Page 52 - BusinessWest May 2, 2022

Christopher Martin
Realtor and Team Leader, Hamre Martin Team, Rovi Homes New England; Age 35
While on active duty at Fort Campbell, a professional attire to those who need
military base in Kentucky, Christopher Martin was a private assigned to a barracks with a roommate he didn’t know. More than a decade later, that roommate is now Martin’s business partner. Not only that, but he was the one who convinced Martin they needed to get out of the barracks.
“He told me ‘hey, we can’t stay in these barracks — they’re from the 1950s.’ There was black mold and a bunch of stuff. It was not an ideal situation to be living in,” Martin explained, adding that he ended up buying a house through a first-time homebuyer’s program, as did his roommate.
“We started buying investment properties, and it kind of snowballed from there,” Martin explained. “When I got out from active duty and went into the Reserves and came back to Massachusetts, it was just a natural fit to continue that process.”
Martin oversees and trains a nine- member team that provides residential and commercial real-estate services in Massachusetts and Connecticut. After each real-estate closing, a donation to a charity of the client’s choosing is sent to local organizations, such as Shriners Hospitals for Children and Square One.
Martin is also president of Suit Up Springfield, recently moved to a new location.. The nonprofit provides
“I just want to do as much good as I can for as many amazing organizations as I can,” she said. “If that means that I’m doing work through volunteer shifts or helping them produce a fabulous fundraiser and expose them a little bit more, I’m so happy to do any of that.”
— Elizabeth Sears
it, particularly targeting young men in Springfield who otherwise wouldn’t have access to business clothing, and it partners with other organizations to provide mentoring services and give individuals opportunities to attend career fairs. It also teaches basic but useful skills, such as how totieatie.
On top of that, the organization works with correctional facilities, veterans’ organizations, schools, colleges, and the general public to further their outreach and access. Since its inception in 2015, Suit Up Springfield has provided attire to thousands in the area.
Beyond his many roles in the community, Martin is a huge fan of the arts and loves live music. Recently, he discovered a new artistic passion.
“The current unit I’m in is in Brooklyn, N.Y., so I have to go to my reserve on weekends there ... there was a ballet going on, and I went for the first time,” he said. “That was something that I was never exposed to, and that’s actually one of my favorite things to donow,togoacoupleoftimesayeartothe ballet.”
— Elizabeth Sears
Jackie Martucci
Owner, Events by Jackie M; Venue & Events Manager, Montague Retreat Center; Age 39
Jackie Martucci is a self-proclaimed ‘Jackie of all trades.’
She started her event-planning business from the ground up, leaning on her background in management, hospitality, customer service, and sales. She jokingly admits that when she started her business, she really had no idea of what she was getting herself into.
“I wanted to start my own business but didn’t actually have the credentials to do that ... I didn’t have a breadth of experience in the event world,” she said. “I really got into it because I was interested, but also I just put my nose down and worked.”
One thing that helped with Martucci’s progress was never turning down an opportunity to learn. She always seized the opportunity to go to every conference and learning seminar she could.
After more than 11 years in the business, Martucci’s interests have shifted from late nights as a wedding planner to working with nonprofits.
“I’ve been slowly evolving over the past couple of years because I really, really enjoy working with nonprofit groups and organizations on their fundraisers and bettering their businesses,” she explained. “I don’t want my tombstone to say ‘she was a great event planner’; I want it to say something more meaningful.”
These days Martucci is working with Square One, one of her favorite organizations to collaborate with, on its Kentucky Derby fundraiser. She’s also working on a fundraiser for the Cutchins Program in Northampton and is involved with Dress for Success Western Massachusetts, Reading Success by 4th Grade, and Christina’s House.
She’s also active in the community. Martucci is presently the president-elect on the executive board for the Junior League of Greater Springfield. She has been involved with JLGS for the past five years and previously served as the vice president of Communications.
Outside of work, Martucci loves to go to the beach, travel, or sit down and read a book. But nothing beats spending time with her family. She lives up to her title of ‘Jackie of all trades,’ but the common thread is her desire to give back to the community.
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