Page 42 - BusinessWest June 17, 2024

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Healthcare Heroes Nominations
Through July 29: In the spring of 2017, Business- West and its sister publication, the Healthcare News, created a new and exciting recognition program called Healthcare Heroes. It was launched with the theory that there are heroes working across this region’s wide, deep, and all-important healthcare sector, and that there was no shortage of fascinat- ing stories to tell and individuals and groups to honor. That theory has certainly been validated.
But there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of heroes whose stories we still need to tell. And that’s where you come in. Nominations for the class of 2024 are due Monday, July 29, and we encourage you to get involved and help recognize someone you consider to be a hero in the community we call Western Mass. in one (or more) of these eight categories: Care Provider, Administrator, Emerging Leader, Community Health, Educator, Innovation, Collaboration, and Lifetime Achievement. Nomi- nations can be submitted at businesswest.com/ healthcareheroes/nominations.
Dulye Leadership Experience Virtual Leadership Program
June 26: Dulye Leadership Experience will present a Culture Chat titled “The Shift You Need to Make When You Become a Leader.” This free virtual pro- gram begins at noon. Prominent LinkedIn leader- ship voice Evan Hickok will provide tips for avoiding the biggest barriers that cause 60% of new manag- ers to fail within the first 24 months in their role. This one-hour session is ideal for current managers and professionals seeking a future management role. Hickok has leveraged his interest in building high-performing teams into a weekly newsletter, “Lighthouse Leadership,” and content creation on LinkedIn. He has held leadership roles in engineer- ing and manufacturing at General Electric and Gen- eral Dynamics, and has designed complex systems for the U.S. Navy and served as a program manager for multi-million-dollar projects with demanding
customers. Throughout his two-decade experience in major corporations, he has conducted extensive research on the differences between successful and struggling teams. He created an onboarding process for a Fortune 100 company that acceler- ated the productivity of more than 500 new hires by accelerating their connections. Culture Chat is
a career-focused program that fosters conversa- tions and connections with professionals from dif- ferent industries and companies. The interactive program format features a mini-workshop with the expert followed by small group discussions. Reserve a virtual seat here by visiting www.eventbrite. com/e/dle-culture-chat-the-shift-you-need-to- make-when-you-become-a-leader-registration- 907236798687?aff=oddtdtcreator. There is no fee to attend, thanks to the sustained sponsorship of the Dulye & Co. consulting firm.
Free Fraud, Scams, and Cybersecurity Seminar
June 26: Monson Savings Bank will host a free seminar from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow. The seminar will be focused on helping attendees from businesses grow their awareness of risks and prevention methods related to fraud, scams, and cybersecurity. In the no-cost seminar, expert speakers Heather Arbour, Monson Savings Bank vice president, BSA/fraud officer, and compliance manager; Paul Shepardson, Monson Savings Bank assistant vice president and digital systems officer; and Charlie Christianson, owner and technology and security professional with CMD Technology Group Inc., will share with attendees how to protect themselves and their businesses from fraud and scams, how to identify scam-pre- vention methods, how to create a risk assessment for their current business practices, how to develop security procedures for their business and employ- ees, and how to respond to events where a business may be at risk for fraud or a scam.
Yidstock
July 11-14: Tickets are now on sale for Yidstock: the Festival of New Yiddish Music. Now in its 12th year, Yidstock brings the best in klezmer and new Yiddish music to the stage at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. Highlights this year will include the Klezmatics, Frank London, Eleanor Reissa, Judy Bressler, Daniel Kahn, and many more. Concert passes are available and include admission to all concerts and the two dance workshops. Individual tickets are also available for purchase for those who can only attend for part of the weekend. This year, livestream concert passes will allow friends from afar to experience Yidstock from the comfort of their homes. These passes only include access to the seven concerts; they do not include access to talks, workshops, or the film screening. Visit yiddish- bookcenter.org/yidstock for more information and to purchase tickets.
Party for a Purpose
Sept. 19: With the goal of making sure Square One’s children have a new, state-of-the-art, outdoor learning and playspace, Friends on a Mission will host its annual Party for a Purpose to raise funds
for the playground project at Square One’s Tommie Johnson Child & Family Center in Springfield. Now in its second year, Friends on a Mission started with a trio of friends — Bob Perry, Walter Tomala, and the late Jenn Schimmel — who set out to spend time together while giving back to the community. Their inaugural event held last fall raised more than $38,000 for Make-A-Wish of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. With early sponsorship support from PeoplesBank and Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C., this year’s Party for a Purpose, featuring cocktails, food, and festivities, will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Del- aney House in Holyoke. Interested sponsors should contact Perry at (413) 530-3787. For tickets, visit www.startatsquareone.org.
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Report
Continued from page 19
rural areas, and to identify dedicated funding streams to support independent micro-transit efforts that are working to fill gaps across the Commonwealth.”
Advocates for transportation equity have called for increased state funding to support RTA operating expenses. “Providing accessible, affordable transpor- tation to rural communities can have transformative impacts on community health, but there is currently no funding mechanism that incentivizes large-scale development of these programs or supports them sustainably in the long run,” said Jen Healy, Quaboag Connector program manager.
The report notes that, in addition to more funding, which should be based on publicly shared principles and stable funding over time, the distribution of fund- ing across the RTA network should be reassessed, along with the incentives to expand service by RTAs or independent transit providers to underserved populations.
“Given how important regional transit is for mobil- ity and economic opportunity around the state, there’s
“Providing accessible, affordable transportation to rural communities can have transformative impacts on community health, but there is currently no funding mechanism that incentivizes large-scale development of these programs or supports them sustainably in the long run.”
tremendous value in thinking about how best to sup- port RTAs and other innovative players,” said Evan Horowitz, executive director of the Center for State Policy Analysis. “The funding-by-inertia process we’ve got really isn’t up to the task.”
The report, titled “Regional Transit in Massachu- setts: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go,” is available online at www.rideconnector.org/report.
“This report highlights the need for sustainable funding for regional transit and robust, coordinated planning to better provide transportation options for
residents, particularly in rural areas,” said Pete Wil- son, senior policy director of Transportation for Mas- sachusetts, a statewide coalition focused on improv- ing the Commonwealth’s transportation systems. “Implementing the recommendations of this report will increase regional equity and sustainability for access to public transportation for all residents.” BW
42 JUNE 24, 2024
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