| Florence Savings Bank announced the following: Big Y Foods Inc. in Springfield announced the following: • Gary Dziekan has been promoted to Store Team Trainer in Produce; •••• Bacon & Wilson in Springfield announced the following:
• Associate Julie A. Dialessi-Lafley has been named a 2006 Massachusetts SuperLawyer Rising Star. She is a business lawyer with experience in all aspects of corporate, business, and commercial and residential real estate;
• Associate Gina M. Barry has been named a 2006 Massachusetts SuperLawyer Rising Star. She is a member of the Estate Planning/Elder Law Department whose practice include estate planning issues including pet estate planning;
• Associate Justin H. Dion has been named a 2006 Massachusetts SuperLawyer Rising Star. He is a general practitioner who specializes in business and financial matters;
• Associate Brett A. Kaufman has been named a 2006 Massachusetts SuperLawyer Rising Star. His practice includes estate planning issues, guardianship, conservatorship and planning for long-term care, and
• Associate Mark A. Tanner has been named a 2006 Massachusetts SuperLawyer Rising Star. As a prosecutor and in private practice, he has spent considerable time advocating for his clients before judges, juries and administrative agencies in Massachusetts and New York.
••••• Park Square Realty announced the following: • Mary Jo Whiteway has been named a Sales Associate in the Agawam office, and ••••• Donna Paquin has joined the Sales Team of the Westfield office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage of New England. •••• Gwen Glass recently received the Loomis Communities’ 2006 Elvira Whiting Ball Award, given to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding volunteer leadership and commitment to the organization’s mission. •••• Holyoke Community College announced new members of the Board of Trustees: They are: • Helen R. Caulton-Harris, Executive Director of Health Service for the Homeless Health Center in Springfield; •••• Carlson GMAC Real Estate announced the following: • Rebecca Martin has joined the Agawam office as an Agent; •••• Holyoke Medical Center announced the following: • Kathy Lefrenaye, R.N., has been appointed Oncology Nurse Manager; •••• Paul A. Dombrowski, P.E., P.L.S., DEE, Senior Project Manager for Tighe & Bond Inc. in Westfield, was recently presented with the Alfred E. Peloquin Award at the New England Water Environment Association’s annual awards luncheon in Boston. The prestigious award is presented to an individual who has shown a high level of interest and performance in wastewater operations and who has made a significant contribution to the field. Dombrowski is known for his work in the wastewater engineering field, particularly in Connecticut. •••• Michelle M. Begley, a Partner of the law firm Begley & Moriarty, LLC in West Springfield, has been honored with the distinction of Massachusetts Super Lawyer Rising Star for 2006. Begley’s areas of practice include employment law, domestic relations, family law/divorce, personal injury, real estate, criminal law and Social Security disability appeals. •••• Florence Savings Bank announced the following:
• Susan Teixeira has been elected Vice President/ Operations Project Director and Information Security Officer of the Operations Department.
•••• Peter Pan Bus Lines driver Edward Hope has been named ‘Driver of the Year’ in the Scheduled Route Division at the 70th Annual Conference and Meeting of the Trailways Transportation System in Scottsdale, AZ. Trailways bases annual driver honors on demonstrated professionalism and documented safe performance records. The award was based on 2005, when Hope completed his 36th year of accident-free driving, becoming the first Massachusetts motorcoach operator to achieve 3 million miles of safe, accident-free driving, according to officials at the National Safety Council. •••• Denis M. Horrigan has joined St. Germain Investment Management in its Hartford, Conn. office. •••• Michael Ferrero has joined the Feeding Hills office of Century 21 Hometown Associates as a Real Estate Consultant. •••• Dale M. Jones has been named Director of Development for the Cancer House of Hope in Westfield. She will be responsible for building the new Endowment Fund, implementing and overseeing fundraising events, and major development strategies. ••••• Kevin Wright has been named Director of the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company’s new Supply and Trading Division. |
At some point in life, everyone needs to consult with an attorney, but there are many things that should be considered when trying to find the right one.
Knowing how to approach the task of choosing a lawyer is perhaps the first step in the process.
Where to begin?
The best references are from trusted associates. These can include accountants, friends, insurance agents, clergy, bankers, stockbrokers, etc. Consider people with whom you serve on civic boards or church organizations. Is there an attorney on the board whose manner of handling matters demonstrates leadership and intelligence?
If you do not have access to people who know an attorney, you can consider contacting your local bar association to request a recommendation. There are also professional organizations and publications that you can consult for recommendations, including Boston Magazine’s “Super Lawyers” issue, BusinessWest magazine, and Martindale-Hubbell, (martindale.com.) This well-established organization rates attorneys and law firms on both legal ability and professional ethics, and it is widely used throughout the legal and business communities. The highest quality lawyers will be rated AV.
Making Your Initial Contact:
Once you have identified potential attorneys with whom you would like to speak, it is recommended that you contact them by phone and explain the type of problem you have, to see if they are interested in handling that type of matter. You should ask if they offer a free initial consultation, or whether you will be charged for the first meeting.
Ask their experience level within your particular area of the law. Several of the basic legal areas include family, business, estate planning, personal injury, employment, litigation, real estate, immigration, tax, and banking. Even general practitioners tend to specialize in a few of them. Ask how many similar cases they have handled, the number of years that they have been in practice, and the size of their firm and support system.
Next, check the background of the attorney and his or her law firm. A good way to do that is to review the firm’s Web site. See what awards the attorney has won, undergraduate and law schools attended, and whether he or she has published articles that correspond with your practice area. All of these are indicators that will help you to further gauge the attorney’s level of expertise within your required field. You may also want to check with the state licensing authority to see if there have been any ethics violations brought against the attorney. In Massachusetts, that information can be obtained from the Mass. Board of Bar Overseers, located in Boston.
Discuss Fees and Billing Procedures:
Ask how the attorney sets legal fees. There are a few fee options, including hourly, flat, and contingency. An attorney provides knowledge in return for a fee, which normally includes charging you for phone call consultations as well as office visits, so you should clarify how fees are calculated.
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Hourly fees are most often used by an attorney in non-personal-injury cases, whereby the attorney will charge an agreed-upon fee for the amount of time spent on your behalf;
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Flat fees are most common in certain types of consumer cases, including real estate closings, simple wills, simple bankruptcies, and other matters that can usually be estimated to take a certain amount of time. This should be discussed and agreed upon before the work is done;
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In personal injury cases, and sometimes in other instances, an attorney will agree to handle a matter on a percentage basis, called a contingent fee. In those cases the attorney is paid a percentage of the money that is recovered on your behalf;
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In some cases, an attorney will consider a combination of the above fee distinctions; for instance, a reduced hourly fee may be agreed upon in combination with a contingency fee.
In regard to attorney bills, you should ask how they are determined and how often they will be sent. Will you be required to pay a retainer? If so, will you be billed monthly, quarterly, annually; and what does the fee you are paying include? In addition to legal fees, will you be responsible for filing fees and additional expenses if a lawsuit is filed?
Come Prepared for the Meeting
To best prepare yourself for that initial meeting with your attorney, you should be organized. This will ensure that you present all of your important facts to the attorney, and this will better allow him or her to address your issues. It is a good idea to provide a written narrative of the facts as you understand them, and bring copies of all of your documents so that the attorney can retain a set for further review and discussion.
It is important that you disclose all of the facts to the attorney, both good and bad, and that you do not hide any information. Full disclosure is the only way that an attorney can give you honest advice and a fair assessment of the viability of your case. Generally, all of the facts eventually come to light, and it is both embarrassing and disheartening to realize that had you disclosed all of the facts at an earlier stage, your attorney may have been able to dramatically improve your case.
Finally, remember that the attorney wants to succeed on your behalf and needs to know that you are as committed to your case as he or she will be. You should have a clear expectation of your prospects for successfully obtaining your goals after the attorney has presented his or her analysis of the potential outcome. If you do not get a positive feeling from your discussion with the attorney, or you sense a lack of enthusiasm for your case, you are probably better off to consult with another attorney to see if you can make a better connection.
Most attorneys are educated, compassionate, and caring people, who genuinely want to do well for their clients. Working together as a team with your lawyer will substantially improve your chances for success, whether purchasing your first house, obtaining immigration status for your aunt, forming your new business, or obtaining damages from the contractor who failed to properly finish your kitchen.
Hopefully, you will have a successful outcome and will have made a new friend for life.
Michael B. Katz, Esq. is a senior partner with the law firm of Bacon & Wilson, P.C. A frequent author and lecturer on business and health care matters, he specializes in business, insolvency and health care legal matters in the firm’s Springfield, Westfield and Northampton offices; (413) 781-0560;[email protected].
The law firm Robinson Donovan, which has offices in Springfield and Northampton, has added three new associates over the past several months, bolstering its litigation, estate planning, and employment law departments in the process.
Civil litigation will be the primary focus for Dianne Brooks, a graduate of Harvard Law School who was an associate professor in the Department of Legal Studies at UMass Amherst for 15 years before starting her own practice in Northampton in 2004.
She joined Robinson Donovan in early January, seizing an opportunity to take her career in a different direction. “As much as I enjoyed having my own practice, I wanted to take my work to a higher level and take on more sophisticated litigation,” she told BusinessWest.
Her practice areas will incorporate civil litigation including business, employment, products liability, and intellectual property.
David Lawless will also be focusing on many of those specialties.
A 1998 graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs and 2005 graduate of the law school at UConn, he joined Robinson Donovan last fall. He told BusinessWest that he likes the Northeast, especially the Pioneer Valley, and joined Robinson Donovan for that reason and also the quality mentoring for which the firm is noted.
Lawless has worked in the New York County District Attorney’s Office and an investigative analyst in the Money Laundering and Tax Crimes unit. He will use that experience at Robinson Donovan in practice areas that include business litigation, employment law and litigation, and products liability.
Mentoring was also a motivating factor in Rebucca Mutch’s decision to join the firm last November.
“The level of mentoring here was a major selling point for me,” she told BusinessWest. “It drew me out of Boston and drew me out of litigation.”
A graduate of Mount Holyoke College and a 2004 graduate of Suffolk University Law School, Mutch practiced business litigation for a mid-sized firm in Boston before leaving to join Robinson Donovan. There, she will concentrate her practice in the areas of estate planning, probate litigation, and business law.
It’s not uncommon for property owners to face significant capital gains (and the consequential tax) in the sale of real estate, either through accumulated depreciation or appreciating asset value, or the combination of both. Rather than pay the capital gain tax and reinvest the difference in another property, the 1031 Exchange allows the taxpayer to replace the property with an ‘exchange’ into another ‘like-kind’ property and essentially defer the payment of the capital gain tax by adjusting the basis of the newly acquired property.
Just over 15 years ago, the Internal Revenue Service instituted the long-awaited rules on deferred exchanges. Section 1.1031 of the Internal Revenue Code details the procedure for turning a sale/purchase transaction into an exchange. The opportunity to defer the payment of capital gains tax is available to owners of investment real estate if the owner intends to re-invest the equity of the sale of another real estate investment.
This deferment results in more equity to invest in the new property and allows the taxpayer to acquire a more substantial investment than had the original property been sold, and the capital gain tax paid.
How it Works
A properly structured 1031 exchange allows an investor (1) to sell a property; (2) reinvest the proceeds in another property; and (3) defer the capital gain taxes. This procedure allows for real estate portfolio growth while protecting the investor from capital gain taxes. Let’s say that an investor incurs $70,000 in combined taxes (depreciation recapture, federal capital gain tax) on a $200,000 capital gain. The investor has two choices:
• The investor incurs the $70,000 tax burden and reinvests the remaining $130,000. Assuming a 20% down payment and an 80% loan-to-value ratio the investor can purchase a property up to $650,000;
• With the 1031 exchange, the same investor can transfer all of the $200,000 in equity. Assuming the same loan constraints, the investor is able to purchase up to $1,000,000 in real estate.
When using this strategy, the taxpayer acquires the new property with a reduced basis, which results in the ‘deferred’ tax being due when the investor eventually cashes out. However, in estate planning, if the taxpayer/investor wills his property to his heirs, they will receive the property at the value at time of death and the deferred tax may be avoided altogether. Thus the 1031 Exchange can be a powerful tool in equity-building for the investor and his estate.
Of course, as with any investment strategy, the advice of tax attorneys, accountants, and real estate brokers familiar with these procedures is critical to compliance with the tax code and the enjoyment of the tax-deferral strategy.
Know When to Say ‘When’
Sound good? How do investors know if they are candidates for an exchange?
First, any investor completing a sale should have his or her tax advisors calculate the federal capital gains tax that would be due should the property be sold at the anticipated sale price to determine how much actual tax ‘savings’/ ‘deferment’ is at stake.
Then the investor must identify a ‘like-kind’ property to acquire. There are rules as to what is like kind, so be careful. The rovision for real property is broad and includes land, rental, and business property. Alas, no, you cannot exchange investment property for a personal residence for your retirement home.
Know Which Exchange is Best
There are various types of exchanges such as simultaneous, delayed, reverse, and an improvement exchange. Often, there is need for an ‘intermediary’ to hold title for either acquired property or the relinquished property to satisfy the rules. There are firms that specialize in providing such a service and can be thought of as an escrow agent for titles. They are known as ‘qualified intermediaries.’ They provide the safe harbor for title.
Various exchange arrangements call for different time limits for acquiring and relinquishing title to the involved properties. Also, the identification of the replacement property can be made several different ways.
Again, it is imperative to engage experienced professionals to ensure compliance and a valid transaction.
If an investor is facing a relatively significant capital gain tax in the sale of property, and desires to defer the tax burden, then it would be worthwhile to investigate and evaluate the 1031 Exchange opportunity.
Bob Greeley is owner of R.J. Greeley Company, LLC, a full-service real estate firm with extensive experience across the spectrum of commercial, industrial and telecommunication real estate transactions; (413) 734-7923
PeoplesBank announced the following:
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••••• Attorney Brian Ladouceur Jr. of Nicolai Law Group P.C. in Springfield, was recently sworn into the Massachusetts Bar. He was previously admitted to the Connecticut Bar.••••• Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. of Pittsfield announced the following:• Thomas C. Crowley, an Albany-area banker, has been named President-New York Region for a separate business unit in downtown Albany, N.Y., and • Joseph P. Richardson, an Albany commercial banker, has been named Director of Business Development-New York Region for the Albany, N.Y. office. ••••• UMass Amherst announced the following:• William J. Gerace, professor of physics and director of the Scientific Reasoning Research Institute at the university, has been awarded a Fulbright grant to South Africa, where he will work with educators to improve physical science instruction. During his six-month term at the University of Fort Hare, Gerace and Professor Yaliwe Jiya of the faculty of Education will collaborate on a research study to define the needs and barriers faced by rural in-service teachers, and deliver workshops and visit rural schools to help address these needs. Other UMass faculty members awarded Fulbright grants this year are Joyce Avrech Berkman, history; Eduardo H. Cattani, mathematics and statistics, and Robert L. Wick, plant, soil and insect sciences. • Faculty member Lynne Baker, Philosophy, has been named a Distinguished Professor, and • Faculty member Vincent Rotello has been named to the Charles A. Goessmann Chair in Chemistry. The designations recognize Baker and Rotello for outstanding academic distinction. ••••• Patricia Hurteau has joined Century 21 Pioneer Valley Associates in Northampton as a Sales Person.••••• Berkshire Bank of Pittsfield announced the following:• Susan L. Bettis has been appointed Mortgage Administration Officer; • Susan Bianchi-Smith has been appointed Mortgage Originator in the Great Barrington office; • Sally A. Angers has been appointed Security Officer; • Michael T. Macy has been appointed Assistant Treasurer, and • Patricia N. Sinclair has been appointed Credit Officer in the Commercial Department. ••••• Michael Poggi, a Registered Representative with Morgan Stanley in Springfield, has earned membership in the Leadership Council of PLANCO, a subsidiary of Hartford Life Inc., and a wholesaler of investment and insurance products for The Hartford.••••• Betty Ann Learned, Assistant Vice President for Administration and Finance at Springfield Technical Community College, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Educational and Institutional Cooperative Services Inc., a North American higher education purchasing organization. | ••••• G. Patrick Leary has been admitted as a shareholder of Moriarty & Primack P.C., and was recently elected Vice President and Director. Leary is the partner in charge of the firm’s audit division. The firm has offices in Holyoke and Springfield.•••••
••••• Anna Nagurney of the Isenberg School of Management at the UMass Amherst is the leader of a team that has translated a 1968 paper on the Braess paradox that states within some types of transportation networks, the addition of a new road may not improve travel time, and instead may make the area worse off. The original article that was published in German appeared in the November issue of the journal Transportation Science.••••• Wolf & Company P.C., with offices in Springfield and Boston, announced the
••••• The law firm Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP in Springfield announced |
Although Congress has often discussed the elimination of an estate tax, it has yet to do so.
When George W. Bush was first elected president, part of his campaign was based on his promise to eliminate the estate tax.
At the time of this writing, the law currently stands that the exemption through 2008 will be $2 million per person for federal estate taxes. In 2009, the exemption becomes $3.5 million. In 2010, an unlimited deduction is available for any United States citizen, so anyone who dies then will pay no estate tax.
In fact, many practitioners have suggested that in 2010, wealthy clients who are not physically well should consider chartering a plane to the Netherlands or some similar country that permits assisted suicide.
Although this may be a harsh statement, this would completely eliminate federal estate tax as the law now stands. The governments plan is to return the limitation back to the amount of $1 million in 2011.
With the current economic and budget crisis in the United States and with the need for additional funds to be raised, it is unlikely that a full, unlimited estate deduction will be available for every individual.
Many proposals have surfaced providing that each decedent will have an exemption credit of between $2 million to $5 million, and this would certainly eliminate estate tax for most individuals. Therefore, with proper planning, a married couple would have the benefit of up to $10 million in assets that could pass to family members or friends without any estate tax.
With estate taxes making up less than 1% of the income received by the federal government from all sources, it is hard to imagine why the government would not consider eliminating this tax. It has been suggested that there be should be a tax on the very wealthy. Certainly, they can either afford to pay the taxes or leave a significant portion of their wealth to charity, which eliminates estate taxes.
Many charities are concerned that without an estate tax the charitable intention will be lessened, and wealthy individuals will plan fewer gifts without the incentive to reduce their tax liabilities. However, in light of Hurricane Katrina and other recent natural disasters, it appears that many companies and individuals may make significant gifts without regard to the value of a tax deduction, even though recent legislation has allowed increased gifts with fewer limitations for deductibility on income tax returns.
There are two other reasons for maintaining at least some form of estate tax.
The Internal Revenue Service needs to left many of its employees in the estate and gift tax area. There are thousands of individuals who process estate tax returns, audit them, and process payments. They could possibly lose their jobs, and may not be able to reclassify their positions within the government if the estate tax was totally eliminated.
Another group lobbying for a persistent estate tax includes insurance companies. Life insurance is often sold in order to replenish wealth as a result of payment of estate taxes. In order to alleviate the requirement to sell property, force a closing and sale of businesses, or liquidate other stocks or personal assets, life insurance is often used as the means to obtain fast cash for payment of estate taxes, which are due nine months from date of death.
Another frequently sold option is the socalled joint and survivorship policy, or second- to-die policy, which is marketed as one policy on two lives, normally a husband and wife. Since all estate taxes may be deferred until the second death, the second-to-die policy is available as a resource that provides for liquidity upon the second death, when the significant tax liability is due.
If there were no estate taxes, there would be less of a need for life insurance in the role of estate tax liability. However, there may still be a need for life insurance if a person has a spouse and children, and also wishes to ensure that funds are available to pay mortgages, provide liquidity for college education or otherwise supplement the surviving spouse or children in order to meet their future needs.
The government has also suggested that in the event that estate taxes are eliminated, there may be an adjustment to the basis of assets that are passed on to heirs upon death. This will result in significant income tax issues for heirs to review in lieu of estate tax issues.
Under the current rule, in most situations, assets passing to children receive a date-of-death basis if as the asset is includable in the estate for estate tax purposes, even if there is no estate tax due. Under suggested rules, there may be a threshold of between $1 million and $1.5 million for basis adjustment, but assets in excess of this amount will be taxable at the basis of the person who died.
Since assets included in the exempted amount are flexible, this could cause significant problems within families who may argue about one siblings inheritance being included as a step up asset and another siblings inheritance being taxed at the lower basis.
Therefore, it will be essential to do prior estate planning around the allocation of the basis adjustment and make decisions about which assets will be sold and which assets will be maintained upon death.
Hyman G. Darling, Esq. is chairman of Bacon & Wilsons Estate Planning and Elder Law Department. His expertise includes all areas of estate planning, probate and elder law; (413) 781-0560;harling@baconwilson. com.
| Company | LicensedBrokers in W. Mass. | Offices inW. Mass/Statewide | Branch Manager | Services |
| Morgan Stanley 1500 Main St., Suite 1720, Springfield, MA 01115(413) 452-0100; Fax: (413) 781-3828www.morganstanley.com | 38 | 1/N.A. | Richard Carter | Full range of financial products and services for individuals, businesses, and institutions |
| UBS Financial Services 1 Monarch Place, Suite 1400, Springfield, MA 01144 (413) 785-4900; Fax: (413) 785-1058www.ubs.com | 33 | 2/9 | Rick Crews | Full-service brokerage firm catering to high-net-worth individuals; cash, portfolio management;$2 billion in assets under management locally |
| Smith Barney 1500 Main St., 19th Floor, Springfield, MA 01115 (413) 734-7311; Fax: (413) 736-0361www.smithbarney.com |
30 | 2/10 | Paul Chiampa | Part of CitiGroup, a full-service brokerage firm specializing in high-net-worth individuals |
| Linsco/Private Ledger 175 Dwight Road, Suite 200, Longmeadow, MA 01106 (413) 565-2950; Fax: (413) 565-2225www.lpl.com/richard.duncan | 25 | 8/153 | Richard G. Duncan | Full-service brokerage firm specializing in asset 4 management, retirement services, estate planning,trust services and insurance products. |
| Merrill Lynch1 Monarch Place, Suite 2300, Springfield, MA 01144 (413) 747-6900; Fax: (413) 747-6931www.ml.com | 23 | 2/10 | David Lusteg | Services include brokerage, personal credit,5 insurance, home financing, trust and business financing services; retirement and group employee benefits |
| A. G. Edwards 1350 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103413) 788-6111; Fax: (413) 739-1526www.agedwards.com | 13 | 1/14 | Jack Sullivan | Full-service brokerage firm; stocks, bonds,annuities, mutual funds, insurance products |
| Advest Inc.1441 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103 (413) 735-2000; Fax: (413) 735-2001www.advest.com | 9 | 1/8 | Jim Poliner | Full-service brokerage firm; stocks, bonds, retirement plans; insurance products; access to IPOs |
| Wachovia Securities Inc.1350 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103(413) 750-5600; Fax: (413) 733-5164www.wachoviasecurities.com | 6 | 2/11 | Mark Brown | Full-service investment brokerage firm; stocks,bonds, financial planning, and professional portfolio management |
| St. Germain Investment Management 1500 Main St., Springfield, MA 01115 (413) 733-5111 or (800) 443-7624; Fax: (413) 747-0848www.djstgermain.com | 5 | 1/1 | Paul Valickus | Full-service investment management |
| Berriman & Associates, Inc.270 Benton Drive, East Longmeadow, MA 01028(413) 759-000 or 800-779-1262 Fax: (413) 525-2494www.Berrimanco.com | 2 | 1 | Robert Berriman | Investment programs, retirement plan services,full plan administration services, business planning, employee benefits |
| Raymond James Financial Services20 Hampton Ave., Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 584-9988; Fax: (413) 584-9955 | 2 | 1/1 | Kelly Fradet | Financial planning firm specializing in stocks,bonds, and mutual funds |
| Corridan & Co.1365 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103 (413) 746-2701; Fax: (413) 746-2819 | 1 | 1/1 | Brian Q. Corridan | Full-service brokerage firm specializing in stocks,bonds, mutual funds, and other investment products; |
| Epstein Financial Services 1500 Main St., Suite 1204, Springfield, MA 01115 (413) 734-6418; Fax: (413) 737-9212www.epsteinfinancial.com | 1 | 1/1 | Charles Epstein | Specializing in fee-for-service financial planning,business and estate preservation programs,executive compensation planning, and retirement plan design and administration |
| Edward Jones 351 Newton St., South Hadley, MA 01075 (413) 536-2494; Fax: (888) 759-8096www.edwardjones.com | 1 | 7/40 | Norman Stafford | Full-service brokerage firm specializing in one-to-one service |
| Stephen M. Quink has returned to the Lending Department of North Brookfield Savings Bank as Vice President/Lending. ••••• Ernestine “Tini” Sawicki, a broker and owner of Realty World Sawicki in Amherst, has been named recipient of the Mass. Association of Realtors® (MAR) Milton H. Shaw Distinguished Service Award for 2005. The award is presented annually to one Realtor® member or staff executive who has demonstrated leadership abilities and volunteered countless hours of personal time to serve on state association committees and participate in MAR activities. ••••• The Bank of Western Massachusetts in Springfield announced the following: ••••• Nathan Winstanley, founder and president of Winstanley Associates in Lenox, was the guest speaker at the Western Mass. Ad Club’s Sept. 28 luncheon. Winstanley is also president and founder of Lenox SoftWorks, a software development company. ••••• Gary E. Rosentreter, Ed.D., has been appointed Executive Director, Connecticut Quality Council (CQC), located at Rensselaer’s Hartford (Conn.) campus. CQC is associated with Rensselaer’s Centers for Professional Development. ••••• Moriarty & Primack, P.C., Certified Public Accountants, in Springfield announced the following: ••••• Attorney Dorothy Varon of Robinson Donovan, P.C., with offices in Springfield and Northampton, has been selected by the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as an “Up and Coming Lawyer.” She joined the law firm in 2002 and concentrates her practice in the areas of federal litigation, civil rights, health insurance law, publishing law and civil litigation. •••••
| Jeremy Redmond has recently joined Innovative Business Systems, Inc. in Easthampton. Redmond holds CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications, as well as being a Microsoft Certified Professional, Systems Administrator, and Systems Engineer (MCP, MCSA and MCSE). ••••• Bobbi Pitkin has joined Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage of New England as a Realtor in the Longmeadow office. ••••• Jill T. Lyons has been appointed an Associate at Morrison Mahoney in Springfield. She will concentrate her practice in health law and defense of medical malpractice claims. ••••• Matthew McDonough, formerly of Holyoke, has joined Yale-New Haven Health System as Administrative Fellow for the 2005-2006 program year. ••••• Richard T. O’Connor has been named Legal Counsel at Holyoke Medical Center. ••••• Karen E. Eaton has joined Martinelli, Discenza & Hannifan in Longmeadow as an Associate. She will practice in estate planning, real estate development and finance law, municipal law, and general business practice, securities law, and investment management law. ••••• Jacqueline McNinch has joined the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency’s Home Ownership Business Development Group as a regional Business Development Officer for Western Massachusetts. ••••• Jane E. Fountain has joined the faculty of the UMass Amherst in its Center for Public Policy and Administration and the Department of Political Science. ••••• Christopher Camerlin has been appointed Manager of William Raveis Real Estate and Home Services in East Longmeadow. •••••••••• Banana Publishing Inc. of Springfield announced the following: |
Electronic Medical Record Seminar
Sept. 16: The Health Care Services Division of Meyers Kalicka, P.C., will present a seminar, EMR — What Does it Mean?, at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Enfield, from 8 a.m. to noon. The program will examine the many aspects of EMR (electronic medical record) and their implications for health care companies. The registration fee is $75 per participant, and is due Sept. 9. Space is limited. To register, or for more information, call (413) 536-8510.
Ethical and Financial Issues For Women
Sept. 27: The Women’s Fund of Western Mass. and the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County Inc. will jointly sponsor an evening focusing on ethical and financial issues for women. Featuring breakout sessions on a variety of topics and a keynote speech by well-known consultant Kristi Nelson, Planning Your Ethical and Financial Estate: Take the Time to Plan the Use of Your Money — How Your Values Live Through Your Life and Beyond will take a unique, value-based approach to estate planning for women. Local speakers presenting during the program include Kent Faerber of the Community Foundation of Western Mass., alonf with area lawyers and financial planners.The event, to be staged at Western New England College, is open to the public, and pre-registration with the Women’s Fund is requested by Sept. 16. To register, or for more information, call (413) 529-0087, or visit [email protected]. The cost is $20 and includes a light meal.
Realtors Conference, Tradeshow
Sept. 27: The Mass. Assoc. of Realtors (MAR) will stage its 2005 conference and trade show, from 7:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. at the DCU Center in Worcester. The oneday conference, which is open to all real estate licensees, will include a trade show and education sessions for real estate agents and brokers looking to enhance their business skills and learn new specialty areas of practice to advance their careers. The MAR conference will offer a wide range of of program options for participants, including a series of sales training sessions designed to increase agent productivity, a special curriculum track on realtor technology, multiple continuing education courses, and a series of educational seminars designed specifically for broker-owners and managers. In all, the program will offer attendees up to 6 hours of continuing education credits and more than 15 educational seminars. The opening general session will feature nationally recognized real estate trainer Terry Watson, whose motivational presentation will identify strategies for achieving goals and inspire agents and brokers on how to take their business from ‘good to great.’ Registration fees are $158 for realtors, and $228 for non-members. For more nformation or to register, call (800) 725-6272.
Entrepreneurship Hall Dinner
Oct. 6: The Class of 2005 will be inducted into the Western Mass. Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame at ceremonies to begin at 4:30 at the Andrew M. Scibelli Enterprise Center in the STCC Technology park. A dinner to honor the inductees is slated for later that evening at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House. Those being inducted this year are: Sister Mary Caritas and the Sisters of Providence, founders of Mercy Medical Center; Joshua Brooks, founder of the Eastern States Exposition; William L. Putnam, founder of WWLP Television, Channel 22; Mary Lyon, founder Mt. Holyoke College; Fran & Teddi Laurin, founders of Laurin Publishing; and Joseph Napolitan, founder of Napolitan and Associates. At the dinner, STCC will also present its County Achievement Awards to entrepreneurs in Hampden, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Franklin counties. There will be a reception at 6 followed by dinner at 7. For more information on the dinner or to order tickets, call (413) 755-4477. Those interested in attending the induction ceremonies,
please call William Kwolek at (413) 755-4477.
