Page 50 - BusinessWest October 13, 2021

‘Elder Law and Estate Planning:
What You Need to Know’
Oct. 18, 25: Attorney Karen Jackson, an elder-law and estate-planning attorney at Jackson Law, will teach a two-part class highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning at Holyoke Com- munity College (HCC). The four-hour course, called “Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know,” will be presented in a pair of two-hour ses- sions, from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $99. In the first ses- sion, Jackson will explain each document in the core estate plan — the will, power of attorney, healthcare
Agenda
proxy, Health Insurance Portability and Accountabil- ity Act (HIPAA) release, and advance directive. She will discuss the problems that can occur when prop- er documents are not prepared before a loss of men- tal capacity or physical health or before sudden loss of life. In the first session, she will also cover the dif- ferent types of trusts — the revocable trust, irrevoca- ble trust, and special-needs trust — and the reasons for creating each kind of trust. During the second session, Jackson will explain the various tools and techniques to save the home and other assets from the nursing home bill: gifting, the Medicaid qualified annuity, pooled trusts, caregiver child exception, and Medicaid qualified trusts. For participants who may be able to attend only one session, the full course fee is still required. To register, call HCC at (413) 552- 2500 or register online at www.hcc.edu/bce.
Healthcare Heroes
Oct. 21: BusinessWest and HCN will honor the Healthcare Heroes class of 2021 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The Healthcare Heroes, profiled in this issue, include James Goodwin, president and CEO
of the Center for Human Development (Lifetime Achievement); Dr. Sarah Haessler, hospital epide- miologist at Baystate Medical Center and vice chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Medicine at Baystate Health (Emerging Leader); Beth Cardillo, executive director of Armbrook Village (Community Health); Richard Johnson, Counseling and Testing Prevention and Education Program director at New North Citizens Council Inc. (Community Health);
Dr. Louis J. DeCaro, podiatrist and owner of DeCaro Total Foot Care Center (Provider); Dr. Alicia Ross, medical director of Holyoke VNA Hospice Life Care (Administrator); J. Aleah Nesteby, former director of LGBTQ Services at Cooley Dickinson Hospital (Inno- vation); and Doorway to an Accessible, Safe and Healthy Home (Collaboration). A very limited num- ber of tickets are available. For information, call Gina Lovotti at (413) 781-8600, ext. 100. The Healthcare Heroes program is being sponsored by presenting sponsors Elms College and Baystate Health/Health New England, and partner sponsor Trinity Health Of New England/Mercy Medical Center.
‘Rewire: Finding Purpose and Fulfillment After Retirement’
Oct. 27: Many pre-retirees focus solely on their 401(k) and pension when deciding when to retire, but neglect to consider how they will find purpose and fulfillment in the next chapter of their lives.
A person who retires at age 65 will be active for
20 years or more after leaving their full-time job. How will they fill those 2,000-plus hours they have previously devoted to their career? Holyoke Com- munity College (HCC) is offering a workshop that will address this major life transition. “Rewire: Find- ing Purpose and Fulfillment After Retirement” will meet in person from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development
on HCC’s main campus, 303 Homestead Ave. The workshop will be facilitated by former career coun- selor Barbara Foster. The workshop will offer a series
That’s huge for new graduates, who typically enter the work world in significant debt. “We’re one of the industries that actually tackles that cohesively. We’re actually getting them employed at a very high-level- paying job, thus cutting down on student debt,” Smith noted, adding that a graduate’s employer will often pay for further education as well.
Speaking of connecting students with careers,
the UMass Cybersecurity Institute recently secured
a renewal of its CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program, sponsored by the National Science Founda- tion, which began in 2015.
The latest grant will support approximately 31 scholars at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the university’s computer science and electrical and computer engineering degree programs by offering them full tuition and fees, a stipend ranging from $25,000 per year for undergraduates to $34,000 per year for graduate students, and a professional-devel- opment fund for one to three years of their degree program. In addition, students complete an intern- ship at a federal agency during the summers and, upon graduation, work full-time at a federal agency in a cybersecurity role for one to three years at full pay and benefits. Then they’re free to move on, but many don’t.
“We’ve done this for 34 students already, and the vast majority have stayed in the government after their service period is up,” Levine said, noting that federal opportunities range from working at the Pen- tagon to protecting land and wildlife with the Envi- ronmental Protection Agency; from tracking down cybercriminals with the FBI to joining the Cybersecu-
of exercises and self-assessments, as well as time to reflect, brainstorm with others, and develop goals and a vision for this new chapter of life. Participants will also leave with an extensive list of resources to explore. To maintain safe social distancing, space is limited, so advance registration is required. To reg- ister, visit hcc.edu/rewire, or call (413) 552-2500 for more information. Masks are required in all HCC campus buildings regardless of vaccination status.
City of Bright Nights Ball
Nov. 13: It will be “Cherry Blossoms Under the Moonlight” for the 2021 City of Bright Nights Ball, when the event returns to MGM Springfield for
the third time, Spirit of Springfield President Judy Matt announced. Eastman is the gala’s sponsor, and Shawn Pace, Eastman’s Indian Orchard site manager, is the chair. Additional support for the City of Bright Nights Ball is provided by MassMutual, which was the lead sponsor of the 2019 gala and will serve as this year’s Chairman’s Reception Sponsor. Golden Circle Sponsors include American Medical Response, Baystate Health, the Colvest Group, Comcast, Coun- try Bank, FR Investment Group, Gleason Johndrow Landscaping, Health New England, MGM Spring- field, MP CPAs, New England Business Machine, Sheraton Springfield, and the Springfield Business Improvement District. The décor and dinner will be themed with cherry blossoms. Andrew Jensen from JX2 Productions and Dan Stezko with his team at Flowers, Flowers! have been hard at work designing the look in flowing pinks and flowers. The culinary team at MGM Springfield, led by Executive Chef Chris Smigel, will serve a dinner featuring braised short ribs, pan-seared diver scallops, seared trumpet mushroom ‘scallops,’ and a dessert complete with a touch of cherry cotton candy. For information about being a sponsor of the City of Bright Nights Ball or purchasing tickets, contact the Spirit of Springfield at (413) 733-3800 or [email protected].
rity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which swoops in to manage ransomware attacks.
“This program will help create a new genera-
tion of cybersecurity professionals and researchers
to address novel and challenging problems facing society,” said Sanjay Raman, dean of the College of Engineering at UMass Amherst. “These students will help to modernize the executive-branch workforce, advance science and technology at government labo- ratories, and secure our national defense.”
It’s that kind of real-world impact that inspires those who teach the next generation of cybersecurity pros.
“This is why I get up in the morning,” said Bay Path’s Smith, who worked in counterintelligence around the time of 9/11 and remembers how the world changed. “We did a lot of things to protect our country, and I’m proud of that. Now, I want to give back to the students and help them pick up some of the stuff I’ve learned, so they can excel in a workforce that’s begging for anybody with interest in their field.”
His job, and that of his department, is to stay at the forefront of developments in the field — and, again, they are constant — and continue to hone and evolve the program so it remains relevant and on the cutting edge.
“We want our students to stand out in the industry and get hired,” he said. “And we’ve been very fortunate — our students are landing some amazing jobs.” u
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
Education
He should know, having worked in a number of sectors, ranging from the Pen-
tagon to the financial-services world, and he often calls on professionals who actually work in those fields to bring their real-world expertise to Bay Path students. “A lot of programs are computer-science- driven; they’re experts in coding and programming. When you jump into cybersecurity, it’s a different animal.”
Introducing more women into the field, and all the sectors it influences, would be a healthy develop- ment, he said.
“I’m the program director, but also their cheer- leader,” Benson agreed. “They know my motto is ‘dare to dream,’ and having a diverse workforce will bring about diversity of thought, diversity of problem solv- ing, diversity in the ways people will collaborate. And I think that’s so needed.”
Making Connections
Another needed element is networking and mak- ing connections in the field early, Smith said. Many Bay Path students take advantage of a Mass Cyber Center mentorship program, working with large com- panies like Baystate Health, Travelers Insurance, and MassMutual.
“Networking doesn’t happen only when you go to conferences,” he said in explaining the value of such programs. “And most employers, after an internship, offer something on the spot — they’ll say, ‘please, when can you start?’”
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50 OCTOBER 13, 2021
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