Page 73 - BusinessWest December 21, 2020

Difference Makers Nomination Deadline
Dec. 29: Do you know someone who is truly making a difference in the Western Mass. region? BusinessWest invites you to nominate an individual or group for its 13th annual Difference Makers program. Nominations for the class of 2021 must be received by the end of the business day (5 p.m.) on Wednesday, Dec. 29. Difference Mak- ers was launched in 2009 as a way to recognize the contributions of agen- cies and individuals who are contrib- uting to quality of life in this region. Past honorees have come from dozens of business and nonprofit sectors, proving there’s no limit to the ways people can impact their communi- ties — and the ongoing pandemic has no doubt shed a spotlight on other ways to make a difference. So, let us know who you think deserves to be recognized as a Difference Maker in our upcoming class by completing
the nomination form at businessWest. com/difference-makers-nomination- form. Honorees will be profiled in an upcoming issue of BusinessWest.
Small Business Legal Clinic Application Deadline
Jan. 1: The Western New England Uni- versity Small Business Legal Clinic is accepting applications from entre- preneurs and small-business own-
ers seeking legal assistance for the spring semester 2021. Under faculty supervision, law students assist clients with legal issues including choice of entity, employment policies, contract drafting, regulatory compliance, and intellectual-property issues relating
to trademark applications and copy- right. This is a free service available to local businesses that might not have the resources to obtain such services. The Small Business Clinic has assisted more than 350 small businesses since it opened. The clinic requests that small-business owners submit their applications by Friday, Jan. 1. Applica-
North Adams
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of careers in those fields, as reflected by big players like General Dynamics, the Berkshire Innovation Center, and Berkshire Health Systems, and a host of smaller companies.
Tourism is a critical industry in North Adams as well, and visitor num- bers were certainly down in 2020 over- all, Bernard said, although MASS MoCA had a successful reopening and contin- ues to do well. “The big advantage they have is space — you can be there in a socially distanced way. But, still, fewer people have come through this year.”
The exception is outdoor recreation, which has thrived across the Berkshires this year.
“As much as we’ve done incredible work because of our location, because
tions received after that date will be considered if additional resources are available. Students will begin provid- ing services in late January. For more information, call the Legal Clinic at (413) 782-1469 or e-mail Marie Fletch- er, Clinical Programs administrator,
at [email protected]. For more information or to complete an online application, visit www1.wne.edu/law/ centers/small-business-legal-clinic.cfm.
Women’s Leadership Training Program
Starting Jan. 6: Building on the suc- cess of its popular Women’s Leader- ship Luncheon Series, Holyoke Com- munity College (HCC) is launching an eight-week training program for women who want to develop and enhance their leadership skills.
For convenience, the program, “Women Leaning Into Leadership 2021: Empowering Your Voice,” is being offered over Zoom in two sepa- rate, eight-week sessions. One meets on Wednesdays, Jan. 6 through Feb. 24, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., while the other meets on Thursdays, Jan. 7 through Feb. 25, from noon to 1:30 p.m. The interactive workshops will be facilitat- ed by Annie Shibata, owner of Growth Mindset Leadership and Communi- cation Coaching. Enrollment is lim- ited by design. In addition to weekly 90-minute group seminars, each participant can schedule a private, 30-minute session of personalized coaching with the instructor. During the program sessions, participants will learn to evaluate their communica- tion skills and apply new communica- tion techniques, practice the power
of mindfulness, distinguish forms of influence and persuasion to create powerful messages, assess their lead- ership strengths, and create short- and long-term plans for career develop- ment. To register for the Wednesday program, visit hcc.edu/women-2021-1. To register for the Thursday program, visit hcc.edu/women-2021-2.
of MASS MoCA and Williamstown The- atre Festival and Williams College and Barrington Stage and Berkshire The- atre and all these tremendous cultural resources, we don’t always appreciate how gorgeous it is out here,” Bernard said. “But, for a lot of people, that’s a huge draw.”
While the number of people visit- ing for foliage season may have been down from past years, he said he drove around the iconic Route 2 hairpin turn on a number of occasions, and always saw people stopping to take photos.
“Again, what a great, socially dis- tanced way to appreciate the nature
of the Berkshires in a year when you can’t engage in the area as fully as you might otherwise,” he said. “You can still get in the car, a motorcycle, or take a bike ride, and see it all. We know there’s
Asnuntuck Super Saturday
Jan. 9: Asnuntuck Community Col- lege (ACC) will hold a virtual Super Saturday event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., aimed at helping new and continuing students who have questions about how to apply, would like to speak to an advisor, or have questions regard- ing financial aid and registering. The college’s spring semester begins on Friday, Jan. 22. New and continu-
ing students are invited to attend the event. Participants will also be able to virtually meet with Asnuntuck’s Manu- facturing department, as well as speak with staff from ACC’s Continuing Education and Workforce Develop- ment Office to learn about our non- credit certificate options. Anyone
who is interested in attending the online event, but has not yet applied, should complete the application ahead of time to maximize their time during the event. Participants may pre-register at asnuntuck.edu/virtu- alsupersaturday if there is a specific department they plan to meet with. If seeking to meet with an advisor dur- ing the event, it is strongly encour- aged to pre-register ahead of time at asnuntuck.edu/student-resources/casa to request an appointment.
Healthcare Heroes
Jan. 14: Due to spikes in COVID-19 cases across the U.S. and beyond, BusinessWest and the Healthcare News will celebrate this year’s Healthcare Heroes with a virtual event. They include Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health; Christopher Savino, Emeline Bean, and Lydia Bris- son, clinical liaisons for Berkshire Healthcare Systems; Friends of the Homeless; the Nutrition Department at Greater Springfield Senior Services Inc.; the staff at Holyoke Medical Center; the Institute for Applied Life Sciences at UMass Amherst; Rabbi Devorah Jacobson, director of Spiri- tual Life at JGS Lifecare; Maggie Eboso,
demand for that.”
Hit the Road
He belives tourism in and around North Adams should rebound fine post-pandemic — if only because peo- ple’s dollars go further here, because of the mix of reasonably priced attrac- tions and no-cost nature.
“People want to get the most bang for their buck without sacrificing qual- ity, without sacrificing engagement, without sacrificing the memories they make. In that sense, North Adams con- tinues to be attractive, and the Berk- shires continue to be attractive,” he said.
As part of the Mohawk Trail Wood- lands Partnership, the city recently landed some funding for a compre-
Infection Control and Prevention coordinator at Mercy Medical Center; Jennifer Graham, home health aide at O’Connell Care at Home; and Helen Gobeil, staffing supervisor at Visiting Angels West Springfield. The Health- care Heroes program is sponsored
by Elms College (presenting spon- sor), Baystate Health and Health New England (presenting sponsor), and partner sponsors Bulkley Richardson, Comcast Business, and Trinity Health Of New England/Mercy Medical Cen- ter. More details about the event will be announced soon.
Agenda
Women of Impact
Jan. 28: Due to spikes in COVID-19 cases across the U.S. and beyond, BusinessWest will celebrate this year’s Women of Impact with a virtual event. They include Tania Barber, president and CEO of Caring Health Center; Carol Campbell, president of Chi- copee Industrial Contractors; Helen Caulton-Harris, Health and Human Services commissioner for the city of Springfield; Pattie Hallberg, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Central & Western Mas- sachusetts; Andrea Harrington, Berk- shire County district attorney; Toni Hendrix, director of Human Services at Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing; Christina Royal, president of Holyoke Community College; and Sue Stubbs, president and CEO of ServiceNet. The event is sponsored by Country Bank, Health New England, and TommyCar Auto Group (presenting sponsors), Comcast Business (supporting spon- sor), and WWLP 22 News/CW Spring- field (media sponsor). More details about the event will be announced soon.
hensive mapping and marketing effort of its trail systems. “It’s for people who want to visit, maybe go to a museum, have a good meal, stay a few days as tourists, but then they want to get out on the trails.”
Add it all up, and there’s plenty to look forward to in 2021.
“I’m bullish and optimistic about what spring and summer could bring,” Bernard went on. “I think there will still be caution, I think there will be wari- ness, but I think there’s also pent-up demand, too, and people will think about where they want to go and what they want to do.” u
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
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