Page 75 - BusinessWest September 15, 2021

University of Nevada Las Vegas and is a certified pub- lic accountant. Justin Calheno has been promoted to assistant vice president, Retail Lending. He holds
a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University and is a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies. He serves as a board member for the Ludlow Boys and Girls Club. Lisa Saletnik has been promoted to assistant vice president, Business Systems. She holds an asso- ciate degree in health science from Bay Path Uni- versity and is a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies. Mackenna Hogan has been promoted to Commercial Banking Administration officer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from UMass Amherst. Antonio Palano has been promoted to assistant vice president, Retail Lending. He holds an associate degree in business administration from SpringfieldTechnicalCommunityCollege. Newly appointed officers include Sam Pursey, Erin Skoc- zylas, Ashley Swett, and Sarah Yurkunas. Pursey has been promoted to Relationship Management officer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from UMass Amherst. Skoczylas has been promoted to assistant controller. Erin holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western New England Univer- sity, an associate degree in business administration from Springfield Technical Community College, and is a graduate of the New England School for Finan- cial Studies. Swett has been promoted to Customer Care Center officer. She is a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies. Yurkunas has been promoted to Relationship Management officer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Bay Path University, a certificate from the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. in Fundamentals of Credit Analy-
sis: Intro to Commercial Lending, and is currently enrolled in the New England School for Financial Studies.
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Garvey Communication Asso- ciates Inc. (GCAi) announced that veteran ABC News affiliate reporter and anchor Mary Cate Mannion has joined the team as a digital PR analyst and will be responsible for planning, producing, and editing video content; photo supervision; and writing posts for digital
dissemination on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and the Google Ads Display Network, but not Tik Tok, as well as working directly with media publications. She is working in GCAi’s Springfield edit suite with award-winning video producer Darcy Young and planning digital campaigns with award- winning digital marketer James Garvey, who is based in GCAi’s Marina del Rey, Calif. office. Mannion is an award winner in her own right, receiving a Broad- casters Award and two Emmy nominations during her tenure as an anchor and energy-news reporter with NBC News affiliate KFYR-TV. Her reporting was also used in an investigative segment by John Oli- ver on HBO’s Last Week Tonight, and she has served as a correspondent for Headline News. She earned
a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Emerson College. She crossed paths with Young during her time at Western Mass News, when she emceed the Springfield Colleen Contest, for which Young is a long-time volunteer. Mannion also her singing skills during an American Idol audition in Boston and was successful for six rounds. Mannion has also achieved considerable success as a competi- tive Irish dancer, something she is still enthusiastic about today as a member of Springfield’s Claddagh School.
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Mercedes Maskalik, formerly the director of Mar- keting at CUE Inc., a membership and profession- al-development nonprofit organization, has been appointed assistant vice president for Marketing
and Communication at Western New England University. In her new role, Maskalik will oversee the university’s Division of Marketing and External Affairs, whose mission and purpose is to broadly and creatively share the story of Western New England University regionally, nationally, and internationally. In her previous position as director of Marketing at CUE, Maskalik was responsible for the development, coordination, and management of all marketing and communications efforts to promote the CUE brand, the professional learning community, and the pro- fessional learning events. She received her master’s degree in organizational communications from Cen- tral Connecticut State University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Southern Connecticut State University. An active member of a number of inter- national associations, Maskalik’s professional affili- ations include the American Marketing Assoc., the Public Relations Society of America, and the Euro- pean Assoc. of Communications Directors. She is the co-author of Social Marketing Environmental Issues, a theoretically grounded text on social-marketing strategies for influencing environmental behaviors.
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Market Mentors, a marketing, advertising, and public-rela- tions agency, announced the addition of Bryan Czajkowski as director of Production and Technology. He brings more than 25 years of experience to the newly created position, in which he oversees the agen- cy’s web, design, video, and
production operations. Czajkowski most recently served as chief technology officer for Rebel Interac- tive Group in Southington, Conn. Through this and previous positions, he has gained extensive experi- ence working with international and national orga- nizations across diverse industries, from finance and insurance to automotive and aerospace. The oppor- tunity to integrate his various professional skills and interests is something that drew Czajkowski to the Market Mentors position.
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Bulkley Richardson announced that Mike Sweet
has joined the firm as a partner in the Business and Finance department. Sweet started his career at a Wall Street-based law firm and has been practicing in Springfield for the past 25 years. His practice focuses on representing businesses and the people that own and manage those businesses through all stages of their business cycle, as well as in their personal lives. “This is an exciting development for the firm and furthers our goals for continued growth and talent acquisition,” said Dan Finnegan, managing partner. “Mike has established longtime relationships with his clients and continues to achieve successful results for them. He has earned the reputation of a great lawyer, and we feel honored to have him on our team.”
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Vanessa Smith, senior vice president and chief legal offi- cer for Baystate Health, has been appointed to the Holy- oke Community College (HCC) board of trustees by Gov. Charlie Baker. The term will run until March 1, 2025. “I am passionate about educa- tion and its ability to empower,
inspire, break down barriers, and create pathways to
opportunity,” Smith said. “I am honored to begin my service as trustee during Holyoke Community Col- lege’s celebration of its 75th anniversary, and I look forward to helping shape its bright future.” Smith has worked for Baystate Health since 2016 as associate general counsel, vice president, chief general coun- sel, and now senior vice president and chief legal officer. Prior to that, she was a partner in the law firm Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP in Springfield. She has also worked as an assistant attorney general in the New York Attorney General’s Office in Syracuse and as a court attorney for the New York State Court of Appeals. She holds a law degree from Syracuse University College of Law and a bachelor’s degree in French from Wells College.
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Bulkley Richardson partners Michael Burke and
Mark Cress were named 2022 Lawyer of the Year
in their respective practice areas by Best Lawyers in partnership with U.S. News Media Group. Burke was recognized for his work in personal-injury litigation, and Cress was recognized for his work in corporate law. Burke and Cress have been named by Best Law- yers since 2001 and 2003, respectively. Lawyer of the Year rankings are awarded to one lawyer per practice area in each region, making it a distinguished acco- lade. Honorees receive this award based on their extremely high overall peer feedback within specific practice areas and metropolitan regions.
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Attorney Michael Cardarop- oli, a partner in the law firm Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan and Blakesley, has been appointed to serve on the board of direc- tors of Springfield Habitat for Humanity. “I’m proud of the opportunity to serve on the board of this incredible orga- nization,” he said. “We have
a rich history as a firm of charitable connections to the community. I had first-hand experience with
the Habitat for Humanity team as we worked on the SGT Sullivan house, and I am so pleased to now be a part of their ongoing efforts.” Twelve staff members from Pellegrini Seeley, Ryan and Blakesley donated
a total of nearly 100 man hours to kick off the Gun- nery Sgt. Thomas J. Sullivan project on the first build day in 2018. The firm also contributed $2,500 to the effort. “As a firm, we are committed each day to help make the lives better for the residents of Springfield,” Cardaropoli said.
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Bacon Wilson announced that eight of the firm’s
attorneys have been named to Best Lawyers in America 2022. Kenneth Albano, the firm’s manag- ing partner, was recognized in Best Lawyers for busi- ness organizations, including LLCs and partnerships; Michael Katz for bankruptcy and reorganization; Stephen Krevalin for family law; Hyman Darling
for elder law; Gary Breton for banking/finance law and business organizations; Gina Barry for elder law; Mark Tanner for real-estate litigation; and Peter MacConnell for real-estate law. In addition, Mac- Connell was named 2022 Lawyer of the Year for real- estate law in Springfield, a designation presented to a single outstanding lawyer in each practice area for each region. Bacon Wilson, P.C. is one of the largest Pioneer Valley firms, with 43 attorneys and approxi- mately 80 paralegals, administrative assistants, and support staff. The firm has five locations, in Spring- field, Amherst, Hadley, Northampton, and Westfield. First published in 1983, Best Lawyers is regarded as one of the definitive guides to legal excellence. There is no opportunity to pay for a listing; rather, lists are based entirely on peer review.
BRYAN CZAJKOWSKI
MICHAEL CARDAROPOLI
MARY CATE MANNION
VANESSA SMITH
DEPARTMENTS
SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 75
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