Page 40 - BusinessWest March 17, 2025

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE>>
Martin Luther King Jr. Fam-
ily Services Inc. (MLKFS) announced the appointment of Ariana Williams as the organiza- tion’s first-ever chief of Public Health Strategy and Innovation. Williams’s journey with MLK Family Services began in 2018 as a part-time community health
worker after earning her bachelor’s degree in public health from American International College (AIC). Within nine months, she was promoted to direc-
tor of Public Health, spending three years leading initiatives that strengthened community health, public-health programming, and youth develop- ment. After a brief period away, she returned in February 2023 as a grants consultant. In her new position, Williams will integrate public-health strate- gies into the organization’s core mission, develop new community-driven initiatives, and strengthen strategic partnerships that advance health equity. A Springfield native, she is also the CEO and founder of Catalyst for Equity Consulting, where she helps nonprofits strengthen their position in the public- health ecosystem by aligning with public-health funding, developing evidence-based programs, and driving systemic change. She has led community- based initiatives in problem-gambling prevention, gun-violence prevention, food insecurity and nutri- tion, and mental-health advocacy. In 2019, she
led a cohort of junior community health workers, whose advocacy efforts played an instrumental role in raising the tobacco-purchase age from 18 to 21 in Springfield. Their work later contributed to the movement to eliminate flavored tobacco products, a tactic used by the tobacco industry to target youth. In 2020, she co-led Springfield’s first-ever youth mental-health advisory board, Beat the Odds, creating a safe space and platform for young people to support one another, share lived experiences, and influence mental-health policies and resources. Williams earned her master of public administration degree from Westfield State University in 2024. She is also an adjunct professor at AIC, teaching in the same public health program she graduated from. Additionally, she serves on the board of the Rise LEAP & Achieve Foundation Inc. and the board of Anti-Racism Community Organizers.
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James Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield
Bank, announced the promotions of Tom Donnelly, Colin Dunn, and Craig Lacey to assistant vice presi- dent, commercial loan officer. They will continue to be responsible for managing middle-market com- mercial loan portfolios and driving new business- development opportunities in Western Mass. and Northern Conn. Donnelly joined Westfield Bank in 2020 as a commercial loan administrator with 10 years of experience with business development
and account management. He graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree, followed by completing his master’s degree in management at Springfield College in 2013. He serves as a member of the Economic Development Council and St. Joseph Society. Outside of work, he volunteers by coaching youth sports. Dunn joined Westfield Bank in 2019 as a commercial loan admin- istrator and quickly worked his way up to com- mercial loan officer. He graduated from Westfield State University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He also completed a credit analyst appren- ticeship with the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. in 2022. Outside of work, he serves as a member of the Young Professional Society of Greater Spring-
field and the Western Massachusetts Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Assoc. Lacey joined Westfield Bank in 2019 as a commercial loan administrator and was then promoted to com- mercial loan officer. He graduated from Bryant Uni- versity in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. Outside of work, he serves as an ambassador for the Office of Manufacturing for Connecticut along with being a member of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce.
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The W.E.B. Du Bois Center for Freedom & Democ-
racy announced the appointment of John Lloyd as its interim director. A seasoned executive with more than two decades of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, Lloyd brings a wealth of expertise in organizational strategy, financial management, and community engagement to this role. As interim director, he will oversee the center’s strategic ini- tiatives, strengthen partnerships, and continue to advance the legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois by promoting scholarship, civic engagement, and social-justice advocacy. Lloyd is the principal of Agile Consulting Group, a management consulting practice special- izing in nonprofit strategy, financial management, board development, and executive-transition ser- vices. Throughout his career, he has successfully guided numerous organizations through periods
of transformation, stabilizing leadership teams and fostering sustainable growth. His interim leadership roles at organizations such as Community Healing Network, InReach, and Domestic Violence Ended have showcased his ability to enhance operational efficiency and advance mission-driven objectives. His leadership approach is deeply rooted in foster- ing collaboration, driving mission-driven impact, and enhancing operational efficiency to support long- term organizational success. A Massachusetts native, Lloyd holds a doctorate in organizational learning and development from the University of Pennsyl- vania, an MBA from Bentley University, and a bach- elor’s degree from Plymouth State University. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Bent- ley, where he teaches strategic management and human dynamics in organizations. His commitment to education and leadership development is further reflected in his extensive experience in training and facilitation for nonprofit boards and executives.
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Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy, P.C. announced that the firm has hired a new attorney, Kevin Engel, to serve as an associate in the business practice. Engel joined the firm in October after graduating from the University of Maine School of Law, and is admitted
to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachu- setts and the Bar of the State of Maine. He is also
a member of the Hampden County Bar Assoc. and the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Engel’s law practice includes general business and corporate law, busi- ness formation and planning, financing, mergers and acquisitions, and a variety of other business
and real-estate matters. While in law school, he worked at Jackson and MacNichol, a law firm in South Portland, Maine, with a main practice in vet- erans’ disability law. Prior to law school, he attended Syracuse University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. While at Syracuse, he worked for a soccer team in the United Soccer League in business development.
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Elizabeth Román has been promoted to executive editor for NEPM News. Román joined New England Public Media (NEPM) as managing editor in 2022 after reporting for nearly two decades at the Repub- lican. In her new role, she will oversee NEPM’s award-winning local newsroom, ascertaining com- munity needs, setting editorial priorities, and super- vising journalists, local program hosts, freelancers, and interns. Sam Hudzik, who has led the NEPM newsroom for over a decade, will leave NEPM and the world of public media for a position in housing law in March. As executive editor for news, Román will assume oversight of the newsroom, reporting to NEPM’s vice president for content and audience strategy. Román is a graduate of Holyoke Commu- nity College and UMass Amherst. In recent years, she has also edited El Pueblo Latino, co-founded Colectivo de Medios Latinos, and appeared as a panelist on NEPM’s “The Fabulous 413” and “The Rundown with Carrie Saldo.”
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Monson Savings Bank recently announced the promotion of Olivia O’Connor to assistant Monson branch manager. In that role, she will provide support
to her entire team and be the ‘encyclopedia’ of the Monson branch. She will also be respon- sible for assisting customers
with banking transactions, including account and HELOC openings. O’Connor has worked in custom- er service for more than eight years. Prior to joining Monson Savings Bank a little more than three years ago, she worked at Rice Fruit Farm and Springfield Technical Community College as a tutor. O’Connor holds an associate degree in general studies from Springfield Technical Community college, where she earned a near-perfect grade point average. Her career in banking began in 2021 when she was hired as a customer service associate at the bank’s Hamp- den Branch. From there, she quickly proved herself to be a trusted and capable team member. She excelled in the bank’s branches and was promoted to CSA supervisor, then briefly served as the East Longmeadow branch’s assistant branch manager before her most recent role.
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The Big Y board of directors announced the
appointment of Michael Pashko as director of Pharmacy. As director, he will be responsible for setting overall direction and goals for the Pharmacy division and the development and execution of pro- grams, promotions, services, and operational excel- lence for Big Y’s 33 in-store pharmacies. He reports to Nicole D’Amour Schneider, senior vice president of Retail Operations and Customer Experience. Pashko was born into the profession of pharmacy as the son of a pharmacist, spending many days dur- ing his childhood in independent pharmacies. He was introduced to drugstore and retail operations in 2002 as a service clerk for Walgreens and, two years later, moved into pharmacy operations as a phar- macy technician. After graduating from pharmacy school in 2012, he had a strong desire to learn more about business growth and moved into pharmacy and field management. In 2022, he was promoted to director of Pharmacy and Retail Operations for 84 Walgreens locations in Massachusetts. Pashko earned a doctor of pharmacy degree from the Mas- sachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston in 2012. He is a registered pharmacist in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Illinois, along with being a certified immunizer since 2012.
ARIANA WILLIAMS
OLIVIA O’CONNOR
KEVIN ENGEL
40 MARCH 17, 2025
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