Page 26 - BusinessWest September 28, 2020

2020
40 Under Forty Winners:
Amy Rediker Anderlonis Amanda Babinski Ryan Barry Marco Basile Conor Bevan
Julio Carrasquillo III Danny Deane Brian Fournier Sarah Goff Brendan Greeley Jacquelyn Guzie Paul Hake Kristina Healey Shannon Hicks
Dan Holmes Melissa Knowles Benjamin Lamb Jacob Lauzier Karen Ruiz León Peter Leonczyk Dave Lipke Andrea Luttrell William Lynch Andrew Mankus Andrew McConaha Katie Manzi McDonough Ronald Molina-Brantley Modesto Montero Tom Naro
Kelly Partridge Aisha Pizarro
Lee Pouliot
Kyle Rodrigues Evan Ross Amanda Sbriscia Saba Shahid Melissa Sippel Lenny Underwood Kimberly Williams Marcus Williams
Celebrating the Class of 2020
‘The class of 2020.’
That phrase will forever have special mean-
ing at colleges, high schools, and even grammar
schools across this country. Indeed, 2020 has been a different year in every way imaginable.
And the same is true of Busi-
nessWest’s 40 Under Forty class
of rising stars. When the judges
introduced below received
their six-inch-thick packets of
nominations — which detailed
the credentials of more than
200 candidates — in February,
COVID-19 hadn’t yet arrived in
Western Mass. By the time the scores were tabulated and the winners were sent their letters of congratulations, the world had changed in a profound way.
These changes are reflected in this special edition of Busi- nessWest, a reintroduction of the class of 2020, if you will. And also in the gala to celebrate this year’s class. Traditionally held in late June, it will now be staged Oct. 7 and 8 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke, and it will be a hybrid event, with the honorees and sponsors present, and
Our Judges
AMYCHAL CONNOLLY JOSE DELGADO CLAUDIA PAZMANY PAYTON SHUBRICK DONNA YETTER
guests taking in the proceedings remotely.
As for this section, which first ran in May, the biggest dif-
ference is the photographs. In past years, they were taken in the studio of photographer Leah Martin. With social-distanc- ing guidelines in place and non-essential businesses (like
photo studios) closed, that wasn’t possible.
So we improvised. Many mem- bers of the class of 2020 took their own photos, while Martin took to the road and photographed several honorees on their front porches and in their backyards — from a safe distance. Collectively, these
photos speak not only to how different these times are, but to how people have used their imaginations and creativity to cope.
Overall, while the class of 2020 has had, and will continue to have, a different experience than those who preceded it,
it is like those other classes in how it reflects the high levels of young talent now emerging in this region. And it paints an impressive picture of leadership for decades to come.
Let’s celebrate the class of 2020!
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SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
BusinessWest
member of the 40 Under Forty class of 2014, his community roles into open workspaces throughout the Forty class of 2011, Mychal have included vice chairman of the home office. She has also worked on Connolly currently serves as Springfield Puerto Rican Parade Com- multi-generational relationships, sup-
chapter chairman of SCORE Western mittee, a board member of the Young porting understanding between senior
Massachusetts, a nonprofit that gives free mentoring to people looking to start, grow, or exit a business. He is the author of the book Launch and Stand Out, a guide to starting and growing a business with creative marketing and branding, and an accompanying podcast. In addition, he leads Hundred Grand Plan, a group that works with entrepreneurs and business owners looking to earn their first $100,000. He was named one of America’s Top 100 Urban Entrepreneurs and is also a 100 Men of Color honoree for his work in the community.
As director of Government Affairs at MGM Springfield, Jose Delgado man- ages relationships with state and local elected and administrative officials, represents MGM’s legislative agenda in Massachusetts, and builds and main- tains relations with host communities and community stakeholders. Prior to that, he was a pre-admissions adviser and recruitment coordinator for the University Without Walls at UMass Amherst. A member of the 40 Under
Professional Society of Greater Spring- field, and a founding member of Suit Up Springfield.
As executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, Claudia Pazmany blends business-develop- ment skills with deep experience in capital campaigns, philanthropy, com- munity engagement, social media,
and alumni. She is also the advisory board president of CHD’s Big Broth-
ers Big Sisters of Hampshire County and has served as president of Friends of Amherst Recreation. Pazmany has served on many search committees and been a judge for the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship at UMass Amherst, and is currently working to support Greenfield Community Col- lege’s workforce-development initiative, serving on its Future of Work advisory committee.
Payton Shubrick, a 40 Under Forty honoree in 2019, is a home office technology strategist at MassMutual, where she has focused on fostering an innovative culture with the creation of ideation spaces that have evolved
and millennial employees. Addition- ally, she serves on the company’s diver- sity, inclusion, and equity committee, focused on the notion of ‘belonging’
for all employees. She most recently launched an adult-use marijuana estab- lishment, 6 Brick’s LLC, and consults with Smallify, an innovation capacity- building firm.
Donna Yetter is a principal in Com- mercial Services at Melanson Heath,
a certified public accounting firm in Greenfield. For more than 30 years, she has been a trusted accounting and tax advisor, working closely with clients
in need of tax-planning and personal and business tax-preparation services. A member of the American Institute
of Certified Public Accountants and
the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, she also has exten- sive experience as a certified estate
and trust specialist, which allows her
to expand her range of services and partner with law firms and investment advisors who do not have full-time staff dedicated to this specialized area. u