Page 78 - BusinessWest February 19, 2024

COMPANY NOTEBOOK>>
The Markens Group Certified
by Great Place to Work
SPRINGFIELD — The Markens Group Inc. (TMG)
has been certfied by Great Place to Work for the ninth consecutive year. The award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experi- ence working at TMG. This year, 95% of employees said it’s a great place to work — 50% higher than the average U.S. company. Great Place to Work is
a global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee reten- tion, and increased innovation. According to Great Place to Work research, job seekers are four and
a half times more likely to find a great boss at a certified great workplace. Additionally, employ-
ees at certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the com- pany’s profits, and have a fair chance at promotion. According to the Trust Index survey taken by the staff, many noted the company ‘fundamentals’ — a set of valued behaviors within TMG — are one of the biggest reasons employees enjoy working at the Markens Group.
Bay Path Recognized Among Top Online Women’s Colleges
LONGMEADOW — The American Women’s College (TAWC), Bay Path University’s online college for adult women, has been recognized by the business- media outlet Forbes as one of the top three online
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women’s colleges in the nation. The ranking cited TAWC’s strong retention rate and called out Bay Path’s WELL (We Empower Learners and Leaders) program, a three-course leadership curriculum unique to the college, designed to equip women with the leadership skills and experience to excel in any career path. Forbes uses 16 data points to eval- uate colleges in the categories of credibility, afford- ability, student outcomes, student experience, and application process. Bay Path, along with Simmons College and Brenau University, made the top three.
Rotary Club Supports Revitalize CDC Project
SPRINGFIELD — Revitalize Community Develop- ment Corp. (CDC) announced it has received a $2,000 grant from the Springfield Rotary Club to support development of a new warehouse and dis- tribution center at its 240 Cadwell Dr., Springfield location, where it moved in early 2023. Springfield Rotary Club funding will be allocated toward con- struction supplies for the warehouse and distribu- tion center. The center is essential to supporting Revitalize CDC’s program expansion so it may meet the growing demand for healthier, safer homes and neighborhoods for low-income residents through- out the Greater Springfield area. The 3,200-square- foot center will have two bays for vehicles and provide sufficient space to store program materials and supplies and refrigerated units to store food for Revitalize CDC’s Nutrition Rx program that pro- vides nutrition and diabetes education and helps to
administrator. As a digital mar- keting specialist, Antkowiak manages, reports on, and opti- mizes paid digital ads and SEO campaigns. This involves taking deep dives into ad performance and website analytics data to uncover actionable insights and trends that can be used
to improve both campaign performance and the overall user/customer journey. A graduate of the University of Connecticut, Antkowiak combines tried-and-true best practices with a deep under- standing of the target audience to build engaging and impactful campaigns. With a degree in business administration as well as management experience in accounting, Auger joined the Market Mentors finance team to handle accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, reconciliation, and 1099 report- ing. She collaborates across departments to ensure accuracy in data input and is skilled at summarizing large amounts of data and presenting meaningful information for review. A graduate of Western New England University, she received the 2017 Lawrence H. Nath Management Award.
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Following an extensive and thorough search pro-
cess, Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massa- chusetts announced the appointment of Theresa Lynn as its new CEO. Lynn brings a wealth of expe- rience in nonprofit leadership, having most recently served as senior vice president of the United Way of Central Massachusetts, where she focused on fun- draising, communications, and some large grant-
address food insecurity. LaPlante Construction of East Longmeadow is the contractor for the project, expected to be completed by Dec. 31. Since 1992, Revitalize CDC has repaired and rehabilitated more than 1,500 homes in Greater Springfield with the help of 10,000 volunteers, investing $54 million into Western Mass. In 2022-23, Revitalize CDC served 826 households (more than 2,300 individuals) con- sisting of low-income families with children, older adults, military veterans, and individuals living with disabilities.
Rotary Club Awards Grant to the Zoo in Forest Park
SPRINGFIELD — The Zoo in Forest Park & Educa- tion Center has received a $3,000 community grant from the Springfield Rotary Club to upgrade its website. While the new website will include advanced booking capabilities, more intuitive reg- istration forms, and the addition of an online store, the upgrade is also designed to enhance the guest experience at the zoo. With the money awarded through the community grant, the zoo plans to expand the educational material available on its website through the addition of interactive web- pages for each animal. QR codes will be available at each exhibit, linking guests to a corresponding page for the animal they are viewing. Visitors will have access to photos and videos as well as more in-depth information about the species, includ- ing its conservation status, threats in the wild, and coexistence efforts.
making opportunities. Her dedication to community engagement is evident through her roles as execu- tive director for Back on My Feet, addressing home- lessness and job insecurity in Boston, and executive director for ReadBoston for 14 years. She currently serves as a board member for the Worcester Educa- tion Collaborative and BioBuilder Education Foun- dation. Lynn holds a master of public administration degree from the Harvard Kennedy School, an MBA from Boston University, and a bachelor’s degree
in economics from the College of Holy Cross. Her contributions in the community have been recog- nized by the Boston Celtics, who presented her with a Heroes Among Us award, and by the Boston Busi- ness Journal, which acknowledged her as a Top 40 Under 40 leader in Boston.
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Bill Mertz has been appointed Tighe & Bond’s next
Transportation Business Line leader. Mertz joined the firm in 2023 with the acquisition of WorldTech Engineering. He has nearly 30 years of experience on a wide variety of roadway, bridge, transportation, and utility infrastructure projects. Throughout his career, he has overseen the financial performance, project management, and technical delivery of transportation and infrastructure projects. Addition- ally, he has worked on notable projects for state agencies, including the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and MassDOT, as well as local communities throughout New Eng- land. Mertz is based out of Tighe & Bond’s Woburn office. Outside of work, he serves as a member of the American Public Works Assoc. and the American Society of Civil Engineers, as well as local boards.
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People
on NEPM’s “The Short List” and “Connecting Point.” She joined NEPM in 2022.
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Friends of Children Inc. (FOC) announced it has
appointed new leadership at the organization. Debi Belkin, MSW, LICSW and Sarah Segura, MSW, LCSW are the new co-executive directors of the nonprofit organization that works to support children and young adults whose lives have been affected by the child-welfare system. Belkin and Segura are both current employees of the organization. Belkin has more than 40 years of experience advocating for court-involved children and adolescents in Massa- chusetts, including more than 30 years as a supervi- sor at the Department of Children and Families. She has most recently been the director of Programs at FOC. Segura has been with FOC since 2021, shar- ing her experience in advocacy, case management, and program development, as well as a passion
for working with individuals and families of diverse cultural backgrounds. She has most recently been the CASA program manager at FOC. This new co- directorship comes after the organization’s founder, Jane Lyons, retired in July 2023.
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Market Mentors, LLC, a fully integrated marketing, advertis- ing, and public-relations agency, recently added two new spe- cialists to its multi-disciplinary team. Jack Antkowiak joined the agency as a digital market- ing specialist, and Paige Auger started her role as a financial
PAIGE AUGER
JACK ANTKOWIAK
34 FEBRUARY 19, 2024
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