Page 58 - BusinessWest July 10, 2023

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TMG
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groups that use such a firm fare better than those who try to handle such matters themselves.
“AMC-run associations had three times more
net growth in assets and 31% higher growth in net revenue,” he noted. “And I think most of that comes from the fact that we know associations, we run associations every day, and I think our special sauce comes from the fact that Ben started out in this business discipline helping individual companies, and now we’re doing that for nonprofit associations and professional societies.
Leonczyk agreed, noting that one of the firm’s strengths is its ability to take lessons from work it does for one client, or group of clients, and apply it to others.
“We’re able to take our experiences from one association or industry group and apply them and add value to others,” she explained, adding that this ability helps explain the company’s strong growth trajectory in recent years.
And while the Springfield Regional Chamber doesn’t represent TMG’s niche within the AMC realm — its bread and butter is trade associations in the manufacturing and medical fields — its work with the agency exemplifies its role as a support network and its ability to handle the work of one or several full time equivalents.
Its work with that group also exemplifies the mindset with which it enters each assignment.
“Our job is to make them look really good and be all things behind the scenes,” said Leonczyk, adding that, for many associations, TMG takes the place of an executive director or administrator.
Zuber agreed, noting that the relationships with
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clients are partnerships in every sense of that term. “We’re on the journey together, as opposed to
a situation where we’re just managing them,” she explained. “It’s a real partnership.”
And while what TMG does for its clients is a big part of this story, an even more important piece, Leonczyk said, is how it goes about this work. By this, she meant a supportive culture created by the Markenses, one grounded in a strong value system and a desire to make theirs an enjoyable workplace, but also built on a foundation of excellence.
“It came down to the fact that Jennie and I wanted to found a company that we would like to work at — one that didn’t have a lot of arbitrary rules or a lot
of backbiting, a place founded on those things we started with back in 1988,” Ben Markens explained. “We’ll do whatever’s fair, we want to have fun, and personal relationships are important.
“That’s easy when there’s just three or four of us, but as we become eight, nine, 10, or more, it becomes more difficult,” he went on, adding that, to maintain that culture he and Jennie covet, TMG stresses what are known as ‘fundamental behaviors,’ ranging from ‘we are friendly’ and ‘we do our best’ to ‘we are fair’ and ‘we have fun.’
Ben Markens puts a special emphasis on that last one — what he calls the ‘fun factor,’ and to say there has been a trickle-down effect would be an understatement.
“You can be quirky, you can be yourself here, and I really enjoy that — that’s who we are here,” Zuber said, adding that another fundamental is what she calls ‘support and defend.’
“Within three months of working here, I knew
Breaking the Cycle
Velis ended his address on a personal note, and an encouragement to practice self-care. He said he was late to the event because he was bringing his son to daycare.
“Probably two or three years ago, I would have said to my better half, ‘I gotta go. I gotta be at work. I’m speaking at this event.’ And I don’t do that now because being a dad is the most important thing in my life, but also because I firmly believe when I go to bed at night that self-care is the most important thing every human being does — whether it’s going for a run, doing yoga, meditating, going to a 12-step meeting, or hanging out with my son.”
And that’s what Recovery Ready Workplaces do, proponents say, noting that recovery isn’t just stopping substance use, but taking a journey of growth,
care, along with the implementation of a new electronic medical record across all sites of care.
“Roy’s breadth of operational experience and his deep understanding of the behavioral-health setting make him the right leader for this new, state-of-the art facility that we are excited to open in the coming months,” Dr. Andrew Artenstein, Baystate Health’s chief physician executive and chief academic officer, said when the appointment was announced in the spring.
For his part, Sasenaraine said he embraces the
people had my back,” she explained. “I’ve worked in many different industries, and never have I enjoyed the level of support I have here.”
Moving forward, Leonczyk, a member of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty class of 2023 who came to the company four years ago and eventually assumed the role of executive vice president, said she is committed to keeping the firm in Springfield, continuing to build on the culture that has made this a great place to work, and maintaining the strong pattern of growth it has seen the past several years.
“I’m really grateful for this opportunity, and want to build on everything that Ben and Jennie have done here,” she said.
Bottom Line
Ben Markens may or may not have invented the concept of association management. As he said, “that’s another story.”
This one is about the company he and Jennie started and how it has grown and evolved over the years to become a leader in this business that so few know about.
This work is a science, but it’s also an art, and mastering it has become a function of teamwork, as represented in those portraits on the conference-room wall.
Those portraits speak of a canvas that is still being filled in, with new elements — and, yes, new acronyms — being added regularly.
That’s what this story is all about, and there are many intriguing chapters still to come. BW
improvement, and perseverance. And that’s exactly the kind of employee companies taking the pledge value.
“If you were to look out at your employees and say, ‘raise your hand if you’ve ever struggled with a mental- health issue or a substance-use issue,’ you wouldn’t do that, but trust me when I tell you, many people in that room are struggling with it right now,” Velis said. “And when you welcome that, when you talk about it, when you let it be known that it’s OK, you’re doing a really beautiful thing.”
That’s because the stigma still exists, he added. “The three hardest words for any human being to say are also the most courageous words: ‘I need help.’ Behavioral health today is about meeting people where they are.” BW
opportunity to oversee a new specialty hospital that will increase employment in the region and generate $1.6 million in taxes annually — but, most importantly, provide more access to behavioral healthcare at a time when it’s needed.
“I know that we have an exciting road ahead of us,” he said. “I look forward to serving patients in Western Massachusetts with safe, high-quality behavioral-healthcare services.” BW
Recovery
employees to help them navigate these problems so that we keep our employees and don’t lose them.” Indeed, MassHire emphasizes the bottom-line
benefits of cultivating a Recovery Ready Workplace, including increased retention and fewer absences,
a healthier and safer work environment, greater productivity and loyalty among staff, lower healthcare costs, and an enhanced reputation as a supportive, yet accountable organization.
And with 22 million Americans identifying themselves as people in recovery, it’s not something businesses can afford to ignore.
“You already have countless employees who are struggling with something, whether it be a substance- use disorder or something else,” Velis told those attending the breakfast. “You have that without knowing it.”
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Baystate
access initiatives, and acquisition and integration work for Spire’s nine locations in Connecticut. Prior to that, he served as vice president of
Operations for Hartford Healthcare System’s
East Region behavioral-health network, where he oversaw 18 locations, including six school-based programs, two emergency departments, one inpatient psychiatric hospital, eight ambulatory locations,
and one inpatient juvenile program. His leadership led to the implementation of a new care model for adolescent, pediatric, and adult patients in inpatient
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