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People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff January 26, 2016

Baystate Health recently announced changes and consolidations in leadership positions in its Eastern Region:
• Effective Jan. 29, Michael Moran will become the interim president and chief administrative officer for the Baystate Health Eastern Region. Moran has been at Baystate Health for 14 years and currently serves as the organization’s Vice President for Clinical, Facilities and Guest Services. Moran’s new role combines the responsibilities of two current positions in the region, the president and the chief operating officer;
• The region’s current president, Dr. Charles Cavagnaro III, will depart Baystate Health to pursue other opportunities. Before joining Baystate Health, Cavagnaro served as president and CEO of Wing Memorial Hospital and Medical Centers for 15 years;
• The region’s current chief operating officer, Dr. M. Shafeeq Ahmed, will return to practicing medicine full-time at Baystate Health. Ahmed has been a physician-leader at Baystate Health since 2003;
• Dr. David McGuire will become the region’s chief medical officer.
“Our goal, in considering these changes, is to ensure that our Eastern Region can successfully deliver care that matters to the community in a responsible and sustainable way,” said Nancy Shendell-Falik, Senior Vice President of Hospital Operations for Baystate Health. “To survive and thrive in the contemporary world of healthcare, we continue to make changes that ensure long-term stabilization, system integration, and a consistent model for delivering quality, safety, patient experience, and value.”
Added Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, “Drs. Cavagnaro and Ahmed have made major contributions to the integration of Wing into Baystate Health and to our organization as a whole. We thank them for their leadership, and we wish them the very best.” Three other management positions in the region are being eliminated and their work consolidated into other positions. At Baystate Health, Moran has been responsible for a broad spectrum of services including cancer, behavioral health, neurosciences and rehabilitation, food and nutrition, facilities, and more. Moran is known for building high-performing teams, fostering engagement, and serving as executive leader for Baystate Medical Center’s complex heart and vascular and emergency-room expansion projects. He led the building of the orthopedic surgery and cancer centers in Springfield and the surgical center under construction at Baystate Franklin Medical Center. He has co-led the health system’s largest and most complex Lean project, which saved more than $5 million and improved patient flow at Baystate Medical Center.

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PeoplesBank has announced the promotions and appointments of four associates:

Brian Canina

• Brian Canina has been promoted to senior vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer. He possesses more than 16 years of financial experience and first joined PeoplesBank in 2009. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Bryant College and is a certified public accountant. He is also a graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking and is a recipient of the Wharton Leadership Certificate. Canina is president of the Finance and Accounting Society of New England and an officer of the Financial Managers Society, Boston Chapter. He serves on the boards of directors for the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and the Children’s Study Home;

Stacy Sutton

• Stacy Sutton has been promoted to senior vice president, retail administration. Boasting more than two decades of banking experience, she joined the bank in 1992 and previously served as first vice president, retail administration. She holds an associate degree in accounting from Springfield Technical Community College and is a graduate of the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. School for Financial Studies. She serves on the board of directors for Springfield Partners;

Joseph Zazzaro

• Joseph Zazzaro has been promoted to senior vice president and chief information officer. He possesses more than three decades of information technology experience with a focus in financial services. He joined the bank in 2006 and previously served as first vice president, information technology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in information systems from the University of Phoenix and an associate degree in management information systems from Holyoke Community College. He also is a graduate of the New England School of Financial Studies. Zazzaro was a 14-year member of the Greater Westfield Boys and Girls Club board of directors and continues to volunteer to provide technical support for the club. He has also volunteered his technical and leadership skills at other local organizations, such as the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, the United Way, the Red Cross, and the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club; and

Russell Fontaine

• Russell Fontaine has been promoted to first vice president, retail sales. Boasting more than a decade of financial experience, he first joined the bank in 2009 and previously served as vice president, sales and service manager. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University and a certificate from the Wharton School of Business Leadership at the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking. He serves on the board of the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity.

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John Dowd Jr

The Dowd Insurance Agencies announced that John Dowd Jr., president and CEO of the Dowd Insurance Agencies, was selected to serve on the board of directors for the Massachusetts Assoc. of Insurance Agents (MAIA). Membership in the MAIA is open to independent, licensed insurance agencies doing business as individuals, partnerships, corporations, or other forms of business organizations in Massachusetts. With 1,300 agency members, MAIA is one of the largest state and regional associations of independent insurance agents in the country. The new board of directors began their term on Jan. 1. The board as a whole establishes positions on various industry issues and advocates for the agency community before government bodies. Individual members of the board of directors are the official representatives of the MAIA members in their geographical areas. “The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents has a long track record for consistent support for the insurance-agency community,” Dowd said. “I am very pleased to serve among this group of dedicated insurance professionals.” A 1980 graduate of St. Michael’s College, Dowd is an accredited advisor in insurance (AAI) and a licensed insurance advisor (LIA). He began his career as an underwriter for the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. and joined Dowd Insurance Agency in 1982.

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L. Alexandra Hogan

Local law firm, Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. announced that attorney L. Alexandra Hogan was selected to serve on the emerging insolvency professionals subcommittee of the American Bankruptcy Institute. “Alex has quickly become a rising star in our bankruptcy department. She is dedicated and is already helping other professionals establish themselves in the insolvency field,” said attorney Steve Weiss, supervisor of the firm’s bankruptcy division. As a new member of the emerging insolvency professionals subcommittee, Hogan will help bankruptcy professionals find different avenues to network and develop as experts. The mission of this new subcommittee is to create a forum for developing leaders to exchange ideas to better aid clients and further cultivate the insolvency field. Hogan graduated in 2008 with cum laude honors from Western New England University School of Law, where she was also appointed assistant editor and became a published author of the Western New England Law Review. She graduated from Bay Path University with summa cum laude honors in 1996. She has been selected by Super Lawyers to the Rising Stars list and as a Top Women Attorney (2011-15). Hogan concentrates her practice primarily in business, litigation, and bankruptcy law. She has an extensive bankruptcy practice that includes both debtor and creditor representation in individual and business cases, including Chapter 7 and Chapter 11. Additionally, she acts as counsel to Chapter 7 trustee Steven Weiss in bankruptcy litigation advanced in adversary proceedings. “I am honored to be a member of this new committee,” Hogan said. “It is very important for developing professionals to find ways to network with insolvency experts and to discuss emerging trends in the bankruptcy field.”

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Richard Venne, president and CEO of Community Enterprises Inc., announced the election of new officers to one-year terms at the recent board of directors meeting. Elected to officer positions for one-year terms are William Donohue, Chair, Children and Family Law, Springfield; Donald Miner, Vice Chair, Loomis Communities, South Hadley; Joanne Carlisle, Clerk/Secretary, Stop & Shop Inc., Springfield; and Brittney Kelleher, Treasurer, Westfield Bank, Springfield. Deborah Omasta-Mokrzecki, Amherst College, was elected as a new member for a three-year term. Existing members elected to additional three-year terms include Donohue; Carlisle; Miner; Mary Beth Davidson, Travelers, Hartford, Conn.; Kate LaMay-Miller, Multi-Media Impact, Hadley; and Albert Lognin, HARC, Hartford, Conn. Community Enterprises is a human-service organization that provides employment, education, housing supports, and day supports for people with disabilities. It is headquartered in Northampton and maintains 27 service locations throughout the U.S.

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Lou Mayo has been installed as president of the 1,700-member Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley. Mayo, a Realtor since 1997, is the office manager with Real Living Realty Professionals, LLC in Wilbraham. As president, he will oversee the association’s activities and operations, including meetings of the board of directors, and act as a liaison to the association’s various committees. He is the official spokesperson of the association on issues related to the real-estate industry and the regional housing market. The other 2016 officers are Richard Sawicki Jr., president-elect; Edward Alford, treasurer; Susan Drumm, secretary; and Dawn Henry, immediate past president. Directors include Elias Acuna, Kelly Bowman, Shawn Bowman, Suzi Buzzee, Janise Fitzpatrick, Raymond Hoess-Brooks, Susan Rheaume, and Russell Sabadosa.

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff September 15, 2021

People on the Move

Dr. Lynnette Watkins

Dr. Lynnette Watkins, an ophthalmologist and healthcare administrator and leader, has been named president and CEO of Cooley Dickinson Health Care. Currently the group chief medical officer for the Baptist Health System/Tenet Healthcare – Texas Group, she will begin her new role at Cooley Dickinson on Sept. 27. Since joining Baptist Health System/Tenet Healthcare in 2017, she has been a member of a team that has provided executive oversight for the multi-hospital system that stretches across the state, with more than 3,600 beds and $3.45 billion in patient revenue. She also has significant leadership experience in community-hospital settings. In addition, Watkins has ties to Massachusetts and the Mass General Brigham system, having completed her residency at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, where she began her clinical career in ophthalmology and oculoplastic surgery and served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. Before joining the Baptist Health System, Watkins held the position of chief medical officer and chief operating officer at Paris Regional Medical Center in Paris, Texas. She has also served as chief medical officer in Tenet’s Abrazo Community Health Network in Arizona. Her career as a healthcare executive began in Mishawaka, Ind., where she was vice president and chief medical officer for the Saint Joseph Health System/Trinity Health. Watkins earned her undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and completed her internship in internal medicine at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City before coming to Boston in 1995 as a resident in ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear. After residency, she completed a fellowship in oculoplastic surgery at the University of Iowa, then returned to Massachusetts Eye and Ear, where from 1999 to 2004 she directed the emergency ophthalmology service and walk-in clinic and was an attending physician in the Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery Service.

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Brian Rucki

Amanda Carpe

Bacon Wilson announced that Brian Rucki and Amanda Carpe have joined the firm as associate attorneys. Rucki is a member of the real-estate team, and Carpe has joined the probate and estate-planning department. Prior to joining Bacon Wilson, Rucki spent five years practicing law in Westfield, where he worked on all aspects of real-estate transactions including purchases, sales, refinances, and title work, as well as estate-planning matters. Previously, he also served as a clerk in the solicitor’s office for the town of Agawam, where his work focused on municipal law. He attended Western New England University School of Law, earning his juris doctor laude in 2016. He earned a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst in 2013. Carpe comes to Bacon Wilson with five years of experience in estate planning, estate administration, guardianship, conservatorship, and residential real estate. She previously practiced in Ludlow and Worcester. In addition to her work in estates and probate, she clerked for the Hampden County Juvenile Court and interned with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, where her work focused on juvenile and child-welfare law. She earned her juris doctor in 2016 from Western New England University School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree from Wilkes University in 2013.

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Joseph Deady

Kaitlyn Malin

North Brookfield Savings Bank announced the promotions of Joseph Deady and Kaitlyn Malin within the Operations department. Deady has been promoted to Digital Services manager/fraud analyst. He will be responsible for ensuring the bank is using all possible digital products to align with its strategic goals and the needs of our customers, while overseeing account fraud. He joined the bank as a teller in 2011 and has held various roles, including supervisor and management roles and finally fraud analyst in the Operations department in 2015. Most recently, he held the title of Operations specialist and fraud analyst, handling debit-card fraud claims and account compromises and processing and reviewing international wires. Deady has more than 10 years of professional banking experience and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He is also ACH-certified. He supports his local communities by volunteering his time and attending fundraising events for local, community-focused organizations like Camp Putnam in New Braintree. Malin has been promoted to Operations specialist. She holds an associate degree from Mount Wachusett Community College. She previously held the position of Operations customer service representative, where she was tasked with answering customer calls and connecting customers and non-customers with appropriate staff to assist them. She also was responsible for reviewing all daily Operations reports. Before coming to the bank in November 2020, she worked as a teller at Athol Savings Bank. In her three years, there she assisted customers with transactions, concerns, and other inquiries. In her new role, Malin will be responsible for reviewing reports to mitigate fraud and risk for both the bank and customers as well as servicing customers’ online banking needs and completing account modifications such as travel notifications.

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J. Williar Dunleavy, chairman of Berkshire Bank and its parent company, will retire in September, the bank announced. He will be succeeded on the board of both the bank and Berkshire Hills Bancorp by David Brunelle, currently vice chairman. Brunelle is co-founder of Northe Pointe Wealth Management in Worcester. He has been on the board since 2017. Dunleavy took over as chair of the board in late 2019, when Bill Ryan, formerly the chief exective of Banknorth, gave up the position for health reasons.

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Joseph DaSilva

Richard Glejzer

Jeannette Smith

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) recently welcomed three new vice presidents to its executive team: Joseph DaSilva, vice president of Administration and Finance; Richard Glejzer, vice president of Academic Affairs; and Jeannette Smith, vice president of Student Affairs. DaSilva has worked in public higher education for more than 28 years, the last 21 at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). During his tenure as vice president of Administration and chief financial officer, he provided executive-level vision, leadership, planning, and direction, and managed all aspects of fiscal operations, facilities management, Campus Police, Information Technology, Student Financial Services, and Human Resources/Employee Benefits and Operations Center. Glejzer was most recently the interim dean of Graduate Studies at Muhlenberg College, and previously served as provost and dean of Faculty at Marlboro College for 10 years. Prior to joining Marlboro, he served as professor and chair of English at North Central College and as chair of the college’s academic programs and policy committee. Among his other institutional duties, he served on the college’s steering committee and the dean’s academic advisory committee. He was a faculty liaison to the board of trustees. Earlier in his career at North Central, Glejzer revised the composition program as the director of Writing. Smith is a scholar-practitioner with 16 years of work experience in higher education, having worked most recently as the associate dean of Student Affairs and Engagement at Evergreen State College. She was previously employed at Truckee Meadows Community College, the University of Nevada Reno, and Elmhurst College. Her practice areas of experience include student unions, residence life and dining, academic advising, financial aid, shared governance, and student employment. Her scholarship areas of interests include policy, equity, financial aid, and student development.

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Sam Einzig

UMassFive College Federal Credit Union recently introduced Sam Einzig as the newest member of UMassFive’s Retirement Planning and Investments team available through CUSO Financial Services, L.P. He supports the credit union’s team of CFS financial advisors by scheduling appointments, sending appointment reminders, and helping with advisor administrative duties and service work. As an advisor assistant, he is also now the primary contact for current and prospective clients looking to work with the credit union’s trio of financial advisors. Einzig has worked at UMassFive as a member service specialist since September 2018, prior to taking on his latest role with the Retirement Planning and Investments team. He is licensed as a producer of life insurance and accident and health or sickness insurance in Massachusetts, and is currently pursuing his FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities licenses. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, where course studies in music business and taxation in the music industry kindled his interest in the financial world, as well as helping people.

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Country Bank announced several recent staff promotions. Julie Yi has been promoted to senior vice president, controller and Operations. She has extensive experience in finance and operations and serves on Country Bank’s senior management team. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and is a certified public 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 associate degree in health science from Bay Path University 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 Springfield Technical Community College. Newly appointed officers include Sam Pursey, Erin Skoczylas, 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 University, an associate degree in business administration from Springfield Technical Community College, and is a graduate of the New England School for Financial 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 Analysis: Intro to Commercial Lending, and is currently enrolled in the New England School for Financial Studies.

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Mary Cate Mannion

Garvey Communication Associates 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 Broadcasters 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 Oliver 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 competitive 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 Marketing at CUE Inc., a membership and professional-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 professional learning events. She received her master’s degree in organizational communications from Central Connecticut State University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Southern Connecticut State University. An active member of a number of international associations, Maskalik’s professional affiliations include the American Marketing Assoc., the Public Relations Society of America, and the European 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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Bryan Czajkowski

Market Mentors, a marketing, advertising, and public-relations 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 agency’s web, design, video, and production operations. Czajkowski most recently served as chief technology officer for Rebel Interactive Group in Southington, Conn. Through this and previous positions, he has gained extensive experience working with international and national organizations across diverse industries, from finance and insurance to automotive and aerospace. The opportunity 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

Vanessa Smith, senior vice president and chief legal officer for Baystate Health, has been appointed to the Holyoke Community College (HCC) board of trustees by Gov. Charlie Baker. The term will run until March 1, 2025. “I am passionate about education 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 College’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 counsel, 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 Lawyers 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 accolade. Honorees receive this award based on their extremely high overall peer feedback within specific practice areas and metropolitan regions.

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Michael Cardaropoli

Attorney Michael Cardaropoli, a partner in the law firm Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan and Blakesley, has been appointed to serve on the board of directors of Springfield Habitat for Humanity. “I’m proud of the opportunity to serve on the board of this incredible organization,” 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 Gunnery 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 managing partner, was recognized in Best Lawyers for business 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, MacConnell 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 approximately 80 paralegals, administrative assistants, and support staff. The firm has five locations, in Springfield, 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.

Carol Leary, President of Bay Path University

By BusinessWest Staff January 26, 2016

Class of 2016 Difference Makers

This Inspirational Leader Isn’t in the Community; She’s of the Community

Carol Leary, President of Bay Path University
Leah Martin Photography

Carol Leary says the executive search firms, the headhunters, don’t call very often any more. In fact, she can’t remember the last time one of them did.

She still gets e-mails gauging her interest in various positions, but they’re almost always of that variety that goes out to hundreds, if not thousands, of people. “Are you interested in, or would you care to nominate someone for, the job of president of ‘fill-in-blank college’” is how they usually start.

But not so long ago, Leary, who took the helm at Bay Path University in Longmeadow in late 1994, was getting calls all the time, most of them related to attractive opportunities within the broad realm of higher education. She declined to get into specifics, but said one of them was “very, very flattering.”

Still, it met with the same response as all the others — no response.

When asked why, Leary offered an answer that went on for some time. Paraphrasing that response, she said she was in a job — and in a community — that she was very committed to. And she had, and still has, no intention of leaving either one.

“Noel and I are not dazzled by big or prestigious; we’re dazzled by mission, vision, and making an impact,” said Leary, referring to her husband of 43 years. “We really love this community. We think you can make an impact here; you can make a difference.”
And the evidence that she has done just that is everywhere.

It is in every corner of the Longmeadow campus, starting with the brick sign at the front gate, which declares that this nearly 120-year-old institution, once known as a junior college, is now a university.

Carol Leary is where she always is — the middle of things — after a recent Bay Path commencement exercise.

It also exists in the many other communities where Bay Path now has a presence, including Springfield, where the school located its American Women’s College Online in a downtown office tower in 2013, and East Longmeadow, where it opened the $13.7 million Phillip H. Ryan Health Science Center a year ago.

It’s also on the recently unveiled plaque at the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts at the Quadrangle, the one that reads ‘The Carol and Noel Leary Gallery of Impressionist Art’ in recognition of their $300,000 contribution to that institution, which Noel has served as a board member for many years.

And, in a way, it’s in virtually every business and nonprofit in the region — or, to be more specific, any organization that has sent employees to the Women’s Professional Development Conference, which Leary initiated amid considerable skepticism (even at Bay Path) soon after her arrival.

When the conference was first conceptualized, organizers were hoping to draw 400 people; 800 turned out that first year. Today, the event attracts more than 2,000 attendees annually, and over the years it has welcomed keynoters ranging from Margaret Thatcher to Barbara Walters to Maya Angelou.

But Leary is best known for the turnaround story she is very much still writing at Bay Path, a school that was struggling and suffering from declining enrollment when she arrived.

Over the past two decades, she has led efforts that have taken that enrollment from just under 500 to more than 3,000 when all campuses and all programs, including online offerings, are considered. When she arrived, the school offered 14 associate degrees and three baccalaureate degrees; now, it offers 62 baccalaureate degrees and 20 graduate and post-graduate degrees.

In 2015, for the second year in row, the Chronicle of Higher Education included Bay Path on its list of the fastest-growing baccalaureate colleges in the country, and just a few months ago, Leary and Bay Path were ranked 25th in the 2015 ‘Top-100 Women-led Businesses in Massachusetts’ compilation sponsored by the Boston Globe and the Commonwealth Institute.

The sign at the main entrance explains just how far Bay Path has come under Carol Leary’s stewardship.

Such growth and acclaim didn’t come overnight or very easily, said Leary, who attributed the school’s success to vision, assembling a focused, driven team (much more on that later), and a responsive boards of trustees — all of which have facilitated effective execution of a number of strategic plans.

“Let’s see … there was Vision 2001, and 2006, and 2011, which we had to redo halfway through because of the crash, so there was 2013, and Vision 2016, which ends in June, and then we just launched Vision 2019,” she said, adding that she would like to be around for its end.

“I’ll do it only as long as my board wants me and the faculty and staff feel I can be effective as their leader,” she explained. “And as long as I can get up every day and say ‘wow, it’s great to go to work today.’”

She’s said that since day one, and it’s an attitude that only begins to explain why she’s a Difference Maker.

Making a Course Change

Leary told BusinessWest that, with few exceptions, all of them recently and schedule-related, she has interviewed the finalists for every position on campus, from provost to security guard, since the day she arrived on campus, succeeding Jeanette Wright, who passed away months earlier.

And there’s one question she asks everyone.

She wouldn’t divulge it (on the record, anyway) — “if I did, then someone might read this, and then they’d be prepared to answer it if they ever applied here” — but did say that it revealed something important about the individual sitting across the table.

“To me, that’s the most important part of any CEO’s job — the hiring of the individuals who will be working in the organization,” she explained. “Beyond the résumé and the skill set, I dig a little deeper. And my question tells me what that person cares about; it tells me what motivates them.”

The practice of interviewing every job finalist — but not her specific question of choice — was something Leary took with her from Simmons College, where she spent several years in various positions, including vice president for Administration and assistant to the president, the twin titles she held at the end of her tenure.

But that’s not all she borrowed from that Boston-based institution. Indeed, the Women’s Conference was based on an event Simmons started years earlier, and Leary has also patterned Bay Path’s growth formula on Simmons’ hard focus on diversity when it comes to degree programs.

She applied those lessons and others while undertaking a turnaround initiative at Bay Path that almost never happened — because Leary almost didn’t apply.

“I sent in my letter of interest and résumé on the last day applications were due,” she told BusinessWest, adding that she was encouraged to apply by others who thought she was ready and able to become president of a college — especially this one — but very much needed to be talked into doing so.

“I was nominated for this job — I wasn’t even looking for a presidency,” she went on, adding that, while she had her doctorate and “six years in the trenches,” as she called it, she wasn’t sure she was ready to lead a college. “I loved Simmons, I loved my job, I loved the mission, and I loved working in Boston; it was great.”

It was with all that love as a backdrop that she and Noel, while returning to Boston from a vacation in Niagara Falls that August, decided to swing through the Bay Path campus to get a look at and perhaps a feel for the institution. Suffice it to say they liked what they saw, heard, and could envision.

Indeed, what the two eventually found beyond the idyllic campus located in the heart of an affluent Springfield suburb was a college that possessed what Leary described using that time-honored phrase “good bones.”

And by that, she meant that it still had a sound reputation — years earlier, it was regarded as one of the top secretarial schools in the Northeast, if not the country — and, perhaps more importantly, a solid financial foundation upon which things could be built.

“I knew that Bay Path had been challenged with a decrease in its enrollment over several years,” she recalled. “But all the presidents had kept the institution financially strong; they kept deferred maintenance down, and the endowment was healthy for such a small school of 500 students. I looked at their programs, and I saw the challenges they were facing. But I looked at the balance sheet, and we both said, ‘we can see ourselves here; this has incredible potential as a women’s college.’”

When asked about those struggles with enrollment, Leary said they resulted in part from the fact that there was declining interest in women’s colleges, fueled in part by the fact that most every elite school in the country was by that time admitting women, giving them many more options. But it also stemmed from the fact that Bay Path simply wasn’t offering the products — meaning baccalaureate and graduate degrees — that women wanted, needed, and were going elsewhere to get.

So she set about changing that equation.

But first, she needed to assemble a team; draft a strategic plan for repositioning the school; achieve buy-in from several constituencies, but especially the board of trustees; effectively execute the plan; and then continually amend it as need and demand for products grew.

Spoiler alert (not really; this story is well known): she and those she eventually hired succeeded with all of the above.

To make a long story short, the college soon began adding degree programs in a number of fields, while also expanding geographically with new campuses in Sturbridge and Burlington, and technologically. It’s been a turnaround defined by the terms vision, teamwork, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Milestones along the way include everything from the establishment of athletics (there are eight varsity sports now) to the first graduate-degree program (Communications and Information Management), launched in 2000, a year ahead of schedule; from the introduction of the innovative One-Day-a-Week Saturday College to those new campuses; from the launching of the American Women’s Online College to the school’s being granted status as a university in 2014.

Add it all up, and Leary and her staff have accomplished the mission she set when she arrived — to make Bay Path a destination.

That’s a great story, but the better one — and the reason why all those executive search firms were calling her — is the manner in which all this was accomplished.

Study in Relationship Building

And maybe no one can explain this better than Caron Hoban.

She didn’t work directly with Leary at Simmons — they were assigned to different campuses but served together on a few committees — but certainly knew of her. And when Leary went to Bay Path, Hoban decided to follow just a few months later.

“I knew her a little bit, and I was looking to make my next move just as she had been made president at Bay Path; they had a position open, and I applied for it,” said Hoban, who now holds the position of chief strategic officer.

When asked to summarize what Leary has accomplished at the school and attempt to put it all in perspective, Hoban obliged. But is doing so, she focused much more on how Leary orchestrated such a turnaround and, perhaps even more importantly, why.

And as she articulated these points, Hoban identified what she and others consider Leary’s greatest strengths — listening and forging partnerships.

“One of her greatest gifts is relationship building,” Hoban explained. “So when she came to Bay Path and the Greater Springfield area 21 years ago, she really committed to not just learning more about the college, but really understanding the whole region. She met with hundreds and hundreds of people and just listened.

“At my first meeting with her, she said, ‘what I’ve really been trying to do in my early days is listen to people and understand what the college needs and what the region needs,’” Hoban went on, adding that from this came the decision to create a women’s professional conference modeled on the one at Simmons, and a commitment to add graduate programs in several areas of study.

“She knew that the way to grow the campus and move from 500 students, which is what we had when she arrived, to the 3,000 we have now is by adding master’s-degree programs,” Hoban went on. “And these came about by her going out and listening to what the workforce needs were in the community.”

But Hoban said Leary’s listening and relationship-building talents extended to the campus community, the people she hired, and her own instincts, and this greatly facilitated what was, in every aspect of the word, a turnaround that was critical to the school’s very survival.

In 2007, President Leary welcomed poet, author, and civil-rights activist Maya Angelou to the Women’s Leadership Conference.

Indeed, in 1996, Leary recalled, she essentially asked the board for permission to spend $10 million of the $14 million the school had in the bank at the time over the next several years to hire faculty, add programs, and, in essence, take the school to the next level.

“I remember the conversations that were had around the table, and there was one member of the board, the chair of the academic committee, who said, ‘if we don’t do this, there might not be a future for Bay Path,’” she recalled. “I recommended that we make that investment — it had athletics in it, the Women’s Leadership Conference, and much more; that was Vision 2001.”

As it turned out, she didn’t have to spend all the money she asked for, because those degree programs added early on were so successful that revenues increased tremendously, to the point where the school didn’t have to take money out of the bank.

Looking back on what’s transpired at Bay Path, and also at the dynamics of administration in higher education, Leary said turning around a college as she and her team did is like turning around an aircraft carrier; in neither case does it happen quickly or easily.

In fact, she said it takes at least a full decade to blueprint and effectively execute a turnaround strategy, and that’s why relatively few colleges fully succeed with such initiatives — the president or chancellor doesn’t stay long enough to see the project to completion. And, inevitably, new leadership will in some ways alter the course and speed of a plan, if not create their own.

But Leary has given Bay Path not one decade, but two, and she’s needed all of that time to put the school on such lists as the Chronicle of Higher Education’s compilation of fastest-growing schools.

In keeping with her personality, Leary recoils when a question is asked with a tone focusing on what she has done. Indeed, she attributes the school’s progression to hiring the right people and then simply providing them with the tools and environment needed to flourish.

“I got up every day and knew I had to hire the best possible staff, people who believed in the mission,” she recalled. “And when people ask why Bay Path has been so successful, I say it’s because I hired the right people at the right time, and they just threw themselves into their jobs.”

While giving considerable credit to those she’s interviewed and hired over the years, Leary saved some for Noel and his willingness to share what she called “an equal-opportunity marriage.”

Elaborating, she said she agreed to uproot and follow him to Washington, D.C. and a job in commercial real estate there decades ago, and he more than reciprocated by first following her to Boston as she took a job at Simmons, then making another major adjustment — trying to serve his clients in the Hub from 100 miles away — when she came to Bay Path. He did that for more than a decade before retiring and taking on the role of supporting her various efforts.

“Noel has been a tremendous, tremendous support to me,” she explained. “He basically said, ‘this is an important job, I love what you’re doing, and I enjoy being a part of it.’”

And she implied that what he meant by ‘it’ was not simply her work at the campus on Longmeadow Street, but her efforts well outside it. They are so numerous and impactful that Hoban chose to say that Leary isn’t in the community, “she’s of the community.”

And perhaps the best example of that has been the women’s conference and how the region’s business community has embraced it.

Learning Curves

Dena Hall says it’s a good problem to have. Well … sort of.

There are more people at United Bank, which Hall serves as regional president, who want to go to the conference than the institution can effectively send.

Far more.

And that has led to some hand-wringing among those administrators (like Hall) whose job descriptions now include deciding who gets to go each spring and who doesn’t.

“We’ve gotten to the point where we have too many who want to go — we just can’t accommodate everyone, because we can’t have 50 current or emerging leaders out of the company at one time,” she explained. “So we’ve put it on each of our managers to identify one or two women in their business line who they believe should attend the conference and who will really benefit from what they see and hear.”

But these hard decisions comprise the only thing Hall doesn’t like about the women’s conference, except maybe finding a parking space that morning. That, too, has become a challenge, but, for the region as a whole, also a great problem to have.

Because that means that 2,000 women — and some men as well — are not only hearing the keynoters such as Walters, Angelou, and others, but networking and learning through a host of seminars and breakout sessions.

“You always learn something,” said Hall, who has been attending the conference for more than a dozen years. “Last year, I participated in the time-management workshop, and it changed the entire way I look at my schedule from Monday through Friday; the woman was fantastic.

“And there’s tons of networking,” she went on. “We use the conference here as a coaching and development tool for the more junior women on our team. There’s a lot of value in it, and for us, the fact that it’s five minutes away makes it so much easier than sending someone to Boston or New Haven or anywhere else.”

The conference is a college initiative — indeed, its primary goal beyond the desire to help educate and empower women is to give the school valuable exposure — but it is also a community endeavor, and one of many examples of how Leary is of, not just in, the community.

Others include everything from her service to the Colony Club — she was the first woman to chair its board — to her time on the boards of the Community Foundation, the Beveridge Foundation, WGBY, and United Bank, among others. She was also the honorary chair of Habitat for Humanity’s All Women build project in 2009.

And then, there was the support she and Noel gave to the museums and the current capital campaign called “Seuss & Springfield: Building a Better Quandrangle,” a gift that Springfield Museums President Kay Simpson described as not only generous, but a model to others who thought they might not be able to afford such philanthropy.

“One of the motivating factors for Carol and Noel,” she noted, “is that they wanted to demonstrate that, even if you don’t think you can make a substantial gift, with planning, you can do it.”

Leary said planning began years ago, and was inspired by a desire to preserve and expand a treasure that many in this area simply don’t appreciate for its quality.

“We really believe in the museum — we absolutely adore it,” she said. “I said to my niece and nephew at the gala [where the gift was announced], ‘this is your inheritance; you might be in the will, but there isn’t going to be any money in it — it’s going right here, so you can bring your children and your children’s children here decades from now.’

“Noel told the audience that night, ‘we have some big birthdays coming up, but forget Tiffany’s; we’re giving it to the museums,’” she went on. “That’s how much we think of this region; there are so many gems, like the museums, the symphony, CityStage, and others that need support.”

From left, Donald D’Amour, Michele D’Amour, Carol Leary, and Noel Leary at the ceremony marking the naming of the Gallery of Impressionist Art.

And looking back on her time here, she said it has been her mission not only to be involved in the community herself, but to get the college immersed in it as well. She considers these efforts successful and cites examples of involvement ranging from Habitat for Humanity to Big Brothers Big Sisters; from Link to Libraries to the college’s sponsorship of the recent Springfield Public Forum and partnerships that brought speakers such as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and author Wes Moore.

“You can’t be an ivory tower,” she told BusinessWest. “We have to be part and parcel of the good, the bad, and the ugly of any community.”

As she talked about the importance of involvement in this community, Leary made it a point to talk about the region itself, which she has chosen to call home. She said it has attributes and selling points that are easier for people not from the 413 area code to appreciate.

And this is something she would like to see change.

“People underrate this area, and the negativity has to stop,” she said with twinges of anger and urgency in her voice. “The language and the perception has to start changing from all of us who have a voice; we have to talk more positively.”

A Class Act

When asked how long she intended to stay at the helm at Bay Path, Leary didn’t give anything approaching a specific answer other than a reference to wanting to see how Vision 2019 shakes out.

Instead, she conveyed the sentiment that was implied in all those non-responses to inquiries from executive search firms: she’s not at all ready to leave this job or this community.

As she said, one can have an impact here. One can make a difference.

Not everyone does so, but she has, and in a number of ways.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

By BusinessWest Staff September 28, 2009

Departments

Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield
(413) 787-1555 www.myonlinechamber.com

Oct. 2: Hampden/Wilbraham Golf Classic, hosted by the Country Club of Wilbraham. Registration at 10 a.m., lunch at 11 a.m., shotgun start at 12:00 noon. Tickets: $110 for golf entry, $440 for a golf foursome. Sponsorships available.

Oct. 7: ACCGS Breakfast, hosted by the Springfield Marriott, 7:15 to 9 a.m. Tickets: $20 for members, $30 for non-members.

Oct. 14: ACCGS After 5 Table Top Exhibit, hosted by the MassMutual Center in Springfield, 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets: $125 for members, $175 for non-members.

Oct. 15: West of the River Legislative Breakfast, hosted by Chez Josef in Agawam, 7:15 to 9 a.m. Guest speaker is Dolores Mitchell, executive director of the Group Insurance Commission. Tickets: $20 for members, $30 for non-members.

Oct. 23: Super 60, hosted by Chez Josef in Agawam, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tickets: $45 for members, $65 for non-members.

Oct. 27: West of the River Chamber of Commerce Board Meeting, hosted by Captain Charles Leonard House, 7:30 to 9 a.m.

Oct. 28: Executive Power Networking, hosted by TD Banknorth Conference Center,7:30 to 9 a.m. Tickets: $20 for members, $30 for non-members.

Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com

Oct. 4: Hike for Habitat, Mt. Tom, Holyoke, 10 a.m. Join the YPS team for the annual Hike for Habitat to benefit Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity. The hike features two courses: a leisurely, 90-minute hike, or a more difficult, three-hour route to the summit. To register, hikers must raise a minimum of $25 per person, due on the day of the hike. To join the YPS team, contact Maureen Picknally at [email protected] or Nicole Williamson at (413) 739-5503 or [email protected].

Oct. 15: Third Thursday, hosted by Hofbrauhaus restaurant in West Springfield.

Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com

Visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

Chicopee Chamber of Commerce
(413) 594-2101 www.chicopeechamber.org

Oct. 1: BusinessWest Speed Sales, hosted by the Bartley Center at Holyoke Community College, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Program Sponsors include the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C., Kittredge Center, HCC, Marcotte Ford, and First American Insurance Agency Inc. Cost: $350 for members, $450 for non-members.

Oct. 7: CheckPoint ’09, hosted by Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee, 12 noon to 2 p.m. Keynote speaker is Robert A. DeLeo, speaker of the state House of Representatives. Sponsors include Our Dentist, Future Works, Westmass Area Development Corp., and Health New England. Tickets: $30 for members, $35 for non-members; tables of 8: $200 for members, $240 for non-members.

Oct. 27: 12th Annual Table Top Meeting, hosted by Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Presented by South Hadley/Granby, Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, and Greater Westfield chambers of commerce. Exhibitor tables cost $90; reserve online at www.chicopeechamber.org or call (413) 594-2101. Admission; $5 for members, $10 non-members

Franklin County Chamber of Commerce (413) 773-5463
www.franklincc.org

Visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

Greater Easthampton Chamber Of Commerce (413) 527-9414
www.easthamptonchamber.org

Oct. 14: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange , hosted by Nini’s Ristorante, 124 Cottage St., Easthampton, 5 to 7 p.m. Sponsored by Greater Easthampton Jr. Miss Program. Event will include door prizes, hors d’ouevres, and a cash bar. Tickets: $5 for members, $15 for non-members.

Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce (413) 534-3376
www.holycham.com

Oct. 1: BusinessWest Speed Sales Business Event, hosted by the Bartley Center at Holyoke Community College, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Sponsored by BusinessWest, First American Insurance Agency Inc., Holyoke Community College, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C., Log Cabin and Delaney House, and Marcotte Ford.

Oct. 14: Fall Salute Breakfast, hosted by the Delaney House, Country Club Road, Holyoke, 7:45 a.m. Sponsored by Holyoke Medical Center. Tickets are $18. Tables reserved for parties of eight.

Oct. 21: Chamber After Hours, hosted by Holiday Inn, 245 Whiting Farms Road, Holyoke, 5 to 7 p.m. Sponsored by Yellowbook. Admission: $5 for members, $10 for non-members.

Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce (413) 584-1900
www.explorenorthampton.com

Oct. 7: Arrive@5 Open House at the Chamber, 5 to 7 p.m. Sponsored by Crocker Communications Inc., Innovative Business Systems Inc., and Pioneer Training. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for guests.

Oct. 8: Northampton Area Young Professionals Party with a Purpose, hosted by dani. fine photography in the Eastworks building in Easthampton, 5 to 8 p.m. Cost: free for members, $5 for guests.

Oct. 16: Chamber Information Session, Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, 12 noon to 1 p.m. Considering membership? Come to an information session.

Northampton Area Young Professionals
www.thenayp.com

Oct. 8: October’s Party with a Purpose, hosted by dani. fine photography in the Eastworks building in Easthampton.

Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce (413) 283-2418
www.qvcc.biz

Visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

South Hadley/Granby Chamber of Commerce (413) 532-6451
www.shchamber.com

Oct. 20: Beyond Business, hosted and sponsored by Olde Hadleigh House & Patio, 5 to 7 p.m. No guest speaker. Cost: $5 members, $10 for general public, who are welcome. RSVP at (413) 532 6451 by Oct. 16.

Oct. 27: 12th Annual Table Top Meeting, hosted by Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Presented by South Hadley/Granby, Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, and Greater Westfield chambers of commerce. Cost: $5. To reserve a table, call (413) 532-6451.

Three Rivers Chamber of Commerce (413) 283-6425
www.threeriverschamber.org

Visit the chamber online to learn more about upcoming events.

Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce (413) 568-1618
www.westfieldbiz.org

Oct. 9: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce Annual Fall Breakfast, hosted by the 104th Fighter Wing, Dining Hall, 175 Falcon Dr., Westfield. Guest speaker will be Rick Forgay, president of the Rich Forgay Leadership Institute. Sponsors include Noble Health Systems, Westfield Gas & Electric, NewAlliance Bank, FieldEddy Insurance, and the Carson Center for Human Services Inc. Cost: $20 for members, $25 for non-members. For reservations, call (413) 568-1618, e-mail [email protected] , or register at www.westfieldbiz.org . The deadline for reservations is Oct. 5.

Oct. 21: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce WestNet After Hours Networking, hosted by East Mountain Country Club, 1458 East Mountain Road, Westfield, sponsored by Sovereign Bank. Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For reservations, call (413) 568-1618, e-mail [email protected] , or register at www.westfieldbiz.org .

Oct. 27: 12th Annual Table Top Meeting, hosted by Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Presented by South Hadley/Granby, Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, and Greater Westfield chambers of commerce. Display tables cost $90 for members. For reservations, call (413) 568-1618, e-mail [email protected] , or register at www.westfieldbiz.org.

Xiaolei Hua

By BusinessWest Staff April 23, 2013

40 Under 40 The Class of 2013

Credit Analyst, PeoplesBank, age 28

Xiaolei Hua deals with two kinds of green on the job, and has found success with both.
Hua joined PeoplesBank right after graduating from UMass Amherst in 2006 and joined the Commercial Lending department in 2010. “I’ve really found my niche there,” he said. “I love it — every day is a new challenge; every loan is different.”
But money isn’t the only type of green he handles. In 2008, Hua founded the bank’s Environmental Committee, which seeks to instill environmentally friendly, sustainable practices into all areas of company operations, from internal recycling programs and an annual environmental fair to a carpool program and support of local farms through a weekly farmers market at the bank.
He’s also been involved in PeoplesBank’s efforts to provide capital to new-energy initiatives, including working with commercial lenders to analyze a $6.5 million deal to finance a local solar project.
“The renewable-energy field is extremely energizing. Most people don’t really understand it, and it’s just kind of taking off,” he said, crediting bank President Doug Bowen and the senior leadership team with supporting a culture of sustainability.
PeoplesBank is no stranger to 40 Under Forty, with two employees in the Class of 2013 joining several past alumni. In fact, Hua was nominated by no fewer than three former winners, including his wife, Kristen Pueschel Hua — whom he met through his work on the Environmental Committee — making the Huas the latest in a growing crop of spousal teams to accept the honor.
“While Xiaolei has been successful with his career path at PeoplesBank,” his wife wrote, “he has also been extremely dedicated to helping support new initiatives at the bank that have gone on to benefit not only the organization and our employees, but also our communities.”
Speaking of communities, Hua is active in civic life, notably as a board member and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.
“I’ve always felt that Habitat’s mission is extremely important, to help build affordable housing for low-income families. I think what really struck me when I was first introduced to Habitat was its philosophy of giving families a hand up, not a handout. That’s something I really believe in,” he said. “And when these families succeed, the communities they live in also succeed.”

— Joseph Bednar

Picture This

By BusinessWest Staff December 1, 2015

Departments Picture This

Send photos with a caption and contact information to: ‘Picture This’ c/o BusinessWest Magazine, 1441 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103 or to [email protected]

Government Reception

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The Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce staged its annual Government Reception on Nov. 19 at the Carriage House at Storrowton Tavern. More than 200 area elected officials and business leaders gathered for networking and updates on current initiatives. Top to bottom: state Rep. Angelo Puppolo (right)chats with Springfield Regional Chamber President Jeff Ciuffreda; Robert Ziomek, assistant vice president for Development at Western New England University and the chair of the chamber’s legislative steering committee, addresses the audience; state Rep. Stephen Kulik (right) talks with Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Western Mass. Economic Development Council.

Pynchon Award Winners

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The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts recently honored the 2015 Pynchon Award winners at ceremonies at the Museum of Springfield History. The honorees are, from left: Harold Grinspoon, Sue Ellen Panitch, Ronn and Donna Johnson, and Gary Bernice.

A ‘Top Place to Work’

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For the fourth year in a row, the Boston Globe has named PeoplesBank a “Top Place to Work.” The bank competed with companies around the state for the honor and attributes its continued success to its “high-performance culture.” Pictured here with the awards are Douglas Bowen, president and CEO, and Janice Mazzallo, executive vice president and chief Human Resources officer.

Habitat Guatamala

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Volunteers and friends of Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH) traveled to Tecpán, Guatemala recently to support the efforts of Habitat Guatemala, including local residents, in reaching 75,000 housing solutions. Top: Jennifer Schimmel (GSHFH executive director), Walt Tomala (GSHFH board president), Amy Scott, Ellen Moorhouse, Rose Vigdal, Susan Austin, Marg O’Conner, Aimee Giroux (GSHFH operations manager), Mark Rogerson, Stephen Messier, and Kim Rexford with other volunteers. Bottom: from left, Vigdal, Jillian Severinski, and Liz Persch are into their work.

Cutting the Ribbon

Pic This 8 Marcotte Ford in Holyoke recently cut the ribbon on its new Marcotte Commercial Truck Center on Main Street. A host of city leaders, customers, and key stakeholders were on hand for the grand opening of the state-of-the-art facility, which the company believes will enable it to bring customer service to a new and even higher level.

Branching Out

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Farmington Bank recently announced its newest branch office in Western Mass. at 61 North Main St. in East Longmeadow amid a host of events and promotions, many of them involving the bank’s new spokesperson, former Red Sox hurler Tim Wakefield. The branch follows the opening of its first office in Massachusetts at 85 Elm St. in West Springfield in October. The new East Longmeadow office features an open floor plan with approximately 2,000 square feet of space, allowing customers to interact with Farmington Bank’s personal bankers without teller lines. The branch will also offer a drive-up window and a 24-hour drive-up ATM. To mark its entry into East Longmeadow, Farmington Bank is hosting a month-long grand-opening celebration at the branch from through Dec. 19. A highlight is the Dec. 12 appearance of Wakefield, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., during the Bank’s Family Day event. Seen here with a likeness of the new spokeperson are, from left, Ken Burns, executive vice president and director of Retail Banking and Marketing; Collen Phelps, assistant branch manager; Steven Gardner, vice president and branch manager; and Michael Moriarty, senior vice president and Commercial Team leader.

Volunteering Some Thoughts

By BusinessWest Staff December 7, 2009

Sections Supplements

York Mayo Has Made Giving Back an Art and a Science

York Mayo encourages others to put their dreams down in writing — and then be willing to do the hard work necessary to reach them.

York Mayo says it was one of the more challenging speeches hes given during what would have to be described as his second career.

The audience was comprised of roughly 50 12- to 18-year-old inner-city youths gathered at the Worthington Pond Farms in Connecuticut. I dont speak to that age group very often, said Mayo, a former executive with what is now Lenox American Saw who now carries a business card announcing him as a public speaker, advisor, mentor, and worthy grand pooh-bah. I didnt really know where or how to begin.

So he started with a question; he asked those assembled to identify the individual who started his famous speech in 1962 with I have a dream.

Everyone knew the answer, of course, and I then went on to ask them about their dreams, said Mayo. Later, when one of them guessed correctly that I was 68, I asked if someone my age could still have a dream. When they said no, it set me off like a rocket.

I told them I not only have a dream, but I have it written out something I told them they have to do, Mayo told BusinessWest, adding that whats down on paper is for him to someday, and preferably soon, become a nationally known motivational speaker. He admits that hes not doing very well in that pursuit, and for a number of reasons.

They say you need a Web site to be a national motivational speaker, and I dont have one. It also really helps to have written a book, and I havent done that yet, either, so thats two strikes against me, he said with a laugh, adding quickly that perhaps the biggest reason is that hes been too busy being those other things written on his business card.

Hes a mentor to many individuals, ranging from John Majercak, director of ReStore Home Improvement, to Angel Rodriguez, a 16-year-old student at Roger L. Putnam Vocational High School in Springfield, who Mayo has convinced to put some goals down on paper and then do the hard work necessary to meet them.

When I first him a year ago, I watched him, and I said, this kid could go either way. Hes a great talker, hes a very personable guy, a very charming guy, and a very smart person; I could see that hed be a good salesperson, or he could go the other way and be a great con man, said Mayo. I said I would be his mentor, but only under the condition that he changed a lot of the things he was doing and develop goals and a vision, which we would work on together.

He did, and they have (more on that later).

Mayo is also doing a lot of advising these days, with much of his time devoted to the building of a new Putnam. Hes the president of something called the Roger L. Putnam Technical High School Fund, which was set up to close an estimated $4 million gap between what has been allocated for the new school (projected to cost $150 million) and what it will actually cost to build the facility.

In that capacity, hes spending a lot of time talking to business owners and organizing tours of Putnam for them. The goal is to convince them to make an investment in the school, the city, the region and also their own futures in the Pioneer Valley.

When Mayo does get the occasion to speak in public, hes spending most of his time and energy convincing people in the business community to do all those things hes been doing since he retired early from Lenox in 1999. Summing up the past decade, he said hes been making himself available to serve others.

There are so many needs that are not being met by volunteers, and the government just cant do it all and shouldnt do it all, he explained. We as citizens should be setting aside a certain amount of our time every day to volunteer and serve others.

For this issue, BusinessWest talked at length with Mayo about the many ways hes giving back, and why he believes others in business can, and should, do the same.

Talking the Talk

Mayo told BusinessWest that, while he is a mentor to many, he has several mentors himself. One of them is John Davis, the former president of American Saw & Mfg. and current president of the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation.

Among other things, says Mayo, Davis has helped him make what he called a somewhat difficult transition from the business world to working with and for nonprofits and also having to deal with governmental bodies like school committees.

For someone like me who comes from a great company like American Saw and from the business world, dealing with the Springfield education system is very frustrating, he explained, noting quickly that, while not all businesses are run effectively, American Saw was. And to go from that culture into the education world theres a huge gap.

So I call John and spout off and say exactly what I feel, he continued. He calms me down and gives me some advice hes my mentor now, and Im glad he is.

Making this difficult transition has been part of semi-retired life for Mayo, who spent 30 years with American Saw, much of it handling international sales. He said goodbye to the corporate world in 1999, and almost immediately began making that aforementioned transition.

In 2000, he became volunteer executive director of the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, and served in that capacity for more than three years. In the summer of 2005, he served as interim president and CEO of Goodwill Industries, and a year later took on that same role with Girls Incorporated of Holyoke.

With ReStore, Mayo has worked primarily on a capital campaign that began nearly three years ago. The goal was $1 million, to be used primarily to help the organization move from its current 8,000-square-foot facility to a 32,000-square-foot building, and more than $950,000 has been raised to date.

Over the years, hes volunteered time to a number of groups and causes, ranging from the Advisory Board of the Andrew M. Scibelli Enterprise Center to the ReStore capital campaign; from the Business as a Force for Social Change Program, led by Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe, to the Minnechaug Land Trust. Hes even found time for the Wilbraham Mens Chorus. (Mayo frequently sings to his audiences when giving speeches, and is noted for his Elvis impersonation.)

Mayo said that his top priority at the moment and the biggest consumer of his time is the Putnam High School fund, an assignment he took on at the behest of John Davis, who charged him, in essence, with getting area business leaders involved not only with the funding and construction of the new facility, but also with what will go inside the walls of the new school.

The way I describe it is bringing the business community into the school, he explained, so that it has an effect on the curriculum, the equipment, and the overall well-being of the school.

Mayo is at Putnam almost every day, with much of his time spent organizing tours of the facility that have a number of motivations, ranging from educating the business community to providing Putnam students with opportunities to gain confidence and public-speaking skills by helping to lead the tours.

The overriding goal, however, is the get businesses involved with the school, and with the education system in Springfield in general, he continued, adding that this constituency can, and should, have enormous sway over the curriculum in each program. We want business to have more of a say in this school.

The Mentor Mentality

While his work at Putnam keeps him busy, Mayo still finds the time for many other endeavors, particularly the art of mentoring.

He says business leaders should not only be mentors, but they should have at least one individual, and preferably several, mentoring them. The ReStores Majercak and Suzanne Parker, director of Girls Inc., serve as both mentee and mentor, said Mayo, adding that he has learned a great deal from both executives.

Ive learned much more from them then they have from me, thats for sure, and that fact helps explain why every leader should have a mentor theyre just invaluable, he said, adding that hes been relying on mentors all throughout his second career.

When I started at Habitat for Humanity, I had no idea about Springfield I really didnt know the difference between State Street and Main Street, he said. Why? Because I worked in East Longmeadow and lived in Wilbraham. I went to Logan, Bradley, or Kennedy; the only place I went to in Springfield was the Student Prince to entertain customers. I had no idea what was going on in Springfield or any of the politicians or how it all worked.

Fortunately, I had a great mentor, he continued, referring to Bill Mazeine, one of the founders of Bank of Western Mass., owner of a distribution company, and a strong supporter of Habitat. Every week we would meet, have a beer, and he would take a napkin and give me my marching orders.

Mayo became a mentor to Angel Rodriguez through his involvement with Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

As he mentioned, Rodriguez was at critical juncture when the two first discussed the matter of mentoring.

I remember telling him that I thought he had great potential, Mayo recalled, but the potential to either go this way, which would not be good for you or for society, or this way, which would be very good for you and very good for society.

The two sat down and wrote out some goals, said Mayo, who has his own copy. They included getting straight As the next year and earning a starting spot on the Putnam football team.

Hes not a very big guy, so I thought maybe these goals were a little unrealistic, said Mayo. But while he didnt play in the first game and didnt play much in the second, I was there to see him go out with the starting offense for the third game. It was unbelievable; he had a goal, he put it in writing, and it came to fruition.

When not advising or mentoring, Mayo is finding ways to get his message to business owners and managers the one about how they need to get involved in the community as volunteers.

Often, the comments come back to the issue of time how to find it, or make it, at a time when everyone is working harder and longer, and how to make the most of it.

Business people we generally do a lousy job of planning our time, he explained. Jim Davis [Johns father] was always talking about time, how its the precious commodity we have, and how we have to maximize the time we have in the day. Business people are filling up their calendars every day with business stuff, which is important, but we should learn to be in control of our time so we have the opportunity to serve our community.

In Conclusion

Returning to the subject of his work with young Angel Rodriguez, Mayo again stressed the importance of putting goals and dreams down in writing, thus giving them more importance and permanence.

As for his own goal thats down on paper? Well, maybe some day Mayo will become a nationally known motivational speaker. But for now, hes too busy being a mentor, advisor, and grand pooh-bah. My strategy is to take every single opportunity that I can to speak locally, and hope that leads to chances regionally and then nationally, he explained. So far, that strategy is not working at all; its mostly because Im so busy volunteering that Im not paying the attention to this that I need to.

Besides, he still doesnt have a Web site or a book with his name on the cover. He apparently doesnt have time for those, either.

George OBrien can be reached

at[email protected]

By BusinessWest Staff July 10, 2006

Departments

Firm Earns National Award

GREENFIELD — Crocker Communications Inc. has been honored with the 2006 ATSI Award of Excellence, presented annually by the Association of TeleServices International (ATSI), a trade association for providers of telecommunications and call center services. If a company scored 80% or better in all categories of call-handling skills such as courtesy, response time, accuracy and overall service to their clients, they were presented with the Award of Excellence. Crocker has received the Award of Excellence seven times in the past 10 years. In addition, this is the second time the company received the Bronze Award for two consecutive years of excellent service.

Berkshire Bank Opens Mortgage Center

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank recently established a mortgage center for the Springfield/Pioneer Valley region at 41 Court St., Westfield. The office will conduct all mortgage origination services in the market area. The center’s staff includes three mortgage originators, David M. Clark, Jodi A. Colter and Matthew T. Manganelli. In other banking news, Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. has opened a full-service branch at 20 Mall in Guilderland, N.Y.

Bank Opens Northampton Branch

WEST SPRINGFIELD — United Financial Bancorp Inc. recently opened a branch in Northampton at 180 Main St. Patricia Covalli serves as personal banking officer, and is assisted by a team of experienced banking professionals. Residential mortgage and commercial lending personnel are also available at the branch. In addition, the bank will serve the financial service needs of its clients through its Financial Services Group which also has an office in Northampton, located at 14 Main St. United Financial Bancorp is the parent corporation of United Bank.

STCU Credit Union Opens Westfield Branch

SPRINGFIELD — STCU Credit Union has expanded to Westfield with a branch location at 453 East Main St. in the Westfield Shops. The office features five teller positions including one for handicapped individuals, a night depository, ATM facilities, a conference room, loan service office, and member reception area. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. STCU Credit Union first opened its doors in Springfield in 1929 and is based at 145 Industry Ave., Springfield.

Business Teams Up With ‘Habitat’ to Benefit Families

SPRINGFIELD — W.F. Young Inc. employees recently teamed up with Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity® and donated a full day’s work helping restore a house on Cambridge Street. The company shut down operations on May 25 to allow all company employees to participate in the voluntary endeavor. In addition to the team donation of labor, the company is also a corporate donor to the local Habitat for Humanity organization.

CDH Receives Kresge Foundation Opportunity, Challenge Grant

NORTHAMPTON — The Kresge Foundation of Troy, Mich., recently announced it awarded Cooley Dickinson Hospital with a Capital Challenge Grant of $900,000. The grant will support the hospital’s Caring for the Future campaign for the new patient building and Kittredge Surgery Center, and the grant will be awarded in September 2007 if CDH succeeds in raising $4 million. The grant has been made on a challenge basis, according to Diane Dukette, CDH’s executive director of development. She explained that the Kresge Foundation has challenged the hospital to meet its campaign goal of $10.8 million by Sept. 30, 2007. Dukette added that CDH is being challenged to raise an additional $4 million to secure the $900,000 challenge grant. The Kresge announcement represents an opportunity for community members to show their support of the CDH campaign, according to Dukette. “Every gift, regardless of the amount, will help bring us closer to the $900,000 grant,” she said. To date, $7.1 million has been raised in support of the CDH campaign.

Students Benefit from STCC, City Partnerships

SPRINGFIELD — A new collaboration between the Community Music School of Springfield and Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will bring new options in music courses this fall. “Hip-Hop Culture” and “History of Jazz” are the first course offerings, and discussion of private music lessons for college credit is also in the works. A second partnership, with teachers from the Springfield Public Schools, will allow STCC to add Chinese language courses to its offerings starting this fall.

Chamber Has New Web Site

NORTHAMPTON — The Northamp-ton Chamber of Commerce launched its new Web site with a new address, www.explorenorthampton.com, in June. The updated site features a section for Chamber members, as well as sections for visitors and the community. In addition, the Web site now offers a calendar that will generate a ‘Coming Soon in the Northampton Area’ listing that will be automatically updated daily.

Holyoke Mall Lands The Sports Authority

HOLYOKE — The Sports Authority will open a 46,000-square-foot store in early 2007 in the space that was once occupied by Kahunaville. A.C. Moore is also expected to move into the former Kids ‘R Us space on the lower level of the mall to accommodate the space needed by The Sports Authority. Approximately 30 to 40 people will be employed at the new store. In other mall news, two recently opened stores are Bakers Fashion Footwear Boutique and Sadie’s, a photography studio.

Two Law Practices Merge

SPRINGFIELD — Raipher Pellegrino PC, based in Springfield, recently announced a merger with Denner Associates, a Boston-based firm that specializes in murder defendants in Boston and out of state. The firm is now Denner Pellegrino LLP and will serve the Hartford and Berkshire areas. Denner Associates has offices in Boston, Providence and New York. Raipher Pellegrino, a former Springfield city councilor, said the merger will help cut costs and also put together a powerful group of lawyers.

Westfield Financial Looks Toward 100% Public Ownership

WESTFIELD — Westfield Bank’s board of directors recently voted to complete a second step conversion to 100% public ownership of its stock by the end of the year. The stock price and when it will be sold will be determined at a later date. When the bank went public in 2001, the company sold 4.9 million shares at a $100-a-share subscription price, which raised approximately $48.1 million after costs. At press time, company officials said there are no specific plans for using the money that will be garnered during the stock offering.

Lia Group to Build New Toyota Dealership in Northampton

NORTHAMPTON — The Lia Auto Group has announced it will break ground soon for a new Toyota dealership on King Street, just down the road from its Honda dealership that opened in 2005. To make room for the Toyota store expansion, Lia recently closed its Chrysler Jeep dealership. In addition, the Albany-based group closed its Lincoln Mercury franchise in May. Company officials expect the new Toyota facility to cost approximately $4 million.

Elms College, Diocese Creating Academic Programs

CHICOPEE — A series of academic programs for lay leaders and ministers in the Springfield Diocese will soon be offered through a collaborative effort with Elms College. Areas of study will be designed for Catechetical leaders, adult and youth ministers, pastoral and music ministers, and parish administrators. Certificate courses will cost $120 per course and a diocesan subsidy will be available to participants. Certificate and master’s programs will be offered.

Choice One, CTC Finalize Merger, Complete Acquisition of Conversent

Choice One Communications, CTC Communications, and Conversent Communications recently announced the completion of their previously announced combination. The merged organization will be called “One Communications” as of July 24 and will serve businesses in 16 states within the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest regions. With revenues of more than $800 million, One Communications is the largest privately-held competitive local exchange carrier in the United States. “This transaction transforms three telecommunications companies that were strong in their own right into a single broadband IP-based telecommunications powerhouse,” said Thomas J. Casey, CEO of One Communications. “We will offer a unique combination of advanced telecommunications solutions and exceptional customer service. Businesses throughout our target markets will benefit from a new competitor that is large enough to make substantial investments in enhanced services while being nimble and focused enough to serve every customer with exceptional support provided by accessible and friendly experts.” The One Communications network spans from Maine to West Virginia and the eastern seaboard to Wisconsin. The company will maintain substantial operations centers in Rochester, N.Y., Waltham, Mass., Marlborough, Mass., and Charleston, WV. In addition, One Communications will maintain dozens of regional offices in local business communities to serve small and medium sized business customers. Financing for the transaction includes a $75 million additional equity investment by both Columbia Ventures Corporation (the sole shareholder of CTC Communications), and Choice One shareholders (backstopped by Camulos Capital LP and Värde Investment Partners LP), and a $590 million credit facility arranged by Goldman Sachs Credit Partners LP. The credit facility includes $30 million in revolving credit, a $435 million first lien term loan, and a $125 million second lien term loan. Proceeds from the debt and equity offerings enabled the company to refinance existing debt, purchase 100% of the outstanding shares of Conversent and fund transaction and merger integration costs and provide additional working capital.

DevelopSpringfield Forges Collaborations in Advance of Redevelopment

By BusinessWest Staff August 2, 2016

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — DevelopSpringfield acquired a vacant building at the corner of Dwight and Carew streets together with several adjacent parcels to create a large redevelopment site with the aim of bringing new vitality to the area by redeveloping a critically underutilized and vacant site.

The proposed redevelopment concept would rehabilitate the historic Carew Street Baptist Church building’s 11,680 square feet, in a historically sensitive manner, into modern, energy-efficient office space. The surrounding parcels, formerly a brownfields site, would be redeveloped into parking and landscaping. The project represents a more than $3 million investment in this section of Springfield’s North End.

As a part of this redevelopment initiative, DevelopSpringfield forged innovative partnerships with EcoBuilding Bargains (EBB), Roca, and Habitat for Humanity in an effort to reduce waste and recycle as much of the reusable interior furnishings and building materials as possible. In addition, the site is now secured with fencing salvaged from another recent DevelopSpringfield project.

“We appreciate the opportunity to engage with these organizations to help advance our common goals,” said Jay Minkarah, president and CEO of DevelopSpringfield. “Working together, we can really pay it forward.”

A team from Roca, a local organization dedicated to supporting high-risk young men from the community by providing them with mentoring and transitional employment-training assistance, removed salvageable items like church pews, radiators, an organ, and more, to be shared with EBB and Habitat. Roca also assisted in clearing brush and debris from the adjacent lots. No historically significant building features or fixtures were removed.

“It was Roca’s pleasure to participate in this exciting collaboration. Eighty-six percent of the young men we are privileged to serve here at Roca are from the city of Springfield, and it is wonderful to give them the opportunity to give back to their community,” said Chris Judd, director of Roca Springfield. “Young men work hard at Roca to learn new work skills that help them stay out of harm’s way and succeed, and this is exactly the kind of opportunity that help them and our community move forward.”

Both EBB and Habitat’s ReStore have programs to create treasure from salvage in the form of unique resale opportunities of donated household goods which provide each of their organizations with needed resources to support their important programming.

“We’re very excited to be working with DevelopSpringfield to help find new homes for these valuable materials,” said Amy Weber, eco sales specialist at EcoBuilding Bargains. “Our mission is to keep perfectly good materials out of landfills and make these available at bargain prices.”

EcoBuilding Bargains, located at 83 Warwick St. in Springfield, is an enterprise of the nonprofit Center for EcoTechnology. For information about how to donate materials to EcoBuilding Bargains, call Weber at (413) 341-0098.

This redevelopment will be exemplary of sustainable development and smart growth principles. Rehabilitating an existing building, rather than demolishing it and building new, uses less energy and fewer materials, and enhances sustainability by capturing the building’s ‘embodied energy’ — the energy consumed through the processes associated with constructing the building when it was originally built. The project will also result in the redevelopment of a former brownfields site and is located in a densely populated, walkable urban area at a location with excellent transit access.

The rehabilitated building will be energy-efficient, with a new, natural-gas-fired, forced-hot-air system and energy-efficient air conditioning, as well as energy-efficient windows and insulation. The redevelopment will also minimize water use and feature low-impact development with enhanced stormwater management.

The Big Night Approaches

By BusinessWest Staff March 15, 2011

Features

Difference Makers to Be Saluted on March 24

They have become part of the tradition — and a big part of the event prep work.
These would be the ornate cloth butterflies that have come to symbolize BusinessWest’s Difference Makers program — and decorate the ceiling at the Log Cabin & Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke on the night of the awards ceremony.
“It takes several hours to get them up and looking just right,” said Kate Campiti, BusinessWest’s associate publisher and advertising manager. “But it’s worth it; they bring energy to the room, and they convey the forward movement, the momentum, that this program was created to generate.”
These colorful insects were chosen as the imagery for Difference Makers as a nod to something called the Butterfly Effect, the theory that small and seemingly inconsequential actions, such as the flapping of a butterfly’s wings, can have broad, and even global, impact.
“In the case of the Difference Makers, their actions, which come in a number of forms, have had enormous impact on this region, and even beyond,” said Campiti, adding that this effect is certainly in evidence with those chosen for the honor this year. “Their work has affected, and improved, the lives of people across Western Mass.”
This year’s recipients, to be honored on Thursday, March 24 at a gala to begin at 5 p.m., are:
• Tim Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission;
• Lucia (Lucy) Giuggio-Carvalho, founder of Rays of Hope, a fund-raising walk staged to battle breast cancer;
• Don Kozera, president of Human Resources Unlimited;
• Robert Perry, retired partner/consultant with Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; and
• Anthony Scott, police chief of the city of Holyoke.
BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien said the honorees for 2011 demonstrate the many ways in which an individual can make a difference in the region.
“In Chief Scott, we have a police administrator who likes to say that he made that the cost of doing business in his city too high for criminals, thus forcing them out of town or into a different line of work,” said O’Brien. “And in Lucy Carvalho, we have someone who survived breast cancer and then created a walk that has raised more than $18 million for research and services for breast-cancer victims.
“Meanwhile, Tim Brennan authored the region’s Plan for Progress, giving it a blueprint to follow for several decades as it works to remain competitive with other regions,” O’Brien continued. “Don Kozera’s leadership has enabled Human Resources Unlimited to expand and enhance its programs for the physically and mentally challenged, and Robert Perry has donated time, energy, and imagination to a number of area nonprofit groups, especially Habitat for Humanity.
“Their contributions vary,” O’Brien went on, “but the bottom line is that all these individuals are helping to improve quality of life in this region, and truly making a difference.”
Tickets for this year’s event are still available ($50 each, with tables of 10 available) and can be ordered by calling (413) 781-8600, via e-mail at [email protected]; or online at www.businesswest.com.
The gala is being sponsored by abc40/Fox 6; Baystate Medical Practices; Catuogno Court Reporting/Sten-Tel; Epstein Financial Group; Health New England; Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; Royal LLP; and Sarat Ford.

Fast Facts:

What: The Difference Makers Gala
When: Thursday, March 24
Where: The Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House
Honorees: Tim Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission; Lucia (Lucy) Giuggio-Carvalho, founder of Rays of Hope; Don Kozera, president of Human Resources Unlimited; Robert Perry, retired partner/consultant with Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; and Anthony Scott, police chief of the city of Holyoke.

Jason Tsitso: 37

By BusinessWest Staff April 24, 2012

40 Under 40 The Class of 2012

Project Manager, R & R Windows

Jason Tsitso has worked on countless projects large and small during his decade-long tenure with R & R Windows, but there was noting quite like the work undertaken at Springfield College last year in the weeks after the June 1 tornado roared through the campus.
Facing tight and extremely challenging deadlines, the Easthampton-based company, with Tsitso acting as project manager, played a critical role in enabling International Hall, a 12-story dormitory damaged extensively by the twister, to reopen on time for the fall semester.
The International Hall project, as well as Tsitso’s ongoing contributions to the company’s recovery from several years of struggle in the wake of the Great Recession, help explain why he is a member of this 40 Under Forty class and now part of several teams of spouses to earn the distinction (his wife, Sarah, was a member of the first class in 2007). But his exploits in business tell only part of the story.
Another intriguing chapter — one still being written — is his extensive work within the community. Perhaps the best example is his work to take his passion for bicycling and shape it into a successful fund-raiser he created and managed for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity. Called Trails for Nails, the initiative, started in 2009, involves a mountain bike ride through Robinson State Park, with riders securing pledges for the miles they ride.
Through Tsitso’s leadership, the event has grown tremendously in each subsequent year, in terms of both ridership and dollars raised. In 2011, he took it to another level, creating a series of family-friendly activities known as Fitness for Families. These include the Hike for Habitat (to the top of Mount Tom); Trails for Nails, which now includes a 5K run as well as the 20-mile bike ride; and the Tour de Habitat, a 25-, 50-, and 100-mile road bike race. For all of this, Tsitso, now a board member for Habitat, was named the organization’s Volunteer of the Year for 2011.
Given the line of work he’s in, you could call all this a reflection of his strong commitment to the community.
— George O’Brien

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff July 19, 2023

People on the Move

Andrea O’Connor

Christina Turgeon

Fitzgerald Law named attorney Andrea O’Connor a shareholder and announced that attorney Christina Turgeon has joined the firm. O’Connor counsels corporate and consumer clients in all aspects of insolvency law, primarily including bankruptcy, asset protection, taxation, real estate, and commercial matters. Her experience representing debtors and creditors in all types of matters, from complex Chapter 11 cases to adversary proceeding litigation, as well as serving as a Chapter 7 trustee for the District of Connecticut, allows her to analyze problems from all angles and develop creative solutions. She has 13 years of legal experience, including a clerkship for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts. She earned a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from the University of Connecticut, and graduated magna cum laude from Western New England University School of Law. Turgeon has more than 21 years of practice experience and is primarily engaged in business litigation and counseling services, including reviewing and preparing discovery and trial strategies in Fitzgerald Law’s Litigation Department. In addition, her concentrations include bankruptcy law representing debtors and trustees before the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts in Massachusetts and Connecticut; commercial evictions; real-estate law representing buyers, sellers, and financial institutions in real-estate transactions; and general civil litigation representing plaintiffs and defendants in district and Superior courts. She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in English literature from Western New England University and is also a graduate of Western New England University School of Law.

•••••

Jim Hickey

Florence Bank announced that Jim Hickey, vice president and director of Marketing Operations, has been promoted to lead the bank’s marketing efforts as senior vice president and director of Marketing. Hickey replaces Monica Curhan, who retired on April 7 after serving as senior vice president and director of Marketing for nearly 10 years. Hickey was hired in November 2021 as director of Marketing Operations with the explicit plan to one day take the helm as director of Marketing. He has 25 years of strategic marketing experience and holds a bachelor’s degree in English from UMass Amherst. He has experience in areas that include account management, creative development, media plan execution, and media buying. Before joining Florence Bank, he was vice president of Account Service at Communicators Group, a marketing communications firm in Keene, N.H. He has also served as vice president and director of Marketing for Westbank, a financial institution formerly based in West Springfield. Active in the community, he sits on the board for the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity.

•••••

Country Bank announced that Crystal Mansfield, Customer Experience and Sales Support specialist, is the recipient of the 2023 President’s Platinum Award. The Bank’s recognition program, Above and Beyond, encourages team members to look for co-workers who embody the bank’s corporate values of integrity, service, teamwork, excellence, and prosperity (iSTEP). Within this program, members can receive different levels of recognition: Silver Spotlight, Gold Star, and the President’s Platinum. “Crystal embodies the bank’s corporate values in every interaction she has,” Country Bank President and CEO Paul Scully said. “Her nominator recognized her contributions to the organization, customers, and co-workers.”

•••••

Martha Page

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures (BAV), a growing nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting local agriculture and a resilient regional food system, announced the appointment of Martha Page to its board of directors. With her extensive experience in nonprofit, government, and private-sector management, Page brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to further strengthen BAV’s mission and impact across the Berkshire-Taconic region. Page joins the board following her successful tenure as executive director of Hartford Food System Inc., where she spearheaded innovative initiatives to address food security, promote equitable access to nutritious food, and foster community development. Her deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the food system will be invaluable in helping guide BAV’s strategic vision. Throughout her career, Page has demonstrated leadership and a commitment to collaborative problem solving. Her multi-disciplinary background has allowed her to navigate complex landscapes and build strong partnerships across sectors that will play a vital role in helping to shape BAV’s initiatives.

•••••

ISO New England, the operator of the region’s bulk power system and wholesale electricity marketplace, announced the election of its 2023 board of directors slate. The slate includes new member Craig Ivey, retired president of Consolidated Edison Co. of New York Inc., who brings three decades of experience in the electricity industry. His three-year term will begin on Oct. 1. Current board members Brook Colangelo and Mark Vannoy have been reelected to their third and second terms, respectively. Roberto Denis will retire from the board this fall. Ivey served as president of Consolidated Edison Co. of New York Inc. for nine years, retiring in 2017. While in this role, he was responsible for all aspects of the electric system that serves more than 9 million New Yorkers. He previously spent 25 years at Dominion Energy, rising through the ranks from a part-time position during his college years to become senior vice president of Transmission and Distribution. Ivey serves on the board for Ameren Corp., as well as the Fresh Air Fund, a nonprofit serving children in low-income communities in New York City. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University and has completed executive-education programs at the University of Michigan and Harvard University. Colangelo, elected to his third and final term, is vice president and chief information officer for Waters Corp. Earlier in his career, he served as chief information officer of the White House under President Obama. He holds a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University. Vannoy joined the ISO board in 2020 and was re-elected to a second term. He is currently president of Maine Water and previously served as the chairperson of the Maine Public Utilities Commission. He is a retired U.S. Navy officer, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, and holds a master’s degree from Cornell University.

•••••

Greg LaCasse

Whittlesey, a leading tax and advisory services provider, announced the promotion of Greg LaCasse, CPA to partner. LaCasse joined the firm in 2017 and has 30 years of experience in public and private accounting, including roles with the Big 4, as well as serving as chief financial officer for an international IT consulting firm. He is an active member of Whittlesey’s real-estate, construction, and manufacturing niche and specializes in providing tax and advisory services to both businesses and individuals, with a focus on working with clients in the professional service, medical, real-estate, retail, wholesale, and manufacturing and distribution industries. LaCasse holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Central Connecticut State University and a master’s degree in taxation from the University of Hartford. He also pursues continuing professional education in taxation and business-advisory services. He is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants.

•••••

Nonotuck Resource Associates Inc. announced the recent hiring of Gretchen Parker as Human Resources director. Parker comes to Nonotuck with 20 years of experience in human resources, as well as a career spent working with nonprofits. At Nonotuck, she will lead the HR team and tackle new initiatives, such as performance management and coordinating trainings for supervisors across the agency. Parker most recently worked as associate director of Human Resources for Highland Valley Elder Services and also worked for LifePath, UMass Amherst, and Franklin Regional Council of Governments. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College and master’s degree from Fitchburg State University.

•••••

Tim Czerniejewski

bankESB recently promoted Tim Czerniejewski to assistant vice president, commercial lending. Czerniejewski has 16 years of experience in banking. He joined bankESB in 2016 as a credit analyst and was promoted in 2018 to assistant vice president, portfolio manager. In his new role, he will be responsible for developing, structuring, and closing commercial loans, as well as maintaining and servicing existing accounts. Before joining bankESB, he was a risk analyst and credit analyst at TD Bank. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Western New England University and an associate degree in accounting from Springfield Technical Community College, and is a graduate of the Springfield Leadership Institute.

•••••

Dhaval Patel has been selected for the 2023 class of 30 Under 30, highlighting his remarkable accomplishments and the impact he has made throughout his career. Dhaval, 27, of Rovi Homes, was selected by REALTOR Magazine, which recognizes members of the National Assoc. of Realtors (NAR) under age 30 who have demonstrated exceptional skills in areas such as sales, marketing, entrepreneurship, technology, association leadership, and community involvement.

•••••

Anthony Worden, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank and its parent company, Greenfield Bancorp MHC, announced that the following actions were taken at the company’s 118th annual meeting on June 20. Darci Brown and Jeffrey Collura were re-elected as corporators of Greenfield Bancorp MHC, while new candidates Khama Ennis, Jennifer Ewers, Matthew Sheehy, Terri Mitchell, and Brandon Lively were elected as corporators of Greenfield Bancorp MHC. Nancy Fournier, JoAnne Finck, and Peter Whalen were re-elected to three year terms as directors of the bank and Greenfield Bancorp MHC, while Catherine Coleman was elected to a three-year term as a director of the bank and Greenfield Bancorp MHC.

•••••

Linda Thompson, President of Westfield State University, has joined the board of trustees at Goddard House Assisted Living in Brookline. Prior to her role as president of Westfield State University, Thompson held the role of dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at UMass Boston. She has an extensive background in healthcare leadership and public policy. In Baltimore City, Md., she served as director of Occupational Medicine and Safety and developed programs and policies to promote the health of the city workforce, including the implementation of policies for HIV prevention and substance use and abuse. At the state level in Maryland, she served as special secretary of Children, Youth and Families, where she developed programs and policies to improve quality of care for vulnerable populations of children.

Giombetti Associates Builds Stronger Companies, One Person at a Time

By BusinessWest Staff May 17, 2016

Business Management Sections

Getting to Know You

Ross Giombetti, president of Giombetti Associates

Thirty years ago, Rick Giombetti developed a concept, called Performance Dynamics, that links personality with business productivity and potential. His Hampden-based company, Giombetti Associates, has grown significantly since then, helping hundreds of companies succeed by understanding personalities and building better leaders. His son, Ross, recently took the reins of the firm, but doesn’t expect much to change — least of all the passion he and his father share for making a difference in clients’ lives.

It’s not always easy, Ross Giombetti says, to be a client of his business-consulting firm, Giombetti Associates.

“We want to build the relationship and build the trust so clients know we care about the demands of their business, then deliver feedback that is true, real, and honest — tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. And sometimes it stings,” said Giombetti, who recently succeeded his father, Rick — who co-founded the Hampden-based firm 30 years ago — in the president’s chair.

“I’ve certainly been called ‘direct’ before,” Ross went on, “but you’ll also find we back that up with support and compassion, so when we have to deliver a message you’re not going to like, you walk away trusting it, and knowing it’s what you needed to hear to make you and your organization better.”

That message varies wildly from client to client, as it always has; Giombetti Associates deals in leadership development and training, team-building, talent acquisition and recruitment, pre-employment assessment, and strategic executive coaching, among other roles.

“But the foundation of it all is building high-performance, world-class companies through people,” he explained — an idea he would return to several times during his talk with BusinessWest.

“There’s one constant in every business, regardless of size or industry — people, who have character traits that drive their behavior, and can cause issues and conflict,” he explained. “Our clients come to us to help them solve challenges related to personality and leadership. It could be they have a team that doesn’t get along really well or isn’t maximizing their potential or their results. There could be a talent gap in the organization that they want us to help solve, or it could be them wanting us to protect their business from making bad hiring decisions.”

The heart of Giombetti Associates is a concept called Performance Dynamics — a means of assessing personality and understanding how it affects behavior in the workplace — created in 1986 by Ross’s father, Rick, and his business partner, Paul Alves. At the time, the pair — former human-resources professionals who had struck out on their own — had virtually no money, and even scraping up enough to fly to Washington to visit the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office was a challenge.

But their idea paid off, and today, the company boasts hundreds of business clients worldwide — from mom-and-pop operations to Fortune 500 companies — helping them make hiring decisions, train executives, build leadership skills, handle office conflict, and perform a host of other interpersonal tasks.

Simply put, Performance Dynamics explores personality and applies it to leadership in business. Before quitting his job to become a consultant 30 years ago, Rick Giombetti used his human-resources experience and psychology education to develop personality-assessment exercises that companies could use to understand and manage their hiring and personnel issues. These assessment tools measure factors ranging from personality traits and mental maturity to overall understanding of leadership and how people cope with conflict.

“They’re validated and defined by major psychological think tanks,” Ross said. “We put them together in a trademarked process. My father and Paul Alves, they were well beyond their time, extremely progressive as it related to personality and leadership. That’s how it all started — with a dream and a philosophy.”

With clients boasting anywhere from five employees to 100,000, in industries ranging from landscape design to advanced manufacturing; from medical facilities to banking and insurance, the one common denominator is people, he went on. “That’s one reason why we work in all those different industries. You can change the function, change the geography, but people exist in every single one of them.”

Let’s Talk

When a company hires Giombetti, it should be ready to talk.

“Our work is a combination of things and involves a lot of fact finding, a lot of exploration, a lot of open-ended conversations in an attempt to get to know a person, a team, an organization, or an entire culture. That’s where we start,” he said.

That said, “we don’t take on new business without knowing what we’re walking into. They have to believe philosophically same things we believe. If they don’t, we’re not afraid to walk away from business. We’re not afraid to fire a customer.

“Once we know what we’re looking at,” he explained, “to really help develop an individual, a team, or a culture, we have a series of personality instruments we use that go really deep, identify the ‘why’ behind the ‘what.’ It’s not hypothetical, not conceptual; it’s concrete and real.”

A few of the team members at Giombetti Associates, from left: Miklos Ats, Ross Giombetti, and Amanda Collins.

As one example, he cited a client in the Midwest founded on the core belief of purpose-driven products. “They don’t really care as much about the money they make or the success they have; they want their employees to wake up with purpose. So they’re founded on the right philosophy.”

However, Giombetti went on, the company’s leader was simply too nice and struggled with making difficult decisions, and that held his organization back.

“I’d like to think that, after working more than five years with them, his own leadership and the culture as a whole have gotten much stronger and better,” he said. “They now blend family and balance of life with accountability.”

After all, he continued, bosses can care deeply about their employees’ family time, work-life balance, and having fun at work, but at the end of the day, there has to be accountability and a focus on growing the business. Now, he said, “their organization is an example of an organization we would all want to work for.”

Another client — a local firm, Notch Mechanical Constructors in Chicopee — had a much different issue. It’s a company run by five siblings who balance their input well. “They maintain boundaries and keep each other accountable and grounded, and they make good business decisions,” Giombetti said. But they struggled with finding a strong financial leader.

“We have close to a 20-year relationship with this family, and we wanted to make sure they hire the right person. We went through a lot of due diligence, and it took us longer than we or they would like, but the story has a happy ending. We found somebody who is a great cultural fit — the same philosophy, grounded, humble, but tough and smart. They’re pretty happy with the decision we made. Sometimes making the right decision takes longer.”

In both cases — a company leader who had to change his way of thinking, and bringing in the right person from the outside for a key role — it all came down to the importance of people, he stressed.

“Great organizations believe that building a strong team with great people is largely what makes you successful. You can have a great product, you can have great service, you can have a great business model, but without the people, you won’t capitalize on your opportunities. You’ll have nothing.”

Smart Growth

Giombetti currently employs six people and is actively looking for a couple more to meet the needs of an expanding client base nationwide.

“But we’re careful about the business we take on,” he said. “We don’t take on business just for the sake of growing. That philosophy will never change as long as I’m tied to the organization. I learned that from my father, that bigger is not always better; better is better. I want to do it the right way, to continue to treat our clients like their business was ours, and I don’t want to lose touch with the close relationships we have with most of them. So we’re really careful about how we run our business.”

In part, that means running the business like that client in the Midwest who prioritizes his workers’ lives away from the office, saying he wants to do the same for team members like Miklos Ats, senior associate; Amanda Collins, office manager (who’s being groomed for a larger, human-resources generalist role), and Monica Childers, who doesn’t have a title beyond ‘protector’ and ‘boss of all of us,’ Giombetti joked.

“When I’m not working, I’d rather be spending time with my wife and three kids and a million hobbies,” he said. “I’d rather see Mik spend time with his lovely wife and go eat at more great restaurants. I’d like to see Amanda spend more time honing her trivia skills, and see Monica spend more time with her awesome husband, who recently learned how to make sushi, and their fantastic two boys. We believe in ‘work hard, play hard.’”

At the same time, he wants the firm to continue giving back to the community, through its efforts with Habitat for Humanity and other local organizations. Meanwhile, Giombetti coaches youth sports and launched a mentorship program at Minnechaug Regional High School in 2012 — efforts that, along with his business success, contributed to his selection to BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty class of 2016.

“We’re passionate about developing young people,” he said. “Most students don’t know who they are or what they want to do, but if we can help them better understand who they are, they’ll have a lot less stress and anxiety in their young life and career.”

These efforts are just one more way Giombetti is committed to the Western Mass. region. “The Pioneer Valley will always be our home. I don’t have visions about moving our office into a big city to be closer to bigger business and more opportunities. I’m happy being where we’re at, doing what we do, supporting awesome clients and individuals.

“Philosophically, we treat our clients’ businesses like our own, and we’re going to protect that,” he went on. “Our clients trust us to know their people, know their culture, know their business, and protect it like it was our own.”

As for Ross’ father, Rick Giombetti may have relinquished his president’s title this year, but he remains active in some project work as a strategic advisor, which Ross appreciates. “His legacy will live on forever here. He’s a fantastic leader.”

One who has long been committed to building up the leadership potential of others, a passion he certainly passed along to his son.

“It sounds cliché, but I wake up every morning truly being motivated to inspire people and make a difference,” Ross said. “When students are coming out of college, when they’re asked the question, ‘what do you want to do?’ a majority say, ‘make a difference,’ but they don’t know what that means — and don’t know how.

“That is the passion I live every day,” he went on. “When I see somebody grow, develop, and become a better person, become a better husband or wife, become a better teammate or leader, that keeps me coming back for more.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

By BusinessWest Staff December 24, 2007

Departments

Dr. Michael J. Spink has joined the practice of Facial Cosmetic & Maxillofacial Surgery, P.C., and the office of Dr. Richard J. Fraziero in East Longmeadow.

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Karen Desjeans has been appointed Staff Assistant to Holyoke Community College President William Messner; she will serve alongside fellow Staff Assistant Colleen Cameron.

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Ace Fire & Water Restoration Inc. in West Springfield has announced the following:
• Nicole M. Sorel has been appointed head of its newly formed Cleaning and Packout Department, and
• Linda M. St. Marie has been named Office Manager.

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The American Tree Farm System, along with BASF Corp., has named Cinda Jones of Cowls Land and Lumber Co. in North Amherst as the winner of the BASF Outstanding Achievements in Sustainable Forestry Award for 2007.

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Human Resources Unlimited Inc. announced the following:
• Patrick Leary, Partner of Moriarty & Primack, P.C., has been named to its Board of Directors;
• Joel Morse, Sales and Marketing Manager of Marcus Printing, has been named to its Board of Directors, and
• Charlene Smolkowicz, Commercial Credit Analyst of Bank of Western Massachusetts, has been named to its Board of Directors.

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Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture announced the following:
• Jessica Cook has joined the staff as a Program Coordinator. She will oversee CISA’s efforts to study and develop salad greens and meat-processing options that will help more local farmers to get their products to market, and
• Allison Neher has joined the staff as a Program Assistant.

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Cooley Dickinson Hospital-affiliated surgeons Drs. Christopher Marvelli, Holly Michaelson, and Timothy O’Brien have created a new name for their general surgery practice — Hampshire Surgical Care at 76A Carlon Dr. Marvelli, Michaelson, and O’Brien are all board-certified general surgeons, and specialize in advanced minimally invasive and robotic surgery, including surgeries of the colon and gastrointestinal tract as well as breast surgery.

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Leonard Pansa, Vice President of Human Resources for the Sisters of Providence Health System, has met the criteria to advance to Fellow status at the American College of Healthcare Executives and is board-certified in health care management. Pansa received Fellow status as a result of his continued achievement in meeting high standards of professional development, excellence, and leadership as a health care executive.

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Joel Anderson has joined Viega, LLC, a Kansas-based plumbing and radiant heating supplier, as District Sales Manager for Western Mass. In his new role, Anderson will be the face of Viega to area commercial contractors, architects, engineers, and plumbers.

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Clara M. Elliot

Clara M. Elliot has been named Dean of Human Resources at Holyoke Community College.

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Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity announced the following staff appointments:
• Jennifer Schimmel has been named Executive Director;
• Sean T. Mitchell has been named Director of Development, and
• Lise M. LeTellier has been named Volunteer Coordinator.

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Ric Skinner has joined Tighe & Bond in Westfield as Director of Geographic Information Systems. He is a certified GIS professional with 20 years of experience.

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Anna Brandenburg has been named Program Coordinator and Training Librarian for the Springfield City Library.

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Adam Novitt has been named Director of Pelham Library. He also works at the Forbes Library in Northampton.

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Hope Kelley, head professional at The Ranch Golf Club in Southwick, has been named the 2007 PGA Merchandiser of the Year at a Public Golf Course by the Connecticut Section of the PGA of America. The award recognizes excellence in business and merchandising at private, public, and resort golf facilities. Kelley is a 12-year member of the PGA and has overseen the golf operations at the Ranch since 2004.

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Gary F. O’Grady has joined Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. as Municipal Banking Officer. He has offices at 24 North St., Pittsfield, and 31 Court St., Westfield. O’Grady will oversee the Government Banking Department, which specializes in banking services for municipalities and other governmental entities and agencies.

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Motivational speaker, educator, and humorist Dr. Steve Sobel has been asked to address 100 top student-athletes at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., on Feb. 3. He will speak on “Leadership, Motivation, and Teambuilding.” Sobel’s practice is based in Longmeadow.

Country Bank, Worcester Red Sox Announce Community Giving Campaign

By BusinessWest Staff July 23, 2021

Daily News

WARE — Country Bank and the Worcester Red Sox have announced a community giving campaign to support nonprofit leaders throughout the region.

To kick off the campaign, dubbed “WooStars,” Country Bank recognized 11 local nonprofits at Polar Park, including Springfield-based organizations Friends of the Homeless, Ronald McDonald House, Christina’s House, and Habitat for Humanity, along with Worcester-based organizations the United Way, Why Me, Sherry’s House, Provision Ministry, St. John’s Food Pantry for the Poor, the Boys and Girls Club, and Habitat for Humanity. Each nonprofit was presented with a $5,000 check from Paul Scully, president and CEO of Country Bank. Representatives of the nonprofits also participated in a television commercial to support the campaign.

Country Bank and the Worcester Red Sox Foundation will select nine additional nonprofit leaders who have stepped up to the plate to serve their community. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 15. Each winner will receive a $5,000 donation to their nonprofit and will be recognized at a presentation in Polar Park on Sept. 9. A total of $90,000 will be donated this year through the WooStar campaign.

“One of the most important goals of our partnership with the Worcester Red Sox is to find ways for us to collectively give back to our communities in an impactful and meaningful way. Country Bank is deeply rooted in supporting its communities and a value that we have lived by for 171 years,” said Shelley Regin, the bank’s senior vice president of Marketing, adding that “this campaign rewards those doing the life-changing work out there.”

In addition, the bank has also launched a Most Valuable Teacher (MVT) campaign that recognizes the outstanding work teachers do every day to educate and support students. Country Bank has a long-standing Teacher of the Month campaign to support teachers in the region, so it is exciting to partner with the WooSox to make the MVT campaign even more rewarding for teachers and students.

“We are continually inspired by the unrelenting community outreach of Country Bank,” WooSox President Charles Steinberg said. “Our shared interest in education is leading us to recognize some of our unheralded heroes — our MVTs, or Most Valuable Teachers. We look forward to shining the spotlight in the sunlight on our educators, and we thank Country Bank yet again for their splendid partnership.”

The public is invited to nominate a WooStar or Most Valuable Teacher by clicking here or here to complete a simple nomination form.

Picture This

By BusinessWest Staff June 26, 2018

Picture This

Email ‘Picture This’ photos with a caption and contact information to [email protected]

Xtraordinary Efforts

Berkshire Bank closed all locations early on June 5 for its third annual Xtraordinary Day, which provides employees the opportunity to volunteer in communities the bank and its affiliates serve. This year’s Xtraordinary Day included almost 90 community projects with 92% of employees participating, contributing more than 7,000 hours of service. In Berkshire County, projects include a Habitat for Humanity multi-site build in partnership with Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity; assembling of teacher-appreciation kits at Farmington River Elementary; landscaping and painting with Hillcrest Educational Centers; and cleanups with Housatonic River Walk, Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires’ Camp Russell, and the West Stockbridge Historical Society.
In the Pioneer Valley, projects include:

Tree planting and park improvements with ReGreen Springfield

Gift wrapping at Birthday Wishes

Painting and landscaping at Lupa Zoo, Amelia Park Children’s Museum, Girls Club of Greenfield, and YMCA of Springfield; painting the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club; and shelving books and landscaping at the Westfield Anthaneum

Taste of Things to Come

The Boston Foundation recently awarded Holyoke Community College the 2018 Deval Patrick Prize for Community Colleges for expanding its culinary-arts and hospitality programs to address industry needs, and for the partnerships the college put together to construct the new HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute in Holyoke’s Innovation District. First awarded in 2015, the Deval Patrick Prize recognizes community colleges that do an outstanding job partnering with employers to build effective career pathways for their students. Part of the $50,000 prize money is allocated for a free line-cook training program for experienced kitchen workers that started on June 4. Pictured below: faculty and staff stand on the second-floor landing of the new HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute. At bottom: Culinary Arts lab tech and HCC alumnus Tyler Carrier prepares mussels for a lunch event during the spring 2018 semester.

faculty and staff stand on the second-floor landing of the new HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute

Culinary Arts lab tech and HCC alumnus Tyler Carrier prepares mussels for a lunch event during the spring 2018 semester

Community Spirit

Community Bank N.A. team members from the Springfield branch recently participated in Bowl for Kids’ Sake, an annual bowling event that raises funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County. The branch donated $2,500 in scholarships for the organization, contributing to a grand total of more than $40,000 in proceeds raised during the 2018 event. “Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County provides premier services in one-on-one mentoring that really makes a difference in a child’s life,” Community Bank N.A. Vice President, Commercial Banking Officer Michael Buckmaster said. “Our Springfield team is proud to support the organization and help them continue to make a significant impact in our community.”

Pictured, from left: Diane Dunkerley, Michael Buckmaster, and Keith Nesbitt, commercial banking officers; Jackie Guenette, branch manager; and Natasha Miranda, customer service representative

Brandon Braxton

By BusinessWest Staff April 27, 2009

40 Under 40 Class of 2009

Age 39: Senior Relationship Manager, NewAlliance Bank

Brandon Braxton hasn’t forgotten the excitement of buying his first home.

It happened in 2004, about a year before his adopted daughter, Caterina, was born.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” he said. That meaning has been hammered home to Braxton since he joined Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity in early 2007 and met some of the grateful homeowners.

“Knowing where your children will grow up is something many folks take for granted,” he said. “But for those who don’t have that luxury, it’s life-altering.” The graduate of Amherst College signed on with Habitat when he heard his alma mater was donating land for four homes, with the goal of having up to 10 classes of students work on their construction. “It seemed like a great project, and the mission of providing affordable housing and home ownership is something I believe in,” he said.

By September of 2007, Braxton was president of the board of directors. He is dedicated to the progam’s expansion, which has taken on personal meaning as he has gotten to know and witness the excitement of the homeowners and their children. “The mission becomes very tangible,” he said. “We are making the community a better place, but it’s far more personal.

When you ceremonially hand over the keys, it’s an amazing feeling. And it’s nice to have 0%-interest mortgages, which I can’t do in my day job.” His position as senior relationship manager at NewAlliance Bank in West Springfield makes him acutely aware of developments in the area housing market and the difficulty of finding affordable housing in the Pioneer Valley.

He is dedicated to Habitat and says he is lucky to work for an organization that supports his volunteer work. His wife, A. Rima Dael, is also dedicated to making a difference and was in BusinessWest’s inaugural 40 Under Forty class in 2007. “We are proud to be a 40 Under Forty couple,” said Braxton.

—Kathy Mitchell

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff March 31, 2020

Company Notebook

Community Foundation Gives $341,000 Through Innovation Grant Program

SPRINGFIELD — The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ (CFWM) Innovation Grant Program has awarded a total of $341,000 to three change-making nonprofit organizations to continue creating innovative solutions around critical issues facing the region. CFWM’s Innovation Grant Program was launched in 2016 to encourage nonprofits to develop and execute novel ideas in partnership with other entities, as well as allow organizations to construct inventive solutions with measurable impact. In January 2018, CFWM awarded first-year funding to Five Colleges Inc., the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, and Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity to implement innovative projects that were refined and tested during a planning period in 2017. Now entering their third year of funding, these grantees are seeing the tangible impact of their work. Twenty paraprofessionals of color are making their way toward receiving their licensure to become a full-fledged teachers, food-insecure patients are being identified and referred to healthy-food opportunities, and small homes have been built and are being occupied by first-time homebuyers. Five Colleges Inc. will continue to develop its “Paradigm Shift” initiative and bring in new partners. This initiative is focused on creating a more diverse teacher workforce in Western Mass. by helping para-educators of color overcome obstacles to obtaining licensure to become teachers in area schools. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts will spend its third year expanding and analyzing the impact of its Food Insecurity Screening and Referral Initiative that conducts and tracks food insecurity screening and social-service referrals at the Holyoke Health Center and its Chicopee location. Additionally, it will partner with WestMass ElderCare and Springfield Senior Services to address the food needs of patients who screen positive for food insecurity and have a specific medical condition. Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity will continue with a third year of its “Big Enough: the Small Home Revolution in Western Mass.” initiative, which aims to launch more individuals and families into the middle class by empowering them to become first-time owners of small, simple, affordable, energy-efficient homes.

MBK Donates $10,000 to MHA for Crisis-intervention Training

SPRINGFIELD — Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C., (MBK) recently made a $10,000 donation to the Mental Health Assoc. Inc. (MHA) to fund non-violent crisis-intervention training for MHA’s direct-care staff. “To train in non-violent crisis intervention is an important professional-development opportunity for MHA staff,” said Cheryl Fasano, president and CEO of MHA Inc. “MHA does not use physical restraint in any form, so our staff members need skills to safely de-escalate and manage challenging behaviors in a non-violent manner. Our training curriculum from the Crisis Prevention Institute goes further by also helping better equip our staff to prevent difficult situations from escalating.” The Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) is an international training organization committed to best practices and safe behavior-management methods that focus on prevention. Since 1980, more than 10 million professionals around the world have participated in CPI training programs.

HCC Extends Scholarship Application Deadline

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) has extended by two weeks the deadline to apply for scholarships for the 2020-21 academic year. The new application deadline is Wednesday, April 8. Students must be currently enrolled at HCC or have been accepted for the upcoming academic year to be eligible for scholarships, which are awarded through the HCC Foundation, HCC’s nonprofit fundraising corporation. Awards totaling more than $200,000 are available for incoming, continuing, and transferring HCC students. Applicants need only to fill out a single online form to be automatically matched with the scholarships they are most qualified to receive. There are scholarships for new students, current students and students transferring to other institutions, scholarships based on financial need, scholarships for students in specific majors, scholarships for residents of certain communities, and scholarships that recognize academic achievement. For the 2019-20 academic year, the HCC Foundation awarded $223,000 in scholarships to 231 students. To begin the application process, visit www.hcc.edu/scholarships. Questions should be directed to the HCC Foundation office at (413) 552-2182 or Donahue 170 on the HCC campus, 303 Homestead Ave.

PTK Honor Society Presents ACC with Awards During Virtual Ceremony

ENFIELD, Conn. — Asnuntuck Community College’s Alpha Lambda Zeta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society was recognized as being the Most Distinguished Chapter for the New England Region during a virtual awards ceremony held last weekend. The chapter and its members were awarded other honors during its first-ever virtual ceremony. These awards included Distinguished College Project Award and Distinguished Honors in Action Project Award. The chapter elected to do its Honors in Action project within a Politics of Identity theme. Working with various departments at the college, as well as outside agencies, including the Jordan Porco Foundation, the students concentrated on the issue of mental-health awareness. They also established an interactive exhibit on mental-health issues at Asnuntuck, with a digitized version, titled “Art|Mind,” available for those who could not make it to campus. The college project focused on getting information into the hands of students through campus brochures and during the college’s orientation. Asnuntuck student Victoria Orifice was awarded first-place honors for being the Distinguished Chapter Officer.

Beta Gamma Sigma at WNEU Earns Highest Chapter Recognition

SPRINGFIELD — For the third consecutive year, the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) Chapter at Western New England University earned the “highest honors” designation for its campus engagement and programming for the 2018-19 academic year. According to Beta Gamma Sigma CEO Chris Carosella, earning highest honors “is indicative of a campus where academic excellence is highly valued and where the faculty and chapter leaders work diligently to enhance Beta Gamma Sigma’s stature on campus.” One indicator of this engagement is participation at the annual Global Leadership Summit (GLS), which chapter President Tessa Wood and Secretary Kathryn Wells attended last year. The GLS enables delegates to participate in professional-development workshops and share best practices with student leaders from other BGS chapters worldwide.

Junior Achievement of Western Mass. Receives Five Star Award

SPRINGFIELD — Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts has been awarded one of Junior Achievement USA’s highest honors: the Five Star Award. The purpose of the award is to recognize staff and boards of JA areas that meet Junior Achievement’s national standards in operational efficiency and through strong representation of the JA brand. Recipients must demonstrate growth in student impact and superior fiscal performance. Achievement against these criteria is certified through JA USA and audited financial statements. Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts, which serves more than 13,000 students throughout Western Mass. and Vermont, will be presented with the award in July at Junior Achievement USA’s National Leadership Conference in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Robinson Donovan Moves to Expanded Northampton Location

NORTHAMPTON — Robinson Donovan, P.C., a full-service law firm, announced it has moved from its previous Northampton office to a more expansive location at 351 Pleasant St. The firm’s phone number, (413) 732-2301, remains the same. “We wanted to make things as convenient as possible for our growing list of clients in Hampshire County,” Partner Michael Simolo said. “We can now meet with them more comfortably. The response from clients has been very positive.” Partner Jeffrey Trapani, added that “our new office in Northampton has plenty of meeting space, free parking, and easier access. Quite a few of our attorneys live in Hampshire County, so having an expanded office in Northampton makes sense for us operationally as well and helps us better serve our clients throughout the Pioneer Valley.”

Behavioral Health Network Receives $15,000 Grant from Country Bank

SPRINGFIELD — Behavioral Health Network Inc. (BHN) has been awarded a $15,000 grant from Country Bank, which will fund direct services for BHN’s domestic-violence programs in Ware. Country Bank’s grant to BHN will be used for innovative support and advocacy services for domestic-violence survivors, which includes partnering with Country Bank employees in offering the economic-freedom initiative known as Money School. BHN’s Money School program is an award-winning, trauma-informed financial-independence initiative designed to create long-term safety and economic security for survivors of domestic violence. The grant will also be used to provide prevention-education work in local schools, and for interruption and prevention services for perpetrators of domestic violence.

Springfield WORKS Programs to Benefit from State Grant

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield WORKS leads local employers, educators, community leaders, and job seekers in developing innovative solutions to meet the economic needs of area residents and local businesses. A founding member in the Springfield WORKS collaboration, Springfield Partners for Community Action, recently received a second $50,000 award from the Baker-Polito Community Services Block Grant Special Projects Fund to support Springfield WORKS financial-wellness strategies. This award comes on the heels of a recent $100,000 Baker-Polito Urban Agenda Grant to Springfield WORKS and the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts. The funds will enable families to achieve economic stability as they navigate workforce-development training into a career pathway.

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff June 12, 2018

Departments People on the Move

Nikki Gleason

Florence Bank hired Nikki Gleason to serve as vice president and branch manager of the bank’s new Springfield location, slated to open this year. Gleason studied accounting at Springfield Technical Community College and completed the program at the New England School of Financial Studies at Babson College. She is a board member for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity as well as a fundraising committee member Revitalize Community Development Corp. of Springfield. She will work in the bank’s second Hampden County branch, at 1444 Allen St. in Springfield.

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Jose Rivera

After an extensive search, Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) hired Jose “Joe” Rivera as its new senior director of Public Safety/chief of police. Rivera, who started May 7, brings a range of law-enforcement experience. For the past 24 years, he has worked in municipal and higher-education policing. Most recently, he served as chief of police at Holyoke Community College. He previously worked at STCC as the college’s assistant director of public safety/lieutenant. Rivera, who holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Curry College in Milton, began his career with the Amherst Police Department. He moved on to other positions, including ones at the Massasoit Community College Police Department and UMass Dartmouth, where he was a sergeant and lieutenant, respectively. His certifications and training include firearms instructor, sexual-assault investigation, emergency planning, interview and interrogation, and Clery Act compliance, which requires colleges and universities participating in federal financial-aid programs to maintain and disclose campus crime statistics and security information.

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Brian Roode

Gove Law Office announced it will open an office in Spencer, expanding its presence into Worcester County. The four-attorney firm also has offices in Ludlow and Northampton. Along with the opening of the Spencer office, Gove Law Office also welcomes attorney Brian Roode as an associate. Roode, who has been in practice since 2008, will be focused on real-estate transactions, family law and mediation, estate planning, and landlord-tenant matters. He earned his juris doctor from the Massachusetts School of Law in 2008 and owned his own solo practice until joining the Gove Law Office in 2018. He practices in Worcester, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.

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Becky Bozadjian

Tighe & Bond Inc., a regional leader in engineering and environmental consulting, appointed Becky Bozadjian as its director of Marketing & Communications. In this role, she will manage the firm’s marketing and communications group and contribute to growth strategies consistent with Tighe & Bond’s continued expansion in the marketplace. Bozadjian, who is based in the firm’s Westwood office, has more than 25 years of experience as a senior management and marketing professional in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. During this time, she has focused on building responsive marketing organizations, as well as developing and implementing strategic marketing plans for small, regional, and national professional-services firms. Her career has been defined by high-level leadership positions at several prominent engineering firms in the Boston area. Bozadjian has been a member of the Society for Marketing Professionals and has presented on a variety of topics at the national and regional levels. In the Coaching for Leadership & Teamwork Program at Babson College, she coaches undergraduate students on leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. She earned her MBA at Babson College with a concentration in marketing, and her bachelor’s degree in economics from Connecticut College.

•••••

Heather Loges

Heather Loges was recently promoted to the position of chief operations officer at Royal, P.C., a labor and employment law firm in Northampton. Loges has been with Royal since July 2016, joining as a paralegal. As the COO, Heather is in charge of all aspects of law-firm operations and law-firm management and finances, as well as managing the firm’s business-development and marketing strategies. Loges has a bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst and a certificate in paralegal studies from Boston University. She was recently nominated for the 2018 Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Excellence in Paralegal Work Award.

•••••

Michael Ostrowski, president and CEO of Arrha Credit Union, congratulates Tony Sanches, assistant vice president of Retail Operations, for receiving a Credit Union Rising Star Award at the Great New England Credit Union Show in Worcester. The show highlighted new technology and featured breakout sessions in many topics, including cybersecurity, latest trends in digital banking, member satisfaction, and member experience. The morning breakfast was a salute to employees who showed a strong sense of the mission of credit unions and strong abilities in their area of expertise, along with community involvement.

•••••

The Lenox Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed its new executive director, Shaun Kelleher. Kelleher grew up in the Berkshires and is back home after spending nearly a decade in New York City. He attended Berkshire Community College and, later, Syracuse University. In New York, he cultivated a career in marketing. As senior director of Marketing at 24 Seven, a creative staffing and recruiting company with 12 offices across the globe, he led a team of designers, marketers, copywriters, and strategists to grow and promote the brand. Most recently, he was an account manager at BRIGADE, a marketing and design agency in Hadley, where he worked with clients such as SVEDKA Vodka, BIC, Black Box Premium Wines, Woodbridge, World Hotels, and Audience Rewards. He also sits on the board of the Ad Club of Western Massachusetts as its membership chair.

•••••

Hannah Winters

Megan Conner

Sue Camp

Taylor Real Estate announced it has hired a new employee who recently earned her real-estate license, and two other agents have also been licensed in the past year. Hannah Winters came on board in April as a rental specialist, and she will lead the family-owned firm’s Rental Department. Winters and realtors Megan Conner and Sue Camp also earned the credentials that will allow them to represent a buyer or seller in a real-estate transaction. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Winters moved to Western Mass. in 2015. She is working on an associate degree in business administration at Holyoke Community College and will attend UMass Amherst this fall, where she hopes to earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She has volunteered with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps in the past and also has experience in hospitality management. Conner, the daughter of Taylor Real Estate owner Chuck Conner, is an Easthampton native who grew up working in the business. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a specialty in developmental disabilities and human services from UMass Amherst. Conner has extensive experience in customer service, having worked at Taylor Real Estate as the administrative and advertising assistant for the past nine years. She previously served as a developmental specialist relief staff at Riverside Industries. Camp has more than 20 years of customer-service experience. She holds an associate degree in biomedical engineering technology from Springfield Technical Community College and is a volunteer for Dakin Humane Society and the therapeutic Equestrian Center in Holyoke.

•••••

Robert Mickey joined the Main Street Hospitality team as senior director of Regional Operations and general manager of the Red Lion Inn. Mickey brings 20 years of hospitality experience to Main Street Hospitality, including extensive operational and management expertise. His tenure at Old Edwards Hospitality Group in Highlands, N.C. was preceded by work at other prominent properties throughout the Southeast, including the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.V. as vice president of Guest Relations. He also served as director of Room Operations at the Sea Island Co. in St. Simons Island, Ga. In his new role at Main Street Hospitality, Mickey will focus on leading operations at the Red Lion Inn and provide oversight and support to Main Street Hospitality’s Berkshires properties, including Porches Inn at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Hotel on North in Pittsfield, and Briarcliff in Great Barrington.

•••••

Solidago Foundation CEO Elizabeth Barajas-Román officially welcomed participants to the Women and Money Summit hosted by the Women’s Funding Network, the largest philanthropic network in the world devoted to women and girls. The summit was held at the SUNY Global Center in New York City on May 22. Barajas-Román serves as vice chair of the Women’s Funding Network. The Women and Money Summit focused on women-of-color leadership and the role of women as engaged influencers on all issues relating to economic security. Barajas-Román participated in an afternoon panel discussing the importance of including both race and gender in grant-making strategies in order to achieve economic opportunity and security for all.

Monson Family Celebrates Home Preservation Program

By BusinessWest Staff February 15, 2022

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — In September, Purple Heart Homes (PHH), a veterans-services agency that focuses on housing solutions, asked Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH), a nonprofit and non-governmental organization, if it would like to collaborate on a home-preservation project. Peter, a retired Army National Guard staff sergeant, and his wife, Beth, purchased a duplex in Monson three years ago. They live in one unit. Beth’s daughter and young son live in the other residence. Both units needed repair.

GSHFH’s Home Preservation Program provides affordable microloans to qualifying homeowners who need help with accessibility modifications, home weatherization, general home repairs, yard cleanup, and landscaping. Greater Springfield Habitat sent staff to assess the three areas of concern — a moss-spotted roof, a broken water heater in the daughter’s unit, and damaged exterior doors at both dwellings.

“We are always happy to work cooperatively with Purple Heart Homes to improve the living conditions for an area veteran and his or her family,” said Deborah O’Mara, Family Services manager. “By teaming up, we can do much more than either organization could ever do alone. When we are finished, the Wiggins family will have a fully functional and weathertight home in which to live.”

Matt Stevenson, director of PHH’s Veteran Home Opportunity Program, agreed.

“For Purple Heart Homes, our partnership with GSHFH for Peter’s home remodel/repair project is a significant force multiplier for our organization. This collaboration bridges both our organizations’ strengths, and together, we’re able to assist more veterans in our communities,” Stevenson said. “This is the second veteran project PHH has completed with Greater Springfield Habitat, and we look forward to a continued partnership in the future.”

The roof, siding, and water-heater issues were addressed in December. Exterior doors for side entrances and the basement are on order.

“My house was looking like the Amityville Horror house, but now it sparkles like Disneyland,” Peter said. “The moss on the roof, gone, The mossy steps in the front, gone. An excellent job worthy of praise and kudos.”

Take Steps to Lower Your Risk for Lyme Disease

By BusinessWest Staff July 11, 2017

Sections Summer Safety

Tick Talk

By Dr. Amy Jaworek

Summertime has arrived, and with it comes swimming, hiking, outdoor traveling … and ticks. If you enjoy hiking, gardening, or engaging in pretty much any outdoor activity, there are some things you should be aware of to help prevent tick-borne illness.

Ticks are arachnids, with eight legs, just like their spider cousins. They do not jump, fly, or fall from trees; rather, they crawl from grasses onto the legs of animals and humans, clothing, and boots. Ticks feed on the blood of animals, mainly white-footed mice and deer. If infected with bacteria, viruses, or parasites, a biting tick poses a risk to human health.

Amy Jaworek
Some infected people don’t have any symptoms, while others experience joint pain, muscle soreness, flu-like cold symptoms, or general achiness.”

Ticks are most often found living in places where small rodents are active, such as stone walls, under leaves or brush, in tall grassy fields and pastures, in woodlots, along borders between homes and woods, and around building foundations where there is shrubbery, foliage, or tall grass.

Scientists are predicting the warm, humid summer months could bring an unusual abundance of ticks and tick-borne illnesses this summer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported nationwide each year, while studies suggest the actual number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease is more likely about 300,000.

Many people don’t realize they are at risk. Now is a good time to learn, and employ, prevention techniques. There are some simple steps you can take to reduce your chance of being bit by ticks this summer.

According to the American Lyme Disease Foundation (ALDF), Lyme disease is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacterium called a spirochete (pronounced spy-ro-keet) that is carried by deer ticks.

“An infected tick can transmit the spirochete to the humans and animals it bites.” according to the ALDF. “Untreated, the bacterium travels through the bloodstream, establishes itself in various body tissues, and can cause a number of symptoms, some of which are severe. Lyme disease manifests itself as a multi-system inflammatory disease that affects the skin in its early, localized stage, and spreads to the joints, nervous system, and, to a lesser extent, other organ systems in its later, disseminated stages. If diagnosed and treated early with antibiotics, it is almost always readily cured.

“Generally, LD in its later stages can also be treated effectively,” the ALDF notes, “but because the rate of disease progression and individual response to treatment varies from one patient to the next, some patients may have symptoms that linger for months or even years following treatment. In rare instances, Lyme disease causes permanent damage.”

When you’re bit by a tick, you won’t necessarily see a bull’s-eye type of rash, as is commonly thought. A tick bite could manifest in the form of a persistent rash, bump, or red spot on the skin. If you question such an area, have it checked out by your doctor.

Some infected people don’t have any symptoms, while others experience joint pain, muscle soreness, flu-like cold symptoms, or general achiness. If you experience symptoms out of the ordinary for you, see your doctor to find out whether Lyme, or another tick-borne illness, could be the culprit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides tips for removing an embedded tick from your body: grasp it with fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin as possible; pull upward with steady, even pressure to keep the tick intact; and clean the bite site and your hands thoroughly with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water. Place the tick in a baggie and seal it with tape, or flush the tick down the toilet. The CDC recommends checking with your doctor before sending a tick on for testing.

Other prevention tips from the CDC include:

• Avoid the border areas between lawns and woods, which is where ticks make their habitats;

• Use tick repellent on your body (with DEET) and clothing (with permethrin);

• Don’t let your dog off leash, instead keeping them in the middle of trails;

• Tuck your pants into your socks or boots when hiking in the woods or field areas;

• Shower as soon as possible after coming in from outdoors;

• Do regular full-body tick checks of yourself, your children, spouse, etc.;

• Check your pets, gear, and backpacks for crawling ticks;

• Around the home, try to create a tick-safe zone: clear brush, leaves, and tall grasses; mow the lawn frequently; stack wood in a dry area; and discourage unwelcome animals such as deer, raccoons, and stray dogs; and

• Tumble-dry clothing in a dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes (this kills ticks, whereas cold or medium temperatures do not).

Dr. Amy Jaworek is an infectious-disease and primary-care physician at Holyoke Medical Center.

Madeline Landrau, Linda Slakey Named to Westfield State Board

By BusinessWest Staff October 6, 2014

Daily News

WESTFIELD — Westfield State University President Elizabeth Preston announced that Madeline Landrau and Linda Slakey have been named the newest members of the WSU board of trustees. Their appointments complete the full, 11-member board.

Landrau has worked at MassMutual for nearly 20 years, most recently in the office of Community Responsibility and as marketing director for multicultural market development, where she is responsible for leading the development and execution of marketing and recruiting strategies to help the company reach the U.S. Hispanic and Latino markets.

Landrau’s community-service efforts include past and current roles as a board member of Habitat for Humanity and vice chair at ALMMA, MassMutual’s employee resource group. Previous roles include serving as board chair of the city of Springfield’s Personnel Department, commissioner of Springfield Libraries, and member of MassMutual’s Women Business Advisory Board. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in human services at Springfield College.

“I am looking forward to working with such an elite group of community leaders,” said Landrau. “For me, this appointment poses the important questions of ‘what do I share?’ and ‘what do I learn?’ — the outcomes of which will drive what we can do collectively. It is an exciting opportunity.” Landrau is the first non-student Latina to serve on Westfield State’s board of trustees.

Slakey serves as senior advisor for the Assoc. of American Universities STEM Initiative and as senior fellow for Project Kaleidoscope for the Assoc. of American Colleges & Universities. Her career in higher education and research began when she was appointed to the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry at UMass Amherst in 1973. Her scientific work focused on lipid metabolism and vascular biology, and was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Assoc., and the National Science Foundation. During her time there, she served as head of the Department of Biochemistry (1986-1991) and dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (1993-2000) and of the Commonwealth College (2000-2006). As dean of NSM and of Commonwealth College, she was active in supporting teaching and learning initiatives throughout the university.

Slakey served at the National Science Foundation from 2006 through 2011 as the director of the Division of Undergraduate Education, and as a senior staff associate in the office of the assistant director for Education and Human Resources. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Siena Heights College and her Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Michigan.

“From my perspective in higher education, Westfield State is a campus that has already moved along the trajectory of understanding the importance of methods of instruction that engage students directly, and I look forward to supporting their further advancement,” said Slakey.

Gray House Inducts Five New Board Members

By BusinessWest Staff December 18, 2015

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Gray House recently inducted five new board members to three-year terms.

• Jan Rodriguez Denney is director of Elder Affairs for the city of Springfield. She holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from UMass and a master’s degree in human resources development from American International College. She serves on the board of Partners for a Healthier Community, Springfield Food Policy Council, Regional Employment Board, YWCA, Incorporated Emerson Wright Foundation, Greater Senior Services Inc., and Springfield College Board.

• Sean Ditto is a project executive with Consigli Construction Co. in Hartford, Conn. He has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Norwich University.

• Karen Garcia is a family specialist with the New England Farm Workers Council. She works with the homeless to help them address their issues so they are able to sustain affordable housing.

• Sr. Catherine Homrok is one of the founders of the Gray House. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1959 after graduation from St. Jerome High School in Holyoke. She received her bachelor’s degree from Elms College and her master’s degree from Emerson College. Currently, she serves the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield as its director of Pastoral Ministries.

• Tina-Marie Quagliato is director of disaster recovery and compliance for the city of Springfield. She has been employed by the city for almost 11 years, with varying roles in housing, community development, and neighborhood stabilization. She is on the board of trustees for the Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School of Excellence in Springfield and the board of directors for the United Way of Pioneer Valley, Emergency Food and Shelter Program. She has volunteered with Keep Springfield Beautiful, Habitat for Humanity, Open Pantry, and the Mattoon Street Arts Festival.

The Gray House is a small, neighborhood human-service agency located at 22 Sheldon St. in the North End of Springfield. Its mission is to help neighbors facing hardships to meet their immediate and transitional needs by providing food, clothing, and educational services in a safe, positive environment. For more information, visit www.grayhouse.org.

bankESB Marks 150 Years of Being a True Hometown bank

By BusinessWest Staff August 20, 2019

2019

bankESB is marking its 150th birthday this year, and there is much to celebrate, especially a century and a half of being a true hometown bank.

“For all of those years, the bank has been dedicated to providing its customers with a wide range of innovative products and services,” said Dena Hall, bankESB Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “Today, bankESB is a one-stop shop for individual and commercial banking and financial services. The bank has been growing and expanding to better serve customers, including recently adding three commercial bankers, and increasing its staff in human resources, cash management, and mortgage services. Customers looking to buy a home or refinance have the option of applying for a loan either in-person with a mortgage professional or online.”

With the opening of a branch on Sargeant Street in Holyoke, bankESB has 11 branches throughout the Valley. Besides Easthampton, where it has two locations, branches are also located in Agawam, Belchertown, Hadley, South Hadley, Southampton, Westfield, and two in Northampton. And a 12th branch is scheduled to open in Amherst in 2020.

In short, the bank has grown and evolved over the years, but it remains true to the charter on which it was launched.

Indeed, a mutual bank, bankESB’s mission is to remain loyal to its customers, employees and the communities it serves, not stockholders, said Hall, adding that the bank’s mission is reflected in its values of charitable giving and volunteerism. From large organizations like Cooley Dickinson Hospital to local

Little League teams, the Easthampton Saving’s Bank Charitable Foundation has donated close to $2 million over the past five years.

Recent contributions to local nonprofits include the Hampshire Regional YMCA’s Renew and Restore Project, Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity’s Big Enough Initiative, and Northampton Survival Center’s “Partners in Doing Good Business” program.

bankESB employees can also be found volunteering their time for a myriad of charitable projects and events throughout the Pioneer Valley, so much so that the Boston Business Journal recently ranked the bank as a “Top Corporate Charitable Volunteer” in Massachusetts.

“It’s important for us to be that community partner,” said Hall. “We’re focused on how we serve our customers, how we serve our communities, and how we treat our employees.”

These efforts have culminated in Forbes Magazine naming bankESB to its 2019 Best n-State Bank list, two years in a row.

“This recognition is particularly special because we live and work by a set of core values, so I’m proud to say this award really goes to our employees,” said Matthew Sosik, President & CEO of bankESB and CEO of Hometown Financial Group, the bank’s parent company. “The commitment they bring to their job each day and the service they provide to our customers and communities is what sets us apart from other banks.”

As Hall and Sosik noted, as bankESB marks its sesquicentennial, there is plenty to celebrate.

Florence Bank Promotes Jim Hickey to Senior Vice President, Director of Marketing

By BusinessWest Staff June 27, 2023

Daily News

FLORENCE — Florence Bank announced that Jim Hickey, vice president and director of Marketing Operations, has been promoted to lead the bank’s marketing efforts as senior vice president and director of Marketing.

Hickey replaces Monica Curhan, who retired on April 7 after serving as senior vice president and director of Marketing for nearly 10 years.

Hickey was hired in November 2021 as director of Marketing Operations with the explicit plan to one day take the helm as director of Marketing. He has 25 years of strategic marketing experience as well as a strong affinity for the Florence Bank brand, which Curhan ushered in during the early years of her tenure. “The challenge for me will be sustaining and evolving our unique brand identity,” Hickey said.

Matt Garrity, president and CEO of Florence Bank, said, “we are thrilled that Jim is stepping into this role to lead our marketing efforts. He is a creative thinker with a collaborative approach and a proven track record of managing projects from conception to implementation. I’m excited to see where he takes the brand next.”

Hickey holds a bachelor’s degree in English from UMass Amherst. He has experience in areas that include account management, creative development, media plan execution, and media buying.

Before joining Florence Bank, he was vice president of Account Service at Communicators Group, a marketing communications firm in Keene, N.H. He has also served as vice president and director of Marketing for Westbank, a financial institution formerly based in West Springfield.

Hickey said his experience in financial-services marketing and communications will continue to inform his work for Florence Bank. “I have managed the marketing and communications efforts for a number of clients in the banking industry. Those experiences have helped prepare me for this role.”

Active in the community, Hickey sits on the board for the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Curhan is looking forward to spending time with her grandchildren and helping her husband operate his apiary, caring for the bees and selling honey and honey products.

In the 10 years she represented the bank, Curhan served as a trustee for Cooley Dickinson Hospital, on its board for three years as well as on various committees. She also volunteered for the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, served meals at the Interfaith Emergency Homeless Shelter – COT Shelter in downtown Northampton, and took part in a Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity build day.

PV Squared Named Among Top 500 Solar Contractors in U.S.

By BusinessWest Staff August 3, 2017

Daily News

GREENFIELD — Solar Power World, the leading publication covering solar technology and development, published its annual Top Solar Contractors list in July. PV Squared, a local solar-installation company and worker-owned cooperative, was listed prominently among other top solar contractors and developers across the country.

PV Squared is a local leader in the field of solar design, installation, and maintenance. A worker-owned cooperative, the company has provided renewable-energy solutions to a range of clients, including business owners, commercial property owners, farmers, and homeowners since 2002. PV Squared currently employs 42 people, 19 of whom are co-owners of the business. In 2016, it completed 188 projects in the Pioneer Valley and surrounding areas, installing 2.5 MW of solar power. It is also a certified B Corporation, demonstrating its commitment to a triple-bottom-line business model.

“It’s an honor to represent Western Massachusetts as a locally owned business on this list of top solar companies, and to be among a total of 19 companies located in the Commonwealth. We’ve put our hearts into our work for the past 15 years, so to be recognized in this way by a national publication is deeply rewarding,” said PV Squared General Manager Stacy Metzger.

While PV Squared is being recognized nationally, its focus and commitment has remained local. It is currently involved in Franklin County’s first Habitat for Humanity project in five years and will be contributing a solar array to the construction of an energy-efficient home in Greenfield. Additionally, it is also exploring opportunities to partner with the Franklin County Technical School to mentor young people through a solar installation process. The donation of this solar array will not only eliminate upfront costs for the future homeowner, but will also help strengthen the local community.

“This is our community, and it means a lot to us to help create a healthier future,” Metzger said. “Our ongoing partnerships with local organizations, such as Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity, allow us to make a greater impact and find more meaning in the work we do.”

Real Estate Transactions

By BusinessWest Staff April 5, 2016

Departments Real Estate

The following real estate transactions (latest available) were compiled by Banker & Tradesman and are published as they were received. Only transactions exceeding $115,000 are listed. Buyer and seller fields contain only the first name listed on the deed.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

ASHFIELD

28 Meadow Lane
Ashfield, MA 01330
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Glassman
Seller: Karen S. Kaplan
Date: 03/04/16

BERNARDSTON

65 Deane Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Robert A. Deane
Seller: Drew, Mark E., (Estate)
Date: 02/23/16

128 Fox Hill Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $351,300
Buyer: William E. Savitri
Seller: Dennis M. Shockro
Date: 02/26/16

BUCKLAND

120 State St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Sarah Davenport
Seller: Ruthe W. Jubinville
Date: 02/26/16

DEERFIELD

6 Pocumtuck Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $416,000
Buyer: Jonathan D. Lewis
Seller: David G. Spoolstra
Date: 02/24/16

GILL

67 Dole Road
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Scott A. Newton
Seller: Brian D. McComb
Date: 02/29/16

GREENFIELD

653 Bernardston Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Patrick Mahoney
Seller: James H. Lunt
Date: 02/29/16

147-151 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: David J. Larue
Seller: Aardvark Apts. LLC
Date: 02/29/16

153 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: David J. Larue
Date: 02/29/16

111-113 Deerfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $131,600
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Leroy H. Stewart
Date: 03/01/16

264-266 Federal St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Mark A. Sirum
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/25/16

16 Grove St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: David J. Larue
Seller: Aardvark Apts. LLC
Date: 02/29/16

63 James St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: James R. Gleason
Seller: William E. Savitri
Date: 02/26/16

35 Lakeview Dr.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $296,250
Buyer: Robert J. Sagor
Seller: Margaret S. Barry
Date: 03/04/16

28 Park Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Jose L. Castillo
Seller: Desiree A. Frank
Date: 02/22/16

56 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Robert Howe
Seller: John J. Mackin RET
Date: 02/26/16

HEATH

1 Bray Road
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Heather C. Hathwell
Seller: Steven A. Michel
Date: 02/26/16

LEYDEN

140 Alexander Road
Leyden, MA 01337
Amount: $287,400
Buyer: Robin W. Symonds
Seller: Edward W. Quinlan
Date: 03/01/16

MONTAGUE

23-25 Griswold St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Simon E. Scher
Seller: Ronald F. Bovat
Date: 03/02/16

8 West Chestnut Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Bank Of America
Seller: Laurie D. Williams
Date: 02/24/16

NEW SALEM

214 Cooleyville Road
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Gary P. Skaza
Seller: Patricia A. Skaza
Date: 02/23/16

NORTHFIELD

821 Millers Falls Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $239,900
Buyer: Jeanne K. Moore
Seller: Robert Howe
Date: 02/26/16

96 Mount Hermon Station Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: John A. Jones
Seller: Pamela J. Veith
Date: 03/03/16

ORANGE

20 Burrill Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Morgan A. Sisson
Seller: Edward J. Dornig
Date: 02/23/16

110 Oaklawn Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Thomas P. & K. A. Thompson LT
Seller: Michael H. Barnard
Date: 02/29/16

SHELBURNE

119 Bridge St.
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Thomas C. Johnson
Seller: Brian F. Clare
Date: 03/03/16

WHATELY

110 Christian Lane
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $670,000
Buyer: Rich & Co. LLC
Seller: Samson Associates LLC
Date: 03/03/16

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

373 Barry St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $252,500
Buyer: Michael R. Renkawitz
Seller: Richard T. Ward
Date: 02/29/16

262 Colemore St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $127,500
Buyer: Andrey K. Domnenko
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/26/16

55 Elm St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Amber Dutton
Seller: Ronald R. Napolitan
Date: 02/29/16

41 Fernwood Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $257,500
Buyer: Jason A. Bassett
Seller: Anthony Depalma
Date: 02/29/16

145 High St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Ryan P. Fitzemeyer
Seller: Christopher J. Bednarzyk
Date: 02/26/16

84 Highland St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $183,850
Buyer: Albert J. Liquori
Seller: 84 Highland LLC
Date: 02/29/16

42 Poinsetta St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Garner
Seller: Maxine J. Bolly
Date: 02/26/16

215 Poplar St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $173,223
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Joseph J. Liquori
Date: 03/02/16

108 Reed St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Benjamin E. Nuzzolilli
Seller: Michael A. Santaniello
Date: 03/03/16

717 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Moustafa I. Tahoun
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/29/16

346 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Sharol A. Menard
Seller: Nancy Gentile
Date: 03/04/16

583 Suffield St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Edward Quinlan
Seller: David M. Tangredi
Date: 03/01/16

BRIMFIELD

45 Brookfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Courtney M. Williams
Seller: Nathan M. Clairmont
Date: 02/26/16

CHESTER

404 Route 20
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Marie L. Morrissey
Seller: Michael A. Morrissey
Date: 03/02/16

CHICOPEE

2 Access Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $126,000
Buyer: Robert Larkin
Seller: USA VA
Date: 02/23/16

22 Bardon St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Edward J. Montemagni
Seller: CRA Holdings Inc.
Date: 02/24/16

245 Broadway St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,349
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Gayle L. Crochiere
Date: 02/29/16

547 Broadway St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $117,050
Buyer: Citifinancial Servicing
Seller: Raymond T. Peltier
Date: 03/02/16

455 Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $1,888,400
Buyer: Chicopee Gardens Rehab & Care
Seller: Guilford Health Mgmt. Inc.
Date: 03/04/16

198 Carew St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Thomas A. Conroy
Seller: Russell A. Hedges
Date: 03/03/16

247 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $117,560
Buyer: Grzegorz Nowakowski
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 03/03/16

48 Claire St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Bagge
Seller: Keith W. Lemay
Date: 02/26/16

914 Front St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,500
Buyer: Julie Gardner
Date: 02/23/16

117 Gilbert Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Teresa Chadwick
Seller: Godaire, Ernest R., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

255 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: William D. Bouthillette
Seller: Yvette Guyette
Date: 02/22/16

48 Hamilton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Robert Galica
Seller: US Bank
Date: 03/04/16

48 Hamilton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Dorothy Dorobisz
Date: 02/26/16

22 Harrington Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Alexandre C. Holan
Seller: Scott E. Graham
Date: 02/24/16

28 Harrington Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Mayo
Seller: Julian S. Tenczar
Date: 03/03/16

51 Helen St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Pepin
Seller: Thomas W. Connor
Date: 02/29/16

94 Manning St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Joseph R. Ricker
Seller: Cheryl Soucy
Date: 02/25/16

75 Murphy Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Diane M. Mercier
Seller: Riverbend 2 Properties
Date: 02/26/16

44 New Lombard Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $1,888,400
Buyer: Chicopee Gardens Rehab & Care
Seller: Guilford Health Mgmt. Inc.
Date: 03/04/16

455 Oldfield Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Andrei Katykhin
Seller: US Bank
Date: 02/25/16

54 Pembroke Place
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $147,000
Buyer: Paul J. Caban
Seller: Lydia Garcia
Date: 02/26/16

42 Reedstone Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $159,900
Buyer: Marissa L. Cloutier
Seller: Susan M. Baez
Date: 02/26/16

63 Silvin Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $158,900
Buyer: Edward A. Rivera
Seller: Kevin Montemagni
Date: 02/26/16

165 Trilby Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Robert J. King
Seller: Robert F. King
Date: 02/26/16

29 Warregan St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Jesus J. Torres
Seller: Micks, Preston L., (Estate)
Date: 03/04/16

EAST LONGMEADOW

389 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Tan D. Nguyen
Seller: Joseph Scalia
Date: 02/29/16

7 Dewey Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Horace Parker
Seller: Tracy A. Lavoie
Date: 02/25/16

21 East Circle Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Tara A. Edson
Seller: Dean C. Edson
Date: 02/25/16

255 Elm St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Prudence L. Maloni
Seller: FNMA
Date: 02/26/16

11 Park Place
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Robert H. Caldwell
Seller: John D. Perenick
Date: 02/29/16

188 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $237,500
Buyer: Dennis P. McManus
Seller: Belorusky, Nadia J., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

434 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Dennis M. Goldrick
Seller: Boudrew, Joseph A. V., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

GRANVILLE

734 Main Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Joshua L. Rutola
Seller: James C. Jensen
Date: 02/22/16

15 Old Westfield Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Clark C. Boynton
Seller: Olsen, Peter J., (Estate)
Date: 02/25/16

231 Silver St.
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $274,900
Buyer: Eric D. Lane
Seller: Ralph W. Emerson
Date: 03/02/16

HAMPDEN

62 Pondview Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $247,500
Buyer: John D. Moriarty
Seller: Kathleen A. Charest
Date: 03/04/16

Thresher Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: Cumberland Blues RT
Seller: Nicholas C. Camerota
Date: 02/29/16

375 Wilbraham Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Seller: Carol A. Andree
Date: 02/22/16

HOLLAND

6 Ardmore Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $137,283
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Michelle M. Damon
Date: 02/26/16

HOLYOKE

184-186 Beech St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $163,069
Buyer: Anthony Witman
Seller: Witman Properties Inc.
Date: 02/22/16

1104 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1106 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1124 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1138 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1140 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1154 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1156 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1373 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

1375 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

48 Elliot St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Matthew J. McDonough
Seller: Philip M. Rugo
Date: 03/04/16

213 Locust St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: David M. Cowan
Seller: Heather M. Rush
Date: 02/26/16

82 Memorial Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $149,000
Buyer: Jason L. Paulo
Seller: Clifford W. Laraway
Date: 03/04/16

40 Moss Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: David Morrissey
Seller: Eleanor M. Morrissey
Date: 02/22/16

7 Ross Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Erich R. Dittrich
Seller: C. L. Callahan-Swindell
Date: 03/03/16

31 Washington Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Louis A. Lebron
Seller: Alden Pond Properties LLC
Date: 03/04/16

LONGMEADOW

188 Burbank Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $324,000
Buyer: Christopher P. Rennix
Seller: Thomas J. Haberlin
Date: 02/23/16

159 Edgewood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Thomas G. Conway
Seller: Foundation Investors Inc.
Date: 02/29/16

12 Erskine Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Ian L. Goldsmith
Seller: Douglas W. Taylor
Date: 02/25/16

120 Inverness Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Gary A. Popovich
Seller: Timothy F. Keane
Date: 02/26/16

112 Kenmore Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $263,500
Buyer: Geoffrey Putnam
Seller: Paul J. Kipetz
Date: 03/01/16

110 Knollwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Michael J. Przyborski
Seller: Catherine M. McCarthy
Date: 02/26/16

21 Lincoln Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Rajendrasinh S. Mahida
Seller: Campagnari Construction
Date: 02/23/16

29 Lincoln Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Kalpanaben S. Desai
Seller: Campagnari Construction LLC
Date: 02/29/16

19 Oak Hollow Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Jonh A. Benson
Seller: Michael D. Caban
Date: 02/29/16

101 Osceola Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $332,000
Buyer: Sara K. Perry
Seller: Goldstiek, Eleanor, (Estate)
Date: 02/29/16

LUDLOW

1680 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: David J. Chaves
Date: 02/29/16

972 Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $218,600
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Diane M. Hernandez
Date: 02/24/16

1275 East St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $313,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Debra C. Derose
Date: 02/26/16

615 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Lupa Development Co. LLC
Seller: Strycharz FT
Date: 03/04/16

38 Grimard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Cody R. Binette
Seller: David A. Yelle
Date: 02/29/16

30 Jackie Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Simard
Seller: Kevin P. Pycko
Date: 02/26/16

102 Longview Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Brian M. Liberty
Seller: William J. Liberty
Date: 02/26/16

614 Moore St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $185,313
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Frankie J. Albano
Date: 03/01/16

7 Spring St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Joseph Teixeira
Seller: Miguel Goncalves
Date: 03/01/16

129 West Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $132,000
Buyer: Jeffrey M. Higgins
Seller: William A. Nichols
Date: 02/23/16

MONSON

11 Gates St.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $138,600
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: James A. Burke
Date: 02/26/16

3 Homer Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $206,912
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Patricia A. Courtemanche
Date: 03/03/16

PALMER

4437 High St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $151,000
Buyer: Mark Baldwin
Seller: Marcia L. Copeland
Date: 03/04/16

3201 Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Crystal A. Dennison
Seller: William J. Brown
Date: 02/29/16

3051 Pine St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $133,500
Buyer: Bradley Lord
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 02/26/16

3058 South Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $194,000
Buyer: Thomas M. Mcgrath
Seller: May L. Rooney
Date: 03/03/16

1046 Thorndike St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $163,261
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Michelle L. Bennett
Date: 02/29/16

363 Ware St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $193,450
Buyer: Michael J. Senecal
Seller: Miriam J. Jorge
Date: 02/26/16

SOUTHWICK

14 Bungalow St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Peter G. Sprague
Date: 02/24/16

17 Ed Holcomb Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Timothy G. Gerrish
Seller: Red Oak Investments LLC
Date: 02/26/16

6 Junction Station Road #6
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Goldsmith FT
Seller: 20 Depot Square LLC
Date: 03/04/16

SPRINGFIELD

57 Albee St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Michael Connors
Seller: Gary Forney
Date: 03/04/16

15 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

17 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

18 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

20 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

25 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

28 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

30 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

35 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

37 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

38 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

40 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

5 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

50 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

52 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

7 Allendale St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

65-67 Ardmore St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $176,500
Buyer: Michael J. Keane
Seller: Jason M. Fitzgerald
Date: 02/26/16

101 Bancroft St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

103 Bancroft St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

112 Bancroft St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

114 Bancroft St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

56 Beaufort Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $158,500
Buyer: Tomasz J. Laskawiec
Seller: Lucid Development Inc.
Date: 02/29/16

53 Belvidere St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Tenita M. Smith
Seller: Mary P. White
Date: 02/25/16

248 Bolton St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Jenny I. Gonzalez
Seller: Angela Cosenzi
Date: 02/26/16

108 Bulat Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Etulia Faustin
Seller: Griffin, Thomas W., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

75-77 Clantoy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Orange Park Management
Seller: Orange Park Management
Date: 03/01/16

33 Coleman St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $162,700
Buyer: London Realty LLC
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 02/22/16

114-116 Commonwealth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Ricard Martinez-Berdecia
Seller: London Realty LLC
Date: 02/22/16

16 Conklin St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $120,128
Buyer: Hickory Street Dev. LLC
Seller: Hickory Street Dev. LLC
Date: 02/23/16

72 Curve St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Daniel Marti
Seller: Ricard Martinez-Berdecia
Date: 02/22/16

101 Derryfield Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Luke D. Hands
Seller: Terrie A. Henrich
Date: 02/26/16

88 Ellsworth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Christopher M. Lombardi
Seller: James Niedbala
Date: 02/26/16

34 Emerson St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,676
Buyer: USA HUD
Seller: US Bank
Date: 03/04/16

131 Fargo St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Helena M. Monteiro
Seller: Dennis B. Chechile
Date: 02/24/16

17 Gertrude St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $162,000
Buyer: Emmanuel Pena
Seller: Misael Ramos
Date: 03/02/16

97 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $154,500
Buyer: Sandra Urbanski
Seller: Layne M. Breton
Date: 02/29/16

55 Glenvale St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $171,000
Buyer: Trudy-Ann Wilson
Seller: Stephen D. Foy
Date: 02/25/16

37 Granger St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $164,900
Buyer: Brittney L. Twohig
Seller: AMP Real Estate Group LLC
Date: 02/26/16

800 Grayson Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Carissa Tryba
Seller: Nelson Garcia
Date: 02/26/16

10 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

15 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

17 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

34 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

36 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

44 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

46 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

5 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

7 Hebron St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $2,235,000
Buyer: DM Property LLC
Seller: Bel Air Homes Assocs. LP
Date: 02/29/16

63 Hope St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $150,300
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Carmen L. Farrow
Date: 03/01/16

47 Home St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Wilmington Trust
Seller: Angel Soto
Date: 02/25/16

274 Island Pond Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $117,000
Buyer: Aztec 425 LLC
Seller: Tran, Michael Q., (Estate)
Date: 02/29/16

73 Kenwood Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: Jeannette Blyther
Seller: Vincent R. Siniscalchi
Date: 03/01/16

147 Magnolia Terrace
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Enrique Santos
Seller: Arthur H. Helmus
Date: 02/22/16

24 Oxford St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $221,000
Buyer: Felicita Saenz
Seller: Michael D. Friedman
Date: 02/23/16

22-24 Palmyra St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Buyer: Lisa W. Cassidy
Seller: Alan M. McMenamin
Date: 03/01/16

42 Perkins St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $148,500
Buyer: Mekhaiel Tahir
Seller: JJJ 17 LLC
Date: 03/04/16

197 Plainfield St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: NRJ Davis LLC
Seller: Michaelson, Edward, (Estate)
Date: 03/01/16

85 Rochelle St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $134,000
Buyer: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Seller: Yellowbrick Property LLC
Date: 03/03/16

46 Shumway St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Kimberly Santiago
Seller: Patricia A. Lavallee
Date: 02/26/16

81 Thorndyke St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Furnival A. Nyarko
Seller: Zhong X. Chen
Date: 02/26/16

120 Timothy Circle
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Christine L. Higgins
Seller: Jeffrey M. Higgins
Date: 02/23/16

17-19 Webster St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $124,900
Buyer: Pork Meas
Seller: Mirna Gomez
Date: 02/23/16

175 West Allen Ridge Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $118,650
Buyer: Kristyana E. Daitch
Seller: Philip J. Moynihan
Date: 03/03/16

82 Westbrook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $133,000
Buyer: Davin Robinson
Seller: Jason R. Ochotnicky
Date: 02/26/16

64 Whittum Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: William F. Baker
Seller: Edward H. Lynch
Date: 02/26/16

147 Wollaston St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $124,000
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Michael Power
Date: 02/29/16

WALES

6 Grove Point Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $241,000
Buyer: Joseph Romonosky
Seller: Donna H. Patrie
Date: 02/22/16

WEST SPRINGFIELD

24 Chapin St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Henry Pavel
Seller: Susan M. Zemba
Date: 02/29/16

25 George St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Prem L. Gurung
Seller: Sergey Petlyakov
Date: 02/26/16

55 Hillside Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: David An
Seller: MAA Property LLC
Date: 02/26/16

48 Mountain Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $294,000
Buyer: Jamie L. Horton
Seller: Oak Ridge Custom Home Builders
Date: 03/04/16

36 Northwood Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Steven A. Georgeopolus
Seller: John J. O’Hara
Date: 03/02/16

WESTFIELD

98 Berkshire Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Donald J. McClellan
Seller: David F. McClellan
Date: 02/26/16

63 Beverly Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Justin Curran
Seller: Leonard Colson
Date: 02/29/16

64 Big Wood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Christopher E. Pinney
Seller: Mark E. Vasicek
Date: 02/26/16

38 Dartmouth St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $192,000
Buyer: Joshua S. Bruso
Seller: Paul K. Backholm
Date: 03/02/16

89 Foch Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Carlos Maldonado
Seller: Ginette S. Senecal
Date: 02/25/16

78 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $357,090
Buyer: Daniel D. Call
Seller: Granville Road LLC
Date: 02/25/16

78 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $367,900
Buyer: Roger L. Ringenbach
Seller: Granville Road LLC
Date: 03/04/16

110 Little River Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Howe
Seller: Christopher E. Pinney
Date: 02/26/16

184 Munger Hill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Thomas A. Galanis
Seller: Thomas E. McMahon
Date: 02/29/16

60 Scenic Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Buyer: Viktor Nikitchuk
Seller: Charles V. Fortin
Date: 02/25/16

81 Springfield Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $1,400,000
Buyer: 4 MH LLC
Seller: Francis E. Hartnett
Date: 02/25/16

57 Squawfield Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Sherry L. Karnolisz
Seller: Garde, Philip M., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

Union St. (off)
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $127,500
Buyer: Westfield Realty LLC
Seller: Claire M. Casey
Date: 03/04/16

WILBRAHAM

9 Cadwell Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $182,000
Buyer: Ashley M. Holden
Seller: M. Marcella Sundberg
Date: 02/26/16

3 Duffield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $228,003
Buyer: Marvina M. Lowry-Brook
Seller: Vincent L. Langone
Date: 02/29/16

4 Pearl Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Frank J. Fortune
Seller: Berrett, Keith A., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

32 Pleasant View Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $259,000
Buyer: Richard E. Burns
Seller: Ruolin Zhou
Date: 02/25/16

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

635 Main St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Norman D. Brown
Seller: Jeanne Shumway
Date: 02/26/16

35 Pelham Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $348,000
Buyer: Michael Kirschenbaum
Seller: Marie Hess
Date: 03/01/16

47 Shumway St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Chestnut Street Realty
Seller: Richard G. O’Rourke
Date: 02/22/16

BELCHERTOWN

12 Barrett St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Stephanie C. Barthelette
Seller: Harvey A. Sansoucy
Date: 03/04/16

416 Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $292,000
Buyer: David A. Cunningham
Seller: Gary S. Moore
Date: 02/26/16

25 Depot St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $200,599
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Andre P. Grenier
Date: 03/03/16

570 North Liberty St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Cynthia A. Czaporowski
Seller: Property Edge LLC
Date: 02/26/16

3 Terry Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $286,500
Buyer: Eric C. Merullo
Seller: Doreen M. Curry
Date: 02/26/16

39 Underwood St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Arthur J. Dybizbanski
Seller: Korman, Thomas P., (Estate)
Date: 02/26/16

EASTHAMPTON

19 Chapin St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Heather McLean
Seller: Nathan G. Davis
Date: 02/26/16

246 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $139,916
Buyer: Aleta G. Kennedy
Seller: Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity
Date: 03/04/16

248 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $139,916
Buyer: Angelique Baker
Seller: Pioneer Valley Habitat Humanity
Date: 03/02/16

493 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Amber Black
Seller: Kristan A. Lagueux
Date: 02/25/16

12 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $194,500
Buyer: Aurelio Pagan
Seller: Tracy K. Mulvey
Date: 03/04/16

27 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Nathan G. Davis
Seller: J&A Homes LLC
Date: 02/26/16

16 Sterling Dr.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $199,220
Buyer: Brian N Jourdain
Seller: USA VA
Date: 02/26/16

18 Summit Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Heather M. Rush
Seller: Jane A. Nathan
Date: 02/26/16

GOSHEN

59 Aberdeen Road
Goshen, MA 01032
Amount: $137,500
Buyer: John Sidney-Webb
Seller: Jennifer A. Webb-Fusaro
Date: 02/23/16

59 South Chesterfield Road
Goshen, MA 01096
Amount: $436,000
Buyer: Catalina Arrubla
Seller: William A. Celatka
Date: 03/04/16

GRANBY

141 Pleasant St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Glen S. Masiuk
Seller: Eric Merullo
Date: 02/26/16

145 Pleasant St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Roxanne C. Costigan
Seller: Mary E. Fortier
Date: 03/03/16

HADLEY

River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Szawlowski Realty Inc.
Seller: Lyndell Day-Nuttelman
Date: 02/24/16

190 Russell St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Mohammad Moini
Seller: Thomas Witzenberger
Date: 03/01/16

12 Wampanoag Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $389,900
Buyer: Ina A. Forman
Seller: James E. Harrison
Date: 02/26/16

HATFIELD

44 Linseed Road
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $249,999
Buyer: Crystal M. Callahan
Seller: Caroline Hopfenspirger
Date: 03/04/16

HUNTINGTON

68 County Road
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Casey J. Mitchell
Seller: Arthur D. Medeiros
Date: 03/04/16

MIDDLEFIELD

1 Skyline Trail
Middlefield, MA 01011
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Michael C. Stimpson
Seller: Colleen M. Budness
Date: 02/26/16

NORTHAMPTON

63 Bradford St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Ralph H. Litwin
Seller: John P. Regish
Date: 02/25/16

79 Hawley St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $843,000
Buyer: AE Properties LLC
Seller: Wang FT
Date: 02/25/16

3 James Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Katherine M. Hicks
Seller: Gloria B. Ayvazian FT
Date: 02/24/16

109 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Marah M. Macrostie
Seller: Kate Greenough
Date: 02/26/16

88 Laurel Park
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Melanie M. Miller
Seller: Jennifer Snyder
Date: 02/24/16

36 Manhan St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Northeast Ent. Realty
Seller: Soliwoda NT
Date: 03/01/16

25 Market St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: 300 Elm Street LLC
Seller: Robert P. Andrews
Date: 02/25/16

88 Massasoit St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Erin E. Eppsteiner
Seller: Mark A. Casey
Date: 02/29/16

206 North Main St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: David C. Velez
Seller: Joslad & Associates PC
Date: 02/26/16

SOUTH HADLEY

28 Ashton Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Mark S. Kendall
Seller: Richard L. Bayeur
Date: 03/04/16

20 Ferry St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: CRA Holdings Inc.
Seller: HSBC Bank
Date: 02/24/16

6 Gaylord St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $144,000
Buyer: Norwich Properties LLC
Seller: Mount Tom Properties LLC
Date: 02/23/16

5 Lexington Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Kyle R. Brunault
Seller: Robert J. Brown
Date: 02/23/16

54 School St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $119,000
Buyer: Lukasz Socha
Seller: Michael J. Pijar
Date: 03/01/16

7 Silver St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $489,900
Buyer: Scott T. Lynch
Seller: Richard L. Lovelace
Date: 02/23/16

18 Susan Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Karl E. Grochowalski
Seller: Arthur J. Dybizbanski
Date: 02/26/16

22 Waite Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $224,900
Buyer: Jason P. Pearlman
Seller: Krok, Lillian, (Estate)
Date: 02/23/16

SOUTHAMPTON

9 Cold Spring Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Matthew Stine
Seller: Amber E. Black
Date: 02/25/16

99 Gilbert Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $361,000
Buyer: Troy E. Chilson
Seller: David Garstka Builders
Date: 02/26/16

87 Gunn Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Buyer: F&G LLC
Seller: Carr, Helen G., (Estate)
Date: 02/23/16

22 Katelyn Way
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Thomas Wnetrzak
Seller: Renata U. Robak
Date: 03/01/16

WARE

27 Berkshire Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $197,500
Buyer: Michael J. Harney
Seller: Jennifer Matos
Date: 03/04/16

29 Fisherdick Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $197,798
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Rose M. Bilodeau
Date: 02/26/16

15 Highland St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: Edward L. Masse
Seller: Mark F. Kuras
Date: 02/26/16

COVID Has Given New Definition to Corporate Stewardship

By George O'Brien November 10, 2021

Features Special Coverage

A Changing Dynamic

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the business landscape in countless ways — from where and how employees work to how people communicate. It has also prompted businesses large and small to stop, think about that phrase ‘corporate stewardship’ and what it means to them, and perhaps re-evaluate this all-important concept. We put together a panel of local business and nonprofit managers to discuss the broad topic of corporate stewardship and how COVID may have provided new definition — in every aspect of that phrase — to this issue. For businesses, the pandemic has provided an opportunity to revisit the matter of community involvement and often find new and different ways to give back.
For nonprofits, missions have been broadened, and there has some been pivoting, out of both necessity and a desire to serve in different ways. The panelists are: Paul Scully, president and CEO of Country Bank; Theresa Jasmin, chief financial officer at Big Y Foods; Amy Scribner, partnership director at East School-to-Career Inc., a nonprofit that provides internships, or work-based learning opportunities and other career-education initiatives, for students; Jack Verducci, vice president of Corporate Partnership for the Worcester Red Sox; Dexter Johnson, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Springfield; and Michelle D’Amore, executive director of Ronald McDonald House. Scully may have set the tone for the discission when he said, “I think the pandemic has been exhausting and aging, but it’s also been reflective, and I think it’s prompting people to be reflective about how to live your life and how to make a difference.”

BusinessWest: Let’s start by getting your take on — and your working definition of — those phrases ‘corporate stewardship’ and ‘being a good corporate citizen.’

Scully: “Country Bank has been around for 172 years, and its legacy for all those years has been the belief that healthy communities thrive. We’re all in business for our companies to do well, but from a community perspective, we need communities that are healthy — healthy economically, heathy demographically, educationally, with regard to healthcare. So giving back has always been a focus here, and in recent years we’ve taken it to a higher level, both with writing checks and having people on the street giving back and being part of the community. And it differs, depending on what the needs are. There can be very significant multi-year pledges — we just pledged $1 million for hunger awareness in June, with $500,000 for food banks in both Central and Western Mass., because if people have good nutrition, healthy communities will thrive — or having 14 people at Habitat for Humanity helping to build a house. It’s a focus that we do big and small.”

Jasmin: “Being involved in the community is part of the fabric of our company; we consider ourselves a family, we have a culture of caring, and we focus on personal connection, whether that’s with our customers, our employees, or throughout the community. And that manifests itself in many different ways, from large donations to capital campaigns to investments in time and talent. For us, though, it’s about relationships and creating strong vibrant communities; that’s what corporate stewardship means to us.”

Scribner: “For our organization, it’s not so much the money; it’s about organizations allowing these students to come in for semester and do a work-based learning opportunity, and that has long been a challenge for us. We’re trying to create a pipeline for employment, and to do that, we need businesses to assist us and open their doors to students. Often, it’s not about just writing a check, but getting involved on a deeper level.”

D’Amore: “We as a nonprofit are always seeking — and grateful to receive — financial support from the community. But we also rely on our volunteer base. Our organization was built on volunteers; it is the foundation of what we do. For us, we’re continuing our outreach and working with the community to ensure that what we receive is supporting the families who are with us — and there are many forms that this support can take.”

Verducci: “Our WooSox Foundation is a new foundation and not heavily funded, but what we do have is a platform to provide valuable and equitable experiences to the community; specifically, we tend to focus on pediatric oncology, recreation, education, and social justice. So while we love to donate the funds that we do have, we tend to be able to do the most good through corporate partners and partnerships within the community.”

BusinessWest: Has the pandemic changed the dynamic when it comes to corporate stewardship, and if so, how?

Jasmin: “What changed was how urgent the need was and the need to move quickly to respond to those needs. We have a pretty structured mechanism for people who are looking for financial assistance. But during the pandemic, that was accelerated because there was a high sense of urgency. For example, within a week of the shelter-in-place order in March of 2020, we gave some sizable donations to each of the five food banks in our operating area because businesses were shutting down, and people were out of work; the social structure to support those people was not in place yet, so food banks were being taxed. We made that gift quickly, and we made a second gift four weeks later when the need was continuing. That’s one of the ways we adjusted — moving more quickly to meet needs.”

Theresa Jasmin

“What changed was how urgent the need was and the need to move quickly to respond to those needs.”

Scully: “The urgency absolutely was escalated, but so has the dynamic. When I think of the nonprofits I sit on, so many of them rely on not only corporate giving, but some type of event or two over the course of the year. We’ve all been to a million chicken dinners; what I say to my group is that, when the auction is there, bid high and bid often, because that’s what it’s all about. The big piece that we saw was that people weren’t going to events because they weren’t being held. And it was a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind,’ unfortunately. The money was needed, the funding was needed, but the money wasn’t coming in, and yet all of those organizations had a more dire need than is typical because there were so many people impacted by the pandemic. We looked at it and said, ‘yeah, we can stay with our traditional model of what we do, but there’s a big need to step in here.’ When we look at corporate stewardship and how things have changed over the past 20 months, the need has increased exponentially. So many were hoping that this was the year — we all had our calendars ready for events, and then, they had to switch to virtual events, which don’t raise enough money. So the corporate community needs to realize that, even if there isn’t an event, the needs are so great, and they need to get out there and make a difference.”

D’Amore: “From a nonprofit perspective, we had to figure out how we could support our mission differently. When the pandemic was creeping, we were mandated by our global entity, which holds our licensing agreement, that we could no longer accept new families. And when the last of the families went home, we actually turned it around to provide support to frontline healthcare workers. We opened the house to workers at Baystate to give them an opportunity — if they needed a place to stay, if they needed to take a shower or get a cup of coffee. So our team was committed to support healthcare and support our partner hospitals who are there for us all the time. The tables turned a little bit, but we are able to continue to support our mission in this time of need, and you saw many organizations doing similar things. We pivoted and reinvented ourselves.”

Scribner: “Last year was a real struggle for students; 20% of those students in the Commonwealth just fell off the radar. So we had to change our mindset and pivot, just to help these students communicate how they were feeling. We would have speakers come in an talk about that — how they’re dealing with it, how their companies and themselves personally are dealing with COVID and being on Zoom meetings and not being in school and not being at work. Kids, while resilient, really had a tough time; they missed going to work and interacting with people. It’s those little things that we don’t think about — like going to a company or going to UMass on a field trip. We’re slowly getting back to whatever the new normal is. But last year, we had to have an open mindset and be really flexible about what we could do for the students and also about what we can learn from all these experiences and take those best practices.”

Amy Scribner

“Last year, we had to have an open mindset and be really flexible about what we could do for the students and also about what we can learn from all these experiences and take those best practices.”

Johnson: “With the pivot in funding that happened when a lot of companies started steering dollars toward COVID-related things, we also steered a lot of what we were doing toward COVID-related things; we were one of the few places that didn’t really close. When childcare was shut down for the Commonwealth essentially, and then an emergency first-responder-type childcare reopened for those working in retail or transportation or hospitals, we pivoted; our centers closed for one week and then reopened as an emergency childcare facility. We did continue to operate during that time, and on the youth-development side, there were still a lot of great opportunities from a funding standpoint to continue to be involved with some of our corporate sponsors that were changing direction and focusing on COVID.”

Verducci: “We essentially became volunteers; we turned our ballpark in Rhode Island, where we were still based until May, into a food-distribution network. Food insecurity became a huge issue in the region, so we were able to partner with Ocean State Job Lot, which would donate the food, and we would use McCoy Stadium as a vehicle to get that food to people who needed it. We also did coat drives, and we turned the park over to the state to become a testing facility. We tried to use our resources to help where it would do the most good. And once we transitioned to Worcester, we again became volunteers, going to Worcester State University to do food drives and coat drives, and most of those partnerships were with our corporate partners that we’ve had long-time relationships with. We all came together and said, ‘how can we do the best thing for the community, and what do we have at our disposal to move quickly in this challenging environment?’”

Jack Verducci

“We all came together and said, ‘how can we do the best thing for the community, and what do we have at our disposal to move quickly in this challenging environment?’”

Scully: “It was suddenly about putting on a different pair of glasses and switching gears when it comes to how you do things. It’s all about, as everyone has talked about, switching gears and saying ‘how do we adapt?’ much like we’ve all had to adapt to how we run our businesses remotely and attend meetings via Zoom.”

BusinessWest: What are the lessons we’ve learned from all this, from having to put a different pair of glasses, and how will this carry over into the future in terms of how we look at corporate stewardship and giving back?

Scully: “If we say that this is the end of the pandemic — and that’s a stretch, certainly — I think what all this has done for us is provide reassurance about how just how good people are and that everyone wants to be a part of something greater. We have a big building here, and for a while there, about four of us were here. You weren’t connecting with people. But as soon as the opportunity came for people to come back, not only to the office, but to get involved with volunteering again, they really wanted to. I think the pandemic has been exhausting and aging, but it’s also been reflective, and I think it’s prompting people to be reflective about how to live your life and how to make a difference. I think people want to be part of something greater, so I think that stewardship will be stronger than ever because this has almost been that switch that has prompted us all to rethink what’s important. There’s a silver lining to everything, and sometimes it’s hard to find, but I think this is it.”

Paul Scully

“If we say that this is the end of the pandemic — and that’s a stretch, certainly — I think what all this has done for us is provide reassurance about how just how good people are and that everyone wants to be a part of something greater.”

Jasmin: “It was reinforcing for us in terms of our viewpoint on our being involved in the community. We took a look at what our philosophy was and really came out with an even greater understanding that these are the pillars we want to focus on. We’re a food company, first and foremost, and one of our pillars is hunger relief and helping with food insecurity. And that was reinforced for us — this is a continuing need, and we should be involved with it. And just in general, it’s also reinforced that we should continue to be involved — that our investment that we’re making in time and money and people is needed and is valuable. What this has taught us is that we need to be invested continuously, so when a crisis occurs, you can react quickly. It’s not something you can develop from scratch. Overall, it was reinforcing.”

Verducci: “I think the pandemic was a catalyst for empathy amongst companies; it was shared experience that was totally unprecedented, so people were empathetic with each other, and they really did understand what was happening with everyone. Instead of people saying ‘maybe not this year’ when we reached out, everyone we contacted over the past 18 months was willing to help in some way. The other thing we realized was that even the best-laid plans are not going to go the way we anticipate, so you need to be flexible and, more importantly, creative, and this will carry forward.”

D’Amore: “As challenging as the pandemic has been, I think a lot of good has come from it in terms of pausing. Whether as an individual, business, or nonprofit, we all took the time to pause, re-evaluate, and say, ‘what’s the need? How can we help each other?’ Sometimes, prior to the pandemic, we were very focused on our own business model or our own mission, and where it was going. But we were all in the same boat essentially wanting to row in the same direction, so we collectively said, ‘how can we do this together?’”

Michelle D’Amore

“As challenging as the pandemic has been, I think a lot of good has come from it in terms of pausing. Whether as an individual, business, or nonprofit, we all took the time to pause, re-evaluate, and say, ‘what’s the need? How can we help each other?’”

Johnson: “I think the pandemic pushed us [nonprofits] to work closer together in different ways, such as going after joint funding as one large organization rather than individually, so it has definitely had that benefit.”

BusinessWest: Going forward, how do we maintain this new spirit of cooperation, this new sense of urgency, when it comes to giving back?

Jasmin: “One of the things we lost during the pandemic was that personal connection. We missed seeing our colleagues, our families, and people in the community at large; through corporate stewardship and giving back, we can create those personal connections, and people are recognizing how important this is. The community is us, so when you’re giving back to the community, you’re giving back to yourself, your family, your friends, and your co-workers.”

Scully: It starts with all of us — the leaders or organizations — to set the pace. The pandemic may not be over, but I think that what is over is the hunker-down mentality of being locked up at home in the basement on a computer talking to your colleagues all day. It’s time to get on with life. It won’t be the old normal, it will be the new normal, and the new normal is going to be dependent on so many of us to set that tone — that it’s time to get back out there for a Habitat event, with getting over to the Ronald McDonald House to help prepare a dinner when that becomes available to do. It’s dependent on the leadership or organizations to reinforce that tone.”

Scribner: “This pandemic has really allowed people to take time to reflect on their own lives and what’s important to them and their priorities. And when you’re given that time, I think you realize what’s important in life. When it comes to being hunkered down, I think the pandemic provided time and opportunity for people to say, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore; I want to get out, and I want to be part of my community. I want to be part of making a difference.’ People are realizing just how precious things are now, whether it’s shoveling the sidewalk for a neighbor or providing food for a food bank.”

Dexter Johnson

“I think the pandemic pushed us [nonprofits] to work closer together in different ways, such as going after joint funding as one large organization rather than individually, so it has definitely had that benefit.”

Johnson: “In the normal ebb and flow of things, we get hyped up because something’s happened, whether it’s 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina or the tornado — things that bring us together for a short time. And then, life gets back to normal, and human nature tends to make us drift back to how we were. I think COVID is very different … it impacted everyone, every state, every city — we all know someone who has lost their life or lost their job because of it. It’s had a more far-reaching impact than any of those other tragedies, and, hopefully, that will allow it to stick with us and keep that mentality of realizing how fragile life can be.”

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

For 150 Years, the YWCA of Western Mass. Has Been Helping Survivors Heal

By George O'Brien April 16, 2019

Cover Story

Providing a Light

Executive Director Elizabeth Dineen

Helping survivors heal. That’s been the mission of the YWCA of Western Mass. for 150 years. Today, the agency does this in a number of ways, some well-known, such as its 58-bed domestic-violence shelter, and others far-less-heralded but still important, such as helping area young people attain their high-school equivalency. In each case, the key is providing these survivors with the tools they need to achieve a higher quality of life.

Azreal Alvarez calls this his third crack at high school, or the equivalent thereof.

That’s how he referred to YouthBuild Springfield, a workforce-development initiative operated by the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, a program that is succeeding where the first two stops didn’t. Indeed, Alvarez said that, when he attended one of Springfield’s charter schools, he was bullied so much, he couldn’t stay in that environment. Later, he enrolled in what he described as an online endeavor that didn’t inspire him in any real way.

That left YouthBuild as a last hope that soon became his best hope. The program is designed to not only help young people get their high-school equivalency, but also become introduced to careers in construction or healthcare.

Alavarez, 18, who wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a scaffolder, described the program this way: “For some people, this is their third chance or their second chance; for others, it’s their fifth. There’s really not much hope for them, so they come here, and they find a light that no one else can explain.”

With that, whether he knew it or not, Alvarez neatly summed up the first 150 years of the organization now known as the YWCA of Western Mass., the 10th-largest YWCA in the country and one of the oldest as well. Since Ulysses S. Grant patrolled the White House, it has been helping people find a light that, yes, is often hard to explain, but very often leads to a higher quality of life.

“I love this job because we’re able to serve women and children who are desperate to receive professional services, so that they can move on with their lives.”

And that light comes in many different forms, said the agency’s executive director, Elizabeth Dineen, a former prosecutor and supervising district attorney in Hampden County who spent more than a quarter-century handling special-victims cases including those involving child abuse, sexual assaults, domestic violence, and murder, and was recruited to lead the YWCA by several of its board members in 2016.

It might simply be a voice at the other end of a hotline that operates 24/7 and handles more than 10,000 calls a year, she told BusinessWest. Or it might be the peace, safety, and opportunity to start a new and better life that all come with a room in the 58-bed domestic-violence shelter. Or it might be the enlightenment gained through one of the agency’s newer counseling programs, called Children Who Witness Violence, an ambitious undertaking aimed at preventing domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and other forms of criminal behavior from becoming generational.

Or it might come in the form of exposure to a career in the medical field or construction, something a young person might never have considered as they were struggling with traditional high school, said Dineen, adding that YouthBuild and related programs are solid examples of how the YWCA has evolved and expanded well beyond its original mission and even the ‘W’ in its name.

All of this is what the agency is celebrating as it marks its sesquicentennial, an ongoing story that is driven home by the case of Linda Anselmo, who came to the agency last year at a time when she had nowhere else to turn.

A recent transplant to the area, she found herself the subject of intense and relentless verbal and emotional abuse from her partner, who, among other things, “threated to commit suicide and take me with her,” said Anselmo, noting that she was lost and alone when she found the YWCA, but never after that, thanks to the agency.

“I was completely lost — I had just moved to Massachusetts and into this relationship, and things got bad very fast,” she explained. “I didn’t know anyone, I had no family up here, nothing.”

Fast-forwarding, she said the agency helped her find temporary housing in a shelter and then transition to permanent housing in a community she chose not to disclose. More importantly, perhaps, the YWCA helped her move on from what happened to her emotionally.

“I had to heal,” she said. “I didn’t know how, but they showed me how.”

Helping people learn how to heal would be a good way to describe what Dineen and her staff of 150 do 24/7/365. For this issue and its focus on area nonprofits, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at how the agency does just that.

Answering the Call

‘Survivors.’

That’s the word those at the YWCA use when referring to the various constituencies they serve. It works much better than ‘clients’ or ‘residents’ or any other collective that might come to mind.

That’s because all those who come to the facility at 1 Clough St. (or who simply call the hotline number) are survivors — of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, bullying, human trafficking, stalking, or a combination of the above.

They find this YWCA, which serves communities in both Hampden and Hampshire counties, because, while they have survived what has happened to them, they are still in need of a great deal of compassionate help as they seek to put their lives back together. Providing that help has essentially been the mission of this agency for the past 150 years.

“I love this job because we’re able to serve women and children who are desperate to receive professional services, so that they can move on with their lives,” said Dineen, who has made a very smooth transition from the courtroom to the classroom (she chaired the Criminal Justice department at Bay Path University for several years after leaving the DA’s office) to the challenging world of nonprofit management.

Indeed, while the work address and the title on her business card are different, Dineen is, in many ways, continuing the work with survivors that marked the first 25 years of her career, work she described as both extremely rewarding but very challenging.

Azreal Alvarez says the YWCA’s YouthBuild Springfield program is his third crack at high school, and his best chance to succeed.

“When you win a case, it’s very rewarding, but when I lost a case, it was excruciating, because you knew the person was going to be released to the community and would re-offend,” she explained, providing some unique insight into a realm few really know and understand. “Overall, these are some of the most challenging types of cases to prosecute.

“Children who testify in these cases are usually testifying against someone they loved, respected, and admired; it could be a coach, a parent, a teacher, or a relative, so it’s very hard to go into a courtroom and testify against them,” she went on. “And with regard to domestic-violence cases, very often the person they’re testifying against is someone they loved or still love,” she went on. “And when you’re dealing with adult rape cases, whether the survivor is male or female, it’s very challenging; people have to talk about an extremely horrific, traumatic experience.”

Dineen said her work in the DA’s office, which focused on high-profile cases including child-abuse murders, domestic-violence murders, and sexual-assault cases, has benefitted her in a number of ways as she guides the YWCA. For starters, she has a number of connections with area law-enforcement agencies and the legal community, connections that ultimately help her and her team better serve survivors.

Meanwhile, her time in law school and then as a lawyer has certainly helped her handle all the contract work that is part and parcel to managing a nonprofit these days, and especially this one.

But the greatest benefit from her work as a prosecutor is gaining a deep and unique understanding of what survivors go through — and what services they need to move forward with their lives.

This perspective has helped in the development and refinement of a number of programs and initiatives, and it comes across clearly as she talks about facilities such as the domestic-violence shelter, which is filled 24/7 as evidence of what she called an epidemic in this country and this region. She knows about the women and families who come there because she’s operated in their world throughout her career.

“When women come to the shelter, they come very often with just the clothes on their back,” she said, adding that only those deemed to be in eminent danger are assigned rooms. “If they bring anything for their children, it’s usually some kind of comfort object like a blanket or a toy.

“Many women come here right from the hospital or a police station, or they come here when there’s an opportunity to flee their abuser,” she went on. “The person might be going to work or to the supermarket, and there’s a window of opportunity that the woman has to literally flee their abuser.

“When you come to the shelter, it’s not uncommon to see people who might have a black eye, might have chunks of hair removed, might have a cast on their arm or leg,” she continued. “These are women who have experienced and endured, in some cases, long-term physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.”

Forward Progress

Thus, when they arrive, they need a full array of services, said Dineen, listing everything from direct counseling to getting children into schools or daycare as soon as possible, for their benefit, but also to help staff members focus on helping mothers prepare for the day when they will leave the shelter; from work to secure, permanent housing to assistance with entering or re-entering the workforce.

To accomplish all this, the YWCA works with a host of partners, from area school departments and daycare providers such as Square One to Way Finders (for housing and employment services) to Dress for Success (to ensure that women have suitable clothes for an interview or the first day on the job).

“Everything we do with women once they enter the shelter is designed to make them self-sufficient and independent,” she explained. “We’re trying to create conditions of success so that when they leave, they can thrive.”

This independence and self-sufficiency almost always comes through employment, Dineen went on, noting that many who come to the shelter have been out of the workforce for some time and thus need help to re-enter it. Thus, the YMCA has a computer lab and services to help survivors write a résumé and cover letter, apply for jobs online, and conduct themselves at an interview.

“No one is sitting around the shelter,” she told BusinessWest. “When you first come here, yes, you want to breathe and maybe have a couple days of just feeling safe and being able to sleep through the night without fear, but after that … everyone is assigned a case manager who will work with this person to figure out how to get her back on her feet, get her a job, get her to be economically independent, and think about where she wants to live.”

While the domestic-abuse shelter is perhaps the best-known of the programs and facilities operated by the YWCA to assist survivors, it is just one of many, said Dineen.

The YWCA facility on Clough Street offers a number of services and programs — all of them designed to help survivors heal.

There are other residential programs, including a transitional housing program in Springfield and teen-parenting residential programs in Springfield and Holyoke, she said, as well as a human-trafficking initiative undertaken in partnership with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Homeland Security Department, and other local, state, and federal agencies, and a host of community programs.

These include the hotline, which Dineen called a critical service to the people of this region and even some who have moved outside it and call the hotline for tips on how to locate services in their new place of residence.

“Each one of those phone calls to our hotline is a cry for help,” she told BusinessWest. “So we try to be as incredibly supportive as possible; if we don’t have a bed available, we’ll try to help someone find another bed within this state. We try to make sure that everyone who calls knows the resources available to them.”

Other services and programs include medical advocacy at hospitals for sexual-abuse victims, sexual-assault and domestic-violence counseling, SafePlan court advocacy, services for young parents, and many others.

They are all designed to help people, like Anselmo, with what can be, and usually is, a complicated healing process.

Complicated, because survivors often try to blame themselves for the abuse inflicted upon them, which is not conductive to recovery.

“I can speak for all women when I say that we go through something traumatic … you’re lost, you’re scared, and you think ‘what did I do?’” she told BusinessWest. “That’s one of the questions that each and every one of us asks ourselves. We have to realize that it’s not us.

“The YWCA gives you tools so you can understand that domestic violence isn’t just physical,” she went on. “It’s mental, it’s emotional, and those two are really hard to heal from; the bruises, they fade, but the emotional and verbal abuse really tears you down a lot.”

Courses of Action

One program that is gaining traction — and results that may be difficult to quantify but certainly can be qualified — is the counseling service for children who witness violence, said Dineen, adding that it is designed for children ages 3 to 18 and provides tools to help those who have experienced violence firsthand, or witnessed it, to cope.

They attend nine to 12 sessions, at which they are encouraged to identify their emotions and learn how to talk about what’s bothering them rather than resort to their fists or cruel words to vent frustration.

“They talk about their feelings, and they talk about what makes a healthy relationship,” she noted, with the goal that such experiences won’t be repeated and won’t become generational, as so often happens.

And, as noted, while she doesn’t have any statistical evidence with which to show progress, she has anecdotal evidence.

“When I see kids come into our shelter and I meet and talk with them, I can see how aggressive some of them, and especially the boys, are,” she explained. “And I see how they talk to their siblings, especially their female siblings, and their mother. They can be very disrespectful and bossy; they’re repeating what they saw.

“And as I see kids go through the Children Who Witness Violence program, I can see a sea change in terms of how they interact with their moms and other females in authority,” she went on. “The moms will say, ‘thank God my child had an opportunity to participate in this.’”

As for the YouthBuild and GED workforce-development programs, they are helping young people like Alvarez get a second, or third or fourth, chance at not only finishing school, but developing self-esteem and perhaps finding a career.

The program has existed for several years, said Dineen, but recently it was retooled (a new director was hired) and expanded to include not only a construction track, but one in healthcare as well, a path more attractive to most of the young women who participate.

“They have a week on campus here where they’re taking academic classes, everything they need to pass their GED,” she explained. “And the other week they’re either doing construction — we’re partnering with Habitat for Humanity — or they’re going to Baystate Health and learning to become a certified nurses’ assistant or a phlebotomist.”

The program is starting to generate results, she said, and it is becoming a last/best option for students who have not enjoyed success in a traditional setting. And, like all the other initiatives at the YWCA, it’s focused on giving people the tools they need to succeed after they leave the agency’s programs behind them.

With YouthBuild and each of the other programs, there are measures of success, some more obvious than others, said Dineen.

“I measure success when my hotline is ringing off the hook — that shows people are using it,” she noted. “I measure success when people stay in our shelter, get the services they need, and then leave — and when they leave, they leave having a job, having safe housing, and having been through counseling so they can understand their own self-worth so they don’t need to get involved with a jerk.

“When I look at YouthBuild, I measure success by how many kids get their GED, by how many kids get a job, by kids getting certified in construction or to be a CNA,” she went on. “And I measure success when people have the courage to pursue prosecution and hold someone accountable for what they’ve done. And in all those areas, we’re seeing progress.”

Seeing the Light

Alvarez and other participants in the YouthBuild program recently traveled to the State House. There, they met with members of the Western Mass. delegation and got some impromptu civics lessons. But this wasn’t just a learning experience.

Indeed, while there, the students were also advocating for the YWCA and programs like YouthBuild, an assignment Alvarez undertook with considerable enthusiasm, telling legislators the same thing he told BusinessWest — that YWCA programs can provide light to someone who has been experiencing dark times and needs an opportunity to heal.

It’s been doing this for 150 years now, and that’s truly worth celebrating.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

By BusinessWest Staff June 8, 2009

Departments

ACCGS Annual Meeting

June 11: The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield Inc. (ACCGS) will hold its annual meeting at 11:30 a.m. at the Springfield Marriott, 1500 Main St. Sponsored by the Chamber Insurance Program and NewAlliance Bank, the luncheon will highlight the successes of the chamber over the past year and recognize officers and directors of the board. Additionally, Attorney Bill Rooney and Tony Goncalves will also be honored for receiving the 2009 ACCGS Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year Award. Dress for Success will be honored as the Small Nonprofit Organization of the Year, and Junior Achievement will be honored as the Large Nonprofit Organization of the Year. Jeffrey Taylor, Founder of Monster.com, will give a keynote address, presenting “Motivating the Business Professional in a Declining Economy.” Reservations for the annual meeting cost $40 for members and $60 for non-members, and must be made in writing and in advance. Reservations may be made through Diane Swanson at [email protected], or online at www.myonlinechamber.com

Wine & Microbrew Tasting

June 12: Members of the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce will host a Wine & Microbrew Tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. at One Cottage St., Easthampton. Proceeds raised from the event will benefit the chamber’s community programs. Organizers expect more than 50 wines and microbrews to be available for tasting, as well as fine food and a raffle. Tickets are $25 per person or $30 at the door. To purchase tickets, call the chamber office at (413) 527-9414 or visit www.easthamptonchamber.org.

Trails for Nails

June 13: After a long New England winter, celebrate the official start of the mountain-biking season by participating in the first-ever Trails for Nails, a 20-mile ride at Robinson State Park in Agawam. Whether you choose to register as a single rider or as a member of a team, this event will help raise much-needed funds for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity. The ride features two 10-mile loops, crossing a wide variety of terrain, accommodating all skill levels. To register, riders must visit www.bikereg.com and type in ‘Trails for Nails’ in the search box. The cost to register is $45 per person through June 10. If space is available, riders will also be able to register the day of the event from 6:30 to 8 a.m.; however, there will be an additional $10 fee. Only the first 100 registrations will be accepted, so sign up early to guarantee your spot. Registered riders will receive a 2009 Trails for Nails T-shirt, a ‘swag bag,’ a water bottle, and lunch. In conjunction with the Trails for Nails ride, raffle tickets are available for a 2009 Specialized Rockhopper mountain bike, donated by Family Bike of Feeding Hills. Raffle tickets are $5 each. To purchase a ticket, contact Nicole at Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, (413) 739-5503 or E-mail [email protected]. For more information about the Trails for Nails ride, contact Jason Tsitso at (413) 262-1257, or E-mail [email protected].

Leadership Development & Teambuilding

June 15: SkillPath Seminars will present a daylong conference titled “Leadership Development & Teambuilding” at the Holiday Inn, 711 Dwight St., Springfield. Workshops include: “Developing the Leader within You,” “30 Tips for Becoming an Inspired Leader,” “It All Starts with You … Discover Your Team Player Style,” and “Building a Team That’s a Reflection of You.” Also, “Leadership Mistakes You Don’t Have to Make,” “Light the Fire of Excellence in Your Team,” “Speak So Others Know How to Follow,” “Positive Feedback … the Fuel of High Performance,” “A Team Approach to Dealing with Unacceptable Behavior,” and “What Teams Really Need from Their Leaders.” The conference is targeted for managers, supervisors, team leaders, and team members who would like to learn skills to motivate, inspire, lead, and succeed. Enrollment fee is $199 per person or $189 each with four or more. For more information, call (800) 873-7545 or visit www.skillpath.com.

HAPHousing Becomes Way Finders to Reflect Scope of Its Work

By BusinessWest Staff May 2, 2017

Nonprofit Management Sections

Growing Opportunities

Peter Gagliardi says Way Finders’ mission comes down to helping people solve problems, not just getting them into homes.

When the Housing Allowance Project opened its doors in 1973, the idea of providing people with assistance to pay their rent was a novel concept.

“Giving people a housing allowance was a radical concept, but poor people were concentrated in projects and high-rises that had become real problems, especially in large cities,” said Peter Gagliardi, president and chief executive officer of Way Finders in Springfield and Holyoke. “Many were poorly built and filled with children who had no place to play other than the hallways and elevators, so the idea was to stop building projects where the poor were all housed in one place, and give people choices about where they could live.“

HAPHousing, which changed its name to Way Finders on March 31, was one of 10 sites across the country selected to host a three-year experimental federal pilot program to provide this rental assistance. The project led to the creation of Section 8 housing, a federal program that provides vouchers to low-income families, the elderly, and people with disabilities to help them afford decent, safe places to live in the private market.

When the pilot program morphed into Section 8, HAPHousing was tasked by the state to administer it in Hampden and Hampshire counties. But today, that is only a small part of the scope of its work, which has extended into many arenas.

The organization holds periodic strategic planning sessions, and in 2014 it became clear that its name and narrative did not convey the agency’s purpose and may have led potential clients to believe they couldn’t find the help they needed from their staff.

“Our old name didn’t provide a sense of the magnitude of our work,” Gagliardi said, noting that, although the Section 8 housing program still exists, 28,600 people in Hampden and Hampshire counties and more than 100,000 people across the state are on waiting lists. Since new vouchers are not being issued given today’s turnover rate, the statewide wait equates to 166 years.

“People need better options than vouchers that don’t exist,” he continued, explaining that the agency’s clients have needs ranging from finding jobs to getting an education, improving their credit scores, and other measures that open up opportunities for a better life.

“Getting people into homes is important, but having a roof that is affordable over your head is just the beginning,” Gagliardi noted, as he spoke about difficulties homeless families face and the multi-faceted approach Way Finders takes to connect clients to appropriate resources.

The organization’s history has been marked by many twists and turns as it responded to crises caused by changes in the economy, so choosing an appropriate new name was important to everyone who worked there.

HAP hired TSM Design in Springfield to facilitate the effort. The name Way Finders resulted from a collaborative brainstorming effort by staff members dedicated to ensuring their moniker reflected their mission, coupled with the creativity of TSM Design, which was responsible for suggesting names that matched the passion and commitment of the staff. Every employee participated in a survey that asked them about the most important part of their job, and a committee of 12 was eventually formed to represent the findings and share the thinking of the staff as a whole.

“Our mission came down to finding a way to help people solve problems. It begins by finding them a decent place to live, but we wanted to let the public know that we offer a wide range of programs through collaborations with partners that include finding jobs for people who don’t know where to start,” Gagliardi said, noting that, in the past three and a half years, the agency has helped place 480 people into jobs as an alternative to those non-existent housing vouchers he talked about.

Indeed, the new name is fitting because clients literally need help finding their way to a better life.

“We started out with a staff of about 20, and this year we have 250 employees who are very mindful of our philosophy,” Gagliardi said. “When they go home at the end of a day, they know that someone has a better home or opportunity in life than they did when they arrived.”

Over the past four decades, the organization has grown from an experimental housing-assistance program to an agency that provides rental assistance, housing-support services for homeless families as well as prevention, education about home ownership, foreclosure counseling, real-estate development, property and asset management, and community building and engagement in neighborhoods to improve health and safety.

For this issue and its focus on nonprofits, BusinessWest looks at the storied history of Way Finders and how the agency stepped in to help people and improve the community through the many changes in the economy.

Critical Response

When the Housing Allowance Program morphed into the Section 8 housing program, the state Department of Housing and Community Development hired eight regional agencies to administer it, including HAPHousing.

“For the first time, people in every town and city in the state had an opportunity to live where they wanted,” Gagliardi noted.

During the early ’80s, HAP added a program for first-time homebuyers that included information about how families could strengthen their credit so they would be eligible for bank loans. Some were purchasing multi-family houses, so they also needed to learn how to become a good landlord, and HAP published a manual that contained all of this and more, which has undergone multiple revisions and is sold on Amazon.

By the mid-’80s, homelessness had become a glaring problem, and HAPHousing opened Prospect House in Springfield, which was the first family shelter in Massachusetts funded by the state.

“We started out with nine families and a manager,” Gagliardi said, noting that the shelter is still operating and the program has served thousands of people.

In the ’90s, when the U.S. entered a recession, HAP took action again and focused its efforts on distressed properties on Byers Street in Springfield. Its work led to the creation of the Armory Quadrangle Civic Assoc., which still exists and plays an active role in the neighborhood.

HAPHousing continued to acquire properties and create affordable housing as the years went on, and eventually became involved in the Old Hill neighborhood after a Springfield College study showed it was home to 4,500 people and 150 vacant lots and boarded-up buildings.

“About 10% of the residential properties were blighted, and we worked with the neighborhood, the city, Springfield College, and our housing partners, Springfield Neighborhood Housing Services and Habitat for Humanity, to renovate properties that could be saved and replace housing that couldn’t be repaired. We also filled in some of the vacant lots with new homes,” said Gagliardi, adding that the collaboration between Springfield College, HAPHousing, and Habitat resulted in 50 new or renovated homes.

After the recent recession hit in 2008, HAP again took the lead in helping homeless families. It created a new partnership with the Center for Human Development and New England Farm Workers Council in anticipation of the state’s new HomeBASE program, and when the tornado hit in 2011, representatives from all three groups were able to work with the city and others to help more than 400 displaced families.

“These groups had never joined forces before, and the way everyone worked together was unprecedented. By the time FEMA showed up, we were already getting people into housing,” Gagliardi noted.

After that was accomplished, HAPHousing began implementation of the state’s new HomeBASE program, which offers an alternative to living in a shelter for families at serious risk of becoming homeless. It provides them with time-limited assistance that allows them to find long-term accommodations and get help from stabilization services, which is paid for buy the state.

But this avenue wasn’t new to HAP, because it had pioneered a program in the ’80s that worked with landlords and tenants to negotiate settlements to prevent homelessness. It had attorneys on staff and was able to resolve many situations that would otherwise have resulted in eviction.

Programs to prevent homelessness continue to be offered, although they have changed over the years. Gagliardi said many clients have lost jobs and fallen behind in their rent, missed work due to illness, or been part of a family breakup that led them to get behind in their rent. “These situations can easily spiral out of control if they are not addressed,” he told BusinessWest.

The current program, known as RAFT (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition), serves 600 to 700 families a year at an average cost of $2,500, which is a small investment compared to the $3,000 a month it costs the state to house a family in a shelter, especially since the average length of stay is six months.

But HAP has always stepped in when it was needed, and in 2008, it played a significant role in the formation of the Western Mass. Foreclosure Prevention Center.

“The number of people losing their homes was staggering, and we helped families through a partnership with the attorney general’s office that saved their homes or allowed them to make a graceful exit without completely ruining their credit,” Gagliardi said.

He noted that the agency has assisted thousands of property owners over the past eight years, and although the worst of the crisis has passed, over the past year, it helped 85 homeowners. “Thirty-five managed to preserve their homes, 25 were successful loan modifications, eight were able to bring their mortgage current, and two refinanced into more sustainable mortgages,” he continued, adding that another 43 were referred to legal assistance, and only two lost their homes.

Over the years, HAP also became involved in developing affordable housing and managing rental properties. Today, it has its own management company that oversees 700 units in towns and cities including Amherst, Hadley, Southwick, Southampton, Easthampton, Northampton, Charlton, Ware, Wales, Springfield, and Holyoke. It has also built and renovated properties, and has 10 projects underway, including construction of a $19.9 million, four-story, mixed-use building on Pleasant Street in Northampton that will have 2,600 square feet of retail space on its first floor and 27 studio apartments and 43 one-bedroom units in its upper stories.

“We also played a leadership role in creating the Western Mass. Nonprofit Housing Developers Group 20 years ago, and partnered with Nueva Esperanza in Holyoke and another organization to restore a number of four-story apartment buildings in South Holyoke,” Gagliardi said, as he recounted decades of work in Hampden and Hampshire counties.

Growing Enterprise

The mission of Way Finders continues to expand, and Gagliardi said its new name belongs to the next generation of leaders.

“We found that the best way to create affordable housing and revitalize a neighborhood is to collaborate, and in several situations organizations have become our affiliates,” he noted, explaining that news of the name change was accompanied by an announcement that Way Finders is forming strategic partnerships with Common Capital Inc. of Holyoke and MBL Housing and Development LLC of Amherst that will allow the parties to develop and finance projects that will benefit area residents, businesses, and communities.

Common Capital provides small loans to help businesses, while MBL Housing consults with developers interested in building affordable housing. That group was in danger of closing because the owner wanted to retire, but Way Finders found a way to allow it to stay in business.

“We know that no organization can do everything, but we have played a leadership role, and collaboration has always been important to us,” Gagliardi said. “Stable housing is a starting point, not an end point, and we have seen many former voucher holders move into new homes.”

So, although the sign in front of its Springfield office reads “Way Finders Housing Center,” the hope is that this rebranding will attract people in a variety of situations who need help finding a path to a better life.

PeoplesBank Announces Four Promotions

By BusinessWest Staff January 15, 2016

Daily News

HOLYOKE — PeoplesBank has announced the promotions and appointments of four associates.

Brian Canina has been promoted to senior vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer. He possesses more than 16 years of financial experience and first joined the bank in 2009. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Bryant College and is a certified public accountant. He is also a graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking and is a recipient of the Wharton Leadership Certificate. Canina is president of the Finance and Accounting Society of New England and an officer of the Financial Managers Society, Boston Chapter. He serves on the boards of directors for the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and the Children’s Study Home.

Stacy Sutton has been promoted to senior vice president, retail administration. Boasting more than two decades of banking experience, she joined the bank in 1992 and previously served as first vice president, retail administration. She holds an associate degree in accounting from Springfield Technical Community College and is a graduate of the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. School for Financial Studies. She serves on the board of directors for Springfield Partners.

Joseph Zazzaro has been promoted to senior vice president and chief information officer. He possesses over three decades of information technology experience with a focus in financial services. He joined the bank in 2006 and previously served as first vice president, information technology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in information systems from the University of Phoenix and an associate degree in management information systems from Holyoke Community College. He also is a graduate of the New England School of Financial Studies. Zazzaro was a 14-year member of the Greater Westfield Boys and Girls Club board of directors and continues to volunteer to provide technical support for the club. He has also volunteered his technical and leadership skills at other local organizations, such as the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, the United Way, the Red Cross, and the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club.

Russell Fontaine has been promoted to first vice president, retail sales. Boasting more than a decade of financial experience, he first joined the bank in 2009 and previously served as vice president, sales and service manager. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University and a certificate from the Wharton School of Business Leadership at the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking. He serves on the board of the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity.

Picture This

By BusinessWest Staff April 26, 2011

Departments Picture This

Foundation Awards

People’s United Community Foundation recently announced that it awarded $30,000 in grants to nonprofit agencies in Western Mass. Six organizations received funding in support of their programs. Here, Tim Crimmins Jr., (fourth from left), officer of People’s United Community Foundation and Massachusetts President of People’s United Bank, presents award checks to, from left: Donna Barbieri, vice president of Business Banking for People’s United Bank, representing Gray House; Lynn Cantell, growth manager and senior vice president of People’s United Bank, representing Top Floor Learning Inc.; Jane Lennox, chief development officer for the Clarke School for the Deaf; Michael Abbate, director of Finance and Administration for the Western Mass. Enterprise Fund; Monica Borgatti, Resource Development and Communications director for Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity; Sandy Belkin, president of the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors; Ron Willoughby, Springfield Rescue Mission executive director; and Joe Manna, development director for the Springfield Rescue Mission.

Transactional Law Meet

Western New England College School of Law students Isaac Mass and Julie McKenna (left), topped a field of 30 teams in the national Transactional Law Meet held in Philadelphia. Mass and McKenna received their first place award from judges (from left), Joan Schwartz, associate general counsel of Airgas Inc.; Kenneth Young, partner at Dechert LLP; Jason Koenig, principal at Hale Capital Partners; and Charles Middleton, senior vice president and tax counsel at Oxbow Corp.

Send photos with a caption and contact information to: ‘Picture This’ c/o BusinessWest Magazine, 1441 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103 or to [email protected]

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff August 26, 2014

Departments People on the Move

The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) has named Elizabeth Barajas-Román the foundation’s new CEO. Barajas-Román has been a leader in progressive movements, including advocating at the national level for the health and rights of immigrant women and their families. Most recently, she was a manager at the Pew Charitable Trusts, where she directed a portfolio of partners that campaigned for state and federal policy change to improve government performance on issues that impact children’s health. Barajas-Román brings a background in impactful philanthropy, data-driven strategy design, fund-raising through philanthropic partnerships, and creating coalitions and mobilizing partners. “We are very excited to have Elizabeth as the new head of the Women’s Fund,” said Michelle Theroux, chair of the WFWM board of directors. “Her experience, nationally as well as locally, provides a unique perspective for the fund as we continue to grow and bring attention to the issues surrounding women, girls, and our community.” Previously, as the director of policy at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH), Barajas-Román directed the organization’s Washington, D.C.-based office, where she was instrumental in expanding the visibility of NLIRH on the national stage. Barajas-Román was frequently invited to be a voice in national policy discussions in the media, at the White House, on Capitol Hill, and in target states. In addition, Barajas-Román’s leadership has been recognized by several national fellowships, including the Center for Progressive Leadership Executive Fellowship, the Rockwood Leadership Institute, and an appointment to the American Public Health Assoc. Committee on Women’s Rights. “I’m thrilled to be leading this dynamic public foundation at such an important time,” said Barajas-Román. “Women are at the center of every issue impacting families today: healthcare, equal pay and economic security, safety and freedom from violence. A Women’s Fund is able to highlight these issues, aggregate resources, and collaborate with existing community organizations to develop impactful, sustainable solutions.” Barajas-Román’s background also includes positions as a journalist, researcher, and director of policy and operations at a primary-care clinic for uninsured youth in Boston. She is a certified project-management professional, is a graduate of Oberlin College, and received her master’s degree in international policy from Harvard University.

The American Red Cross of Massachusetts announced the selection of Kim Goulette as the new Executive Director of the Pioneer Valley Chapter. With more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit administration, she succeeds Rick Lee, who retired on Aug. 6 after 30 years of service to the Red Cross. Goulette began her new role on Aug. 4. “I am thrilled to welcome Kim to the American Red Cross of Massachusetts,” said Ralph Boyd, Red Cross of Massachusetts CEO. “Kim is a successful administrator with a strong skill set in growth management, and I am confident that her steady leadership and excitement for the work of the Red Cross will effect a seamless transition and guarantee the continued success of the Pioneer Valley Chapter in delivering essential services to the community.” In her new position, Goulette will provide leadership to the local volunteers and paid employees who serve the residents of the Pioneer Valley with life-saving programs and services. “I’m honored to be selected for this key role with an amazing organization,” she said. “I look forward to working with the dedicated volunteers, employees, board members, community partners, and donors to strengthen our communities and help people in need.” Goulette most recently served as executive director of Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry Inc. in Chicopee, where she managed day-to-day operations and worked with board members and committees to raise funds to support the work of the organization. Previously, she served as director of Employment and Community Based Day Services at Aditus in East Longmeadow, as well as regional director of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Massachusetts. Goulette earned her bachelor’s degree from Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire and serves as a Chicopee Rotarian, a member of the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, and a board member and services committee chair at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

Jeffrey LaValley was recently appointed Community Outreach Manager at Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity. LaValley’s primary responsibility is the development and execution of strategies to increase awareness and financial support of the affiliate’s mission. LaValley will play a pivotal role in implanting the organization’s capacity-building efforts, specifically the 30 in 3 campaign, the affiliate’s vision to serve 30 families in three years. He also will oversee Habitat’s annual resource-development plan, including outreach efforts to foster a positive identity for the affiliate in the community. Most recently, LaValley served as executive director and director of sales and marketing for Shaker Farm Farms Country Club in Westfield. Previously, he served as associate director of donor relations for Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield. Prior to that, he was the community-development coordinator at Noble Hospital in Westfield and director of alumni and parent relations at Keene State College in New Hampshire. LaValley received a bachelor’s degree in journalism/public affairs and a master of education in curriculum and instruction from Keene State College. He also earned a certificate in fund-raising from UMass Amherst.

Fallon Health, a nationally recognized healthcare-services organization, announced the appointment of B. John “Jack” Dill to its board of directors. Dill is President and CEO of Colebrook Realty Services Inc., a privately owned, full-service commercial real-estate firm headquartered in Springfield. Dill oversees commercial real-estate development, management, finance, brokerage, and consulting. Prior to this role, Dill was executive vice president of SIS Bancorp and SIS Bank (now TD Bank). Dill holds a Counselors of Real Estate designation and is a fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. He is a founding director of the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp. (MHIC), a nonprofit equity investor/financer of affordable housing, among other services. To date, MHIC has placed in excess of $1 billion in qualified developments. Dill is currently chairman of the Board of Springfield School Volunteers Inc., a member of Springfield Business Leaders for Education, and director of the Springfield Education Fund. Additionally, he is the current campaign chair of WFCR New England Public Radio’s 50th Anniversary Capital Campaign. Dill has held leadership roles on the boards of many organizations, including Baystate Health System and Baystate Medical Center, Mercy Medical Center, Counselors of Real Estate, Western Mass. Life Care Corp., WGBY public television, and American International College. An alumnus of Williams College, Dill pursued a P.M.D. at Harvard Business School and attended the School of Mortgage Banking at Northwestern University.

New England Promotional Marketing announced that former abc40 anchor Maggie Pereiras has joined its team. She will be contributing to the NEPM sales force and creating a cohesive social-media platform for the company while highlighting the success of its clients. Pereiras acquired her bachelor’s degree in communications with honors from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. after graduating from Minnechaug Regional High School. She began her professional career as an editor for Avon Products Inc. and then Victoria’s Secret, both in New York City. Upon returning to Western Mass., she began working as an account executive for WGGB Channel 40/Fox 6. Shortly thereafter, she transitioned from advertising sales and became the host, executive producer, and editor for abc40’s local lifestyle program, SimplyLiving. The program allowed her to sharpen her creativity and build lasting relationships with many businesses throughout the area. Once SimplyLiving had run its course, she transitioned again to become a reporter and anchor for abc40’s news team. Pereiras has a strong background in creative marketing and social media.

Brian Kane, a professor and researcher at UMass Amherst, is this year’s co-recipient of the International Society of Arboriculture’s (ISA’s) prestigious Alex L. Shigo Award for Excellence in Arboricultural Education. The award honors ISA members for enhancing the quality and professionalism of arboriculture through education. Kane is the Mass. Arborists Assoc. professor of Commercial Arboriculture at UMass Amherst. He is an ISA-certified arborist who started climbing trees professionally 25 years ago. Kane invites his students to participate in his tree research, supports them in their tree-climbing competitions, and guides them to be skilled future workers and business owners in arboriculture. ISA honored Kane at a ceremony on Aug. 3 in Milwaukee as part of the 90th annual ISA International Conference and Trade Show.

Lathrop Communities recently announced the appointment of Mauria Sirum, RN, as the new director of Wellness and Home Care. Sirum is a graduate of Vermont Technical College and Excelsior College in Albany, N.Y., and has a broad range of healthcare experience, including supervision and leadership. Early in her career, Sirum served as a CNA at Berkshire Health Systems and worked as a staff nurse and nursing supervisor for the Sisters of Providence Health System. Just prior to joining the Lathrop team, she was director of nurses at Wingate Healthcare, where she oversaw the nursing department and memory-care neighborhood. She is devoted to transparency, communication, a person-centered wellness philosophy, preventive health education, and initiatives for residents and those who care for them, as well as staff development and team building. In her spare time, Sirum serves on the board of directors for Arena Civic Theater and works as a costumer for plays in her community. Lathrop is a not-for-profit affiliate of the Kendal Corp., and manages independent-living communities in Northampton and Easthampton, serving older adults in the Quaker tradition.

Chase Bank Continues Ambitious Growth Plan in Springfield

By Joseph Bednar March 17, 2023

Banking and Financial Services

Branching Out

Oumkar Tobaran says the human element is critical in banking even amid the rise of online and mobile tools.

At a time when a bank’s customers can conduct business from anywhere with a few clicks, dramatic branch expansion may seem outdated.

But it’s not, Ali Zaidi said, explaining why Chase Bank is looking to double its presence in Massachusetts over the next several years, starting with the opening of a downtown Springfield office on March 7.

“When you think about the important life events that customers go through, whether it be retirement planning, buying a house, or the birth of a child, people still have an appreciation for that face-to-face conversation. That makes an impact,” said Zaidi, Chase’s market director for Western and Central Mass. “And about 75% of our customers that have balances with us still come to the branches. So, clearly, the customers are telling us they would love to have that face-to-face interaction, especially with complex life events.”

Oumkar Tobaran, branch manager for the new location in Harrison Place — which has a long history of housing banks, including Third National Bank and, in recent decades, Bank of Western Massachusetts and People’s United Bank — said the human element is critical.

“With all the technology and innovation we have, think of the amount of things that we can go on our phones to do on a daily basis,” he told BusinessWest. “But the minute something doesn’t go right or the minute you need support or additional advice on something, we want to show that customer service matters, with a physical presence.”

The branch is Chase’s 38th in Massachusetts since opening its first Bay State location in Boston in 2018 — an impressive growth trajectory, and a number the institution is looking to double by 2025, including a location to open this spring in the former Silverscape Designs building on King Street in Northampton.

“This is a central point,” Zaidi said of downtown Springfield, noting that Chase has an office a few miles down I-91 in Enfield, but this is technically the first in Western Mass. “There’s definitely a rich history here on Main Street and its local businesses, as well as larger clienteles with MGM and the Hall of Fame. We’re serving clients of different demographics, and I’m very excited that we were able to secure this spot on Main Street.”

Tobaran said he expects plenty of foot traffic downtown, as well as visits from customers who may have been banking in Enfield or branches to the west, while Chase has been conducting outreach to build a larger base of business in the region.

“About 75% of our customers that have balances with us still come to the branches. So, clearly, the customers are telling us they would love to have that face-to-face interaction, especially with complex life events.”

“We wanted to make sure that we have a convenient place for them to visit because it’s important to be able to interact with the community,” he added. “There’s a lot of development happening in Springfield, and we wanted to be part of that momentum as well.”

Zaidi agreed. “Springfield is a key cog that gives us an entry point into expanding into Western Massachusetts and brings convenience to our customers. Springfield is being revitalized, and I feel we can be an integral part of that.”

He also feels there’s an opportunity to add customers who might already be familiar with Chase through its mortgage products and credit cards. “That’s what people know. So one of our consumer-banking priorities is to be a bank for all and make it easy for people to do business with us. And technology-wise, where customers were able to bank with us remotely, this now gives them a physical location to meet their diverse needs.”

Ali Zaidi says downtown Springfield is the first Chase branch in Western Mass. and the springboard to an eventual doubling of the bank’s branches in Massachusetts.

As he showed off the space at 1391 Main St., from the tellers and ITM machines up front to the various offices further back, Zaidi said the new Springfield branch can do all of that.

“We will help our customers with any needs, and we have more licensed specialist bankers to navigate those complex life events — retirement, financial planning, or just navigating your credit-history trajectory if you’re looking to purchase something down the road. We’re so excited to be providing that face-to-face value, and we’re looking forward to continuing the expansion.”

Set Up to Help

This first Western Mass. branch is about 3,000 square feet in size and features a modern, bright design with plenty of natural light, quiet meeting areas, and state-of-the-art banking technology, including those ITMs, which allow a higher withdrawal limit than traditional ATMs, as well as access to Chase professionals.

“For customers who have commercial or small-business banking needs, we have our team of experts, partners who will be working out of here and supporting other branches to connect customers. So it’s a one-stop shop.”

A dedicated Chase Private Client team provides premium banking services, personalized attention, and access to the expertise and investment capabilities of J.P. Morgan to help families reach their goals. Customers may also meet with financial and home-lending advisors and business-banking relationship managers.

“Our retail banking operations are here, and we have our licensed bankers to deal with client management,” Zaidi explained, “and for customers who have commercial or small-business banking needs, we have our team of experts, partners who will be working out of here and supporting other branches to connect customers. So it’s a one-stop shop.”

Tobaran said the open layout will help customers easily navigate what they need. “We will have associates in the lobby greeting clients, interacting with them. And then, depending on the transactions they’ll need to leverage, we can go back here and figure out what we need to help them with,” he explained, gesturing away from the front door toward the offices in back.

“But we equip a lot of our associates with tablets,” he added. “So in addition to helping them back there, however we can help support them face to face, sitting down in the lobby area, we will do that with the resources and tools we have.”

Besides banking business, Chase also wants to connect with Greater Springfield in other ways, Zaidi said, through financial-literacy programs and other types of community outreach.

“The idea is to have our branches be community anchors. So when we think about financial-literacy conversations, be it with young professionals or small-business owners, we want to host workshops and assistance in that space as well,” he explained, noting that Chase is working on several community-development efforts around financial literacy, including a partnership with Western New England University. “So this would serve as an anchor for us where we could do before- or after-hours seminars and events. It makes sense.”

Harrison Place has been home to several banks in the past, from Third National Bank to the Bank of Western Massachusetts and People’s United Bank.

Tobaran added that the bank’s employees also reflect its region, as the branch hired locally, including people who hail from the Latino and Vietnamese communities, among others.

“We want some familiar faces to be representing Chase, saying, ‘hey, these are the resources we have to help you accomplish your goal.’ It was important for us to get local talent, people who had ties to the community, people who are passionate about giving back and who genuinely want to see Springfield succeed.”

Only the Beginning

Zaidi and Tobaran know Chase is making an ambitious surge into a region some have called overbanked, and where community banks have long dominated. But they say Chase is committed to local residents and organizations in much the same way locally headquartered banks are, while also bringing vast financial resources to the table.

“When you think about Chase, we have the resources of a large global corporation,” Zaidi said. “And our vision is, how do we take those resources and localize the solutions for our customers? Our technology and data analysis help us strategize and take a more targeted approach, because all the branches are going to operate differently based on the community-specific needs.”

One example is a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, one of the organizations that will be on hand on March 15 for the branch’s official grand-opening festivities.

“That’s one way Oumkar and his team have been making an impact in the community already,” Zaidi said. “We feel that we can be a valued contributor in that space among all the other banks. The competitive edge that we have is not only through our resources, but with the community aspect that we are trying to drive here.”

Country Bank Expands Its Presence in More Ways Than One

By BusinessWest Staff November 1, 2016

Banking and Financial Services Sections

Lending Support

Country Bank President Paul Scully

Country Bank’s sheer scope in Eastern and Central Mass. — it now boasts 15 branches, almost $1.4 billion in assets, and a loan portfolio approaching $1 billion — positions it among the larger banks in its footprint. But even during a time of financial growth, President Paul Scully is equally committed to growing the bank’s community ties, through an ever-evolving series of initiatives that engage employees, customers, and area residents alike. After all, a bank’s success, he believes, shouldn’t be reflected simply on the bottom line.

Paul Scully is gratified that Country Bank is wrapping up a particularly strong year for both commercial loans and retail business. But the bottom line isn’t all the bank is building.

For instance, employees at the bank’s newest branch, in Worcester, recently teamed with Habitat for Humanity to build a playhouse for children of veterans. “Staff members spent the day building the playhouse in the parking lot,” said Scully, the bank’s president. “They loved it.”

More significantly, Scully recently returned from Haiti, where a team of 14 built two houses over five days before being chased out by the quick-moving Hurricane Matthew. Last year, he accompanied a team of management-level employees on a similar home-building mission in the beleaguered Caribbean nation, and this year, he opened it up to all staff members.

“Thirty-three people said they’d like to go, so we had a lottery,” he explained. “It’s a tremendous feeling giving back in the most impoverished country in the western hemisphere. They realized, if they didn’t before, how amazingly fortunate everyone here is.”

The home-building project was also an exercise in team building, he added. “We got to know people for who they are — not just the role they play Monday through Friday.”

That sense of community — both within the Country Bank family and in service to the cities and towns where its 15 branches operate — has increasingly become a hallmark of the Ware-based institution’s identity, Scully said.

Country Bank employees in Worcester celebrate the construction of a playhouse for children of veterans, a project conducted alongside Habitat for Humanity.

“When it comes to giving and community involvement, we believe that’s the role of a community bank, and most community banks feel similarly,” he told BusinessWest, noting that the bank’s support of area food banks, senior centers, and Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, among other entities — in all, totaling some $600,000 annually.

“Donations are geared toward all aspects of the community to improve quality of life for residents,” he said. “We’re a staunch supporter of our local hospital because we believe healthy communities must have access to good healthcare, and people want to stay and live and perhaps move into our communities to access quality healthcare.”

To further focus its community involvement, in 2015, the bank launched its Country Bank Cares community volunteer program, offering volunteer opportunities at various events throughout the year to Country Bank staff. Each volunteer hour is logged, and at the end of the year, staff members who volunteered 10 hours or more are awarded a grant to a charity of their choice for $100; 25 hours earns $250.

Thirty-three people said they’d like to go, so we had a lottery. It’s a tremendous feeling giving back in the most impoverished country in the western hemisphere. They realized, if they didn’t before, how amazingly fortunate everyone here is.”

“They have a stake in where the money goes,” said Shelly Regin, the bank’s marketing director, noting that employees donate about 700 hours of service per year. “They’re really engaged in it and honored to take part in it.”

The spirit of giving even incorporates a dress-down day on Fridays, when employees pay to wear jeans, and the bank matches all donations. At the end of each month, a committee of staff members decides which local nonprofits get the money — to the tune of about $2,500 a month. “That’s a lot of jeans,” Scully said. Meanwhile, a recent event called Be Bald, Be Bold had employees donning bald caps to draw attention to cancer research and raise money for the Baystate Mary Lane Walk of Champions.

“This is something that existed here long before Shelly or me,” he went on, explaining the motivation behind Country Bank Cares and other initiatives. “It’s the idea that Country Bank is engaged in the community and people’s quality of life, and we want our 220 staff members to experience another dimension of giving back.”

Country and City

With assets of $1.39 billion at the end of 2015 and a loan portfolio of more than $978 million, Country Bank is, of course, deeply ingrained in its communities in the traditional banking sense as well. And 2016 has seen further financial growth.

“We’ve had a very robust year in commercial loan originations, really centered in our existing footprint but also throughout New England,” Scully said. “We’ve had a tremendous year in both loan growth and deposit growth. I think that’s attributable, in part, to improvements we’re seeing in the economy and more robust product offerings.”

He noted that the evolution of e-banking solutions increasingly allows banks to develop relationships with customers outside their branch footprint. “That’s opening up the market dramatically. Folks can open up accounts with us online, can do anything they want online.”

Still, physical branches remain important, and the move to Worcester last year made sense on multiple levels, he explained.

Go HERE for a list of Banks in Western Mass.

“We’ve been lending in Worcester for more than 50 years,” he noted, adding that the city boasts a larger population and more diverse demographic than most Country branches, both of which equate into more business opportunity. And without a branch, it was difficult to move commercial customers into other products, such as retail accounts.

“From a cultural perspective, we have not changed the culture to adapt to the city — we’ve just brought the same level of service and quality to Worcester as our other marketplaces.”

Shelly Regin says employees are gratified to have opportunities for volunteerism and a say in where the bank’s charitable dollars go.

However, Country remains focused on growing its e-banking platforms as well, reaching a generation that prefers the convenience of doing business on their devices rather than visit a branch. But the community-bank world has long moved past the days of thinking branches will eventually be obsolete.

“They said years ago that ATMs are going to replace branches,” Scully said. “What happens is, every time there’s an advancement, people believe it’s going to replace something, but it doesn’t replace it — it just complements it. In this case, it allows customers to enjoy many different ways to do their banking. Has the foot traffic slowed down? Yes, a little bit, but people still want to know it’s there if they need it for any reason.”

Mortgage applications are one area where the change in customer behavior has been stark. When Country launched an online application option 10 years ago, customers were slow to embrace it, preferring to meet with a loan officer in person. Online applications were filed mostly by customers with poor credit who were targeting multiple banks at once, hoping someone would accept them. Today, 80% of the bank’s mortgage applications originate online, simply because borrowers realize it’s easier.

Brick-and-mortar branches are important for branding as well, but marketing campaigns — through both traditional and social media — remain critical, Regin said, noting that the challenge is to effectively tell a story that’s reflective of the institution and sets it apart.

To that end, with the help of its marketing agency, the bank conducted scores of interviews, not only with customers and employees, but people with no connection at all to Country Bank, asking why they choose to bank or work there, or why they don’t. The overwhelming takeaway, Regin said, is that relationships, and how the bank treats people, are its most important investment. So its current campaign incorporates slogans driving home the importance of priorities like service and even good manners. (One slogan reads, “we think politeness is a higher form of intelligence.”)

“That’s just who we are,” she said, before Scully added that the bank has always conducted business that way, but the campaign simply crystallizes it. Equally important is providing the kind of customer or borrower experience that leads to referrals. “Someone says, ‘I had a great experience with them.’ Another says, ‘OK, maybe I’ll give them a try too.’”

Community Legacy

The Country Bank name is only 35 years old, but the institution has been around since 1850, when it was known as Ware Savings Bank. It took on its current name after a 1981 merger with Palmer Savings Bank; another merger with Leicester Savings Bank 17 years ago further increased the bank’s holdings.

With that long history behind it, the bank understands the importance of helping future generations establish their own financial health, which is why Country conducts financial-literacy programs in 29 elementary schools, conducts a Credit for Life program in area high schools — teaching seniors the importance of prioritizing spending — and expanding that program with seniors at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

“That next step is really geared toward those graduating from college,” Scully said. “They’re the ones who will be experiencing the real workforce soon, so the engagement is greater.”

Also thinking generationally — this time focusing on Millennials — Country has been overhauling its corporate headquarters to reflect modern workforce trends, such as low walls, collaborative spaces, enhanced technology, and even a café.

“We want to be an employer of choice for Millennials and folks who say, ‘this would be a cool place to work,’” he explained. “There’s great stuff happening; we’re creating a different vibe in this building. I say we’re giving it a Google vibe. We want to have the building become a place where people not only want to work, but feel really engaged.”

It’s just one more way Country Bank continues to identify needs and meet them — just as it has for the past 166 years.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Justin Roberts

By Contributor May 3, 2022

40 Under 40 Class of 2022

Vice President of Marketing, Country Bank; Age 32

For Justin Roberts, being vice president of Marketing at Country Bank is all about giving back to the community.

“It all goes back to my interest that I’ve always had in giving back and making sure that individuals and organizations continue to succeed, especially the ones that have important missions that support the communities and the individuals that live in them and that need help,” he told BusinessWest.

Roberts’ desire to support individuals who need help was the driving force behind Suit Up Springfield, a nonprofit he founded eight years ago that provides professional attire in the form of suits, shirts, and ties to individuals graduating from high school or college, and individuals being released from incarceration who need assistance with their professional development. The program has provided attire to thousands of young men in the Greater Springfield area.

Additionally, Roberts has developed a partnership with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, providing professional attire to all inmates in the post-incarceration program. He’s even an honorary Hampden County deputy sheriff.

Beyond Suit Up Springfield, Roberts’ role at Country Bank has allowed him to be active with countless organizations.

“We do so much good and give back so much time, talent, and treasure to the community, which has always really been such an important part of my mission, my personal mission statement,” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate to both personally and professionally give back in so many ways, whether it’s sitting and serving on some boards or volunteering for some organizations like Habitat for Humanity or Square One, or my board involvement at AIC, where I did my undergrad and MBA work. It just all ties back to the opportunities that I have to continue to give back and support the communities and the individuals that make them up.”

Currently, Roberts is vice president of the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity board. He’s been involved with building 10 homes in the past five years for families in need of good, affordable housing in Western Mass. He was instrumental in raising more than $150,000 to build Tommy’s House, a house built in memory of Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, who died as a result of an act of domestic terrorism at the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center in Tennessee in 2015.

Outside of his work and volunteering, Roberts loves to spend time with his family, his partner, Heather, and their two daughters, Maxie and Charlie. He loves playing golf, cooking, and eating good food.

— Elizabeth Sears

Recent Appointments

By BusinessWest Staff May 12, 2021

Banking and Financial Services

PV Financial Announces Two Additions to Team

PV Financial Group recently welcomed two new members to its team — Antonio Bastos as retirement plan coordinator and Andrea Santos as digital marketing specialist. Both will be working in PV’s main office located in Ludlow.

Antonio Bastos

Andrea Santos

Upon graduating from Nichols College in Dudley with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Bastos accepted a job with MassMutual Retirement Services. During his five years with the company, he represented and sold MassMutual’s qualified retirement plan platform to small and mid-sized businesses. Bastos also obtained his Series 6 and Series 63 licenses while gaining beneficial knowledge and experience with qualified retirement plans.

At PV Financial, Bastos’s role is to manage all the qualified retirement plan clients, from day-to-day servicing to fielding all inquiries from retirement plan participants and plan trustees. He will also maintain relationships with retirement-plan providers in the industry. Other responsibilities will include staying connected and up-to-date on new products, services, and ERISA compliance regulations so he can properly and confidently serve PV Financial’s retirement plan clients and participants.

“By having Tony join the team at PV Financial, we have committed to the qualified retirement plan marketplace,” said Edward Sokolowski, PV’s managing partner. “As many local financial firms have been exiting this business, Tony will be able to fill the void and offer professional guidance to companies looking for quality advice for their retirement plans.”

Santos graduated from Holyoke Community College with an associate’s degree in Business Administration, as well as from Elms College with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing. Upon graduating from Elms, Santos accepted a job at Northwestern Mutual. During her four years with the company, she held the position of director of Client Services, where she was responsible for the oversight of new business insurance applications and investment accounts, as well as insurance underwriting correspondence. She also worked with clients directly on account inquiries and led the office’s marketing efforts.

At PV Financial, Santos will be the digital marketing specialist. She will be the first point of contact for new and current clients who are a part of PV Financial’s new program, PV Navigator. Other responsibilities include maintaining the program’s website and social media accounts, staying up to date with the services provided within the program, maintaining relationships with the program’s clients, and assisting the advisors with outreach.

“Having Andrea join our team is a major step in the future success of PV Financial,” said Sokolowski. “Andrea’s talents in social media and client relationships will be a cornerstone to our newly launched investment program, PV Navigator. I look forward to the energy and focus Andrea will bring to our firm and the positive impact she will have on our clients.”

Country Bank Appoints New VP of Marketing

Country Bank announced that Justin Roberts has joined the Marketing and Community Relations team as vice president of Marketing. Roberts’ experience in strategic marketing spans more than a decade in various industries. As a former small-business owner, he brings not just marketing savvy, but real-life experience.

Justin Roberts

“I am excited to join the Country Bank team,” Roberts said. “Having admired the brand for several years, I am looking forward to help activate the bank’s founding partnership of the Worcester Red Sox and promoting Country Bank’s presence throughout the region.”

In Roberts’ previous positions, he worked as the Development officer at American International College (AIC) in the office of Institutional Advancement, and also worked at MassLive, where he helped lead the Digital Marketing Strategy team to support local, regional, and national clients. His entrepreneurial spirit recently led him to open his own marketing and community-relations agency before joining the Country Bank team.

Roberts, who earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA in marketing from AIC, is the founder of Suit Up Springfield, a nonprofit organization that provides professional attire and mentorship to young men in Greater Springfield.

He also serves as vice president of the board for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity. He has served on many nonprofits and community organizations, including Wonderfund of Massachusetts, the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, the Rotary Club of Springfield, and Square One. He is a member of the New England Financial Marketing Assoc. and received the Game Changer award from the Center for Human Development.

“We are thrilled to welcome Justin to the Marketing and Community Relations team. His experience in marketing and digital strategies, combined with his extensive civic and community engagement, makes him a perfect fit for Country Bank,” said Miriam Siegel, first senior vice president of Human Resources. “We’re proud of Justin’s efforts within the communities we serve and look forward to his profound passion for community service while representing Country Bank. u

Florence Bank Welcomes Experienced Lender

Florence Bank announced the appointment of Douglas Gilbert to the position of vice president of Commercial Lending. Gilbert comes to the bank with more than 27 years of banking experience.

Douglas Gilbert

His most recent role was at Country Bank, where he served as first vice president and team leader in the Commercial Lending department. His duties there included managing the Commercial Lending team and an extensive loan portfolio. His experience also includes serving as vice president and head of Commercial Lending at Easthampton Savings Bank and as assistant vice president in Commercial Lending at Westfield Bank.

“It is a great opportunity to be affiliated with Florence Bank, which has such an excellent reputation and does so much good in the community,” Gilbert said. “Everyone here has made me feel right at home from the beginning.”

Gilbert is a certified public accountant who earned an undergraduate degree from Westfield State University and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. He also serves on the board of the Quaboag Valley Business Assistance Corp.

Kevin Day, president and CEO of Florence Bank, added that “Doug is a great addition to the Florence Bank team. His significant lending experience coupled with his knowledge of the communities we serve will be a tremendous value to our business customers.”

The Zoo in Forest Park Sharpens Its Focus

By Joseph Bednar July 10, 2018

Executive Director Sarah Tsitso with a couple of poitou donkeys.

Cover Story

Creature Comforts

Executive Director Sarah Tsitso with a couple of poitou donkeys.

The Zoo in Forest Park & Education Center has seen its share of changes over the decades, and its current executive director, Sarah Tsitso, admits it’s still an underappreciated asset in Springfield. But an asset it is, she asserts, one that has honed its focus in recent years to emphasize education, conservation, and rehabilitation — and all the intriguing ways those ideas intersect.

Montana is a bobcat who used to be someone’s pet. That is, until, authorities found out and confiscated her; even out west, you can’t just go bring home a bobcat.

But since Montana had been declawed, the aging feline had no chance of survival in the wild, and needed a new home. The Zoo in Forest Park became that home.

“We’ve started working more collaboratively with other zoos, and particularly sanctuaries and rehab facilities, around the country for animal placements,” said Sarah Tsitso, who was named the zoo’s executive director last spring. “We want animals that make sense for our zoo in terms of our size, our geography, and our climate — especially animals that can’t be released into the wild, that are living in a sanctuary right now and are in need of a permanent home.”

With its 125th anniversary around the corner next year, the zoo has seen its share of evolution over the years, and that process is never-ending, Tsitso said. “We’ve been doing a lot of internal strategic thinking about the direction we want to take going forward, and one of the things we’re really focused on is moving away from that traditional zoo model and more toward education, conservation, and rehabilitation.”

The facility has been working recently with sanctuaries in Florida, Texas, Kansas, and Ohio to provide a home for animals in need of one. One example is a 1-year-old orphan coyote who was brought to a sanctuary with a broken leg. “She healed, but has never lived in the wild,” Tsitso said. “So she’s being flown in here.”

She’ll share the zoo’s four and a half acres with some 150 animal species, from timberwolf siblings Orion and Aurora to a pair of red-tailed hawks who rehabbed from injury but are not releasable in the wild, to a three-legged baby opossum who had the fourth limb amputated due to a serious injury, and is being moved from a sanctuary to its new home in Forest Park.

Then there’s a mink named Monte who escaped from a fur farm in Utah and found his way to a sanctuary, Tsitso said. “They were looking for a home for him because he’s never been in the wild; he was bred for his fur. We named him after the Count of Monte Cristo. Because of the jailbreak.”

In fact, the majority of the zoo’s animals are elderly, disabled in some way, or otherwise unable to survive in the wild, which makes the center’s focus on conservation and rehabilitation an important part of its robust educational outreach.

“Certainly, we want people to be aware that human interference has consequences,” Tsitso said. “Some of these animals have been hit by cars or are otherwise examples of nature meeting humans.”

Although a part of Forest Park for well over a century, the zoo is still an underap-preciated city asset, its executive director says.

The zoo is currently working to bring in two bald eagles, a male and female, from a wildlife sanctuary in Alaska. Neither is releasable into the wild, as one had to have a wing tip amputated, and other one had a broken wing, so neither can fly.

“They’ll provide some interesting education to the public about bald eagles and why they are a symbol of our nation and how they were once endangered and now, through all these conservation efforts, their population has stabilized, which is wonderful,” Tsitso said.

She hopes to one day tell similar stories about other threatened or endangered animals in the Zoo at Forest Park, including its ring-tailed lemurs, arctic wolves, and poitou donkeys. “We’re continuing that movement of bringing in animals that need a home, that fit with our collection, and that are educationally interesting to people.”

In the meantime, this nonprofit veteran has found her own new home in a job she loves.

“I just felt like it was my opportunity to give something back to Springfield,” Tsitso said, “and do what I could do to make sure this asset stays around another 125 years and that people know it’s it’s here, and come and enjoy what we have to offer — and we have so much to offer.”

Hear Her Roar

Tsitso told BusinessWest that Nathan Bazinet, the zoo’s interim director before she arrived, and Nunzio Bruno, then its board president, were looking for someone to come in and bring stability to this venerable nonprofit, despite the many challenges it faces.

“They wanted someone to connect it to the community and run it like a business,” she said, noting that conversations started a year before she came on board, but when she did, she fully embraced the opportunity.

“I really love the zoo,” she said. “It’s so ingrained in the fabric of Springfield and this neighborhood in particular. I really feel like I was meant to be here. I feel very fulfilled here — we have a great board, a great staff, and I love working with the animals.”

Until recently, Tsitso and her family lived in the Forest Park neighborhood — for more than 15 years, in fact.

“Our daughter was born in a house not a half-mile from here. And when she was little, we came here all the time. We’d walk from our house to here, she had birthday parties here, she loved this place. And I just really appreciated that it was here. Yet, so many people are unaware that we have this asset, this treasure, right here in the city.”

True to the zoo’s full name — the Zoo in Forest Park & Education Center — the facility focuses heavily on wildlife education, offering a variety of educational programs and special events for children and adults, from Zoo on the Go — which brings animals into schools, libraries, and senior centers — to guided tours and discovery programs for all ages, as well as Zoo Camp during winter and summer school vacations.

The zoo also offers a vibrant internship program, she said, providing students at area colleges studying animal science or veterinary care an opportunity to learn outside the classroom.

Broadening those programs is a priority, Tsitso said, for reasons that extend beyond the value of education, which is significant.

“Our biggest revenue stream is admission, and we’re only open five months of the year, and for two of those five months, it’s weekends,” she said. “So it’s very challenging to meet our budget. But we’re working on some new avenues of revenue. We’re expanding our education programs. Our Zoo on the Go and education programs run year-round, so we can really bolster those and create some new partnerships in the community whereby we can be offering those programs more consistently.”

The zoo used to receive state funding, but that ended about five years ago, although Tsitso and her team are trying to re-establish that revenue source. Meanwhile, community partnerships remain crucial, like Paul Picknelly’s recent donation of first-week proceeds at the new Starbucks at Monarch Place to fund an exhibit of African cats at the zoo.

“Those kinds of community partnerships are really what’s going to keep us growing,” she added, “and we’re really hoping that the community, as they realize all the wonderful things happening here, keep coming back.”

This wallaby is one of some 150 species of animals living at the Zoo in Forest Park.

Operating a zoo at affordable admission prices — in addition to day passes, many families take advantage of $85 memberships, which are good all season for up to six family members — is a challenge, Tsitso said, especially since the zoo is not affiliated with the city and gets no revenue from other Forest Park-based events. It does benefit from a series of 25-year leases from the city at $1 per year — the current lease expires in 2035 — as well as the fact that Springfield foots its electric bill.

“We’re very grateful to the city because for a long time they have been great partners for us, but there is a differentiation between us and the city,” she said. “We’re not overseen by the city; we have our own board of directors.”

Poignant Paws

Those directors chose Tsitso — who has claimed leadership roles with nonprofit groups including Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, the East of the River 5 Town Chamber of Commerce, two Springfield-based Boys & Girls Clubs, and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts — to guide the zoo through its next era of growth, but it has to be controlled growth, she said, based on its limited footprint.

“We’re four and a half acres, and we’re not getting an inch more of space. So whatever we do has to be self-contained in these four and a half acres. We’re really thoughtful about the improvements we’re making.”

That’s why she and her team are working with the animal-care staff to create a sort of wish list of what animal exhibits the zoo lacks, what it should bring in, and how it might acquire those animals.

“We’ve been pretty fortunate in working with people all around the country who are willing to help us and are looking for great placements for these animals,” she went on. “Most of them are so excited their animals are coming here.”

In many ways, the Zoo in Forest Park is not the same attraction families experienced decades ago, Tsitso noted.

“A lot of people have memories of the zoo when it was a very different place, when the monkey house was here and we had all those large animals, and it didn’t make sense for the animals. We’re very thoughtful about the kinds of animals here now. You’ll never see another polar bear. You’ll never see another black bear. You’ll never see another elephant. Those are animals we’ll never have again.”

The animals that do call Forest Park home have plenty to offer visitors, including the rush of school groups that take field trips there, averaging some two to three groups a day during the spring.

“That’s a big piece — we want to get kids in here, and we want to get them excited about nature and exposed to lots of different types of animals,” Tsitso said. “For a lot of kids, especially inner-city kids, they’ve never seen a lot of these animals. Even a goat is something that’s new and interesting to them. So it’s really fun to watch the kids come in and not just see the animals, but get to interact with some of them and get an education about them. How do they eat? How do they sleep?”

When the zoo shuts its doors to visitors for the cold months, typically around Halloween, the ones who don’t like the cold move into indoor facilities — like Oz, a spotted leopard Tsitso pointed out on a recent stroll with BusinessWest through the grounds. Oz has a large outdoor enclosure, but also a small ‘house’ that’s heated during the cold months.

It’s home to him, just as the Springfield area has long been home to Tsitso, who has found her new calling leading the zoo’s small staff — two full-time animal-care professionals, about four part-timers, and a raft of volunteers and interns — into whatever its next phase may bring.

“Springfield is very important to me. It really is the economic center of our whole area, and when Springfield succeeds, we all succeed,” she said, adding, however, that the zoo is a city asset that feels, well, apart from the city.

“One thing I love about this zoo, being inside Forest Park, is that it feels very natural in here, very close to nature, with lots of green and lots of trees. It doesn’t feel like Springfield. It really is a little sanctuary.”

Not just for her, but for those who visit the zoo — and the growing collection of animals that call it home.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff November 23, 2022

Company Notebook

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, formerly 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 separate 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 organization 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 roadways 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 founding member of ValleyBike Share, and six bike-share stations are now spread across campus to allow students, 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, 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 Competition in Poland. The Warsaw Spirits Competition is in its fifth year, and this was the third time V-One has competed. This year, the number of entries and producers was record-breaking, with hundreds of alcoholic beverages from more than 32 countries. In the most competitive 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 following 12 practice areas: banking and finance law, bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law, business organizations (including 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 lawyer evaluations and peer reviews from leading attorneys in their field.

GCAi’s Video for Harvard Tours Middle East

SPRINGFIELD — Harvard Graduate School of Education 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 Professional 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 presentations 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 videos 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 selected Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH) to receive one of its community grants. The foundation aims to help low- and moderate-income families 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 communities 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.

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BusinessWest: Let’s start by getting your take on — and your working definition of — those phrases ‘corporate stewardship’ and ‘being a good corporate citizen.’

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Thirty-three people said they’d like to go, so we had a lottery. It’s a tremendous feeling giving back in the most impoverished country in the western hemisphere. They realized, if they didn’t before, how amazingly fortunate everyone here is.”

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