or charities, you may want to spend tax-deferred assets with the intention of bequeathing taxable assets, which receive more favorable tax treatment when inherited.

The order in which you withdraw your retirement savings is an important decision that becomes even more complex once you reach age 70½. That’s when you must begin taking annual required minimum distributions from your IRAs and retirement plans.

Because each person’s situation is unique, you should include both your financial professional and tax advisor in these discussions.

4. Protect Your Savings

Consider putting enough money into a savings or liquid money-market account to cover your withdrawal needs for at least two years. This can help prevent taking money out of your investments when the market and share prices are trending downward.

If you haven’t already, consider funding a long-term-care (LTC) plan as well. LTC funding can help protect your retirement nest egg from the financial impact of the costs of extended care either at a facility or in your home.

5. Fine-tune Along the Way

Spending retirement assets can be even more complex than building them. Your retirement savings need to provide reliable income to meet your ongoing expenses for the rest of your life. Reviewing your plan annually and keeping it current is vital to making this happen.

Consider just some of the things that can change in a year: your marital or health status could change, your investment returns and inflation rate could fluctuate, and your employment status and expected retirement date might shift. Each of these can have a profound impact on the amount of money you may have to spend in retirement.

That’s why it’s important to work with a financial professional who understands that retirement planning is an ongoing process — someone who knows what it takes to accumulate assets for retirement, mitigate the risks that can affect your retirement years, and turn your funds into a distribution plan designed to generate sufficient income to meet your lifestyle needs for as long as you need it to.

This article was prepared by Northwestern Mutual with the cooperation of Kate Kane. Kane is a wealth management advisor with Northwestern Mutual, the marketing name for the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. (NM), Milwaukee, Wis., and its subsidiaries. Kane is an agent of NM based in Springfield; (413) 748-8700; [email protected]; springfield-ma.nm.com. This information is not intended as legal or tax advice.

Building Permits

By
Building Permits Departments

The following building permits were issued during the month of September 2015.

AMHERST

Abbass Bozorg
722 Main St.
$4,500 — Install replacement windows

KSCBJ Properties, LLC
33 Farmington Road
$3,000 — Install new deck

CHICOPEE

Pride
363 Burnett Road
$8,500 — Construct fuel sales counter and renovate lounge area

U.S. Tsubaki Inc.
106 Lonczak Dr.
$113,000 — Floor excavation to construct a reinforced concrete pit

VOC Early Education and Care
374 Montgomery St.
$1,287,000 — Construct new 6,859-square-foot building

GREENFIELD

Amerada Hess Corporation
253 Federal St.
$150,000 — Remodel interior of Speedway

Argotec Inc.
46 Greenfield St.
$21,000 — Install safety storage building

Robar Inc.
249 Mohawk Trail
$4,400 — Install new kitchen hood fire system

Sander Greenfield, LLC
367 Federal St.
$51,000 — Install new sprinkler system

Sandri Realty Inc.
295 Federal St.
$403,000 — Remodel gas station addition for Dunkin Donuts

LUDLOW

Cumberland Farms
101-105 West St.
$498,000 — Commercial alterations

SPRINGFIELD

Anthony Falcetti
1755 Boston Road
$30,000 — Install handicap ramp

Baystate Health
1759 Chestnut St.
$35,000 — Construct five new offices

City of Springfield
116 Alden St.
$19,000 — Repairs to school

City of Springfield
120 Ashland St.
$25,000 — Construct walls to separate classroom spaces

Roth Maid
205 College St.
$42,000 — Repair fire damage

Springmeadow Association
28 Canon Circle
$52,000 — Renovations

WESTFIELD

Can Am Po, LP
35 Turnpike Industrial Park Road
$1,192,000 — 8,790-square-foot addition to warehouse

162 Southampton Westfield, LLC
162 Southampton St.
$570,000 — Construct new convenience store

Stephen Kantany
342 East Main St.
$1,340,000 — 6,250-square-foot restaurant

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Carrabbas Italian Grill
955 Riverdale St.
$49,500 — New roof

Rite-Aid
99 Westfield St.
$125,000 — New roof

Briefcase

By
Briefcase Departments

News of interest about the region’s business community October 6, 2015

MGM Springfield Presents Updated Design to City

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield announced it has presented updated renderings and new details of its design to the city of Springfield. The new drawings are the result of a complete site-plan review driven by several factors, including a one-year opening-date extension, final directives on historic property use, construction market trends, and in-depth conversations with Mayor Domenic Sarno and city officials. In a letter to the mayor, MGM executives hailed the new design as a better approach to immediately activating the Main Street corridor and spurring new economic development, while reconfirming September 2018 as the completion date. “I believe this is one of the most exciting moments in the history of MGM Springfield,” said Michael Mathis, MGM Springfield president. “As we collaborate with the city on what is best from an economic-development perspective, the finer details are taking shape, and our programming is improving minute by minute.” This more integrated urban design features off-site residential space, which opens up room for a Main Street hotel that would encourage tourists and visitors to more readily engage Springfield’s downtown. Conversations are underway with property owners of nearby potential residential sites that would complement the resort-casino development. As the final design evolves, the project will feature a new five-story hotel atop a floor of retail, creating an improved scale on Main Street. The 250-room hotel would now become the eastern anchor at Howard Street of the 14.5-acre development. “This design brings to life our commitment to develop new residential activity in downtown Springfield,” Mathis noted. “Through our extensive and detailed review, we determined off-site residential would more quickly encourage ancillary development across the downtown. We are currently talking to potential partners in developing market-rate residential units.” Under the revised design, the historic columned façade at 73 State St., which had been the iconic focal point for the hotel tower, will remain as such for the updated structure, which will be home to what is tentatively being called the South End Market. With floor-to-ceiling windows, the market will be an inviting, trendy gathering space featuring local and national food and beverage vendors. “We have never lost sight of how important it is to integrate our development and its unique design needs with this historic New England downtown,” Mathis said. “We think the changes along Main Street and this new layout are more in line with a true downtown mixed-use development that will make MGM Springfield the premier urban resort in the industry.”

EANE Releases Insurance & Benefits Survey

AGAWAM — The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast announced its findings from the 2015 Insurance & Benefits Survey, conducted earlier this year, with 121 companies participating from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The survey posed more than 130 questions. It covered health insurance, including cost, coverage, eligibility, and employee cost sharing. It also addressed retirement plans, disability benefits, and voluntary benefits. The greatest change in the survey findings continues to be in health insurance. Employers will offer, or have introduced, methods to control costs, while attempting to comply with the Affordable Care Act. These methods include shifting deductible costs and co-share to employees by altering plan design. More specifically, the survey indicates the employers’ contribution towards an employee’s coverage option has decreased from 2013 levels. While monthly premiums illustrate minimal changes, the annual deductible per person and per family has increased. As a result, employers have reassessed their benefit packages, and long-term-care benefits are affected. “Everyone is looking at the bottom line, and controlling healthcare costs is often on the top of that list,” said Mark Adams, director of HR Solutions for EANE. “That said, employers want to remain attractive to new employees and preserve their benefit packages.”

Ad Club Announces Five Pynchon Award Winners

SPRINGFIELD — The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts announced five recipients of the Order of William Pynchon Awards for 2015 — the 100th anniversary of the awards, which were first presented in 1915. This year’s honorees include Gary Bernice, band director at Springfield High School of Science and Technology; entrepreneur and philanthropist Harold Grinspoon; Sue Ellen Panitch, who has volunteered with dozens of organizations; and Ronn and Donna Johnson, who founded the Brianna Fund for Children with Physical Disabilities. The Pynchon Awards honor members of the community who have distinguished themselves through their service. The Advertising Club will fete this year’s honorees on Nov. 19 at the Springfield Museums. Tickets cost $65, and more information is available at www.adclubwm.org.

State Receives Grant for Apprenticeship Programs

BOSTON — The state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development was awarded a $2.9 million federal grant to expand apprenticeship opportunities in high-growth industries in Massachusetts. The American Apprenticeship Grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor, will enable the state to help 300 residents gain apprenticeship training in industries with a growing demand for new employees, such as healthcare, technology, and advanced manufacturing. The funds will support the Massachusetts Apprenticeship Initiative (MAI) to increase the number of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities in those industries. There are more than 7,500 registered apprentices in the state in 2015. “As many employers in Massachusetts struggle to find the skilled labor to fill available jobs, this grant will enable training for individuals in high-demand industries and provide more job opportunities for the people of the Commonwealth,” Gov. Charlie Baker said. The U.S. Department of Labor awarded $175 million in American Apprenticeship Grants to 46 awardees across the nation to expand apprenticeships in high-growth industries. The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development will use the grant to build upon apprenticeship opportunities and address the skills gap for underserved residents. “Our team worked incredibly hard to be awarded one of these highly competitive grants,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker, II, who chairs the Workforce Skills Cabinet. “These funds will help us in our mission to meet employers’ demands for highly skilled workers so they can continue to grow their businesses. Businesses cannot grow if they cannot find enough skilled workers.” Created by the governor through an executive order, the Workforce Skills Cabinet’s goal is to align education, economic- and workforce-development programs, and policies to increase opportunities for training and employment for residents while helping businesses meet their growth needs.

Project Manager Chosen for PVTA Bus Operations, Maintenance Facility

SPRINGFIELD — City Point Partners announced it has been selected by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) to oversee the design and construction of the new Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility on Cottage Street in Springfield, replacing the existing, 100-year-old facility. The new, 280,000-square-foot, $70 million facility will be built on an 18-acre site and will provide bus maintenance and storage for the PVTA’s Springfield fixed-route operation. The facility will be able to accommodate approximately 150 fixed-route buses, including standard-size diesel buses and articulated buses. Included in this new facility will be management office space, fuel bays, wash bays, bus and van storage bays, garage and body-shop areas, parts storage, exercise rooms, locker rooms and showers, lounge, dispatch center, employee parking, and green spaces. A new cell tower will also be installed onsite to support the PVTA’s IT communications. The new facility will seek LEED certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s green-building rating system. City Point Partners will provide owner’s project-management services advising with respect to the design, scope of work, cost estimating, construction manager-at-risk and subcontractor selection, schedule overview, and performance monitoring. With ridership expected to continue its steady increase and a number of high-profile development projects in the Springfield area scheduled to be completed within the next two to three years, the PVTA is planning for a greater expansion of service and consequently will require larger facilities to support this service expansion. “We are very excited to be working with City Point Partners on this critical project. A larger operations center is a vital part of supporting the expanded service that our ridership demands,” said Mary MacInnes, administrator of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority. Added Colleen Moore, president and founder of City Point Partners, “this is a very exciting time for the PVTA. Both the public- and private-sector developments planned for the Springfield area will change the city of Springfield itself and the Pioneer Valley. We are confident that we will be able to help the PVTA meet the rising demand of their ridership, which will result from these developments and ultimately stimulate increased economic activity in the region. We are very happy to be working for the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority.” City Point Partners has a growing owner’s project-management practice with multiple projects across Massachusetts.

State Unemployment Rate Remains at 4.7% in August

BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate remained at 4.7% in August, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The new preliminary job estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Massachusetts gained 7,200 jobs in August, marking the 12th consecutive month of job gains. Year to date, Massachusetts has added 56,500 jobs. Preliminary August estimates show the number of employed residents declined by 20,600 and the number of unemployed residents decreased by 2,500, reducing the labor force by 23,100. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell 0.9% from 5.6% in August 2014. The August state unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate of 5.1% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Massachusetts continues to add jobs that strengthen our economy, and the unemployment rate is holding steady, lower than the national average,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II said.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook Departments

News and notes about area businesses October 6, 2015

SC School of Social Work, Peace Corps Announce Fellows Program

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield College School of Social Work and the Peace Corps announced the launch of the new Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program, which will provide graduate-school scholarships to returned Peace Corps volunteers. Program fellows will serve as interns in local, underserved communities while they complete their studies, allowing them to bring home and expand upon the skills they learned as volunteers. “We are delighted to partner with Springfield College to support our returned volunteers as they pursue higher education and continue their commitment to service,” Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet said. “Communities are moved forward by the selflessness of volunteers, and returned Peace Corps volunteers have unique skills and experiences to offer their local communities.” Selected applicants will receive a graduate fellowship while enrolled in the Springfield College Master of Social Work program. As part of the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program, students will complete an internship, receive a stipend, and have tuition credits waived each year. “Springfield College was founded in 1885 with the mission of educating students in spirit, mind, and body in leadership for service to others,” said Springfield College Vice President and Provost of Academic Affairs Jean Wyld. “Given this mission, we are excited to partner with the Peace Corps and look forward to welcoming our Coverdell fellows to the School of Social Work. The college is pleased to collaborate with the Peace Corps for this new program and to extend the impact of the School of Social Work still further.” Peace Corps volunteers who are involved in the program will earn their master’s degree in social work from Springfield College. As part of the program, students will complete 1,050 hours of service in the field in partnership with more than 1,000 agencies in New England and New York. “There is a synergy between Springfield College’s mission to educate future leaders in service and the Peace Corps’ mission to create sustainable change through dedicated partnerships around the world,” said Francine Vecchiolla, dean of the Springfield College School of Social Work. “Our welcoming school community will offer abundant opportunities for a Coverdell fellow to help promote a better understanding of other cultures and a cross-cultural ethical mandate that is central to social-work education.” Through their internships, Coverdell fellows will apply what they learn in the classroom to a professional setting. They not only gain valuable, hands-on experience that makes them more competitive in today’s job market, but they also further the missions of the Peace Corps and Springfield College. By sharing their global perspective with the communities they serve, fellows help fulfill the Peace Corps’ commitment to strengthen Americans’ understanding of the world and its people. To learn more about the Coverdell Fellows Program at Springfield College, contact Karen Clark-Hoey at [email protected].

PeoplesBank Again Named a Top Corporate Charitable Contributor

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — PeoplesBank was honored by the Boston Business Journal with a “Top Corporate Charitable Contributor” award for the eighth time in a row. The bank was recognized along with other recipients at the publication’s annual Corporate Citizenship Summit on Sept. 17 at the Westin Waterfront hotel. The award was accepted by Janice Mazzallo, executive vice president and chief Human Resources officer, on behalf of the bank’s more than 260 associates.

“By highlighting those in industry who go above and beyond, the Boston Business Journal provides a benchmark for others to strive for, and a forum in which to have the discourse needed for all of us to continue improving,” said Gale Murray, the magazine’s publisher.

According to Susan Wilson, first vice president of Corporate Responsibility at PeoplesBank, “through our Community Care Program, we have contributed more than $6.5 million dollars in recent years to local nonprofit organizations that provide services to the residents of Hampden and Hampshire counties. Our bank associates are committed to the community through their own generosity as well. They enthusiastically volunteer their time to help local schools, teach financial-education classes, clean up parks, plant trees, and help revitalize neighborhoods.”

Wilson added that the bank’s charitable-giving program focuses on academic excellence, community vibrancy, and environmental sustainability. She also noted that PeoplesBank associates devote an average of 6,000 hours to volunteer work each year, and 48 of the bank’s officers serve on the boards of directors and committees of 115 area nonprofit organizations.

Lisa Pack Named March of Dimes Labor and Delivery Nurse of the Year

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Lisa Pack of Holyoke Medical Center has been named Nurse of the Year by the March of Dimes Massachusetts Chapter in the category of Labor and Delivery. This is the third consecutive year a Holyoke Medical Center nurse has received this elite distinction.

“Lisa is highly deserving of this prestigious recognition,” said Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of HMC and Valley Health Systems Inc. “Holyoke Medical Center prides itself on its exemplary team of professionals such as Lisa, who demonstrate consummate skill and deep compassion in providing critical nursing care.”

Added Pack, “I am humbled to be recognized by the March of Dimes to be chosen for this award. I feel blessed to be a member of the Birthing Center staff, where I have now worked for 22 years since it opened. It is a job I love and where we work as a team to support and empower women to have the birth they desire. I am also deeply committed to MotherWoman and postpartum depression, for which I facilitate a weekly support group at Midwifery Care of Holyoke.”

Pack will be honored at a reception in the Holyoke Medical Center lobby on Monday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m.

The Nurse of the Year Awards is a statewide event that recognizes exceptional nurses, creates awareness of professional excellence, and promotes the future of the nursing profession, while helping to advance the mission of the March of Dimes. The selection committee reviewed applications in the categories of Advanced Practice, Community Health, Public Health, Education, Neonatal, Nurse Researcher, Administration, Pediatric, Family Medicine, Women’s Health, Student Nurse, Maternal/Newborn, Labor and Delivery, and Antepartum. More than 75 finalists emerged, and 17 were chosen to receive top honors in the various categories.

Springfield Regional Chamber Elects Officers

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The board of directors of the newly-formed Springfield Regional Chamber has elected officers to lead the organization: Daniel Keenan, chair; Patricia Canavan, vice chair; Barbara-Jean Deloria, treasurer; and David Parke, clerk.

“The leadership of our new organization is incredibly strong,” said chamber President Jeffrey Ciuffreda. “With their breadth of knowledge and experience, combined with the talent, commitment, and capabilities from the entire board, the Springfield Regional Chamber is poised for continued growth and to maximize the investment our members place in us.”

Keenan is senior vice president of government and community relations for the Sisters of Providence Health System. He has been a member of the chamber’s legislative steering committee since 2006, previously serving as its chair. He had served on the board of directors of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) since 2010, most recently as its vice chair. Prior to joining SPHS, he served six terms as a Massachusetts state representative, holding several key committee assignments, including vice chair of Insurance, Ways and Means, and Taxation.

Canavan is president of United Personnel. A member of the board of directors of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, she most recently served as its vice chair. Canavan also served on the ACCGS board for the past two years. Canavan lends her leadership to other boards of directors, including the Baystate Health Foundation, Springfield Public Forum, and the Northampton Chamber of Commerce.

Deloria is a senior vice president at Florence Bank. She was a member of the ACCGS board of directors since 2005 and served as its board treasurer since that time. She is a past president of the West Springfield Chamber of Commerce and Dress for Success Western Massachusetts and serves on the Mass. Small Business Review Board.

Parke is a partner with Bulkley Richardson and a member of its business and finance department, focusing on general corporate and business matters, mergers and acquisitions, and other transactional work. He served on the ACCGS board for the past nine years and, according to Ciuffreda, was instrumental in the formation of the Springfield Regional Chamber. He serves on Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Inc. and is past chair and current member of the Friends of the Homeless board of directors.

Robert Pura Appointed to Economic Development Planning Council

By
Daily News

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker has formally appointed Greenfield Community College President Robert Pura to the newly established Economic Development Planning Council for the Commonwealth.

“It is an honor to be chosen as a member of the Economic Development Planning Council, and I want to thank the Baker-Polito administration for their confidence,” said Pura. “I look forward to working with Secretary [of Housing and Economic Development Jay] Ash and the council in planning for the future of the Commonwealth. I am especially appreciative of the governor’s desire to seek input and perspective for this important work from our community.”

The Council will convene its first meeting in October.

In addition to 37 years experience as a teacher and administrator in the Massachusetts community-college System, the past 15 as president of Greenfield Community College, Pura is also a graduate of a community college. As the first in his family to attend college and the child of an immigrant, he understands what a community-college education can mean to students. “Opening the doors to higher education to all who aspire to a better life for themselves and their families while at the same time maintaining high academic standards is the noblest mission in higher education,” he said.

Pura has chaired the Massachusetts President’s Council and served on its executive committee. He was a member of the working group on assessment of student learning for the state Department of Higher Education and currently serves on the Commission on Academic Student and Community Development for the American Assoc. of Community Colleges. He sits on the Baystate Health board of directors and the New England Assoc. of Schools and Colleges Higher Education Commission.

SC School of Social Work, Peace Corps Announce Fellows Program

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield College School of Social Work and the Peace Corps announced the launch of the new Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program, which will provide graduate-school scholarships to returned Peace Corps volunteers. Program fellows will serve as interns in local, underserved communities while they complete their studies, allowing them to bring home and expand upon the skills they learned as volunteers.

“We are delighted to partner with Springfield College to support our returned volunteers as they pursue higher education and continue their commitment to service,” Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet said. “Communities are moved forward by the selflessness of volunteers, and returned Peace Corps volunteers have unique skills and experiences to offer their local communities.”

Selected applicants will receive a graduate fellowship while enrolled in the Springfield College Master of Social Work program. As part of the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program, students will complete an internship, receive a stipend, and have tuition credits waived each year.

“Springfield College was founded in 1885 with the mission of educating students in spirit, mind, and body in leadership for service to others,” said Springfield College Vice President and Provost of Academic Affairs Jean Wyld. “Given this mission, we are excited to partner with the Peace Corps and look forward to welcoming our Coverdell fellows to the School of Social Work. The college is pleased to collaborate with the Peace Corps for this new program and to extend the impact of the School of Social Work still further.”

Peace Corps volunteers who are involved in the program will earn their master’s degree in social work from Springfield College. As part of the program, students will complete 1,050 hours of service in the field in partnership with more than 1,000 agencies in New England and New York.

“There is a synergy between Springfield College’s mission to educate future leaders in service and the Peace Corps’ mission to create sustainable change through dedicated partnerships around the world,” said Francine Vecchiolla, dean of the Springfield College School of Social Work. “Our welcoming school community will offer abundant opportunities for a Coverdell fellow to help promote a better understanding of other cultures and a cross-cultural ethical mandate that is central to social-work education.”

Through their internships, Coverdell fellows will apply what they learn in the classroom to a professional setting. They not only gain valuable, hands-on experience that makes them more competitive in today’s job market, but they also further the missions of the Peace Corps and Springfield College. By sharing their global perspective with the communities they serve, fellows help fulfill the Peace Corps’ commitment to strengthen Americans’ understanding of the world and its people.

“As a returned Peace Corps volunteer and faculty member in the Springfield College School of Social Work, I look forward to working with our Coverdell fellows to provide meaningful exposure to their overseas experience,” said Karen Clark-Hoey, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, who served in Romania from 1994 to 1996. “Together, we will create opportunities on and off campus to foster student insight into life in a developing country. Ultimately, we would aim to demystify living and working overseas and broadening student understanding of leading a global life.”

The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program began in 1985 at Teachers College, Columbia University, and now includes more than 90 university partners across the country. The program is specifically reserved for students who have already completed the Peace Corps service abroad. Since the inception of this program, more than 4,500 volunteers have participated. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov/fellows.

To learn more about the Coverdell Fellows Program at Springfield College, contact Clark-Hoey at [email protected].

People on the Move

By
Departments People on the Move

Berkshire Bank announced the promotion of Michael Grandfield to Senior Vice President, commercial relationship manager in Berkshire’s Pioneer Valley Region. He will continue his role as a commercial relationship manager in the region. Grandfield has nearly 30 years of managerial and commercial-lending experience, having held leadership roles at community banks in Western Mass. and Northern Conn., including Hampden Bank, Simsbury Bank, Baybank, and Bank of New England. “Mike has been a valued employee for the past 15 years,” said Luke Kettles, senior vice president, commercial regional executive. “Over this time, he has built strong ties to the local community and solid commercial relationships. He is a seasoned banking professional with a strong customer focus, assisting clients with all of their commercial-borrowing and cash-management needs. I am delighted to count him as a member of our team and know he will continue to be an important contributor to our continued growth and success.” Grandfield is a graduate of Bryant College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He also earned an MBA from American International College. He has been civically involved in all of the communities in which he has lived and worked over the years, serving on numerous nonprofit boards. He is also past president of the Agawam Rotary Club and continues to be an active member.

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The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts has appointed Janet Daisley vice president of programs effective immediately. Daisley reports to Katie Allan Zobel, president and CEO. “Janet will provide leadership and strategic vision for the foundation’s grant-making programs and help with building capacity for the region’s nonprofit sector,” Zobel said. In her new role, Daisley will be responsible for the team that distributes approximately $3.5 million each year in grants to 100 local nonprofits, and awards scholarships to more than 700 area students. Janet’s area is also responsible for continuing Valley Gives Day, which will happen on May 3, 2016. “We are fortunate to have someone with Janet’s skills and broad experience to work with the foundation to continue to expand our presence in the Pioneer Valley,” said Liz Sillin, who chairs the foundation’s distribution committee, which oversees grant recommendations. Daisley joined the foundation in September after serving as vice president of programs at VentureWell in Hadley, where she led the development, design, and management of a portfolio of programs focused on training young scientists seeking to launch ventures that improve life for people and the planet. Prior to that, she was the director at Commonwealth Corp., where she oversaw a $17 million state contract to provide education and workforce training of youth in Massachusetts’ juvenile justice system. Her experience also includes working on K-12 education policy issues for both the Massachusetts State Legislature and the Connecticut General Assembly. She has served as a volunteer on the boards of the Amherst Education Fund and the Performance Project. She also led an Amherst-based Girl Scout troop for 12 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Colgate University and a master’s degree in public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

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Melissa Tetreault

Melissa Tetreault

Veteran mortgage professional Melissa Tetreault has joined Mortgage Network Inc. as a loan officer in the company’s Longmeadow branch office. In her new role, Tetreault will be responsible for serving homebuyers and homeowners throughout the Western Mass. area. Based in Danvers, Mortgage Network provides mortgage banking services in more than 20 states through a wide variety of retail offices built to fit each local market. Tetreault brings 20 years of mortgage banking experience in the Franklin County area. Most recently, she served as assistance vice president of retail lending for Greenfield Cooperative Bank. Tetreault serves as a board member at the United Way of Franklin County and the YMCA of Greenfield. She is also a member of the Shelburne Falls Women’s Club and an affiliate member of the Realtor Assoc. of the Pioneer Valley. “We are delighted to welcome Missy to Mortgage Network,” said Carrie Hamel, branch manager of Mortgage Network’s Longmeadow office. “Having lived and worked in this area as a mortgage professional for the past 20 years, she knows the market about as well as anyone.” Added Tetreault, “the Western Massachusetts housing market is definitely looking up. Home prices are very affordable, which is excellent news for first-time homebuyers, and price appreciation has been steady, which is great for homeowners.”

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Berkshire Bank recently named five individuals to lead and manage its Wealth Management team, which serves individuals, companies, government organizations, and nonprofit organizations:
• Richard Bleser has been appointed senior vice president, chief investment officer. Bleser has served Berkshire Bank as its senior vice president, portfolio manager since joining the firm in 2010 from Meridian Capital Partners Inc., where he was responsible for macroeconomic, S&P 500, and hedge-fund analysis. He will lead Berkshire’s investment-portfolio-management efforts, working closely with and Edgar.
• Jason Edgar has been named senior vice president, wealth portfolio manager, and regional leader – New England. Edgar joined the banks a senior portfolio manager in 2014 after several years with Enterprise Investment Advisor, a division of Enterprise Bank. He will lead Berkshire’s wealth-management initiatives for the New England region, while working closely with Bleser and Cologero on the investment portfolio.
• Mary Ellen Cologero has been named senior vice president, wealth portfolio manager, and regional leader – New York. Cologero will lead Berkshire Bank’s wealth-management initiatives for the New York region, while working closely with Bleser and Edgar on the investment portfolio. With more than 25 years of investment experience, she joined the team as a senior portfolio manager from Key Bank, where she served as senior vice president, senior portfolio manager.
• Janice Ward has been appointed first vice president, wealth advisor, and senior fiduciary officer. Ward has served Berkshire as a wealth advisor and senior fiduciary officer since joining the bank in 2012 from Greenfield Savings Bank. She works primarily with trust and estate clients, oversees fiduciary activities, and focuses on financial planning; and
• Elizabeth Gore has been named first vice president, trust operations and compliance. Bringing more than 34 years of banking experience, 22 of them in Berkshire Bank’s Trust Operations, Gore oversees all aspects of operations and compliance for the Wealth Management Group and currently manages the Lenox Wealth Management Office and assists clients on a daily basis.

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Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality Group, a Berkshires-based hotel-management company, announced the appointment of Janet Eason as vice president of marketing. In this position, Eason is responsible for providing leadership, strategic direction, and vision to all marketing efforts for the properties in the company’s portfolio. Main Street Hospitality Group manages the new boutique Hotel on North in Pittsfield, the Porches Inn at MASS MoCA in North Adams, and the Williams Inn in Williamstown, and owns and operates the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge. Eason brings more than 15 years of hospitality experience to Main Street Hospitality Group, including her most recent leadership role as director of marketing communications at the Colonial Williamsburg Hospitality Co. in Virginia, where she oversaw all aspects of marketing for six unique hotel properties, 12 restaurants, three golf courses, a full-service spa, and 20 retail outlets. “This is an exciting time for Main Street Hospitality Group as we deepen our position as a regional management company with a focus on preservation, innovation, and the communities we serve,” Eustis said. “Janet’s extensive knowledge of integrated brand positioning across multiple properties will be instrumental in guiding the company’s continued success. We welcome her to the Main Street family.” Prior to the Colonial Williamsburg Hospitality Co., Eason served as president at Eason Partners, a Boston-based marketing firm specializing in the travel and hospitality industries, working with clients such as the Barbados Tourism Authority and Elegant Hotels. She was also vice president of strategic planning at Boston-based ISM, where she provided marketing solutions for travel companies such as the Sagamore Resort and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Chamber Corners: Upcoming Events

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Chamber Corners Departments

AMHERST AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.amherstarea.com
(413) 253-0700

• Oct. 1: Amherst Area Chamber Annual A+ Awards Dinner, 5-9 p.m., at the Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St., Hadley. The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce Annual A+ Awards Dinner is the social event of the year.This year, we will be honoring six awardees for their contributions to life and commerce in the Amherst Area. The MVP Award, Legacy Awards, and awards for Lifetime Achievement in Business, Community Service, and Young Professionals will all be given. In addition, we seek to honor our two Cooley Dickinson Scholarship winners. Presenting sponsor:  PeoplesBank.

• Oct. 30: Chamber Legislative Breakfast, 7: 15-9 a.m., at the Lord Jeffery Inn, 30 Boltwood Ave., Amherst. Sponsored by Eversource. Cost: $15 for members, $20 for non-members.

GREATER CHICOPEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.chicopeechamber.org
(413) 594-2101

• Sept. 23: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., Marcotte Ford, 1025 Main St., Holyoke. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For more information or to register, visit www.chicopeechamber.org.

• Oct. 2:  Rock Your Holidays with a Great Promotion, 9-11 a.m., at La Quinta Inn & Suites, 100 Congress St., Springfield. Seminar presented by Liz Provo, authorized local expert, Constant Contact. Cost: free for members, $10 for non-members.

• Oct. 13: Table Top Expo & Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, and Springfield Regional chambers of commerce. Exhibitor tables are $125 for members of the participating chambers. Cost to attend: $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Open to the public.

• Oct. 16:  Lunch & Learn with Thom Fox, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Hampton Inn, 600 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. “Want to Make More Money: All You Have to Do is Ask!” Cost:  $15 for members, $23 for non-members.

• Oct. 21: Salute Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at the Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St., Hadley.

• Oct. 28: Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at Loomis House, 298 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke.

GREATER EASTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.easthamptonchamber.org
(413) 527-9414

• Oct. 8: Networking by Night, at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital Health Center Southampton. Join us and our host for a Fall Fiesta celebration, and enjoy a fun night of networking, interactive health stations, and appetizers provided by Meyers Catering. Sponsored by Dollars for Scholars.

• Oct. 19: Celebrity Bartenders, 6 p.m., at Opa Opa Brewery. Join in on all the fun and laughs as you help support funding this season’s holiday lights.

• Nov. 4: Networking by Night, 5-7 p.m., at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Join the Greater Easthampton, Greater Northampton, and Amherst Area chambers along with our host, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, for a networking extravaganza. Sponsored by Duseau Trucking.

• Nov. 6: 
CheckPoint 2015 Legislative Summit. Registration and networking, 11 a.m.;
 welcome, lunch, and keynote speaker, noon to 1:30 p.m.; Chamber View
Dialogue with chamber executives, followed by legislative response, 1:30-3 p.m.; cocktail reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres, 3-4 p.m. Keynote speaker:  state Senate President Stanley Rosenberg. Also hear from Tim Wilkerson, regulatory ombudsman of Economic Policy Development at the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions to invited legislators.

• Nov. 7: 15th Annual Greater Easthampton Chamber Viva Las Vegas Bowl-a-Thon, at Canal Bowling Lanes, 74 College Highway, Southampton. Two sessions:  3 p.m. and 6 p.m. A night of fun, laughs, music by DJ Jay Paglucia, and pizza as you help support funding this season’s holiday lights.

• Nov. 11: Monday Morning with the Mayor, 8-9 a.m., Burger King, Easthampton.

• Dec. 3: Holiday tree lighting and visit from Santa, 6:30-8 p.m., at Pulaski Park, Easthampton.

• Dec. 4: Greater Easthampton Chamber Snow Ball, 6-11 p.m., at the Garden House, Look Park. An old-fashioned, elegant, holiday affair. Sit-down dinner featuring Meyers Catering, live music, and dancing featuring Maxxtone. Dress in style, black tie optional.

GREATER HOLYOKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.holycham.com
(413) 534-3376

• Sept. 23: Legislative Coffee Hour, 7:45-9 a.m., at Slainte Restaurant, 80 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke. Sponsored by Ferriter & Ferriter Law and Hadley Printing. Speakers: Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, Holyoke Police Chief James Neiswanger, and Holyoke Fire Chief John Pond. Join us for coffee and conversation where members of the community have a chance to ask questions regarding issues facing Western Mass. and the Greater Holyoke area. Tickets: $20 for members with advance reservations, $25 for non-members and at the door. Price includes a continental breakfast.

• Oct. 7: The Chamber Coffee Buzz Morning Networking, 7:30-9 a.m., at Dean Technical High School, 1045 Main St., Holyoke. The Coffee Buzz is a great way to jump-start your day with the opportunity to meet business and community leaders while enjoying coffee and a light breakfast. The Coffee Buzz series is sponsored by Lyon & Fitzpatrick, LLC. Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse will help launch the chamber’s new morning networking series. Public-school receiver Stephen Zrike Jr. will be the guest speaker. Free to the business community. Sign up online at holyokechamber.com or call the chamber office at (413) 534-3376.

• Oct. 13: Table Top Expo & Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, and Springfield Regional chambers of commerce. Exhibitor tables are $125 for members of the participating chambers. Cost to attend: $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Open to the public. Call the Holyoke chamber at (413) 534-3376 to secure your table or sign up online at holyokechamber.com.

• Oct. 14: Autumn Economic Development Business Salute Breakfast, 7:30-9 a.m., at the Log Cabin, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke. Sponsored by Holyoke Medical Center, Ferriter & Ferriter Law, and Resnic, Beauregard, Waite and Driscoll. Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass., is keynote speaker. Other guests include Andrew Crystal, vice president at O’Connell Development Group Inc.; Marcos Marrero, director of the Holyoke Economic and Development Office; E. Denis Walsh of Weld Management; and John Aubin of Open Square. New members Holyoke Signs & Design, Elevation Art and Framing, Century Homecare, and Presley Law, PLLC will also be recognized, as well as FlynMar Rubber & Plastics’ 45th anniversary and Open Square’s 25th anniversary. Tickets include a buffet breakfast and cost $25 for members with advance reservations and $30 for all others. Reservations may be made online at holyokechamber.com.

• Oct. 21: Chamber After Hours, 5-7 p.m., at Northeast IT Systems Inc., 777 Riverdale St., West Springfield. Business networking event. Refreshments, 50/50 raffle, and door prizes. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for all others. Call the chamber at (413) 534-3376 to sign up, or visit holyokechamber.com.

• Oct. 22: Leadership Holyoke/Meet at Wistariahurst Museum, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A leadership series with HCC faculty members participating as instructors and facilitators. Community leaders will participate as speakers. Sponsored by PeoplesBank and Holyoke Community College.

• Oct. 28: Murder Mystery Dinner, 6-9 p.m., at the Yankee Pedlar, 1866 Northampton St. Networking cocktail hour at 6-7 p.m., with full-course dinner to follow. Sponsored by Meyers Brothers Kalicka and Baystate Restoration Group. During “Mystery at the Masquerade,” trade clues with other guests and solve the crime at this night of masks and murder. Cost:  $49.95 for members, $52.95 for non-members and at the door.

GREATER NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.explorenorthampton.com
(413) 584-1900

• Oct. 7: October Arrive @ 5 Open House, 5-7 p.m., at the chamber office. Sponsored by Pioneer Training, Innovative Business Systems, and Florence Savings Bank. Cost: $10 for members.

• Nov. 4: November Arrive @ 5 Open House, 5-7 p.m. Hosted by Cooley Dickinson Hospital, 30 Locust  St., Northampton. Cost: $10 for members.

• Dec. 2: December Arrive @ 5, 5-7 p.m., at Hampshire Council of Governments, Northampton. Sponsored by Applied Mortgage. Cost: $10 for members.

GREATER WESTFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.westfieldbiz.org
(413) 568-1618

• Oct. 1: Community Discussion, 7 p.m., at Westfield State University, Scanlon Hall, 577 Western Ave., Westfield. Free and open to the public. The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail, the city of Westfield, and Westfield State University, will host a healthy-community advocate, Mark Fenton. Residents, health professionals, business owners, planning experts, and anyone with an interest in redesign of a community for improved health outcomes should attend. Fenton is a national public-health, planning, and transportation consultant; an adjunct associate professor at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; and former host of the America’s Walking series on PBS. He has authored numerous books, including the bestselling Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness.

• Oct. 5: Mayor’s Coffee Hour, 8-9 a.m., at the Arbors, 40 Court St., Westfield. Event is free and open to the public. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Oct. 5: Medicare Made Easy, 4:30-6:30 p.m., at Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Presented by Sarah Fernandez, Medicare sales manager, Health New England. Cost: free for members, $30 for non-members. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at  (413) 568-1618.

• Oct. 13: Table Top Expo & Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, and Springfield Regional chambers of commerce. Exhibitor tables are $125 for members of the participating chambers. Cost to attend: $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Open to the public.

• Oct. 14: Oktoberfest After 5 Connection, 5-7p.m., at East Mountain Country Club, 1458 East Mountain Road, Westfield. Sponsored by Highland Valley Elder Services and MedExpress Urgent Care. Cost: $10 for members, $15 cash at the door for non-members. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618.

• Oct. 19: Long-term-care Planning, 4:30-5:30 p.m., at Holiday Inn Express, 39 Southampton Road, Westfield. Sponsored by Renaissance Advisory. Cost: free for chamber members, $30 for non-members. To register, call Pam at the chamber office at (413) 568-1618

NORTH CENTRAL CONNECTICUT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ncccc.org
(860) 741-3838

• Oct. 20:  Networking Lunch, noon-1:30 p.m. For more information, contact the chamber at (860) 741-3838 or [email protected]

• Oct. 22:  Business to Business Expo, 4:30-7:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 1 Bright Meadow Blvd., Enfield, Conn. For more information, contact the chamber at (860) 741-3838 or [email protected]

NORTHAMPTON AREA YOUNG PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY

www.thenayp.com
(413) 584-1900

• Oct. 8: October Networking Social, 5 p.m., at McCray’s Farm. Join us for our monthly networking social, complete with fall fun such as pumpkin picking and hayrides. Cost: free for NAYP members, $10 for non-members. RSVP with the chamber.

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CHAMBER

www.professionalwomenschamber.com
(413) 755-1310

• Oct. 7: PWC Headline Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Munich Haus, 13 Center St., Chicopee. Featuring Kathleen Corbett, former president of Standard & Poors, lead director of the MassMutual board of directors, and founder of Cross Ridge Capital. Cost: $30 for PWC members, $40 for general admission. Reservations may be made online at www.professionalwomenschamber.com.

• Oct. 13: PWC Ladies Night, 5-7 p.m., at Kate Gray, 398 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow. Enjoy complimentary wine and refreshments. Reservations are complimentary but required. Reservations may be made by contacting Gwen Burke at [email protected] or (413) 237-8840.

SPRINGFIELD REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

• Sept. 22: September 2015 Pastries, Politics, and Policies, 8-9 a.m., at the TD Bank Conference Center, 1441 Main St., Springfield. Featuring state Sen. Benjamin Downing, chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy. Cost: $15 for members, $25 for non-members. For more information, contact Sarah Mazzaferro at (413) 755-1313.

• Oct. 7: Springfield Regional Chamber Business@Breakfast, 7:15-9 a.m., at Crestview Country Club, 281 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Featuring Duane Cashin, sales growth strategist, motivational speaker, sales trainer, business development consultant, and author. Saluting Noonan Energy (125th anniversary) and Adam Quenneville Roofing, Siding and Windows (20th anniversary). Sponsored by United Personnel. Cost: $20 for members in advance, $25 for members at the door, $30 for generation admission. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Oct. 13: Table Top Expo & Business Networking Event, 4:30-7 p.m., at the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, and Springfield Regional chambers of commerce. Exhibitor tables are $125 for members of the participating chambers. Cost to attend: $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Open to the public. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Oct. 14: Springfield Regional Chamber Lunch-n-Learn, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at La Quinta Inn & Suites, 100 Congress St., Springfield. “Creating Marketing Campaigns Perfect for the Holiday Season,” with local authorized Constant Contact representative Liz Provo. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for general admission.Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

• Oct. 23: Springfield Regional Chamber Super 60, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Chez Josef, 176 Shoemaker Lane, Agawam. Honoring the region’s top performing companies. Featuring keynote speakers Emily and Oliver Rich – the Tea Guys. Cost: $50 for members, $70 for general admission. Tables of eight or 10 available. Reserve by Oct. 14. No walk-ins accepted, no cancellations after deadline. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com.

WEST OF THE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

www.ourwrc.com
413-426-3880

• Sept. 24: Breakfast Seminar, 7-9 a.m. at Oakridge Country Club, Feeding Hills. Breakfast tickets available, $25 for chamber members, $30 for non-members. For more information and for tickets, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected]

• Oct. 6: West Springfield Mayoral Candidates Forum, 6 p.m., at West Springfield Town Hall. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

• Oct. 7: Wicked Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hosted By John P. Frangie, M.D., West Springfield. Wicked Wednesdays are monthly social events, hosted by various businesses and restaurants, that bring members and non-members together to network in a laid-back atmosphere. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

• Oct. 28: Food Fest West, 5:30-8 p.m., at Chez Josef, Agawam. The event will feature the foods of area restaurants, including Chez Josef, Classic Burgers, Crestview Country Club, EB’s, Hofbrau Joe’s, Murphy’s Pub, Partner’s Restaurant, Pintu’s, and more. Proceeds raised by Food Fest West will go toward the Partnership for Education and the WRC Educational Fund, which provides grants to businesses for on-the-job training and continuing-education needs. Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Tickets may be purchased online at www.westoftheriverchamber.com. For more information, contact the chamber office at (413) 426-3880 or [email protected].

Agenda

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Agenda Departments

STCC Diversity Series

Sept. 30: Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will kick off its 2015-16 Diversity Series with an appearance from bestselling author and youth advocate Wes Moore at 11 a.m. in the Scibelli Hall gymnasium. Moore — a veteran, Rhodes scholar, and founder of BridgeEDU — has authored several successful books, including The Work: My Search for a Life That Matters; The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates; Discovering Wes Moore; and Forcefully Advancing. Moore has been featured by USA Today, Time, People, Meet the Press, The Colbert Report, MSNBC, and NPR. He is the host of Beyond Belief on the Oprah Winfrey Network and is the executive producer and host of PBS’s Coming Back with Wes Moore, which focuses on the reintegration of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their return home. As the founder and CEO of BridgeEDU, an innovative college platform that addresses the college-completion and job-placement crisis, Moore created the program to reinvent freshman year in a way that gives students real-world internship and service-learning opportunities as well as core academic classes. Moore’s appearance is made possible through the support of Baystate Health, MassMutual, PeoplesBank, An African-American Point of View, the city of Springfield Department of Health and Human Services, the STCC Black Professionals Group, and the STCC Diversity Council. The event is free and open to the public. An author signing will be held at 9:30 a.m., and copies of Moore’s books will be available for purchase. For additional information, call Myra Smith at (413) 755-4414. For a complete listing of STCC Diversity Series events, visit www.stcc.edu/diversity.

Get On Board!

Oct. 8: OnBoard, a Springfield-based nonprofit organization that matches qualified individuals and area boards of directors, is inviting local organizations and businesses to participate or become a sponsor in the “Get On Board!” event in October. The event, to be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, will connect local organizations with individuals looking to increase their community involvement. OnBoard was founded in the mid-’90s by attorney Ellen Freyman of Shatz, Schwartz & Fentin, P.C. The group’s mission is to help organizations expand their governance diversity by enlisting women, people of color, and other under-represented populations to their boards of directors/trustees, committees, and advisory groups. OnBoard has been connecting qualified people in the Greater Springfield area with organizations seeking leadership that reflects the diversity of the region. The cost for organizations to register to participate in the event is $125. As a nonprofit organization itself, OnBoard relies on the support of local businesses in order to hold ‘Get On Board.’ A number of funding options are available to local businesses who are interested in contributing to the event, including a $500 community-partner sponsorship and a $1,000 general-sponsorship opportunity. To register or become a business sponsor, visit www.diversityonboard.org.

Rake in the Business Table Top Expo

Oct. 13: The Springfield Regional Chamber is once again partnering with the Greater Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield chambers of commerce on the 18th annual Rake in the Business Table Top Expo and Business Networking Event from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Castle of Knights, 460 Granby Road, Chicopee, sponsored by Nuvo Bank & Trust Co. The expo provides local vendors an affordable opportunity to exhibit products and services to consumers. Last year, more than 100 vendors participated in the event, including photographers, marketing firms, staffing firms, banks, entertainment venues, and health insurers. Exhibitor space is available for $125, which entitles the exhibitor to an eight-foot, skirted display table and two complimentary entry passes. Electricity is limited but available upon request. The Table Top Expo is open to all chamber members as well as the general public for a nominal fee of $5 per person in advance, $10 at the door. Reservations may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamber.com. The event is sponsored by platinum sponsors Health New England, PeoplesBank, MedExpress Urgent Care, and Noble Visiting Nurse and Hospice Services; gold sponsors Nuvo Bank, Peoples United Bank, and BusinessWest; and silver sponsors Spectrum Business, Chicopee Savings Bank, Elms College, Dave’s Truck Repair, the Republican, Easthampton Savings Bank, and First American Insurance Agency. For more information or to exhibit, contact Sarah Mazzaferro at [email protected] or (413) 755-1313.

HRU Recognition Event

Oct. 15: Human Resources Unlimited will present its annual Recognition and Fund-raiser Event at Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield. Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m., and the program runs from 7:45 to 9 a.m. The Sheldon B. Brooks Employer Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to YMCA of Greater Westfield; the Employer of the Year Award will be presented to Harrington Memorial Hospital; the Rookie Employer Award will be given to Plastipak Packaging; and the Armand Tourangeau Volunteer of the Year is John Ernst. RSVP by Friday, Oct. 2 at [email protected] or (413) 781-5359. The breakfast is by invitation only, and seating is limited to the first 200 people. The suggested minimum donation is $100. Proper business attire (jackets for gentlemen) is required. The gold sponsors are Hub International (formerly FieldEddy Insurance) and United Bank, and BusinessWest is the media sponsor.

Western Mass. Business Expo

Nov. 4: Comcast Business will present the fifth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News in partnership with Go Graphix and Rider Productions. The business-to-business show will feature more than 150 companies, seminars and Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs (the former featuring Harpoon Brewery CEO Dan Kenary as keynote speaker), and a day-capping Expo Social. Current sponsors include Comcast Business, presenting sponsor; Health New England, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, MGM Springfield, and Wild Apple Design, director-level sponsors; the Isenberg School of Business at UMass Amherst, education sponsor; Elms College, information-center sponsor; and 94.7 WMAS, media sponsor. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $750. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.

WMBExpo Boasts a Strong Educational Component

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Features

Learning Opportunities

WMBExpo 2015 LOGO

At its core, the Western Mass. Business Expo is, as the name suggests, a business-to-business showcase, an event that turns a bright spotlight on companies large and small and across sectors of the economy.

But there has always been a strong educational component to the annual fall event, said Kate Campiti, associate publisher of BusinessWest, which has produced the show since 2011. And the 2015 edition of the Expo, set for Nov. 4 at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, will be no exception.

In fact, she said, it will set a new standard when it comes to programs and events designed to help business owners and managers better understand and navigate the complexities of doing business today.

Indeed, seminar topics will run the gamut from medical marijuana in the workplace to preventing white-collar crime; from creating sales opportunities to brand development; from bullying in the workplace (and how to prevent it) to a new term not yet officially in the dictionary: ‘parentrepreneurship.’

In addition to 16 seminars across four tracks, there will be other opportunities to learn, said Campiti, listing everything from breakfast and luncheon keynote speakers and their messages on both business and life, to a special program on robotics featuring area high-school students, to the so-called, and appropriately named, ‘Business Resource Hub.’

This special corridor of the Expo show floor will be occupied by a host of agencies with varying missions but a common purpose — helping area businesses thrive.

“The Business Resource Hub will be a true resource,” said Campiti. “It has never been tougher to be in business and stay in business, and those trying to run often have questions — about everything from how to secure financing to how to navigate the new sick-leave law — but often don’t know where to look to find answers. The Business Resource Hub will help them make important contacts with a host of state and local business-assistance agencies.”

The specific seminar schedule is still to be finalized, said Campiti, but the tracks have been selected — Sales & Marketing, Workforce Development, Entrepreneurship, and Hottest Trends — as have many of the topics for discussion. A brief look at some of the working titles of the seminars gives a hint of the wealth of information to be disseminated. They include:

• “Parentrepreneurship: Being Both a Parent and an Entrepreneur”;
• “Building a Pipeline of Sales Opportunity”;
• “Why Interns Can Make a Difference for Your Company”;
• “Securing Your Business from White-collar Crime”;
• “How to Work with Humans: Harnessing the Power of Employees”;
• “Increasing the Sanity, Fairness, and Appreciation in Your Family Business”; and
• “Secrets to Hiring and Developing the Right People.”

Meanwhile, other components of the show include a return of last year’s highly successful Retail Corridor, the ever-popular pitch contest staged by Valley Venture Mentors, a Healthcare Corridor, a Technology Corridor, the day-capping Expo Social (one of the best networking events of the year), and much more.

The Expo will again be presented by Comcast Business, which has been the show’s lead sponsor since BusinessWest began producing it in 2011. Director-level sponsors are Health New England, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, MGM Springfield, and Wild Apple Design. The Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst is education sponsor, and Elms College is the information-center sponsor. Details on the Expo can be found by visiting www.wmbexpo.com.

Fast Facts

What: The Western Mass. Business Expo
When: Nov. 4
Where: MassMutual Center, Springfield
Events and Activities: Breakfast hosted by the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce, featuring Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Boston-based Harpoon Brewery; lunch hosted by the Professional Women’s Chamber; Show Floor Theater presentations; informational seminars; Pitch Contest, matchmaking opportunities, robotics displays, the Business Resource Hub, and more.
Exhibitor Information: Booth sizes and rates are: 20×20 showcase unfurnished: $2,250; 20×20 showcase furnished: $2,400; 10×20 double unfurnished: $1,250; 10×20 double furnished: $1,350; 10×10 corner unfurnished: $850; 10×10 corner furnished: $925; 10×10 standard unfurnished: $750; 10×10 standard furnished: $825.
For More Information: Call (413) 781-8600, or visit www.wmbexpo.com.

Planned Renovation Project Would Change the Landscape at STCC

By
Education Feature 0915b
Education Sections

Storehouse of History

Building 19

Above: an architect’s rendering of a renovated Building 19. Below left: a late-19th-century shot of the structure, which served primarily as a warehouse for the Armory.

Building19-1865

It’s called Building 19. That’s the number the federal government attached to the structure at the Springfield Armory that eventually grew to 660 feet in length and was used to store hundreds of thousands of rifle stocks at a time. Despite its historical and architectural significance (its first portion was completed 14 years before the Civil War started), the building has essentially been lost to time, serving as a storehouse for unwanted equipment that those at Springfield Technical Community College, which moved into the Armory complex in 1967, can’t simply throw away. But plans have been blueprinted to make ‘19’ the new center of the campus.

Springfield Technical Community College President Ira Rubenzahl likes to say the school moved into the historic Springfield Armory site back in 1967 … “and it’s been moving in ever since.”

Elaborating, he said the process of converting former Armory manufacturing buildings, office space, officers’ quarters, and other structures into classrooms, administration areas, and assorted other academic facilities hasn’t really ceased since it first began back when Lyndon Johnson patrolled the White House.

And the latest, and perhaps most ambitious, example of this phenomenon in the college’s nearly-50-year history is the planned conversion of the structure known as Building 19, which was once a warehouse that held more than a half-million rifle stocks at any given time, into the home for a host of facilities ranging from the library to the financial-aid office to the bookstore.

“It’s going to be the centerpiece of the campus,” said Rubenzahl, who took the helm at the school in 2004 and has overseen several projects involving reuse of old Armory buildings. He noted that, while there are still some hurdles to clear, especially final appropriation of the $50 million this undertaking will cost, the project is rounding into shape.

Gov. Charlie Baker visited the region late last month to announce $3 million in state funding for what amounts to final designs for the project, which will make use of all 660 feet of this intriguing structure, which is historically and architecturally significant, said Rubenzahl.

Indeed, Building 19 is the only standing structure in this country that can be called a caserne, a French term for a combination military barracks and stables, although it was never actually used for that purpose. From the beginning, which in this case means 1846, when the first of four sections of the building was completed, it has served primarily as a storage facility.

“It wasn’t used as a stables, but it looks like one,” he explained, “because it’s built on the model of a caserne, which had the cavalry horses on the first floor and the cavalry officers living above them. It’s not a replica; it’s the U.S. Army’s version of what this might look like in the United States.”

The building’s ground floor has dozens of arched entrances, or openings, which will allow for a great deal of creativity when it comes to design of the spaces inside while dispensing a huge amount of natural light, said Rubenzahl. Meanwhile, the second floor features an equal number of large, slightly curved windows, which can be used to shape unique, desirable working and studying spaces.

“We’re told that 40% of the exterior walls are entrances, which is very unusual,” he said. “We have all these arches, so you can make an entrance anywhere you want. And then you can do some nice things with light; it’s going to be very dramatic.”

The renovation of Building 19 is likely to commence sometime next year, said Rubenzahl, and while it won’t be ready for the 50th anniversary celebrations in 2017 that are now being blueprinted, it should be open for business the following year.

STCC President Ira Rubenzahl

STCC President Ira Rubenzahl says that, if renovated as planned, Building 19 would become the new center of the campus.

Overall, the ‘new’ Building 19 will reorient the campus, with the focus shifting from Garvey Hall to the renovated structure, and centralize it as well, in a way that will add needed convenience to students and staff alike.

“This will help organize the campus in a way that it’s never been organized before,” he explained. “From the beginning, the college took this space, then it took that space, and said, ‘we need something for this … we’ll put it over here.’ There was never a master plan to organize the functions in a coherent way that would help the students.

“That’s what we’re doing with Building 19,” he went on, “and it will be a huge step forward.”

For this issue and its focus on education, BusinessWest looks at the ambitious plans for Building 19, and how they would change the landscape at STCC — in every sense of that word.

Blast from the Past

In recent years, Rubenzahl told BusinessWest — actually, since the day the college opened — students could spend their entire time at the school and never really notice Building 19, as large as it is, other than to walk by it on the journey from the parking lots off Pearl Street to the classroom buildings in the center of the campus, constructed in the ’80s on the site of former Armory buildings.

All that will change if funding is approved and construction starts as scheduled, he went on, and by September 2018, the structure would be the undisputed hub of the campus.

This startling transformation has been decades in the making, he went on, adding that discussions concerning what to do with Building 19 have been ongoing — at different levels of intensity, to be sure — since the college’s earliest days, when it was known as the Springfield Technical Institute (STI).

That was in the fall of 1967, roughly three years after U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara announced that the federal government would decommission the Armory, built in the late 18th century on a site chosen by George Washington, and about 18 months after city officials lost a pitched battle to keep it open.

Soon after those efforts failed — or years and even decades before that, depending on whom one talks to — officials began eyeing the site as a possible home for a college, especially the west side of Federal Street, with its long brick buildings and large courtyard.

In those early days, STI and the Armory actually co-existed as the latter was decommissioned, with the school gradually occupying more of the Armory buildings in the years to follow. Building 16, as it was called, the Armory’s main administration building, served the college in that same capacity, and eventually became known as Garvey Hall in honor of the school’s first president, Edmond Garvey.

Meanwhile, Building 27 became home to the school’s library; Building 20, one of the youngest structures on the property, dating back to the 1940s, would house most health programs; and a series of buildings on the east side of Federal Street, first home to GE and then Digital Equipment Corp., became the Technology Park at Springfield Technical Community College, now home to dozens of businesses and, most recently, a charter school.

As for Building 19, well, it has been used almost exclusively for storage, said Rubenzahl, adding that, over the decades, all manner of equipment and supplies have wound up there — and remained there for years.

Indeed, as he offered BusinessWest a tour of the facilities, he walked past everything from long-obsolete computers to rusting air conditioners to an old phonograph.

“We’re a state agency, and that means we’re not allowed to throw things out,” he explained, adding that disposing of all equipment or identifying other potential users is a laborious, time-consuming process that certainly helps explain why such items accumulate.

Building 19, seen in the background

Building 19, seen in the background in front of Armory buildings torn down to make way for new classroom buildings, has historical and architectural significance.

Soon, these objects — and their numbers have been dwindling recently — will have to reside somewhere else because Building 19 will be getting a serious interior facelift and new lease on life.

As he talked about it on a hot summer’s afternoon, Rubenzahl walked the length of both floors and pointed to the third, a windowless, loft-like area, talking about how each will be repurposed.

The ground floor, with those arched entrances, will become home to a number of offices, including admissions, registration, financial aid, and others, and also the bookstore, currently located in Building 20, he said, adding that the space throughout the building is dominated by columns, which makes it far more suitable for offices and student uses than for classroom space.

The second floor, meanwhile, will house the library and other student services, he said, adding that facilities will be placed toward the center of the spaces, generating maximum benefit from all those windows.

Overall, the building is in good condition, he noted, and while the older structures pose challenges, they were in many ways overbuilt because of their intended uses, and have stood the test of time.

“They were built by the Army, they were built for weapons storage in some cases, and they’re just very solidly constructed,” he explained. “Structurally, these buildings have great integrity, so in many ways, they’re good buildings to renovate.”

Building Momentum

When the renovation project is complete, Rubenzahl said, the campus will have tens of thousands of square feet of space to repurpose — in Building 16, the library, and other structures — and these developments create opportunities for the college, the Commonwealth, and perhaps the community as well.

Meanwhile, there are other projects to tackle, including Building 20, the largest structure on the campus, which is partly in use (the first three floors are occupied), but there are a number of infrastructure issues.

A master plan is being developed for the entire campus, said Rubenzahl, adding that the Armory complex offers a wealth of opportunities but also myriad challenges.

And that explains why the college that moved in 48 years ago is still moving in.


George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Holyoke Schools’ Receiver Gets Down to Business

By
Education Sections

A New Test for a Turnaround Specialist

Stephen Zrike

Stephen Zrike says he’s still in the “listening phase” of the process of turning around Holyoke’s schools.

From the start of his career, Stephen Zrike has had a fascination with what would be called ‘urban education.’

He got a strong taste of this genre, for lack of a better term, while working in a number of positions in Boston, including principal, leadership coach, and ‘turnaround principal,’ and developed a real passion for it as chief of elementary schools in Chicago, where he led instructional-improvement efforts across 26 K-8 schools with 18,000 students, 92% of whom were from low-income families.

He was a finalist a few years ago for a job he coveted — superintendent of New Bedford’s school system — but didn’t prevail in that search, settling instead for the superintendent’s post in Wakefield, which is near home (the Boston area) but wouldn’t exactly be considered urban.

But this past spring, Zrike landed a different version of his dream job, and perhaps an even sterner challenge, when he was appointed receiver for the Holyoke Public Schools by Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester.

The appointment puts him in a place he wants to be, both literally — one of the Commonwealth’s so-called gateway cities (Boston and New Bedford are also in that group) — and figuratively, in a position to lead a turnaround.

“This was the kind of opportunity I was looking for,” he said. “My heart and passion has been in urban education, and from a young professional age I wanted to be a superintendent of a gateway city — these communities are very intriguing to me.”

Holyoke’s situation is uncommon. Only two other Massachusetts systems have been in receivership: Chelsea, which saw its schools turned over to Boston University and its School of Education in a landmark case, and Lawrence, now in its fourth year under receiver Jeff Riley. But, unlike those other two communities, officials in the Paper City did not exactly embrace this move.

In fact, they did quite the opposite, with most elected leaders, including Mayor Alex Morse, strongly opposing a state takeover of the system.

Overcoming this resistance is in many ways Zrike’s first challenge, and be believes he’s making considerable progress in achieving a buy-in.

“There was certainly skepticism coming in, but I believe there’s more optimism now — cautious optimism, to be sure,” he noted. “I knew coming in that it was important to build relationships with people who have a lot of pride in this city, care deeply about Holyoke, and have lived here for a long time.”

The next steps in the process will be much more difficult — creating an action plan for turning around the city’s schools, and then executing it. The first part of that assignment is well underway, he said, adding that the plan will be multi-faceted in its approach and address everything from high-school graduation rates to the role of preschool programs.

As for the latter, Zrike said there is no set timetable on the project, and he has made at least a three-year commitment to achieving the ultimate goal — returning control of Holyoke’s schools to the city.

For this issue and its focus on education, BusinessWest talked at length about the means to that end, and how Zrike — and Holyoke — intend to pass their respective tests.

Study in Determination

Zrike told BusinessWest that his wife’s family has roots in Holyoke. In fact, her grandfather was one of the founders of the city’s fabled St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

He said much of what he knew about this planned industrial city and its schools was gleaned through conversations with those relatives.

“They conveyed a lot of pride in the community, and they had a lot of questions about the schools, which they had seen as being very successful for their children, now in their 40s,” he said, adding that his unstated job description is to restore that pride.

And, as mentioned earlier, he will bring to that assignment a diverse résumé dominated by experience in urban settings.

A graduate of Dartmouth University, where he majored in history, Zrike would later enroll in the Urban Superintendents Program within the Graduate School of Education at Harvard, earning both his master’s degree and doctorate there.

He focused on administration in urban settings after starting out as a fifth-grade teacher in the Andover public-school system, and later became principal of John D. Philbrook School in Boston.

From there, he was assigned the task of orchestrating a turnaround at one of the Hub’s largest elementary schools, William H. Ohrenberger School, and a year later was given the same challenge (this time in the official capacity of ‘turnaround principal’) at William Blackstone School.

Only eight months into that assignment, though, he left for the Windy City, a job as an assistant superintendent, and his broad role with its elementary schools. In that capacity, he said he worked with school leaders and their instructional leadership teams to assess the needs of their schools through the analysis of student outcomes, and then “develop goals, a targeted theory of action, and a school-improvement plan.”

In simplistic terms, he’ll be doing much the same thing for Holyoke’s two high schools, its middle school, a lone K-3 facility, seven K-8 schools, and an early-childhood center.

He arrived in July, and when he talked with BusinessWest as school was set to start this fall, he said he was very much still in what he called the “listening stage,” while working to soften the strong resistance to Holyoke’s receivership status.

“There’s a strong sense of urgency, but it’s also important to acknowledge the enthusiasm people feel about the schools and this city,” he said, adding that, in addition to that enthusiasm, he has encountered considerable frustration and a desire for progress.

In addition to his diverse background, Zrike brings to the job a fascination for the state’s gateway cities, mostly older manufacturing centers, and their school systems. In Andover, he gained an appreciation for the challenges in neighboring Lawrence, and his roles in Boston and Chicago offered myriad opportunities to learn and hone his skills.

Wakefield offered a different kind of experience, he said, adding that, when the state forced Holyoke into receivership early last year, he sought out the opportunity to lead the comeback efforts here.

School of Thought

Zrike noted that Holyoke’s schools didn’t arrive at this state — what’s known in education circles as ‘level 5,’ the lowest level of performance it shares with only Lawrence — overnight, and they won’t achieve turnaround status that quickly either.

Elaborating, he said there are many factors that contribute to a school system declining to level 5, ranging from ineffective use of resources to failure to meet the needs of some students.

“I think our population has shifted, and as a system we need to adapt to the needs of our students and our families,” he explained. “I think our families are really disconnected, in general, from the educational process, and if you talk to many of our parents, particularly low-income parents, they don’t have a lot of confidence and trust in the school system, and that doesn’t bode well in terms of performance outcomes.

“If they would rather send their kids to a different school … that’s not the level of investment and confidence that we would want in our schools,” he went on. “We need to do better with regard to supporting children who are developing English, and we have many students who come with social and emotional needs, and I think our system needs to continue to improve when it comes to meeting those needs. It’s hard for a child to learn if they don’t feel safe or comfortable, or if there are social or emotional challenges getting in the way of their learning.”

While focusing on students and their needs, Zrike went on, the system must also do a better job of working with teachers and staff to improve morale and involve them in the decisions regarding how the schools will be run.

“I think we’ve disempowered our educators,” he told BusinessWest, “and if you look at successful school systems, urban or suburban, educators have a voice in the change process, and I’m a big believer that morale is critically important in the success of any organization.

“And, unfortunately, I believe the teaching profession has been much maligned across the country and across the state,” he continued, “and we have to do a much better job of not only recruiting strong teachers, but retaining, supporting, and developing our quality people. We have some really quality educators in Holyoke, and we have to make sure we hang on to them.”

The process of returning the schools to the city begins with a strategic plan, Zrike noted, adding that such a plan is now being drafted with the input of a stakeholders group and should be ready by early October at the latest. He has also met with a host of groups and constituencies, including the School Committee, now acting in a purely advisory role, to gain input.

Overall, that plan is designed to enable the system to hit the quantitative targets necessary for the schools to be returned to city control. There are targets for everything from graduation rates (Holyoke currently has the lowest rate among gateway cities) and dropout rates, attendance, reading proficiency, and other student outcomes, he said, adding that the basic mission is to achieve continuous improvement.

One key measure is something called the student growth percentile, he said, adding this is a metric that compares how students do relative to peers that perform similarly the prior year across the state.

“Are you adding more growth than the average teacher or school?” That’s what this measures, he said, adding that Holyoke has obviously lagged in this realm in recent years.

Zrike noted that the strategic plan isn’t likely to identify any problems that Holyoke hasn’t been addressing for years. But it will provide a firm blueprint, and the receiver will have the requisite power to carry out that plan in a quicker, more effective manner.

“The receivership allows for greater acceleration of what can take a long time in districts,” he explained. “It allows for greater flexibility and leverages more resources. I do think the district had put some measures in place that were important to move the needle with regard to performance, but the receivership allows for an acceleration of that.”

Stern Test

When asked to pinpoint what will ultimately allow Holyoke to effectively send him off to his next challenge in urban education, Zrike said that, in many ways, it comes down to leadership — not in his office on Suffolk Street in the heart of the city’s downtown, necessarily, but in the city’s 11 school buildings.

“A big part of my theory of change involves strong leadership at the building level, the school level,” he told BusinessWest. “A district is only as strong as the teacher leaders and the principal leaders at the respective buildings. If you build that critical mass of people, then the system can sustain itself.”

Zrike’s unofficial job description is to build that critical mass. it will be a stern test, but one he believes he has the power — and, more importantly, the passion — to pass.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

UMass Center at Springfield Looks to Grow Its Influence

By
Education Sections

Root Geometry

Daniel Montagna says the UMass Center

Daniel Montagna says the UMass Center at Springfield is looking to build on the momentum gained during a solid first year.

Dan Montagna says he can easily quantify the success enjoyed by the UMass Center at Springfield during its initial year, as well as the momentum it gained for the second, which started earlier this month.

Indeed, the number of classes offered at the 26,000-square-foot facility in Tower Square increased from 20 in its first semester of operation a year ago to more than 25 this fall. And while he didn’t have an exact count when interviewed by BusinessWest — the so-called ‘add/drop period’ for many classes was still ongoing — he was quite certain that the number of students enrolled in classes in the state-of-the-art facility had increased markedly as well.

“Going from fall to spring, we saw a sharp increase in both the number of classes and programs, as well as enrollment,” said Montagna, who assumed the role of director of Operations at the center last spring. “And for the fall, it looks like a little bit of an uptick in the number of classes, but a potentially greater number of students who will be attending classes here.”

There were other measures of success, he went on, including the 275 or so community events of varying sizes staged at the center’s diverse facilities.

As for the other assignment put to him by BusinessWest  — qualifying how the center has fared with its mission of helping to bring vibrancy to downtown Springfield and provide new levels of convenience for area students — he said that was slightly more difficult, especially the first part of that equation.

And it will certainly take more than 12 months to effectively answer that question.

But he felt very confident saying that the center has established a firm foothold downtown, forged several strong working relationships with other area colleges, and already become a huge asset for the region.

“From our measures, it’s been a very successful start for the center,” he said, adding that the obvious goal is to build on that momentum. “It’s about growth, expansion of the academics, and seeing what other courses we can bring in and focus on concentration areas.

“As for the other side of the equation, the community-engagement side,” he continued, “the fact that we’ve been able to plant roots in the heart of downtown Springfield and host perhaps 300 community events has been outstanding, and something we continue to build on.”

For this issue and its focus on education, BusinessWest takes a quick look back at the UMass Center’s first year in operation, and then puts the focus on how this facility can continue to gain momentum.

Course of Action

Montagna was on hand when the center opened its doors a year ago — and actually well before that — in the capacity of assistant director of operations.

He had taken that role after stints as a project manager for a private consulting firm that specialized in work with nonprofits, and, before that, as a program manager for the so-called Bay State Roads program, a state- and federally funded transportation initiative that provided technical assistance to officials in area communities. He said he joined the team at the UMass Center because he was intrigued by the center’s role with the university — and with the city of Springfield — and wanted to be a part of it.

“What attracted me to it was the concept of UMass bringing a campus to the downtown Springfield area,” he explained. “That immediately grabbed my attention, and as a local native, growing up in Agawam and living in the Pioneer Valley my whole life, I have a personal investment in the surrounding community.

“I’ve always been a cheerleader for Springfield doing better things,” he went on. “And the timing around the developments in the downtown, the revitalization efforts, along with the university making this investment and wanting to bring some of what they’re known for to the downtown area, was really exciting to me.”

He would take on a much bigger part last spring, when William Davila, the center’s first director of Operations, left to take a position with the Center for Human Development.

Montagna said his job description has a number of moving parts — from keeping the proverbial lights on to being a liaison to Tower Square management to being the face of the center within the community — but at its heart it’s fairly simple: to continually broaden the center’s impact in downtown Springfield and within the region’s higher-education sector. And, he said, a successful first year has provided a solid foundation on which to build.

“We want to focus on all aspects of our mission, building not only the scope of academic programs here, working with the campus communities,” he explained, “but also the community-engagement component; we want to be much more than a satellite campus.”

Elaborating, he told BusinessWest that the center can be classified using a number of nouns, starting with ‘facility.’

Indeed, it serves as a central location from which UMass Amherst and other colleges and universities can offer classes and other programs.

That location, as well as the large inventory of facilities — from large classrooms to varying-sized conference rooms to large study areas — also makes the center a resource, another of those nouns, said Montagna, adding that a wide array of nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and economic-development groups have staged meetings and other types of events there.

That list includes Springfield Public Schools, the United Way, the Department of Homeland Security (which staged a training program for local law-enforcement officers there), and the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield.

As it carries out those roles, the center also serves as a “partnership,” he went on, adding that UMass Amherst collaborates with Westfield State University, UMass Boston, Springfield Technical Community College, and Holyoke Community College to provide convenient access to courses in a number of fields.

The center now hosts classes for several UMass Amherst programs, including the College of Nursing, which has a large presence there, as well as TEACH 180 Days in Springfield, the Isenberg School of Management’s part-time MBA program, and University Without Walls. Meanwhile, it also hosts UMass Boston’s Addictions Counselor Education Program; Adult Career Pathways, Adult Basic Education, community health training, and workforce-training programs from STCC and HCC; and a Community Planning course, which is a collaboration between the STCC, Westfield State, and UMass Amherst planning departments.

All of the above assures a steady flow of students and instructors into the center, which offers both day and night classes, said Montagna, adding that this critical mass inspires use of another term to describe the facility — catalyst.

And while there may be some objective gauges of the overall impact of the center — such as in the number of additional lattes sold at Dunkin Donuts or paninis at Hot Table on the ground floor at Tower Square — this is more of a subjective analysis at this point, he told BusinessWest, although those at the center continue to look for more ways to measure its impact.

“One of the things I’m really working on with my staff is the quantifying component,” he explained. “We’re trying to measure as much as we can; we’re trying to work toward more cohesive, more comprehensive tracking of our usage and our impact downtown.”

Overall, he believes the center is certainly contributing on the micro level — with receipts at area downtown restaurants, for example — and will eventually be impactful on the macro level as well, being one of a host of new facilities, businesses, and initiatives that make downtown a true destination.

Branching Out

Summing up the UMass Center’s first year of operation, Montanga said the initiative (there’s still another noun used to describe it) returned to that notion of putting down roots, noting that they have certainly taken a firm hold.

What develops from those roots remains to be seen, obviously, but he believes the center will grow into a vital contributor to the region’s economy, its ongoing efforts to create a large, capable workforce for the future, and the vibrancy of a downtown in the midst of a comeback.

In many respects, he said in conclusion, it is already all of the above.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Incorporations

By
Departments Incorporations

The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.

AGAWAM

Louis Pallotta Paving Co. Inc., 15 Keating Lane, Agawam, MA 01001.Vincent Pallotta, 66 Alexander Place, Westfield, MA 01085. Asphalt paving services to the general public.

Malkoon Motor Sales Inc., 825 Springfield St., Agawam, MA 01001. Paul E. Malkoon, 80 Hillside Road, Southwick, MA 01077. Sale of motor vehicles.

EASTHAMPTON

PFM Enterprises Inc., 193 Northampton St., Easthampton, MA 01027. Thomas L. Warren, 188 Kings Highway, Westhampton, MA 01027. Manufacturing.

WWC Inc., 4B Liberty Street, East Hampton, MA 01027. Shelley Wilton, same. Chiropractic services.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Fertility Laboratory Consultants Inc., 15 Channing Road, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Tayyab Rahil, same. General healthcare consulting.

Orloff Corporation, 95 Edmund St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Andre A. Orlov, same. Plumbing and heating contractor.

Robertson Trucking Inc., 154 Smith Ave, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Charles A Robertson, same. Transport.

PITTSFIELD

Shamrock Dog Grooming Inc., 10 Lyman St., Suite 10, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Thomas M. Phillips, 10 Bonny Lane, Peru, MA 01235. Dog Grooming and Day Care.

The Danny Boy Adoption Fund Corp., 16 Mountainview Dr., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Nancy O’Malley, 35 Forrest St., Winthrop MA, 02152. Helping senior dogs and cats.

NORTHAMPTON

Sunergix Inc., 109 High St., Florence, MA 01062. Ali Usman, 20 Hampton Ave., Suite 150, Northampton, MA 01060. Business consulting services.

The Light House Center Inc., 45 Main St., Florence, MA 01062. Joseph Worpek, same. To initiate and administer programs exclusively for charitable, educational, scientific, and literary purposes.

SPRINGFIELD

Holistic Industries Inc., C/O Gary Fialky 33 State St., Springfield, MA 01103. Jonathan Genderson, 300 Massachusetts Ave, NE, Washington, DC 20002. Corporation organized for any civic, educational, charitable, benevolent, or religious purpose.

Romeo and Sons Milk Inc., 95 Hall St., Springfield, MA 01008. Pasquale A. Romeo Jr., same. The sale and delivery of dairy products.

Sangy Inc., 119 Boston Road, Springfield, MA 01109. Mazhar Iqbal, 35 Stocker Street, Springfield, MA 01109. Convenience store with gas station.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Semia Education Technology Inc., 289 Woodmont Street, West Springfield, MA 01089. Eugene Zhang, same. Market and sales of robotics education products.

Company Notebook

By
Company Notebook Departments

UMass Amherst Continues Rise in U.S. News Rankings

AMHERST — UMass Amherst continued its ascent among the nation’s best public universities, moving up to number 29 in the 2016 “Best Colleges” guide released by U.S. News & World Report. “This year’s U.S. News ranking is a recognition of our campus’s outstanding undergraduate programs and the commitment of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni to achieve excellence,” said UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. “Our continued rise in the rankings demonstrates that investing in UMass yields impressive results, and we look forward to a continuing partnership with the governor and Legislature to create a vibrant future for our students and the Commonwealth.” The Commonwealth’s flagship campus was ranked as a top-30 national public university for the first time last year and moved up one spot in this year’s assessment. There are more than 600 public, four-year universities in the country. UMass Amherst also advanced one slot to number 75 in the Best National Universities category, which consists of 280 public, private, and for-profit institutions. The rankings continue the impressive progress made by the Commonwealth’s flagship campus, which was 40th in the Public National Universities category and 91st among National Universities just two years ago. U.S. News has UMass Amherst tied with six other schools on the Best National Universities ranking. Among publics, four schools share the number-29 spot with UMass Amherst. The U.S. News rankings are based on a variety of weighted factors: graduation rate performance, undergraduate academic reputation, faculty resources, graduation and retention rate, alumni giving, financial resources, student selectivity, and high-school counselor ratings. All of the schools in the National Universities category offer a wide range of undergraduate majors as well as master’s and doctoral degrees while emphasizing faculty research.

 

Six Flags New England Announces New Coaster

AGAWAM — Six Flags New England announced plans to add a giant looping roller coaster, called Fireball, to its roster of thrill rides. “We take great pride in creating incredible, one-of-a-kind ride experiences for our guests here at Six Flags New England,” said John Winkler, park president. “Every year, we are excited to offer something new for our guests, and this year is no exception. Our team is beyond thrilled to introduce our 12th coaster, Fireball, opening in spring 2016.” Fireball, seven-story-high, looping coaster seating 24 passengers in face-to-face positions, features a pendulum-style takeoff with multiple 360-degree revolutions, an additional full revolution when the train reverses mid-course, and a two-minute ride time. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall. The park also announced a change to the steel coaster Bizarro. The ride will be relaunched as Superman the Ride, its original theme, at the start of the 2016 season. The iconic coaster was named 2015’s Best Roller Coaster by readers of USA Today and 10Best and is the winner of five Golden Ticket Awards since its opening. The coaster will offer superhero-themed music and theming throughout, as riders climb more than 20 stories into the air and hit speeds of 77 mph.

 

Elms, HCC Launch Degree-completion Program for RNs

CHICOPEE, HOLYOKE — The College of Our Lady of the Elms and Holyoke Community College have partnered to expand nursing-degree offerings in Western Mass., and to make earning a baccalaureate degree in nursing more convenient for students who already hold associate degrees in nursing. Elms College President Mary Reap and HCC President William Messner signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a new RN-to-BS program allowing nurses with two-year degrees to complete Elms College bachelor’s degrees on the HCC campus. The program already has 15 students, who started at the beginning of the 2015-16 academic year. Elms currently has off-campus agreements with more than six institutions in dozens of programs; HCC was the first community college with which Elms partnered to expand educational opportunities. This new agreement builds on the college’s previous relationship to offer degree-completion options for HCC’s RN students. “It’s all about our students,” Reap said. “They are the ones who benefit from being able to continue their four-year education right here on their own campus, where they’re familiar with the faculty and get the support that they need to move to four-year degree completion. We now have hundreds who have done it, and we’re both very proud of that.” Added Messner, “nursing is one of those disciplines that is really evolving. When I got into the business years ago, the notion of someone taking an associate’s degree in nursing was sort of remarkable. Now, more and more, the need is for nurses to go at least through a baccalaureate program. This agreement is going to allow students to seamlessly — and we underline ‘seamlessly’ because this is the ultimate in seamless, where students literally don’t have to move at all from the site of their associate-degree program to their baccalaureate-degree program — continue their education.” Kathleen Scoble, dean of the Elms College School of Nursing, added that “we’re looking forward to the opportunity to be partners with HCC, to bring our program here, and hopefully inspire HCC’s nurses as they continue in their educational journey.” The new memorandum of understanding also includes two online degree-completion programs: a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology assistant and a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management.

 

Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing Marks 20 Years

SPRINGFIELD — Residents of Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing were joined by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, representatives of Loomis Communities, and other officials this morning to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Springfield’s first continuing-care retirement community. The event included a birthday-cake cutting and remarks by David Scruggs, CEO of Loomis Communities; Craig Johnsen, administrator at Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing; and Sarno, who presented a proclamation. Also participating were State Rep. Benjamin Swan; state Sen. Eric Lesser; Steve Wittenberg, one of the founding board members of Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing; Venus Robinson, board president of Loomis Communitie; and Eric Bascom, a resident of Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing. Reeds Landing was opened in 1995 with the backing of Baystate Health and Springfield College to build the first-of-its-kind continuing-care retirement facility in Springfield, known today as Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing. The founders envisioned a retirement community that would meet the growing needs of the Springfield area’s older adults, with independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care all under one roof and on the same campus. Loomis Communities acquired Reeds Landing in 2009, making the retirement community a member of the longest-serving provider of senior living in the Pioneer Valley. Other Loomis Communities properties include Loomis House in Holyoke, Applewood in Amherst, and Loomis Village in South Hadley.

 

Springfield College Moves Up in U.S. News Rankings

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College has again moved up the list of highest-ranked colleges in U.S. News & World Report’s latest edition of its influential “Best Colleges.”
In the 2016 report, Springfield College is ranked 29th, in the first tier in the category of Best Regional Universities – North. There are 138 colleges in the first tier and 180 overall in the category. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Springfield College has moved up in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. This year’s ranking is up two spots from last year, eight spots from two years ago, 26 spots from three years ago, 31 spots from four years ago, and 38 spots from five years ago. “I am extremely proud that Springfield College is being recognized for our outstanding academic offerings and a rich co-curricular life outside of the classroom,” said President Mary-Beth Cooper. “The rise in our ranking over the past five years demonstrates that the value proposition for a school like Springfield College, grounded in the humanics philosophy, is well-regarded.” Springfield College’s rise in the rankings is spurred by improved graduation rates and improved retention of first-year students. “We are always pleased to be recognized for the quality education we offer our students,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jean Wyld. “Since these ratings consider metrics such as the graduation rate, it is great to have our focus on student success recognized.” The ratings are based on such variables as peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, student selectivity, class size, alumni giving, and student-faculty ratio.

 

Tim Wakefield Endorses Farmington Bank as Celebrity Spokesperson

FARMINGTON, Conn. — Farmington Bank announced that former Major League Baseball knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield is its new celebrity spokesperson. “Tim Wakefield is an admired and dedicated professional both on and off the field. As a well-respected athlete and a committed partner with various community organizations, Tim embodies the values and traditions of Farmington Bank. We are thrilled to have him as a member of our team,” said John Patrick Jr., chairman, president, and CEO of Farmington Bank. Added Wakefield, who spent much of his career with the Boston Red Sox, “I admire Farmington Bank’s commitment to excellence, performance, and community engagement. I look forward to sharing those commitments, as well as news of their expansion into Western Massachusetts, in the coming months.” As Farmington Bank’s celebrity spokesperson, Wakefield’s initial role will include appearances at two Farmington Bank branch office grand opening celebrations in West Springfield and East Longmeadow, which will be open to the public. Dates will be announced soon. In addition, he will star in a series of new television, radio, and print advertisements. The campaign will launch in both Connecticut and Massachusetts this fall. In addition to professional baseball, Wakefield is known for his charity efforts. Since 1998, he has partnered with the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston to bring patients to Fenway Park to share time with him on and off the field. In addition, he serves as the Red Sox Foundation’s honorary chairman and is actively involved in the Jimmy Fund and the Space Coast Early Intervention Center in Florida. Farmington Bank is a full-service community bank with 22 branch locations throughout Central Conn., with two branches scheduled to open in Massachusetts in the fall of 2015.

Nancy Shendell-Falik Promoted to President of Baystate Medical Center

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Nancy Shendell-Falik, who for the past two years has served in a dual position at Baystate Health as senior vice president/chief operating officer and chief nursing officer for Baystate Medical Center, has been promoted to president of Baystate Medical Center and senior vice president for hospital operations at Baystate Health. Her appointment becomes effective Oct. 1.

“During her two years at Baystate, Nancy has propelled the organization as both a system leader and COO/CNO of Baystate Medical Center. Her new role is an important step in our journey toward becoming a fully integrated health system, ensuring that we deliver care most effectively and efficiently,” said Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health. “As Baystate Health continues to develop a regional model of care, an important new directive for Nancy will be to help us to achieve a greater alignment between our five hospitals, physicians, and other community providers.”

Baystate Health consists of Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware, and its newest members, Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer and Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield.

In Shendell-Falik’s new role, the presidents of Baystate Franklin Medical Center, Baystate Health’s Northern Region, Baystate Noble Hospital, and Baystate Health’s Eastern Region will report to her.

Before coming to Baystate, Shendell-Falik — an experienced healthcare and nurse leader with years of success improving the quality of patient care, hospital efficiency, and patient satisfaction — served as senior vice president for Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children in Boston. During her tenure there, she demonstrated a collaborative style of leadership in championing numerous initiatives to improve clinical quality, patient safety, and patient experience. She implemented a system of performance scorecards across all departments, served as executive sponsor of Tufts’ Patient and Family Advisory Council, and sponsored a novel leadership-education program.

Prior to her work in Boston, Shendell-Falik served as senior vice president, Patient Care Services, at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey. While at the 673-bed, regional-care teaching hospital, she led similar successful initiatives to improve quality and safety, implemented a nurse-residency program, and reduced nursing vacancy rates.

Since joining Baystate in July 2013, Shendell-Falilk has encouraged new interdisciplinary collaborations as a way to further improve patient experience, and served as the architect behind developing standard attire for various caregivers to help patients identify who is providing their care. Also, under her leadership, Baystate Medical Center was named to an elite group of High Performing Hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report for 2015-16.

Shendell-Falik holds a master’s degree in nursing from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Rutgers College of Nursing. She was a fellow of the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Program. She holds membership in numerous professional societies and organizations, including the Mass. Organization of Nurse Executives, the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows Alumni Assoc., the National Assoc. for Female Executives, and the American Organization of Nurse Executives. She has published more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles in national journals on topics such as team-based care, achieving Magnet status, and implementing clinical practice guidelines.

Keroack noted that Shendell-Falik’s appointment is a milestone in the history of Baystate Health, marking both the first female president and first nurse as president of Baystate Medical Center.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to guide our nationally recognized hospital into the future,” she said. “I look forward to working collaboratively with staff and leaders of all Baystate facilities to deliver care that is compassionate, of the highest quality, and affordable. As I prepare to assume my new role, I am honored and humbled to be the first woman and nurse to hold this position at Baystate.”

For more information on Baystate Medical Center, visit baystatehealth.org/bmc.

State Receives $2.9M Federal Grant to Grow Apprenticeship Programs

By
Daily News

BOSTON — The state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development was awarded a $2.9 million federal grant to expand apprenticeship opportunities in high-growth industries in Massachusetts.

The American Apprenticeship Grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor, will enable the state to help 300 residents gain apprenticeship training in industries with a growing demand for new employees, such as healthcare, technology, and advanced manufacturing.

The funds will support the Massachusetts Apprenticeship Initiative (MAI) to increase the number of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities in those industries. There are more than 7,500 registered apprentices in the state in 2015.

“As many employers in Massachusetts struggle to find the skilled labor to fill available jobs, this grant will enable training for individuals in high-demand industries and provide more job opportunities for the people of the Commonwealth,” Gov. Charlie Baker said.

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded $175 million in American Apprenticeship Grants to 46 awardees across the nation to expand apprenticeships in high-growth industries. The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development will use the grant to build upon apprenticeship opportunities and address the skills gap for underserved residents.

“Our team worked incredibly hard to be awarded one of these highly competitive grants,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker, II, who chairs the Workforce Skills Cabinet. “These funds will help us in our mission to meet employers’ demands for highly skilled workers so they can continue to grow their businesses. Businesses cannot grow if they cannot find enough skilled workers.”

Created by the governor through an executive order, the Workforce Skills Cabinet’s goal is to align education, economic- and workforce-development programs, and policies to increase opportunities for training and employment for residents while helping businesses meet their growth needs.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County Awarded Mentoring Grant

By
Daily News

GREENFIELD — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County (BBBS-FC) announced it has been awarded a mentoring matching grant of $23,431 from Mass Mentoring Partnership (MMP), a statewide organization fueling the movement to expand empowering youth-adult relationships in Massachusetts. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County is one of 32 mentoring programs throughout the Commonwealth to receive such a grant.

Funding for the grants stems from Gov. Charlie Baker’s FY16 budget, where it was funded at $500,000 through the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It is unique in its use of private-sector support, as grantees are required to match, dollar-for-dollar, the total amount awarded with cash or in-kind resources.

The award money from the mentoring matching grant will be used to create and supervise new matches with adult mentors and children in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region, and to support the matches already involved in the program.

“The funding provided by this grant will allow us to strengthen and expand our programming and reach more children in our community who are in need of positive role models and additional support,” said BBBS-FC Executive Director Danielle Letourneau-Therrien.

Funded programs are awarded through a competitive RFP process and community review administered by MMP, and receive training, technical support, and mentor-recruitment assistance from MMP.

“We are proud to invest in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County with a mentoring matching grant,” MMP President and CEO Marty Martinez said. “This critical funding will allow Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County to support their matches with quality-based, research-driven practices and resources that ensure youth are given every opportunity to develop into productive, successful adults.”

Across Massachusetts, mentoring matching grants will create and support 1,525 high-quality matches — 202 more than last year. It will also support existing matches, leading to improved mentee grades, attendance, and attitude toward school, which in turn leads to increased graduation rates, and a better-prepared, more skilled sector of entry-level workers.

Elms, HCC Create New Nursing-degree Completion Program for RNs

By
Daily News

CHICOPEE, HOLYOKE — The College of Our Lady of the Elms and Holyoke Community College have partnered to expand nursing-degree offerings in Western Mass., and to make earning a baccalaureate degree in nursing more convenient for students who already hold associate degrees in nursing.

Elms College President Mary Reap and HCC President William Messner signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a new RN-to-BS program allowing nurses with two-year degrees to complete Elms College bachelor’s degrees on the HCC campus. The program already has 15 students, who started at the beginning of the 2015-16 academic year.

Elms currently has off-campus agreements with more than six institutions in dozens of programs; HCC was the first community college with which Elms partnered to expand educational opportunities. This new agreement builds on the college’s previous relationship to offer degree-completion options for HCC’s RN students.

“It’s all about our students,” Reap said. “They are the ones who benefit from being able to continue their four-year education right here on their own campus, where they’re familiar with the faculty and get the support that they need to move to four-year degree completion. We now have hundreds who have done it, and we’re both very proud of that.”

Added Messner, “nursing is one of those disciplines that is really evolving. When I got into the business years ago, the notion of someone taking an associate’s degree in nursing was sort of remarkable. Now, more and more, the need is for nurses to go at least through a baccalaureate program. This agreement is going to allow students to seamlessly — and we underline ‘seamlessly’ because this is the ultimate in seamless, where students literally don’t have to move at all from the site of their associate-degree program to their baccalaureate-degree program — continue their education.”

Kathleen Scoble, dean of the Elms College School of Nursing, added that “we’re looking forward to the opportunity to be partners with HCC, to bring our program here, and hopefully inspire HCC’s nurses as they continue in their educational journey.”

The new memorandum of understanding also includes two online degree-completion programs: a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology assistant and a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management.

Springfield College Moves Up Again in U.S. News Rankings

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College has again moved up the list of highest-ranked colleges in U.S. News & World Report’s latest edition of its influential “Best Colleges.”

In the 2016 report, Springfield College is ranked 29th, in the first tier in the category of Best Regional Universities – North. There are 138 colleges in the first tier and 180 overall in the category.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that Springfield College has moved up in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. This year’s ranking is up two spots from last year, eight spots from two years ago, 26 spots from three years ago, 31 spots from four years ago, and 38 spots from five years ago.

“I am extremely proud that Springfield College is being recognized for our outstanding academic offerings and a rich co-curricular life outside of the classroom,” said President Mary-Beth Cooper. “The rise in our ranking over the past five years demonstrates that the value proposition for a school like Springfield College, grounded in the humanics philosophy, is well-regarded.”

Springfield College’s rise in the rankings is spurred by improved graduation rates and improved retention of first-year students.

“We are always pleased to be recognized for the quality education we offer our students,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jean Wyld. “Since these ratings consider metrics such as the graduation rate, it is great to have our focus on student success recognized.”

The ratings are based on such variables as peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, student selectivity, class size, alumni giving, and student-faculty ratio.