Page 48 - BusinessWest July 7, 2021

People on the Move
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Up for Equity, the institute’s five-year strategic plan. He has since founded Strategy Advising, a consulting practice that provides strategic advising services in education, workforce development, educational technology startups, and nonprofit organizations. Uvin ear-
lier held various leadership positions with the Rhode Island Department of Education and with Commonwealth Corp. in Boston. He has also managed projects and programs in the Mas- sachusetts Department of Education and a number of nonprofit organiza- tions in Boston, Belgium, and Sierra Leone. Uvin will succeed Eric Heller,
Company Notebook
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the current executive director, who retires this week after more than 35 years at the Donahue Institute. Carol Anne McGowan, UMDI’s associate director, will serve as interim executive director until Aug. 1. She works closely with the executive director to develop and implement management strate- gies, systems, and practices across the institute, and is directly responsible for overseeing all fiscal and human- resource functions.
•••••
Christopher Silipigno has been pro-
moted to CEO of Renaissance Invest- ment Group, LLC, a financial-services firm headquartered in the Berkshires that specializes in comprehensive financial counseling and investment
management for high-net-worth indi- viduals. Managing approximately a half-billion dollars in assets, Renais- sance’s clients reside across the U.S. with a concentration in Western Mass., Upstate New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. For the last three years, Silip- igno has served as chief operating offi- cer, working to grow the business, lead organizational development efforts, and advise clients. During this time, Renaissance has increased its client base at its fastest pace in 20 years and nearly doubled the amount of assets being managed. Silipigno has been instrumental in this development,
as well as helping Renaissance intro- duce new technology, providing even closer client contact and enhanced
information sharing for clients and
the team, said Trevor Forbes, the firm’s president and chief investment officer. “His efforts have been instrumental in helping the company and its clients through the last difficult and challeng- ing 12 months, coping with the rig-
ors of COVID and working remotely,” Forbes added. “I am delighted to be able to announce this well-deserved appointment, which provides for long- term continuity for both our staff and clients, which has been a hallmark of our success since the establishment of Renaissance 21 years ago. I wish Chris every success in his new role and look forward to continuing our work togeth- er in the coming years.”
machines after their production, with attached conveyors offer- ing leak checks and visual inspections. Then the bag-
gers will palletize the finished products, readying them for shipping while eliminating the use of cor- rugated boxes.
CitySpace Receives $35,000 from Beveridge Family Foundation
EASTHAMPTON — The Beveridge Family Foundation awarded CitySpace $35,000 in support of the resto- ration of Old Town Hall into a center of the arts for the city of Easthampton and Western Mass. In 2006, beginning with Old Town Hall’s first floor, CitySpace embarked on an effort to create affordable space for arts organizations and creative businesses under
one roof in Easthampton’s Main Street Historic Dis- trict. Now, CitySpace is raising funds to convert the unused, second-floor, 3500-square-foot hall into a flexible, accessible, 350-seat performing-arts and community space for performances, concerts, and community events. Renovations will include a new box office, elevator, entryway, theatrical lighting, and sound and projection systems. To date, more than $4 million in grants and contributions have been received for the $6.9 million project. CitySpace plans to begin renovations in late 2022, and the organiza- tion seeks further support to complete the project.
from the
OMG Inc. Celebrates 40th Anniversary
AGAWAM — OMG Inc., a leading manufacturer and global supplier of fasteners, products, and value- added components and technology for the com- mercial roofing and residential construction mar- kets, announced its 40th anniversary serving diverse construction markets. Established in 1981 under the name Olympic Fasteners Inc., the company originally distributed fasteners for commercial roofing applica- tions. In the mid-1980s, after several years of pros- perous growth, the company began manufacturing and marketing its own line of construction fasteners at its current plant in Agawam. Recognizing that on- site customer service and support were critical to its long-term success, the company began building a strong sales and technical support network of direct company employees, which today is the largest of its kind in the commercial roofing industry. By the early 2000s, the company had changed its name to OMG Inc. What started as a fastener company has expand- ed over the years into a diversified manufacturer of components and technology for both commercial roofing and residential construction applications. Through its two operating divisions — OMG Roofing Products and FastenMaster — OMG has developed many innovative products and technologies. Today the company has nearly 600 employees globally and more than 400 in Western Mass., making it one of the area’s largest employers. In addition, the company operates manufacturing plants in Agawam, Addison,
Ill., and Rockford, Minn., and has a global sales force of more than 100 in North America, Europe, and Asia. Company capabilities include cold forming, stamp- ing, heat treating, cathodic e-coating, adhesive for- mulating, and mixing, as well as packaging. OMG produces more than 1 billion fasteners each year.
Smith & Wesson Supports
Square One Campaign
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield-based Smith & Wesson is once again lending its support to the children and families served by Square One. The company recently committed $20,000 in corporate giving, in addition to funds donated by employees as part of their commit- ment to social responsibility. The gift marks the latest addition to a long list of contributions made over the years. The company supported Square One’s early- education and care initiatives and programs to sup- port victims of domestic violence. It was also among the first businesses in the region to fund Square
One’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. The funds will support Square One’s Campaign for Healthy Kids, a multi-year fund-development initiative focused on the agency’s commitment to providing healthy meals, physical fitness, social-emotional well-being, and a healthy learning environment. Square One currently provides early learning services to more than 500 infants, toddlers, and school-age children each day, and family-support services to 1,500 families each year, as they work to overcome the significant chal- lenges in their lives.
Isenberg
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them, how do we keep them? And how do we support them in their research efforts, and how do we support them becoming better teachers?”
Another priority is what Masse called “enabling career success,” which involves both current students and alumni, many of whom were impacted by the pandemic and the toll it took on employers in many sectors. To address this matter, she created an Office of Career Success and integrated the Chase Career Center with the school’s Business and Professional Communi- cations faculty in an effort to expand services to alumni as well as current students.
Still other priorities include “creat- ing global citizens and inclusive lead- ers” and “inspiring innovation in teach- ing and learning,” Masse said, adding that she wants Isenberg to be a sig- nificant player in business education, especially when it comes to advances in teaching and the use of emerging technology.
“How do we use 3D? What about augmented reality?” she asked, adding that these are just some of the ques- tions she and others at the school are addressing. “One of our initiatives when it comes to inspiring innovation in teaching and learning is the creation
of a ‘technology sandbox,’ a dedicated space where new and emerging tech- nologies will be available for our faculty
to play with and our staff to play with
— because you can’t provide support for something if you don’t know how to use it — and for our students to play with.”
Positive Signs
Getting back to those lawn signs, Masse, who has one in her yard (her son attends the school), said they’re great exposure for Isenberg, especially outside of Massachusetts, where the name is somewhat less-known, but becoming better-known.
“It’s good to have them all over the country, and the students love them,” she said, adding that these are literal signs of growth and progress at Isen- berg, but there are many others, from
the record class for the fall of 2020 to its longstanding home at to the top of the rankings of public business schools in the Northeast — it’s been there since 2015.
There were signs of progress during the pandemic as well, she said, even if they’re harder to see. The school was determined not to lose momentum during that challenging time and to turn that obstacle into an opportunity.
Time will tell just how successful that mission was, but Masse already considers it a triumph for all those at the school. u
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
48 JULY 7, 2021
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