Page 74 - BusinessWest November 24, 2021

After more than a decade serv- ing the Springfield Regional Chamber (SRC) and overseeing the region’s economic growth, Nancy Creed is stepping down from her position as chamber president to help care for her elderly mother. Creed served
as the president of SRC since
2016, and as vice president of Marketing and Communications for five years prior
to her appointment as president. She successfully navigated the chamber through several challenges, the most recent being the COVID-19 pandemic. Dur- ing Creed’s tenure, she repositioned the chamber
as a regional organization for businesses in Western Mass., creating a channel for the voices of the Pio- neer Valley to be heard by key stakeholders in the eastern part of the Commonwealth. Creed developed a successful future for SRC by establishing educa- tional programming for businesses and dynamic networking opportunities for professionals, engag-
include bank taxation, real estate, and flow-through entities. He received his master of taxation degree
at Baylor University in 2016 and a bachelor of busi- ness administration degree, accounting in 2015. In 2018 he received his CPA licensure. He is a member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accoun- tants. Before his recent move to New Hampshire, he enjoyed working with and volunteering his time as a youth leader at his church.
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Florence Bank promoted Ali- cia Valentine to the position
of assistant vice president and cash-management relationship officer. She brings 15 years of banking knowledge to her new position. In this role, she will provide support to the bank’s commercial customer base by utilizing her in-depth knowl-
edge of cash-management products and services while proactively developing
land Support Team, Smith Vocational & Agricultural School, and the Cutchins Programs for Children and Families. He brings his commitment to the com- munity, family, sustainability, and progress to Look Park’s volunteer board, which also includes Shari- anne Walker, Michael Wall, Nancy Reeves, Robert Ostberg, Anthony Villani, and Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz (ex-officio).
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In a move to support growth, outreach, and overall program quality, the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club (PVRC) hired Scott Branscomb as head coach. Branscomb, who speaks Spanish and English, will work with PVRC Executive Direc-
tor Ben Quick and organiza- tion leadership to continue
PVRC’s post-pandemic recovery. Branscomb rowed competitively for UMass, where he graduated with dual degrees in Spanish and comparative literature before earning a master’s degree in teaching from the University of New Hampshire. In his 14 years of rowing experience, he has served community and club programs in a variety of roles. He worked the last four years in Connecticut as director and head coach of Middle School and Development Programs for Greenwich Crew. Among his achievements there, he operated an outreach program for students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Greenwich Public Schools. At the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club, Brans- comb returns to the waters of the Connecticut River, where he first rowed, and to his roots in the nonprof- it world, where he feels at home.
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Monson Savings Bank recently announced the hir-
ing of William Toth as branch manager of the East Longmeadow location at 61 North Main St. Toth
will be assisting customers with all of their banking needs, including loan applications and closing needs of borrowers. Additionally, he will be responsible for planning, organizing, and directing branch opera- tions, as well as fostering an environment of team- work. He has been in the banking industry for 26 years, with his experience in retail banking spanning 19 of those years. He most recently served as branch manager of Arrha Credit Union’s West Springfield location. There, his responsibilities were to over-
see the day-to-day operations of the branch, while assisting new and current members with their finan- cial and banking needs. He assisted members with consumer-loan applications, credit-card requests, and home-equity line of credit questions and docu- ment closing. He served as the primary resource to employees and oversaw the training of new and cur- rent branch staff. Toth has strong roots in the local communities, and is involved with the West of the River Chamber of Commerce, East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce, and the Security & Loss Prevention Assoc. He is a graduate of Spring- field Technical Community College with an associate degree in business administration.
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OMG Roofing Products has expanded its customer service department with the addition of Jaren Makuch as a customer service representative. In his new position, Jaren is respon- sible for assisting customers placing orders and in funneling product and technical ques- tions to the organization. He
People
Continued on page 76
NANCY CREED
SCOTT BRANSCOMB
ALICIA VALENTINE
People on the Move
existing relationships and new business opportunities. During her tenure at the bank, Valen- tine has been the recipient of the President’s Award, which is given to employees who dem-
ing members across all industries, creating a minor- ity business council to better support the growing business sector, and issuing informative legislative updates for the community that are now pillars of the chamber’s mission and will continue after her departure. To ensure an orderly transition, Creed will remain president until either a successor is appoint- ed by the chamber’s board of directors, or no later than April 21, 2022. The board has engaged a search committee and recruiter to find the best candidate to serve as the next president of the Springfield Region- al Chamber.
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Melanson announced the hiring of two of its newest managers, Teressa Bezenar, CPA, CFE, and Garrett Kelly, CPA. Bezenar has been in the accounting profession for more than two decades and recently joined Melanson’s Commercial Services team. Her focus is in taxation for individuals, cor- porations, flow-through enti- ties, and estates, and she has extensive knowledge in con- struction and real-estate busi- nesses. She received a master’s degree in accounting and a graduate certificate in forensic accounting at Southern New Hampshire University in 2017
and received a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Metropolitan State University in 1998. She earned her CPA licensure in Minnesota in 2002 and Missouri in 2020. In 2018, she became a certified fraud exam- iner. She holds memberships with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Assoc. of Certified Fraud Examiners, the Minnesota Society of Certied Public Accountants, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and Delta Mu Delta. She spends some of her spare time volunteering with the American Legion Auxiliary, American Legion Riders, Minnesota Patriot Guard, and Knots of Love. Kelly has been a tax accountant for more than five years and has joined Melanson’s Commercial Services team in Merrimack, N.H. He provides tax planning, compliance, and prep for high net-worth individuals and a variety of businesses. His other areas of focus
onstrate superior levels of performance, customer service, and overall contribution to the bank. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Assumption College. She is also an active mem- ber of her community, serving as a board member for Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts.
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W.D. Cowls Inc. recently welcomed Arthur Haskins
as director of Real Estate and Community Devel- opment. With a career spanning more than two decades, Haskins has worked on all facets of real estate and community building. He has overseen the completion of numerous mixed-use, commercial, and residential developments in New England and has a strong understanding of real-estate develop- ment, with expertise in new-construction manage- ment, affordable housing, residential brokerage, land sales, permitting, homeowner associations, property management, and conservation land trusts. Most recently, for Beacon Communities, Haskins managed North Square’s residential development, construc- tion, completion, and 100% lease-up of 130 new resi- dential units, which include one-, two-, and three- bedroom affordable apartments for households both 50% and 30% below area median income. His initial efforts in Amherst were related to developing a resi- dential community on the campus of Hampshire College, marketing and completing all initial pre- sales related to Hampshire’s cultural-village concept for Veridian Village. Haskins draws from multi-gener- ational Haskins family sawmill and timberland roots in the Quabbin Valley of Massachusetts. He grew up in Greenfield and spent four years attending school in Bangkok, Thailand.
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Frank Newhall Look Memo- rial Park announced the addi- tion of a new member to its board of trustees: Scott Keiter, president of Keiter Corp., a construction company based in Florence. His wealth of knowledge in building, devel- opment, sales, operations, and human resources made him a
unanimous choice to join the team. Keiter has served on other community boards, including the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, New Eng-
TERESSA BEZENAR
GARRETT KELLY
SCOTT KEITER
JAREN MAKUCH
74 NOVEMBER 24, 2021
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