Page 71 - BusinessWest August 7, 2023

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE>>
Following a national search, Bay Path University announced that Ruth Lahti was selected
to be the inaugural dean of the School of Education, Psychol- ogy & Humanities. In her previ- ous position, Lahti served as the associate vice president of Aca- demics at Southern New Hamp-
shire University, Global Campus Online. In that
role, she led a team of 70 full-time administrators and faculty while overseeing 22 online programs; spearheaded the development of a career-oriented master of fine arts program in creative writing that is now the largest MFA program in the country; over- saw DEI strategies that produced positive, measur- able results; and implemented data-driven decision making to foster student success, grow online pro- grams in both enrollment and revenue, and launch a suite of career-focused embedded certificates. As dean of the of the School of Education, Psychology & Humanities, Lahti is responsible for leading and coordinating the operations of department chairs and program directors to support student and faculty success. Through collaboration with cross- university departments, she will be a member of teams that develop strategic external partnerships, implement ongoing processes for the develop- ment of and scanning for new curricular ideas and initiatives, and identify and assist in obtaining new revenue streams to support the expansion of school programs and infrastructure. Lahti earned her Ph.D. and master’s degree in English from UMass Amherst and her bachelor’s degree in English from James Madison University.
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Florence Bank announced that Ryan Hess has joined the staff as vice president and com- mercial team leader. Hess has more than 11 years of experi- ence in banking, serving in roles from credit analyst and portfolio manager to leader- ship in commercial lending. He
most recently served as chief lending officer for a locally based startup bank and played a key role
in its founding. Hess holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Stonehill College. He serves as co-chair of the Ronald McDonald House golf committee, a member of the Make-A-Wish golf committee, and vice chair of the Springfield Zoning Board of Appeals.
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Cristina Gonzalez has been promoted to general
manager at the Holiday Inn Express Ludlow. She has worked with Pioneer Valley Hotel Group (PVHG) since 2015. Before taking the general manager posi- tion, she worked in various other roles within the PVHG family of hotels. Gonzalez began working
at the Holiday Inn Express Ludlow in the winter of 2022. She said she has appreciated meeting new people every day, growing and learning, and expe- riencing innovation in hospitality, and strives to cre- ate a healthy workplace environment through trust and cooperation.
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Dietz & Company Architects Inc. recently welcomed Laura Mukazhanova and Chen Yu to the firm, both in the role of architectural associate. Muka- zhanova recently received
her bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University, where she
degree in education from Westfield State College in 1977 and a certificate in advanced graduate studies, a M.Ed., and a Ed.D. from UMass Amherst. Currier was elected by the student body in April to serve
as Westfield State’s student trustee for the 2023-24 academic year. A junior with majors in accounting and finance with minors in economics and English, Currier was formerly vice president for Finance for Westfield State’s Student Government Assoc., is president of the Accounting Club, and serves as a campus tour guide, new-student-orientation leader, and peer tutor. Currier is also a Commonwealth Honors Scholar and received the Executive Excel- lence Award from the Westfield State University Student Government Assoc.
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Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB) promoted Panna Royal to the position of senior vice president and chief information officer. As CIO, she will oversee the opera- tions of the Information Tech- nology (IT) department, includ- ing the planning, management, implementation, support, and
the security of the bank’s information and computer technologies. Royal joined GSB in November 2019 as senior network administrator with more than
25 years of experience working in IT. In 2020, she was promoted to the position of vice president and senior network administrator in the IT department. In 2022, she became senior technical program and compliance manager in the Operations department, implementing and overseeing the project-manage- ment program for the bank. Royal and her team
will support the bank with technology solutions to help the organization continue to provide custom- ers with an outstanding user experience. She will also oversee training programs for upgrades and system changes, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, and oversee the hiring and training of the IT department. She will manage the imple- mentation and maintenance of existing information systems and will develop the bank’s information- technology roadmap for the future.
completed her thesis on the effects of architecture on one’s mental and emotional state. She illustrated this with a focus on addressing the issue of burn- out in the healthcare industry through the use of visual and sensory perceptions in the workplace. As such, she has a
particular interest and curiosity in architecture that has the potential for emotional and aesthetic influ- ence on its occupants. Chen recently graduated with her master of architecture degree from the University of Virginia. While completing her stud- ies, she interned at architecture firms in Virginia and China. She also had the opportunity to conduct research on-site in Utqiagvik, Alaska regarding the reuse of waste heat. With an interest in public build- ing design, she looks forward to expanding her knowledge on the subject through her project work at Dietz.
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The Westfield State University board of trustees elected Ali Salehi to serve as its chair, while trustees Melissa Alvarado and Gloria Williams were elected as vice-chair and secretary, respec- tively. Daniel Currier, class of 2025, was elected to the board as student trustee. Salehi serves as managing director of Hansen Engineering and Machinery Co. Inc. of Danvers. A former board member of the Greater West- field Chamber of Commerce, the Westfield State University Foundation, and the Westfield Redevelopment Authority, Salehi is a current trustee of Suffield Academy and a for-
mer vice chair of the Baystate Health Foundation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechani- cal engineering and a master’s degree in engineering man- agement from Western New England University. Alvarado is an assistant vice president in strategic planning and delivery at MassMutual Financial Group and, prior to that, worked in its compliance and information- technology organizations. She previously served as clerk of the Westfield State Foundation and was a member of the Westfield
State Alumni Assoc. executive council. In addition earning a bachelor’s degree in business administra- tion from Westfield State in 1999, Alvarado holds
an MBA in finance from Western New England University and earned an executive certification in leadership and management from the University of Notre Dame. Williams is an educational consultant and leadership mentor who previously completed a 21-year tenure as a master principal for Springfield Public Schools. Her service in education, including as a representative for the Superintendent’s Advi- sory Committee, was recognized when she received the 2019 Educational Legacy Achievement Award, presented by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Wil- liams is also president of the consulting firm Coali- tion of Experienced Black Educators Inc. and the newly elected president of the board of directors for Families Against Violence. She earned a bachelor’s
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People
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Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that Alexandre Pereira, Alli- son Hanna, Lauren Rainville, and Emily Gorney have been accepted into its law-clerk pro- gram for the 2023-24 school year. Bacon Wilson created the clerkship program more than 40 years ago to allow law-school students to gain experience and mentoring in the legal profes- sion. The clerks are an integral part of the firm and participate in various firm events during their time at Bacon Wilson. Pereira joined Bacon Wilson in May 2023. He is a Western New Eng- land University School of Law candidate for juris doctor in May 2024. He earned his bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in finance from Western New Eng- land University (WNE) in 2021. Prior to Bacon Wilson, he was
a teaching assistant in the aca-
Continued on page 72 >> AUGUST 7, 2023 71
RUTH LAHTI
CHEN YU
PANNA ROYAL
ALI SALEHI
MELISSA ALVARADO
RYAN HESS
GLORIA WILLIAMS
ALEXANDRE PEREIRA
DANIEL CURRIER
ALLISON HANNA
LAUREN RAINVILLE
LAURA MUKAZHANOVA
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