Page 75 - BusinessWest November 28, 2022

HCC Named One of State’s
Top Women-led Businesses
HOLYOKE — For the second year in a row, Holyoke Community College (HCC) has been named one of the top women-led businesses in Massachusetts by Boston Globe Magazine and the Women’s Edge, for- merly the Commonwealth Institute, a nonprofit that supports top female executives. Taken together, the 100 companies on the list represent a total revenue and operating budget of $75.9 billion. HCC and its president, Christina Royal, were ranked 61st. The
full list was published Oct. 30 in the annual “Women & Power” edition of the magazine. Royal was also one of 11 executives from the list featured in a sepa- rate article, “‘Resist the Temptation to Fit the Mold: Eleven Leaders Share Insights on Cultivating Diverse, Dynamic Teams in Challenging Times.” Royal has been the president of HCC since January 2017. She
is the fourth president in HCC’s 75-year history and the first woman to hold that office. In August, she announced that she will retire from HCC after the 2022-23 academic year. Also making the Top 100 list at number 59 was 1983 HCC alumna and Westfield native Linda Markham, president of Cape Air and Nantucket Airlines, based in Hyannis.
UMass Amherst Named a
Bike Friendly University
AMHERST — UMass Amherst has been designated
as a Bike Friendly University (BFU) by the League of American Bicyclists, a grassroots advocacy organiza- tion encouraging better bicycling and protecting the rights of people who bike. UMass Amherst is one of only eight universities in Massachusetts to receive the commendation for providing safe, accessible biking on campus. Providing bike-friendly accommodations is a vital part of the university’s Sustainable UMass initiative. In recent years, four-foot-wide bicycle lanes have been constructed on the primary campus road- ways of Massachusetts Avenue, North Pleasant Street, and Commonwealth Avenue to promote safe bike travel. In 2016, the university expanded its bike access for students, faculty, and staff by becoming a found- ing member of ValleyBike Share, and six bike-share stations are now spread across campus to allow stu- dents, faculty, and staff to easily rent and return bikes. The UMass Bicycle Commuter Program coordinates the Campus Bicycle Advisory Committee to help the university prioritize bike-related goals on campus, and the UMass Amherst Bike Library rental program,
People
Continued from page 74 Develop- ment Corpo-
rations (MACDC), an organization which he has led as president and CEO for the past 20 years. MACDC is the policy and capacity-building arm of the commu- nity-development movement in Massachusetts, with 100 nonprofit member organizations across the state. As President, Kriesberg was responsible for the over- all management of the agency, including financial management and fundraising, program development and implementation, policy advocacy, staff supervi- sion, board management, and strategic planning. In his role leading MACDC, Kriesberg has been a strong advocate for vibrant communities and has advanced issues such as economic opportunity, affordable housing, and innovative development, all of which align with MassINC’s dedication to civic vitality and economic inclusion.
•••••
operated by the Student Government Assoc. and the Physical Plant, lets students, faculty, and staff borrow bikes for free, for as long as an entire academic year. UMass joins Harvard, MIT, UMass Lowell, Bentley University, Tufts University, and Boston University’s Charles River and medical-school campuses as Bike Friendly Universities. Since the program launched
in 2011, such designations have been certified at 222 U.S. colleges and universities in 47 states.
V-One Earns Top Honors at
Warsaw Spirits Competition
HADLEY — From its distillery in Kamien, Poland and its headquarters in Hadley, Valley Vodka Inc. recently announced that its original V-One Vodka earned its third Double Gold medal at the Warsaw Spirits Com- petition in Poland. The Warsaw Spirits Compe-
tition is in its fifth year, and this was the third
time V-One has competed. This year, the num-
ber of entries and producers was record-break-
ing, with hundreds of alcoholic beverages from
more than 32 countries. In the most competi-
tive category, unflavored vodka (in the wheat/spelt/ barley category), V-One earned the Double Gold with a score of 93.14.
Bulkley Richardson Named
Best Law Firm in 12 Areas
Best Lawyers, in partnership with U.S. News and World Report, ranked Bulkley Richardson as 2023’s Best Law Firm in the Springfield region in the follow- ing 12 practice areas: banking and finance law, bank- ruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law, business organizations (includ- ing LLCs and partnerships), commercial litigation, corporate law, criminal defense – general practice, criminal defense – white collar, litigation – labor and employment, medical-malpractice law – defendants, personal-injury litigation – defendants, tax law, and trusts and estates law. To be eligible for a ranking, a law firm must have at least one lawyer included in the year’s list of Best Lawyers. Bulkley Richardson had 16 lawyers included on the 2023 Best Lawyers list, and two of the firm’s partners, Mark Cress and John Pucci, were named 2023 Springfield-area Lawyers of the Year. Rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and law- yer evaluations and peer reviews from leading attor- neys in their field.
Dawn Creighton has joined neba as strategic initia- tive consultant. The organization has a 40-year his- tory assisting individuals with disabilities and other barriers to attain employment, establish a career path, and meet critical workforce needs and short- ages. With more job openings and less candidates, Creighton will play a pivotal role in ensuring that area businesses in Massachusetts and Connecticut have
a plan to fill vacancies and meet important diversity and inclusion efforts. Creighton brings more than a decade of successful partnerships with the communi- ty at large to support and develop myriad workforce- development efforts meeting and matching busi- nesses with qualified candidates. As the former board president of Dress for Success, Creighton created the Foot in the Door program, a workforce-readiness pro- gram dedicated to helping women develop critical skills for entering and re-entering the workforce.
•••••
GCAi’s Video for Harvard
Tours Middle East
SPRINGFIELD — Harvard Graduate School of Edu- cation tapped GCAi’s New England Corporate Video (NECV) division over the summer to produce a series of videos (click here to view) on the Middle East Pro- fessional Learning Initiative (MEPLI). MEPLI aims to develop the capacity of teachers in the region. The fellowship is job-embedded and lasts for one year, providing scholarships for professional-education courses (online and/or residential) and support for incorporating learning into existing work. Fellows receive a certificate in professional education upon successful completion of the program. The NECV- produced videos, now being shown at presenta-
Company Notebook
tions on the program in the Middle East, were shot on campus at Harvard University and produced at NECV’s edit suite in Springfield. Three separate vid- eos were produced, including English, English and Arabic, and all-Arabic language versions. Visit www. youtube.com/watch?v=lP3aBOEQqz0 to view the videos.
Liberty Bank Supports Habitat for Humanity
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Liberty Bank recently select- ed Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH) to receive one of its community grants. The founda- tion aims to help low- and moderate-income fami- lies improve their economic situation and quality of life. Through Liberty Bank Foundation, Liberty Bank supports nonprofit organizations that its neighbors depend on to build strong families and communities. Grant making is focused on organizations that serve people within Liberty Bank’s market area. GSHFH is a housing ministry dedicated to strengthening commu- nities by empowering low-income families to change their lives and the lives of future generations through home-ownership and home-repair opportunities. This is accomplished by working in partnership with diverse people, from all walks of life, to build and repair simple, decent, affordable housing.
Monson Savings Bank recently announced the promotion of Jamie Blaxland to Account-
ing manager. In her role as Accounting manager, Blax- land is primarily responsible for managing the Accounting department, which oversees the bank’s accounts payable, auto- mated clearing house (ACH),
investment bookkeeping, wires, general-ledger rec- onciliations, and more. Blaxland has been with Mon- son Savings Bank for 20 years. Prior to this recent promotion, she served as Accounting supervisor. She has worked in the bank’s Accounting department
for more than 18 years and has 25 years of experi- ence working in the banking industry. She holds several ACH certifications and is an accredited ACH professional.
JAMIE BLAXLAND
BusinessWest
DEPARTMENTS
NOVEMBER 28, 2022 75