Vanessa Pabón-Hernandez

The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts recently appointed Vanessa Pabón-Hernandez CEO of the philanthropic organization, effective June 17. A native of Springfield’s North End and a driven, longtime mentor of women and champion for social change and empowerment, Pabón-Hernandez succeeds Donna Haghighat in the key role for the nonprofit. Throughout her 25-year career, Pabón-Hernandez has supported women and Latinx community members, first as a marketing strategist in business for herself and later in roles that include program director for the YMCA North End Youth Center, founder of a community-based digital storytelling center, and executive producer at New England Public Media, a role she left in early June after 14 years to accept the CEO position at the Women’s Fund. Pabón-Hernandez has experience as a program developer, grant writer, mentor, facilitator, consensus builder, and storyteller. Inspired by a strong, independent mother who helped facilitate her path, she defied the odds several decades ago as a young, single mother, earning two associate degrees at Springfield Technical Community College before launching her own business as a marketing strategist for political candidates and area businesspeople. She mastered the art of storytelling to advance social change, entered the nonprofit sector, and, over 25 years, led and founded innovative programs in marginalized communities that have allowed thousands of individuals to access resources, leverage their strengths, and drive their own career paths. She has received the Unsung Heroine award from the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women and was named to BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty. She was also the grand marshal for the Springfield Puerto Rican Parade.

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Kenneth Askins

James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank, announced that Kenneth Askins has been appointed to the role of mortgage loan officer. He is responsible for the Connecticut towns of Granby, Bloomfield, West Hartford, and surrounding communities, and will be based out of the bank’s 12 East Granby Road location in Granby, Conn. Askins will develop and maintain business relationships with prospective home buyers, Realtors, builders, and colleagues. He has 23 years of experience in the mortgage industry, working as a mortgage loan officer at local competitive banks prior to joining Westfield Bank. He has been recognized as a top performer multiple times throughout his career.

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MassMutual announced that accomplished cybersecurity executive and veteran Eric Boateng has been named head of Enterprise Cyber Security. In this role, he will be responsible for leading the company’s cybersecurity and cyber risk-management strategies and safeguarding MassMutual’s information assets. Boateng most recently served as vice president of Cyber Security, Technology & Resiliency Risk Oversight for American Express. In this role, he developed and implemented the technology risk-management program strategy that included cybersecurity and risk management, while providing effective oversight and credible challenge to American Express’s information-security and technology activities. Prior to that, he held various information and cybersecurity roles of increasing responsibility at New York eHealth Collaborative, Roundpoint Mortgage, Georgia Department of Human Services, and Lockheed Martin. Prior to his career in the private sector, Boateng served two decades as an officer in the U.S. Navy, where he managed multiple IT initiatives and programs, employing industry information security risk-management frameworks and best practices for the U.S. Department of Defense. He earned a bachelor’s degree in information technology from the University of Central Florida, a master’s degree in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a master’s degree in information technology from Carnegie Mellon University, and a professional degree as a computer systems engineer from Columbia University.

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Joyce Hampton

Elms College named higher-education executive Joyce Hampton its new vice president of Academic Affairs following an extensive search. Reporting directly to President Harry Dumay, Hampton is responsible for the strategic oversight and management of the college’s academic affairs. Her appointment is effective June 3. For 34 years, Hampton has worked at Elms College, where she has progressively risen through the academic ranks as assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor. She has served as director of English as a Second Language and International Programs, associate academic dean, dean of Student Success and Strategic Initiatives, and most recently, associate vice president for Strategic Initiatives and dean of the School of Arts, Sciences, and Professional Programs. She holds both a doctoral degree and master’s degree in education from UMass Amherst and a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Texas.

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Cathy Velez

Berkshire Bank announced that Cathy Velez has joined the bank as managing director of Retail Banking and Deposit Operations. As a senior leader, she will oversee the bank’s financial-center network, retail sales and service delivery, and branch operations. She will also direct the execution of the retail banking strategy to drive short- and long-term growth, business-line initiatives, and major divisional projects. Velez joins Berkshire Bank with more than 25 years of extensive experience in banking. Most recently, she served in multiple senior retail and private banking roles for Webster Bank.

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Sandri Energy announced the appointment of Leslie Cernak as vice president of Operations, overseeing the Heating Fuels, Commercial Fuels, and Mechanical Services divisions. With more than 36 years of experience in the fuel-oil and propane industry, Cernak brings considerable expertise to the team. Previously, she served as vice president and treasurer at Cernak Fuel Corp. in Easthampton until its acquisition by HOP Energy LLC in 2018, where she continued to contribute in compliance and legal support roles. Cernak remains deeply engaged in industry affairs and currently holds the position of events chairperson on the executive board of directors for the National Energy and Fuels Institute. She recently earned a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law for legal studies in energy and natural resource law. Sandri Energy also announced the promotion of Rudy Herzig to manager of HVAC, Plumbing, Sales, and Service. Herzig started with Sandri in 2003, became a licensed oil burner technician in 2004, and quickly advanced to the position of lead installer. He excels with troubleshooting heating and cooling system issues, and he takes pride in providing quality service for Sandri customers. For the past several years, he has been in a service manager support role, gaining management experience. He looks forward to growing professionally with his new role and guiding Sandri’s service department with exceptional customer service.

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bankESB recently promoted Melissa LaBonte to assistant vice president, Core Systems. LaBonte has 23 years of banking experience. She was promoted to Core Systems manager in 2018 and promoted to Core Systems officer in 2021. She joined the bank in 2001 as a teller, and over the past two decades has held a variety of roles in the Collections, Finance, and Strategic Projects departments. She has an associate degree in business administration and accounting from Holyoke Community College and earned a project management diploma from the Center for Financial Training.

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MountainOne announced that Seth Shepard has been promoted to financial advisor. In this role, Shepard determines a client’s financial objectives, offers strategic advice on products and services to meet client goals, and manages client assets through portfolio design and retirement solutions. His focus is on asset management, portfolio management, retirement planning, and college-education planning. Shepard has been with MountainOne Investments since 2022, most recently as a paraplanner. He is a member of MountainOne’s communications committee and previously served on the MountainOne 175th celebration committee. Prior to joining MountainOne Investments, he was an account manager with Girardi Distributors in Pittsfield and a football coach at Mount Ida College in Newton. He holds a bachelor’s degree in coaching and event operations from Johnson & Wales University.

Caitlin Trites

Bill Kemple

Trina Moskal

The Wealth Transition Collective Inc., a values-based, full-service financial-planning firm in Holyoke, recently announced personnel news regarding three team members. Caitlin Trites recently passed the Securities Industry Essentials and Series 6 exams and has been promoted to registered client relationship manager. She has 13 years of financial-services industry experience. Bill Kemple was recently awarded Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor designation. CPFA designees are financial professionals that demonstrate expertise and experience working with qualified retirement plans. During the CPFA certification, candidates spend two months learning about fiduciary services for qualified retirement plans. Kemple recently celebrated his one-year anniversary with the Wealth Transition Collective and brings more than 13 years of financial-services experience helping individuals, families, and small business owners oversee their fiduciary affairs. Trina Moskal has joined the firm as a Medicare planning specialist. She will be responsible for new business development as well as working with firm clients on their individual Medicare and Social Security planning needs in the pre- and post-retirement life stages. Moskal has held a number of leadership positions in the healthcare community, and earned a master’s degree in healthcare management from Bay Path University.

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Jean Deliso

Jean Deliso, CFP has been named a member of the 2021 Chairman’s Council of New York Life. Members of the Chairman’s Council rank in the top 4% of New York Life’s more than 12,000 licensed agents in sales achievement. Deliso has accomplished this level of achievement for 10 consecutive years. Deliso has been a New York Life agent since 1995 and is associated with New York Life’s Connecticut Valley General Office in Windsor, Conn. She is a member of Nautilus Group, an exclusive advanced-planning resource for estate-conservation and business-continuation strategies. She is president and owner of Deliso Financial and Insurance Services, a firm focusing on comprehensive financial strategies that help position clients for a solid financial future. She has been working in the financial field for more than 30 years, her first seven in public accounting and the balance working in the financial-services industry. A certified financial planner, Deliso has developed an expertise in assisting business owners and individuals protecting and securing their and their family’s future. Her extensive experience has led to a focus in certain fields, such as cash-flow planning, risk management, investment, retirement, and estate planning. Deliso currently serves on and has held chairman of the board positions at Baystate Health Foundation and the Community Music School of Springfield. She is also a former board member of the YMCA of Greater Springfield and Pioneer Valley Refrigerated Warehouse, a former trustee of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, and a member of the Bay Path University advisory board.

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Two employees who have been coordinating UMass Amherst’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic since March were recently honored by Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy for their efforts. Ann Becker, campus Public Health director and a clinical associate professor in the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, and Jeffrey Hescock, executive director of Environmental Health and Safety and Emergency Management, were awarded the Chancellor’s Medal at a recent tribute dinner. Hescock and Becker are the co-directors of the university’s Public Health Promotion Center (PHPC), which has been the home to the UMass COVID testing and vaccination programs. The Chancellor’s Medal is the highest honor the campus bestows on individuals, and is given for exemplary and extraordinary service to the university. Becker and Hescock had worked together before the pandemic on urgent issues of campus public health and safety, including their successful effort to stem a campus meningitis outbreak. When COVID-19 hit, they once again combined their respective expertise in public health and emergency management to quickly develop a response strategy for the campus, including the establishment of the PHPC, which became one of the largest asymptomatic COVID testing resources in the Commonwealth. They continually evolved the PHPC from a testing site to a vaccination clinic as well.

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Jenna Rahilly

Florence Bank appointed Jenna Rahilly to serve as vice president and Human Resources Operations director. She is a 23-year veteran in the banking industry with 28 years of professional human-resources experience. Rahilly most recently served as vice president of Human Resources for a local credit union. Her duties included the overall management of the credit union’s human-resources function, which encompassed the development and implementation of policies related to employee relations, organizational development, recruitment, compensation and benefits, training, and human-resources compliance. Rahilly studied at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English.

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Eric Frazier

Eric Frazier joined OMG Roofing Products as the market manager for its growing line of roofing adhesives. In his newly created position, Frazier is responsible for developing marketing strategies and sales-execution plans for the adhesive-product category, including OMG’s popular line of OlyBond500 adhesives. In this capacity, he will work closely with product management, marketing communications, as well as the field sales team to deliver adhesive solutions to OMG customers. He reports to Adam Cincotta, vice president of the Adhesives & Solar Business unit. Frazier has extensive experience in brand and product-line commercialization as a product marketing manager. He comes to OMG from Techtronic Industries of Anderson, S.C., where he spent more than six years, most recently as group product manager responsible for leading product development and marketing efforts within its Ryobi and Hart brands. He holds a master’s degree in marketing from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I.

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Professor Jennifer Taub of the Western New England University School of Law has recently been elected to the American Law Institute (ALI), the leading independent organization in the U.S. producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and otherwise improve the law. The organization includes judges, lawyers, and law professors from the U.S. and abroad, selected on the basis of professional achievement and demonstrated interest in improving the law. Taub will join 24 new members from across the country to advance the ALI mission to clarify the law through restatements, principles, and model codes. At WNE School of Law, she teaches civil procedure, white-collar crime, and other business and commercial law courses. A legal scholar and advocate, she is devoted to making complex business-law topics engaging inside and outside of the classroom. Her scholarly research and writing centers on corporate governance, banking and financial market regulation, and white-collar crime. Similarly, her advocacy is focused on ‘follow the money’ matters, promoting transparency and opposing corruption. Her book, Big Dirty Money: The Shocking Injustice and Unseen Cost of White Collar Crime, was published in 2020 by Viking Press. Penguin Books published the paperback edition of Big Dirty Money last month with a new subtitle: Making White Collar Criminals Pay, with a new preface and epilogue updates.

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Andrea Kwaczala, assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering (BME) in the Western New England University College of Engineering, has been named a 2021 Woman of Innovation for her efforts in post-secondary academic innovation and leadership by the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology Inc. Kwaczala was among 11 exceptional Connecticut women recognized for their achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at the 17th annual Women of Innovation awards held virtually on Oct. 14. Women of Innovation finalists are nominated by their peers, co-workers, and mentors and are selected based on their professional experience, history of innovation, ability to think creatively and solve problems, and demonstration of leadership. The Post-Secondary Academic Innovation and Leadership award is granted to a woman working in the post-secondary academic setting who has created and fostered STEM programs in curriculum development, student research, and teacher-student collaborations. Each finalist has secured outside funding to support her work and/or received peer recognition for her leadership and innovation. The prestigious awards were earned by women innovators, role models, and leaders in STEM disciplines. They were selected from a field of 26 finalists — the scientists, researchers, academics, manufacturers, student leaders, entrepreneurs, and technicians who are catalysts for scientific advancement throughout Connecticut.

Frank Cracolici

A respected healthcare professional with more than 30 years of clinical leadership, Frank Cracolici, has been named interim president of Baystate Medical Center. Meanwhile, Joanne Miller, who has more than 30 years of hospital-operations experience, has been named interim chief Nursing officer (CNO). Cracolici has an extensive background in leading hospitals and most recently served as senior advisor to the CEO of Morton Hospital, a member facility within the Steward Health Care System, a $7 billion system comprised of 36 hospitals with more than 40,000 employees. He was responsible for the day-to-day operations for the 125-bed hospital located in Central Mass., which includes 440 physicians and 730 associates, an active Emergency Department with more than 45,000 visits per year, 5,500 inpatient discharges, and an operating budget of $125 million. Previously, Cracolici was president and CEO of St. Vincent Medical Center, part of Verity Health System, in Los Angeles, where he was responsible for all strategy, hospital operations, and ambulatory services for the 366-bed hospital. He has also held leadership roles as executive vice president and chief operating officer, and then president and CEO, at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City, where he was responsible for the oversight of 1,000 inpatient beds and strategic planning for all clinical and operational departments of the dual campus hospital center and level 1 trauma center. Cracolici is a Johnson & Johnson fellow from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania and has a master of professional studies degree in health services administration and a bachelor’s degree in business and health services administration from the New School for Social Research in New York City. He earned his diploma of nursing at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center School of Nursing in Englewood, N.J. For 19 years, Miller served as senior vice president, Patient Care Services; vice president, Surgical Services; chief Nursing officer, and interim CEO in both major academic health systems and community-based hospitals. Most recently, she served as CNO/vice president at Carson Tahoe Health in Carson, Nev., and interim CEO/CNO at Jupiter Medical Center in Jupiter, Fla. She was also CNO/vice president, Patient Care Services at Johns Hopkins Medicine/Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, she led the development, implementation and evaluation of nursing-practice and patient-care standards across the acute-care hospital, ambulatory sites, and its skilled-nursing and assisted-living facilities. She held system nursing leadership roles to foster collaboration and promote peer learning to improve quality and the patient experience. Miller holds a doctorate in executive nursing practice from Drexel University, a master’s degree in nursing administration from the University of Hartford, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Mount Saint Mary College. She is a Malcolm Baldridge executive fellow.

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Duy Nguyen

Christopher Hill

Melanson announced the admittance of its newest principal, Duy Nguyen. The accounting firm also announced the promotion of Christopher Hill to chief financial officer. Nguyen works in the Commercial Tax Department at Melanson and has been with the firm since 2014. He is a certified public accountant licensed in New Hampshire and practices out of the firm’s Merrimack office. Since joining Melanson, his focus has been on foreign taxation, multi-state taxation, and venture-capital taxation. His previous experience includes managing tax departments for multi-national corporations. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bryant College. He holds memberships in the New Hampshire Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Hill has been Melanson’s controller since 2013. Since joining the firm, he has managed its accounting and budgeting, facilities, administrative staff, licensing and compliance, software systems, and other special projects. He received an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Franklin Pierce University.

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Darcy Young

In recognition of her six years of success and awarding-winning accomplishments as a video producer, Garvey Communication Associates Inc. (GCAi) announced Darcy Young’s promotion to director of Digital Public Relations. According to President John Garvey, GCAi’s brand-journalism process is built upon the company’s digital-marketing expertise and recognizes the increased responsibility of public-relations professionals to produce relevant content for both media and consumers. To that end, both media and digital audiences have an insatiable appetite for short-form video, something in which Young is accomplished. She will continue to supervise all digital PR content production as well as the technical teams that work on such efforts. Her work will be continued to be supported by GCAi’s production team, as well as a new digital PR analyst who will join the company in August. Young is a former assignment desk editor, field producer, and production assistant for both ABC and FOX local news affiliates. She is a cum laude graduate of Westfield State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications with a concentration in journalism. She won an Ad Club award for her production of “The Innovation Series,” a video series that highlighted the success paths of Valley Venture Mentors startups and the entrepreneurs who founded them.

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Kriste Joy

Freedom Credit Union announced it has appointed Kriste Joy as branch officer of its two Franklin County branches in Greenfield and Turners Falls. She started her career at Four Rivers Federal Credit Union in 2003 and became part of the Freedom Credit Union family through a merger in 2005. A short time later, she assumed responsibility for managing the former Four Rivers branch offices in Turners Falls and South Deerfield, doing so until the South Deerfield location closed and a new, full-service branch opened in Greenfield in 2009. Well-known in Franklin County, Joy has developed active relationships with local schools and formed several partnerships for financial-literacy and school banking programs, as well as strong ties with many local businesses and members. She also holds active roles in many local nonprofit organizations, including DIAL/SELF Youth and Community Services, the Greenfield Education Foundation, the Greenfield Business Assoc., and the YMCA, just to name a few.

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Michelle Everard

Brandy Swanson

Lauren Martin

The Markens Group (TMG) recently announced the addition of the New England Financial Marketing Assoc. (NEFMA) to its comprehensive list of clients and expanded its team by hiring three new employees. The Markens Group, an association-management company located in Springfield, now has a 15-person staff that serves clients ranging from local societies and membership organizations to national not-for-profits. Its new client, NEFMA, based in Massachusetts, provides personal- and professional-development opportunities to financial marketers through educational meetings and networking opportunities. New TMG staff members include Michelle Everard, who serves as director of programs and events; Brandy Swanson, who serves as an accountant; and Lauren Martin, who serves as communications manager. The Markens Group’s community-first approach to business is driven by its inclusive team and client collaboration that fosters brighter communities and deeper engagement.

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UMass Amherst’s Jim Kurose, distinguished university professor in the College of Information and Computer Sciences and associate chancellor for Partnerships and Innovation, is part of the research team recently awarded a $20 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to build the internet of the future. The grant, which will support the AI Institute for Future Edge Networks and Distributed Intelligence (AI-EDGE), is led by Ness Shroff, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science and Engineering at Ohio State University. The funding supports a core team of 30 scientists from 11 collaborating educational institutions, three U.S. Department of Defense labs, and four global software companies. AI-EDGE is one of 11 new, NSF-funded Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes, and its ultimate goal is to design future generations of wireless edge networks that are highly efficient, reliable, robust, and secure, and facilitate solving long-standing distributed AI challenges.

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m Soisson

Market Mentors, the region’s largest marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, announced the addition of a director of Agency Operations, Pam Soisson, a 30-year marketing veteran. This new position was created to provide guidance and day-to-day oversight as the agency grows. “Pam brings a wealth of experience to this role,” company President Michelle Abdow said. “We are thrilled that she agreed to join our team and has already made a strong impact. She’s extremely methodical, seeking order and ways to improve efficiencies in process and procedures. This mindset, paired with leadership experience, makes her an especially effective member of our management team.” Soisson most recently served as vice president of Marketing Strategy for Rebel Interactive Group in Southington, Conn. At Market Mentors, she is responsible for the development and success of both the agency’s team members and the agency itself.

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LaTonia Naylor

Gregory Thomas

Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) recently welcomed LaTonia Naylor of Springfield College and Gregory Thomas of UMass Amherst to its board of directors. Naylor is a dedicated Springfield native and LPV class of 2016 alumna who has been serving the region for years through her work at nonprofit organizations and the Springfield School Committee, where she serves as an elected member. Thomas, director of the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship Management at UMass, has demonstrated exceptional leadership in positions across corporate America in both advising and coaching leaders and entrepreneurs. The board also elected its officers, including Annamarie Golden of Baystate Health as chair, Tony Maroulis of W.D. Cowls as vice chair, Calvin Hill of Springfield College as clerk, Callie Niezgoda of Common Capital as treasurer, and Russell Peotter, retired from WGBY, as immediate past chair.

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Monson Savings Bank announced the election of five new corporators. Stefan Davis is president and CEO of I Found a Light Against All Odds, a Springfield-based nonprofit that works with at-risk youth to address social, emotional, and economic issues they may be facing. He is also an educator in the Springfield public school system. Brendan Greeley is president of R.J. Greeley Co. Inc., a real-estate firm located in Springfield that specializes in commercial and industrial real estate. He is also the vice president of the board of directors for the East Longmeadow Educational Endowment Fund. Erica Nunley is a Realtor leading the Nunley Group at Keller Williams Realty. She is also a member of the Greater Hartford Board of Realtors, the National Assoc. of Realtors, the Massachusetts Assoc. of Realtors, and the Massachusetts Landlord Assoc. Rebecca Smith is a Realtor on the Neilsen Team at Keller Williams Realty. In 2012, she was named a KW Cultural Icon for her dedication to giving, knowledge, kindness, and service to others. She is a member of the Board of Realtors, co-founder of Massachusetts Ride for the Ribbon, and a licensed horseback-riding instructor. James White is president of Go Graphix, an East Longmeadow business that specializes in architectural graphics, signs and films, vehicle wraps, and more. He sits on various committees and boards, contributing to the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce, East Longmeadow Bike Path, Springfield Performing Arts Development Corp., and LPVEC CareerTech & Putnam Vocational School advisory committees.

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Zaida Govan

Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services Inc. (MLKFS) appointed Zaida Govan as vice president of Youth Services. She will direct all educational programming, including after-school, summer, and college-readiness programs. She is a licensed clinical social worker and an accomplished community organizer who has worked with the Mason Square Health Task Force and its Drug Free Communities efforts. Her community work also includes serving as a board member of Wellspring Cooperative Corp. and Wellspring Harvest Greenhouse, as well as a board member of the League of Women Voters of Northampton. She is president of the Indian Orchard Citizens Council and president of the Springfield Community Land Trust, whose mission is to bring permanent, affordable housing to Hampden County. She also started community-garden efforts in both the Indian Orchard and Mason Square neighborhoods. Govan attended the University of South Carolina in Columbia and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Springfield College, including a master’s degree in social work and human services.

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Karen Wallace

Karen Wallace has joined Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) as executive vice president of Marketing. She will develop and lead strategies to support expansion of the association and implement AIM’s belief that business can be a positive force for change in creating a better, more prosperous Commonwealth. A native of Springfield, Wallace was most recently a consultant to Northeastern University Khoury College of Computer Sciences, the Northeastern University College of Professional Studies, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. She previously spent more than 20 years in marketing positions at Fidelity Investments, including as senior vice president of Marketing, Communications, and Branding. She has also held senior marketing positions at MFS Investment Management and Sun Life. She earned both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Simmons University in Boston. She has completed professional-development courses at MIT Sloan School, Harvard Business School, and Tuck School at Dartmouth College. She serves as a board member for the Boston Children’s Chorus and is a member of the National Black MBA Assoc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

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Western New England University (WNEU) announced the recipients of the 2021 PeoplesBank Award. The award, first given in 2020, is made possible by a grant to WNEU from PeoplesBank to advance innovation and entrepreneurship across the university and the entire Pioneer Valley ecosystem. This year, the award went to Jeremy Bowler, a computer engineering major, for his work on an electronically controlled, continuously variable transmission (ECVT) for small-engine applications; Tytianie Brown, a sciences major, who runs a full-service beauty-services business; Caleb Miller, a mechanical engineering major and the co-founder of Woodside Getaways, an RV rental startup; Dante Talamini, an engineering major and team leader for Frost Alert, a wearable smart device that monitors skin temperature and alerts the wearer if they are beginning to experience frostbite; Ethan Valdes, an entrepreneurship major with a minor in health sciences, who co-founded Bus Boiz, a social-media experience startup that captures travel experiences; and Shemika White, an MBA graduate student and founder of Notes of Beauty chemical-free beauty products. Western New England University aspires to develop students’ entrepreneurial mindset with its innovation and entrepreneurial programs. Through co-curricular efforts, such as Startup Weekend and the Product Development and Innovation course, students are able to create innovations that have market potential.

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Enrique Morales-Díaz

Westfield State University (WSU) interim Dean of Faculty Enrique Morales-Díaz is the recipient of the Latino Scholarship Fund (LSF) of Western Massachusetts’ Antonia Pantoja Award, which honors people who contribute to the Latinx community through research and education. It was presented in June, during the organization’s 30th annual awards ceremony, held virtually. The Latino Scholarship Fund of Western Massachusetts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to putting higher education within reach of college-bound students in the region. Morales-Díaz leads Westfield State’s initiative to become a federally recognized Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) and chairs the University’s Racial Equity and Justice Institute Team. The HSI designation is part of a larger commitment by Westfield State to address systemic racism and inequities on campus, such as in its policies and practices. It also supports its efforts to become a student-ready, relationship-centered campus community that is fluent in understanding all of its students’ needs and that values their culture. An activist for the Puerto Rican community in New York City, Pantoja is best known for establishing ASPIRA in 1961, a nonprofit organization that promotes education and advancement for Puerto Rican youth by providing clubs within schools, career and college counseling, advocacy for bilingual education, and other services.

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Tammy Stone

Excel Dryer Inc., manufacturer of the XLERATOR hand dryer, recently welcomed a new director of global sales to its team. Tammy Stone joins Excel Dryer with more than a decade of experience and a worldly expertise unlike many in her field. Born in the Republic of Georgia, Stone moved to the U.S. as a teenager. A graduate of Carl von Ossietzky University in Germany, Tbilisi State University in Georgia, and the University of Illinois College of Law, she holds degrees in business and political science. In previous positions, she grew national and international sales, developed business-strategy plans, and led a team of employees focused on business-to-business activities. In her role at Excel Dryer, Stone will be responsible for managing and providing business-strategy plans for all business-to-business interactions, negotiating transactions, and working to increase domestic and international market share and build sales activity.