Page 83 - BusinessWest February 20, 2023

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE>>
Peter Pan Bus Lines recently announced five major promotions in management.
• Frank Dougherty, who started with the company as a bus driver, and has now been promoted to chief operating officer. According to CEO Peter Picknelly, Dougherty sent him a 20-page letter about everything that was wrong at Peter Pan Bus Lines more than 18 years ago.
Picknelly asked him to join the team to help correct the situation. Dougherty was a driver, and he will now be leading the company.
• Don Soja has been named vice president of Operations. He has been with Peter Pan for more than 20 years. According to Picknelly, Soja knows all aspects of the bus company, including charters, line runs, finance, and technology. Picknelly hopes he will lead the way for decades to come.
• Timothy Grabowski has been promoted to vice president of Planning and Revenue Manage- ment. Picknelly said Grabowski brings a skill set that allows Peter Pan to continue strategic growth, and that he makes Peter Pan stand out among other bus
companies and keeps Peter Pan moving forward. • Danielle Veronesi has been promoted to senior director of Marketing. If there’s a special project,
munications and marketing program to support the current season. Lambert’s professional experience includes nearly 20 years with the Basketball Hall
of Fame, initially as vice president of Guest Experi- ence and Programming, and more recently as vice president of Enshrinement Services & Community Engagement. Prior to the Hall of Fame, he served as director of Event Production for the National Bas- ketball Assoc. (NBA). Before working in the basket- ball industry, Lambert enjoyed a career in the pro- fessional theater, including roles as general manager of the Cape Playhouse in Dennis for seven years and as executive director of the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Conn. He also served as a production stage manager for many years. Lambert serves on a number of local boards and community organizations, including the National Conference for Community and Justice, New England Public
DANIELLE VERONESI
Picknelly said, Veronesi is the one to rely on, and she’s always the one to volunteer. He added that Venonesi has made a big difference in the company.
• Joseph Picknally has been named senior director of Main- tenance for Peter Pan. Picknelly said Picknally has done an exemplary job in realigning the Maintenance department, and that he has big shoes to fill in the company; Picknally’s father, Thomas, was the company’s vice president of Maintenance for decades until his passing in 2021.
•••••
Excel Dryer Inc., manufacturer of the XLERATOR hand dryer, announced it has promoted a member of the family-owned business, William Gagnon, to an executive leadership role within the company. Gagnon is now executive vice president and chief executive officer,
and sits on the Excel Dryer board of directors. As a leader in the industry, Excel Dryer has accomplished many firsts spearheaded by Gagnon, including establishing the high-speed, energy-efficient cat- egory for hand dryers with the XLERATOR. When Excel Dryer initiated the process to substantiate claims and educate buyers and specifiers about how to avoid falling victim to ‘greenwashing,’ Gagnon
chaired the committee to create product category rules for the hand-dryer industry with UL Environ- ment (a business division of Underwriters Labora- tories). The result of their efforts set a precedent; the rule developed was the first global standard for any industry and the first industry-consensus stan- dard for the hand-dryer industry. Gagnon and his team then published the first environmental prod- uct declarations for their three signature products. In his new role, Gagnon will improve operational efficiency, expand the product offering through research and development, increase global aware- ness, and inspire employees to support the vision of the organization.
•••••
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) announced the appointment of the interim Director Paul Lambert to the position of president and CEO, removing Lambert’s interim sta- tus. Lambert joined the SSO as interim director in January 2022 after serving for many years as
vice president of Enshrinement Services & Com- munity Engagement at the Naismith Memorial Bas- ketball Hall of Fame. Since his appointment to the interim director position, Lambert has overseen the return to the stage of the SSO with six classical and two pops concerts in the current 2022-23 season, the first in more than two years as a result of the pandemic. He has been instrumental in adding new individuals to the SSO board, hiring key new staff, re-engaging with the corporate and philanthropic community, and launching a comprehensive com-
FRANK DOUGHERTY
JOSEPH PICKNALLY
DON SOJA
PAUL LAMBERT
WILLIAM GAGNON
TIMOTHY GRABOWSKI
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FEBRUARY 20, 2023 83
Media (where he was a board chair), the Loomis Communities, and the boards of Cape Cod Center for the Arts, the South Hadley Cultural Council, Longmeadow UNICO, and the Springfield Rotary. He is a graduate, cum laude, of Boston College, with a bachelor’s degree in English and theater.
•••••
Valley Communications Systems Inc. announced
that Edward Tremble is vacating the role of CEO and has been named board chairman. In this role, he will continue his strategic oversight and business- development efforts for the company. Tremble, who has served as CEO since 2010, will be succeeded by Michael Tremble, who has been serving as execu- tive vice president, with Joshua Kranz assuming the role of president. In their new roles, Michael Tremble and Kranz will draw on their extensive knowledge and tenure at Valley Communications, leverag-
ing their creative mindsets and passion to help the company further build out its solutions while iden- tifying future areas of growth. Michael’s work over the past 11 years at Valley has helped the company grow through its strategic sales and partnership objectives. Prior to joining Valley, he served as a strength and conditioning coach both at the NCAA and professional levels. His 10-year coaching back- ground, with a focus on individual and team growth and development, has helped guide his leadership style and approach to how he has supported Valley’s customers and employees. He is also active in the community, currently serving as a board member for Glenmeadow (board vice chair), Providence Place, and Mary’s Meadow, all nonprofit organiza- tions focused on senior living and care. In Kranz’s
34 years with Valley, he has held numerous roles of increasing responsibility across the organization.