Page 37 - BusinessWest May 26, 2025

ASHLEY BENSON
cial team leader at MountainOne Bank, to the BHS board of
trustees. Benson is a psychotherapist, consultant, and clini-
cal supervisor. A dedicated mental-health professional with
over two decades of experience in social work and clinical
practice, she founded her practice in 2019 to provide holis-
tic health resources to the community and formally estab-
lished Optimal Healing in 2022. She specializes in trauma-
focused care and the treatment of children, adolescents and
families. Benson earned her undergraduate degree from
Berkshire Community College and the Massachusetts Col-
lege of Liberal Arts, followed by a master’s degree in social
work from Smith College. Committed to continuous learn-
ing and leadership in the field, she holds two post-graduate
certifications: advanced clinical social work supervision from
the Smith College School for Social Work and advanced
MATTHEW LAURO
practice with children & adolescents from Springfield Col-
lege. Lauro is responsible for managing existing portfolio
risk, loan growth, and a team of commercial bankers at MountainOne. He is
active in the community as a board member for Berkshire Education and Cor-
rection in Pittsfield, former national council member of the Avon Old Farms
School for Boys in Avon, Conn., and former trustee of the Pittsfield Affordable
Housing Trust. He received his bachelor’s degree in business management from
the Lally School of Business Management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
in Troy, N.Y. Departing the BHS board of trustees are Timothy Burke, Barton
Raser, and Dr. John Loiodice, who provided leadership and service to Berkshire
Health Systems for many years.
•••••
Greenfield Cooperative Bank (GSB) recently announced five promotions.
Brandon Lively has been promoted to executive vice president, chief technol-
ogy officer. He started at GSB as a teller more than 25 years ago and has pro-
gressively advanced through various roles. For many years, he has led the bank’s
IT initiatives and will now continue to drive technological advancements in his
new role. Jackie Charron has been promoted to executive vice president, chief
banking officer. Joining GCB in 2024, she brought with her more than 40 years
of experience in the community banking sector. Victor Rodriguez Sr. has been
promoted to vice president, community engagement mortgage officer. Since
joining GCB in 2024, Rodriguez has demonstrated an unwavering passion for
the community, backed by more than 20 years of banking experience. Matthew
Donovan has been promoted to commercial lending officer. He joined GCB
in 2023, bringing several years of credit experience. He previouly served as a
senior credit analyst and most recently as a commercial associate lender. Ethan
McCandless has been promoted to collections officer. McCandless has been
with GCB since 2020, initially joining as a residential loan closer. Over the past
five years, he has worked within both the residential and commercial lending
departments, most recently as a credit analyst.
•••••
The Chamber of Greater Easthampton recently welcomed
Jon Kostek as its new executive director. He is a lifelong
resident of Western Mass., raised in Hampshire County, with
a deep-rooted commitment to helping the local community
flourish. Kostek began his professional journey in retail man-
agement and buying, eventually bringing his leadership and
strategic insight to USTA New England, where he spent the
past 20 years. He is known for building strong, long-term
relationships and is passionate about partnership develop-
ment, membership growth, and meaningful community engagement. Actively
involved in local governance, he serves on several town committees.
•••••
Florence Bank announced that Amanda Constantilos has
been promoted to manager of the bank’s King Street branch
in Northampton. Constantilos joined the bank’s team in
2016 as a senior teller, and since, she has served as a teller
operations manager at the Granby branch and as a custom-
er service representative and assistant branch manager in
Hadley. She has 19 years of experience in the banking indus-
try and is skilled in customer service, teamwork, communi-
cation, problem solving, and employee development. In her
new role, which she assumed in May, Constantilos is responsible for leadership
and team development, decision making, and community engagement.
•••••
Phillips Insurance Agency Inc. announced three new staff additions. Kim
Vadnais is joining the firm as director of Employee Benefits. She comes to Phil-
lips Insurance after a 24-year career at Complete Benefit Solutions, where she
handled benefit plan designs for larger employers throughout New England.
She is a licensed benefits agent and
brings senior-level expertise to ben-
efit administration. Telisha Marshall
has joined Phillips as a Commercial
Business W est RELATIONSHIPS
make all the difference
JON KOSTEK
AMANDA CONSTANTILOS
At Country Bank, we’re made a little different. We
have the expertise, resources, and tools you need
to turn opportunities into growth. It’s not just
banking to us. We’re here to make a difference for
your business and we believe that it starts with a
great relationship.
People
Continued on page 39 >>
<< DEPARTMENTS >>
MAY 26, 2025
37