Page 33 - BusinessWest September 1, 2025

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE>>
PAUL LAMBERT
Paul Lambert, president and
CEO of the Springfield Sym-
phony Orchestra (SSO), has
announced his retirement, and
the SSO board announced that
Heather Caisse-Roberts, cur-
rently the organization’s chief
operating officer, will assume
leadership of the SSO. Lambert,
whose retirement is effective
Oct. 1, will stay on as a creative
consultant to the SSO and to
Caisse-Roberts. Caisse-Roberts
joined the orchestra in 2022,
during its post-pandemic
HEATHER CAISSE-ROBERTS
resurgence, and has since held
a series of senior leadership
roles — from Development and Grants associate
to chief Development and Operations officer and,
most recently, COO. Lambert joined the SSO at
the start of 2022 after serving for nearly 20 years
in an executive position at the Naismith Memorial
Basketball Hall of Fame, initially as vice president
of Guest Experience and Programming and then as
vice president of Enshrinement Services & Commu-
nity Engagement. Under his leadership, two labor
agreements with musicians were completed, and
an annual Juneteenth concert was added to the
symphony season. Lambert will receive the distin-
guished William Pynchon Award in October, and he
and Beth Welty, president of Local 171 of the Ameri-
can Federation of Musicians, were jointly honored
by BusinessWest as Difference Makers in 2024. In
her previous roles with the SSO since 2022, Caisse-
Roberts has played a pivotal role in driving the stra-
tegic growth and sustainability of the organization,
overseeing development and grants, sponsorships,
box office, office administration, and marketing.
She fosters a patron-centric culture within the
organization, ensuring that the needs of the inter-
nal structure are balanced effectively. Prior to the
SSO, Caisse-Roberts focused the past decade of her
career on fundraising for community nonprofits in
Western Mass. as senior director of Development at
New England Public Media. She also spent years at
American International College (AIC) as executive
director of Institutional Advancement. In addition
to her work with the SSO, she also served as Devel-
opment director for the internationally acclaimed
Young@Heart Chorus.
•••••
Polish National Credit Union
(PNCU) announced that Presi-
dent and CEO James Kelly will
retire effective May 31, 2026,
concluding a 20-year tenure
of leadership. This carefully
planned transition follows five
years of succession planning
to ensure PNCU’s continued
growth and commitment to its mission. Under Kel-
ly’s leadership, PNCU has achieved significant mile-
stones, including substantial growth in membership
and assets, the introduction of innovative financial
services, and a steadfast dedication to community
engagement. The PNCU board of directors has reaf-
firmed its commitment to the organization’s cul-
ture by exclusively considering internal candidates
for the next president and CEO. Kelly will remain
actively engaged through May 2026, supporting
teams, mentoring future leaders, and ensuring a
seamless transition.
•••••
MP CPAs recently announced the promotion of
Tim LaFalam to senior tax manager at the firm.
Business W est TIM LAFALAM
JAMES KELLY
He provides planning and tax
solutions to a diverse group of
clients including individuals,
estates, trusts, corporations, and
partnerships. He specializes in
working closely with high-net-
worth clients, as well as private
equity firms and their owners.
LaFalam joined the firm as an
intern in 2015 and started full-time in 2016. He
holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in account-
ing from Western New England University (WNE),
and leads the firm’s efforts in continuing a mentor-
ing and recruiting relationship with WNE. He is a
certified public accountant and a member of the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public
Accountants. LaFalam is treasurer of Link to Librar-
ies and has also taken the lead in many fundraising
and community service activities in which MP CPAs
participates, including coordinating the firm’s annu-
al United Way pledge, South Park Inn program, and
Children’s Study Home secret Santa.
•••••
New Valley Bank & Trust
announced the addition of
Maureen Buxton to its team at
the Sixteen Acres office. With
more than 30 years of experi-
ence in the banking industry,
she brings a strong track record
MAUREEN BUXTON
of customer service and leader-
ship within community banks
throughout the region. Throughout her career, Bux-
ton has held both frontline and management posi-
tions, consistently demonstrating a commitment to
providing exceptional service and building lasting
relationships with customers. Her deep under-
standing of community banking and dedication
to customer care make her a valuable addition to
New Valley Bank & Trust as it continues its growth.
In addition to her professional accomplishments,
she is a longtime community volunteer. Her current
and past civic roles include treasurer of Cigars for
Soldiers, member of the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day
Parade Committee, chairperson of the Chicopee
Parks and Recreation Commission, and member of
the board of directors for the Chicopee Athletic Hall
of Fame.
•••••
Country Bank announced the appointment of
Christopher Stevens as its new first vice president,
Compliance & CRA officer. His extensive back-
ground in regulatory compliance and community
reinvestment is expected to strengthen the bank’s
commitment to integrity, customer trust, and com-
munity impact. Stevens brings more than 25 years
of experience in the financial services industry,
including his most recent role as senior associate at
KPMG in Boston. There, he assisted large financial
institutions with their highest-priority consumer
compliance initiatives, helping clients strengthen
internal audits, monitoring and testing programs,
lending reviews, and regulatory remediation. His
extensive professional background includes serv-
ing as a retail branch manager, a bank compliance
examiner at both state and federal agencies, and
a subject matter expert in compliance. He has led
numerous compliance reviews covering the Home
Mortgage Disclosure Act, Community Reinvestment
Act, truth in lending, the Real Estate Settlement
Procedures Act, the Flood Protection Act, fair lend-
ing, and unfair deceptive acts and practices, among
others.
•••••
<< DEPARTMENTS >>
DARYL JOHNSON
Holyoke Community College
(HCC) recently welcomed Rich-
ard Tremblay as its assistant
vice president of People and
Talent. In his new role, Tremblay
oversees the office of People
and Talent, formerly known
RICHARD TREMBLAY
as Human Resources, part of
the division of People, Culture,
and Equity. He comes to HCC with more than two
decades of experience in human resources, most
recently as Human Resources manager for Prefere
Melamines LLC in Springfield. Before that, he served
as director of Human Resources at Helix Human
Services, formerly the Children’s Study Home, in
Springfield, and senior Human Resource administra-
tor at Square One in Springfield. He has also taught
psychology at American International College as an
adjunct professor. He started his position at HCC on
July 28. Tremblay holds a master’s degree in human
resource development from American International
College and a bachelor’s degree in public relations
from Northern Michigan University. He is also a
certified life coach and recently completed train-
ing with the Massachusetts Commission Against
Discrimination in conducting internal investigations
and handling discrimination complaints.
•••••
Attorney Daryl Johnson has
joined Pullman & Comley, LLC
as an associate in the firm’s Real
Estate and Business and Finance
practices. She will be based in
Pullman & Comley’s Springfield
office. Johnson has nearly a
decade of experience in real
estate and corporate law and has guided clients
through complex property deals, contract negotia-
tions, and corporate structuring. Prior to joining
Pullman & Comley, she was with the Western Mass.
firm Fitzgerald Law, where she handled all aspects
of commercial and residential real estate, including
representation of buyers, sellers, borrowers, and
lenders, including. but not limited to, private financ-
ing and lending, seller financing, refinances, 1031
exchanges, and SBA 504 debentures. Johnson’s
experience also includes drafting and reviewing
purchase and sale agreements, leases, and corpo-
rate governance documents, as well as conducting
title reviews and resolving title issues in collabora-
tion with national title insurance underwriters. Ear-
lier in her career, she was an associate attorney at
the Springfield firm Bacon Wilson, gaining valuable
experience advising individuals, real estate inves-
tors, and commercial lenders on matters involving
real estate transactions, corporate formation and
governance, and selling and purchasing real estate
from trusts and estates. She began her legal career
serving as general counsel to Shelton Brothers
Importers, a beer importer in Belchertown. Johnson
became a corporate board member of the YMCA of
Greater Springfield in 2024 and was a trustee for the
Springfield International Charter School from 2018
to 2024. She is also a participant and fundraiser for
the annual Syrup Stampede, which benefits Empty
Arms Bereavement. She earned her bachelor’s
degree, summa cum laude, from Elms College, and
received her juris doctorate, cum laude, from UMass
Law School.
•••••
Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that attorney
Alexandre Pereira recently received a 4.8 out of
5 rating from the National Business Institute for
his presentation in the course “Estate Planning for
Clients with Minor Children.” Pereira specializes in
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