Page 8 - 2020 BusinessWest Difference Makers Program

SCelebrating the
uffice it to say, 2020 has been a memorable year — and mostly for the wrong reasons.
Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered vir- tually every aspect of daily life and work — and its impact will continue to be felt for months, years, and
perhaps even decades. There have been few bright spots during this year of pandemic and turbulence, but one of them is cer- tainly BusinessWest’s Difference Makers Class of 2020.
First introduced to the region in February, and originally to be celebrated at the annual gala in March, the Class of 2020 is large and distinguished. Collectively, the individuals and groups in this class exemplify why this award was created — to recog- nize those who are positively impacting quality of life in West- ern Mass. through their energy, imagination, and perseverance. And they are most deserved of that title: Difference Maker.
Since the inception of this program in 2009, the classes of winners have shown us two things: that there is no shortage of people who possess the willingness and drive to give back to the community, and, likewise, that there are certainly no limits on the different ways in which people and groups can make a difference.
The class of 2020 provides still more evidence of this.
Christopher (Monte) Belmonte started marching from Northampton to Greenfield several years ago to raise money for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to battle food inse- curity. Today, the march is from Springfield to Greenfield, and
it has become more than a march. In the words of U.S. Rep.
Jim McGovern, who marches with Monte, “it has become a movement.”
Ira Bryck grew up in a family business, so he understands the many unique — and not so unique — dynamics of these ven- tures. Beyond that, he has a entertaining and, yes, fun style of educating and mentoring others. All this made him a very effec- tive leader of the Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley, and today, it’s making him a sought-after consultant and mentor. That combination also makes him a Difference Maker.
Sandy Cassanelli knows perhaps better than anyone the need to find a cure for metastatic breast cancer. She was diag- nosed with the disease when she was only 37, and has been fighting it ever since. The fight goes on long after she was diag- nosed with stage 4, and it goes on while she runs a business and takes care of her family. Cancer has never slowed her down, and the nonprofit she has created, the Breast Friends Fund, has raised $400,000 to date to see that a cure is found.
Dianne Fuller Doherty has been making a difference in the
Pioneer Valley for more than a half-century now. Over that time, she’s been a pioneer — as with her efforts to partner with oth- ers and launch the Women’s Fund of Western Mass. — as well as a mentor to countless entrepreneurs, a tireless cheerleader for this region, and a role model for women everywhere. More than anything else, she has been an inspiration.
Ronn Johnson has spent much of the past four decades mak- ing a real difference for families and children in this region. And he’s done so in many ways, from his role as president and CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services Inc. in Springfield to the Brianna Fund, a charity named after his daughter that has, for the past 22 years, helped children with disabilities access the tools and resources they need to achieve a better life.
When Steve Lowell worked for a bank on Cape Cod, he lived more than half a state away from his office. But he was so active within the bank’s service area, people just assumed he lived there. He took this laser focus on community service to his
job as president and CEO of Monson Savings Bank, and to say he’s been making a difference in this region would be a huge understatement.
Not long after Rick Thorpe died in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11, family and friends (and there are many of them) began searching for ways to honor his memory and his undying spirit. They found many such ways, but the most impactful is a nonprofit that bears his name — Rick’s Place, which provides light in the darkest of times in the form of support to individuals, and especially children, who have lost a loved one.
This year’s recipients are representative of the thousands of men, women, and institutions in this region now making a dif- ference through their success in business, their contributions to and within our communities, their leadership and ability to motivate others, and combinations of all these qualities.
We recognize them this evening because, far too often, their work goes unnoticed and underappreciated.
In that respect, tonight’s event is not simply a recognition ceremony, but a celebration of all the people who make this region a better place to live, work, and do business.
Thank you for being part of this very special evening.
George O’Brien
Editor & Associate Publisher, BusinessWest
Kate Campiti
Sales Manager & Associate Publisher, BusinessWest
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