Page 4 - BusinessWest June 10, 2024

ANDREW MELENDEZ
CRAIG SWIMM
Alumni
Achievement
Award
2024 Finalists Continue to Lead by Example
Presented By:
MEGHAN ROTHSCHILD
PAYTON SHUBRICK
In 2015, BusinessWest introduced a new award, an extension of its 40 Under Forty program. It’s called the Alumni Achievement Award (AAA), and as that name suggests, it recognizes previous 40 Under Forty honorees who continue to build on their résu- més of outstanding achievement in their chosen
field and in service to the community.
Along with honoring one winner (or, on a couple of
occasions, two) each year, the program also gives us a chance to visit with, and write about, several finalists each year — which gives our readers an opportunity to read about the interesting and impactful things going on in their lives. After all, for most 40 Under Forty alums, that award recognizes only the beginning stages of where their paths will take them.
So read on for the subsequent, and often surpris-
ing, chapters in the lives of Andrew Melendez, Meghan Rothschild, Payton Shubrick, and Craig Swimm. These four were chosen by a panel of three independent judg- es (see page 12) among this year’s AAA nominees. The same judges were then tasked with agreeing on the ulti- mate winner, who will be revealed at the 18th annual 40 Under Forty Gala on Thursday, June 20 at the Mass- Mutual Center in Springfield.
As the profiles that begin on page 5 reveal, these four finalists truly embody the spirit of this award. Their stories convey leadership, ongoing commitment to the region’s economic and civic life, and an ability to pivot and evolve as opportunities present themselves. They are, in a word, inspiring.
Special thanks to Health New England for its contin- ued sponsorship of the Alumni Achievement Award.
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