Page 38 - BusinessWest February 3, 2025

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE>>
The directors of the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation announced that Kiley O’Meara has been named the new execu- tive director of the foundation. She will oversee the founda- tion’s strategic initiatives and brings with her three decades
of experience in philanthropy, policy, and education. For the past year, O’Meara
has served the Davis Foundation as director of Strat- egy and Learning. She previously worked as a senior researcher at Stanford University at the PACE (Policy Analysis for California Education) research center. In that position, she supported continuous improve- ment in policy and philanthropy through research, data-based insights and analysis, and strategic planning. Specializing in improving education for low-income youth, O’Meara has conducted pivotal research on initiatives supported by major founda- tions, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Founda- tion. Her diverse career spans roles such as director of Policy and Research at GreatSchools, program officer at the Stupski Foundation in San Francisco; and policy director of the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative, part of the national Hewlett-Annen- berg Challenge school-improvement effort. She served as an AmeriCorps member after graduating college, teaching inmates at the Suffolk County House of Correction in Boston. She then went on
to be a TK-12 educator before entering the realm of policy and research. She holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Kennedy School at Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College. In the community, she serves in leadership roles at Choate Rosemary Hall’s parent association and the Harvard Alumnae Assoc., and also volun- teers at Healing Meals in Simsbury, Conn.
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bankESB recently promoted Gerardo Sanchez to digital banking product officer, based at its 241 Northampton St., Easthampton office. He has 26 years of banking experience and joined bankESB in 2021 as an electronic banking systems manager. Previously, he was
the Financial Center Operations manager at Bank of America and, before that, eBanking manager at Florence Bank. In this new role, he will focus on bankESB’s digital banking roadmap, initiatives, and upgrades. Sanchez earned an associate degree in business studies from Holyoke Community College and a bachelor’s degree in both business manage- ment and human resources from Bridgewater State University. He also earned a certificate from the Massachusetts Bankers Association’s New England School for Financial Studies.
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Dietz & Company Architects Inc. announced that Laura Davis has been promoted to the position of senior project manager. She joined the firm in 2019 as an architectural associate and quickly grew to become an invaluable part of the team through her strong
project-management skills. Now, as a senior project manager, she leads projects across many states and properties for the firm’s hospitality clients. Dietz & Company also announced that Andy Zhang has earned his professional license to practice architec- ture in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To
38 FEBRUARY 3, 2025
achieve licensure, he success- fully completed all six divisions of the Architectural Registration Examination and 3,740 experi- ence hours under a licensed architect, as well as meeting all requirements for architectural licensure in the Commonwealth. Zhang joined Dietz & Company
in 2020 as an architectural associate and has since grown within the company, working on a variety of project types and now as a member of its hospitality team. He earned his master of architecture degree from UMass Amherst and his bachelor of architec- ture degree from Shandong Architecture University in China.
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Mary McGovern, president and CEO of Country
Bank, announced the promotion of Melissa Mann to vice president of Customer Experience and Michael Dias to Product Marketing & Business Insights officer. Mann offers a unique blend of skills, including completing the New England School for Financial Studies through the Massachusetts Bank- ers Assoc. in 2019. She is currently working on completing her project management certification through the Project Management Institute, which shows her ongoing commitment to professional development. She will continue to lead and man- age the bank’s Sales and Customer Experience pro- grams and strategies. Dias has been a driving force in integrating data analytics into the bank’s market- ing strategies. With an MBA in data analytics from Western New England University and his recent cer- tification as a certified financial marketing profes- sional by the American Bankers Assoc., his strategic mindset and forward-thinking approach have been key in integrating data analytics into the bank’s mar- keting strategies.
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Hogan Technology, a leading managed technology services provider, announced the pro- motion of Autumn Leshinski
to the position of voice group manager. She has been an inte- gral part of Hogan for more than 11 years, during which time she has expanded her role sig-
nificantly, transitioning from client services to tech- nical services and project coordination. “Autumn has become an indispensable member of our team,” said Sean Hogan, president of Hogan Technology. “She engages daily in client-facing roles, making her a crucial element in both client retention and new customer onboarding. Her new responsibilities as voice group manager will encompass partner and resource development.”
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American International Col- lege (AIC) appointed Melisa Loa dean of students and director
of Residence Life. In this role, she will lead the Office of Stu- dent Affairs and oversee student conduct, support, and advocacy. She is especially dedicated to advocating for and supporting
first-generation students, aligning with AIC’s mis- sion of providing access and opportunity for all. Loa joins AIC with more than a decade of experience
in and out of higher education. She most recently served as assistant director of Residence Life for First-year Experience at Anna Maria College, where she worked closely with first-year students. Loa
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began her professional journey as a resident assis- tant, steadily advancing in leadership roles. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and soci- ology with an individualized focus on higher educa- tion from Roger Williams University and a master’s degree in student affairs administration from Michi- gan State University.
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Greenfield Cooperative Bank
announced the promotion of Courtney Huxley to Business Development officer. In this role, she will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies to grow the bank’s customer base and strengthen its market position. She will be
responsible for driving business growth by fostering new customer relationships, supporting marketing strategies, and implementing initiatives to attract customers to the bank. She will also be a strong presence at the bank’s numerous community giv- ing and outreach programs. Huxley has a 22-year career in retail banking, including five years as a branch manager at Greenfield Cooperative Bank.
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On Jan. 1, Michael Skillicorn joined Alisa Klein as
co-executive director of Grow Food Northamp- ton (GFN). Together, they say their complementary strengths and shared vision will lead Grow Food Northampton into an exciting new chapter, advanc- ing its mission as a food and farming justice orga- nization. Skillicorn joined Grow Food Northampton eight years ago as program director and was pro- moted five years ago to associate director. Over the last five years, Klein has led Grow Food Northamp- ton as the sole executive director — through the pandemic, the catastrophic flood of the Grow Food Northampton Community Farm in July 2023, and a period of growth and stability for the organization.
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Eastern States Exposition
(ESE) employees Cliff Hedges, director of Security, and Mack- enzie Coburn, Sales Innovation manager, have been appointed chairman of the Safety & Secu- rity Committee and chair of
the Sponsorship Committee, respectively, by the International Assoc. of Fairs and Expos (IAFE). Hedges has an extensive back- ground in public safety beyond his six years as ESE’s director of Security. He began his career
in law enforcement as a police officer in Dallas and was later employed by the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI) for 26 years. He maintained various roles while working for the FBI in Tampa, Fla., Boston, and Springfield. While in Springfield, he spent five years conducting criminal investigations as a supervisory special agent for the Safe Streets Gang Task Force and Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Task Force. He was a foreign counterintelligence inves- tigator when he concluded his career with the FBI. Immediately before joining ESE, Hedges was the Compliance director and investigator for Regional Care Healthcare, where he oversaw the security of five hospitals. At that time, he was simultaneously acting as a security consultant for Bee-Line Secu-
KILEY O’MEARA
ANDY ZHANG
COURTNEY HUXLEY
GERARDO SANCHEZ
AUTUMN LESHINSKI
CLIFF HEDGES
MACKENZIE COBURN
MELISA LOA
LAURA DAVIS
People
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