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she relocated Dress for Success Western Massa- chusetts to 45 Lyman St. as the anchor institution of the O’Dell Women’s Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that offers low- and no-cost residency spaces to nonprofits that support its mis- sion. Tantillo started her career working for the Girl Scouts. During her 13-year career with that organi- zation, she rose through the ranks, started the first Girl Scout Advocacy Day at the Capitol in Hartford, Conn., and served in a senior leadership position, transitioning five independent nonprofits into one statewide organization with more than 65,000 members. Tantillo’s volunteer leadership roles in Springfield include serving on the core economic mobility hub of the Women’s Fund of Western Mas- sachusetts and the coordinating committee of the Alliance for Digital Equity, and as a member of the core partners of Springfield WORKS. She earned her undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and her master’s degree from Springfield College.
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Market Mentors, LLC recently welcomed Geoff
Rice to its team as a senior Content Marketing specialist. In this role, he applies his two decades
of marketing, communications, and creative experi-
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ence to every challenge, from brand launches to engaging content for websites, social media, and campaigns of all sizes. Prior to joining Market Mentors, Rice focused his tal- ents on the health and beauty industries, and he now extends his expertise to clients from a
diverse range of businesses, including manufactur- ing, energy, insurance, and others. He is a gradu- ate of Colgate University with a degree in English literature.
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Berkshire Money Management congratulates Nate Tomkiewicz on becoming a certified financial plan- ner (CFP) professional. He is also a licensed financial
advisor and chartered retirement planning coun- selor. Tomkiewicz specializes in retirement planning and maximizing employee benefits for people who have worked hard for their money and want to pass it on to children or charity. He is skilled at identify- ing opportunities within 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans. With this knowledge, he helps nurses, doc- tors, and other professionals in the Berkshires find opportunities they didn’t know they had. With his
prosperity. In addition, it supports programs that align with Berkshire Bank’s Center for Women, Well- ness, and Wealth.
MassDevelopment Issues Bond for MHA Headquarters Project
CHICOPEE — MassDevelopment has issued a $6,543,000 tax-exempt bond on behalf of Mental Health Assoc. Inc. (MHA), which will use the pro- ceeds to buy and renovate a 78,378-square-foot building at 350 Memorial Dr. in Chicopee, where it will relocate its headquarters from Springfield and house its mental-health programs and residential and support services. The building originally housed the Charles River West Psychiatric Hospital and most recently served as the MassMutual Learning and Conference Center. The move will allow MHA to keep pace with growth and locate its staff in one office. Renovations to the building will include inte- rior wall reconfiguration, office construction, HVAC and sprinkler-system updates, added reception- area security, and painting, flooring, and informa- tion systems improvements. Construction began in November and is expected to be complete by Feb- ruary 2024. MHA expects to create 45 full-time jobs and 20 part-time jobs over the next three years. Florence Bank purchased the tax-exempt bond, which helped MHA achieve a lower cost of capital. Founded in 1960, MHA provides access to therapies for emotional health and wellness; services for sub- stance use recovery, developmental disabilities, and acquired brain injury; services for housing and resi- dential programming; and more. MHA serves more than 3,000 people, from ages 5 to 90, each year.
new CFP certification, Tomkiewicz is looks forward to tackling a broader set of challenges for his cli- ents, including helping them reduce their tax liabili- ties, secure their estate for the next generation, and plan a fulfilling retirement.
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Phillips Insurance Agency Inc. is celebrating the 20th work anniversary of Christopher Rivers, CRIS, senior vice president. Since joining Phillips in 2004, Rivers has been instrumental in growth that has made Phillips Insurance one of the largest writers of insurance
and bonds for contractors in the Northeast. Rivers was recognized in January by Sentry Insurance
for his 2023 production and flown to Maui to be an honorary observer at the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua, where he walked ‘inside the ropes’ with Jordan Speith, Scottie Scheffler, and Victor Hovland. Rivers has coached basketball, soccer, and baseball in Belchertown throughout the years. He and his family are strong supporters of St. Jude Hospital.
Local Credit Unions Commit to Solar Financing
PIONEER VALLEY — As local leaders in renewable- energy financing, Franklin First Federal Credit
Union and UMassFive College Federal Credit Union announced unprecedented success in solar lending volume in 2023. Reflecting upon a record-setting year for both credit unions, during which UMassFive financed 1,272 installations totaling $50,923,810 and Franklin First financed 86 installations totaling $2,746,489, both organizations are reaffirming their dedication to facilitating sustainable futures through access to affordable financing options for solar- energy projects. Continuing a long-standing com- mitment to environmental stewardship and com- munity development, both Franklin First and UMass- Five have been at the forefront of financing both local and regional solar projects for more than eight years. Offering competitive rates with flexible terms, no loan-origination fees, and personalized service, these financial institutions have empowered individ- uals and businesses to embrace clean-energy solu- tions and reduce their carbon footprint. While solar energy continues to gain momentum nationwide, both Franklin First and UMassFive look to remain synonymous with accessible financing options
for solar projects of all sizes. In addition to lend- ing solutions, both credit unions are dedicated to raising awareness about the benefits of renewable energy and promoting sustainable practices within their communities. Offering educational initiatives, outreach programs, and community partnerships, the credit unions are working to inspire adoption of clean-energy solutions and take meaningful steps toward a greener future, all while knowing their collective efforts have helped individuals and busi- nesses save on energy costs and contributed to a cleaner, healthier planet.
GEOFF RICE
CHRISTOPHER RIVERS
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Notebook
energy company’s ESMP is a comprehensive road- map to transform the region’s power grid, enhance its resiliency, and strengthen reliability for custom- ers by increasing renewable-energy production and electrifying the heating and transportation sectors. Focused on achieving both equity and clean-energy objectives, the ESMP also establishes a Community Engagement Stakeholder Advisory Group (CESAG) and expands efforts for proposed clean-energy infrastructure projects to engage all potentially impacted stakeholders. Eversource’s 10-year plan helps meet the Commonwealth’s decarboniza-
tion milestones through 2040 by achieving a 180% increase in electrification hosting capacity, which will provide additional capacity to enable 2.5 million electric vehicles statewide, 1 million residential heat pumps within the company’s territory, and an incre- mental 2.2 GW of additional solar hosting capacity, bringing the total distributed energy resource host- ing capacity systemwide to 5.8 GW.
Berkshire Bank Foundation Reports on 2023 Philanthropy
BOSTON — Berkshire Bank announced that nearly $2.5 million in philanthropic investments were pro- vided from its foundation in 2023 to support more than 500 nonprofit organizations. During the fourth quarter, more than $642,000 in grants and scholar- ships were awarded to foster upward economic mobility, support overall well-being, and enhance opportunities for individual success in the com- munities the bank serves. During 2023, more than 500 local nonprofits received grants to assist with a range of critical projects in the areas of health and wellness, housing, food insecurity, and economic enrichment. The Berkshire Bank Foundation is com- mitted to supporting programs that work toward providing equitable opportunities for economic
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