Page 46 - BusinessWest January 6, 2021

PETER COPPEZ
GINA MARONI
The longtime owner of M. L. Schmitt Electric Inc. has trans- ferred his business to two elec- tricians who have worked for him for many years. Thomas Schmitt transferred the elec- trical-contracting firm that performs residential, commer- cial, and industrial construc- tion projects to new co-owners Peter Coppez and Jean Pierre Crevier. Coppez joined M. L. Schmitt as an apprentice in 2000. He’s a graduate of Spring- field Technical Community College, the Local IBEW #7 apprenticeship program, and Wentworth Institute of Tech- nology, where he graduated
this spring with a bachelor’s degree in project man- agement. Crevier joined M. L. Schmitt as an appren- tice in 2004. He earned his bachelor’s degree in com- munications from UMass and completed the Local IBEW #7 apprenticeship program. He graduated this spring with a master’s degree in project management
the recent promotions of Gina Maroni and Kathleen (Kathi) Bates. Maroni was promoted to senior vice presi- dent of Finance and chief financial officer (CFO). This promotion acknowledges her commitment and contribu- tions to UMassFive, and is a better reflection of her level of authority. In her new role, she will maintain her current responsibilities, including financial oversight, strategiz- ing, and budgeting for the credit union. Maroni previ- ously served as UMassFive’s vice president of Finance and CFO for the past nine months
and as assistant vice president of Finance and con- troller for 18 months. Prior to joining UMassFive, she was the senior vice president of Finance and chief financial officer at Athol Credit Union. Bates was promoted to Worcester branch manager. She began her career at UMassFive 18 years ago as a part-time
growth; Aegis recently hired 12 employees and plans to continue to add to the team. A certified energy manager by the Assoc. of Energy Engineers, O’Hearn informs customers about the benefits of combined heat and power (CHP), building strong relationships with new and existing clients in the process. A former employee of Siemens, he is no stranger to the energy industry or green technology.
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John Pucci, a partner at Bulkley Richardson, and
Jennifer Levi, professor of Law at Western New Eng- land University School of Law, were named mem- bers of a bipartisan advisory committee to review and provide recommendations on U.S. attorney candidates for the District of Massachusetts. The announcement was made on Dec. 18 by U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey. The advisory committee will solicit, interview, and comment on applications for the position of U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts, the state’s top federal law- enforcement officer. The committee is comprised
of members of the Massachusetts legal community, including prominent academics and litigators, and is chaired by former U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Gertner. Other members of the committee include Elissa Flynn-Poppey, former deputy legal counsel
to Gov. Mitt Romney and executive director of the judicial nominating commission for the Office of the Governor of Massachusetts; Angela Onwuachi-Willig, dean of Boston University School of Law; Walter Prince, partner at Prince Lobel and former president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Assoc; and Geor- gia Katsoulomitis, executive director of the Massa- chusetts Law Reform Institute.
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Denise “Daisy” Flaim received the Faculty of the Year Award for 2019-20 from Springfield Technical Community Col- lege. The award recognizes Flaim’s teaching techniques
to accommodate a variety
of learning styles; her efforts to build an inclusive class- room; her work with students
outside of the classroom; support letters from col- leagues, students, and supervisors; as well as her ser- vice contributions to STCC. Flaim has taught several writing and literature classes at STCC in addition
to serving as chair of the Liberal Arts/General Stud- ies Program for one year. She applies her past work experience, which included professional writing
jobs, and has drawn inspiration from her students over the years. She also makes a point to get to know her students outside the classroom. “I offer all of my students a conference for every paper we do. I meet with them if they’re distressed,” she said. “I spend most of my work day meeting with them individually. That’s probably the core of what I believe in as an instructor. I learned when I was starting out that stu- dents who know a professor outside of the classroom do better not just in that professor’s classroom, but in all of their classes. I made a promise to myself that I would try to be that professor who knew people out- side of the classroom.”
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Lee Vardakas, president of Aegis Energy, EDF Group, a leading provider of co-gen- eration technology, has been named a 2020 Energy and Environmental Leader. For the past eight years, this award has celebrated substantial and
People on the Move
Continued on page 48
PIERRE CREVIER
KATHI BATES
People on the Move
teller, eventually becoming
a member service specialist, and most recently the backup supervisor for UMassFive’s Worcester branch. In her new position as branch manager,
from Wentworth Institute of Technology. Schmitt was President of M. L. Schmitt Electric for 31 years.
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Country Bank announced that Victoria Graffam has joined its Corporate Risk division. Graffam held various BSA and loss-prevention roles before joining Berkshire Bank in 2017 as the BSA/AML EDD man- ager. While at Berkshire Bank, her focus was to develop and maintain a program to identify
and mitigate risk for higher-risk customers. She is also a member of the Assoc. for Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialists. “We are excited to welcome Victoria to Country Bank,” said Miriam Siegel, senior vice president of Human Resources. “She brings over 30 years of professional experience, with 20 years
in community banking, and is a perfect cultural fit for our team. Her can-do attitude, commitment to customer service, and collaborative management approach aligns perfectly with our iSTEP corporate values of integrity, service, teamwork, excellence, and prosperity. We are proud that Victoria has chosen Country Bank to be her employer of choice.”
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Coldwell Banker Community Realtors (CBCR)
announced the addition of Realtor Courtney Kinney to its roster of professional real-estate agents serving Franklin and Hampshire counties. Kinney attended UMass Amherst from 2007 to 2011 and later worked at the university in Student Affairs for eight years. During that timem she earned a master’s degree in applied data science from Bay Path University. Kin- ney decided to make the move to real estate and
the Coldwell Banker brand not only for the com- pany’s industry innovations and technology, but also because locally owned Coldwell Banker Community Realtors has a marketing department, agent support, and training, while most real-estate companies do not. She is a member of the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley, the National Assoc. of Realtors, and the Mas- sachusetts Assoc. of Realtors.
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UMassFive College Federal Credit Union announced
she will continue making a difference in the financial lives of members by identifying and providing solu- tions for their financial needs and making sure the Worcester branch runs smoothly.
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Christopher Heights of Northampton, an assisted- living community, recently welcomed Amie Miarecki as its new marketing and admis- sion director. Miarecki brings nearly 20 years of experience working in the health and human-services field in both Greater Springfield and Greater
Boston, providing marketing, community-relations, and development expertise. She will promote the company’s mission by engaging with the community and healthcare partners to help individuals find their next home while maintaining their independence and a dignified quality of life. Miarecki holds a mas- ter’s degree in corporate and organizational com- munication with a specialization in leadership from the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from UMass Amherst. She is the president of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, a board member of the Profes- sional Women’s Chamber, and a committee member for both the civic and community-engagement com- mittee of the Springfield City Library and the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce community- engagement committee. In addition, she holds memberships with Hampshire County Young Profes- sionals, the Western Mass. Elder Professionals Assoc., and the Retirement Marketing Directors Assoc. of Western Mass. She is also a past recipient of the Busi- nessWest 40 Under Forty award.
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Aegis Energy, EDF Group, a
leading provider of co-gener- ation technology, announced that Richard O’Hearn has come on board in the role of CHP specialist. His hire comes during an extended period of
VICTORIA GRAFFAM
DAISY FLAIM
AMIE MIARECKI
LEE VARDAKAS
RICAHRD O’HEARN
46 JANUARY 6, 2021
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