Page 16 - BusinessWest March 3, 2021
P. 16

Gateway City Arts is just one of many Holyoke businesses in the arts and hospitality sectors to be devastated by the pandemic.
vation here,” said Lynn Ricci, director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications for the company, adding that the company expects to begin operations by the third quar- ter this year and employ between 250 and 300 people from the Holyoke area when fully operational.
For this, the latest in its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest turns its lens on Holyoke, an historic city that has bounced back from its decline in the ’60s and ’70s, and must now, in some ways, bounce back again.
Growth Opportunities
Vega is certainly no stranger to
the large office he now occupies on the third floor of the City Hall annex building.
When he was a state representa- tive, he would meet with Marrero there every month so he could keep pace with what was happening in the city where he grew up, spent most of his childhood life, and still lives.
“We had a standing meeting with him in this office to keep up to date on all the projects that were going on, particularly around cannabis, because I was on the Committee on Cannabis Policy,” he explained. “So I was famil- iar with most of what was going on in this office, and I knew everyone in this office.”
Today, he’s having those same meet- ings with Patricia Duffy, his former legislative aide who successfully ran for his House seat last year.
“We just met a few days ago,” he said with a laugh. “We have a standing monthly meeting. It’s interesting being on the other side of the table — I spent the last eight years fighting for fund- ing for all these programs, and now I’m actually utilizing them, and that’s kind of fun.”
Offering a similar update of sorts for BusinessWest, Vega focused on the momentum that has been lost in the
“If you look at Gateway City Arts ... the pandemic just took the wind out
of them, it took the momentum away; it’s like someone slammed the door in their face.”
city and the need to turn the clock back, in some respects, and put Holy- oke back on the intriguing path it was on before March 2020.
Before getting to that, though, he was asked to elaborate on the circum- stances that brought him to his current post.
“I wanted to focus more,” he said simply when asked why he wanted to move from his House seat. “One of the great things about being a state rep is all the different topics and issues that come across your desk. But, that said, you don’t really get to focus on any- thing; the best description of my job as state rep was that I was in a permanent liberal-arts education — and there were certain topics that I just wasn’t passionate about.”
He is certainly passionate about Holyoke, and his goal now is built on what had been achieved in the years before the pandemic.
“What Alex and Marcos did was
Holyoke
Continued on page 18
    Thank You to Our Award-Winning Team!
 Setting the Standard in Patient Care.
We know how great our team is at Holyoke Medical Center.
But it’s good to know that experts in our industry think they’re outstanding, too.
        Top Hospital Award
Top General Hospital Award, bestowed by The Leapfrog Group for the hospital’s achievements in, and commitment to, patient safety and quality. HMC has earned this national award in 2020, 2016, and 2014.
Healthcare Heroes Award
BusinessWest and Healthcare News recognized the staff of Holyoke Medical Center, under the leadership of Spiros Hatiras, in supporting the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.
What’s Right in Healthcare
Huron | Studer Group 2020 Healthcare Hero Award presented to President & CEO, Spiros Hatiras for HMC’s quick response in supporting the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.
Superior Stroke Care
Four national and state awards including Get With The Guidelines®- Stroke Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Elite Plus, & Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award (American Heart/ Stroke Association).
Let Life Bloom Platinum Award
Platinum Award for Promoting Organ, Eye, And Tissue Donation in the hospital and in our community from Health Resources & Services Administration/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
HolyokeHealth.com
           16 MARCH 3, 2021
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
                BusinessWest





























































   14   15   16   17   18