Page 56 - BusinessWest December 26, 2022

Organs
Continued from page 42
of others in similar situations must be told to reinforce the message and add a very needed personal touch.
Both McPartland and Riella agreed. They noted that, while much of the discussion about organ donations is focused on numbers — everything from how many individuals are on lists to how long their waits are — behind the statistics are real people, like Auer-
Outreach
Continued from page 44
View to the Future
As of now, WMEC is just getting the ball
the Elder Mental Health Outreach Team project, but referrals are pouring in. While the organization isn’t looking to expand the effort yet, expansion is inevi- table, Bronner explained.
WMEC is still looking for a licensed clinical social worker, as that specialty is facing a shortage, and tal- ent is hard to come by. Training is also needed for staff before they’re able to visit seniors in their homes.
“We anticipate getting referrals from the senior
People
Continued from page 54
Holyoke Community Col-
lege (HCC) recently welcomed Jane Johnson Vottero as its new director of Marketing and Strategic Communications. Vot- tero joins HCC after 21 years
at Springfield College, where she has worked as manager of editorial services, publications director, director of executive
communications, and, most recently, editorial direc- tor. Her work includes award-winning publications, executive speech writing, supervision of creative and volunteer teams, advertising campaigns, newspaper reporting, freelance correspondence, development writing, web writing, video production, and strate- gic communications for businesses, nonprofits, and political and social-issue campaigns. At HCC, Vottero will oversee the operations of marketing, media rela- tions, social media, graphic design, website manage- ment, publications, and other internal and external communications. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from UMass Amherst and a master’s degree in psychology from Springfield College. She has worked as a writer, editor, and publicist in West- ern Mass., including at Baystate Health, the Western Massachusetts Business Journal (now BusinessWest), the Westfield Evening News, and Barron’s Business and Financial Weekly. She is a past president of the Junior League of Greater Springfield, the founding president of CISV Greater Springfield, and a graduate of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts Lead- ership Institute for Political and Public Impact.
•••••
bankESB recently promoted Meridith Salois to vice
president, Commercial Credit Systems Management. Salois joined bankESB in 2001 as a loan servicer and progressed over time to collections assistant, credit analyst, and senior credit analyst before being elected
need to listen — and respond. u
It takes only five minutes to sign up
to be an organ donor at www.orgando- nor.gov/sign-up. To learn more about becoming a living kidney donor, call Baystate Medical Center’s Transplant Program at (413) 794-2321, option 2, and speak with the living donor coor- dinator, or visit the Baystate Transplant website at baystatehealth.org/transplant for a confidential screening process.
bach, facing quality-of-life, if not life- and-death, issues.
Bottom Line
Auerbach told BusinessWest that he tries not to think about the informal ‘clock’ he’s on — one doctor told him 18 months to three years, while anoth- er told him five years before he would need dialysis — and often wishes he was not given such estimates.
And he’s not alone in that senti-
ment. Such clocks, while helpful in the planning process, only increase the anxiety and make the waiting all the more tortuous, he noted.
“I’m trying to take it day-by-day and be optimistic,” he said. “To have a clock ticking as I’m watching and waiting would drive me crazy.”
The only thing that can shorten such waits is for more donors to come forward, said all those we spoke with, adding that this why stories like Auer- bach’s need to be told. And why people
rolling on
centers,” she explained. “Maybe they’re going to
the meal program or activities there, or maybe they volunteer there. But they could have some kind of depression and anxiety, or maybe there’s a life change — there’s a spouse that is having a change in cogni- tion, and they just need to talk to someone about it. It wouldn’t really change their routine because they’re going there every day already.”
Bronner went on to say that area fire and police departments send in a lot of referrals as well because of the amount of calls they receive. As the eyes and ears of the community, they often get called to homes for issues like falls and well-being checks.
Bronner urges anyone who needs help — or
officer in 2015 and promoted to assistant vice president in 2016. In 2020, she was promoted to assistant vice president, Com- mercial Credit Systems man- ager. She was responsible for leading the commercial integra- tion group for bankESB parent Hometown Financial Group’s
recent acquisition of Randolph Bancorp and Envision Bank. Salois holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Bay Path Col- lege and is a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies. She currently serves as vice presi- dent of the LoanVantage User Group and is an active volunteer in her community with the Southampton Road PTO and All 4-Kids Consignment Sale.
•••••
Market Mentors, the region’s largest marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, is proud to announce the addition of four new team members, adding to the depth and exper- tise of its staff. The hires span multiple departments, includ- ing account services, media buying, and administration. John Miarecki joined the agen- cy as director of Growth and Development. A marketing guru with almost 15 years of experi- ence in various roles, as well
as degrees in marketing and psychology from West Chester University in Pennsylvania, he is tasked with assisting with
business development, client services, internal opera- tions and talent development. Shawna Griffin is the agency’s new media planner/buyer, bringing with
knows someone who needs help — to call WMEC for support, because it’s important they know they’re never alone.
“If people aren’t sure how to get support, they can call WMEC or their local senior center, and we’ll get the person connected. You don’t have to remember a phone number or whatever — just reach out, and we’ll connect you to the right person.” u
Kailey Houle can be reached at [email protected]
her two decades of experience in the field. A graduate of Hof- stra University, she is adept at creating comprehensive media plans that drive action and results. Erica Moulton joined the agency as an account executive with nearly 20 years of expertise in all things com- munications, including social media, public relations, referral relations, fundraising, account management, and more. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the Catho- lic University of America and has extensive expertise in the healthcare and nonprofit ver-
ticals. Susan Mayhew made her return to Market Mentors as office manager, a position she previously held for four years before moving to Colorado and then South Carolina. With more than 25 years of busi- ness administration experience, she is responsible for office management, including financials (including accounts payable, accounts receivable, and reporting) and some human-resources duties.
•••••
Hometown Mortgage, a divi- sion of bankESB, recently announced that Jessica Oliver has been hired as a loan officer. Oliver has more than 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry. Prior to her hiring at Hometown Mortgage, she was employed as a loan officer at First Eastern Mortgage for 15
years and at Fairway Independent Mortgage for near- ly seven years.
MERIDITH SALOIS
ERICA MOULTON
JANE JOHNSON VOTTERO
SUSAN MAYHEW
JOHN MIARECKI
JESSICA OLIVER
SHAWNA GRIFFIN
56 DECEMBER 26, 2022
DEPARTMENTS
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