Page 55 - BusinessWest March 7, 2022

HUBERT BENITEZ
The American International College (AIC) board of trust- ees announced that Hubert Benitez, DDS, PhD has been unanimously selected as the 12th president of the 137-year- old institution. Benitez will succeed President Vince Maniaci, who is retiring after
17 years of service. Benitez will join American Inter- national College on April 11. In his most recent posi- tion, Benitez served as vice president for Strategic Initiatives and Academic Innovation and as acting chief inclusion officer at Rockhurst University (RU) in Kansas City, Mo., a comprehensive institution of higher learning that offers educational programs
to a diverse student population in business, com- munications, education, engineering, healthcare, humanities, performing and visual arts, science, and mathematics. Among his responsibilities, Benitez had direct oversight of strategic planning, institu- tional effectiveness, accreditation and assessment, distance education/e-learning, and the Prosperity Center for Financial Opportunity. Prior to Rockhurst, Benitez served as president and CEO of Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences in Kansas City for almost five years, where he provided visionary and strategic leadership that included growing and diversifying the college’s academic portfolio; promoting a culture of assessment; increasing the visibility of the institu- tion through community presence, engagement, and outreach efforts; engaging in recruitment and enroll- ment-management practices that increased the col- lege’s population while meeting the needs of a new and diverse demographic of students; and imple- menting a financial strategy that increased the insti- tution’s fiscal stability and outlook. Benitez received his first doctoral degree in dentistry from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Latin America. He subse- quently completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Connecticut Health Sciences Center, later earning a PhD in higher education administra- tion from Saint Louis University’s College of Edu- cation and Public Service. He is a graduate of the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, and he completed the Executive Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Busi- ness. He has dedicated the last two decades to higher education as an academic and administrator, and
15 years prior as a clinician. A member of numerous academic organizations, boards, and advisory com- mittees past and present, Benitez currently serves on the board of directors for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City and the board of trust- ees for Cristo Rey Kansas City, a Sisters of Charity
of Leavenworth high school; is a peer reviewer for Middle States Commission on Higher Education;
is a member the Hispanic Advisory Committee for Kansas City Public Schools; and is a member of the KC Rising Steering Committee, a body of the KC Ris- ing initiative, composed of business and community volunteers from across the Kansas City metropolitan area who are committed to regional collaboration. His professional associations include the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, the American Assoc. of Hispanics in Higher Education, the American Dental Assoc., and the Golden Key International Honor Society, among others. In addi- tion to an extensive selection of published works, Benitez has been a guest lecturer in the U.S. and abroad and has been the recipient of federally and privately funded research grants. His work ethic
and commitment has been recognized by Univision Kansas City for his ongoing support for Hispanic heritage and by Universidad Piloto of Colombia for forging international and interdisciplinary exchange
programs. He has been a recipient of the Hispanic Heritage Award and received special recognition
for service to the community through Excellence in Education. His contributions to Suffolk County from the Office of Minority Affairs have been praised, in addition to being selected as one of the Top 25 Advo- cates for Latino Empowerment in Long Island, N.Y.
•••••
Freedom Credit Union has hired Carla Banas as branch officer for its Ludlow loca- tion. She brings more than 16 years of banking experience to her role, the last several of which were in Ludlow, where she specialized in commer- cial banking. In her new role, Banas will oversee the daily
operations of the branch, ensure the growth and development of employees, ensure exceptional cus- tomer service for members, and grow new business by cultivating lasting relationships. Outside her pro- fessional role, Banas is on the board for Women to Watch and serves as community outreach chair. She is also a member and past president
of the Ludlow BNI Core Connections
chapter and is active in the East of the
River Chamber of Commerce. In her
previous position, she was recognized
for her work with employed veterans
by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
•••••
Elena Hovagimian has been promoted to director of Agri- culture at the Eastern States Exposition (ESE) after a 25-year career spanning agri- culture and education, IT, and retail sales management at the West Springfield fair and trade- show facility. Hovagimian, who succeeds retiring Director of
Agriculture Donna Woolam, will oversee all agricul- turally based events year-round as well as the hun- dreds of animals entered in shows and contests, edu- cational presentations, the Creative Arts department, the Fiber Festival of New England, the Gold Medal Wine and Cheese competitions, and retail sales for the Farmers Market, Storrowton Village Museum
Gift Shop, and Christmas Shop. Hovagimian joined the Eastern States Exposition staff in October 1997 as a part-time data-entry clerk, and shortly there- after became assistant to the Agriculture manager. In addition, she took on the Management Informa- tion Systems (MIS) coordinator duties, supervising and implementing the computer systems and pro- grams in the company. In January 2007, she became a full-time staff member at ESE as Agriculture and Education/MIS coordinator. She was responsible for coordinating and producing more than 119 agricul- tural events throughout the year and during the Big E. She also increased the efficiency of all facets of the department through the use of computer soft- ware and technology. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from UMass Amherst, a master’s degree in innovative thinking and entrepreneurial business practices from Bay Path University and a certificate for online journalism from UMass. She graduated from the International Assoc. of Fairs and Expositions’ (IAFE) Institute of Fair Management in 2015, and earned her certified fair executive status from the IAFE in 2018. During her career, Hovagim- ian led a cross-functional team to innovate and promote New England agriculture in a virtual envi- ronment, maintaining the pillars of the Exposition’s mission. She also developed processes and systems of efficient software and technology applications
to allow for day-to-day business to continue in a remote environment. She developed four attractions outside of the Big E, including the Big East Youth Cattle and Jackpot Show, the Fiber Festival of New England, and the Wine and Cheese competitions. Hovagimian is an active member of the IAFE, where she chaired the agriculture and education commit- tee in 2020 and was website technology committee chair in 2017. She is also a member of the North American Livestock Show and Rodeo Managers Assoc. and the Massachusetts Cheese Guild Advisory Board.
•••••
Attorney Tanzania Cannon- Eckerle has rejoined the Royal Law Firm full-time in a part- ner-level position as chief legal and administrative officer.
Her practice includes matters involving labor relations, dis- crimination, harassment and retaliation, wrongful discharge, workers’ compensation,
employee privacy, wage and hour law, leave laws,
CARLA BANAS
TANZANIA CANNON-ECKERLE
People on the Move
and matters involving business, including business planning, business formations, business contracts and negotiations, franchise law, and licensing and permitting. Her preventive work includes drafting
a variety of employment-related manuals and con- tracts, such as executive agreements, compensation and commission agreements, and severance and settlement agreements. Cannon-Eckerle obtained her juris doctor degree from Southern Illinois Uni- versity School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
•••••
announced it recently pro-
moted Rae Brown to the
role of branch officer for its
Northampton and Easthamp-
ton locations. She previously
served as the assistant branch
officer at the Main Street,
Springfield office. “Rae has
been with us for nearly eight
years and has proven herself to be a wonderful leader, dedicated to providing outstanding service to our members and committed to the success of her team,” Freedom Credit Union President Glenn Welch said. “She is the perfect person to oversee our two branches in Hampshire County.” Brown has more than two decades of experience in banking, includ- ing more than 11 years in Hampshire County. She has an associate degree from Springfield Technical Community College and is also a notary public.
••••• Carli Ross recently joined
Raipher, P.C. in Springfield as a
personal-injury and civil-litiga-
tion attorney. Ross is a passion-
ate advocate who began her
legal career concentrating on
criminal defense and employ-
ment discrimination work. She
joined the practice in Novem-
ber and became the firm’s 16th
lawyer. Ross completed her undergraduate degree at
People
Continued on page 57
ELENA HOVAGIMIAN
Freedom Credit Union
RAE BROWN
CARLI ROSS
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MARCH 7, 2022 55