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People on the Move

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People on the Move
David Cisek

David Cisek

Florence Bank announced that David Cisek was recently selected as a recipient of its President’s Award. The President’s Award was established by the bank in 1995, affording employees the annual opportunity to nominate their peers for this prestigious honor that recognizes outstanding performance, customer service, and overall contribution to Florence Bank. Cisek was nominated by numerous colleagues. Cisek, a senior accounting associate in Florence Bank’s main office, has been with the bank for five years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in ethnic and gender studies and a master’s degree from Westfield State University. In addition, he also serves as an adjunct professor at Westfield State’s Department of Ethnic & Gender Studies. “The long list of comments we received about David tells the story — from ‘he consistently goes above and beyond’ to ‘his enthusiasm and commitment to his job puts everyone in a positive, happy mood,’” said Kevin Day, president of Florence Bank. “David is a true asset to the bank, and the President’s Award is well-deserved.”

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Berkshire Money Management (BMM) recently welcomed Tammy Gaherty to its fast-growing team. Gaherty is the second hire for 2020 and will be handling scheduling for advisors, managing content distribution, and helping with the flow of operations throughout the firm. Prior to joining BMM, she worked for nearly two decades as an administrative assistant with the Dalton Housing Authority. “Everyone is going through a difficult time right now,” BMM president Barbara Schmick said. “We are hiring in order to better service our clients now and in the future. We are getting far more requests and questions during this pandemic. At this time, our clients need more services than ever, and Tammy is our answer to that growing need.” Gaherty is a Berkshire native and graduate of Monument Mountain Regional High School. She has been the volunteer secretary and president of the Friends of the Lanesborough Public Library, and an active participant there for fundraisers to support library programming.

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The Springfield Thunderbirds announced that Paul Thompson has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Springfield community during the 2019-20 season. In his third season as a Thunderbird and his second as team captain, the New England native has continued to show his commitment to the community beyond the ice surface. Before the 2019-20 season began, Thompson was a regular sight at a number of offseason functions, including the Thunderbirds’ Street Hockey Tournament, which was born following the untimely passing of a young local hockey player, Alex Blais, two summers ago. Thompson also gave back to the youth-hockey community of Western Mass., starting and running the Paul Thompson Hockey Camp out of MassConn United for beginning hockey players. In November, in advance of the club’s second annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night, Thompson lent his hand to share a deeply personal story to aid a cause near and dear to his family — his cousin Angela’s cancer battle and #AngelasArmy initiative. Angela’s Army makes ‘care packages’ for patients undergoing cancer treatment, and was born out of Angela’s desire to assist other patients, providing comfort to them even as she was going through her own battle. In addition to participating in a number of team events, one that shined through the most was during the holiday season. Along with teammates Ethan Prow, Rob O’Gara, and Tommy Cross, Thompson led a selfless journey to brighten the lives of a mother and two young children who suddenly had to endure the passing of their father just weeks before the Christmas holiday. The captain and his teammates spent hundreds of dollars on toys and essential items to make the family feel special during their most trying time. Thompson is now one of 31 finalists for the AHL’s 2019-20 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year. The league award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. The winner of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award will be announced by the AHL at a later date.

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In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kellie Welch has found that writing is a way to help. Welch has taken pen to paper for a project she founded called Write Aid. Her mission is to write for people in return for donations to GetUsPPE (getusppe.org), a new website founded by a group of medical professionals on the front lines of the pandemic. GetUsPPE coordinates donations of needed masks, gloves, and gowns to hospitals and healthcare professionals. Since the launch of Write Aid on Instagram (@welchkell), Welch has written sonnets about dogs and cats, poetry about sourdough and happiness, a fictional Twitter thread, and a play about birds. Requests have come from friends locally, as well as from Boston, New York City, and Texas. “Words are my reliable outlet and really all I have to offer while at home, but even they have felt empty lately,” Welch said. “Let’s work together to raise money and use storytelling to uplift each other. I will write you anything — a letter to a friend, a sonnet about your labradoodle, a eulogy for someone you’ve lost, a Dear John letter to that person you were sort of seeing before this happened. The sky’s the limit. Tell your friends! The more random things I write, the more money we raise.” After having lived in New York City for nearly 10 years, Welch moved back to Western Mass. last fall. She is a graduate of Columbia University’s School of General Studies, where she studied anthropology and was part of the university’s Honor Society. She is a singer and songwriter whose lyrics have won awards in international songwriting competitions, including American Songwriter and Songdoor International. She currently works as a writer for an educational nonprofit organization.

People on the Move

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People on the Move
Antoinette Candia-Bailey

Antoinette Candia-Bailey

Elms College has named accomplished higher-education executive Antoinette Candia-Bailey the college’s first vice president of Student Affairs and chief Diversity officer. Reporting directly to the president, Candia-Bailey, who will join Elms College on April 1, will be responsible for the strategic oversight and management of the college’s Student Affairs and Diversity and Inclusion offices. Candia-Bailey is joining Elms from the University of Wisconsin Madison (UWM), where she currently serves as senior project coordinator to the deputy vice chancellor for Diversity & Inclusion. Prior to that, she was associate dean of students and Student Life at UWM. Abiding by the college’s social-distancing policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, she will be working remotely at the start of her tenure. The position of vice president of Student Affairs and chief Diversity officer is a new one for the college. Candia-Bailey will be responsible for providing leadership, management, and supervision to the director of Diversity and Inclusion, the dean of students, the director of Campus Ministry, and the director of Athletics. She will advise the president and other members of the executive leadership team on all student-affairs and diversity matters. Candia-Bailey has more than 20 years of progressive experience in student affairs and diversity and inclusion at higher-education institutions, including North Carolina State University, Towson University in Maryland, and North Carolina A&T State University. She holds a doctoral degree in leadership studies from North Carolina A&T State University, a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and disability studies from Michigan State University, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Lincoln University in Missouri.

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Nicholas Reich

Nicholas Reich

Nicholas Reich, a UMass Amherst biostatistician who directs the UMass-based Flu Forecasting Center of Excellence, was invited by the White House Coronavirus Task Force to participate in last month’s coronavirus modeling webinar. The four-hour, virtual gathering included 20 of the world’s leading infectious-disease and pandemic forecasting modelers, from researchers at Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. to those based at institutions in England, Hong Kong, South Africa, and the Netherlands. Reich, associate professor in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at UMass Amherst, heads a flu-forecasting collaborative that has produced some of the world’s most accurate models in recent years. He and postdoctoral researcher Thomas McAndrew have been conducting weekly surveys of more than 20 infectious-disease-modeling researchers to assess their collective expert opinion on the trajectory of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. The researchers and modeling experts design, build, and interpret models to explain and understand infectious-disease dynamics and the associated policy implications in human populations. Reich is co-author of a new study in Annals of Internal Medicine that calculates that the median incubation period for COVID-19 is just over five days and that 97.5% of people who develop symptoms will do so within 11.5 days of infection. The incubation period refers to the time between exposure to the virus and the appearance of the first symptoms. The study’s lead author is UMass Amherst biostatistics doctoral alumnus Stephen Lauer, a former member of the Reich Lab and current postdoctoral researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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PeoplesBank announced the appointments and promotion of several key associates. Eric Coutinho has been appointed mortgage consultant for Hartford and Tolland counties. In his new position, he assists homebuyers with finding the right mortgage option as well as guiding them through the application process. Coutinho has a history of volunteer service that includes serving on the fundraising committee for Longmeadow Knights Cheerleading. Aieshya Jackson has been appointed Westfield Banking Center manager. She has more than 10 years of financial services and banking experience. In her new position, she oversees and manages all aspects of a full-service banking center, including staffing, sales, lending, operations, business development, and community relations. Jackson earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bay Path University. Her volunteer service includes serving as an executive member of the board of directors of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, where she serves as chair of the financial committee. She also serves on the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts. Daniel Malkin has been appointed East Granby Banking Center manager. He has more than eight years of financial services and banking experience. In his new position, he oversees sales and operational success of the banking center. Malkin is a member of the board of directors for the Bradley Chamber of Commerce and Kent Memorial Library in Suffield. Sara Roberts has been promoted to Sixteen Acres Banking Center manager. She has more than 10 years of financial-services and banking experience. In her new position, she aims to ensure the banking center meets and exceeds service and sales goals, provides excellent customer service, operates according to all bank policies and procedures, and serves as a leader within the community. She previously served as the assistant Banking Center manager in Holyoke. Roberts has a history of volunteer service that includes providing financial-literacy instruction for Credit for Life and at the Picknelly Adult and Family Education Center.

People on the Move

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People on the Move

Tony Worden

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank (GCB), announced that Tony Worden was elected by the board to the new position of chief operating officer (COO). This will be in addition to his duties as executive vice president & senior commercial loan officer. As COO, Worden will be taking over some of Tucker’s day-to-day duties and direct reports to ensure GCB maintains continuity in its leadership ranks. And during a stressful period such as now with the COVID-19, the move gives the board the peace of mind of knowing that, should Tucker be unavailable for whatever reason, Worden will be available for major decisions. Worden has more than 21 years of experience in commercial lending and has been with GCB since 2008. He is a 1996 graduate of UMass with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and received his MBA from UMass Amherst in 2005. He is also a 2017 graduate of the Stonier School of Banking at the University of Pennsylvania. He is active in the community as a board member of United Way of Franklin County and a member of the town of Greenfield Cable Advisory Committee and the Turners Falls Downtown Working Group.

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Michael Crawford

Andrea Holden

Andrea Holden

Pablo Madera

Pablo Madera

Elms College announced the appointment of three directors to its staff: Michael Crawford, director of Diversity and Inclusion; Andrea Holden, director of Alumni Relations; and Pablo Madera, director of Public Safety. As director of Diversity and Inclusion, Crawford is committed to the holistic development of students within and beyond the classroom via empowerment, education, support, and advocacy. He has experience in diversity programming and academic support in higher education at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, the University of Connecticut, nonprofit organizations, and as an independent consultant. Most recently, he was a research associate in a culture and mental-health-disparities lab at the University of Connecticut. He also has extensive experience with various social-justice and college-preparation initiatives for vulnerable populations, first-generation and low-income students, and diverse populations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Haverford College and a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Connecticut. He also earned a certificate in college instruction and a master’s degree in adult learning from the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. As director of Alumni Relations, Holden develops initiatives that increase alumni engagement and also advance the goals of the college. She has more than 20 years of experience in higher education, serving in a variety of roles within student affairs, including campus programs, campus-center management, new-student programs, leadership, and residential life. Most recently, she was a student-engagement specialist for the dean of students at the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick, R.I., and the director of Student Activities, Involvement and Leadership at Wheaton College in Norton. She holds a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Worcester State College and a master’s degree in marketing from Webster University. As director of Public Safety, Madera manages the safety measures for the entire campus, as well as the administration of safety policies and protocols. He is a 37-year veteran of the Ludlow Police Department, where he progressed from patrolman to sergeant to lieutenant and, for the past seven years, served as the department’s chief of Police. He served as an adjunct professor of criminal justice at Western New England University (WNEU) for 23 years and also spent time consulting on multicultural-awareness issues and policing. He earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Westfield State University and his master’s degree in criminal justice administration from WNEU. In addition, he graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.

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Cheryl Smith

Western New England University (WNEU) General Counsel Cheryl Smith was honored at the 15th annual “Leaders in the Law” event presented by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. The event was held on March 5 at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. Smith was chosen from a field of nominees across the Commonwealth for the 2020 In-House Leader Award. Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Leader Awards recognize general counsel and staff attorneys who are nominated by their colleagues, clients, and other legal professionals for being leaders in the community and forward thinkers. For the past two decades, Smith had managed all litigation commenced against WNEU. She also supervised the legal and contractual aspects of a complex new ERP for the university. Additionally, for the past two years, she has served as the Title IX coordinator. Smith began her academic career at Wellesley College and concluded at Western New England School of Law in 1983. At WNEU, she is a senior lecturer for “Human Resource Management,” “Legal Aspects of Human Resources,” “Business Law,” and “Business Communication.”

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Brittany Bird

Brittany Bird

Sarah Rose Stack

Sarah Rose Stack

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) recently promoted Brittany Bird and welcomed Sarah Rose Stack to the firm. Bird was promoted to senior associate. She holds an associate degree in business administration and management from Holyoke Community College, where she was one of the school’s valedictorians, and a bachelor of business administration degree with a major in accounting from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. During her time at the firm, she earned the MBK Thought Leader 2019 Award for published articles on behalf of the firm. Prior to working at MBK, she worked in the customer-service industry. Stack is the firm’s new Marketing & Recruiting manager. MBK recently embarked on a rebrand, which included a new logo, interior design, and mission and vision statement. Stack will help bring this new mission to maturity and will implement a variety of new strategies and connections to actualize the firm’s vision. With 15 years of digital marketing, design, and communications experience, she will bring a fresh perspective to the firm’s social-media strategy, revamped digital presence, community involvement, thought leadership, and more. Stack studied music education at UMass Amherst, and has worked in website development and marketing on myriad products and services since 2005. She is a member of the Assoc. for Accountant Marketing.

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Dale Brown

Dale Brown

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Dale Brown as its assistant director of Public Safety. Brown comes to HCC with more than two decades of law-enforcement experience, both as a military officer and as a civilian. He most recently worked for the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office in Northampton, where he was a deputy sheriff and corrections officer in the Hampshire County corrections system, while also serving in part-time positions at Greenfield Community College as a special state police officer and as a patrol officer in Sunderland. At HCC, Brown serves as second in command to campus Police Chief Laura Lefebvre, the director of Public Safety. He started in his new job in January. Brown is a 15-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he served in military law enforcement as a master sergeant, technical sergeant, staff sergeant, senior airman, and airman. During his service, he experienced multiple overseas deployments, including during operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Brown earned his associate degree in criminal justice from the Community College of the Air Force and his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from American Military University. He also holds a third-degree black belt in taekwondo.

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Marco Morgado

Marco Morgado

Pilot Precision Products, the parent company of duMONT Minute Man Industrial Broaches and Hassay Savage broaching tools, and the exclusive American distributor of Magafor and GMauvaisUSATM products, announced that Marco Morgado has joined the team in the role of the director of National Business Development. In his position, Morgado is responsible for directing marketing, sales operations, management of the company’s independent sales representatives, and leading the business’ growth strategy. He brings more than two decades of experience to his new role, gleaned from previous positions at Atlantic Fasteners, Kennametal, and other industry players. Educated at Westfield State University in business management, Morgado is the recipient of business leadership awards from the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce and others.

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Debra Mainolfi

Debra Mainolfi

Freedom Credit Union announced that Debra Mainolfi has been hired as branch officer at its West Springfield location. Mainolfi began her finance career as a licensed agent for major national insurance providers, working closely with businesses and families to design retirement and succession plans through both insurance and mutual funds. Following her later roles in banking, she joined Freedom in 2019. As part of her long commitment to community service, she serves on the executive board of directors for Unify Against Bullying, an organization working to end bullying through the celebration of diversity. In addition to serving on other boards, she previously facilitated a financial-literacy program at Sunshine Village and collaborated on a similar program for refugees with Catholic Charities and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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Nicole Fregeau

Nicole Fregeau

Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JAWM) announced that Nicole Fregeau has joined the organization as program manager. In her new role, Fregeau builds program expansion through strategic planning and presentations designed to recruit and renew commitments of teachers, schools, local businesses, and volunteers. To increase public awareness of JAWM programs, she creates departmental plans and develops and executes volunteer orientation programs. She coordinates the Business and Entrepreneurial Exploration (BEE) summer program as well. Prior to joining JAWM, Fregeau spent a year in Thailand teaching students at various levels to speak, read, and write in English. In addition, she screened candidates for open positions and consulted with potential students during the enrollment process, edited curriculum, and participated in school programs like English Camp and Scout Camp. As an established Junior Achievement volunteer in the U.S., Fregeau also taught JA’s “More than Money” program to sixth-grade students in Thailand. Fregeau is a graduate of Elms College with a bachelor’s degree in business management. She participated in Elms College campus ministry service trips to Nicaragua, where she worked on clean-water and education projects.

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Michael Bovino

Michael Bovino

UniTech Services Group, a subsidiary of UniFirst Corp., recently announced that Michael Bovino was promoted to vice president, bringing 35 years of contamination-control and management experience to the leadership role. Over the past 23 years, Bovino has climbed the UniFirst management ranks from general manager to division general manager, and ultimately now to vice president of UniTech. He most recently served as division general manager for UniClean, a fellow UniFirst subsidiary, where he was responsible for profit and loss, while overseeing all facets of the business. The new vice president’s career began with Public Service Electric & Gas of New Jersey, where he acted as technical manager at various nuclear power stations for several years. He then joined UniTech in 1990, playing a vital role in the company’s success as manager of Health Physics and Engineering for six years before pursuing more senior management roles within UniFirst. Bovino holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental public health from SUNY Cortland, with minors in biology and geology; a master’s degree in environmental and nuclear engineering concentrated in health physics from the University of Florida; a prior certification by the American Board of Health Physics; and an MBA concentrated in business management and financial accounting from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. Since 2018, he has also served as a voting member of the SUNY Cortland Alumni Assoc. board of directors, as well as the board’s finance and Park Alumni House committees. Bovino replaces the newly retired George Bakevich, who served as vice president for 36 years. During Bakevich’s tenure, he oversaw major company expansions throughout the U.S., Europe, and Canada, including recent acquisitions in the area of radioactive-waste processing to support power-plant-decommissioning projects.

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Geoff Medeiros

Geoff Medeiros

As part of previously announced organizational changes by OMG Inc. to accelerate growth, the company has named Geoff Medeiros vice president of Sales and Marketing for the Roofing Products Division. In this role, Medeiros is responsible for developing and executing the division’s overall sales and marketing strategy to support its three business units: Fasteners, Adhesives & Solar, and Metal Accessories, which includes Edge Metal. In addition, he is responsible for overseeing the company’s Marketing Communications and Customer Service departments. He reports to Peter Coyne, senior vice president and general manager of OMG Roofing Products. Medeiros joins OMG from Welch’s, where he was general manager, responsible for strategic growth and marketing for the company’s core product lines. Prior to joining Welch’s, he was vice president of Brand Management and Product Development with the Yankee Candle Co. He started his career at Nestle before becoming a brand manager for Hasbro. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Providence College and an MBA in international business from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

People on the Move

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People on the Move

Kevin Day

Florence Bank’s incoming President and CEO Kevin Day said his 11 years with the bank will allow for a smooth transition for employees, customers, and the community. He stressed that he and the board are committed to keeping the bank independent. “Where the bank is and where it is going will not change. I am 100% committed to the mutual form of ownership,” Day said. “Remaining mutual is what allows our culture to exist. As a mutual bank, we can’t be forced into a sale or merger with another bank. We have the flexibility to do what is right, not just what’s profitable.” Day has 37 years in the banking industry and has been in senior management for 34. He came on board at Florence Bank in 2008 as chief financial officer, responsible for finance, facilities, and risk management. His responsibilities expanded to include compliance in 2013, residential lending in 2014, and retail banking in 2016. When he was promoted to executive vice president, also in 2016, Day was supervising 90% of the bank’s personnel. Immediately after earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration at UMass Amherst, Day worked for five years as a CPA for the accounting firm Arthur Young & Co. In 2016, he graduated from the Executive Development Program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and he is a 2018 graduate of the ABA Wharton Executive Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Day became president on Jan. 29, replacing John Heaps Jr., the longest-serving president and CEO of Florence Bank. When Heaps retires on May 1, Day will also become CEO. Active in the community, Day is currently a member of the board of directors and the finance committee for United Way of Hampshire County, a board member for the Springfield Rescue Mission, a member of the finance committee for Westfield Evangelical Free Church, and board president for the Northeast Center for Youth and Families.

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Nicole Gagne

Nicole Gagne recently joined the Center for Human Development (CHD) as its new chief operating officer, bringing a wealth of compliance knowledge and a strong history in supervision from both clinical and administrative standpoints. As COO, Gagne will work in partnership with the CEO to support and guide other leaders across the organization in their efforts to launch initiatives and help their respective departments and programs, and thus the agency, continue to move forward. Additionally, Gagne will oversee all of CHD’s compliance efforts. Backed by her extensive experience with compliance work, she will be critical in the creation, strengthening, and revision of organization processes and systems. Most recently, Gagne served as president and CEO of Community Healthlink Inc., a position she held for four of her eight years with the organization. Gagne has also been a consultant for the House of Peace and Education, served in executive roles with Montachusett Opportunity Council and North Central Human Services, and has years of experience as a direct-care worker earlier in her career. She holds a master’s degree from Assumption College in counseling psychology with a concentration in cognitive behavioral therapy with children and families. Gagne has also served as a board member on the Assoc. of Behavioral Health (ABH) and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. With ABH, she has worked on some of the planning around Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders’ work to revamp ambulatory services.

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Kristin Leutz announced she is leaving Valley Venture Mentors after more than two years as CEO. VVM board member Chris Bignell will step into the role of interim CEO on March 1 as the organization begins the search for a permanent director. Bignell has been a mentor, volunteer, and startup founder, as well as a partner in the Alchemy Fund. Leutz plans to remain engaged with VVM on various projects as she moves on to her next professional role as a consultant and executive director of the Startup Champions Network, a national membership organization supporting entrepreneurship ecosystem builders. This past year marked significant leaps forward for VVM, Leutz said, including opening the Valley Venture Hub, the new co-working space that anchors the Springfield Innovation Center; relaunching a new mentorship program that has engaged more than 40 people in learning and mentorship; graduating 15 high-growth startups in the VVM accelerator; and creating a groundbreaking collegiate summer accelerator for Pioneer Valley students, co-hosted with colleagues at the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship at UMass Amherst.

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Thomas Maulucci

Thomas Maulucci, professor of History at American International College (AIC), has been named secretary of the board of directors for the Springfield Public Forum. In this role, he is a member of the executive committee. He joined the board in 2012. Maulucci graduated from Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y. with a bachelor’s degree in international relations, economics, and German. He attended Yale University, where he received a master of arts, a master of philosophy, and a doctorate in modern European history. Joining the faculty of AIC in 2006, he first became affiliated with the Springfield Public Forum while arranging events co-sponsored by the college and the Forum.

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Rosemarie Ansel, executive director of River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC), has announced Kelly Gloster as its senior grants director. In this new role, she will oversee all grant programs to ensure the organization’s funded programs are compliant with grant rules and regulations based on the terms and conditions set by each funding organization. Gloster is also the program director for both River Valley Counseling Center’s School-Based Health Centers and HIV/AIDS Project. Prior to joining RVCC, Gloster was an assistant vice president of Grants and Government Relations at Landmark College in Vermont. She brings more than 20 years of grant-writing and grant-administration experience, and owned her own grant consultancy. She maintains a certificate in financial research administration. She also has extensive experience in the nonprofit and mental-health sectors, having worked as a foster-care supervisor, residential case manager, and crisis hotline counselor. Gloster received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UMass Amherst and a master’s degree in social work planning, policy, and administration from Boston College.

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Vonetta Lightfoot

Vonetta Lightfoot, Multicultural Afairs operation manager at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), will be honored for her contributions to the community at the 100 Women of Color Gala & Awards on Friday, April 3. The event, to be held at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford, Conn., recognizes women of color in business, education, entrepreneurship, entertainment, government, and public service, and their impact on the lives of people in Western Mass. and Connecticut communities. Others at STCC who received the award include Denise Hurst, vice president of Advancement and External Affairs, and Lidya Rivera-Early, director of Community Engagement. In her role as Multicultural Affairs operation manager, Lightfoot brings a diverse range of speakers and performers to the college, from jazz musicians and actors to journalists and acclaimed authors. She said she is proud to expose students and the community in Springfield to the Diversity Series at STCC. Lightfoot took the role of managing the Diversity Speaker and Performance Series after her mother, Myra Smith, retired. The award is presented by Eleven28 Entertainment Group.

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Steve Kaplan was awarded the Paul Harris Award by the Rotary Club of Holyoke on Feb. 18 at the Delaney House in Holyoke. Paul Harris Fellowships are awarded as recognition for donations of $1,000 to the Foundation of Rotary International. The foundation utilizes the funds raised to support Rotary International humanitarian efforts throughout the world. The recognitions are named in honor of Paul Harris, the Chicago businessman and visionary who formed the first Rotary club and began what has become an organization with more than 22,000 clubs and more than 1 million members. Both Rotarians and non-Rotarians alike are eligible to receive Paul Harris Fellowships. While anyone may make a donation and receive a Paul Harris recognition, the Holyoke Rotary Club has chosen to utilize its credits to honor some of its own members for their service to the club and the community. A recipient must be a humanitarian, willingly participate in Rotary Club activities over an extended period of time, be a person whose daily actions personify the Four Way Rotary Test, display initiative, and be a leader. Consideration is given to Rotary activities at the district, national or international level; volunteer participation in civic and/or religious groups; and volunteer service to town, city, state, or federal government.

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John Moore, a Springfield artist, was recently recognized at the Massachusetts State House as the winner of the Assoc. of Developmental Disabilities Providers’ (ADDP) 2020 Legislative Calendar cover contest. Moore is a member of Pyramid, a day habilitation program at Viability in Springfield. He was among 31 artists — all of whom have intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, including autism or brain injuries — who submitted their artwork for entry into the contest. The ADDP calendar is an annual project that features compelling stories from its member provider agencies and legislators’ birthdays. It is distributed to both the House of Representatives and Senate, and its association members statewide. As part of his winnings, Moore was recognized in front of approximately 300 people, including state legislators, during ADDP’s Legislative Luncheon, held last month at the Massachusetts State House. ADDP hosts the annual luncheon to outline its budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year and to honor its Legislators of the Year.

People on the Move

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People on the Move

Narayan Sampath

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Narayan Sampath as its vice president of Administration and Finance. He will serve as the college’s chief fiscal officer, managing the college budget and supervising the Business Office, Human Resources, Campus Police, Facilities, and Dining Services. He started Jan. 2. Among his previous roles, Sampath was administrative director of the Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) at UMass Amherst, where he managed all day-to-day operations, including administrative, human resource, and fiscal affairs. He was also responsible for the execution of the $95 million capital grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center that led to the creation of IALS, now home to three centers with more than 250 college faculty members. From 2013 to 2015, he managed the Center for Emergent Behavior of Integrated Cellular Systems at MIT, funded by the National Science Foundation, and before that served as MIT’s financial administrator. From 2009 to 2011, he worked as grants administrator at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Originally from India, Sampath holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai. He earned an MBA from the International Business School at Brandeis University in Waltham. He has lived and worked in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Nigeria, and Kenya.

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Katherine Wilson

Steven Winn

Katherine Wilson, longtime president and CEO of Behavioral Health Network (BHN), announced she will retire on June 30. George Marion, BHN board chair, said the organization has named Steven Winn, BHN’s current chief operating officer, as Wilson’s successor. Wilson was instrumental in the formation of Behavioral Health Network in 1992 when four nonprofit mental-health organizations — the Child Guidance Clinic, the Agawam Counseling Center, Community Care Mental Health Center, and the Hampden District Mental Health Clinic — formed the new entity and appointed Wilson CEO. Since BHN’s founding, Wilson has built the organization from a $1 million annual enterprise into a leading behavioral-health agency in the region. Under her leadership, BHN has grown dramatically and now serves more than 40,000 individuals in the four Western Mass. counties, employs over 2,300 people, and has an annual budget of more than $115 million. Most recently, she was named a Healthcare Hero for Lifetime Achievement by HCN and BusinessWest and was celebrated in the book Power of Women published by the Republican. Under Wilson’s direction, BHN transformed an abandoned factory complex on Liberty Street in Springfield into a sprawling campus that includes BHN’s corporate headquarters, the innovative Living Room drop-in center, Cole’s Place recovery program for men, the 24/7 Crisis Center, an adult outpatient clinic, and its care coordination and outreach services. She also implemented the acquisitions of the Carson Center in Westfield and its affiliate, Valley Human Services in Ware. Winn joined BHN in 1995 as vice president and director of the Child Guidance Clinic. He was later promoted to senior vice president and since 2017 has served BHN as chief operating officer. He has extensive experience in the behavioral-health field and received a master’s degree in developmental psychology and a Ph.D. in clinical and developmental psychology, both from UMass Amherst. He went on to complete his fellowship at Yale University’s Child Study Center. After Yale, he became a staff psychologist at the University of New Mexico Children’s Psychiatric Hospital, where he also taught in the Department of Psychiatry as an assistant professor of Psychiatry. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in Massachusetts.

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John Heaps Jr

Florence Bank announced that President and CEO John Heaps Jr. will retire on May 1, 25 years to the day after he took the top job, making him the bank’s longest-serving CEO. Heaps has grown the bank in terms of staff, the number of branches, the geographic regions it serves, and capital and assets. Florence Bank is a top-performing bank in the industry in the state, with record results over the past five years, according to both the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Depositors Insurance Fund. Heaps will be succeeded from within as president and CEO by Kevin Day, Florence Bank’s executive vice president. Day joined the bank 11 years ago as its chief financial officer. During Heaps’ tenure, Florence Bank’s capital has grown from $24 million to $161 million, and assets have grown from $283 million to $1.4 billion. The bank grew from four branches in 1995 to 11 now — and soon to be 12. The staff has doubled from 112 full-time employees to 221 now. Heaps grew up in Springfield and began his banking career in 1971 in marketing at Valley Bank, later Bay Bank, in Springfield. In 1987, he was first named a bank president for Bank of Boston, also in Springfield. In addition to serving on many nonprofit boards, he has also sat on many boards in the banking industry, including the Connecticut On-Line Computer Center Inc. (COCC), which provides core data processing to banks, including Florence Bank.

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Christina Royal

Holyoke Community College President Christina Royal has been selected for a national fellowship for first-time college presidents administered by Washington, D.C.-based Aspen Institute. The Aspen New Presidents Fellowship is a new initiative designed to support community-college presidents in the early years of their tenure to accelerate transformational change on behalf of students. Royal and Luis Pedraja, president of Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, were the only two community-college presidents chosen from Massachusetts. They are part of the inaugural group of 25 Aspen fellows selected from more than 100 applicants nationwide. The leaders, all of whom are in their first five years as a college president, will engage in a seven-month fellowship beginning in June 2020. The fellows were selected for their commitment to student success and equity, willingness to take risks to improve outcomes, understanding of the importance of community partnerships, and ability to lead change. JPMorgan Chase is funding the Aspen New Presidents Fellowship as part of New Skills at Work, a five-year, $350 million investment to support community colleges and other pathways to careers and economic mobility.

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Jamina Scippio-McFadden, a senior program manager at UMass Center at Springfield, has been named director of the center by UMass Amherst. She has served as interim director for the past year. Scippio-McFadden’s wide-ranging community involvement includes serving on the executive committee of the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts board of directors and the board of directors for the Hampden County Community Impact Foundation and Community Enrichment Inc. She is a member of the Springfield Museums African Hall Subcommittee and an organizing and charter member of the Western Mass. chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc. She joined the UMass Center in 2014 as the director of Marketing and Community Relations, Student Services, and Academic Support. She was appointed program manager for business and community development in the center’s Office of Economic Development in August 2018. She was named interim director of the center in January 2019. Previously, Scippio-McFadden taught communications at American International College and served as a college administrator and faculty member at institutions in Florida and Georgia. She has 20 years of experience in the media industry, including television news, radio, newspapers, and public relations. She received her bachelor’s degree in communications from Bethune-Cookman College, where she graduated magna cum laude. She earned a master’s degree in communications from the University of Florida and is currently a doctoral candidate in education at UMass Amherst.

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Bay Path University announced three new members of its faculty across the undergraduate and graduate divisions. Xiaoxia Liu, director, Applied Data Science, is a seasoned data scientist with years of experience across different industries, including healthcare, business solutions, and insurance. She has extensive experience in handling various data problems through teaching, statistical collaboration research, and advanced analytic/predictive modeling. Liu has authored more than 35 peer-reviewed journal articles, which have appeared in JAMA, Pain, Circulation, and other leading medical journals. She holds a master’s degree in mathematics and statistics from Georgia State University and a master’s degree in communication from SUNY Albany. Joshua Hamilton, program director and professor, is a fellow of the American Assoc. of Nurse Practitioners and is in private practice in Las Vegas, Nev. He has held a variety of faculty and administrative positions in the U.S. and abroad, and is an internationally recognized speaker at conferences and professional meetings. He holds a doctor of nursing practice degree from Rush University and is in the process of completing his juris doctor through Northwestern California University. Nisé Guzmán Nekheba, coordinator and associate professor, Legal Studies and Paralegal Studies, comes to Bay Path with more than 30 years of experience in both professional and academic settings. As a published author and a seasoned presenter, Nekheba is highly experienced in the areas of real property, family law, race and the law, immigration, Native Americans and the law, and law and religion. She is an award-winning academic professional and a member of the American Bar Assoc., the Assoc. of American Law Schools, and the Assoc. for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora. Nekheba simultaneously completed her juris doctor and master of divinity degrees at Harvard University, where she was the recipient of the Harvard University Baccalaureate Speaker Award.

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Andrea Momnie O’Connor, a principal with the law firm Hendel, Collins & O’Connor, P.C., has been appointed to the panel of Chapter 7 Trustees for the District of Connecticut by the U.S. Trustee Program. O’Connor previously clerked for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts. She graduated magna cum laude from Western New England University Law School, where she served as editor-in-chief of the Western New England Law Review, and cum laude from the University of Connecticut. She is an adjunct professor at Elms College, where she teaches legal research and writing. She was named a 2019 Rising Star in the area of bankruptcy law by Super Lawyers. Her practice focuses on bankruptcy, insolvency, and financial restructuring for business and consumer clients.

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As part of its planned expansion of commercial banking talent and resources across the Northeast, KeyBank announced that Matthew Hummel has joined the bank in the newly created position of Commercial Banking team leader, reporting to market president James Barger. In his new role, Hummel will lead and expand the team of commercial bankers serving middle-market clients in Connecticut and Western Mass. and help drive KeyBank’s commercial business growth throughout the market. Hummel brings more than 30 years of commercial-banking experience to KeyBank, primarily from Bank of America’s Global Commercial Banking group, where he strategically aligned banking resources to the needs of middle-market companies requiring complex debt, capital markets, currency, treasury, and other financial solutions. He holds an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Hartford, and a bachelor’s degree from Colby College. He has strong ties to the local community and has volunteered at a number of nonprofit organizations, including Smilow Cancer Center’s Closer to Free bike tour, Literacy Volunteers of America, and Habitat for Humanity. He has served as a Glastonbury Basketball Assoc. board member and boys travel basketball commissioner since 2005.

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Christopher Smith

Comcast announced the appointment of Christopher Smith as vice president of Human Resources for the company’s Western New England region, which includes more than 300 communities in Connecticut, Western Mass., Western New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In this role, Smith and his team will support more than 1,600 employees and oversee all of the region’s human-resources functions, including talent management, recruiting, payroll, benefits, and training through Comcast University, the company’s internal training and leadership-development program. Prior to joining Comcast, Smith served for the past decade as HR vice president of NiSource, an 8,000-employee utility company based in Indiana that provides natural-gas and electric power to 4 million customers in seven states. Before that, he spent four years with the Pepsi Bottling Group, first as HR manager in Las Vegas and later as HR director in Newport News, Va., where he was responsible for 1,500 employees in 13 locations. In addition, he held various human-resources roles over the course of four years for Mead Johnson Nutritionals, a former division of the pharmaceutical manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Indiana University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business, where he recently served as an adjunct professor of Strategic Human Resources.

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Dodie Carpentier

Dodie Carpentier, vice president of Human Resources at Monson Savings Bank, was recently elected president-elect of River East School to Career (RESTC). Carpentier joined RESTC as a board member in 2014, has previously held positions as clerk and treasurer, and is a member of the scholarship committee for this local nonprofit organization. Working under the umbrella of MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board, RESTC promotes K-16 career education and assists in preparing youth for the demands of the 21st-century workplace. In addition to volunteering for RESTC, Carpentier also serves as chairperson for the Monson Substance Abuse Community Partnership, is a member of the steering committee for Rays of Hope, is a read-aloud volunteer for Link to Libraries, and is a guitarist and vocalist for the Folk Group at St. Thomas Church in Palmer. She has worked at Monson Savings Bank since 2006 and has earned certificates in human resources management and supervision from the Center for Financial Training.

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Allison Vorderstrasse, a faculty member and Ph.D. program director at New York University, has been named the dean of the College of Nursing at UMass Amherst. She will begin her appointment on July 1. Vorderstrasse currently serves as a faculty member and director of the Florence S. Downs Ph.D. Program in Nursing Research and Theory Development at New York University (NYU) Rory Meyers College of Nursing. An adult nurse practitioner with clinical experience, Vorderstrasse received her doctorate and master’s degrees in nursing at the Yale University School of Nursing, with specialties in chronic illness self-management research and diabetes. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y. Prior to joining the faculty at NYU, she was an associate professor of Nursing and faculty lead for Precision Health Research at the Duke University School of Nursing. She taught at Duke University School of Nursing from 2009 to 2014. In 2014, she received the Duke University School of Nursing Distinguished Teaching Award. She was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2015, and in 2017 received the International Society of Nurses in Genetics Founders Award for Excellence in Genomic Nursing Research.

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Kiyota Garcia

Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) announced the appointment of Kiyota Garcia as coordinator of the Academic Advising and Transfer Center, effective Jan. 27. In 2010, Garcia started working in the Academic Advising and Transfer Center, which provides continuous support to strengthen, nurture, empower, and educate students in making informed decisions that will guide their educational experience. Garcia holds a doctorate of education in educational psychology from American International College, a master’s degree in clinical psychology from American International College, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bay Path University. She will continue to work on advising initiatives that support the success of STCC students with a focus on retention and completion.

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Angel Coriano

Homework House announced the hire of Angel Coriano as its new director of Programs. He will be responsible for the supervision of day-to-day program operations, including the tutoring and learning process, and will also work closely with local schools, student assessment and evaluation, along with curriculum development. Coriano is a lifelong resident of Holyoke and a graduate of Holyoke Public Schools. An alumnus of the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, he has spent the last 10-plus years in the field of education.

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People on the Move

Jonathan Breton

Bacon Wilson announced that Jonathan Breton has been named the firm’s newest shareholder. Breton has extensive experience in business law, with particular emphasis on commercial transactions, including business formation, mergers and acquisitions, matters of corporate governance, and commercial loans. In addition to his experience with business law, Breton also works on all aspects of commercial and residential real-estate matters. He is licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and Connecticut.

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Sue Drumm

Sue Drumm was installed as the 2020 president of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV), a nonprofit trade association with more than 1,800 members. More than 140 people were in attendance at the 105th annual installation of officers and directors held on Jan. 9 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Drumm is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Longmeadow. She has been active in real estate since 2009 and has served on the RAPV board of directors since 2013. She is involved in several committees at the association, including the community service, education fair and expo, finance, government affairs, and member engagement committees. In addition to the president, the 2020 RAPV officers installed include Elias Acuña as president-elect, Shawn Bowman as treasurer, Cheryl Malandrinos as secretary, and Kelly Page as immediate past president. Directors include Arlene Castellano, Luci Giguere, Lori Grant, Sharyn Jones, Peter Davies, Janise Fitzpatrick, Sara Gasparrini, Cheryl Malandrinos, and Clinton Stone.

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Whittlesey announced the promotions of Tom Dowling and Chris Nadeau to director. Dowling joined the firm in 2017 and has more than 10 years of experience in assurance, tax, and advisory services. His primary focus is on assurance and advisory services for closely held businesses and nonprofit organizations. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy and a master’s degree in taxation from Bentley University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA), as well as the Assoc. of Certified Fraud Examiners. Nadeau joined the firm in 2015 and has more than 13 years of experience in public and private industry accounting. His primary focus is on business valuations for closely held businesses and professional service and medical practices. He is a member of the firm’s strategic leadership group. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both in accounting, from Westfield State University and is a member of AICPA, MSCPA, and the Institute of Management Accountants. He is a certified valuation analyst, a credential issued by the National Assoc. for Certified Valuators and Analysts, as well as a certified management accountant and a certified information technology professional.

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Pamela Ortiz

Webber & Grinnell Insurance recently welcomed Pamela Ortiz as a business development specialist working in its Holyoke branch, Ross, Webber & Grinnell. She will be responsible for business development of home and auto business in Hampden County. Most recently, Ortiz was a licensed sales producer at Allstate and a customer-service representative at Farm Family Insurance. She is licensed in property and casualty, life, and medical in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

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American Outdoor Brands Corp. announced that its board of directors has named Mark Smith and Brian Murphy co-presidents and co-CEOs of the company, effective immediately. Smith was most recently president of the Manufacturing Services Division of the company, while Murphy was most recently president of the Outdoor Products & Accessories Division. In their co-leadership roles, Smith and Murphy succeed James Debney, who has separated as president and CEO and as a director of the company, following the determination by the board of directors that he engaged in conduct inconsistent with a non-financial company policy. The company is proceeding with its previously announced plan to spin off its outdoor products and accessories business as a tax-free stock dividend to its stockholders in the second half of 2020, a transaction that would create two independent, publicly traded companies: Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. (which would encompass the firearm business) and American Outdoor Brands Inc. (which would encompass the outdoor products and accessories business). Jeffrey Buchanan, chief financial officer, will continue to serve as the lead executive on coordinating and executing the separation of the two businesses. Upon completion of the transaction, and as previously announced, Smith will become president and CEO of Smith & Wesson Brands Inc., and Murphy, will become president and CEO of American Outdoor Brands Inc.

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Ryan Barry

Elizabeth Zuckerman

Bulkley Richardson recently announced two promotions. Ryan Barry has become a partner at the firm, and Elizabeth Zuckerman has become counsel. Barry joined the firm in 2015 as an associate in the business department and focuses on traditional business practices, including healthcare, construction, and schools. More recently, he has been instrumental in the development of emerging practices such as cannabis, craft brew, and cybersecurity. Zuckerman joined the firm in 2014 as an associate in the litigation department, where her practice focuses on general commercial litigation, First Amendment issues, and defamation. She has a history of successfully litigating complex cases in both state and federal courts with both local and national significance.

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The Collins Companies, one of the largest industrial distributors of pipe, valves, fittings, and engineered specialties serving the Northeast, announced a change in executive management roles effective Jan. 1. Brian Tuohey, owner and president of Collins, will be assuming the role of CEO and has promoted Vice President of Sales Paul Andruszkiewicz to president. In addition to these changes, Dave Shepard, branch manager of the Haverhill sales office, will lead the Collins sales team as director of Sales. He has more than 25 years of experience in the industry, first purchasing for Atwood and Morrill and then in sales for Power House Supply before Collins acquired Power House in 2015. Headquartered in East Windsor, Conn., the Collins Companies is comprised of Collins Pipe & Supply Co., Collins Controls, Niagara Controls, Collins Niagara, Power House Supply Co., and International Valve and Instrument, with nine locations throughout New England and Upstate New York.

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Kylie LaPlante

Dina Merwin

Monson Savings Bank (MSB) recently announced three promotions. Kelly Collins has been promoted to assistant vice president, marketing officer. She joined MSB in February 2016 as marketing officer and has worked hard to promote the MSB brand over the last few years. She is passionate about sharing the bank’s story and successes. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and marketing, has an extensive background in marketing, and recently graduated from the Leadership Pioneer Valley program. Kylie LaPlante has been promoted to the position of business development officer. She joined the MSB team in December 2011 as a CSA (teller). She went on to earn positions of CSA supervisor, assistant branch manager, branch manager, and in December 2018 began working as a business relationship manager. She has a bachelor’s degree in management and is a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies. Dina Merwin has been promoted to senior vice president, chief risk and senior compliance officer. She joined MSB in June 2013 as a compliance officer. She worked hard to build a successful compliance program for the bank and was promoted to positions of assistant vice president, vice president, and most recently first vice president, compliance and BSA officer. She attended Springfield Technical Community College, Quinsigamond Community College, and Worcester State College, and is a graduate of the Massachusetts School for Financial Studies and the National School of Banking.

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Jessica Derouin has rejoined the Training Resources of America Inc. (TRA) team as manager of the Springfield office located at 32-34 Hampden St. She had previously been employed by TRA for eight years, serving as Western Mass. regional manager, assistant manager, and instructor/case manager. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from River College in New Hampshire. TRA, headquartered in Worcester, is a private, nonprofit organization that has been providing education, employment, and training services.

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Dr. Estevan Garcia

Treehouse Foundation, a nonprofit that supports children and youth who have experienced foster care, their foster adoptive families, and older adults who live at the intergenerational Treehouse Community, announced that Dr. Estevan Garcia, who joined the board last year, will serve as board president. He is an adoptive foster parent with experience in the New York and Washington child-welfare systems. Additionally, four of his own siblings were adopted, three from the foster care system. Pete Crisafulli, a Realtor with Taylor Realty, also joins the board. Prior to joining the real-estate firm, he spent many years working to protect children. He was the Western Mass. director of MSPCC KidsNet and later worked in the Frontier Regional School district, becoming the assistant principal of Deerfield Elementary School and later the principal at Whately Elementary School for nine years. Since 2006, Treehouse Easthampton has been home to more than 100 community members, ranging in age from newborns to age 92. This neighborhood, where families adopting children from foster care live next door to seniors, is a hub of foster care, adoption, housing, and aging innovation for the region and the nation.

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Kurt Shouse

Florence Bank promoted Kurt Shouse to the position of vice president, information and cybersecurity officer. Shouse brings extensive knowledge and skills to his new role. Prior to his recent promotion, he was the assistant vice president, information and cybersecurity officer. Shouse studied at UMass Amherst, where he received his bachelor of business administration degree in management studies. Additionally, he studied at Utica College, where he received his master’s degree in cyber operations and computer forensics. He earned certification from SANS Institute Global Security Essentials (GSEC), which demonstrates a high-level skill set of hands-on information technology with respect to security tasks. Shouse serves his community as a board member with Northampton’s Dollars for Scholars.

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John Pember has joined Westfield Bank as vice president and commercial loan officer. He will be based in the West Hartford, Conn. office and will help lead the bank’s commercial-lending efforts in the Greater Hartford area. Pember has been in the financial-services industry since 2006. After holding various positions in retail and credit risk, he transitioned to commercial lending in 2014 at Farmington Bank and then held a similar role at United Bank. He graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Business in 2006 and was a Michael J. Piette Honors recipient from the Connecticut School of Finance & Management. In addition to his professional accomplishments, he is co-chair of the young professionals committee for the Real Estate Finance Assoc. and is a member of Hartford Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs, the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce, and the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce.

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Jon Reske

Craig Boivin

Jon Reske, longtime vice president of Marketing at UMassFive College Federal Credit Union, has retired after leading the credit union’s marketing function for more than 23 years, and Craig Boivin has been promoted to the position of vice president of Marketing. Reske founded the UMassFive marketing department — spearheading a model of constant innovation and expansion — that today boasts leading-edge capabilities including in-house graphic design, social media, digital marketing, and marketing analytics. For the duration of his tenure, he represented UMassFive as lead press contact and a member of the senior management team. Over the last seven years, Boivin has taken on various roles within the Marketing department at UMassFive — most recently as interim vice president — and overseen many successful initiatives, including the credit union’s latest website redesign, implementation of the Buzz Points rewards program, and promotion of UMassFive’s sustainability loan products. In addition to the experience he has gained on the job, he continues to learn and expand his skillset. He will soon be completing the three-year CUNA Marketing & Business Development Certification School and is also enrolled at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. With this promotion, Boivin will continue to focus on promoting the UMassFive mission and brand, as well as lead public-relations efforts and oversight of the credit union’s Marketing team.

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Meredith Wise, president of the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE), recently announced the addition of four new members to the EANE board of directors for three-year terms. Toni Hendrix is director of Human Resources and Compliance with Loomis Communities, where she is responsible for partnering with leadership to promote HR management practices to ensure fair, equitable, and consistent treatment of employees while minimizing the potential for legal liability. She also provides consultation and developmental support to leaders and team members relative to employee engagement, policy interpretation, change management, and performance management. Mike Hyland, CEO of Venture Community Services in Sturbridge, brings more than 25 years of experience and a sound history of nonprofit leadership. At the helm of Venture, Hyland focuses on ways to improve services and enhance the lives of the people the agency supports, as well as the employees. The EANE board represents a cross section of professionals throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island who provide certified expertise in the areas of business, human resources, and financial management. The other two new EANE board members are based in Providence, R.I.: Michelle Cunniff, director of Human Resource Services at AIPSO, and Gregory Tumolo, senior counsel and head of the employment-law team at Duffy & Sweeney, LTD.

People on the Move

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People on the Move

Steve Lowell

Daniel Moriarty Sr.

Michael Rouette

Steve Lowell, who has served as president of Monson Savings Bank (MSB) for the last nine years, announced his retirement effective February 2021. He is looking forward to continuing to serve with the bank as chairman of the board. The bank’s board of directors announced that Daniel Moriarty Sr. has been named the bank’s president effective February 2021. Moriarty has been with MSB for 22 years, serving as senior vice president and chief financial officer since 2011. He joined the bank in 1998 as an accounting manager, became controller in 2002, assistant vice president in 2004, vice president-controller in 2006, and was promoted to vice president-chief financial officer in 2009. An alumni of Monson High School, Moriarty went on to graduate with honors from both Providence College and the National School of Banking at Fairfield University. The board of directors also announced that Michael Rouette has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer, a newly created position. Rouette has been with MSB for more than 30 years, serving as senior vice president and chief loan officer since 2016. He began his career there in 1987 as a teller. He became loan officer in 1989, assistant vice president-loan officer in 1996, vice president-loan officer in 1996, and senior vice president-loan officer in 2011. He is a graduate of Monson High School, as well as Old Dominion University, the Massachusetts School for Financial Studies at Babson College, and the Graduate School of Banking in Colorado.

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Mary Walachy

The directors of the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation announced the retirement of Executive Director Mary Walachy, who has been associated with the foundation for the past 23 years. Upon her formal retirement in June, Walachy will continue to represent the Davis Foundation in its role as philanthropic lead for the new Educare Springfield early-education center, which is the 24th Educare in the country and the first in Massachusetts. Hired in 1997 as the first executive director of the foundation, Walachy’s responsibilities have included development of the organization’s strategic direction, general oversight of its administration, and developing new and proactive funding initiatives. Under Walachy’s leadership, the foundation established several signature initiatives, including Cherish Every Child, the nationally recognized Reading Success by 4th Grade initiative, the Funder Collaborative for Reading Success, the establishment of Springfield Business Leaders for Education, and the launch of Educare Springfield. Walachy was named a Woman of Distinction by the Pioneer Valley Girl Scout Council in 2005. She received an honorary degree from Springfield Technical Community College and was awarded the 2015 Humanics Achievement Award from Springfield College. Walachy currently serves as vice chair of the board of directors of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. She is also a member of the board of directors of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, a member of the board of directors of Libertas Academy Charter School, former board member of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, and on the steering committee of the Massachusetts Early Education for All Campaign.

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Dawn Forbes DiStefano

Heather Barrett

Square One, a provider of early-learning and family-support services, announced the promotion of two senior-level executives. Dawn Forbes DiStefano has been named executive vice president, and Heather Barrett has been named vice president of Finance. Following a 25-year career with the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, DiStefano joined the Square One team in January 2016 to lead the agency’s grant-research, grant-writing, and program-compliance efforts. She was quickly promoted to chief Development and Grants officer, where she added oversight of the agency’s financial team to her list of responsibilities. In her new role, DiStefano will continue with her responsibilities for grants and foundations, as well as program compliance. She will also oversee the early-education and care programs and family-support services, and will manage many areas of operations, including transportation, food service, and IT. She received her bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst and her master’s degree in public administration and nonprofit management from Westfield State University. She serves on the boards of directors for the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, Dress for Success Western Massachusetts, the Springfield Regional Chamber, the Baystate Community Benefits advisory committee, and Businesses to End Human Trafficking. She is the vice president of Community Relations at Westover Job Corps and chair of the Hampden County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Barrett joined Square One in June 2017 as a senior accountant, managing the agency’s payables, receivables, and employee payroll. In her new role, she is responsible for building and tracking the agency’s annual budget, as well as managing the agency’s facility needs, procurement, and human resources. She earned her master’s degree in accounting at Bay Path University and a bachelor’s degree at Earlham College. She has an extensive background in nonprofit administration, strategic planning, and fiscal management.

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Andre Motulski

Florence Bank has hired Andre Motulski as assistant vice president and controller in the Finance department. Prior to joining Florence Bank, Motulski had served as a financial-institution examiner at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. He studied at Central Connecticut State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in accounting. Additionally, he earned a designation as a commissioned risk management examiner.

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PeoplesBank has announced the promotions of several key associates. Alexander Hoyo has been promoted to data management and analytics officer. He has more than seven years of analytics and banking experience. In his new position, he will oversee and participate in the construction and maintenance of reliable, secure, and innovative information systems to support the organization’s data needs. He is responsible for the day-to-day management of the analytics team as it facilitates the acquisition of information from multiple sources and manages the custodianship and distribution of information to business units. Clare Ladue has been promoted to assistant vice president, banking center regional manager in the Holyoke region. She has more than 25 years of financial-services and banking experience. In her new position, she will oversee the growth and development of banking-center associates and customer relationships. Amos McLeod III has been promoted to assistant vice president, commercial credit officer. He has more than 18 years of financial-services and banking experience. In his new position, he will underwrite new loan requests, review existing borrowing relationships, and assist with training junior credit analysts. Jeanna Misischia has been promoted to customer solutions officer. She has more than 20 years of financial-services and banking experience. In her new position, she will have oversight of the bank’s call center and VideoBanker staff as well as day-to-day operations of both departments. Patricia O’Brien has been promoted to assistant vice president, consumer lending. She has more than 21 years of financial-services and banking experience. In her new position, she will assist in running the daily operations of the residential underwriting department, as well as analyzing residential and consumer applications. Cassandra Pierce has been promoted to vice president, data management and analytics. She has more than 18 years of data-management and banking experience. In her new position, she will lead the data management and analytics team in constructing and maintaining effective, reliable, secure, and innovative information systems to support the organization’s data needs. She will also provide leadership for effective strategic and tactical planning in the use of information, and will oversee the acquisition of information from one or more sources and manage the custodianship and the distribution of that information to those who need it. Mike Raposo has been promoted to digital marketing officer. He has more than seven years of financial-services and banking experience. In his new position, he is responsible for end-to-end management of all digital platforms, including website content and improvements, outbound e-mail marketing, digital message boards, online banking advertising, as well as related analytics and analysis. Christopher Scott has been promoted to assistant vice president, portfolio manager. He has more than eight years of financial-services and banking experience. In his new position, he will continue to support relationship managers in addition to managing his own commercial portfolio. Tracy Sicbaldi has been promoted to vice president, commercial and institutional banking. She has more than 30 years of financial-services and banking experience. In her new position, she will identify, develop, and manage new municipal, commercial, and institutional deposit relationships. Karen Sinopoli has been promoted to first vice president, controller. She has more than 15 years of financial-services and banking experience. In her new position, she will maintain the financial records of the bank, supervise all accounting and financial-reporting functions of the bank and its subsidiaries, and prepare all requisite corporate tax filings to conform with federal and state law. Aaron Sundberg has been promoted to assistant vice president, portfolio manager. He has more than 10 years of financial-services and banking experience.

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Peter Gagliardi

Way Finders Inc. announced that President and CEO Peter Gagliardi will retire in June 2020 after more than 28 years of service to the organization. Since 1991, Gagliardi has served communities in Western Mass. at Way Finders. He has seen the organization through significant growth, including the restoration and development of more than 1,000 units of affordable housing, becoming a chartered member of NeighborWorks America in 2008, and, most recently, the construction of a new Housing Center in downtown Springfield that is due to open its doors in April 2020. Under Gagliardi’s leadership, Way Finders has become the largest nonprofit housing provider in Western Mass. Last year, the organization impacted the lives of more than 50,000 men, women, and children by providing housing counseling, emergency shelter, affordable-housing development and management, financial education and first-time-homebuyer workshops, employment training and retention services, and neighborhood revitalization. Governed by a 21-member board of directors, Way Finders and its subsidiaries, Common Capital Inc. and MBL Housing and Development, has a staff of more than 240 employees and an annual budget, including its subsidiaries, of $87 million. “I have been honored to serve as Way Finders’ president and CEO for so many years, and to work alongside such dedicated and passionate colleagues and partners,” Gagliardi said. “Together, we have responded to the ever-changing needs of the community by developing new and innovative programs that deliver housing, employment, and economic-mobility opportunities to individuals and families in our region. I have full confidence in the Way Finders team to continue our important work.” Way Finders’ board of directors has formed a hiring committee and has engaged Marcum LLP to lead a national search for a new CEO beginning this month.

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Corey Jenkins

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. announced the hiring of Corey Jenkins as senior associate in the Audit and Accounting department. Jenkins comes to the firm from New York, where she spent five years as a public accountant. Jenkins received her master’s degree in accounting from the University of Albany. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and a certified public accountant in the state of New York. She is a strong communicator and is personally invested in helping clients succeed and grow, said MBK Managing Partner James Barrett. “Corey’s not-for-profit and other niche experience adds real value to the firm and is a great benefit to our clients,” Barrett added. “We’re proud that Corey chose MBK as her new home in Western Massachusetts, and we look forward to seeing her grow and thrive in our firm.”

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Joseph Harrington

Rocky’s Ace Hardware, a family-owned business with neighborhood-based stores in seven states, announced the hire of Joseph Harrington as its new B2B sales manager. Harrington will help guide incremental growth in select territories by identifying and implementing sales strategies, in addition to overseeing the company’s sales team. “Joe comes to us with extensive and relevant experience in sales,” said Rocky’s Ace Hardware President Rocco Falcone. “Not only has he worked in the retail space for years, he also has deep ties to communities we proudly serve, having volunteered extensively in youth sports programs. We are thrilled to have him on our team.” Educated at American International College, Harrington brings business acumen to his new role, paired with real-world experience gleaned from various management positions. He was previously employed by two well-established wall-covering companies in New Jersey and California Paints, based out of Andover, Mass. He has successfully managed sales territories, store openings, and people, as evidenced by the many awards and accolades amassed throughout his career. “With his history of notable achievements, we’re thrilled to welcome Joe to the company,” Falcone said. “We’re excited to see what the future holds for him and his team.”

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Harry Dumay

Elms College President Harry Dumay has been elected to the board of trustees at Norwich University in Northfield, Vt. This appointment is Dumay’s first election to the board of a college or university. Currently, he is also a board member of Pope Francis Preparatory School in Springfield. Norwich University is the oldest private military college in the U.S. and the birthplace of the ROTC. Dumay’s election to its board of trustees was made official in October. Dumay became the 11th president of Elms College on July 1, 2017. Prior to that, he had served in higher-education finance and administration for 19 years. His past experience at the senior and executive levels includes positions at the following colleges and universities: Saint Anselm College, Harvard University, Boston College, and Boston University. He holds a Ph.D. in higher-education administration from Boston College, an MBA from Boston University, and a master’s degree in public administration from Framingham State University. He earned his bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Lincoln University. Dumay currently serves as a commissioner, treasurer, member of the executive committee, and member of the annual report on finance and enrollment for the New England Commission for Higher Education; is a member of the board of directors for the Assoc. of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts and the student aid policy committee for the National Assoc. of Independent Colleges and Universities; a board member for the Boston Foundation’s Haiti Development Institute; and a past board member of Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, N.H.

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Courtney Huxley

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, announced that Courtney Huxley has joined the bank as the future branch manager of the new South Hadley location. “Courtney has more than 15 years of banking experience,” Tucker said. “Most recently, she was the branch manager at another bank in Northampton. Prior, she was, coincidently, the branch manager at a bank in South Hadley, which we purchased and are scheduled to open in January 2020.” Huxley has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island. She was honored for her community involvement in 2018 by the Massachusetts Market President’s Office.

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Evan Dowd

The Dowd Agencies, LLC announced the recent hire of Evan Dowd as account executive, joining his brother, Jack Dowd, as a fifth-generation employee of the company. “Evan brings the necessary experience to his new role,” said John Dowd Jr., president and CEO of the Dowd Agencies. “He gained extensive industry knowledge through positions at both local and national insurance companies while living in Boston. He’s excited to return to Western Mass. and to be a part of his hometown community. Furthermore, he is excited to join the family business and help continue and build on a legacy spanning over 120 years. We’re excited to have him join the team.” Prior to his current position at Dowd, Evan worked in Boston in various industry roles, including sales, claims adjustment, and underwriting. A 2013 graduate of Bates College, he is a licensed property and casualty insurance producer and is currently working toward his chartered property casualty underwriter designation.

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Hector Toledo

Hector Toledo has been promoted to vice president and branch distribution network officer at Greenfield Savings Bank. In his new position, he is responsible for overseeing all the GSB branch office operations and the GSB Customer Service Center, located in Turners Falls. He joined the bank in 2018 as office sales manager at the Hadley office. “Hector joined us with more than 30 years of experience in banking,” said John Howland, president and CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank. “His commitment to the highest standards of customer service and his life-long volunteering for the community match our bank’s core values.” Toledo has an associate degree in business management from Springfield Technical Community College and has completed the Commercial Lender Management School Program in Boston. He is a member of the board of trustees at Baystate Health, including serving as finance committee chair, on the community advisory council, and as an executive committee member. He was recently appointed to the board of trustees of Greenfield Community College and has previously served on the board of directors of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

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Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, recently taught financial literacy to high-school students at Pope Francis Preparatory School in Springfield. In this new program, Ostrowski spoke about how one’s credit score affects buying a car or home, how to balance a checkbook, budgeting, and costs to own and manage a home. He also spoke about careers in banking and other financial issues facing a young person after schooling is complete. The feedback from the students included the realization of costs, budgeting, managing credit, and making prudent financial decisions. “It is critical to prepare students for real life — for students to think about and develop their financial future and life early,” Ostrowski said.

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Evan Dowd

The Dowd Agencies, LLC announced the recent hire of Evan Dowd as account executive, joining his brother, Jack Dowd, as a fifth-generation employee of the company. “Evan brings the necessary experience to his new role,” said John Dowd Jr., president and CEO of the Dowd Agencies. “He gained extensive industry knowledge through positions at both local and national insurance companies while living in Boston. He’s excited to return to Western Mass. and to be a part of his hometown community. Furthermore, he is excited to join the family business and help continue and build on a legacy spanning over 120 years. We’re excited to have him join the team.” Prior to his current position at Dowd, Evan worked in Boston in various industry roles, including sales, claims adjustment, and underwriting. A 2013 graduate of Bates College, he is a licensed property and casualty insurance producer and is currently working toward his chartered property casualty underwriter designation.

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Western New England University President Anthony Caprio will retire at the end of June 2020 after 24 years in that role — making him the longest-serving president in WNEU’s history. He took over in 1996 as the fifth president in the 100-year-old institution’s history. The board of trustees will conduct a nationwide search to find a successor. “Western New England University has benefited greatly from Dr. Anthony Caprio’s leadership and stewardship over these many years. His upcoming retirement after 24 years of service is well-deserved, and he has worked tirelessly to advance our institution,” board of trustees chair Kenneth Rickson said last month. “There have been many major achievements under Dr. Caprio’s term as president,” he added. “We made significant advancements in every area of campus life. We expanded our programs and curriculum, completed numerous changes and additions to the physical plant, enhanced our athletics programs, increased our student programs, and made significant advances in our technology. Dr. Caprio’s crowning achievement was completion of the plan to gain recognition as a university.”

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Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems, announced Dr. Simon Ahtaridis as the new chief medical officer at Holyoke Medical Center. Before joining Holyoke Medical Center, Ahtaridis was the national clinical advisor and chief medical officer for Sound Advisory Services. In this role, he oversaw the overall clinical performance of Sound’s onsite and remote advisory services. His prior experience also includes serving as the chief medical officer for Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, where he also served as the chief of Hospitalist Service and chief of Medicine. Additionally, he has been an instructor in medicine, first at Harvard Medical School and most recently at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. His main focus has been improving utilization management in the inpatient setting and population-health programs, including improved documentation, reduced length of stay, readmissions, and appropriate utilization of resources. Ahtaridis received his medical degree from the Temple University School of Medicine. Prior to graduation, he took two years off to serve as the Legislative Affairs director for the American Medical Student Assoc. in Washington, D.C., and also received his master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health with a focus on health systems. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance, where he received several teaching awards. He was also a chief resident and chief of the hospitalist service at Cambridge Health Alliance.

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Gabrielle Young

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, announced that Gabrielle Young has joined the bank as a mortgage loan originator. “Ms. Young has over 10 years of banking experience,” Tucker said. “Most recently, Gabrielle was a financial center operation manager at another area bank. In her new role, Gabrielle will be responsible for educating and guiding borrowers through the loan-application process. She is currently working out of our Florence location but will be permanently based at our Northampton location beginning in January 2020.” Young studied business at the University of Hartford. She is current in all banking regulation training.

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Springfield-based law firm Egan, Flanagan & Cohen, P.C. announced it has promoted attorney Katie Manzi McDonough to partner. McDonough’s law practice includes estate and business planning, nonprofit governance, trust and probate administration, and general corporate law. She works with a wide range of clients, including nonprofit boards, family-owned businesses, and families whom she can help through the estate-planning and probate process. She joined Egan, Flanagan & Cohen in 2017. She began her career first as an analyst for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. in New York and then as a transactional lawyer for Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, LLP, a Wall Street law firm routinely ranked among the best firms internationally. McDonough attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester and Seton Hall University School of Law, graduating magna cum laude from each. She was recently elected to serve on the board of directors of the Hampden County Bar Assoc., and is an active member of the Holy Cross Club of the Pioneer Valley, the St. Thomas More Society, and St. Mary’s Parish in Longmeadow.

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Cynthia Malinowski

Florence Bank has promoted Cynthia Malinowski to the position of vice president and branch manager of the downtown Northampton office. Malinowski brings extensive knowledge and skills to her new role. Prior to her recent promotion, she was the assistant vice president and branch manager at the downtown Northampton office. During her tenure at the bank, she has been the recipient of the President’s Club Award, which is awarded to employees who demonstrate superior levels of performance, customer service, and overall contribution to the bank. She has also completed various professional banking series course studies, including America’s Community Bankers Training Series. Malinowski serves her community as an active member of Easthampton’s Helping Hand Society and is a member of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce.

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Michael Ostrowski

Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, has received the honor of a third reappointment to the World Affairs Committee of the Credit Union National Assoc. (CUNA). This committee reports to the CUNA board of directors with respect to matters related to the World Council of Credit Unions and international policy matters. The World Affairs Committee serves as a focal point for developing policies, strategies, leadership, education, and resources for credit unions throughout the world. Ostrowski has been assisting in overcoming challenges and capitalizing on opportunities between and among the U.S. and international credit-union activities to expand credit-union access throughout the world. He traveled to Cuba to engage its government on establishing credit unions and to Poland to assist its credit unions in regulatory advocacy with the Polish government. He also serves as a connection between CUNA and the World Council of Credit Unions, where he provided financial education, assistance, and guidance to Puerto Rico’s credit unions in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

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Alison Shimel

Cooley Shrair announced that Alison Shimel has joined the firm as associate legal counsel in the general business and commercial real estate practice. She will work with a broad base of clients, including developers, landlords, and general business clients. Shimel attended the University at Albany, participating in an accelerated undergraduate and law school program, and was awarded her juris doctorate in 2019 after six years of study. While attending law school, she worked as a law clerk in the city of Springfield Law Department and at Cooley Shrair. She was active in the law-school community, participating in the Health Law Society and as research assistant for the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York.

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The Westfield Starfires of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) have named Hunter Golden director of Player Personnel. Golden will be responsible for recruiting talent from colleges across the U.S. and Puerto Rico and transition them into summer baseball in New England. Players will live with host families in Western Mass. and become involved with many community initiatives each summer. “Westfield is a great baseball community that deserves a winning team. We’re already focused on assembling a group of players who won’t just be successful this season, but that is the kind of team that sets the tone for a culture of sustained success that we hope to build on year after year,” Golden said. “We’re in a fortunate position to have a lot of trust placed in us by ownership, and have been granted a lot of freedom and latitude in terms of using whatever resources we need in order to build a great roster and provide as good a player experience as we possibly can,” he went on. “The framework already exists here for a winning program, and we’re extremely optimistic that, with a little work, we’ll have a chance to be competitive right off the bat.”

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Steve Chase

Steve Chase, president and CEO of Fuel Services Inc. Oil and Propane (FSi), was recently sworn in as chairman of the Propane Gas Assoc. of New England (PGANE). FSi Oil and Propane has been a leader in the fuel industry for almost 30 years. Over these three decades, many things have changed, including the company’s management, which now includes Chase’s son, daughter, son-in-law, and grandson; expanding its service areas; as well as adding in new fuels such as Bioheat, kerosene, and propane. PGANE is a regional alternative-energy trade association representing more than 800 members of the propane industry by promoting safety, education, and public awareness of the uses of propane. Chase said he is honored by this appointment because he has a passion and commitment to the propane industry and educating consumers on the benefits of this type of energy. Throughout New England, he noted, there are nearly 300,000 residential customers using this climate-friendly energy and more than 11,500 jobs in the propane industry. Chase serves as the state director of the National Propane Gas Assoc. board, is a board member of the BBB of Central and Western Mass., devoted 25 years on the Oxford, Conn. Fire Department, and is a U.S. Navy veteran, having served on the USS Little Rock.

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Deirdre Griffin

Elms College announced the hiring of Deirdre Griffin, SSJ as director of International Programs. She will be responsible for supporting the college’s international students, growing traditional and faculty-led study-abroad programs, and developing a vibrant community of global learning that celebrates diverse cultures and explores current issues. Griffin is a graduate of Boston College Law School and Bowdoin College. She has worked at Jewish Family Service and the Gray House in Springfield, providing a variety of transitional and support services to diverse, global populations. She entered the community of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in 2017 and made her initial profession of vows in July. During her 20-year career as an immigration attorney, she has worked in private practice, managed interpreter services in Massachusetts courts, and coordinated refugee-resettlement services. In 2014, she spent three months on staff at the Centre Internationale of the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Le Puy, France, and this summer lived with a family in Guatemala. Within the current student body, Elms College has enrolled students from 14 countries, representing five continents. The college also has a thriving International Club.

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M. Kate Van Valkenburg

NBT Bank Connecticut Regional President Andreas Kapetanopoulos announced that M. Kate Van Valkenburg has joined NBT’s expanding team in Connecticut. Van Valkenburg will serve as senior vice president and senior commercial banking relationship manager. Van Valkenburg has more than 18 years of commercial-banking experience, including underwriting, management, and lending. Most recently, she served as commercial loan officer for ION Bank in Farmington, Conn. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from UMass. She serves the community as a board member for Gifts of Love in Avon and Neighborhood Housing Services of New Britain. Last month, NBT Bank announced the addition of Regional Commercial Banking Manager Steve Angeletti and Senior Credit Analyst Elizabeth Hayden. The bank expects to reveal the location for its regional headquarters in the first quarter of 2020.

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Deborah Bitsoli

Deborah Bitsoli has been named president of Mercy Medical Center and its affiliates, effective Dec. 2. In this role, she will be responsible for the operational performance of Mercy Medical Center and its affiliates; provide leadership in the execution, management, financial performance, and oversight of all operations; and explore opportunities for growth through strategic development initiatives. Bitsoli joins Mercy with over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry and has spent the last 18 years in leadership roles. Most recently, she served as president of Morton Hospital, a 110-bed facility in Taunton. Prior to her tenure there, she was chief operating officer and executive vice president at Saint Vincent Hospital, a 270-bed facility in Worcester. She holds an MBA from Babson College in Wellesley and a bachelor’s degree in accountancy with a management minor from Bentley University in Waltham. She is a certified public accountant in the state of Massachusetts and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

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Jean Deliso

Jean Deliso, CFP has been named a member of the 2019 Chairman’s Council of New York Life. Members of the Chairman’s Council rank in the top 3% of New York Life’s elite sales force of more than 12,000 licensed agents in sales achievement. She has accomplished this level of achievement for eight 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 Nautilus Group member, 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. 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 and risk management, investment, retirement, and estate planning. She is committed to educating individuals regarding their finances and frequently conducts workshops advocating financial empowerment. Deliso currently serves on and has held chairman of the board positions at Baystate Health Foundation, the Community Music School of Springfield, and the YMCA of Greater Springfield. She is also a former board member of 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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Bacon Wilson announced that three attorneys have been named to the 2019 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list of top attorneys in the Commonwealth, and two have been named to the 2019 Massachusetts Rising Stars list of up-and-comers. They are: Michael Katz (selected to Super Lawyers from 2004 to 2019), bankruptcy; Hyman Darling (selected to Super Lawyers from 2005 to 2019), estate planning and probate; Paul Rothschild (selected to Super Lawyers from 2004 to 2019), general litigation; Thomas Reidy (selected to Rising Stars from 2015 to 2019), land use/zoning; and Meaghan Murphy (selected to Rising Stars from 2018 to 2019), employment and labor. Identified by a research team at Super Lawyers, the attorneys are selected for background, professional experience, achievement, and peer recognition. There is no opportunity to pay for a listing. Only 5% of New England’s lawyers are Super Lawyers. Rising Stars are under age 40 or have been practicing law for less than 10 years. Fewer than 2.5% of New England lawyers were named Rising Stars.

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Yvonne Cruz

Dietz & Co. Architects Inc. announced the addition of Yvonne Cruz, RA to its staff as a senior project architect. Cruz holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Pratt Institute, School of Architecture in Brooklyn, N.Y. and is a licensed architect in New York and Connecticut. She brings more than 20 years of experience to Dietz & Co., having worked for firms in New York City throughout her career. She has worked on an array of residential projects as well as many hotel and restaurant projects. She brings to the firm a commitment to high-quality design and a passion for mentoring junior staff members.

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Three new members have been elected to serve three-year terms on the Bay Path University board of trustees: Pia Sareen Kumar, Rodger Metzger, and Jeanette Weldon. Kumar is co-owner and chief strategy officer for Universal Plastics Group. A graduate of Northwestern University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with an MBA, she previously worked at JPMorgan Chase and American Express, leading business-development initiatives and managing strategic partnerships. Kumar serves on the boards of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, and the Springfield Technical Community College Foundation. She is also a member of the Women President’s Organization and is a reader and school sponsor with Link to Libraries. As president and chief investment officer of Hooker & Holcombe’s Investment Advisory Group in Bloomfield, Conn. Metzger serves as the client relationship consultant for the group’s largest and most sophisticated clients. He is also responsible for directing the asset-allocation and fund-research efforts and chairs the investment committee. Prior to joining the firm, he was with Hartford Investment Management Co., a subsidiary of Hartford Financial Services Corporation. Metzger earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from St. Lawrence University and an MBA with a concentration in finance from the University of Hartford. He serves as an advisory council member for Legg Mason Client Solutions, in addition to memberships with the CFA Institute and CFA Society of Hartford. He devotes time as a consultant and board member for various organizations in Connecticut. Weldon, managing director for Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority, is a public finance professional who has been involved as either issuer or financial advisor on more than $10 billion in transactions for state and local governments and their issuing authorities. She previously served as chief financial officer at Windham Hospital and as senior managing director for P.G. Corbin & Co. Weldon earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and an MBA from Columbia University. She currently serves on the boards of the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority and Northeast Women in Public Finance.

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Rachel Rubinstein

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Rachel Rubinstein as its first vice president of Academic and Student Affairs. Prior to her arrival, Rubinstein spent 16 years at Hampshire College in Amherst, where she was a professor of American Literature and Jewish Studies and from 2010 to 2018 served as dean of Academic Support and Advising. At HCC, she will oversee the divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs in what is a newly unified role at the college. Rubinstein holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Yale University and a Ph.D. from the Department of English and American Literature and Language at Harvard University. A child of Mexican-born, Jewish immigrants, she grew up in a Spanish-speaking household and also studied Yiddish. Her academic studies, professional scholarship, and teaching have largely focused on immigration, migration, and multi-lingualism. She was the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship and a Whiting Foundation Travel Fellowship. She has taught at Smith College and Mount Holyoke College and also taught adult learners and high-school students through community organizations including the Jones Library and the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. Her scholarly work includes two co-edited volumes, Arguing the Modern Jewish Canon: Essays on Literature and Culture in Honor of Ruth R. Wisse and the forthcoming Teaching Jewish-American Literature. She is the author of Members of the Tribe: Native America in the Jewish Imagination, which earned a Jordan Schnitzer Book Award honorable mention.

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Dawn Forbes DiStefano

The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling announced the appointment of Dawn Forbes DiStefano to its board of directors. DiStefano is the executive vice president at Square One, where she manages contracts and annual budgeting of $9 million. Square One is a private, nonprofit organization that provides early education and care to 500 children each day, as well as a range of family-support services to 1,500 families each year. Founded in 1983, the Mass Council on Compulsive Gambling has been instrumental in bringing the issue of gambling disorder to the attention of the public and policymakers. With the gambling landscape evolving and expanding, the council has continued to play a leading role in protecting and educating the public. DiStefano r eceived her master’s degree in public administration and nonprofit management from Westfield State University. She serves on several boards, including Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts, the Springfield Regional Chamber, and Baystate Community Relations at Westover Job Corps. In addition, she chairs the Hampden County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.

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The National Science Foundation recently awarded two grants to support research by two Western New England University faculty members — Robert Barron, assistant professor of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, and Amer Qouneh, assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering — and their collaborative partners. Barron is a co-principal investigator on a project titled “INFEWS/T2 FEWtures: Innovation Analysis Framework for Resilient Futures, with Application to the Central Arkansas River Basin.” The project will develop strategies to promote resilient small-town and rural (STAR) communities using renewably powered fertilizer production and wastewater treatment. FEWtures will equip STAR communities to face urgent challenges such as low crop prices, high prices for energy and fertilizer, pollution, and depleting water supplies. Barron is among a team of researchers led by the University of Kansas and including Western New England University, Kansas State University, and Washington State University that have been awarded $2.5 million to craft a creative, multi-faceted set of responses to these challenges. The focus of Qouneh’s research is “SHF: Medium: Collaborative Research: Enhancing Mobile VR/AR User Experience: An Integrated Architecture-System Approach.” This research will open the door for next-generation mobile platforms that provide high-quality, low-power applications for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). It seeks to develop a synergetic architecture-system approach to improve the user’s experience with AR and VR by addressing performance, battery life, and thermal issues. The project is a collaboration effort between Qouneh and faculty at the University of Florida and the University of Houston. The total amount of the grant is $1.1 million.

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Melissa Fales

Kerry Homstead

NeighborWorks America, through its affiliate Way Finders, has awarded Congressman John W. Olver Scholarships to two individuals — Melissa Fales, program manager for Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp., and Kerry Homstead, community facilitator for the Treehouse Foundation — to attend the NeighborWorks America Training Institute (NTI). The scholarships provide travel, lodging, and tuition to a catalogue of more than 100 topic- and skill-focused courses. NTI creates an opportunity to network with other community-development organizations from across the country to share ideas and learn best practices in their field. Two scholarships are awarded annually to NTI attendees. The Congressman John W. Olver Scholarship recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations that demonstrate leadership, dedication, and commitment in the housing and community-development field in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties. Olver retired in 2012 after more than 40 years in public service, including 20 years serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. While in office, he not only provided strong support for NeighborWorks America, but also increased funding for housing vouchers, community block grants, and other affordable-housing programs. He was instrumental in the establishment of the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program, which assisted more than 1.5 million distressed homeowners through May 2013.

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Brian Benson, CPA has joined the investment-management team at St. Germain Investment Management as a financial planner, while Kathy Stewart has joined the firm’s client services group. Benson has extensive experience in accounting, risk assessment, audit procedures, and planning methodologies, and adds client relationship management to his quantitative and analytical competencies. Previously, he was a senior audit associate at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. He also held accounting and auditing responsibilities at Menzel & Associates, P.C. Benson earned bachelor’s degrees in accounting and business management as well as an MBA with a concentration in financial planning from Elms College. He is an active volunteer and organizer involved with charity golf tournaments as well as sharing his time with Junior Achievement and the MSCPA. At World Sports Camp in Easthampton, he produced individualized coaching lessons for golfers and tennis players. Stewart brings skill and experience in communications, corporate administration, client engagement, and secondary research. Most recently, she was the executive assistant for the operations & production manager at WWLP-TV22 News. She also held responsibilities as an executive producer for As School Match Wits, as well as administrative coordinator for the FCC 398 Children Television’s programming quarterly reports. Prior to her broadcast television experience, she worked in the Community Relations and Marketing department at the Sisters of Providence Health System. She earned an associate degree in administration from Bay Path University.

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James Garvey

Garvey Communication Associates Inc. (GCAi) announced that James Garvey, a digital marketing analyst with the company, has recently earned a digital marketing certificate from Cornell University’s online certification program. “I viewed it as a retreat of sorts where I could isolate the tactical and focus on overall strategy development,” Garvey said. “In turn, our emphasis has now become working with our clients to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) prior to planning the tactical considerations. It sounds simple, but tactical is always the shiny object. Which platform to use and what creative often takes precedent over what the actual objective is. That tendency underserves the client and the potential of digital marketing, and is something we are working hard to avoid.” According to Cornell University, the objectives of the program are to learn and implement proven frameworks, assess opportunities and strategies associated with leading channels, and create integrated digital-marketing plans based on priorities and resources.

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Scott Foster, partner at Bulkley Richardson, has been recognized as a New England Trailblazer in American Lawyer Media’s (ALM) inaugural publication. ALM recently introduced New England Trailblazers, a special supplement developed to recognize professionals in New England who have “moved the needle” in the legal industry, are “agents of change,” and have made significant marks on the practice, policy, and advancements in their sector. Foster’s nomination notes that “he is recognized as a trailblazer because of his unwavering commitment to the business community in Western Massachusetts, providing the resources for emerging businesses that encourage growth, provide education, and make collaboration possible. As a partner at Bulkley Richardson, he is responsible for the recent launch of important practice areas, including cannabis, cybersecurity, emerging businesses, and craft breweries.” All of the honorees are featured in the Nov. 4 issue of the Connecticut Law Tribune.

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Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV) recently welcomed Michelle Barthelemy of Greenfield Community College, Calvin Hill of Springfield College, Gladys Lebron-Martinez of MassHire Holyoke and the Holyoke City Council, Callie Niezgoda of Common Capital, Tony Maroulis of UMass Amherst, and Yemisi Oloruntola-Coates of Baystate Health to its board of directors. In addition, Francia Wisnewski has been elected clerk. Each brings a passion for both the work of the organization and the continued success of the Pioneer Valley, said Lora Wondolowski, LPV Executive Director. “We are delighted to have these dynamic community leaders join us. They will bring important skills and experience to the board and will help to fulfill our mission of building and connecting more diverse, committed, and effective leadership for the Pioneer Valley.”

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Dr. Said Nafai

Dr. Said Nafai, professor of Occupational Therapy at American International College (AIC), has been selected to receive the American Occupational Therapy Assoc. (AOTA) International Service Award at the 2020 annual conference in Boston in March. The AOTA International Service Award recognizes occupational therapists who demonstrate a sustained, outstanding commitment to international service in this field; promote and advance occupational therapy abroad in regard to occupational health and/or occupational justice in underserved countries, thereby promoting a globally connected community; and provide incentive to extend international relationships and contributions to address global health issues. Nafai, known as the ‘father of occupational therapy’ in his home country of Morocco, returns several times a year to volunteer, teach, and raise awareness of occupational therapy as a profession and a tool for empowering people of all ages who face physical, cognitive, or behavioral challenges. Students and faculty from across the U.S. and Europe frequently accompany him to learn about Morocco’s healthcare system. Among his credits, Nafai is the Moroccan delegate to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists; co-founder of the OT Project in Morocco; founder and president of the Occupational Therapy Assoc. of Morocco; vice president of Emmanuel’s Dream, a nonprofit for children with special needs; and a board member of the Lymphedema Advocacy Group, which currently has the most co-sponsored healthcare bill in the U.S. Congress.

People on the Move

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People on the Move

Hector Toledo

Gov. Charlie Baker recently appointed Hector Toledo, vice president and Branch Distribution Network officer at Greenfield Savings Bank, to Greenfield Community College’s (GCC) board of trustees. One of 11 trustees, he will replace former trustee Linda Melconian. Toledo joins the board with close to 30 years of experience in banking. Before joining Greenfield Savings Bank in 2018, he held executive positions at People’s United Bank, Hampden Bank, and Bank of America. Raised in Springfield, he has spent the past 25 years volunteering for numerous nonprofits. He is a board member and chair of the finance committee for Baystate Health, a board member for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, a former chairperson of the board of Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), and a board member of both the YMCA of Greater Springfield and the United Way of Pioneer Valley. Though new to the college, Toledo has served on boards alongside former GCC President Bob Pura, and is acutely aware of the life-changing impact community colleges have on the students they serve. An alum of STCC, he is of the first generation in his family to attend college. “One of the greatest qualities of community colleges in this state is the automatic support and hope given to students regardless of where they come from, their ethnicity, their gender, or their age,” Toledo said.

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Viability Inc. announced that Don Kozera will serve as interim president and CEO following the recent death of President and CEO Dick Venne. “With decades of executive leadership experience, Don rejoins Viability to provide support and guidance for the organization,” said Patricia Robinson, vice president. “During this time, Don and the board will be collaborating to identify the future needs of Viability and how we continue to develop our organization better together.”

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Karen Smith Wohlers

Karen Smith Wohlers has joined Smith Brothers Insurance and will be responsible for employee-benefits compliance and legal services. She has a strong background in human resources and compliance, which will complement Smith Brothers’ growing employee-benefits services in support of clients throughout the U.S. Previously, she was vice president of Human Resources and then chief operating officer at Square One. “Karen’s experience and impact with both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, as well as her compliance training and consulting work for the Employer Association of the NorthEast, will be a significant addition to our employee-benefits practice,” said Don Poulin, Employee Benefits practice leader at Smith Brothers Insurance.

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Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) Berkshire County ran its first All-Ideas Pitch Contest at the Berkshire Museum, awarding first prize of $1,000 to Kaitlyn Pierce of Binka Bear, a product that helps wean children off pacifiers. She also won the Fan Favorite award of $500. Second place prize of $750 went to Michelle Latimer and Leia Miller for their idea 413 Bubbly, a mobile prosecco/champagne business. Third place went to Erin Laundry of Bottomless Bricks, a building-block birthday-party business with a storefront in Adams. More than 100 members of the community came to support the new business ideas, where 11 individuals were invited to showcase and eight pitched their ideas. The contest judges were Evan Valenti of Steven Valenti Clothing, Jodi Rathbun-Briggs of Greylock Federal Credit Union, John Lewis of Sp3ak Easy Studios, Laurie Mick of PERC and the city of Pittsfield, Linda Dulye of Dulye & Co., and Lindsey Schmid of 1Berkshire.

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Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality Group, announced the appointment of H. Jackson Donoyan as vice president of Operations for the growing hotel-management company. As vice president of Operations, Jackson will work closely with Eustis and Main Street’s leadership team to oversee operations at each hotel property in the portfolio. He will focus on revenue generation, operational oversight, owner relations, talent development, and strategic growth. In addition, he is tasked with stabilization and development of the brand while also enhancing the overall guest experience and reinforcing brand standards. Jackson brings a wealth of industry ingenuity to Main Street Hospitality Group, including a background opening and operating newly constructed and renovated hotels. Most recently, he was the general manager at NYLO Providence Warwick Hotel in Warwick, R.I. Prior to that, he was a hospitality consultant in Boston and held positions as the director of Food and Beverage and director of Operations/interim general manager at both the Liberty Hotel in Boston and Hotel Viking in Newport, R.I.

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Kevin Kervick

OMG Roofing Products hired Kevin Kervick as solar products business manager, reporting to Adam Cincotta, director of the company’s Adhesives/Solar Business Unit. In his new role, Kervick is responsible for developing and implementing a strategic plan for the company’s solar business, as well as for managing solar sales, product development, and profitability. For the past four years, Kervick has been a sales and marketing consultant, most recently working with the Spencer Brewery, a startup venture. Earlier, he was owner and chief Marketing officer for the Bassette Co., a commercial printing and marketing company based in Springfield. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Babson College.

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Peter Reinhart, director of the Institute of Applied Life Sciences (IALS) at UMass Amherst, announced that six campus research teams have been named recipients of the first Manning/IALS Seed Grants. The awards will support next steps in their research, such as proof-of-concept studies, business development, and fundamental research into new products, technologies, and services to benefit human health and well-being. Earlier this year, alumnus Paul Manning and his wife, Diane, committed $1 million through their family foundation to establish the Manning Innovation Program, which provides three years of support in advancing a robust and sustainable pipeline of applied and translational research projects from UMass Amherst. The seed grants were awarded after a competitive process that narrowed 35 teams to six winners. Faculty researchers will receive not only seed funding of $100,000 each over three years, but also business training and mentorship from IALS, the College of Natural Sciences, the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Isenberg School of Management, among others. The winning team leaders and their projects include Derek Lovley, microbiology, “Fabricating Protein Nanowires for Unique Sensing Capabilities”; Jeanne Hardy, chemistry, “Development of Potent Zika Virus Protease Inhibitors”; S. “Thai” Thayumanavan, chemistry, and Steve Faraci, “Pre-clinical Efficacy Evaluation of Liver-targeted, Thyromimetic-encapsulated IntelliGels for the Treatment of Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis”; Neil St. John Forbes, chemical engineering, “Bacterial Delivery of Therapeutic Peptides to Treat Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma”; Shelly Peyton, chemical engineering, “GelTech to Enable Tissue-specific Drug Discovery and Help Eliminate Potential False-positive Hits from Screening”; and Madalina Fiterau Brostean, computer science, “4Thought: Unlocking Insights into Your Mental Health.” The Manning Foundation’s gift provides an investment in UMass Amherst as a partner of choice in advancing and applying knowledge and innovation for the betterment of society.

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Kingbill Zhao

OMG Roofing Products announced that Kingbill Zhao has been promoted to director of Key Accounts and International Sales. He replaces Web Shaffer, who was promoted to senior vice president and general manager of the company’s FastenMaster Division. In his new role, Zhao will manage all sales and marketing activities of the company’s three key account managers, as well as the company’s international sales and its European and Asia market managers. He reports to Peter Coyne, senior vice president and general manager. Zhao joined OMG Roofing Products in January 2010 as the company’s first employee in Asia, and was instrumental in not only building its presence in China, but also in hiring the team in place now in China. Prior to joining OMG, he worked for the Chinese National Building Waterproof Assoc. as manager of the International Liaison Department. Earlier, he worked for North China Power Engineering Co. in Nigeria as commercial manager on a substation expansion project. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Beijing International Study University and is pursuing his MBA from Washington State University. He is based at the company’s Agawam headquarters.

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Jessica DeFlumer-Trapp, vice president of Integration at Behavioral Health Network (BHN), recently received the Excellence in Care Integration Award at the Assoc. for Behavioral Health’s (ABH) annual “Salute to Excellence” event. In the two years DeFlumer-Trapp has served at BHN, she has been guiding the organization’s dramatic growth in medical integration and care management. Strategies to integrate behavioral and physical health are at the forefront of healthcare in BHN’s service area and in the nation. As BHN’s vice president managing behavioral and physical health integration, she is guiding new initiatives related to integration and population health. She was recognized by ABH for her ability to understand trends at the macro level as it relates to the evolving landscape in behavioral health, and bring concept and strategy to the implementation level. Prior to her current position, DeFlumer-Trapp served as BHN’s senior program manager of Population Health, where she charted the overall course of BHN’s population-health initiative, working closely with those in the areas of care management, pharmacy, health, and wellness.

People on the Move

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People on the Move

Ian Coddington

Christopher Soderberg

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. announced the promotions of Ian Coddington and Christopher Soderberg to associate positions. Coddington started as an intern in 2018 and worked his way up to associate in less than a year. In his new position, his responsibilities include preparing individual and corporate tax returns and working with senior staff to conduct audit engagements. He works to understand clients’ needs and wants in the whole scope of their business. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business management, with a concentration in accounting, from Westfield State University, and is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants. Outside the office, he volunteers at Junior Achievement. Soderberg also began as an intern last year. As an audit associate, he assists and supports the audit team in day-to-day functions, including ensuring compliance of best practices of all audit procedures and standards and preparing and analyzing test work completed during the audit. He is passionate about developing a professional relationship with clients, with a focus on HUD and nonprofit organizations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and management from Elms College. He plans to return there to pursue his master’s degree in accounting with a focus on financial planning, along with acquiring his CPA.

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Kristi Bodin

Curtiss, Carey, Gates and Goodridge, LLP (CCG&G) is recently welcomed attorney Kristi Bodin to its practice. Bodin’s practice areas include business law, liquor licenses, special permits, zoning and land use, and civil litigation. She is a lifelong resident of the Pioneer Valley and is celebrating her 25th year as a lawyer in Western Mass. Bodin has successfully guided dozens of small-business clients through the processes of entity formation, asset purchases and sales, commercial leasing, and related transactions. She also works with businesses and individuals on issues involving state and local regulations and code enforcement. She is skilled at strategic analysis, business planning, and management. Before becoming a lawyer, Bodin worked in materials management and production control for companies whose products included metal-cutting tools, time-recording and building-management systems, and consumer health products. In addition, she has served as an assistant attorney general for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and assistant town counsel for several communities. She is a past member of the board of directors of the Franklin County Community Development Corp., a representative Town Meeting member in Montague, and an active member of the Amherst Rotary Club.

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Mary Catherine “Marikate” Murren

Jynai McDonald

Yanira Aviles

The Springfield Technical Community College board of trustees recently welcomed two new members and a new chair, Mary Catherine “Marikate” Murren. The new members are Jynai McDonald, who was appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker in June, and Yanira Aviles, who was elected by the student body in April. Baker named Murren as chair of the board over the summer. She replaces Christopher Johnson, whose term recently expired. He had served as a trustee since 2006. Murren has served as a trustee for more than two years. She is vice president of Human Resources for MGM Springfield and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in sports management. McDonald is the family child care coordinator for Service Employee International Union Local 509. In her role, she provides leadership training, professional development, and negotiation for more than 3,500 childcare providers throughout the Commonwealth. Previously, she served as Western Mass. regional manager for Training Resources of America Inc. She also has worked at Hampden County Career Center and Northeast Center for Youth & Families, Tri-County School. McDonald was honored as a rising star in the regional business community when she was named to BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty in 2019. She earned a bachelor’s degree in digital marketing and social media management from Bay Path University. Aviles, the student trustee, said she wants to use her position to help other students who have faced barriers. In her mid-30s, Aviles took courses at STCC to prepare for the HiSET, or high school equivalency test. After passing her HiSET exam in 2016, she enrolled in the liberal arts/general studies degree program at STCC.

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Priscilla Kane Hellweg

The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) awarded Priscilla Kane Hellweg, executive and artistic director of Enchanted Circle Theater of Holyoke, with one of two Lifetime Achievement Awards for 2019. The other recipient was Darnell Williams, president and CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts. The awards were presented at MNN’s annual conference on Oct. 16. Enchanted Circle Theater is a nonprofit, multi-service arts organization that integrates arts and education to engage, enhance, and inspire learning. Under Kane Hellweg’s direction, it has become a regional leader in the field of arts integration. Enchanted Circle works in public school districts across Western Mass. and collaborates with more than 60 community-service partner organizations to develop work that bridges arts, education, and human services to chronically underserved communities, including youth in foster care, families in homeless shelters, and youth in residential treatment programs.

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Dawn Creighton

Greenfield Community College recently welcomed Dawn Creighton as the college’s new chief Workforce Development officer. She will officially join GCC on Oct. 21, and her office will be located at the Downtown Center, 270 Main St., Greenfield. A 2005 GCC alumna, Creighton began her career as an employment specialist at MassLive before becoming regional director for the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) — the state’s largest employers’ resource group — in 2009. During her tenure at AIM, she served thousands of employer members, uniting them around issues ranging from healthcare and employment law to sustainability, budgeting, and hiring. As the former board president of Dress for Success, Creighton also built Foot in the Door, a workforce-readiness program dedicated to helping women develop critical skills for entering and re-entering the workforce.

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On Oct. 17, the Assoc. of Developmental Disabilities Providers (ADDP) and the Department of Developmental Services presented Talking Tech 2019, an event celebrating the promise of technology for empowerment and social inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Delcie Bean, CEO of Hadley-based Paragus IT, was a featured guest speaker alongside other experts in a wide range of technological areas, including remote monitoring, staffing solutions, assistive technologies, cybersecurity, and more. ADDP is a trade association representing more than 120 providers throughout Massachusetts. The organization is committed to enhancing the political, financial, and educational health of member organizations that serve people with disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries.

Picture This

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Picture This

Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]

 

They Shoot, They Score

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Lexington Group hosted an Aeron Chair Hockey Tournament on Oct. 2. Lexington Group invited players and administrative staff from American International College and UMass Amherst to battle it out in a friendly competition (pictured at top left). AIC won and advanced to a match against the Springfield Thunderbirds, with the AHL squad prevailing. The event, which raised $18,000 for the Foundation of TJO Animals, was incorporated into an After-5 networking event co-hosted by BusinessWest, the West of the River Chamber of Commerce, and the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce. West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt served as referee, Pat Kelley of Lazer 99.3 emceed and provided entertainment, and complimentary refreshments were provided by Log Rolling.

Two squads with Boomer, the Thunderbirds mascot

Lexington Group owner Mark Proshan (far left), Reichelt, and some of the players present the $18,000 check to the Foundation for TJO Animals

The cake created by Cerrato’s Bakery to commemorate Lexington’s 30th anniversary

 

 

 

Square One Tea Party

Square One held its 14th annual Tea Party on Oct. 4 at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden. Proceeds will benefit the children and families served by Square One.  (Michael Epaul photography)

event sponsors Jenny Mackay and Maureen Gaudreau of USI Insurance

Keynote speaker Tasheena Davis, attorney and Springfield city clerk

Dawn DiStefano of Square One with event sponsors Peter Miniati and Jeff Ligori of Napatree Capital

 

 

New Home for Williamstown Police

Caolo & Bieniek Associates Inc., the Chicopee-based architectural firm, has completed construction at the new Williamstown Police Station. Built at the Turner House, formerly a center for veterans, the new station provides improved accessibility and safety, as well as the most current technologies in law enforcement.

Pictured, from left: Chris Kluchman, Housing Choice Program director, Department of Housing and Community Development; Jim Kolesar, assistant to the president for Community and Government Affairs, Williams College; Williamstown Selectwoman Anne O’Connor; state Sen. Adam Hinds; Williamstown Selectman Andrew Hogeland; Williamstown Town Manager Jason Hoch; Williamstown Police Chief Kyle Johnson; state Rep. John Barrett III; and James Hanifan, architect, Caolo & Bieniek Associates.

 

 

 

Grand Opening

The Sisters of Providence celebrated the grand opening of Hillside Residence, 36 units of elder affordable housing, on Sept. 27. The $9,250,000 housing development is located on the Hillside at Providence campus, formerly known as Brightside, at 100 Hillside Circle, West Springfield. This innovative facility’s objectives will demonstrate a nonprofit model of affordable elder housing and be integrated with Mercy LIFE, a Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) offering health and care management services, with both organizations co-located on the same 27-acre campus devoted to elder programs.

 

 

Cooking Up Support

bankESB recently donated $10,000 to the Holyoke Community College Foundation to support students preparing for careers in the culinary-arts and hospitality industries.

Pictured, from left: Amanda Sbriscia, HCC vice president of Institutional Advancement and executive director of the HCC Foundation; Harry Montalvo, Community Development specialist at bankESB; Tiffany Raines, assistant vice president of the bank’s Holyoke branch; HCC president Christina Royal; and John Driscoll, board chair of the HCC Foundation, hold a ceremonial check for $10,000 at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute.

 

 

Bridging the Gap

On Sept. 24, Elms College launched the Center for Equity in Urban Education (CEUE). The CEUE will help bridge the 800-teacher annual gap across K-12 schools in the area, especially in specific roles such as special education, English-language learners, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs. The center was made possible through the foundational support of the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation of Springfield and Cynthia and William Lyons III of Wilbraham. The launch ceremony included the signing of memorandums of understanding with leaders from schools in Chicopee, Holyoke, and Springfield.

Pictured, from left: John Davis, senior director, Davis Foundation; Modesto Montero, head of school, Libertas Academy Charter School in Springfield; Cynthia Lyons, chair, Elms College board of trustees; Elms College President Harry Dumay; William Lyons III; Daniel Baillargeon, superintendent, Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Springfield; Stephen Zrike Jr., receiver/superintendent, Holyoke Public Schools; Daniel Warwick, superintendent, Springfield Public Schools; Rachel Romano, executive director, Veritas Preparatory Charter School in Springfield; and Paul Stelzer, vice chair, Elms College board of trustees.

 

 

Supporting Veteran Families

Revitalize Community Development Corp. and its JoinedForces initiative announced they were awarded a $730,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to continue their mission to support military veteran families. This statewide grant will be used to modify and rehabilitate the homes of more than 51 military veterans. The funds will be used to remedy safety hazards in the home; install energy-efficient features such as insulation, heating system repairs, and Energy Star appliances; and make age-in-place modifications, including the installation of grab bars and ramps. The announcement took place at the home of Lonnie Chappell, a U.S. Marine veteran who served in Vietnam, and his wife, Mary (pictured with U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno).

 

 

 

People on the Move

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People on the Move

Jeff Daley

Westmass Area Development Corp. named Jeff Daley CEO of the private, nonprofit development entity. Daley, who was chosen as the result of a search process conducted by the Westmass board, has more than 15 years of experience in the real-estate development arena. Daley is the former executive director of the Westfield Redevelopment Authority and most recently served as the principal of CJC Development Advisors LLC, which he founded in 2016. Daley’s portfolio includes overseeing $60 million in commercial and industrial development and managing $34 million in public development projects. As CEO, Daley will be responsible for management of Westmass, including negotiating corporate acquisitions, land sales, leases, and incentive proposals; grant applications; and marketing resources and development services to organizations and businesses considering investment in the region. Daley will also enhance Westmass offerings regarding development services to communities throughout the region to assist with economic development and real-estate development opportunities. Daley will also evaluate opportunities for new industrial-park development and land acquisition and coordinate federal, state, and local economic-development grants and resources. Daley replaces interim CEO Bryan Nicholas, who served after the sudden passing of former CEO Eric Nelson, who was appointed in 2016.

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Sheila Stamm

Sheila Stamm has joined American International College (AIC) as dean of the School of Education. Stamm is the president of S. Wright & Associates, providing consulting support to academic leaders and faculty in higher education and community sectors. She has an extensive background in higher education, including serving as dean of the School of Education for Cambridge College and Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn. Stamm previously served as commissioner of Higher Education for the state of Minnesota. Prior to transitioning to administrative roles in higher education, Stamm was a tenured professor at Hamline University and an associate professor at Saint Xavier University in Chicago. Throughout her career, Stamm has been dedicated to community service, with affiliations including the Ramsey County Blue Ribbon Commission on Economic Disparities, the Minnesota Chicano Latino Affairs Council Committee on Educational Disparities, the education workgroup of the African American Leadership Forum, the West Suburban College of Nursing board of trustees, the leadership council of Chicago-Area Deans, and the Urban Teacher Education Program, among numerous other affiliations. Stamm has served on dozens of committees at the colleges where she was a member of the administration or faculty and has extensive publications and presentations to her credit, with a focus on higher education, diversity, inclusion, hiring, teaching, innovation, leadership, and learning.

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Patrick Fortunato

Azaya Inc. named Patrick Fortunato its Business Development manager. In this role, he will lead the sales of IT managed-services support, digital and VoIP business telephone systems, and future security surveillance technologies to serve businesses, the government sector, as well as educational institutions within the state of Massachusetts. Fortunato has more than 20 years of executive management leadership experience, while developing strategic business units in financial services and digital-imaging solutions, for mid-size to large enterprise companies and organizations. He served as national Sales manager for Sharp USA and vice president of Sales while working at Konica Minolta, with U.S. national responsibilities and oversight. Fortunato most recently served as managing director for Global Financial NetworX, LLC with the task of increasing customer acquisition for the company’s lending, insurance, annuities, and investment portfolios.

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Rebecca Mercieri Rivaux

Bacon Wilson announced that attorney Rebecca Mercieri Rivaux has joined the firm. Mercieri Rivaux is an associate and a member of Bacon Wilson’s bankruptcy and business/corporate practice groups. Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, Mercieri Rivaux attended Western New England University School of Law, graduating magna cum laude in 2019. She also obtained her bachelor’s degree from Western New England University, graduating summa cum laude in 2015.

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In the wake of a record number of new homes being built, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH) recently welcomed new staff to assist with furthering the agency’s mission. Jason Montgomery joins GSHFH as its Donor Relations manager. He comes to GSHFH with more than 10 years of experience in nonprofit/human-services work and has strong ties in the local community. He has previously served with Habitat for Humanity in Hartford and locally with Way Finders. Also joining the team, Sarah Tanner is now on board for a short term as interim executive director. Tanner is a principal with Financial Development Agency and brings more than 20 years of local nonprofit experience to the affiliate. GSHFH also announced internal promotions and realignments to maximize the agency’s resources. In response to a capacity grant received by Habitat for Humanity International, Jeff Lomma has been named Marketing & Communications manager, with an emphasis on promoting the value of Habitat programming throughout the community. Meanwhile, Mary Olmsted has transitioned from serving as an Americorps volunteer to full-time staff as Volunteer Services coordinator.

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Adrienne Smith

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Adrienne Smith as interim dean of its division of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Smith brings 13 years of community-college experience to HCC, most recently as the dean of the School of Engineering, Technologies, and Mathematics at Springfield Technical Community College. Prior to that, she served as associate professor and coordinator of Electronics Technology at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester. Her professional accomplishments span many areas of academic program development and enhancement, enrollment management and retention, diversity responsiveness, and regional and community partnership coordination. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in science, engineering, and math from Western New England University, where she was the first African-American woman to graduate with a degree in engineering, and she earned a doctorate in education from UMass Amherst with competencies in community-college leadership, educational polices, and administration. A graduate of Springfield Technical High School, Smith started her professional life as an electrical engineer (and the first female engineer) at Digital Equipment Corp. in Springfield.

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Alyssa Arnell

Alyssa Arnell, chair of the History Department at Greenfield Community College (GCC), was awarded the African American Female Professor Award by the African American Female Professor Award Assoc. (AAFPAA) in a ceremony at Bay Path University on Sept. 26. Formerly a history teacher at Dillard University and educational-outreach coordinator and historical interpreter for the National Park Service, Arnell joined the faculty at GCC in 2017. In just two years, she has modernized GCC’s history curriculum, infusing it with a social-justice focus and adding courses such as “The Legal History of American Civil Rights” and “North American Indigenous History.” For many of Arnell’s classes, she has integrated a public history component that brings her classes out of the classroom and to the lobby of the main building, where her students give presentations on their projects throughout the day — a way to let other faculty, staff, and students see the kinds of work her students are engaged in, and see the kinds of research that can happen in a history course. In addition to teaching, Arnell has created programming that reaches beyond the classroom with talks on the removal of confederate statues, a lecture on the life Frederick Douglass, a panel discussion with students about the movie Black Panther, and a conversation on immigrant rights. She also adapted a format of Facilitated Dialogues used by the National Park Service to launch a series of conversations about race and ethnicity at GCC. Arnell is also a core member of Greenfield Community College’s Racial Equity and Justice Institute Team, a part of the Leading for Change Higher Education Diversity Consortium. As part of the Racial Equity and Justice Team, she has worked to learn best practices to support students of color, helped the college identify specific areas where achievement gaps exist, and will continue in the coming year to work to identify specific action steps to try to address those achievement gaps.

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Amy Royal

Amy Royal, owner of Royal, P.C., has been selected as a Super Lawyer for 2019. Providing legal representation in Massachusetts for a variety of different issues, Royal was also selected to Super Lawyers in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. Royal represents employers with employment and labor issues. Additional legal issues represented include employment litigation: defense, cannabis law, and alternative dispute resolution.

People on the Move

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People on the Move

Jeffrey Roberts

Jeffrey McCormick

James Martin

Nancy Frankel Pelletier

Patricia Rapinchuk

Carla Newton

Richard Gaberman

Jeffrey Trapani

Robinson Donovan, P.C. announced seven attorneys were listed in Best Lawyers in America 2020. Jeffrey Roberts, managing partner, practices corporate and business counseling and estate planning, and was named in the practice areas of Corporate Law and Trusts and Estates. He has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 28 consecutive years. Jeffrey McCormick, partner, was listed in the fields of Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. A member of Robinson Donovan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Group, he practices complex litigation, arbitration, and mediation. He has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 20 consecutive years. James Martin, partner, was listed in the practice areas of Franchise Law and Real Estate Law. He concentrates his practice on corporate and business counseling, litigation, and commercial real-estate law, and is a member of Robinson Donovan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Group. He has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 20 consecutive years. Nancy Frankel Pelletier, partner, was listed in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants. A member of Robinson Donovan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Group, she concentrates her practice in the areas of litigation and insurance defense. She has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 15 consecutive years. Patricia Rapinchuk, partner, was listed in the fields of Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment. She was also named Lawyer of the Year in the field of Litigation – Labor and Employment. She practices employment law and litigation and has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 11 consecutive years. Carla Newton, partner, was named in the field of Family Law. She focuses her practice on divorce and family law, litigation, corporate and business counseling, and commercial real estate, and is a member of Robinson Donovan’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Group. She has received the Best Lawyers recognition for eight consecutive years. Richard Gaberman was named in the fields of Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates. He focuses his practice on corporate and business counseling, commercial real estate, and estate and tax-planning law. He has received the Best Lawyers recognition for 28 consecutive years. Robinson Donovan also announced that Jeffrey Trapani, partner, will receive the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. (MBA) Community Service Award during the Hampshire County Bar Assoc. (HCBA) annual meeting on Thursday, Sept. 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Garden House at Look Park in Florence. Trapani concentrates his practice in civil litigation, including insurance defense, employment law, municipal liability, business litigation, and professional malpractice. He also represents landlords in summary process action and housing-discrimination claims, and insurance companies in unfair-settlement claims and coverage issues.

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Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that eight of its attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America 2020. The firm’s managing partner, Kenneth Albano, was selected for business organizations including LLCs and partnerships; Michael Katz for bankruptcy and reorganization; Stephen Krevalin for family law; Hyman Darling for elder law; Gary Breton for banking/finance law and business organizations; Jeffrey Fialky for commercial finance; Gina Barry for elder law; and Paul Rothschild for litigation. Best Lawyers compiles data from confidential evaluations. More than 8 million attorneys participated in the peer-review survey for the 2020 edition. There is no opportunity to pay for a listing.

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Bernitta Burnett

The nation’s 24th Educare early-education center will be led by Springfield native Bernitta “Nikki” Burnett, who has been hired as Educare Springfield’s first executive director. Burnett was raised in the nearby Mason Square neighborhood, attended neighborhood public schools, and earned her undergraduate degree in leadership and organizational science from Bay Path University. She will be completing her master’s degree in leadership and negotiation from Bay Path in 2020. Most recently, Burnett served as regional vice president of Multicultural Initiatives for the American Heart Assoc., where she worked throughout the New England region to build capacity and support revenue generation around community health and education initiatives. She has more than a decade of leadership experience and, prior to her position with the American Heart Assoc., worked at Baystate Health as education coordinator of Cardiopulmonary Services. At Baystate, she managed three cardiology fellowship programs. Burnett also has been actively involved in community organizations in Springfield and in the region, having served on the board of the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, the Baystate Health community benefits advisory board, and Live Well Springfield, an organization that promotes a culture of health in Springfield. Her duties as executive director of Educare Springfield will include oversight of strategic leadership, operational execution, and ensuring the effective implementation of the Educare model to the highest standards of excellence. Burnett will also be responsible for community engagement, fundraising, and resource development.

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Sharianne Walker

Sharianne Walker has been named interim dean of the Western New England University (WNEU) College of Business. Walker joined the College of Business faculty in 1996, most recently serving as chair and professor of Sport Management, as well as co-director of the Sport Leadership and Coaching graduate program. She is the co-author of the texts “Managing Intercollegiate Athletics,” “Managing Sport Organizations: Responsibility for Performance,” and “Strategic Management in International Sport Management.” She has presented her research in leadership development, business operations, and revenue generation at various international, national, and regional conferences. She has also spearheaded accreditation, strategic-planning, and assessment projects at the university. An influential figure in the growth of the university’s athletics program, Walker has served as a faculty fellow, an NCAA faculty representative, and chair of the Western New England Athletics Council, and was inducted into the university’s Downes Athletic Hall of Fame. She was named Career Woman of the Year by the Massachusetts Business and Professional Women’s Assoc. and served as director of the Springfield Leadership Institute. She currently chairs the board of trustees of Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park in Florence. Walker earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Smith College and her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in sport management from UMass.

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MassHire Holyoke Career Center announced the appointment of Shawn Teece as its new vice president of Finance. He has several years of successful leadership in nonprofit financial and accounting operations. He assumed the vice presidency of MassHire Holyoke on Aug. 29 and is responsible for strategically overseeing all aspects of the career center’s financial and accounting systems.

Prior to this appointment, Teece was an accounting manager for Head Start Inc. and an account/auditor for the Holyoke Health Center and Lester Halpern, P.C. He has a master of accountancy degree from Westfield State University.

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Jiulie Phillps

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Jiulie Phillps as its coordinator of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving. Phillips comes to HCC from Westfield State University, where she held positions in Institutional Advancement as associate director of Advancement Services and coordinator of Donor Relations and Annual Giving. At HCC, Phillips completes an Institutional Advancement team that also includes Director Patrick Carpenter and Vice President Amanda Sbriscia. Phillips’s primary responsibilities at HCC will be engaging with alumni and building the college’s annual fund. Phillips holds a bachelor’s degree from Western New England University in communications and is working toward her master’s degree in public administration (concentration in nonprofit management) from Westfield State.

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OTELCO recently welcomed back David Chaplin as a senior ISP engineer in the company’s Granby office. Chaplin has an associate degree in telecommunications from Springfield Technical Community College and a bachelor’s degree in church leadership from Southeastern University. He spent 31 years with Verizon as an OSP technician and staff management assistant, and has additional experience working as an engineering project manager for Verizon and as an electronics and communications specialist for ISO New England.

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TD Bank named Steve Webb regional president for Southern New England. In this role, Webb will lead commercial and retail banking teams in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Upstate New York, and Connecticut. Webb has more than 30 years of banking experience and has worked across several businesses at TD Bank. He most recently served as New Hampshire market president – Commercial, where he was responsible for the growth and expansion of commercial and small-business lending, cash management, and government banking in the state. Prior to assuming this role, Webb was responsible for the Commercial Division of TD Banknorth in New Hampshire, including credit risk management, cash management, commercial lending, commercial real estate, leasing, and healthcare. Webb also brings a wealth of retail experience to this role, having previously helped to optimize store operations.

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Judge Mary-Lou Rup, a retired Massachusetts Superior Court judge, has completed a workshop and received certification in civil mediation in conformity with Supreme Judicial Court Rules, Rule 1:18 Dispute Resolution, Rule 8. Administered by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Inc., the course covered principles of positional and interest-based negotiation, mediation procedures and techniques, settlement agreements, confidentiality, and ethics. Rup recently returned to private practice at Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP, where her mediation experience adds value to the firm’s Alternative Dispute Resolution practice.

People on the Move

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People on the Move

Matthew Nash

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. announced the promotion of Matthew Nash from senior associate to audit manager. Nash began as an intern at MBK in 2011 and was hired as an accounting associate later that year. Since then, he has developed as an expert accountant, leading technical audit engagements and mentoring junior staff through his eight years with the firm. He has a dedicated approach to service and has demonstrated expertise in commercial, benefit-plan, and nonprofit audits, as well as review and compilation engagements. Nash received his bachelor’s degree from Nichols College and his MBA from Elms College. He is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and recently completed all sections of the CPA exam.

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Cindy Bigras

Community-based financial-advising firm PV Financial Group (PV) recently welcomed the newest member to its financial-advisory team, Cindy Bigras, CFP. Bigras and her staff will operate out of their office in West Springfield, expanding PV Financial’s services and continuing its growth as a company. With more than 30 years of working independently and running her own advisory practice, Bigras will bring a wealth of investment knowledge and will help PV Financial form strong relationships with clients and their families. A financially savvy and hard-working individual, Bigras has always maintained a passion for helping others with their finances, said Edward Sokolowski, managing partner. Working as an agent and as a broker at a major insurance company before starting own practice gave her a solid foundation in risk management that proved essential to a financial-planning career.

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CHD’s Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County recently welcomed Katie Lipsmeyer as manager of Development and Marketing. Lipsmeyer’s professional background is in event planning and coordination, marketing and communications, entrepreneurship, and business development. She is currently the founder and owner of Camp Glow It Up and a fitness instructor at 50/50 Fitness/Nutrition in Hadley. In her new position at Big Brothers Big Sisters, she will lead the planning and coordination for annual fundraising events such as the Daffodil Run/Walk and the Northampton Winter Craft Fair, manage the marketing and social-media operations for the organization, and work with the leadership team to create innovative strategies for mentor recruitment and donor stewardship.

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Andrew Sullivan

Freedom Credit Union announced the addition of Andrew Sullivan as commercial lending officer. As Commercial Lending Officer, Sullivan is responsible for working with new and current business owners on their lending needs and the range of services available to them at Freedom Credit Union. He previously served as a small-business lending officer and portfolio manager at Country Bank. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting/business and an MBA from Elms College. He is the founder of the Andrew Sullivan’s Swing for a Cure charity, a golf tournament that has raised more than $30,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

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The Rotary Club of Springfield elected its new president, Robert (Bert) Carter, president and CEO at Willie Ross School for the Deaf, as well as its board of directors for the 2019-20 Rotary year at its June 28 meeting. Carter is an 11-year veteran of Rotary. Before coming to Springfield, he served in the Brattleboro, Vt. club for five years, where he was foundation chair. Since joining the Springfield club, he has served as seargent at arms, director, secretary, second vice president, and first vice president before assuming the post of president. Carter is a 38-year veteran in the field of deaf education and school administration. Prior to his tenure at Willie Ross School for the Deaf, he was the president of the Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, which included the Austine School for the Deaf as well as statewide education and social-service programs. Carter also directed statewide deaf services for FSW Inc., a private, nonprofit agency in Bridgeport, Conn. In that position, he created and directed a 24/365 sign-language interpreter service serving all 31 acute-care hospitals in Connecticut. An educator, mental-health practitioner, and nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter, Carter holds a master’s degree in deafness rehabilitation from New York University, a master’s degree in expressive therapies from Lesley University, and a bachelor’s degree in art education from Miami University.

Seminar on Workplace Violence Emphasizes People, Not Technology

By Kayla Ebner
Joe Hileman of Blue-U Defense addresses the audience gathered at the recent seminar on workplace violence.
Features

Rethinking Safety

Joe Hileman of Blue-U Defense addresses the audience gathered at the recent seminar on workplace violence.

Joe Hileman of Blue-U Defense addresses the audience gathered at the recent seminar on workplace violence.

Sarah Corrigan thought the new security systems being implemented at OMG Inc.’s several locations would be sufficient to keep employers safe from any sort of outside danger.

But a recent workplace-violence training session convinced her that keeping an office or building safe at a time when active-shooter incidents occur almost weekly in the U.S. is far more about educating and training people than it is about technology — although technology is certainly important.

Corrigan, vice president of Human Resources and Environmental Health and Safety for Agawam-based OMG, said she went into the session, hosted by the Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) and presented by Blue-U Defense, expecting to receive some type of plan for how to deal with these types of tragic incidents.

Instead, she came out knowing it was up to her to talk with her employees about how they can each help themselves survive such a situation.

“I expected them to give us a process where there would be something set that we follow, so that was different to me, but it made a lot of sense,” she said, adding that she was surprised to hear the instructors actually warn against making a detailed plan.

Blue-U President and CEO Terry Choate Jr. told his audience of 150 business owners, managers, and rank-and-file employees that active-shooter training can oftentimes be too descriptive, putting the lives of those in the path of danger at even higher risk.

“As alarming as some of those videos are to watch, it is truly a reality. We’re really at a point where we need to take matters into our own hands; we have to be proactive at this point. It’s almost like, if we don’t do anything, we can’t expect any change.”

“Most of the active-shooter training across the country is ‘run, hide, and fight’ based. The problem with run, hide, fight is we already know that,” Choate said. “In the end, it means nothing. The key becomes how, when, and where do we run? How, when, and where do we hide? How, when, and where do we fight?”

This was the key takeaway from the three-hour session, hosted by EANE twice earlier this month — on June 12 at the Log Cabin in Springfield and on June 13 at at the Mandell Jewish Community Center in West Hartford.

The sessions were prompted by recent events — all too many of them, including the May 30 mass shooting at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Va. — and alarming statistics. Indeed, according to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 340 mass shootings in 2018, compared to 269 in 2014. Meanwhile, during the presentation, Choate said the number-one cause of death for women in the workplace is workplace violence.

More than 140 area business owners, managers, and employees attended the event.

More than 140 area business owners, managers, and employees attended the event.

Those numbers help explain why the MassHire Springfield Career Center office, located in the Springfield Technology Park across from Springfield Technical Community College, was uninhabited on the afternoon of June 12, with all 28 employees attending the session at the Log Cabin.

Executive Director Kevin Lynn said his staff had been asking to do a training like the one put on by EANE, and he jumped at the opportunity.

“I think the issue really is that, every time we turn on the news and hear about one of these shootings, you think, ‘do you know what to do? What’s the right thing to do?’ he told BusinessWest. “You’re always sort of guessing.”

And guessing isn’t what he wants to be doing, or wants anyone else on his staff doing, he said, adding that this was a big motivator for sending his team to the training.

The audience at the Log Cabin was attentive and responsive as Choate and his colleague, Joe Hileman, went through their presentation, and the crowd fell silent when listening to the disturbing audio of the Columbine High School shooting in 1999.

Using that tape and videos of other mass shootings, the two explained that, although it may be a difficult thing to think and talk about such incidents and the steps needed to prevent one, such discussions are necessary in this day and age.

Pam Thornton, director of Strategic HR services at EANE, agreed, and said part of the agency’s role as an employer partner has become keeping the employees it serves safe, prompting such programs as the recent training sessions.

“As alarming as some of those videos are to watch, it is truly a reality,” she said. “We’re really at a point where we need to take matters into our own hands; we have to be proactive at this point. It’s almost like, if we don’t do anything, we can’t expect any change.”

Lynn added that the training session forced him to think about things differently, noting that being a company that regularly interacts with the public, serving 12,000 people annually, heightens the need for security.

“There’s really not a lot of room to operate; a building from the 1800s is not really built for this kind of reality,” he said, referring to the Tech Park, part of the Springfield Armory complex and later home to Digital Equipment Corp.

Like OMG, Lynn said he is looking into renovations that could potentially make the building safer, but for now, he said his employees were thankful for the training.

Whether working with organizations as large as OMG or nonprofits as small as MassHire, Blue-U focuses on giving people the tools to mentally deal with a life-threatening situation.

Choate told the audience at the Log Cabin that one of the biggest problems with active-shooter training in these times is that the mental aspect of the problem is not dealt with. Another huge problem comes with overpreparing for a workplace-violence situation.

“We cannot assume what a bad guy or threat is going to do when they come into the building,” he said.

OMG Inc. is in the process of upgrading its security systems, including the installation of cameras and using badges for all 300-plus employees in its Agawam facility, but the company’s leaders now know that a conversation needs to be started with its workers as well.

“There are a lot of doors, a lot of ways to get in,” said Corrigan. “You can’t protect all of those means of access, so you have to teach employees to think for themselves so that they have a plan.”

Kristen Pospolita, HR manager at OMG, said the training session aligned with what the company is currently focusing on.

“I thought that it goes in line with what we are trying to do at OMG, which is to empower our employees to take accountability and responsibility for their own safety in every aspect of the job,” she said, adding that being careful while operating machines and picking up spills on the floor are other ways to be self-aware. “This is just one more step in keeping us all safe. ‘See something, say something’ can be very helpful in lots of different types of situations.”

While a mass shooting or violent crime in the workplace is still not exactly a common occurrence, Choate said such matters are, unfortunately, something people are forced to think about in today’s world. Taking the necessary precautions and thinking about how one would respond in an active-shooter situation can be the difference between living and dying.

“No matter what we do, we will never be able to stop acts of mass violence entirely; it will not happen,” said Choate. “That doesn’t mean we can’t try.”

Kayla Ebner can be reached at [email protected]

People on the Move

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People on the Move
Lisa Kmetz

Lisa Kmetz

Michael Turley

Michael Turley

Brandon Lively

Brandon Lively

Anthony Worden

Anthony Worden

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, announced that the board of directors approved the promotions of Lisa Kmetz to senior vice president – Retail and BSA/security officer, Michael Turley to senior vice president and controller, Brandon Lively to executive vice president, Information Systems, and Anthony Worden to executive vice president and senior commercial loan officer.

Kmetz has 38 years of experience, having started at the former Bank of New England – West. She also spent time at the former United Savings Bank before joining Northampton Cooperative Bank in 1998. She is responsible for managing the branch network for the bank and its security functions as well as coordinating the bank’s charitable-giving efforts. She earned her associate degree in business administration from Holyoke Community College and completed a certificate program in computer information systems from Western New England University. She is a volunteer board member of the Lathrop Community. Turley has 39 years of experience in banking and finance. He joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank in September 2013. He is a graduate of Union College in New York with a degree in economics and attended the MBA program at Western New England University. He is active in the community as a long-time member of the Buckland Finance Committee and several other committees within Buckland. Lively has more than 22 years of banking experience and joined GCB in 1999. He is responsible for the bank’s electronic banking department, information systems, and online security, as well as managing the staff that handle these areas. He received his associate degree in information systems from Greenfield Community College and is a graduate of numerous systems-related programs and certificates. He has been active with the United Way allocations panels and several other groups. Worden has more than 20 years of experience in commercial lending and has been with GCB since 2008. His focus is managing the bank’s commercial lending arm. GCB provides financing for equipment, working capital, and commercial mortgages for small to mid-sized businesses primarily in Franklin and Hampshire counties. Worden earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and his MBA from UMass Amherst, and also graduated from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Pennsylvania in 2017. He is active with the town of Greenfield Cable Advisory Committee and the Turners Falls Downtown Working Group.

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John Page

John Page

Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Claudia Pazmany announced the recent addition of John Page as full-time Membership & Marketing manager. Page, who has been serving as an intern in this position for the last 10 months while completing his undergraduate studies, earned a BBA in 2019 in operation and information management from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, where he also studied political science and was a member of the Commonwealth Honors College. He received the Amherst Area Chamber and Cooley Dickinson Health Care Scholarship in 2015. He had been working for UMass Dining for five years, rising through the ranks, before joining the chamber in 2018. He has a passion for civic engagement and politics and serves on a number of local committees.

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Garth Janes

Garth Janes

Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy, P.C. has elected Garth Janes as managing partner. He joined the firm in 1988 and concentrates his practice in general business law, succession planning, and mergers and acquisitions. Janes is past chairman and a current member of the board of tribunes of WGBY-TV, Springfield’s public television station, as well as a past member of the board of directors of the WGBH Education Foundation. He is also past chairman of the board of advisors of the Springfield Enterprise Center at Springfield Technical Community College and past chairman of the Richard Salter Storrs Library in Longmeadow. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University, a juris doctor from Cornell Law School, and a master of public administration degree from the Kennedy School of Government.

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John Perry

John Perry

John Perry, who welcomed patrons to the Student Prince & the Fort restaurant for more than 20 years, is back as assistant general manager. In that role, he will oversee day-to-day operations and do a little bit of everything, including interacting with customers. He returned briefly for three years from 2014 through 2017, but he left again to pursue other interests. During his leave, Perry said the Student Prince & the Fort stayed on his mind and in his heart, and he wanted to return. “I’ve always tried not to let the Student Prince define me, but it does,” he said. “Yes, I’m a father, a husband, and a friend to many, but the Student Prince has become that other part of my life. I’m here to witness the birth of the next generation as parents share their Student Prince experience with their children.”

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The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, in partnership with the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County and the Pioneer Valley Estate Planning Council, recently announced Hyman Darling, a shareholder with Bacon Wilson, as the the recipient of the Distinguished Advisor in Philanthropy Award, to honor the important role that professional advisors play as champions of philanthropy in the region. In receiving the award, Darling was also given the opportunity to award a grant of $1,000 the charity of his choice. Professional advisors make critical connections between their clients and the mission-driven organizations that serve to enhance quality of life in the region. The Community Foundation recognizes an advisor each year in partnership with the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County and the Pioneer Valley Estate Planning Council who has distinguished himself or herself in philanthropic leadership. Darling is the chair of the Estate Planning and Elder Law department at Bacon Wilson. He holds many honors and awards, and is a well-known estate planner.

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Bulkley Richardson announced that Ethan McNiff will spend the next several months at the firm as a summer associate. During his 10-week assignment, he will have the opportunity to assist with work from all practice areas. McNiff is currently attending Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in Chicago with an expected graduation date of May 2021. He is a graduate of the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, where he received a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, in finance and legal studies in 2014. Since his undergraduate studies, he has worked as an investment operations representative and treasury analyst.

People on the Move

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People on the Move

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank (GCB), announced that the board of directors has approved the promotions of Christopher Wilkey to MIS officer, Adam Baker to vice president – commercial loans, Janet Rosenkranz to vice president and senior credit officer, and Erin Tautznik to assistant vice president and branch officer.

Christopher Wilkey

Christopher Wilkey

• Wilkey is responsible for administration of the bank’s internal network and assisting staff in technology issues. He has been with GCB since 2007 and has been lead technology specialist since 2014. He attended the accounting program at Greenfield Community College.

Adam Baker

Adam Baker

• Baker has more than 11 years in banking, primarily in commercial credit. He is a graduate of UMass Amherst and received his MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. He is based in the King Street office of Northampton Cooperative Bank, a division of Greenfield Cooperative Bank. He is responsible for developing new commercial-loan business in the bank’s market area, with a focus in Hampshire County. He is active in Horizons for Homeless Children, the Special Olympics, and Lighthouse Holyoke.

Janet Rosenkranz

Janet Rosenkranz

• Rosenkranz has more than 23 years in banking and has been with GCB since 2016. She is a graduate of UMass Amherst with a degree in economics. She is based at the 62 Federal St. office of GCB and is responsible for managing the bank’s commercial credit-analysis staff and assisting in managing the overall bank loan portfolio. She is active with the American Cancer Society, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, and Safe Passage.

Erin Tautznik

Erin Tautznik

• Tautznik has more than 14 years of banking experience. She is responsible for managing the 67 King St., Northampton office of the bank. She joined the bank in 2004 and has attended Holyoke Community College and numerous banking seminars and courses. She is also a volunteer with the JFK Middle School’s after-school program.

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In recognition of her leadership in supervising social-work students from Springfield College, Square One Chief Family Services Officer Jenise Katalina was recently named Field Supervisor of the Year. The award was presented by the Springfield College School of Social Work at a ceremonial breakfast on April 26. The recognition comes following Square One’s longstanding partnership with Springfield College and Katalina’s years of leading the school’s aspiring social workers by supervising their field work at Square One. Before joining Square One, Katalina served for six years as a supervisor in a Springfield-based residential program for latency-age children struggling with emotional and behavioral challenges related to trauma. Her prior experience includes the supervision and coordination of after-school programs and drop-in teen youth programs with the YMCA of Greater Springfield. She received her bachelor’s degree from Westfield State University and her master of social work degree from Springfield College. She is a licensed certified social worker in Massachusetts. Katalina is the past chair of the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services’ Maternal Child Health Commission. She currently serves in a leadership capacity for the Hampden County Perinatal Support Coalition and the Springfield Baby Bottoms Diaper Bank. She serves on the board of directors for MotherWoman and is a Baystate community faculty member for the Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health program. She is also a member of many community collaborative groups, including the Project ACCESS Maternal-Child Health Partnership and Springfield’s Project Baby.

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Melissa Brunt

Melissa Brunt

Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Realtors announced the addition of Realtor Melissa Brunt to its roster of professional real-estate agents in its Main Street, Northampton office. After working in the hospitality industry for a number of years, Brunt decided to make the switch to residential real-estate sales. Brunt is a member of the Realtor Assoc. of the Pioneer Valley, the National Assoc. of Realtors, and the Massachusetts Assoc. of Realtors. As a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Realtors, her primary focus will be residential real estate in Hampshire and Franklin counties.

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Berkshire Bank announce the 2019 Volunteer Service X-ellence Award winners: Leonard O’Dea, money desk officer in Pittsfield, for his leadership and individual volunteer service activities outside of his role at the bank; Melissa Myers, compliance analyst in Pittsfield, for her leadership and service in both company-supported and individual volunteer activities; and Shanatia Bygrave, financial services representative in Hudson, N.Y., for her leadership and participation in the bank’s corporate volunteer program. Each year, the bank recognizes employees for their volunteerism in the community by naming three top volunteers. The annual awards program celebrates company employees who have made outstanding contributions to their communities.  The three recipients were selected based on their strong record of volunteerism to nonprofit organizations through both company-supported activities and individual service in the broader community. Each of the award winners received a $1,000 donation that will be made to the nonprofit organization of their choice.

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David Rooks

David Rooks

The largest healthcare IT managed-services provider in Western Mass., baytechIT, is expanding its leadership team with the appointment of David Rooks as director of Operations. A seasoned IT and telecommunications industry leader, Rooks previously served as manager of the Project Management Office at VertitechIT.

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With more than 25 years of business-development and public-relations experience, Joe Mitchell has joined Eversource as its newest community-relations and economic-development specialist. He will serve as the company’s liaison for communities in Hampden and Hampshire counties. His focus is supporting Eversource’s electric service business. Mitchell is a past co-chair of the Economic Development Partners of Western Massachusetts, executive director of the Westfield Redevelopment Authority, and a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Most recently, he served as the city of Westfield’s Advancement officer. In this role, he successfully completed numerous large, long-term projects directly related to business development and retention for the city. His previous duties involved site location, expansion, and technical assistance generating private investment, economic opportunities, and jobs. He has worked with all of the Western Mass. communities and has strong relationships with municipal officials and business leaders.

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Mark Kempic will assume the role of president of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts on May 1. The role of president is in addition to his current role as chief operating officer of Columbia Gas, which he has held since January 2019. From September 2018 to January 2019, Kempic was a key part of the leadership team for the Greater Lawrence recovery efforts. Since January, he has led the team focused on restoring the communities of Andover, Lawrence, and North Andover, including overseeing the introduction of the Columbia Gas Equipment Repair Plan, the Heating Equipment Replacement Program, and the private-property restoration work that is currently underway. In his role as president and chief operating officer, Kempic will continue to focus on improvements to statewide infrastructure and implementation of a number of safety enhancements for the company’s infrastructure and operations, as well as phase-two restoration efforts. He will also focus heavily on community engagement, including planned partnerships with local schools for efforts such as career days and other STEM education programs. Kempic first started with Columbia Gas 40 years ago. His experience in the energy industry includes roles in information technology, engineering, gas supply, corporate planning, and legal and regulatory policy. Prior to his assistance in the Merrimack Valley, Mark served as NiSource’s chief transformation officer, responsible for enhancing efforts to integrate processes and technology across the company’s seven-state footprint. He also previously served as president of Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Columbia Gas of Maryland. He holds a law degree from Capital University School of Law, a bachelor’s degree in computer and information science from the University of Pittsburgh, and an associate degree in solar heating and cooling engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He has been licensed to practice law in four states, including Massachusetts.

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The U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) announced the election of 100 new members to the academy in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. They include Lila Gierasch, distinguished professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemistry at UMass Amherst. The NAS is charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. Scientists are elected by their peers to membership in the NAS for outstanding contributions to research. Gierasch’s research focus for decades has been protein folding — that is, how amino-acid sequence determines the three-dimensional structure of a protein. She is particularly focused on how proteins fold in the cellular environment and the role of molecular chaperones in ensuring high fidelity in the folding process. Gierasch’s honor is the latest in a recent series of recognitions she has earned from research peers and professional societies. Last year, for example, she received the American Chemical Society’s Ralph F. Hirschmann Award in Peptide Chemistry for “her seminal contributions to peptide structure and function, peptide models for protein folding and function, and roles of peptide and protein aggregation in disease.” In 2016, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. That same year, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology named Gierasch editor in chief of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the society’s flagship journal, for a five-year term. In 2014, Gierasch was named to the National Institutes of Health Council of Councils, established to advise the NIH director on policies and activities of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, which includes making recommendations on research that represents important areas of emerging scientific opportunities, rising public-health challenges, or knowledge gaps that deserve special emphasis or would otherwise benefit from strategic planning and coordination. Most recently, she was recognized for her “outstanding contributions to peptide science” by the American Peptide Society.

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Fierst, Kane & Bloomberg, LLP announced that Jonathan Kane, who joined the firm in 2001 and became a partner in 2005, has been appointed associate justice of the Housing Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. His last formal day at the firm will be May 31. Meanwhile, Susan Cooper has become a partner in the firm. She has more than 25 years of experience representing businesses of all types and sizes, from sole proprietors to international corporations. Her primary areas of practice include transactional matters such as business acquisitions and sales, corporate reorganizations, advising startups, and commercial lending. She is a graduate of Cornell University and the George Washington University National Law Center. In addition, Mae Stiles has recently become of counsel to the firm. She has 11 years of experience in complex commercial litigation, including antitrust and intellectual-property matters as well as a wide variety of corporate, business, and licensing transactions. She is a graduate of the University of Vermont and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts, New York, and California.

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Patrick Carpenter

Patrick Carpenter

Holyoke Community College recently welcomed Patrick Carpenter as its director of Institutional Advancement. In his new role, Carpenter will serve as the principal gifts officer for the HCC Foundation, facilitate donor cultivation and engagement, and supervise the office of Alumni Relations. Before his hiring at HCC, he held advancement positions at Westfield State University as major gifts officer, Boston College School of Law as associate director of University Advancement, and Elms College, his alma mater, as director of Annual Giving. Carpenter has worked in higher education since earning his bachelor’s degree in English from Elms College in 2002, starting his professional career at the College of Saint Rose as coordinator of Residence Life before returning to Elms in 2007 as director of Residence Life and eventually moving into the office of Institutional Advancement there. He has also been a member of the adjunct teaching faculty at Elms since 2011 and served on the Elms College board of trustees and as president of the Elms College Alumni Assoc. In 2014, he received Bay Path University’s Recent Alumni Award, which is presented to a graduate who possesses great leadership potential. Carpenter holds a master’s degree in higher education administration from Bay Path University and is working on his doctor of education degree in higher education administration from Northeastern University.

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NAI Plotkin, a third-generation commercial real-estate firm based in Springfield, announced the promotion of Daniel Moore to vice president and leader of the company’s Brokerage division. President and CEO Evan Plotkin praised Moore, a 12-year veteran of the firm, for his contributions to the company, his extensive experience in both brokerage and construction management, and his ability to both understand and exceed client expectations. “These are exciting times for NAI Plotkin,” he noted, “and Dan is exactly the right person to guide our brokerage division as it propels forward.” Moore succeeds Bill Low as NAI Plotkin’s broker of record, as Low pursues other interests.

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Joy Brock

Joy Brock

River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC) announced the promotion of Joy Brock to program director of the CONCERN Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Brock received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland University College, a master’s degree in psychology from Old Dominion University, and a master’s degree in clinical psychology and a doctorate in psychology, both from Regent University. She practiced in Virginia and Florida before moving to Vermont for a clinical psychology internship at the Brattleboro Retreat, where she was involved in the Uniformed Service Program. Brock joined RVCC in October 2014. Her experience includes being a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, a member of Regent University’s trauma team, and a member of the Florida Red Cross Disaster Action Team. This unique blend of experience supports her role as the new program director of the CONCERN EAP.

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Sanjay Raman, associate vice president for the Virginia Tech National Capital Region and president and CEO of the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corp., has been named the new dean of the College of Engineering at UMass Amherst. The announcement was made by John McCarthy, provost and senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. Raman begins his new duties at UMass Amherst in August. Raman succeeds Timothy Anderson who served as UMass Amherst’s dean of the College of Engineering from 2013 to 2018. Anderson is a distinguished professor in Chemical Engineering and remains on the faculty. At Virginia Tech, Raman is a tenured full professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) based at the Virginia Tech Research Center in Arlington, Va. From 1998 to 2009, he was assigned to the Virginia Tech main campus in Blacksburg. As the associate vice president for the Virginia Tech National Capital Region, Raman is responsible for planning and executing region-wide initiatives to enhance the university’s research, education, and outreach missions, focusing on cross-cutting themes of data and decision science, integrated security, intelligent infrastructure, global systems science, policy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Since July 2016, he has also served as the president and CEO of the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corp., whose mission is to deliver analytic and technology solutions to the university’s government and non-government customers. From 2007 to 2013, Raman served as a program manager in the Microsystems Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, on loan from the university under Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignments. He is also a graduate of the Virginia Tech Executive Development Institute. Raman earned his doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1998 and joined the ECE faculty at Virginia Tech. Prior to his doctoral studies at the University of Michigan, Raman served as a nuclear-trained submarine officer in the U.S. Navy from 1987 to 1992. He earned a bachelor’s of electrical engineering degree, with highest honors, from Georgia Tech in 1987.

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Pathlight, a Valley leader in residential and community services for people with intellectual disabilities and autism, named Program Manager Victoria Barsaleau the recipient of its annual Donald Fletcher Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship, which is awarded yearly, is meant to assist an employee in obtaining an undergraduate degree. A committee of Pathlight board members and staff made the selection after receiving applications from employees. The scholarship is named after Donald Fletcher, Pathlight’s former executive director, who was committed to helping staff pursue their education. This scholarship is in addition to Pathlight’s current tuition-reimbursement program. Barsaleau was also recognized for her leadership with Pathlight’s Michelle Reberkenny Supervisor Recognition award. She started at Pathlight in 2016, but began her career in human services nine years ago, serving as a direct-support professional supporting people with intellectual disabilities and intensive behavioral needs. She got her start in the field after her father drove her to a day program that supports adults with disabilities and encouraged her to apply for a job. Barsaleau is currently working toward her undergraduate degree at Bay Path University, majoring in human services and rehabilitation.

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Lisa Alber

Lisa Alber

Amy McMahan

Amy McMahan

Elizabeth Sillin

Elizabeth Sillin

At its annual meeting on March 13, the corporators of GSB, MHC voted to appoint three new directors to the board of directors of both GSB, MHC and Greenfield Savings Bank. The new directors are Lisa Alber, Amy McMahan, and Elizabeth Sillin. “We are honored to strengthen our board of directors with these three outstanding business leaders,” said John Howland, president and CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank. “They bring a wealth of knowledge to contribute to our board from both their professional careers and their commitment to supporting the communities served by Greenfield Savings Bank.” Alber is the owner and audiologist for Alber Hearing Services, a business she founded in 2009. Prior to forming her own firm, she worked as an audiologist at Berkshire Medical Center. McMahan has been co-owner and sole operator of the Greenfield eatery, Mesa Verde, since it opened in 2002. Prior to founding Mesa Verde, she worked her entire professional career in a variety of positions in the food-service industry. Sillin is a partner at the law firm Bulkley Richardson, working with individuals in all areas of estate and gift-tax planning and administration. Her clients include nonprofit institutions, assisting with formation and operational issues, including regulatory compliance, and providing advice regarding charitable trusts and endowments.

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Michael Cohen and Rudy Pawul have joined the all-volunteer board of directors for the International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI). With a strong commitment to healthy living, Cohen founded Lightlife Foods Inc. in 1979. He served as Lightlife’s CEO until 2000, when he and his wife sold the company. In 2003, he retired. In addition to his work on the ILI board, Michael is a former member of the board of directors for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and finance chair and treasurer of the Northampton Survival Center’s board of directors. Pawul is the director of IT Infrastructure and Enterprise Support for ISO New England. He manages and provides strategic vision for software applications and data centers that allow ISO New England to carry out its mission. While earning his master’s degre at UMass Amherst, he participated in hurricane hunter flights and traveled to the Arctic to study the effects of climate change on the Greenland ice sheet.

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Aieshya Jackson

Aieshya Jackson

Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JAWM), now celebrating its centennial anniversary, announced that Aieshya Jackson has joined its board of directors. Jennifer Connolly, JAWM president, noted that Jackson “has been actively involved with our organization for many years as a volunteer, and now we look forward to her contributing her thoughts at a decision-making level.” Jackson is a branch manager for Santander Bank, where she oversees a full range of products and services, leads branch staff, ensures member satisfaction, and minimizes operational issues. Prior to her current role, she served as branch manager at United Bank. Aside from serving on JAWM’s board of directors, Jackson sits on the board for the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services organization and volunteers for Revitalize CDC and the Springfield Rescue Mission. She graduated from the Connecticut School of Finance and Management.

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Michelle Caron

Michelle Caron

Freedom Credit Union announced the addition of Michelle Caron to its staff as branch officer at its Feeding Hills location. As branch officer, Caron is responsible for directing and administering operational efforts in the branch and ensuring that established policies and procedures are followed. She oversees a full range of products and services, leads branch staff, ensures member satisfaction, and minimizes operational issues. Prior to joining Freedom Credit Union, she served as banking center manager at Bank of America and branch manager at Peoples United Bank. Caron earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance from Westfield State University. She volunteers at the Springfield Rescue Mission and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

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People on the Move
David Lawless

David Lawless

Robinson Donovan, P.C. announced that attorney David Lawless has been named a partner at the firm. Lawless previously served as an investigative analyst in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in New York City. He focuses his practice on civil litigation in federal and state courts, including employment law and litigation, business litigation, and municipal defense litigation. A member of the American, Massachusetts, Franklin County, Hampden County, and Federal bar associations, Lawless graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2005. He was named to the Super Lawyers Rising Star list every year from 2008 to 2015. He is active in the legal community, serving as a board member of the Federal Bar Assoc., Massachusetts chapter, and co-chair of its civil rights and new programming committees. He also serves on the board of the Northeast Center for Youth and Families.

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Lea Occhialini

Lea Occhialini

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Lea Occhialini as its first ombudsperson and chief culture officer. Occhialini is the former faculty and staff ombudsperson at Hampshire College and mediator/trainer in the Smith College Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. Prior to that, she worked as a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court qualified mediator for the Mediation and Training Collaborative in Greenfield and helped oversee the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Face-to-Face mediation program in Holyoke, Northampton, and Greenfield small-claims courts. The ombudsperson/chief culture officer position is new at HCC. Occhialini has worked in the mediation field since 2013. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College, a law degree from American University’s Washington College School of Law, and a certificate in the foundations of organizational ombudsman practice from the International Ombudsman Assoc.

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Peter Novak, general agent of Charter Oak Financial, a MassMutual firm, was inducted into the GAMA International Management Hall of Fame on March 18 in recognition of his career-long contributions to and leadership in the financial-services industry. A 35-year industry veteran, Novak has been a MassMutual field leader since joining the company in 1995. Under the leadership of Novak and his partner, General Agent Brendan Naughton, Charter Oak has grown regionally to include presence in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. The firm has historically won MassMutual’s most prestigious awards for growth and leadership. Novak previously served as general agent to MassMutual’s Rochester, N.Y. agency; co-general agent at the New England/Robinson Co. in Waterbury, Conn.; and as an agent at New York Life Insurance Co. Novak has been a GAMA member since 1985, with service to the boards of both GAMA International (2015-17) and the GAMA Foundation (2004-06). A contributor to the organization’s research, publications, and conferences, he has been recognized regularly with numerous GAMA awards. In addition to his work with GAMA, Novak is the co-founder of the Charter Oak Fund, Charter Oak’s charitable arm, which supports numerous local philanthropic causes and organizations; a member of the board of trustees of the Kosciuszko Foundation; and a board member of the Central European Institute (CEI) at Quinnipiac University. In 2013, he and his wife, Kasia, established the Novak Family Polish Chair at the university in support of CEI to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Eastern European countries with developing economies. His travels to Poland in this capacity have been instrumental in bridging the gap between the business and insurance industries here and in Poland.

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Jennifer Lawton

Jennifer Lawton

David Hess

David Hess

Suzanne Mlinarcik

Suzanne Mlinarcik

The Dowd Agencies, LLC announced the promotion of Jennifer Lawton to vice president of Insurance Operations, and the addition of David Hess as an insurance producer and Suzanne Mlinarcik as a commercial account manager and marketer. Lawton, who began her career with Dowd in 2014, was formerly the agencies’ personal-lines manager. In her new position, she provides leadership in the development, implementation, and oversight of systems and procedures that align with Dowd’s organizational strategic initiatives, helping to ensure the achievement of business results. She also serves as the primary advisor to the company’s senior executive leadership team on operational efficiencies. A certified insurance service representative, Lawton received her associate degree in business from Holyoke Community College. She is the chairperson and program coordinator for Distinguished Young Women of Greater Easthampton, a scholarship program for high-school girls. Hess is responsible for writing personal, commercial, and life-insurance plans at Dowd. He brings more than 14 years of experience to his role at Dowd. After graduating from UMass Amherst in 2003, he worked as an insurance agent with a local agency until his recent transition to the Dowd Agencies. He is licensed as a producer for property, casualty, life, and health insurance in both Massachusetts and Connecticut. Mlinarcik is responsible for marketing new and renewal business and managing in-house accounts. She has been an insurance professional for more than 25 years, specializing in commercial insurance and training and mentoring employees. Her career began at an insurance agency in Connecticut, where she climbed the ranks from a part-time employee to manager of the Commercial Lines department. She eventually stepped into the role of senior account manager, where she mentored new hires and managed her own client portfolio. Mlinarcik is an active member of the motorcycle community, regularly participating in charitable events including Brightside’s Hope for the Holidays Toy Drive/Run, Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, and the Wicked in Pink Cancer Run.

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Bruce Holley

Bruce Holley

Kimberly Jennison

Kimberly Jennison

Florence Bank recently announced that Bruce Holley and Kimberly Jennison have been named recipients of the President’s Club Award for 2019. The President’s Club program affords employees opportunities to nominate their peers for the honor, which recognizes superior performance, customer service, and overall contributions to Florence Bank. Holley, an e-banking technology specialist in the main office’s eBanking Department, joined Florence Bank in 2015 and has 20 years of technology experience. He is a Springfield Technical Community College graduate and serves his community as a member of the board of directors for the Therapeutic Equestrian Center of Holyoke. Jennison, a customer-service specialist in the main office’s Customer Service Center, joined Florence Bank in 2014 and has nine years of banking experience.

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Timothy Garstka

Timothy Garstka

Eastern States Exposition announced that Timothy Garstka has joined ESE and will serve as the organization’s director of Sales. Garstka comes to ESE from his position at Williams Distributing in Chicopee, where he served as Sales manager and Brand Marketing manager. He has more than 15 years of experience in strategic direction, coaching and counseling, performance management, and revenue growth, overseeing inside and outside sales professionals. His skills range from direct sales management and revenue growth to team building and training initiatives. Prior to joining Williams Distributing, Garstka was a Field Sales manager for Molson/Coors Brewing Co. in Burlington, Vt., and worked as a salesperson for Burke Beverage in Chicopee. As director of Sales, he will be responsible for the oversight of the department, including the extensive number of year-round events held at ESE, Big E sponsorships and vendor/concessionaire space sales, advance ticket-sales outreach, and group sales. Garstka graduated from West Springfield High School in 1991. He serves as the vice president of the East Longmeadow Baseball Assoc. and is a former board member of the Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter. He and his wife, Christine, are active volunteers for local Jimmy Fund events. He was also an assistant golf professional at Springfield Country Club in West Springfield and the Forest Country Club in Fort Myers, Fla.

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Wanda Mooney

Wanda Mooney

Wanda Mooney, associate-broker with Coldwell Banker Upton Massamont Realtors, has been awarded the 2018 Coldwell Banker International President’s Elite. Only the top 5% of all sales associates worldwide in the Coldwell Banker system qualified for this group. Mooney also received the 2018 Platinum Award from the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley and the Platinum Award from Coldwell Banker Upton-Massamont Realtors.

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The Westfield Starfires and Director of Baseball Operations Evan Moorhouse announced the hiring of East Longmeadow native and former Baltimore Orioles prospect Frank Crinella to serve as special advisor to Baseball Operations. Crinella comes to the Starfires after spending four seasons playing in the Orioles farm system, both in the infield and outfield. The Merrimack College graduate and former NE-10 Player of the Year is no stranger to summer collegiate baseball. Crinella has made stops at each of the three major summer leagues in New England, the FCBL (Pittsfield Suns), NECBL (Holyoke Blue Sox), and Cape Cod League (Bourne Braves). His responsibilities will vary from day to day, ranging from promotional execution to community engagement to helping players get acclimated to summer baseball.

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Emily White

Emily White

Brian Benson

John Veit

John Veit

Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. announced three promotions: Emily White to senior audit associate, Brian Benson, CPA to senior audit associate, and John Veit to director of Marketing and Recruiting. White has been with the firm since 2016. In her new position, she plays a leading role in the Accounting and Audit department, serving commercial, pension, and not-for-profit clients. She also prepares individual, partnership, and corporate tax returns and reviews for commercial and healthcare entities. She attended Elms College, where she earned dual bachelor’s degrees in accounting and marketing and a master’s degree in accounting. As a senior audit associate, Benson is in charge of completing and monitoring staff on audit and review engagements of low-income housing and not-for-profit organizations. He holds bachelor’s degrees in accounting and business management from Elms College, where he will graduate in September with an MBA with a concentration in financial planning. He then plans to sit for the certified financial planner exam. In his former position as senior Marketing and Recruiting associate, Veit had been managing the day-to-day operations of marketing and recruiting for some time. The firm decided it was time for him to take the reins in all matters related to marketing, recruiting, and recruiting consulting for clients. He earned his BBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst with a focus in marketing.

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Raúl Gutiérrez

Raúl Gutiérrez

Raúl Gutiérrez, assistant professor of Spanish at Holyoke Community College (HCC), has been selected as an Engaged Scholar for 2019-20 by the Eastern Region Campus Compact, a regional partnership of colleges and universities dedicated to promoting civic engagement. Gutierrez was one of 12 scholars picked for the inaugural, 18-month program that includes academics from 11 other institutions from Maine to Washington D.C., including Lehigh, Ithaca, Swarthmore, Dartmouth, Georgetown, and Yale. Scholars were selected from a highly competitive pool of candidates nominated by college and university presidents and chief academic officers. Gutiérrez is coordinator of HCC’s Foreign Language program, coordinator of the Center for Public Humanities at HCC, and adviser to the HCC LISA (Latino International Students Assoc.) Club. He also spearheaded the creation of a new Latinx Studies program at the college that will begin in the fall 2019 semester, and he teaches Spanish literacy to migrant farm workers through Head Start in Springfield. His specific projects will focus on two areas: building a civic-engagement/service-learning component into the new Latinx Studies program and continue to work with migrant farm workers. Gutiérrez was born in Mexico and holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in Hispanic Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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Two professors at Western New England University have been awarded $30,000 in seed funding by the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC) Acorn Innovation Fund. Dr. Vedang Chauhan and Dr. Jingzhou “Frank” Zhao were among 13 grant recipients statewide, including researchers from Boston University Medical Center, Northeastern University, Tufts University, and UMass. The funding is designed to assist researchers in testing the viability of their technologies and potentially bringing the research to market. Continuously variable transmission technology is widely used in modern vehicles to improve fuel efficiency and performance. However, small engines currently cannot meet power requirements to utilize the technology. Chauhan’s goal is to build, implement, and test an E-CVT system for small engines, evaluating endurance, reliability, and performance. Zhao, an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering, leads the College of Engineering’s Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Processing Lab. The grant funding will support a project covering production of silica-coated metal nanoparticles using electrospraying, a technology that holds the potential to achieve much lower manufacturing costs and much higher throughput than existing methods. Acorn funding will support the research activities of Zhao’s team to obtain proof-of-concept evidence.

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James Wolfe

James Wolfe

James Wolfe has been appointed general manager of Seven Hills, a historic, 57-room boutique hotel in Lenox. Backed by 17 years of senior leadership experience in the hospitality industry, Wolfe joins the hotel in the midst of a repositioning and renovation that is slated for completion this spring. Wolfe comes to Seven Hills from Comfort Inn & Suites Sturbridge, where he also served as general manager. Over the course of his career, he has held general-manager positions at hotels throughout the Northeast and Midwest under the Courtyard by Marriott, Hyatt Place, and Residence Inn brands. As general manager of Newark Metropolitan Hotel in Newark, Ohio, he led the 118-room hotel through an acquisition, renovation, and grand opening. Wolfe has also served as director of operations for Crowne Plaza and the Lofts in Columbus, Ohio, and for Sage Hospitality’s Cherry Valley Lodge and Sheraton Kansas City Sports Complex.

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Connecticut-based Liberty Bank announced that David Glidden will serve as its new president and CEO, effective March 18, succeeding Chandler Howard, who has led the bank since 2007. Glidden brings more than 30 years of industry leadership experience to Liberty Bank. Most recently, he served as regional president for the Northern New England and Upstate New York Region for TD Bank. He was responsible for managing retail banking, small-business, wealth-management, commercial, and specialty banking operations and lending services. Glidden began his banking career at Shawmut Bank’s Commercial Lending Division in Boston and joined TD Bank in 1994, embarking on a path that led to numerous positions of increasing responsibility.

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Web Shaffer

Web Shaffer

As part of organizational changes previously announced by OMG Inc. to accelerate growth, the company has promoted Web Shaffer to the position of senior vice president and general manager for the FastenMaster Division. In this role, Shaffer is responsible for developing and executing the division’s overall strategy for the two recently created divisional business units, Decking and Structural Products. In addition, he is responsible for overseeing FastenMaster’s new product-development and innovation group and its sales and marketing teams, including retail sales, customer service, and technical support. Shaffer joined OMG Roofing Products in 2015 as vice president of Marketing and took on international sales responsibility in 2016. He was promoted in 2018 to vice president of the Fastener Business Unit. Prior to joining OMG, he spent eight years in the Newell Rubbermaid tool business, managing hand tools and power-tool accessories for the Lenox and Irwin brands. He also served as vice president of Marketing for the baby gear segment at Newell. Earlier, he was director of Product Management at Permatex, a division of Illinois Tool Works, and worked in sales, channel marketing, and market research at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and an MBA from The University of Indiana.

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Daniel O’Neill

Daniel O’Neill

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, announced that Daniel O’Neill has joined the bank as vice president – Commercial Lending in its Northampton Cooperative Bank division. O’Neill, who will be based in the 67 King St. office of the Northampton Cooperative Bank division, earned bachelor’s degree from Assumption College in Worcester and is a graduate of the School of Commercial Lending held by the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. He has been active in the community throughout his career with time spent as a volunteer board member with groups such as the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, the Holyoke YMCA, the Chicopee Boys’ and Girls’ Club, and Blessed Sacrament School in Holyoke.

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Whittlesey announced that Amy Richards, CPA has been promoted to manager in its Holyoke office. In this role, she is responsible for expanding and managing assurance, tax, and advisory engagements. Richards has more than 11 years of experience providing accounting, tax, and advisory services. Over her career, she has managed client relationships, made process improvements, and analyzed data to provide actionable insights for her clients. Richards formerly served as a supervisor at Whittlesey. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Fitchburg State University and an MBA in accounting from UMass Lowell.

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K. Lev Ben-Ezra

K. Lev Ben-Ezra

The Amherst Survival Center, a regional resource serving low-income residents of Hampshire and Franklin counties, announced the selection of K. Lev Ben-Ezra as its next executive director. Ben-Ezra succeeds Mindy Domb, who has been director since June 2013 and has been elected state representative for the 3rd Hampshire District. Ben-Ezra’s experience includes extensive work over the past decade at Community Action Pioneer Valley, where she developed and implemented leadership and workforce-development programs for both youth and adults. Most recently, she served as director of Youth and Workforce Development, and previously as director of Youth Programs. She has also worked in several other youth-serving organizations, working to support youth at risk in a variety of settings. She has served as chair of the Franklin County/North Quabbin Communities that Care Coalition for the last eight years, as a steering committee member of the Hampshire County Strategic Planning Initiative for Families and Youth, and as a member of the Regional Employment Board’s Youth Career Connections Council, as well as on other local coalitions. She is also an adjunct faculty member of Marlboro College Graduate and Professional Studies and a board member of the Community Health Center of Franklin County.

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The Eastern States Exposition (ESE) announced the promotions of Robert Gottsche Jr. to Sales manager, Steve Ferraro to captain of Parking & Security, and Terri Brown to Creative Arts/New England Center program manager. Gottsche will be responsible for all Big E vendors and concessionaires, and will oversee ESE’s year-round event coordinators. He first joined the staff of the Exposition in 1983 and became an event coordinator in 1991. He worked in the Special Events department for eight years during the Big E as well as the Sales department as a show coordinator throughout the year. In 1999, he began overseeing Young Building exhibitors during the fair and quickly added vendor and vendor-space sales and contracting to his list of responsibilities. Ferraro will oversee all parking for weekend events and the Big E, as well as assist Cliff Hedges, director of Public Safety & Security, with scheduling security staff for 24-hour and event coverage. Ferraro started working at ESE at age 14 when his father, the late Albert Ferraro, a long-time Big E employee, oversaw parking for the Exposition. He stepped into the position of Parking manager in 2015. Brown has been affiliated with ESE since 2011 as the building’s 4-H coordinator, served as assistant to the Creative Arts coordinator in 2017, and became co-coordinator of the department in 2018. In her new position, she will oversee the management and administration of all contests, 4-H participation, displays, and the New England Center stage. Brown graduated from Southwick High School, Holyoke Community College, and the University of New Hampshire, where she earned a degree in zoology.

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Evan Broslovsky

Evan Broslovsky

Comcast recently announced the appointment of Evan Broslovsky as vice president of Customer Experience for the company’s Western New England region, which is headquartered in Berlin, Conn. and includes more than 300 communities in Connecticut, Western Mass., Western New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In this newly created regional role, Broslovsky will be responsible for regional implementation of the company’s multi-year strategy to transform the customer experience. Prior to joining Comcast, he spent nine years as vice president of Contact Center Operations at Priceline.com, where he oversaw more than 800 customer-care agents in six locations across the country. He also has an extensive history in the cable industry that spans 17 years. His first role was that of a care agent, and he quickly grew in the ranks to supervisor, assistant manager, and finally to manager of care operations overseeing a team of six supervisors and 120 care agents at Cablevision and its predecessor companies. Broslovsky then joined Time Warner Cable as director of business operations, with responsibility for call centers that supported 1.4 million customers.

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PV Squared, a worker-owned cooperative and local solar design and installation company located in Greenfield, recently welcomed seven new worker-owners to the ownership team: Madeleine Geschwind, Brain (Craig) Lakas, Jeremy Latch, Jeff Molongoski, Todd Sessions, Nik Perry, and Matt Valliere. To become a worker-owner, employees must work at PV Squared for at least one year before participating in an additional one-year worker-owner in training (WOIT) program. The WOIT program involves in-depth education about all aspects of the cooperative, the development of a personal leadership plan, and additional learning opportunities about socially responsible business practices. PV Squared is a worker-owned cooperative that provides renewable-energy solutions to a range of clients, including business owners, commercial property owners, farmers, and homeowners.

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The board of directors of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV) recently welcomed Brendan Bailey as its new CEO. Bailey began his career in association management with the Raleigh Regional Assoc. of Realtors (RRAR) in Cary, N.C., a board of more than 8,000 members, where he served as chief operating officer. Prior to joining RARR, he served as policy coordinator for the American Assoc. of Colleges of Pharmacy and as a House legislative assistant in the North Carolina General Assembly. On the national level, Bailey currently serves as vice chair for the AE YPN Forum for the National Assoc. of Realtors.

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Brian Brenner

Brian Brenner

Tighe & Bond Inc. announced that Brian Brenner, has joined the firm as a principal bridge engineer in its Building Services business line. He has 36 years of experience in highway and railroad bridges, tunnels, and value engineering for large highway and transit projects. Brenner will serve Tighe & Bond’s clients across the Northeast, working from the firm’s Westwood, Mass. office. Brenner’s projects include the Central Artery/Tunnel in Boston and the Burns Bridge in Worcester. In 2016, the American Public Works Assoc. named the Burns Bridge its Project of the Year, and the National Steel Bridge Alliance named it the Best Steel Bridge Design (in the medium-span category). Other project examples include two accelerated bridge-construction projects across the MBTA Commuter Rail in Dorchester, an award-winning accelerated bridge-construction project in Back Bay, Boston, and value engineering for numerous Department of Transportation projects throughout Massachusetts. A professor of Practice at Tufts University, Brenner also teaches classes in bridge and concrete design, as well as introduction to engineering. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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At its 2019 annual meeting in Atlanta, the Assoc. of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) announced that Carol Leary, president of Bay Path University, was appointed board chair. Richard Guarasci, president of Wagner College, will continue to serve on AAC&U’s board as past chair. The members also voted to appoint William Craft, president of Concordia College, as vice chair of the board. Royce Engstrom, professor of Chemistry at the University of Montana, will continue his term as treasurer. Two new directors were also appointed to AAC&U’s board: Timothy Eatman, dean of the Honors Living-Learning Community and associate professor of Urban Education at Rutgers University Newark; and Mary Ann Villareal, assistant vice president, Strategic Initiatives at California State University Fullerton.

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Donna Yetter

Donna Yetter

Melanson Heath announced the admittance of its new principal, Donna Yetter, CPA, CES. She has been working in public accounting for more than 30 years and is a part of the Commercial Services team out of the Greenfield office. Yetter joined the Melanson Heath team in 2007 and advises businesses and individuals on tax, management, and other accounting matters. She prepares corporate, partnership, individual, trust, and estate-tax returns; consults on business acquisitions and sales; and performs compilation and review services for financial reporting. Yetter received her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from Salem State University in 1985 and has been a certified public accountant licensed in Massachusetts since 1991. In 2016, she received her CES, (certified estate and trust specialist) designation, which expands her range of services to include estate planning and asset repositioning on behalf of financial-planning clients. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

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Michael Daly stepped down as president, CEO, and director of Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Berkshire Bank’s holding company. Berkshire Bank President Richard Marotta has been named CEO and president of the company and CEO of the bank. Sean Gray, chief operating officer of Berkshire Bank, will replace Marotta as bank president. The move comes a year after the financial institution moved its headquarters from Pittsfield to Boston, and the purchase of Worcester-based Commerce Bank helped grow Berkshire to its current $12 billion in assets, making it the largest independent Massachusetts-based bank. “I am extremely proud of the accomplishments that the employees of the company have achieved during my time as CEO,” Daly said in a statement. “When I began my tenure 16 years ago, Berkshire Bank was one of the smallest banks headquartered in Massachusetts with some 300 employees, and the company is now the largest with nearly 2,000 employees. I’ve built long-lasting relationships with many employees during this time who I will continue to view as my family.”

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Judith Ward

Judith Ward

Judith Ward, an accomplished healthcare marketing professional, has been named vice president of Marketing & Communications for Baystate Health. In her new role, Ward will oversee marketing, digital/web, communications, public affairs, social media, creative services, loyalty programs, and special events at the Springfield-based health system, which includes hospitals in Springfield, Greenfield, Palmer, and Westfield, along with more than 100 medical practices at some 80 locations throughout Western Mass. Among the strategic marketing executive’s past accomplishments include conceiving and executing strategies that define, differentiate, and drive increased brand recognition, preference, customer loyalty, and market share. Ward comes to Baystate Health from Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto, Calif., where she led the organization’s strategic marketing efforts, developed award-winning advertising campaigns, and executed engaging Facebook Live strategies. Prior to her role at Stanford, she served as vice president of Network Marketing for Danbury Hospital and Western Connecticut Health Network, where she led the brand creation and strategy for the newly formed health network. She also served as principal of Judith Ward Associates, providing consulting services centered on the development and execution of strategic digital marketing plans. Ward holds an MBA with a marketing concentration from University of Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree from University of New Hampshire. She has served as an adjunct professor in the Master of Health Administration program at Western Connecticut State University and Marlboro College in Vermont. She is a member of American College of Healthcare Executives, the Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development, the Healthcare Executives Forum, and the California Assoc. of Healthcare Leaders.

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Monson Savings Bank announced that Paul Hillsburg has joined the bank as vice president of Financial Advisory Services. He has more than 15 years of experience in the wealth and financial-services industry. He began his career as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch and is now a financial advisor with Infinex Financial Group, located at Monson Savings Bank. Hillsburg specializes in all aspects of retirement and income planning for clientele consisting of small-business owners, successful professionals, families, individuals, and retirees. His primary objective is to work with clients on retirement income planning, wealth transfer, increasing income, maximizing overall returns, and reducing taxes. He holds FINRA Series 7, 66 securities registrations as well as life- and health-insurance licenses and a degree in business management.

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Nikki Long

Nikki Long

Tom Ellerbrook

Tom Ellerbrook

As part of a continuing effort to position the company for stronger growth and faster product innovation to better meet the changing global needs of its customers, OMG has promoted two employees, Nikki Long and Tom Ellerbrook, into key sales positions in its FastenMaster Division. Long has been promoted to the newly created position of director of Key Accounts, which was established to bring a strategic focus to the role that key-account management plays in FastenMaster’s growth plans. She will design and implement strategies to improve sales growth, customer relationships, customer service, and on-time product delivery at FastenMaster’s key accounts. She reports to John McMahon, vice president. A 15-year veteran of the company, Long has held a variety of sales and marketing positions since starting in 2003. Most recently, she was the manager of Home Centers for FastenMaster, where she excelled at driving the FastenMaster brand and footprint in the home-center channel. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College. Ellerbrook has been promoted to director of Sales, responsible for developing and implementing strategic plans to exceed sales targets and expand market share. In addition, he is responsible for coaching and mentoring the sales team to achieve assigned goals, and for building a bench for the future. He also reports to McMahon. Ellerbrook has been with FastenMaster since 2011, most recently as the Northeast regional sales manager, where he was instrumental in building FastenMaster’s sales throughout the region. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UMass and an MBA from Western New England University.

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Carmine DiCenso, executive director at Dakin Humane Society, was unanimously appointed to serve on the board of directors for the Assoc. for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA). The national organization, formerly known as the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators, is based in Surprise, Ariz. Its purpose is to create an association with professional administrators employed by organizations generally accepted to be a part of the humane movement. The goal of the board of directors is to design its management and annual conferences in an effort to continually enhance the standards of competence and integrity of its membership, as well as provide a significant benefit to the humane movement. DiCenso joins a team of more than a dozen animal-welfare professionals from around the country in serving on the board, which is chaired by Lisa LaFontaine of Humane Rescue Alliance.

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The Springfield Thunderbirds announced a new staff hire to its front office with the addition of John Jones Jr. as an account executive. A native of Jupiter, Fla., Jones joins the Thunderbirds after serving as the general manager for Stretch Zone, an athletic and wellness company based in Jupiter, since March 2017, where he oversaw operations and sales/marketing strategies. Jones earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University, where he was a varsity letter winner as a member of the Seminoles football team, and was named to the FSU Athletic/Academic Wall of Fame.

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The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) announced the addition of three new business leaders to its full Board of Directors. They are Dinesh Patel, DGP Properties, Chicopee and Springfield; Hershal Patel, BK Investments, Chicopee; and Peter Carmichael, director of Operations, Six Flags Theme Parks, Agawam. The three were formally voted onto the board during the organization’s recent annual meeting and will serve two-year terms expiring in September 2020. “We are so fortunate to have these three new directors on our board,” said Anthony Frasco, GSCVB board chairman. “They each are well-respected leaders within their own organizations and represent geographically and categorically diverse industries which are in turn important to travel and tourism. With Dinesh Patel, our board gains an individual committed to the development of downtown Springfield with the recent purchase of Tower Square Hotel. Hershal Patel, who has strong expertise in the strategic dynamics of Massachusetts’ hotel industry, is excited to bring new travelers to the region with the modern and refreshed hotel property Tru by Hilton in Chicopee. Peter Carmichael comes to us from the world of theme parks, which draws many thousands of visitors into our economy annually.”

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Megan Kludt

Megan Kludt

Curran, Berger & Kludt announced that Megan Kludt has become its newest partner. She joined Curran & Berger in October 2010 after working as an immigration attorney for four years in Boston. She is a founding member of the Immigrant Protection Project of Western MA, and has recently gained media attention for her work to free asylum seekers from ICE detention. Kludt holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign service from Georgetown University, a master’s degree in international relations from Boston University, and a juris doctor with an international concentration from Boston University School of Law.

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Decorti Rodgers-Tonge

Decorti Rodgers-Tonge

Decorti Rodgers-Tonge, chair of the Undergraduate Accounting department and assistant professor of Accounting at Bay Path University, has been selected to receive an African American Female Professor Award (AAFPAA). This award was presented to Rodgers-Tonge at the African American Female Professor Awards (AAFPA) Celebration on Sept. 27 at American International College in Springfield. Rodgers-Tonge is the second Bay Path professor to receive the AAFPAA. Janine Fondon, assistant professor and chair of Undergraduate Communications, was honored at the inaugural event in 2017. The goal of the AAFPA is to recognize African-American female faculty who are full-time, part-time, or adjunct, with the hope that this recognition will help institutions recruit and retain African-American female professors, as well as inspire African-American female educators to continue their work in the classroom and pursue post-secondary assignments.

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Michael Kelley

Michael Kelley

Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, recently welcomed Michael Kelley as the institution’s new mortgage loan originator. Kelley has more than seven years of experience in mortgage lending, most recently as mortgage loan originator at Polish National Credit Union. Kelley was recognized as Banker and Tradesman Top 5 Originator for Credit Unions in Western Massachusetts for two years in a row. He is a member of the Springfield Rotary Club and assistant coach for the SOY Boys Basketball team.

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Berkshire Bank announced the promotion of Deanna Markham to first vice president, Retail Distribution manager. In her new position, she will maintain a strong leadership presence and community involvement as she remains local to the Berkshires, working from the company’s Pittsfield office. Markham has held many positions throughout the company since her start with Berkshire Bank in 2006 as a branch manager in Lee. In her 12 years at the bank, she has advanced in the company, including promotions to AVP branch manager; vice president, regional manager in Berkshire County; and, most recently, vice president, Sales and Delivery in 2017. In 2016, Markham graduated from the American Bankers Assoc. Stonier Graduate School of Banking and is a Wharton Leadership Certificate recipient. She attended Marist College, where she received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing and a minor in fashion merchandising. Committed to giving back to her community, Markham is a Porchlight VNA and Homecare finance committee member and active in the Berkshire Bank employee volunteer program.

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Jacquelyn (Jackie) Guzie

Jacquelyn (Jackie) Guzie

Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, recently introduced Jacquelyn (Jackie) Guzie as Arrha’s new Springfield branch manager. Guzie has more than 18 years of banking experience and been recognized throughout her banking-industry career with several promotions at Rockville Bank. Since 2007, she has been a branch manager, most recently in the Suffield Branch at First National Bank of Suffield. A graduate of the New England College of Business and Finance in Boston, Guzie is also an emergency medical technician volunteering at Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Assoc.

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The United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) announced it has hired Paul Mina as its new president and CEO as part of an overall management agreement. Mina brings 30 years of United Way experience to the Pioneer Valley. In addition, Steve Lowell, president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank and chairman of the UWPV board, announced that the organization is entering into a management agreement with the United Way of Tri-County (UWTC). Mina will be reporting to the UWPV board of directors so that local control and oversight is maintained. The UWTC is responsible for overseeing the Mass 211 program, the statewide source for essential community services. Mina noted that more than 45% of the phone calls to the Mass 211 helpline originate from the UWPV service area, so he is familiar with the work being done in the community.

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Melissa Tetreault

Melissa Tetreault

Michael Tucker, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, announced that Melissa Tetreault has re-joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank as a mortgage loan originator in its Northampton Cooperative division. She will work out of the Florence office for Northampton Cooperative, but is available to meet customers in any of the bank’s 10 offices throughout Hampshire and Franklin County. Tetreault has more than 30 years of experience in banking and mortgage lending, including 16 years with Greenfield Cooperative Bank. She holds a mortgage originator license from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is a graduate of UMass Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in education. She is also a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. She is active with the United Way Women’s Way, an affiliate member of the Realtors’ Assoc. of Pioneer Valley, active with the Shelburne Falls Woman’s Club, and a former director of the YMCA and the United Way.

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Matthew Smith

Matthew Smith

Bay Path University announced that Matthew Smith has been promoted to the position of director, Computer Science & Cybersecurity Programs. Smith has been with Bay Path University’s American Women’s College for nearly two years, first serving as an adjunct faculty member and later being named full-time academic director, Cybersecurity and Applied Technology. In June, he was promoted to academic director, Technology, Security & Justice. Smith brings more than 20 years of experience in technology and information-security leadership across the government, financial-services, and technology sectors to his teaching, most recently as a subject-matter expert in digital forensics and incident response at MassMutual Financial in Springfield. He has also held related positions with other Fortune 500 companies, such as General Dynamics and Dell-EMC Corp. He also holds a federal security clearance and is classified within U.S. federal courts for testimony as an expert witness. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Smith received his MBA from Norwich University, his master’s degree from San Diego State University, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland.

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UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy has been named by Gov. Charlie Baker to the new Massachusetts Cybersecurity Strategy Council, which will advise state leaders on ways to spur economic growth and cyber-resilience in the Commonwealth. The appointment of the 19-member council, which includes representatives from state government, the private sector, and the Commonwealth’s leading research institutions, was announced on Sept. 27 during the 2018 Massachusetts Cybersecurity Forum in Boston. Baker also announced the appointment of Stephanie Helm as the first director of the MassCyberCenter at the Mass Tech Collaborative. The Cybersecurity Strategy Council is chaired by retired Rear Admiral Michael Brown, the former director for Cybersecurity Coordination in the National Protection and Programs Directorate of the federal Department of Homeland Security. He now serves as president of Spinnaker Security, LLC.

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Lam Nguyen

Lam Nguyen

Mayhew Steel Products (Mayhew Tools) has selected Lam Nguyen to fill the role of plant manager at the company’s Basque Plastics Division in Westminster. With more than a decade of manufacturing leadership and operational expertise, Nguyen will oversee the plant’s daily operations while simultaneously improving overall operational efficiency and productivity. Nguyen, whom will report to Mayhew Tools President John Lawless, has a proven track record for implementing lean operational techniques that result in significant cost savings while increasing yield and quality. His managerial responsibilities will include, but not be limited to: production, workflow, automation, quality control assurance, purchasing, raw materials management, assembly, maintenance, and strategic planning. Before joining Mayhew Tools, Nguyen spent seven years as vice president of Manufacturing for Advanced Cable Ties Inc. Prior to that, he was plant manager and general foreman for same Gardner-based company, spending more than 18 years there overall. Nguyen holds an associate degree in business management from Quinsigamond Community College and boasts several certifications, including Six Sigma, CSP600 Lean Manufacturing, JIT, Industrial Electric, Project Management, and Scientific Injection Molding, to name a few.

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Morgan Russell has joined the Main Street Hospitality team as the manager of Guest Experiences across four Main Street Hospitality Group properties. Originally from Boston and having grown up in the Berkshires, Russell brings 10 years of luxury hospitality concierge experience to this new position. Prior to joining Main Street Hospitality, he specialized in building guest-engagement programs for various high-end boutique hotels in Colorado, including the Arrabelle at Vail Square, the Sebastian Hotel, and the Christiana. Russell will work collaboratively with partners throughout the region to expand the guest-experience program at all of Main Street’s hotels and provide visitors an added layer of connectivity to the Berkshires experience. Russell will build out the guest-experience program at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Porches Inn at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Hotel on North in Pittsfield, and Briarcliff in Great Barrington. Russell graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs. In his early career, he worked at the Red Lion Inn, filling various positions from busboy and bellhop to the sales office.

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Jeffrey Trapani

Jeffrey Trapani

Robinson Donovan, P.C. announced that Jeffrey Trapani, a partner with the firm, has received appointments from the Hampshire County Bar Assoc. and the Supreme Judicial Court. Trapani was unanimously approved to fill the upcoming vacancy on the Joint Bar Committee on Judicial Appointments for the Hampshire County Bar Assoc. The committee is an independent, non-partisan entity comprised of two dozen attorneys from across Massachusetts, including three members each of the Massachusetts and Boston bar associations. The Supreme Judicial Court appointed Trapani to the Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil and Appellate Procedure. As part of the committee, he will assist in reviewing and recommending amendments to the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure and the Massachusetts Rules of Appellate Procedure. Trapani concentrates his practice in civil litigation, including insurance defense, employment law, municipal liability, business litigation, and professional malpractice. He also represents many landlords in summary process action and housing-discrimination claims, and insurance companies in unfair-settlement claims and coverage issues. In addition to trial work, Trapani also represents clients in mediations and arbitrations. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute and the Massachusetts Defense Lawyer Assoc., and since 2008, he has been selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list.

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Mark Hudgik

Mark Hudgik

Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Mark Hudgik as its new director of Admissions. Hudgik is an HCC alumnus from the class of 2002 who returns to campus with 14 years of experience working in academic admissions, most recently as director of Admission at Greenfield Community College, where he started as a senior Admission counselor in 2009. He had previously worked as assistant director of Admissions at Bay Path University in Longmeadow and as Admissions director at the Berkshire Hills Music Academy in South Hadley. After graduating from HCC with his associate degree in liberal arts, Hudgik earned his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Massachusetts and his master’s degree in higher education administration from Bay Path. He enrolled at HCC in 2000 after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, as an aerospace-propulsion and jet-engine journeyman and programs manager. For two years as a student at HCC, he worked in the college Career Center.

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Michael Rose

Michael Rose

Governors America Corp. (GAC) recently welcomed Michael Rose as director of Engineering and Innovation. He brings more than 15 years of product development and innovation experience within the aerospace industry. In this role, he will lead the engineering department and work closely with technical and marketing executives to broaden the company’s portfolio and develop innovative products for the engine control and adjacent markets. Rose brings a blend of business acumen, broad technical knowledge, and facilitation practices that stem from his years of experience in the roles of engineer, business development manager, and project leader at L3 Technologies and MIT Lincoln Laboratories. His addition to the team reflects the company’s focus on innovation, continuous improvement, and engineering execution.

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Aleda Amistadi

Aleda Amistadi

PeoplesBank has promoted Aleda Amistadi to the position of senior vice president of Retail and Operations. She formerly served as first vice pesident of Operations and has 22 years of banking experience. Amistadi earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University and an MBA from Western New England University. She also earned a Wharton leadership certificate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Six Sigma green belt certification from Duke University Continuing Studies MindEdge Online Learning. She is also a graduate of the ABA Stonier School of Banking. Amistadi serves on the board of directors and the finance committee for Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts.

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Fitzgerald Attorneys-at-Law announced the addition of a new partner, attorney Bradford Martin Jr. Martin has been practicing law in Western Mass. for 39 years, with extensive experience in commercial real-estate transactions and business and corporate law. Over his career, he has been involved in real-estate projects and financings in the area and has litigated complex property issues in the Massachusetts Land Court. A native of the area, Martin attended Northfield Mt. Hermon School and is a graduate of Springfield College and Western New England University School of Law. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. and the Hampden County Bar Assoc. and is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar, the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the U.S. District Court of Connecticut, the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Tax Court. Martin was formerly a partner at Ryan & White, P.C. and Morrison Mahoney, LLP. He serves on the board of ChildHope, a charitable organization dedicated to building and running schools in Central and South America, and is chairman of the board of Teen Challenge New England, a faith-based, nonprofit drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. He serves as a deacon at Bethany Assembly of God in Agawam.

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Peter Coyne

Peter Coyne

As part of organizational changes previously announced by OMG Inc. to accelerate growth, the company has named Peter Coyne to the newly created position of senior vice president and general manager for the Roofing Products division. In this role, Coyne is responsible for developing and executing the division’s overall strategy for the three recently created divisional business units: fasteners, adhesives and solar, and metal accessories, which includes edge metal. In addition, he is responsible for overseeing Roofing Products’ new product-development and innovation group and its global sales and marketing teams, including key-account sales, customer service, and technical support. He reports to Hubert McGovern, president and CEO of OMG. Coyne joins OMG from Gulftech International, a diversified holding company with five operating businesses serving food-production and processing companies in 85 countries. Working in the company’s Denver headquarters, he served as general manager and head of operations following various roles in finance and operations with Danaher Corp., Saw Mill Capital, and Steel Partners. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the College of William & Mary and an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

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Steve Corbin

Steve Corbin

The Dowd Agencies, LLC announced that Steve Corbin has joined its Holyoke staff as an account executive responsible for overseeing employee benefits. As an account executive, Corbin has a team-management role and oversees the division, including managing the renewal process, negotiating with carriers, coordinating open-enrollment meetings, assisting clients with changes, monitoring claims, and related responsibilities. Corbin attended Johnson & Wales University and served in the U.S. Army Reserve. Involved in his community as a youth coach for basketball, soccer, and lacrosse, he is also a grand knight at the Knights of Columbus St. Francis of Assisi Council #10698 and a board member for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke.

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Bay Path University recently welcomed six new faculty members.

• Jennifer Stratton, coordinator of Undergraduate Education, comes to Bay Path with extensive teaching experience. Most recently, she served as district literacy coach for the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District. 

• Susan Rivelli, assistant professor of Occupational Therapy in the graduate division, has more than 30 years of teaching experience, as well as extensive clinical experience in pediatrics. She joins the faculty of Bay Path after teaching in Western New England University’s inaugural Doctor of Occupational Therapy program.

• Gillian Palmer, assistant professor of Management in the undergraduate division, brings her expertise in business to Bay Path University after a successful track record with the Eastern States Exposition as its business development and event coordinator. She earned her MBA from Bay Path in 2012.

• Cheryl Ann Sheils, program director for the Doctorate of Nursing Practice program, comes to the university from Elms College, where she taught in the Nursing program for more than 18 years. She has presented at numerous conferences, and her articles have been published in industry journals and other publications.

• Janice Berliner, program director for the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program, has been a genetic counselor for 29 years, first specializing in prenatal genetics and subsequently in cancer risk assessment. For the past six years, she has been working at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, N.J., a site that Berliner helped create and develop.

• Megan Piccus, program director for Business Programs, joins the American Women’s College at Bay Path University from Pratt & Whitney, where she served for four years as dean of the Manufacturing Engineering College and senior manager of Manufacturing Engineering Discipline Health.

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The Springfield Cultural Partnership (SCP), the parent organization for the Springfield Central Cultural District, recently welcomed Karen Finn as its new executive director. Finn brings a wealth of experience in community service, government, advocacy, and program management to advance the SCP’s mission of sustaining a vibrant arts and cultural environment in Springfield. Finn has been an entrepreneur and business owner as well as holding leadership positions within higher education and government. Most recently, she was program and events manager of the Mamdouha S. Bobst Center for Peace & Justice at Princeton University, advancing mutual understanding and respect for all ethnic traditions and religious faiths. She was responsible for all communications including website maintenance, preparation of publications and letters, funding proposals, social-media accounts, and reports. She coordinated and managed events including conferences, seminars, and social events both locally and abroad. Finn holds a master’s degree in business and was a recipient of the prestigious U.S. Presidential Management Fellowship, serving in Geneva, Switzerland as part of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Her many years of experience developing local marketing strategies through brand awareness, community engagement, and networking promises to be an asset to the Springfield Central Cultural District. As executive director of the SCP, she will be charged with developing innovative cultural projects and collaborations, and build upon such signature programming as Art Stop, the painted-piano project, pop-up art, and concerts.

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Amanda Mercier

Amanda Mercier

Amanda Mercier of the Gaudreau Group recently achieved the Registered Employee Benefits Consultant (REBC) designation from the National Assoc. of Health Underwriters (NAHU), which views this designation as the highest form of recognition in the health-insurance industry, demonstrating Mercier’s commitment to educational leadership within the insurance profession. The REBC designation distinguishes Mercier as an elite practitioner in her field. The program analyzes group benefits with respect to the ACA environment, contract provisions, marketing, underwriting, rate making, plan design, cost containment, and alternative funding methods. The largest portion of this program is devoted to group medical expense plans that are a major concern to employers, as well as to employees.

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In recognition of another record-breaking season for the business, the Springfield Thunderbirds announced that three staff members will take on new roles for the 2018-19 season. Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa announced the promotions of Steve Kunsey to senior manager of Business Development and Nicole Taylor to Business Development & Special Events executive. Additionally, Frank Grimaldi will take on a new role as Ticket Operations and Retention executive. Kunsey and Taylor were key members of the Thunderbirds’ sponsorship sales staff during the 2017-18 season. That department reached a new pinnacle with more than $1.2 million in corporate cash for the first time in Springfield AHL history, including 177 corporate accounts — the second-highest total in the AHL. Grimaldi will take on his new role after previously serving as an account executive in Ticket Sales. He will oversee the Thunderbirds ticketing system, with a focus on digital ticketing and data collection.

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Caryl Connor

Caryl Connor

For the third year in a row, Caryl Connor of the Mortgage Department of Greenfield Savings Bank has been named the area’s top mortgage originator by number of loans, according to the journal Banker & Tradesman. The report also ranked Connor the area’s number-two loan originator by total dollar amount of loans, and the number-six loan originator in the state based on number of loans.

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Robinson Donovan, P.C. announced that seven attorneys were listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2019. They include:

• Jeffrey Roberts: corporate law; trusts and estates;

• Jeffrey McCormick: personal-injury litigation (defendants); personal-injury litigation (plaintiffs);

• James Martin: franchise law; real-estate law;

• Nancy Frankel Pelletier: personal-injury litigation (defendants);

• Patricia Rapinchuk: employment law (management); and litigation (labor and employment. She was also named Lawyer of the Year in the field of litigation (labor and employment);

• Carla Newton: family law; and

• Richard Gaberman: corporate law; real-estate law; tax law; trusts and estates.

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Isaac Fleisher

Isaac Fleisher

Bacon Wilson announced that Isaac Fleisher joined the firm as an associate on the firm’s business and corporate team. As an accomplished transactional attorney, Fleisher has broad experience in all aspects of business representation, for legal matters ranging from mergers and acquisitions to business formation and financing, real-estate transactions including land use and zoning issues, copyright work, and mediation and arbitration. He also has experience representing clients in the rapidly expanding solar-energy and cannabis industries. Earlier in his career, Fleisher worked as in-house counsel for a prominent musical theater licensing agency in New York City, and as a legal fellow for the New York state attorney general. He serves on the board of the Lander-Grinspoon Academy in Northampton, and is a member of the Hampden County Bar Assoc. pro bono advisory board.

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Thirteen lawyers from Bulkley Richardson were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for 2019. These 13 lawyers were recognized in 19 unique areas of practice. They include:

• Peter Barry: construction law;

• Michael Burke: medical malpractice law (defendants); personal-injury litigation (defendants);

• Mark Cress: bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law; corporate law;

• Francis Dibble Jr.: bet-the-company litigation; commercial litigation; criminal defense (white-collar); litigation (antitrust); litigation (labor and employment); litigation (securities);

• Daniel Finnegan: administrative/regulatory law; litigation (construction);

• Robert Gelinas: personal-injury litigation (defendants);

• William Hart: trusts and estates;

• Kevin Maynard: commercial litigation; litigation (banking and finance); litigation (construction);

• David Park: corporate law;

• Melinda Phelps: medical-malpractice law (defendants); personal-injury litigation (defendants);

• John Pucci: bet-the-company litigation; criminal defense (general practice); criminal defense (white-collar);

• Elizabeth Sillin: nonprofit/charities law; trusts and estates; and

• Ronald Weiss: corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; tax law.

In addition, Pucci and Sillin were each named 2019 Springfield, Mass. Lawyer of the Year in their respective practice areas — criminal defense and trusts and estates, respectively — by Best Lawyers, in partnership with U.S. News Media Group. Lawyer of the Year rankings are awarded to only one lawyer per practice area in each region.

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Dr. Yannis Raftopoulos

Dr. Yannis Raftopoulos

Dr. Yannis Raftopoulos, a board-certified bariatric surgeon and weight-management specialist at Holyoke Medical Center, has been selected to give a podium presentation at Obesity Week 2018 in Nashville, Tenn. in November. Obesity Week is an international event focused on the basic science, clinical application, surgical intervention, and prevention of obesity. By combining both the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Obesity Society (TOS) annual meetings, Obesity Week is the largest obesity meeting in the world, bringing together world-renowned experts in obesity to share innovation and breakthroughs in science. Raftopoulos will present his findings on effectively assisting patients in losing 10% of their body weight before bariatric surgery. With a sample size of nearly 1,400 patients, out of which 190 patients were from Holyoke Medical Center, patients who are able to lose more than 10% of their body weight before bariatric surgery had substantially better results after two years post-surgery than those who did not lose weight or lost less than 10% of their body weight. This is the first time that such effective weight loss prior to surgery has been reported and additionally has been linked to better weight loss after surgery long-term.

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Dr. Steven Nguyen

Dr. Steven Nguyen

Facial Cosmetic & Maxillofacial Surgery, P.C. announced that Dr. Steven Nguyen, an Atlanta native, has joined the oral-surgery practice. Nguyen earned his DMD degree at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. He also completed a general practice residency at Jacobi Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y. Afterward, he was accepted into the six-year MD integrated Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program at the Mount Sinai Downtown/Jacobi Medical Center in New York City, and received his MD degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Nguyen practices the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures, including repair of oral-facial trauma, orthognathic surgery, general anesthesia and IV sedation, wisdom-teeth removal, bone grafting and dental implants, management of oral pathology, treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disease, minimally invasive salivary gland procedures, as well as traditional dentoalveolar surgery. He maintains certifications in BLS, ACLS, PALS, and ATLS.

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David Henry, a Christmas tree grower and owner of the Henry Co. Insurance, has been named chairman of the board of Eastern States Exposition. A trustee of the ESE since 1983, Henry has served as a member of its board of directors since 2005, and has been secretary since 2012. Henry has been an independent insurance agent for 50 years, specializing in life, disability, and long-term care. He has been named to the Senior Agent Hall of Fame and the Million Dollar Round Table. In October 1978, Henry purchased the Scituate, R.I. farm that had been in his family for more than 160 years, the land where he began growing Christmas trees at the age of 12 as an FFA project. Under Henry’s leadership, the property became the largest Christmas tree farm in Rhode Island. With help from his wife, Linda, Henry tends to between 90,000 and 100,000 Christmas trees on the 131-acre farm that bears his name. Simply called Henry’s Christmas Tree Farm, the sprawling land has been in his family since 1851. The Eastern States Exposition has been an important part of Henry’s life for more than 50 years. He attended the Big E as an FFA member and served as the Rhode Island state FFA president.

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Dr. Laki Rousou

Dr. Laki Rousou

The American Lung Assoc. announced that Dr. Laki Rousou, program director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program at Holyoke Medical Center, was named a LUNG FORCE Hero for his commitment to making a difference in the community for individuals living with lung cancer. Rousou is a thoracic surgeon at Holyoke Medical Center. He trained in general surgery at New York University Langone Medical Center and completed a research fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/West Roxbury VA Hospital – Harvard Medical School. He then completed his cardiothoracic surgery residency at Yale New Haven Hospital/Yale Medical School. Rousou is board-certified in general surgery and thoracic surgery with broad expertise in diseases of the chest and abdomen. His particular interests are on lung cancer and minimally invasive/robotic surgery for the treatment of thoracic surgical diseases. As an official LUNG FORCE Hero, he will become a storyteller for the American Lung Assoc. and a voice for awareness, research, and education on lung cancer.

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Webster Bank announced that Tim Patneaude has been promoted to executive vice president. Patneaude serves as chief operating officer for HSA Bank, a division of Webster, and has a broad range of responsibilities, including information technology, banking operations, professional services, project management, and continuous improvement. Since joining HSA Bank in 2015, he has made significant improvements in process, measurements, and focused execution across the organization, resulting in superior performance. Patneaude earned a bachelor’s degree in information systems at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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Whittlesey announced that Tom Davis, CPA, CFE has been named a manager in the firm’s Holyoke office. In this role, he is responsible for expanding and managing assurance and advisory engagements. Davis has more than eight years of experience in providing accounting, tax, and advisory services to manufacturing and distribution, retail, renewable energy, construction, and nonprofit organizations. Over his career, he has managed client relationships, made process improvements, and analyzed data to provide actionable insights for his clients. Davis formerly served as audit manager for a national public accounting firm. He is a graduate of Boston College and has an MBA in accounting from the University of Phoenix. Whittlesey also announced the promotions of Abbie Gamache, Joshua Labonte, Kristie Nowik, and Bryan Santiago to senior associate.

People on the Move

By
People on the Move
Brad Bedard

Brad Bedard

Wayne Ringenbach

Wayne Ringenbach

Chris Mowatt

Chris Mowatt

Geri McCarthy

Geri McCarthy

OMG Inc. announced four promotions in supply-chain management and operations. Brad Bedard was promoted to director of Supply Chain Management, Wayne Ringenbach was promoted to director of Manufacturing, Chris Mowatt was promoted to director of Manufacturing Engineering, and Geri McCarthy was promoted to director of Operations. Bedard is responsible for overall management of the company’s global supply chain and distribution logistics. In this new role, he will work with his organization to develop and implement short- and long-term strategies that maximize the company’s supply and distribution performance. He has been with OMG since August 2007, most recently as director of Distribution & Sales Inventory Operations Planning, where he was instrumental in developing and implementing the company’s forecasting and operations planning process. Prior to joining OMG, he held various distribution and logistics roles for Bose Corp. and Timex Corp. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University. Ringenbach is responsible for all facets of manufacturing in Agawam, including post-manufacturing processes of heat treating, coating, product packing, and ongoing maintenance activities. He started with OMG in 1992 and has held several positions throughout his career, including maintenance manager and, most recently, manufacturing manager. He is a master electrician and attended Springfield Technical Community College. Mowatt will develop and implement a strategic roadmap to improve company manufacturing performance across the business units using the Steel Business System as well as best practices and specialized modeling, analysis, simulation, and computation tools. He has been with OMG since 2011 and is responsible for several significant functional and efficiency advances in the company’s Agawam manufacturing facility. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Western New England College and a master’s degree in engineering management from Western New England University. McCarthy will manage the company’s production planning teams, as well as continuous improvement, quality, and manufacturing training. She was hired in 2012 to oversee the company’s finishing process, including the coating and packing functions. Most recently, she was in an operations role in the company’s FastenMaster division. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business from American International College and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

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Akiko Takata

Akiko Takata

Jill McMahon

Jill McMahon

Elms College announced it will host two Fulbright language teaching assistants (FLTAs) during the 2018-19 academic year. Akiko Takata of Kyoto, Japan, will teach Japanese language and culture, and Jill McMahon of Dublin, Ireland, will teach Irish (Gaelic) language and culture. The Irish FLTA position is co-sponsored by the Irish Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts. Takata most recently worked as a teacher at Doshisha Junior High School in Japan. She earned her bachelor’s degree in linguistics at Tokushima University and her master’s degree in teaching Japanese at Kobe University. She also worked as an assistant language teacher in Dublin from July 2016 to February 2017, teaching Japanese to students at Dublin City University and four secondary schools. In her teaching practice, Takata engages students and illuminates concepts by incorporating technological tools such as audio-visual teaching materials, tablets, and electronic blackboards. One of her future goals is to set up a support system in Japanese public schools for foreign students who lack Japanese language skills. McMahon, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Irish and journalism at Dublin City University and a master of philosophy degree in digital humanities and culture at Trinity College, has worked solely in the Irish-language sector following her graduation. She most recently served as a government administrator with Gaeloideachas, an Irish organization that supports Irish-language immersion schools in Ireland. She has eight years of Irish-language teaching experience, including working as a tutor and an Irish/art teacher, and participates in her Gaelic Athletics Assoc. club, Na Gaeil Óga, whose goal is to encourage people to speak Irish outside of school and work. She plans to incorporate extracurricular activities into her FLTA duties, to give students opportunities to learn Irish in less formal contexts.

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Valley Classical Concerts announced it will be guided by three co-presidents in the coming year: Laurel Rogers will focus on administrative matters and will chair the board meetings, Emily Gaylord will handle marketing matters, and Jaime Morton will be in charge of development and fundraising. Rogers is a book binder and book artist and previously played the cello professionally. In addition to her performing and teaching activities, she has also served on concert boards in Los Alamos, N.M. and Princeton, N.J. Morton has run fundraising programs for departments at Smith College, New York Public Library, and other organizations. She owns Artspromo.org, a social-media marketing and PR company. Gaylord works in the nonprofit sector and feels that “doing my part to support the arts here is a real gift.” In high school, she said, she was a “begrudging violinist, but I love that classical music has found its way back to me.” Valley Classical Concerts presents six concerts each season, running from September to May, in Sweeney Hall at Smith College in Northampton. Information and tickets are available at valleyclassicalconcerts.org, or by calling (413) 585-0458. The first concert in the 2018-19 season is the Telegraph Quartet with oboist James Austin Smith, on Saturday, Sept. 29.

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Marin Goldstein

Marin Goldstein

Marin Goldstein has been tapped to lead electricity and renewable-energy programs at HCG as director of energy operations, sales, and innovation. In his new role, he will oversee Hampshire Power, Hampshire Renewables, and HCG’s Renewable Energy Credit brokerage program. Hampshire Power, the only Massachusetts-based nonprofit electricity supplier, allows local businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities to power their values by choosing to keep their energy dollars local, while giving back to the community. Goldstein brings with him more than 10 years of management experience in both business and nonprofit sectors. He also currently serves on the Energy Committee for the City of Easthampton, formerly as chair. He comes to HCG after three years in operations management and solar advocacy at Trinity Solar. Prior to that, he managed public education campaigns on renewable energy and energy efficiency and developed community partnerships across Western Mass. at the Center for EcoTechnology. In addition to expanding Hampshire Power, Goldstein will run the Hampshire Renewables net-metering program, which offers a market-leading 15% savings to thousands of electricity customers in Western Mass. He will also grow the lucrative Renewable Energy Credit brokerage service, which currently manages more than $9.7 million worth of energy credits on behalf of more than 1,500 local renewable-energy system owners.

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Pete Crisafulli

Pete Crisafulli

Taylor Real Estate announced it has hired Pete Crisafulli to serve as a licensed agent for the family-owned firm. The role represents the start of a second career for Crisafulli, who has a counseling background and has spent three decades in social services and education. Early on in his first career, Crisafulli was a therapist and clinical director for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children for eight years, and he later served as an administrator in the Frontier Regional School District for 18 years. Crisafulli came to Western Mass. in 1988 to attend Springfield College, where he earned a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Queens College. He volunteered as a coach for many years and served on the boards of the Easthampton Youth Soccer Assoc. and Easthampton Little League.

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Ashley Marshall

Ashley Marshall

The MP Group announced that Ashley Marshall, CPA has joined the firm. She is an audit manager with primary responsibility for managing services provided to nonprofit organizations (including yellow book and single audits), employee-benefit plans, and closely held businesses. Marshall holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Western New England University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is active in the community. Prior to joining the MP Group, she was a senior manager at KPMG, LLP. The MP Group is a regional audit, tax and business-advisory firm with offices in Springfield and Lincoln, as well as Bloomfield, Conn. Clients include high-net-worth individuals and families, venture-capital firms, construction, manufacturing, distributions, not-for-profit organizations, and employee benefit plans.

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The board of trustees of Stoneleigh-Burnham School (SBS) announced it elected alumna and entrepreneur Lynn Schultz Kehoe as its new chair. Kehoe, who was vice chair of the board of trustees since 2016, replaces Allison Porter, who served as chair for four years. Kehoe also served as chair of the investment committee from 1998 to 2004, and chaired the search committee tasked with hiring Stoneleigh-Burnham’s new Head of School Stephanie Luebbers. Kehoe’s professional career has been in financial services, real-estate investing, business development, and consulting. In 2016, she founded Shift Up, a company dedicated to supporting girls’ and women’s empowerment through the field of auto sports. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in economics from the American University. She has served on the advisory boards of the University of Pennsylvania Institute on Aging and the Philadelphia Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women. She participates in various philanthropic and charitable organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Assoc., the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.

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Susan Grealy

Susan Grealy

As COO of Pinck & Co. Inc., Susan Grealy implements growth strategies and leads the firm’s day-to-day business operations, including its technology, finance, human resources, marketing, and administration functions. Previously, she was a business owner, CFO, and vice president — to name a few roles. Now she is taking on a different kind of leadership role — one in which she is helping women transition out of poverty and into the workforce. Devoting time each month as a volunteer mentor for Dress for Success (DFS) of Western Massachusetts, Grealy provides one-on-one job training and life-skills coaching. She works with her mentee to develop self-confidence, identify career interests and goals, and find viable employment. “It’s an honor to be part of a devoted network of volunteers who help women turn their lives around and achieve economic independence,” she said. “DFS is proof that one shared mission can reach across language and culture to help better the lives of women in our backyard, throughout the United States, and in many corners of the globe.”

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The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) announced that Carla Oleska, former WFWM CEO who led the formation of the Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI), and Daisy Hernandez, LIPPI class of 2017, have been chosen to lead the upcoming ninth cohort of LIPPI, which begins in September. During this one-year appointment, Oleska and Hernandez will coordinate the LIPPI program by implementing the curriculum, identifying and scheduling instructors, acting as the main point of contact with participants, communicating with LIPPI partner Bay Path University, and collecting and analyzing student and alumnae data. The LIPPI program, launched in 2009, has trained more than 250 women in Massachusetts in a non-partisan initiative to provide women with the tools, mentors, and confidence needed to become the region’s community leaders and elected officials. Since the first cohort, LIPPI graduates are active in running for public office, currently holding office, sitting on boards, writing policy, promoting public advocacy, and drafting legislation while encouraging respectful and meaningful civic engagement. The program begins in September and runs to June.

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Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. announced that Gary Levante was appointed vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) officer, a newly created position within the Berkshire Bank Foundation. In this role, Levante will work to expand the foundation’s community-engagement efforts to implement an all-encompassing CSR strategy. In doing so, he will lead Berkshire’s efforts to integrate corporate social responsibility into all of the company’s and foundation’s activities, supporting key objectives, such as strengthening communities and engaging employees. Levante will oversee the development of CSR goals, policies, and programs, with a strong focus on establishing a framework of standards and tools for advancing social responsibility. An employee of Berkshire since 2010, Levante previously held the position of assistant vice president, Community Engagement officer. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. He serves on the Pittsfield Community Development Board and the boards of Downtown Pittsfield Inc. and America’s Charities, and is a member of the Corporate Volunteer Council of Greater Boston. He was named the New England Regional Lead for United Nations IMPACT2030.

People on the Move

By
People on the Move
Michele Cabral

Michele Cabral

Michele Cabral, a former accounting professor and interim dean of Business and Technology at Holyoke Community College, has been appointed the new director of Training & Workforce Options, a workforce-development partnership between HCC and Springfield Technical Community College. Cabral succeeds Jeffrey Hayden, who maintains his position as HCC’s vice president of Business and Community Services. As director of TWO, she will also continue in her position as director of the Massachusetts Casino Career Training Institute (MCCTI), the gaming school HCC runs jointly with STCC and MGM Springfield at 95 State St. in Springfield. Before being named director of MCCTI last fall, Cabral served as interim dean of Business and Technology at HCC, where she was a member of the project team that helped bring the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute to life. Cabral holds a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State University and an MBA from Elms College. She joined the faculty of HCC in 2014 as a full-time professor of accounting.

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Kevin Bramlett

Kevin Bramlett

Adam Cincotta

Adam Cincotta

As part of the previously announced organizational change to position the company for future growth, OMG Inc. promoted Kevin Bramlett and Adam Cincotta into new business-unit leadership positions for the Roofing Products Division. Each will oversee all facets of their respective business unit, including strategic sales and marketing activities, planning, forecasting, and manufacturing, as well as business-unit profit and loss. Bramlett was named director of the metal accessories business unit, which is predominantly OMG EdgeSystems, the company’s line of fascia, coping, and water-control products. Bramlett has been with the company since July 2012, most recently as the manufacturing manager for the OMG edge business. Before joining OMG, he was a mechanical engineer with Thermo-Fisher Scientific. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Cincotta was named director of the adhesives/solar business unit, which includes OlyBond Adhesives, the industry’s popular line of insulation and fleece membrane adhesive, as well as its OMG PowerGrip line of solar anchors. He joined OMG Roofing Products as a product manager in 2014, and was promoted to group product manager in 2017. Before joining OMG, he was with Lenox Tools/Newell Rubbermaid, where he worked as a senior product manager. He holds a bachelor’s degree in applied economics and management from Cornell University and an MBA from UMass.

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Kelly Marcroft

Kelly Marcroft

Kelly Marcroft, Holyoke Medical Center’s director of Emergency Services, has been selected to join an expert panel to improve patient safety in emergency medicine. The panel was convened by the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety, a Massachusetts state agency that catalyzes the efforts of providers, patients, and policymakers working together to advance the safety and quality of healthcare. The goal of this expert panel is to develop, aggregate, and disseminate practical recommendations and tools to support the efforts of Massachusetts acute-care hospitals to advance the safe delivery of emergency care in their facilities. The panel will deliberate on and endorse a set of core safety competencies that all Massachusetts emergency departments should foster, as well as create a set of best-practice standards, tools, and resources to share throughout the greater emergency-medicine community in Massachusetts. The expert panel consists of nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and doctors from several hospitals throughout the state, including Baystate Health, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Lowell General Hospital, Sturdy Memorial Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and UMass Memorial Medical Center. The group first met on June 26 in Boston and will continue to meet monthly over the next year.

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Angela Barahona

Angela Barahona

Country Bank announced that Angela Barahona has joined its Commercial Banking division as vice president of Business Development and Cash Management. She brings 17 years of experience in the industry, having held various positions over the years in customer service, management, municipal and government banking, business development, and corporate cash management. She is currently working toward her associate degree from the New England College of Business and Finance with a concentration in business adminstration. Barahona began her financial-services career at Country Bank in 2001 in its retail banking area. A relocation in 2006 to the eastern part of Massachusetts brought her to State Street Bank Corp. in its wire division and later to Century Bank. For the last 13 years at Century, she held various positions working her way through the ranks, where she found her passion in helping business customers.

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Clare Lamontagne

Clare Lamontagne

Holyoke Community College recently welcomed Clare Lamontagne as its new dean of Health Sciences. Lamontagne, a registered nurse who holds a Ph.D. in nursing, brings 40 years of experience to HCC as a nursing educator, administrator, clinician, and consultant. For the past seven years, she has been a member of the full-time nursing faculty at UMass Amherst, having also served there as director of the undergraduate nursing program. She began her career in 1978 as a charge nurse at Ludlow Hospital after earning her associate degree in nursing from Springfield Technical Community College, where she worked as a member of the nursing faculty from 1988 to 2011. Lamontagne holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from American International College, a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Connecticut, and a Ph.D. in nursing from UMass Amherst. She has also worked as a nurse at Baystate Medical Center and as a volunteer at the Pioneer Valley Free Health Clinic in East Longmeadow, and has taught in the nursing programs at UConn, Elms College, and Baystate Health.

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Alta Stark has been named director of Communications for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield. She is responsible for developing, writing, and producing various printed and electronic publications, providing printed materials and signs, publicity for events, advertising, and technical support. She will also work to cultivate and maintain relationships with local, regional, and national media, as well as Catholic media, and produce content for the Sisters of St. Joseph social-media sites. Stark is a communications professional with more than 30 years of experience in marketing, advertising, public relations, and the news media. Most recently, she taught graduate-level online courses in public relations for Western New England University. Previously, she served as the director of Marketing & Public Relations for JGS Lifecare in Longmeadow, successfully rebranding the 106-year organization and helping launch the Sosin Center for Rehabilitation. Stark has also served as senior Communications specialist for Baystate Health and Communications director for the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (now the Springfield Regional Chamber) and the Western Mass. Economic Development Council. She also spent nearly a decade producing award-winning broadcast news in several markets in the Northeast, including WWLP 22News. Stark holds a master’s degree in television, radio, and film with a concentration in broadcast news from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and graduated cum laude from Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts with a bachelor’s degree in advertising design.

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Claudia Pazmany

Claudia Pazmany

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County (BBBSHC), a program of CHD, announced the appointment of Claudia Pazmany as its new advisory board president. Pazmany, the new executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, joined BBBSHC as an advisory board member in May 2016. She served on the development committee and led the efforts to celebrate outgoing Executive Director Renee Moss, while simultaneously serving on the search committee to hire her replacement, current Executive Director Jessie Cooley. “Claudia’s successful 17-year history in professional fundraising has made her a true steward of her craft in philanthropy, and this is part of what drew her to us,” said Cooley. “Claudia is also passionate about the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters, with contagious enthusiasm and innovative ideas, and she will help lead us into the next phase of our program’s growth.”

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Krish Thiagarajan, an expert on marine renewable energy and energy-producing offshore structures, has been appointed to the endowed chair in Renewable Energy in the UMass Amherst College of Engineering. Thiagarajan will collaborate with state Department of Energy Resources staff on renewable-energy research and projects. His studies focus on harvesting energy from waves in marine environments, and his expertise will broaden and strengthen the research program in renewable energy at UMass Amherst, which has long been a national leader in wind energy. Thiagarajan came to UMass Amherst last spring after serving six years as the presidential chair in Energy at the University of Maine, where his research attracted more than $22 million in funding. At Maine, he also led the Marine Ocean and Offshore Research (MOOR) Group, which studied how human-made structures interact with the complex ocean environment. Thiagarajan completed his bachelor’s degree in naval architecture at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras. He earned a master’s degree in ocean engineering at Memorial University of Newfoundland before pursuing further graduate studies at the University of Michigan, where he was awarded master’s degrees in mechanical engineering, and naval architecture and marine engineering, as well as a Ph.D. in naval architecture and marine engineering.

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Mika Nash has joined American International College (AIC) as executive vice president for Academic Affairs. She comes to AIC from Champlain College in Vermont, where she served as dean of Continuing Professional Studies. Nash has more than 20 years of experience in the field of higher education, with the majority of her career spent in senior leadership. In her most recent role, she was tasked with the development and administration of all academic and operational responsibilities associated with running the Continuing Professional Studies academic unit with management oversight for all curricula, academic programs, academic policies, articulation agreements, eLearning, faculty recruiting, training and development, and building student, family, and academic support services. A particular area of interest and scholarship for Nash continues to be technology innovation to expand the student experience and engagement in course content. Prior to joining Champlain College in 2007, Nash served as dean for the School of Hospitality and Restaurant Management at the New England Culinary Institute. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Vermont. She has a doctorate in higher educational leadership and policy studies.

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Scott Higgins

Scott Higgins

Erin Wilde

Erin Wilde

HUB International New England, LLC, a division of HUB International Limited, a global insurance brokerage, recently announced that Scott Higgins joined the agency as an account executive for Commercial Lines, and Erin Wilde has come on board as a client relationship manager. Both will work in the East Longmeadow office. Higgins will be responsible for servicing medium- to large-sized businesses with a focus on property and casualty products. Having first started his career as a collision repair manager with GM for more than 20 years, he has a vast background in providing settlements for collision repairs. From there, he held various positions with MetLife and MetLife Financial. Wilde will work closely with the HUB New England Employee Benefits team to service existing clients with marketing, benefits communications, regulatory requirements, cost-saving measures, and enrollment, as well as assisting with new prospects. Having worked in the employee-benefits field, including stops at Bank of Tampa and Sullivan Benefits, she has a background servicing nonprofits.

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Springfield Technical Community College announced that Erica Eynouf was named dean of Library, Matthew Gravel was named dean of Academic Initiatives, and Inder Singh was named assistant vice president/chief Information officer. Eynouf joined the college in September 2012 as a reference library, and had served as interim dean of Library Services since August 2017. She holds a master’s degree in library science from Simmons College in Boston. She received her bachelor’s degree in critical social theory from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley. Gravel was most recently dean of Enrollment Management. He joined STCC in August 2001 as the director of Academic Advising, became registrar in March 2005, and was promoted to dean of Curriculum in January 2012. Among his job responsibilities, he will plan and manage academic initiatives and program review efforts. He earned a master’s degree in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a bachelor’s degree in English from UMass Dartmouth. Singh had served as interim AVP/CIO since January. Previously, he served as CIO at Union County College in New Jersey and worked in IT leadership positions for 28 years at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He holds an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., and earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Delhi University, India.

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Kathleen Anderson

Kathleen Anderson

Holyoke Medical Center announced the appointment of Kathleen Anderson as the hospital’s director of Community Benefits. She begins her new role on Aug. 27, providing programs and services to improve health in communities and helping to increase access to healthcare. She will succeed Helen Arnold following her retirement after a 42-year career with Holyoke Medical Center. Anderson most recently served as president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and its affiliated Centennial Foundation. Prior to that, she served as Holyoke’s Planning and Economic Development director, as well as chief of staff for two Holyoke mayors. She serves on the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development’s Economic Assistance Coordinating Council, and chairs both the Holyoke Salvation Army and Economic Development Partners of the Western Mass. Economic Development Council.

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The duMONT Co. and Hassay Savage Co. announced the promotion of Cynthia Cote to president of both companies. Cote joined duMONT with new ownership in 2016 as the company’s chief financial officer. Both duMONT and Hassay Savage companies are leaders in linear industrial broaching technology. In 2018, the companies will break ground on a new manufacturing facility to prepare for additional growth through research and development as well as acquisition. In addition to her accomplishments in manufacturing, Cote and her husband own and run a construction company and a real-estate management company in Shelburne Falls.

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HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts recently named Kathy Casagrande as director of Case Management and Mary-Anne Schelb as Business Development director. These leadership-team members will support initiatives to uphold high-quality patient care at the 53-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital located at 222 State St., Ludlow. Casagrande has been a social worker and case manager in a hospital setting for more than 30 years. She received her bachelor’s degree in social work from Western New England College in 1985 and began her career at HealthSouth Western Massachusetts in March 1996 in the capacity of discharge planner. She was promoted to case manager in 1997. Schelb serves as director of Marketing Operations at HealthSouth Western Massachusetts. She began her career with an accounting certification from St. John’s School of Business and found herself drawn to a more health- and wellness-based path as a holistic health practitioner holding master/teacher certifications from the International Center for Reiki Training. In addition, she is a certified cranial sacral therapist in Profound Neutral from the Neurovascular Institute.

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Zoar Outdoor recently trained five new guides to lead its canopy-tour experience in a 40-hour process that covered topics from safety to assessing the guest’s state of mind. All five guide candidates aced written exams and technical drills on June 15, the last day of the training. Hired for the remainder of the season, which ends in November, were Brian Schempf, Matt Drazek, Haley Rode, Abby Schlinger, and Tynan Hewes. All of the trainees had previous experience riding a zipline, and they all also had outdoor experience ranging from hiking to mountain climbing. Zoar currently has 43 guides for its zipline canopy tour, which was the first zip tour in southern New England.

People On The Move

By
People on the Move
Tracy Sicbaldi

Tracy Sicbaldi

PeoplesBank announced the appointment of Tracy Sicbaldi as assistant vice president, Commercial and Institutional Banking. She has more than 35 years of financial-services and banking experience. In her new position, she will identify, develop, and manage new municipal, commercial, and institutional deposit relationships. Sicbaldi is the former treasurer of the towns of Hampden and Monson. She is a member of the Massachusetts Collectors and Treasurers Assoc., the Hampden County Collectors and Treasurers Assoc., the Hampshire and Franklin Collectors and Treasurers Assoc., and the Worcester County Collectors and Treasurers Assoc. She is a former member of the Eastern Mass Treasurers and Collectors Assoc. and attended all educational state and county municipal meetings. Her professional volunteer service includes serving as treasurer, vice president, and president of the Professional Women’s Chamber; the finance chair of the Rays of Hope steering committee; and a past board member of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) and the YWCA of Western Massachusetts.

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Jeanne Woods

Jeanne Woods

Florence Bank promoted Jeanne Woods to the position of assistant vice president and branch manager for the bank’s Amherst location. Woods joined Florence Bank in 2001 and previously served as assistant branch manager of the Amherst office. She is a development committee member for the Amherst Survival Center. “We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Jeanne Woods,” said Florence Bank President and CEO John Heaps Jr. “She is a dedicated and valued employee who consistently delivers great results. She has been an asset to the bank for many years, and I look forward to watching her progress even further in the years to come.”

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Lynn Ostrowski-Ireland

Viability Inc. announced that Lynn Ostrowski-Ireland has been appointed chief operating officer, a new position within Viability, reporting directly to President and CEO Dick Venne. As COO, Ostrowski-Ireland will be responsible for overseeing the operation of Viability’s programs and services across the 36 locations in five states in which it currently operates. Ostrowski-Ireland is the former executive director of the National Aetna Foundation, where she led strategic grants and programs and enterprise-wide corporate social-responsibility strategy and reporting. She also held numerous leadership positions at Health New England, including director of Marketing, Communications and Brand, director of Community Relations and Health Programs, and director of Corporate Responsibility & Government Affairs. She is recognized for her expertise in population health and addressing social determinants of health, and has addressed national audiences on many public-health topics, most recently keynoting at the National Cancer Foundation and the National Oncology Nurses Congress. Ostrowski-Ireland has achieved several certificates of advanced study from Harvard Business School of Executive Education as well as Johns Hopkins University. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Springfield College, and a Ph.D. from Capella University. She was honored at the 2017 Bay Path University Women’s Leadership Conference and inducted into the Bay Path University Women’s Leadership Hall of Fame.

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The board of directors of the Ludlow Community Center/Randall Boys & Girls Club announced that Mechilia “Chile” Salazar has accepted the role of president and CEO of the center. Salazar previously served as executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Middlesex County in Somerville. Her experience also includes positions as chief Development officer of the Base in Roxbury and Room to Grow in Boston. “I am excited to join such a committed group of leaders at the Randall Boys & Girls Club and build on the best of the team and organization,” she said. “I look forward to working relentlessly to ensure that the club continues to be a positive place where every young person feels loved, knows that they matter, and has access to the resources and opportunities to succeed. I am excited about harnessing the strength of this tight-knit community that has helped make the culture in and outside the club great.”

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Chris Palames

Disability-rights activist Chris Palames is the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Service Award from Holyoke Community College. Palames is the founder of the Stavros Center for Independent Living in Amherst, executive director of Independent Living Resources in Florence, and a retired consultant for the Massachusetts Division of Capital and Asset Management, which manages construction projects for publicly owned facilities in the state. He has served on the Northampton Commission on Disability and the Massachusetts Disability Policy Consortium, and frequently advises the staff in HCC’s Office for Students with Disabilities and Deaf Services. HCC President Christina Royal presented the Distinguished Service Award to Palames at HCC’s 71st commencement ceremony at the MassMutual Center in Springfield on June 2. Palames began his life as an activist as a freshman at Wesleyan University in the 1960s, demonstrating for civil rights on the White House lawn. A spinal-cord injury left him a quadriplegic, but, after a year recuperating, he was back, protesting the Vietnam War and completing his bachelor’s degree in psychology.

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Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, is the 78th chair of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Assoc. board of trustees. He succeeds Kate Walsh, president and CEO of Boston Medical Center. In his inaugural address, Keroack discussed his deep interest in the major policy proposals and other efforts now underway to advance healthcare both statewide and nationally. He also acknowledged that many of these endeavors are currently overshadowed by disruptive challenges buffeting hospitals, health systems, and other care providers. “We must reconnect with our core purpose, to remind both our team members and our communities of who we are and what we have always been,” he said. “We need to remind ourselves of our history of being there for our communities for generations, reliably serving all those who need our help, innovating, and caring for the person and not just the disease. And as we step up, as we find our voice, I believe we will learn something about ourselves and what we share in common.”

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Brooke Hallowell, dean of the Springfield College School of Health Sciences and Rehabilitation Studies, was one of 14 signatories for international associations that founded the initiative of the Global Rehabilitation Alliance (GRA), which gathered for the first time on May 22 at the World Health Assembly hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva. Hallowell will continue to serve as a founding representative to the Global Rehabilitation Alliance for the next three years. The alliance will be a platform for united advocacy and awareness-raising to strengthen rehabilitation in health and social systems around the world. Many organizations serve this goal through working to improve accessibility to services, quality of care, the building of rehabilitation workforce capacity, and strengthening of data collection. The Global Rehabilitation Alliance will aim to further these efforts through raising the profile of rehabilitation and strengthening networks and partnerships. Hallowell has a global reputation in collaborative development of rehabilitation services and frameworks, especially in under-resourced regions. Most recently, she held adjunct faculty appointments and visiting professorships at universities in Korea, Malaysia, and Honduras. She is involved in current research, educational, and clinical program collaboration in Malaysia, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Vietnam, Russia, and Honduras.

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