You searched for habitat for humanity - Page 4 of 8

A Date with Destiny

By BusinessWest Staff February 15, 2011

Celebrate This Year’s Difference Makers on March 24

Kate Campiti, BusinessWest’s associate publisher and advertising director, says that, when the magazine created the Difference Makers recognition program more than two years ago, it did so knowing that there were many ways in which recipients could live up to that title.
And never has that been more evident than with the class of 2011, recently chosen by the magazine after receiving dozens of worthy nominations. Indeed, this year’s cast consists of:

• Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Executive Director Tim Brennan, who has kept one eye on the present and the other on the future — sometimes decades into the future — as he goes about helping to create a better quality of life for area residents and enabling this region to effectively compete in an increasingly global economy. He has many legacies, including the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, a cleaner Connecticut River, several bike trails, and the Plan for Progress — with more on the horizon;

• The founder of Rays of Hope, Lucia (Lucy) Giuggio Carvalho. A breast-cancer survivor, she took inspiration, and some practical lessons in how to wage an effective event, from an AIDS walk in Boston led by, among others, her nephew, and created a walk that today draws more than 18,000 participants annually. In 17 years, Rays of Hope has raised more than $8 million for breast-cancer services and research, while also creating a strong show of unity in the ongoing fight against this killer;

• Don Kozera, president of Human Resources Unlimited, who, over the course of three decades of leadership, has enabled the organization to expand and evolve while remaining true to its original mission: helping individuals with mental and physical disabilities find employment and thus become productive members of society. Kozera has steered the agency though a number of fiscal and bureaucratic challenges while keeping it on course with its all-important goals;

• Robert Perry, a quasi-retired accountant who has, over the course of his career, devoted generous amounts of time, energy, imagination, and dedication to a number of nonprofit organizations, especially Habitat for Humanity. While lending his financial acumen and strong leadership and organizational skills to that agency as president and treasurer, he and his wife, Bobbi, also provided a large dose of inspiration when they committed to donating and raising $35,000 each toward the construction of a Habitat home, the building of which coincided with their 35th wedding anniversary; and

• Holyoke’s police chief, Anthony Scott, who says that his decade-long mission in that job — one that most would say he’s accomplished — has been to “increase the overhead” on criminals in that city, thus driving them out of business, or at least to another community. While doing so, he’s kept the heat on judges and probation officers to keep criminals in jail and off the streets.

“This year’s class of Difference Makers clearly show that there are, indeed, many ways to make a difference in our community,” said Campiti, noting that the award was created to highlight this fact and hopefully inspire others to find new and different ways to continue this legacy.
The class of 2011 will be honored at a gala slated for March 24 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke, beginning with a networking hour starting at 5 p.m. The event will feature entertainment, butlered hors d’ouevres, lavish food stations, introductions of the Difference Makers, and remarks from the members of this year’s class.
Tickets are $50 per person, with tables of 10 available. For more information or to order tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 10, or visit www.businesswest.com.

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 October 26, 2022

Company Notebook

New Valley Bank & Trust Opens West Springfield Branch

SPRINGFIELD — New Valley Bank & Trust cut the ribbon on its newest full-service branch at 333 Elm St., West Springfield, on Oct. 7. Joining the bank’s board chair, Frank Fitzgerald, was West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt, state Sen. John Velis, and state Rep. Michael Finn. “Our customers and prospects have been asking us to open a branch on the west side of the Connecticut River for some time,” New Valley President Jeff Sullivan said. “We have recognized the need to increase the convenience of doing business with the bank, and we are proud to be able to offer our services in West Springfield. I spent 11 years of my career working on Elm Street, and many members of the New Valley team have had similar past experiences. We are thrilled to be back in the neighborhood with friendly, familiar faces. As a gesture of good will, the bank recently donated to the West Springfield Boys and Girls Club, the first of many new community partnerships to come.”

Country Bank Pledges $10 Million to Support Affordable Housing

WARE — Country Bank has introduced a new affordable-housing program featuring no down payment for first-time homebuyers. The first-of-its-kind program will assist low- to moderate-income families in purchasing a home. Country Bank has pledged $10 million to the program to help make a difference for these first-time homebuyers. This program is designed to help those who need it most by offering 100% financing for single-family homes or condominiums and 95% financing for two-family properties, with no down payment. In addition, the bank will cover 100% of the private mortgage insurance (PMI) that traditionally adds to the monthly payment, saving the borrower hundreds of dollars each month. This feature also gives the borrower more purchasing power by not having to pay the cost of mortgage insurance. Certain restrictions and locations apply for this program. “Buying your first home can be very stressful, and not having the ability to save for a down payment prohibits many from purchasing a home, even when they can afford the monthly payment. Country Bank’s mortgage experts can assist those interested in learning more about the program or who may be ready to purchase a home. The no-down-payment, first-time homebuyer program is available until the $10 million commitment has been allocated. To learn more, visit www.countrybank.com/mortgages or a banking center, or call the Customer Care Center at (800) 322-8233.

Arts Integration Studio Opens

HOLYOKE — Priscilla Kane Hellweg announced the launch of a new consulting firm, the Arts Integration Studio. Hellweg, who retired in December 2021 after 40 years as the executive/artistic director of Enchanted Circle Theater in Holyoke, said the Arts Integration Studio is a creative makerspace designed to address critical needs in education, community health, and the environment. The studio incorporates creativity, the arts, and cultural engagement, and collaborates with others to promote positive outcomes and sustainable solutions to pressing educational and social concerns. This fall, the studio announced four partnerships: with Pittsfield Public Schools and Berkshire Educational Resources on comprehensive professional development in arts integration, open to all K-12 teachers and specialists in Berkshire county; with Mount Holyoke College and its Professional and Graduate Education Department on a graduate fellowship focused on producing research and publications on arts and learning; with the town of Longmeadow, Bay Path University, and Deza Studios to produce a public art exhibit that illuminates community-wide perspectives around climate despair, resilience, and action as the town embarks on updating its master municipal plan with a focus on equity and climate change; and with the Treehouse Foundation, an intergenerational community in Easthampton designed to support families with children who have experienced foster care. The Arts Integration Studio is also developing ARTS CORPS, a work/study/professional training program for college students and emerging teaching artists interested in the intersectionality of arts, education, social justice, and community well-being.

Mercedes-Benz of Springfield Celebrates Five Years

CHICOPEE — Mercedes-Benz of Springfield is celebrating five years since opening its doors on Oct. 16, 2017. Mercedes-Benz of Springfield’s early and sustained success continues to validate the brand’s decision to put a site in the Pioneer Valley, despite the 11-year hiatus in having a local Mercedes-Benz dealership. Since opening five years ago, the dealership has serviced 53,795 cars, conducted 68,000 car washes, sold and delivered more than 6,400 vehicles, partnered with more than 350 organizations, and increased its team from 30 employees on opening day to 55 today. It has been honored with two BusinessWest 40 Under Forty awards, three Mercedes-Benz Best of the Best Awards, and an Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce A+ Award, and was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.

Rocky’s Ace Hardware Reopens Agawam Store

SPRINGFIELD — Rocky’s Ace Hardware, one of the country’s largest family-owned Ace Hardware dealers, celebrated the reopening of its Agawam location on Oct. 22. “This renovation has allowed us to expand options for our customers and offer a more well-rounded shopping experience,” Rocky’s Ace Hardware President Rocco Falcone said. “Aside from a complete indoor and outdoor remodel, we have added full fishing and Carhartt departments to the store, as well as expanded tool and grill departments. We are really excited to show off these renovations to our new and returning customers.”

Hometown Financial Group Welcomes Envision Bank

EASTHAMPTON — Hometown Financial Group Inc., the multi-bank mutual holding company for bankESB, bankHometown, and Abington Bank, has completed its acquisition of Randolph Bancorp Inc, the bank holding company for Envision Bank. Under the agreement, the acquired Envision Bank branches have been rebranded as Abington Bank. Abington Bank now has $1.4 billion in assets and 10 branches located throughout the South Shore and South Coast, adding offices in Braintree, Randolph, and two in Stoughton to its existing network of offices in Abington, Avon, Holbrook, Marion, and two in Cohasset. The transaction expands Hometown Financial Group’s market presence in Eastern Mass., bringing consolidated assets to $4.5 billion with 37 branches located throughout Massachusetts and Northeastern Connecticut. In addition, Envision Mortgage, with offices in Braintree, North Attleboro, and Westport, will join Hometown Financial Group within the newly formed Hometown Mortgage. This transaction is the sixth strategic merger for Hometown in the last seven years. In 2015, Hometown acquired Citizens National Bancorp. Inc., based in Putnam, Connecticut, then merged with Hometown Community Bancorp. MHC, the holding company for Hometown Bank, in 2016. It then acquired Pilgrim Bancshares Inc. and Abington Bank in 2019, and later that year acquired Millbury Savings Bank.

Chariot Payments Network Emerges from Reorganization

BOSTON — Chariot Payments has emerged from reorganization with a reconstructed board, a new CEO, and an experienced team poised to launch its bank-compliant, hybrid-payment network to introduce a new way to connect traditional finance and banking to the emerging digital economies burgeoning in the world of decentralized finance. Chariot’s hybrid network is configured for bank and regulatory compliance, enabling trusted, secure transactions between traditional finance and banking and instant settlement across digital currency protocols at a fraction of the cost imposed by the current payment networks. Chariot’s CEO, Benjamin Cavallari, along with Chief Technology Officer Mariana Jbantova, resuscitated the startup. After a long rebuild, Chariot Payments announced that Glenn Hanson, CEO of Colony Hills Capital and co-founder of River Valley Investors, and Jay Como, chief data officer of Silicon Valley Bank, are joining Cavallari on the new board of directors. Chariot also announced the reformation of its board of advisors, which includes prominent compliance leaders Angela Ratliff and Kevin Troxell (both with US Bank) and Brandon Oliver (previously with JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, and the DCU Fintech Center).

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.

“We are very grateful to have been selected to receive this grant. It will help us to continue to provide home-ownership and home-repair services in Hampden County,” GSHFH Executive Director Aimee Giroux said. 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.

Building Permits

By BusinessWest Staff August 30, 2023

Building Permits

The following building permits were issued during the month of August 2023.

CHICOPEE

Rodrigo Araujo
348-354 Montcalm St.
$13,500 — Construct deck, stairs, and railing

Basser Kaufman Mass 310 LLC
678 Memorial Dr.
$372,000 — Roofing at Stop & Shop

Paul Bebo
244 Montgomery St.
$16,800 — Roofing; repair stairs, handrail, and gutters

MA Home Buyers LLC
618 McKinstry Ave.
$14,285 — Roofing

Montcalm Associates LP
419 Montcalm St.
$125,000 — Roofing

Victor Rivera
141 Skeele St.
$37,640 — Roofing

HADLEY

Amir Mikhchi
216 Russell St.
N/A — Plumbing repair

LEE

David Delgrande, Anne Delgrande
135 Housatonic St.
$1,300 — Vinyl windows

LENOX

Spigalina LLC
80 Main St.
$1,100 — Roofing

NORTHAMPTON

25 Williams LLC
25 Williams St.
$13,300 — Insulation and weatherization

City of Northampton
274 Main St.
$9,258 — New auditorium dome work platform and hoist framing at Academy of Music

Lake Rentals LLC
312 King St.
$99,000 — Interior renovations

Lathrop Community Inc.
680 Bridge Road
$35,000 — Meeting house roofing

Messer Investments Inc.
306 King St.
$6,120 — Illuminated ground sign for Northampton Athletic Club

Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity
781 Burts Pit Road
$25,600 — Install roof-mounted solar system

Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity
789 Burts Pit Road
$24,000 — Install roof-mounted solar system

Smith College
College Lane
$23,000 — Open floor for electrical work, install plywood subfloor to close floor back up, construct new wall with door

Smith College
112 Elm St.
$6,000 — Repairs to porch at Hopkins House

St. John’s Episcopal Church, T-Mobile
48 Elm St.
$7,240 — Replace copper flashing

PITTSFIELD

Blue Chair Properties LLC
101 Dan Fox Dr.
$25,000 — Dish to install microwave dish, OVP, and associated cables on existing wireless facility

Clock Tower Partners LLC
75 South Church St.
$190,500 — Roofing

Pittsfield Management Systems Inc.
1000 North St.
$30,000 — Remove and replace existing rooftop heating and cooling unit

Patrick Ricchi
169 First St.
$17,300 — Roofing

Scarafoni Associates Nominee Trust
5 North St.
$420,000 — Roofing

Scarafoni Associates Nominee Trust
76 North St.
$2,561 — Add non-load-bearing wall

SPRINGFIELD

City of Springfield
90 Berkshire St.
$142,618 — At Springfield Public Day High School, hallway ceiling removal and replacement, roofing, structural support frame, existing louver infill, classroom wall repair, concrete pads, new chimney access door, new electrical room door

City of Springfield
55 Catharine St.
$127,000 — Miscellaneous repairs coinciding with mechanical upgrades at Rebecca M. Johnson School

City of Springfield
65 Sumner Ave.
$2,362,090 — Alter interior space for use as pre-kindergarten school

The Community Music School of Springfield Inc.
127 State St.
$208,100 — Roofing

Lingo Associates LLC
20 Carando Dr.
$269,000 — Roofing

Wytas Properties LLC
8 Florence St.
$80,000 — Alter mixed-use property (commercial and one-family) to a three-family residential structure; install second egress on third floor and install doors and windows

Berkshire Bank Is Taking the Afternoon Off on June 5 to Give Back

By BusinessWest Staff June 1, 2018

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank will once again close all locations at noon on Tuesday, June 5 for its third annual Xtraordinary Day.

Xtraordinary Day provides all Berkshire Bank employees the opportunity to volunteer in communities the bank and its affiliates serve. This year’s Xtraordinary Day is set to focus on more than 70 community projects with approximately 90% employee participation across the country. Last year, employees helped 75 different nonprofit organizations through 65 service projects and directly impacted more than 400,000 individuals.

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

Xtraordinary Day is fueled by the XTEAM, the bank’s employee volunteer program. The XTEAM provides employees paid time off to volunteer during regular business hours. In addition to volunteer service, Berkshire Bank and its foundation provide more than $2 million annually to support nonprofit organizations in the communities the bank serves.

People On the Move

By BusinessWest Staff May 28, 2018

Departments People on the Move

Ellen Freyman

The Springfield Regional Chamber has named Ellen Freyman, an attorney with Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C. in Springfield, its 2018 Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year. Freyman concentrates her practice in all aspects of commercial real estate: acquisitions and sales, development, leasing, and financing. She has an extensive land-use practice that includes zoning, subdivision, project permitting, and environmental matters. A graduate of the Western New England University School of Law and Pennsylvania State University, Freyman has been recognized or awarded by the National Conference for Community and Justice for Excellence in Law, the Professional Women’s Chamber as Woman of the Year, the Ad Club of Western Massachusetts as a recipient of its annual Pynchon Award, the Springfield Leadership Institute with its Community Service Award, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a recipient of its Top Women in Law Award, and Reminder Publications with its Hometown Hero Award. She was also chosen as one of BusinessWest’s Difference Makers in 2010. Freyman is active on many nonprofit boards and currently serves as a member on the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce board of directors, which she has also chaired; the boards of the Community Music School of Springfield, the Center for Human Development, New England Public Radio, the Springfield Museum Assoc., the World Affairs Council, the YMCA of Greater Springfield, the Springfield Technical Community College Foundation, and the Springfield Technical Community College Acceptance Corp., and on the Elms College board of trustees. She is also an active member of the Longmeadow Zoning Board of Appeals, the Jewish Family Service board of directors, and the National Conference for Community and Justice board of directors. She is the founder and president of On Board Inc., a past president of the Springfield Rotary Club, and has been honored as a Paul Harris Fellow.

•••••

Tracy Adamski

At the firm’s annual stockholder’s meeting, Tighe & Bond announced the promotion of Principal Planner Tracy Adamski to vice president. Adamski, who joined Tighe & Bond in 2001, is an American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) professional with 24 years of experience. She provides the firm’s clients with a broad range of planning expertise in regulatory compliance, environmental permitting, land-use planning, grant writing, and public outreach. Adamski has employed her in-depth knowledge of local, state, and federal environmental and land-use laws and regulations to successfully permit a broad range of complex projects throughout the Northeast. This includes renewable-energy power-generation facilities, electric utility infrastructure, resource-area enhancements, municipal infrastructure improvements, and coastal infrastructure. She is currently coordinating permitting efforts on several coastal projects to address climate change in the city of Quincy, developing petitions related to siting energy-facility infrastructure in Eastern Mass., and assisting communities across Massachusetts with stormwater-management compliance programs. Adamski works out of Tighe & Bond’s Westfield office. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and is a member of the American Planning Assoc. and the New England Water Environment Assoc.

•••••

Leslie Jordon

Peter Shrair, managing partner of Cooley Shrair, P.C., announced the appointment of attorney Leslie Jordon to the firm. Jordon has practiced family law since 1991. Her practice has focused on marital dissolution actions involving high-net-worth estates, complex support proceedings, and high-conflict custody matters. A graduate of Brown University and the Northwestern University School of Law, Jordon has been active in the bar and has held leadership positions in national and local organizations. She served as chair of the Family Law Section of the American Assoc. of Justice (formerly the Assoc. of Trial Lawyers of America), was on the executive committee of the Family Law Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Assoc. as well as the board of governors of the Women Lawyers Assoc. of Los Angeles, and was appointed to the Sole Practitioner and Small Firm Section Council of the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Jordon has also lectured and moderated panel discussions on the subject of family law for the Family Law Section of the Assoc. of Trial Lawyers of America, the International Bar Assoc., and the Law Education Institute, co-sponsored by the Family Law Section of the American Bar Assoc., and has been a contributing author to multiple continuing legal-education programs. Since the inception of her career, she has engaged in pro bono work, receiving an award from the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law for distinguished service to the cause of justice of low-income families in Los Angeles County and representing economically disadvantaged litigants in court. She has also volunteered her time as a judge in the Massachusetts Bar Assoc. Mock Trial Program, a competition for high-school students in the Commonwealth.

•••••

Jocelyn Roby

Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that Jocelyn Roby has joined the firm’s Hadley office as an associate attorney. Roby is a member of Bacon Wilson’s real estate department, where her practice is focused largely on residential real estate, including closings and title work. She is a graduate of the Western New England University School of Law, and received her bachelor’s degree from Plymouth State College.

•••••

At its annual stockholder’s meeting in April, Tighe & Bond announced that Robert Belitz will succeed David Pinsky as president and CEO when Pinsky retires from that position at the close of 2018. Belitz, the firm’s current chief financial officer, will assume the role of president and CEO effective Jan. 1, 2019. Belitz will be Tighe & Bond’s ninth leader in its 107-year history. Pinsky has served as president and CEO since 2006 and has been with the firm for 30 years. During Pinsky’s tenure as CEO, Tighe & Bond has substantially increased its revenue and more than doubled its staff size, growing from 160 to 340 employees. Tighe & Bond also has expanded its breadth of engineering and environmental services, as well as opened four new office locations throughout the Northeast. Belitz, who has more than 25 years of experience in the industry, joined Tighe & Bond four years ago as the firm’s chief financial officer. In this role, he has directed the firm’s financial operations and priorities, as well as contributed to growth strategies consistent with the Tighe & Bond’s continued expansion in the marketplace.

•••••

Russell Fontaine

Yvonne Santos

Country Bank announced that Russell Fontaine has joined its team as first vice president of Sales and Market Management, while Yvonne Santos has joined the team as vice president of Market Development. These two newly created positions allow the bank to further focus its efforts on market management and development within its various markets throughout Hampshire, Hampden, and Worcester counties. With 27 years in the financial and retail-services industry, Fontaine is an experienced sales manager and has held various positions over the years in sales, management, and customer contact solutions. His earned his bachelor’s degree in business management and finance from Westfield State University. He also graduated from the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking and earned a Wharton Leadership certification. Fontaine served on the board of directors for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity for the past five years and chaired the Habitat Restore committee. He is also an avid supporter of the United Way and Western Mass. Special Olympics. Santos joins Country Bank from United Bank, where she worked for the past 33 years in various roles, with her most recent position being vice president, area manager in the Ludlow and Indian Orchard markets. Santos is actively involved in the Ludlow Community Center, the United Way, and Relay for Life, and is on committees of the Rotary Club of Ludlow (chair of the scholarship committee), the Gremio Lusitano Club, the East of the River Chamber of Commerce, and the Portuguese American Citizens Club. She has received the Rotary International Paul Harris Award, the Ludlow Education Association Award, the Friend of Education Award, and the United Cooperative Bank President’s Award.

•••••

Beverly Elliott

Comcast announced the appointment of Beverly Elliott as vice president of Engineering for the company’s Western New England Region, which is headquartered in Berlin, Conn. and includes more than 300 communities in Connecticut, Western Mass., Western New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In this role, Elliott oversees Comcast’s network operations, including construction, product engineering, and overall system integrity, as well as the reliability and resiliency of Comcast’s converged, fiber-optic network. Recently, she was responsible for the rollout of Comcast’s new 1-Gb internet service. Elliott has more than 20 years of industry experience and has held a number of roles in engineering, project management, and marketing at Comcast since she joined the company in 2005. Prior to her new role, she served as vice president of the region’s Project Management Office, where she created and managed the execution of plans and cross-functional teams to ensure new initiatives and product launches were rolled out smoothly. One of her key initiatives was to implement the company’s multi-year strategy to transform the customer experience. Before Comcast, Elliott worked for Cablevision for six years and also spent five years at BET/Action Pay-Per-View service in Santa Monica, Calif.

•••••

Rebecca Greenberg

The Solidago Foundation recently introduced Rebecca Greenberg as the newest member of its program team. As program officer, Greenberg will draw on her 15 years of frontline advocacy to support the organization’s democracy and independent power-building work. She will work with the veteran Solidago Program team of strategic funders and national organizers to recommend program strategies. Greenberg is a leader in the New York City housing-justice movement, serving most recently as deputy director of the Tenant Rights Coalition, the largest civil legal-services program in the country. In this role, she has worked with diverse stakeholders including tenants, judges, attorneys, clients, and policymakers, and supervised a legal team, working in partnership with local organizations and elected officials, to support communities facing significant housing needs in light of rapid and disruptive neighborhood changes and gentrification.

•••••

Keshawn Dodds

Karissa Coleman

The African Hall subcommittee of the Springfield Science Museum announced the winners of the 27th annual Ubora Award and the ninth annual Ahadi Youth Award. The 2018 Ubora Award recipient is Keshawn Dodds, executive director of the Springfield Boys & Girls Club. The 2018 Ahadi Youth Award recipient is Karissa Coleman of Springfield Central High School. A former a fourth- and fifth-grade elementary-school teacher at the Homer and Washington elementary schools in Springfield and a mayoral aide under former Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan, Dodds worked for a decade at American International College as director of Diversity & Community Engagement. He is currently executive director of the Boys & Girls Club Family Center. He is also a published author, playwright, and actor. His first book, Menzuo: The Calling of the Sun Prince, became an Amazon bestseller. Coleman, who attends Springfield Central High School, is a cadet in the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (AFJROTC), where she is a training captain. Her high grade point average qualifies her to serve as director of Academics, and she runs the tutoring program for her fellow cadets. She also helps to mentor younger AFJROTC members in the overall training program. Coleman is a cheerleader, plays softball, is a member of the National Honor Society, and volunteers for Revitalize Springfield, Toys for Tots, and breast-cancer awareness. She also participates with her church community by singing in the choir, helping to usher, working with children, and participating yearly in the Easter play.

•••••

Erin McHugh

Florence Bank promoted Erin McHugh to the position of vice president/operations manager. McHugh joined Florence Bank in November 2010. Formerly, she served as the payments operations manager. An accredited Automated Clearing House professional, she studied at the University of Connecticut, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. She volunteers as a basic tax preparer for Community Action Pioneer Valley’s income-tax assistance program. She attends the New England School for Financial Studies. McHugh is a past recipient of the President’s Club Award, given out annually to Florence Bank employees who exemplify the highest standards of performance and customer service within Florence Bank.

•••••

Renaissance Investment Group, LLC, an independent, SEC-registered investment-advisory firm, announced the appointment of Chris Silipigno to the role of chief operating officer. He will be responsible for providing operational leadership within the firm, as well as coordinating strategic business-development efforts across the region. Silipigno comes to Renaissance with nearly 20 years of senior leadership positions in both operational and business-development functions for nonprofit and for-profit enterprises. His experience spans all facets of the mortgage banking industry, nonprofit development, organizational effectiveness and leadership, performance management, and revenue growth areas. Most recently, he brought his business acumen to City Mission of Schenectady, N.Y., an inner-city nonprofit dedicated to helping the homeless, abused, and impoverished to become sustainable. Previous to this role, he held multiple positions at the vice-president level within the banking and finance industry. His accomplishments include building and managing divisions responsible for originating more than $750 million in annual loan volume. Chris earned a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from SUNY at Albany and a master’s degree from George Mason University, and he holds his FINRA Series 65 registration.

•••••

Daishany Torres

Daishany Torres was named 2018 Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee, and will compete against other Boys & Girls Club members for the Massachusetts Youth of the Year title and a $5,000 college scholarship from Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). Torres, 18, was recognized for her leadership, service, academic excellence, and dedication to live a healthy lifestyle. She has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee Teen Center since her freshman year at Chicopee Comprehensive High School. She is a junior counselor now, working with other club members each week. She is also part of the club’s SMART Girls program, which allows members to explore their own and societal attitudes and values as they build skills for eating right, staying physically fit, getting good healthcare, and developing positive relationships with peers and adults. She has developed a passion for working with children, and will continue her education after graduation next year and hopes to open her own daycare in the future.

•••••

Stephanie Rodrigues

Anna Dias Vital

LUSO Federal Credit Union announced the promotion of Stephanie Rodrigues to senior branch supervisor and Anna Dias Vital to lead VIP banker. In her new position, Rodrigues will be responsible for overseeing the teller line, member service representatives, and new account openings in the credit union’s Wilbraham branch, as well as meeting branch goals, holding staff meetings, and mentoring personnel. Rodrigues joined LUSO as a member service representative in 2013 and most recently served as head of consumer lending for both the Ludlow and Wilbraham branches. Vital has nearly two decades of experience in finance. She worked in the controller’s office of Western New England University before joining LUSO in 2016. In her new role as lead VIP banker, she will oversee the teller line at the credit union’s Ludlow branch and will be responsible for cross sales, managing member satisfaction, and day-to-day operations.

•••••

OTELCO Inc. hired David Chaplin as an outside plant field technician to work out of its Granby office. In this position, Chaplin is responsible for all aspects of OTELCO network maintenance and customer service in Granby, including both the central office and the outside plant. He also serves as special projects contributor and emergency coverage backup in the Shoreham, Vt. market. Chaplin comes to OTELCO with 31 years of service as a technician at Verizon Communications. Most recently, he worked as an engineering project manager at UC Synergetic. OTELCO provides wireline telecommunications services in Massachusetts and six other states.

40 Under Forty Event

By BusinessWest Staff June 27, 2013

Celebrating the Class of 2013

More than 650 people flocked to the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House on June 20 to celebrate BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty Class of 2013 and the many accomplishments of its members. Attendees enjoyed picture perfect weather, fine food, and perhaps the best networking event of the year. On the pages that follow, we offer a photographic look back at a memorable evening for all those in attendance, but especially those who walked out with the 40 Under Forty plaques, seen at right, just prior to the start of the gala. The event was sponsored by Baystate Health, Fathers & Sons, Hampden Bank, the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Moriarty & Primack, P.C., Paragus Strategic I.T., and the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield.

The event was sponsored by:

From left, Robert Hogan, quality control supervisor for U.S. Tsubaki, and his wife Samalid Hogan, senior project manager for the City of Springfield, with her fellow Class of 2013 honoree, Annamarie Golden, manager of Community Relations and Community Benefits, Baystate Health, and husband Hunter Golden, owner of Write Stuff Copywriting.

Elizabeth Beaudry, senior commercial credit analyst and information technology administrator, and Shonda Pettiford, assistant director of Commonwealth Honors College at UMass Amherst, two members of the Class of 201,3 share a moment before the awards ceremony.

Xiaolei Hua, credit analyst at PeoplesBank and fellow Class of 2013 honoree Geoffrey Croteau, financial advisor and managing associate sales manager at MassMutual Charter Oak Insurance and Financial Services network during the VIP hour in the Grand Edna Ballroom.

Representing one of the evening’s sponsors, Hampden Bank, is Nora Braska, assistant vice president and training officer; Peg Daoust, branch manager; and Amy Scribner, assistant vice president and senior marketing administrator.

From left, Jose Hernandez, machine operator for Rockbestos-Suprenant Cable Corporation; Alejandro Cameron, John Rivas, and Zydalis Zayas, WGBY-TV community engagement associates; Class of 2013 honoree, Vanessa Pabon, director of community engagement for WGBY-TV; Pabon’s daughter, Shayla Burge, and mother, Milta Franco, a case manager for Brightwood Health Center; and Veronica Garcia, WGBY community engagement assistant.

Below, Emily McArdle, left, physical therapist and Jeanne Coburn, audiologist, both of Baystate Rehabilitation Care, one of the evening’s sponsors.

From left, Danielle Nicklas, an attorney with Cooley Shrair, and Jim Tinker, senior tax accountant, Burgess, Shultz & Robb, network with Amy Scott, president of Wild Apple Design Group, and Jennifer Schimmel Stanley, executive director of Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, both members of the 40 Under Forty Class of 2011.

From left, Patrick Leary, Class of 2007, shareholder and vice president of Moriarity & Primack, P.C., an event sponsor, networks with Gwen Burke, senior advertising consultant with BusinessWest, her husband Chuck Burke, president of Action Marine and Water Sports, and Damon Cartelli, member of the Class of 2010, and president and general manager of Fathers & Sons, also an event sponsor.

The team at UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management, an event sponsor, gathers before the awards ceremony. From left, Trista Hevey, program information specialist; Michelle Rup, office manager; Jennifer Meunier, director of Business Development; Kyle Bate, academic advisor and program developer; Melissa Garrett-Preston, academic advisor; Allison Furkey, media PR liaison; and Rachel Trafford, director of Organizational Metrix.

The NUVO Bank & Trust Company team supported Class of 2013 honoree, Elizabeth Beaudry (fifth from left), senior commercial credit analyst and information technology administrator. Front row, from left, Michael Buckmaster, vice president, commercial lending; Leslie Ross Lawrence, senior vice president/CCO and SOO; Beaudry; Jackalyn Guenette, loan deposit operations agent; Sue Fearn, assistant vice president, client sales and service; back row; Jay Caron, president and CEO, Bee-Line Corp., and NUVO board of director; Jeff Sattler, president and senior loan officer; Denise Perkins, corporate secretary; Dale Janes, CEO; Jay Seyler, vice president, commercial loan division; and Eric Jalbert, credit analyst.

Gary Popovich, left, and Daniel Duncan, accounting associates, chat with Rebecca Connolly, audit manager, all of Moriarty & Primack, one of the event sponsors.

Brenna Murphy McGee, Holyoke city councilor and member of the Class of 2013, with her husband, Todd McGee, Class of 2011, director, E&B Planning at Mass Mutual, and fellow Holyoke city councilor.

Delcie Bean, Class of 2008 and founder and CEO of event sponsor Paragus IT, spoke to the audience of more than 650 people about the need for a computer technology-mentoring program that will benefit local youths, create jobs, and attract businesses to the Pioneer Valley through the reorganization of Valley Technology Outreach. Here, Bean is assisted by children from the Westfield Boys and Girls Club, who demonstrated the national numbers that underscore the need for more educational support through computer technology.

Caitlin Casey, occupational therapist with Hartford Healthcare, and husband Jeremy Casey, assistant vice president and commercial service officer, Westfield Bank, celebrate his standing as a member of the Class of 2013.

From left, Darren Couture, painting contractor; Erin Couture, Class of 2013, vice president and commercial loan officer, Florence Savings Bank; Jeremy Leap, Class of 2013, vice president of commercial lending for Country Bank; and Andy Robb, Class of 2013, president, Burgess, Schultz & Robb, P.C.

Timothy Brunelle, employee of L-3 KEO, and wife Erin Fontaine Brunelle, realtor, Century 21 Hometown Associates, founder, co-chair of Buy Holyoke and a member of the Class of 2013.

From left, Evan Alberts, practice manager and financial services professional, MassMutual Charter Oak Insurance and Financial Services; Ian Vukovich, Class of 2010, director of product delivery, MassMutual-USIG; Erin Kates, Baystate Health; Matt Geffin, Class of 2011, vice president of business development, Webber and Grinnell Insurance; and Danny Kates, Class of 2013, managing associate, MassMutual Charter Oak Insurance and Financial Services.

From left, Michael Hayden, owner, Springfield Motors; Ashley Bernard, speech pathologist, Springfield Public Schools, Nick Zajac, loan officer, Top Flight Financial; Carla Cosenzi, Class of 2012, and Tommy Cosenzi, Class of 2013, co-owners of TommyCar Auto Group; Amanda Douglas, esthetician at Puffers Day Spa and Salon; and Trevor Wood, engineer, City of Westfield.

From left, Melissa Mattison, clinical assistant professor, Western New England University (WNEU); Kim Gallo, staff Assistant, WNEU College of Pharmacy; Kam Capoccia, Class of 2013, associate professor of pharmacy practice, WNEU; and Jill Popp, Department of Research, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, network in the Southampton Room.

Chris Thompson, left, Class of 2009, vice president, business development, Springfield Falcons Hockey, networks with Jill Monson, Class of 2010, CEO, Inspired Marketing; and Alex Morse, mayor of Holyoke.

From left, John Roberson, vice president, Children & Family Services; Ja’net Smith, program director, Juvenile Programs, both with the Center for Human Development; Jennifer Root, Class of 2013, clinical director for the Center for Human Development; and Kate Blachfield, manager, HP Hood.

From left, Joe Bednar, senior writer, and Elizabeth Taras, staff writer at BusinessWest, co-introducers of the Class of 2013, and George O’Brien, the magazine’s editor, await the next winner’s walk to the stage to receive their plaque.

Check below for all photos from the event:

[Show slideshow]

By BusinessWest Staff December 10, 2007

Departments

United Financial Completes Second-step Conversion

WEST SPRINGFIELD — United Financial Bancorp Inc., the proposed Maryland holding company for United Bank and the successor company for United Financial Bancorp Inc., recently completed the syndicated offering portion of its second-step conversion. Orders for a total of 6,464,968 shares at a purchase price of $10 per share have been accepted in the syndicated offering, for which Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc. acted as lead manager. The company also received orders for 3,097,532 shares in the subscription offering and the community offering portion of its second-step conversion, including 753,834 shares to be issued to the employee stock ownership plan. As a result, the company anticipates that 9,562,500 shares will be sold in the subscription offering, community offering, and syndicated offering combined. In addition, upon the completion of the conversion and stock offering, each public stockholder of United Financial-Federal will receive 1.04056 shares of the company’s common stock in exchange for each of his or her shares of United Financial-Federal common stock. The company has also received the regulatory, stockholder, and depositor approvals necessary to complete the second-step conversion. The transaction is scheduled to close Dec. 3, at which time United Mutual Holding Company will cease to exist.

Hasbro Launches Annual Children’s Giving Tree Program

EAST LONGMEADOW — Hasbro Inc. recently launched its 23rd annual Hasbro Children’s Giving Tree, providing toys and games, as well as food over the holidays, to underprivileged children in the Springfield area. The initiative runs through Dec. 14 and is located at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield. As part of the program, Hasbro will donate toys and games through the United Way of Pioneer Valley and the Salvation Army of the Greater Springfield area. Hasbro officials encourage community members to donate nonperishable food items at the Eastfield Mall, which will be distributed to Rachel’s Table in Springfield. Food donations can be dropped off Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. In addition, area residents are welcome to display ‘Acts of Kindness’ messages, which will be displayed on the Giving Tree through the duration of the program. ‘Acts of Kindness’ forms are available at www.hasbro.org under ‘special programs,’ and on site at the Giving Tree.

Falcons Charities Tops $400,000 Mark in Giving

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Falcons Hockey Club and its related charitable organization, Springfield Falcons Charities, recently announced it has donated $400,000 over 12 years throughout the Pioneer Valley and also Northern Conn. Organizations that have benefited from the charitable program over the years include Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield, the Springfield Sliders Sled Hockey Program, the Springfield School Volunteers – Time Out for Reading Program, the New England Junior Falcons Hockey Program, the YMCA, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, and the Baystate Health Foundation. For more information on Springfield Falcons Charities, contact Carole Appleton, vice president of Falcons Charities, at (413) 739-3344, ext. 112.

Warfield House Inn Undergoing Renovations

CHARLEMONT — John Warfield Glaze, owner of the Warfield House Inn at Valley View Farm, has several changes in store for his restaurant business. In October, he closed the Warfield House Restaurant and will reopen it in the spring as a full-service banquet facility, catering to group tours, weddings, and special events. The restaurant originally opened in 1997 with one service bar and two small dining rooms, and over the years a pub was added for additional seating. The banquet facility will seat 130 guests and will boast a bridal suite. In addition, the pavilion, which seats 200 guests, also features a bridal suite. Glaze also noted that the 12-room bed and breakfast will remain open throughout the year and will feature a fresh new look for the spring. For more information, visit www.warfieldhouseinn.com.

HRU Honors Businesses, Supporters

SPRINGFIELD — Human Resources Unlimited (HRU) recently recognized three area businesses and one outstanding volunteer during its third annual Stakeholders Meeting. HRU awarded its prestigious Sheldon B. Brooks Award to Papa Gino’s on Boston Road in Springfield. The award, named after a longtime HRU board member, is given to a company that has a track record of employing individuals with disabilities for at least 10 years. The Rookie of the Year Award was presented to the Springfield Public Library. This award is given to a business partner that has worked with HRU for less than a year and a half and that demonstrates a commitment to hiring individuals with disabilities. Also, the Employer of the Year Award was presented to the Newman Center Cafeteria at UMass Amherst. The award is given to a company that has worked with a HRU program for more than one year and that shows a strong commitment to employing individuals with disabilities. Lastly, HRU presented the Armand Tourangeau Volunteer of the Year Award to Betty Lou Shepard for her volunteer services in support of HRU’s Forum House in Westfield. She was nominated due to her advocacy on behalf of those with mental illness.

Peebles Opens in Southampton

SOUTHAMPTON — Stage Stores Inc. recently brought its brand-name apparel, accessories, cosmetics, and footwear for the entire family to town. The company operates under the Peebles name throughout New England, as well as the Mid-Atlantic, Southeastern, and Midwestern regions, and under the Bealls, Palais Royal, and Stage names throughout the South Central states. The company touts its unique retailing concept and niche by offering a broad range of nationally recognized brand-name merchandise with a high level of customer service. The local store employs approximately 18 people and is located at 10 College Highway. The company opened 47 stores this year, and expects to open 70 in 2008.

UMass To Host National Fuel Cell Research Center

AMHERST — The UMass Amherst will create a new research center focused on the cutting edge of hydrogen fuel cell science, the National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced, awarding a three-year, $1.5 million grant to the Fueling the Future Chemical Bonding Center. The center is one of only three in the nation funded through the NSF’s chemistry program that focuses on renewable energy, providing UMass Amherst a prominent role in the effort to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels. The award also positions the campus to garner $30 million in additional funding, according to the NSF. The initial $1.5 million award is for a three-year period; centers that demonstrate “high potential” then will be eligible for $15 million in additional funding over five years, and another $15 million after that. The center will also have extensive education and outreach at all levels, playing a key role in addressing the human resources needed for the rapidly growing area of renewable energy technology. The center will also have a Web-based interactive network that acts as a public portal where educators, students, and the public can get accurate information on chemical energy topics.

FDIC Relocating Regional Office

SPRINGFIELD — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) will move its regional field office to 1350 Main St. on Dec. 15, citing the need to meet federal government code requirements. For 15 years, the FDIC’s offices have been located at 489 Whitney Ave., Holyoke, but the current building does not meet the federal government’s seismic requirements. The new office space, for 32 staffers, will feature 6,000 square feet in the Sovereign Bank building.

Physician Opens Venture Focused on Memory Disorders

SPRINGFIELD — Emily Grandey, MD recently opened a venture, called Memory Wellness, that is a specialized psychiatry practice for patients with memory disorders. Grandey will offer consultation and follow-up for patients who have memory problems ranging from mild impairments in daily functioning to all stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias. She will offer complete differential diagnostic evaluations of such patients, along with the most current interventions available to slow down or stop the progression of these illnesses.

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff June 28, 2016

Company Notebook Departments

Delcie Bean Turns Over 40% of Paragus Stock to Employees

HADLEY — After more than two years of strategic planning, in a deal valued at approximately $1.6 million, Paragus IT announced that its employee stock-ownership plan (ESOP), which distributes ownership of 40% of the company to its 40-plus employees, is officially a go. “There has been a lot of celebration around here,” said Paragus CEO Delcie Bean. “While this is an announcement we have all been anticipating for over two years, the time seems to have only contributed to the excitement.” While there have been a few recent high-profile ESOPs, including Harpoon Brewery and Chobani Yogurt, they are still fairly uncommon. What makes the Paragus ESOP especially unique are the reasons behind it. ESOPs are traditionally formed after the company has fully matured and when a major shareholder is looking to exit. For Paragus, it’s about fueling future growth by giving everyone a direct stake and a personal investment in the future of the company. “I knew this was the right decision for myself and for Paragus because Paragus is a company that owes 100% of its success to the hard work of its incredible employees, or partners, as I like to call them,” Bean said. “As the only shareholder, I knew that anything I could do to further that spirit and attract new talent would be a sound investment. That’s why it made sense to give everybody some skin in the game. Now they aren’t just growing a company, they’re growing their company. Which means Paragus is here to stay, and we’re only getting bigger.” Added Dennis Schilling, quality assurance officer, “it’s always been about us at Paragus. It’s never been one person pointing and the rest following. With the ESOP, Delcie has made official what has always been true. It’s a beautiful thing that he has taken his company, his dream, and carved off such a sizable piece of it for all of us.” While Bean has no plans to step down, he has shaken up the management structure a bit. Just before the ESOP became a reality, he appointed former Paragus Operations Manager Jim Young to be president of the company. In his new role, Young is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations and making sure everyone on the leadership team and across the company is working together to realize Paragus’ vision. This allows Bean to focus exclusively on growth, acquisitions, and moving into new markets. “It’s a brand-new set of responsibilities and challenges for me,” Young said. “But these changes will enable each of us to contribute to the greatest extent possible while ensuring decisions are being made quickly by the people best positioned to do so.” Added Bean, “we don’t believe in growth for growth’s sake. Our growth is fueled by one singular objective that is bordering on an obsession — we are all completely committed to being the absolute best at what we do while simultaneously being the best place to work. Ask anyone here, and they will all tell you that nothing is going to stand in our way when it comes to our relentless pursuit of being the best.”

Elms, WNEU Establish Law School Agreement

CHICOPEE — Elms College and Western New England University School of Law executed a ‘3+3’ agreement this month that allows students to apply for admission to the law school and begin their legal education during their senior year at Elms College. This could shorten the time for students to earn both their bachelor’s and juris doctor degrees from seven years to six years. This agreement is not limited to criminal justice or legal studies majors — any undergraduate student, regardless of major, can earn credits toward law school under this program. “This is a significant opportunity for students in all majors who are interested in attending law school,” said Assistant Professor Kurt Ward, director of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies and director of ABA Paralegal Education at Elms College.

HCC Gateway to College Program Earns Award

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College’s (HCC) Gateway to College program, which in 2014 was ranked number one among all the Gateway programs in the U.S., is the recipient of the first-ever Gateway Program Excellence Award. The inaugural award from the Gateway to College National Network recognizes HCC’s program for exceeding all four of the network’s benchmarks for success in 2014-15: GPA, one-year persistence, two-year persistence, and graduation rate. “Recognitions like this make us feel more important and shiny,” said coordinator Vivian Ostrowski said at Gateway’s June 1 graduation ceremony in the Leslie Phillips Theater, “but we know, we so know, that these numbers really mean that some kids with complicated and messy lives decided time and time again to show up and do their work.” Gateway to College is a dual-enrollment program for students who have either left high school or are at risk for dropping out. Gateway students take classes at HCC, collecting transferable college credits while also earning their high-school diplomas. Since 2008, 204 Gateway students at HCC have graduated from high school, and more than half have continued on to college. Twenty-nine were enrolled at HCC this spring and HCC’s Gateway graduates have so far earned 19 associate degrees and three bachelor’s degrees. Twenty students from six school districts earned their high-school diplomas through HCC’s Gateway program his spring: from Springfield, Korcan Atmaca, Amena Cooke, Melinda Diaz, Deikwon Duke, Ciara Garcia, Jamilee Gomez, Denisse Rivera, Mercedes Robare, Elmer Rodriguez and Jonte Toro; from Belchertown, Casey Beaudry, Christopher Chaffee, Shauna Driscoll, and Summer McLauglin; from Westfield, Emma Cowhey and Jacob Hartley; from Holyoke, Alexander Escalante; from Palmer, Bailey McDowell and Dylan Tallman; and from Agawam, Sarah Wyckoff. Gateway to College was founded in Portland, Ore. in 2000. There are now 41 Gateway programs in 21 states. The spring 2014 report from the national Gateway network listed HCC’s Gateway program number one in both persistence, or fall-to-fall retention (87% compared to a network average of 53%); and graduation rate (80% compared to a 27% network average). “Holyoke’s program is poised to build on its successes and can serve as an example for the rest of our network,” Emily Froimson, president of the Gateway national network, wrote in a congratulatory letter to Ostrowski. “You have not simply made a difference for students in Holyoke, Massachusetts; the work that your school district and college partnership has accomplished is a model for how we solve these persistent problems as a nation.” Ostrowski will collect the award on behalf of HCC at the Gateway to College National Network Peer Learning Conference in Minneapolis on June 28.

Berkshire Bank Employees Volunteer More Than 4,500 Hours on June 7

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank completed its Xtraordinary Day on June 7. This event marked the first year the entire bank participated in community-service events concurrently from 1 to 4 p.m., closing the entire financial institution as a united effort for community involvement. During Xtraordinary Day, 95% of the Berkshire Bank team, 1,161 employees, completed 56 projects. From painting of elementary schools and cleanups of local parks to financial-literacy lessons, they contributed more than 4,500 hours of service, a value of $128,000. The projects helped 54 different nonprofit organizations and directly impacted more than 100,000 individuals across the bank’s footprint. Berkshire Bank’s goal with Xtraordinary Day was to affect the communities that support it every day in a significant way, by being active and immersed in projects that would have a meaningful and lasting impact on these communities. “Berkshire Bank’s Xtraordinary Day was intended to create a sense of unity through all of our employees and within our communities,” said Tami Gunsch, the bank’s executive vice president, noting that the day’s projects benefited nonprofit organizations and communities in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. In Berkshire County, projects included painting at Stearns Elementary School, Egremont Elementary School, and Boys & Girls Club Camp Russell; downtown guide assembly at Downtown Pittsfield; cleanup of Pittsfield parks, Greenagers Housatonic River Walk, and Berkshire Athenaeum; a home build with Northern Berkshire Habitat For Humanity; tree measuring with Trustees of Reservations at Bartholomew’s Cobble; and fourth- to sixth-grade literacy at Farmington River Regional School. In the Pioneer Valley, projects included cleanup of Stanley Park, YMCA of Westfield, Southwick Rail Trail, West Springfield YMCA, Amelia Park Children’s Museum, Birthday Wishes, and Girls Inc. of Greenfield; a house build and restore for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity; a bike build at YMCA of Greater Springfield; administrative duties at Children’s Study Home; tree planting at ReGreen Springfield; and truck unloading at Community Survival Center.

GoodWorks Insurance Profiled in National Magazine

GREAT BARRINGTON — GoodWorks Insurance is booming while giving half of its growing profits to charities in Connecticut and Massachusetts, according to a profile in the May issue of Independent Agent, the national magazine for independent insurance agents. When Chad Yonker, a former minority investor, took over GoodWorks as CEO in 2011, it was struggling financially despite growing sales. He recapitalized the firm. “Since then, the agency has more than tripled in size,” the magazine notes. Based in Glastonbury, Conn., GoodWorks Insurance is an independent agency with additional Connecticut offices in Avon, Columbia, and New Milford, and Massachusetts offices in Great Barrington and Worcester. It’s marking its 10th anniversary this year. GoodWorks’ corporate charter requires that a minimum of 50% of operating earnings be distributed to nonprofits. Its community grants support local nonprofits that work in education, healthcare, public safety, and community development. They include medical clinics, fuel-assistance programs, visiting-nurse associations, special education, the YMCA, and more. GoodWorks’ 2015 sales were about $6 million, and the agency expects up to 50% growth for 2016. Yonker and the other agency owners decline compensation in order to boost the profit pool available for giving, according to the magazine. Its commitment to nonprofits has resulted in many growth opportunities. Besides insuring families and small businesses in general, GoodWorks has special expertise in nonprofits, fuel dealers, aerospace, manufacturers, and surety bonds. The full article can be read online at tinyurl.com/j9hua44.

HCC Expands Presence in Hampshire County

WARE — Calling it a great day for Ware and a great day for the region, business leaders, elected officials, and representatives from Holyoke Community College recently celebrated the opening of a new education and workforce-training center in downtown Ware. The center, called E2E, short for Education to Employment: Quaboag Region Workforce Training and Community College Center, is a collaboration between HCC and the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corp. “We are so thrilled to welcome Holyoke Community College to our community,” said Sheila Cuddy, executive director of the Quaboag CDC. “As a CDC, we are here with a focus on business development and to better our economic community. What better way to make that happen than to focus on giving the folks who live here the skills they need to become good employees for our local businesses?” More than 60 people attended the grand opening, ribbon-cutting and reception. HCC president Bill Messner told the crowd he was impressed by the persistence with which representatives from Ware courted the college to establish a presence there. “We’re delighted,” Messner said. “We’re Holyoke Community College, and we take the community very seriously, and you are part of our community, so we’re here. We’re here because of the efforts of a lot of people in this room.” Also speaking at the opening were John Carroll, chairman of the Ware Board of Selectmen; state Sen. Anne Gobi; state Rep. Todd Smola of Warren, a 2005 graduate of HCC; Vincent McCaughey, board chairman of the Quaboag Valley CDC; Paul Scully, president of Country Bank, who donated the space for the E2E center; Tracy Opalinksi of the Ware Business and Civic Assoc.; and Steve Lowell, president of Monson Savings Bank. The roughly 3,000-square-foot center located at 79 Main St. includes two classrooms, as well as private study areas and office space. Ten computer workstations will be available for community members interested in enrolling in credit classes at HCC as online students. The center is already offering non-credit classes in hospitality and culinary arts. The expectation is that course offerings will expand to include manufacturing and health careers. For some courses, classroom education will be supplemented by hands-on training at Pathfinder Vocational High School in Palmer. HCC will also offer academic-advising and career-counseling services. “This is a great day for Ware and a great day for our region, which has been lacking in sources of education beyond high school for so long,” Cuddy said, “so we could not be more pleased that HCC has shown the willingness to be our partner in this endeavor and to move the project forward.”

Berkshire Bank Employees Volunteer More Than 4,500 Hours on June 7

By BusinessWest Staff June 15, 2016

Daily News

During Xtraordinary Day, 95% of the Berkshire Bank team, 1,161 employees, completed 56 projects. From painting of elementary schools and cleanups of local parks to financial-literacy lessons, they contributed more than 4,500 hours of service, a value of $128,000. The projects helped 54 different nonprofit organizations and directly impacted more than 100,000 individuals across the bank’s footprint.

Berkshire Bank’s goal with Xtraordinary Day was to affect the communities that support it every day in a significant way, by being active and immersed in projects that would have a meaningful and lasting impact on these communities.

“Berkshire Bank’s Xtraordinary Day was intended to create a sense of unity through all of our employees and within our communities,” said Tami Gunsch, the bank’s executive vice president, noting that the day’s projects benefited nonprofit organizations and communities in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont.

In Berkshire County, projects included painting at Stearns Elementary School, Egremont Elementary School, and Boys & Girls Club Camp Russell; downtown guide assembly at Downtown Pittsfield; cleanup of Pittsfield parks, Greenagers Housatonic River Walk, and Berkshire Athenaeum; a home build with Northern Berkshire Habitat For Humanity; tree measuring with Trustees of Reservations at Bartholomew’s Cobble; and fourth- to sixth-grade literacy at Farmington River Regional School.

In the Pioneer Valley, projects included cleanup of Stanley Park, YMCA of Westfield, Southwick Rail Trail, West Springfield YMCA, Amelia Park Children’s Museum, Birthday Wishes, and Girls Inc. of Greenfield; a house build and restore for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity; a bike build at YMCA of Greater Springfield; administrative duties at Children’s Study Home; tree planting at ReGreen Springfield; and truck unloading at Community Survival Center.

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.

Sustainable Design Moves Further into the Mainstream

By Joseph Bednar November 12, 2019

Architecture

Living with the Land

Environmentally friendly ideas are nothing new in the architecture and design world, but advances have come at a rapid pace — not just in how green a project can be, but how effectively the long-term cost savings justify the upfront expense. Clients want to do the right thing, design professionals say, but they’re much more willing if they can see an economic justification. Increasingly, they’re able to achieve both goals.

Sometimes design decisions bring unexpected benefits, Rachel Loeffler says.

Take a project her firm, Berkshire Design Group, designed for East Meadow School in Granby.

“Cost was a big factor, so we looked at using a meadow feed mix instead of traditional bluegrass, which saves the school 100 gallons of gasoline in mowing, as well as the labor,” said Loeffler, a principal and landscape architect with the firm.

“But then, what happened was, some birds moved in almost instantly, including some orioles.”

Orioles, by the way, are among the hundreds of bird species most at risk from climate change and destruction of meadow lands due to development, so creating a healthy habitat for them is significant, she said. “Sometimes, delightful surprises happen.”

When Northampton-based Berkshire Design Group, one of the region’s leading firms in the realm of sustainable design, opened its doors in 1984, its founders might have been equally surprised to see how common green ideas would become a few decades later.

“Back then, we were experimenting with stormwater standards, alternatives that then became state standards,” Loeffler said. “That creative approach is something that was part of us from the beginning.”

C&H Architects, headquartered in Amherst, can track a similar trajectory, emphasizing green and sustainable architecture since its launch in 1989.

“Nobody was trying to do that 30 years ago — it wasn’t even part of the lexicon,” said Thomas Hartman, partner and principal architect. “Over the years, it’s really been interesting to see how what might have been an odd-duck type of client become the norm.”

In those early years, he said, forward-thinking clients would seek out C&H specifically for this expertise, while today, green design isn’t surprising at all. “It’s gone from the occasional project to where, if this isn’t part of the conversation, you’re not really practicing in the mainstream anymore.”

In fact, he noted, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has basically shifted its organizational philosophy to suggest that, if a project isn’t environmentally conscious, if it’s not sustainable, then it’s just not good design.

“Climate change requires a holistic approach, addressing the interdependencies among people, buildings, infrastructure, and the environment,” AIA President William Bates said recently. “Our training allows us to look for solutions and ways to mitigate climate change comprehensively and creatively, which we do every day.”

At their most basic level, Hartman explained, buildings protect individuals from the elements and provide texture to people’s lives. Buildings, however, are also one of the largest contributors to global warming, accounting for nearly 40% of all greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide — a statistic expected to double by 2050. In an effort to mitigate these impacts, there has been a steady increase in sustainable architecture — the design of buildings that work in harmony with the environment.

Installing a meadow instead of grass at East Meadow School in Granby reduces gasoline use and provides a habitat for endangered birds.

C&H Architects has been at the forefront of this effort for three decades. For example, it designed the fifth-ever certified Living Building Challenge project in the world (and the first in New England) for Smith College’s MacLeish Field Station, the most rigorous performance standard for buildings available.

“It’s the most difficult standard — net-zero water, net-zero energy, avoiding certain materials and chemicals,” he said, noting that net zero means producing as much of that resource as one takes from the environment.

The firm has followed similar standards with other commercial and academic projects, and has designed more than 10 homes that boast net-zero energy, the most recent of which won the top honor at AIA Rhode Island in 2018, and includes a solar array that powers both the house and the car of its occupants.

That’s an especially cutting-edge standard, Hartman said, but it may become mainstream as well in the coming years, just as many sustainable practices in building and landscape design have become the norm, not the exception.

Holistic Approach

Loeffler said there are two ways to craft a sustainable philosophy for a project. One is to simply create a checklist of energy-saving or environmentally conscious features.

The other way of thinking actually takes cues from ecological thinking and the way all organisms are interrelated. On the simplest level, she cited the example of humans and trees — plants give off oxygen, while we breathe it in and give off carbon dioxide.

“There’s an understanding that each entity has a need for resources to consume, and has a waste product,” she said. “What sustainable thinking allows us to do is look at a project and look at ways to tie resources and waste together in a project or adjacent use somewhere else.”

Tom Hartman takes meter readings at a mill renovation in Lawrence — part of his goal to make sure energy-saving projects are performing as they are designed to.

One example is a dog park she recently worked on, during which time she approached a company that specializes in taking dog waste and turning it into energy. “Farms are taking waste from grocery stores, and any sort of organic waste products, and generating electricity. These are waste products that are being taken out of the waste stream instead of being shifted to a landfill somewhere.”

Hartman said architects, including those at his firm, are also starting to think about reductions in embodied carbon, which are the emissions associated with building construction, including extracting, transporting, and manufacturing materials.

“What that means is that we’ll be making low-carbon buildings, so we’re not adding to the carbon issue,” he said, adding quickly that this, like all new initiatives, comes with a learning curve. “In the evolution of our practice over 30 years, as soon as we get competent in one thing, we’re going to the next thing.”

Clients in the education sector have been particularly receptive to innovative ideas around sustainability, he noted, but those projects often come with time barriers.

“When you’re doing academic work, doing renovations on an existing building, they’re occupied, so you may have just a couple of weeks to do your job and have a limited budget, so how do you address environmental design and sustainable design on these types of projects?” he asked. “It comes down to the materials you’re choosing and what opportunities are available. For example, if you’re renovating a dormitory, you may only have 12 weeks, so you probably won’t renovate the exterior envelope of the building.”

“Nobody was trying to do that 30 years ago — it wasn’t even part of the lexicon. Over the years, it’s really been interesting to see how what might have been an odd-duck type of client become the norm.”

But all projects must consider their long-term impact on users, said Leon Drachmann, a principal at Payette Associates in Boston, who recently talked about sustainability on the U.S. Green Building Council website.

“The green-building initiative will have a deeper impact by expanding its scope — by shifting its focus to areas outside of building design, such as real-estate economics, zoning regulations and land use, while concentrating on the human experience and societal well-being,” he noted, adding that “sustainability should be considered not as an independent, separate process, but as an integral part of design itself.”

Dollars and Sense

One impact that can never be overlooked is the financial one, Hartman said. After all, while clients want to do the right thing, they’re still focused on the bottom line.

“I’ve never met a client where, if we could provide the economic case for doing good in sustainable design, they wouldn’t do it,” he told BusinessWest. “It’s rarer to find a client who will do the feel-good of sustainable design if it doesn’t pass the economic test.”

So part of his service to clients is actually visiting the site after completion, monitoring elements like energy use, waste production, and the overall costs to make sure the promised efficiencies have come to fruition.

“It has been really important for us to do that,” he said. “Most of the time, we want to maintain a relationship with the client in the future anyway. We will ask for energy bills. We’ve never met a client who doesn’t want us to follow up. That’s probably the most important thing for the profession — to make sure it all works, and if it doesn’t work, figure out why. Otherwise, you’re just waving your arms.”

Loeffler noted that clients that have a long-term vision are much easier to convince of the benefits of green design.

“If an organization’s economic-benefit analysis focuses on a one-year plan, they’re going to make a decision based on that — and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that,” she said. “But if their vision centers around a 20- or 50-year plan, they might be inclined to make different decisions.

“In a homeowner’s situation, with solar panels, there are upfront costs in that initial year. Over a certain amount of time, you’ll recoup those costs, but if you’re only looking at one year, you’re not going to budget for solar panels. If you’re looking at the long term, the cost makes more sense.”

The tipping point for much sustainable design and technology will come when those costs approach those of traditional methods across the board — and many in the industry say those days are getting closer. “When green materials become cheaper to acquire than previous materials, we project there will be a huge increase in the desire for this type of technology,” Loeffler said.

Until then, “we try not to push the issue too hard. We engage every client in the discussion, but they have different comfort levels. At the end of the day, we’re there to meet their needs and goals, and we work with them.”

Hartman is happy he works in a state which saw the value of renewable-energy credits and green standards well before most other states did.

“Massachusetts has been progressive, and they did those things so we wouldn’t be so reliant on fossil fuels from other countries,” he said. “It’s really exciting nowadays.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

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]

Borgatti Joins WGBY as Major and Planned Giving Officer

By BusinessWest Staff September 29, 2014

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — WGBY announced that development professional and BusinessWest 40 Under Forty alumna Monica Borgatti has joined the public television station as major and planned giving officer.

Borgatti, a Western Mass. native, has years of experience working with not-for-profit organizations in the region. Most recently, she worked as senior philanthropic service administrator at U.S. Trust in Glastonbury, Conn. Prior to that, she was development manager at the Center for Human Development in Springfield and resource development and communications director at Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity.

In 2011, Borgatti was named one of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty, a celebration of young business and civic leaders in the Pioneer Valley. She is active in the community, serving as president of Women in Philanthropy of Western Mass. and as a committee member for the Women’s Fund of Western Mass. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in non-profit management and philanthropy from Bay Path University.

“Major and planned giving provides vital and growing revenue for WGBY,” said Rus Peotter, the station’s general manager. “Monica’s knowledge, experience, and networks are terrific assets that she brings to support WGBY’s work throughout our service area.”

WGBY also announced that Jodi Fallon Fern, who joined its major and planned giving department in 2002, has been promoted to director of major and planned giving, replacing Laurie Leichthammer, who left WGBY in May 2014 when she and her husband relocated to New Hampshire.

Dietz Donates to Nonprofits Through ‘Spread the Cheer’ Campaign

By BusinessWest Staff January 9, 2024

Daily News

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Dietz & Company Architects recently held its annual “Spread the Cheer” holiday campaign with a $2,500 top prize donation. Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH) won it with nearly 25% of the total votes.

The “Spread the Cheer” holiday campaign began in 2017 in an effort to be more environmentally conscious by not sending out paper holiday cards, but rather raise awareness for all the work local nonprofits do.

“As a company, we firmly believe in being an active part of the Greater Springfield community and beyond through volunteerism and donating funds when possible,” said Ashley Solomon, Marketing manager at Dietz. “It is our hope that, by continuing to do this year after year, more people will be encouraged to learn about, volunteer with, and donate to the groups that are meaningful to them.”

During the nine-day campaign, 18 local organizations were selected to be included in the event. Voters used a SurveyMonkey link to access the poll and choose an organization they felt was deserving of a share of a $5,000 prize. The organization that received the most votes received $2,500. Second place won $1,500, and third place received $1,000. The International Language Institute of Massachusetts won second place with 22% of the votes, and Dakin Humane Society came in third with 19% of the votes. The remaining 15 organizations received $100 each.

“We are very appreciative of the donation from Dietz and the many community supporters who voted for us in the Spread the Cheer campaign, making us the top recipient,” said Aimee Giroux, GSHFH executive director. “There are so many well-deserving organizations doing much-needed work in the local community. We are honored to be recognized for our part.”

Walter Tomala Jr.

By BusinessWest Staff April 23, 2013

40 Under 40 The Class of 2013

Owner and President, TNT General Contracting, age 37

Walt Tomala Jr. says the speed-building endeavors he’s participated in — everything from two local Extreme Makeover: Home Edition projects to a blitz-build event for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity — are in many ways a metaphor for how he lives his life.
In other words, he’s committed to simply not wasting a minute of his time. This attitude has enabled him to successfully balance his business, TNT General Contracting, with his family and especially his daughter, Lauren, and also his work in the community through those aforementioned projects, but also many others, especially his tireless service with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
But beyond maximizing his time, there is another common thread between Tomala’s extreme-building exploits and his own life. That would be the matter of dreams — making them, shaping them, and willing them to come true.
As a teenager, Tomala’s dream was to be a professional baseball pitcher, and he was on his way — he starred for Westfield High School — when a devastating shoulder and elbow injury took baseball out of the equation and forced him to recalibrate. He took work building and remodeling bowling centers, but a year into that job he was caught in a flash explosion when a sanding machine malfunctioned. He suffered third-degree burns over 60% of his body and spent a year in recovery and rehab.
Undaunted, he went back to building bowling centers, and eventually started his own construction company with a name, TNT, which has nothing to do with his family name, but everything to do with the explosion that nearly ended all his dreams.
Since then, he’s focused on other people’s dreams, from participating in the Extreme Makeover projects to designing and overseeing the blitz build for Habitat; from building four houses in a week for victims of the June 1, 2011 tornado to helping construct two homes for severely injured veterans.
Introduced to Make-A-Wish by his father when he was 13, Tomala has made that nonprofit one of his passions. And in 2000, the organization named him its volunteer of the year.
To say that he’s made the very most of all his time would be a huge understatement.

— George O’Brien

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff December 20, 2023

Company Notebook

Liberty Bank Opens First Branch in Massachusetts

EAST LONGMEADOW — On Dec. 5, Liberty Bank officially opened its first bank branch in Massachusetts, located at 94 Shaker Road in East Longmeadow. As part of the grand opening, teammates from Liberty Bank, which is headquartered in Middletown, Conn., presented two grants totaling $10,000 to representatives from the East Longmeadow Food Pantry and Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity. As part of Liberty’s growth strategy to build its presence along the I-91 corridor from New Haven to Hartford and now into Greater Springfield, it established a commercial loan production office in East Longmeadow in 2021. The relationship managers and support teams based in this market have been successful in maintaining and building new relationships within East Longmeadow and Greater Springfield, attracting new customers to the bank, networking with prospects, and building a strong community presence. This nearly 3,000-square-foot, full-service branch includes a drive-up banking lane, ATM, and night drop. The branch team, led by Teresa Parker, have been entrenched in the Western Mass. and Greater Springfield communities for many years, working, volunteering, and residing in the area.

Thunderbirds Contribute $15,000 to Mayflower Marathon

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Thunderbirds announced, in collaboration with Rock 102 and the Mayflower Marathon, that the team successfully generated more than $15,000 for this year’s Marathon. A contribution of $10,000 in cash was made by the Thunderbirds to Open Pantry, a result of generous donations throughout November and the funds raised during the T-Birds’ celebrity bartending event at White Lion Brewing earlier this month. Additionally, Ray Berry, founder of White Lion Brewing, will contribute an extra $800 from the proceeds of Thunderboom beers and burgers sold at White Lion. The Mayflower Marathon achieved another historic milestone, amassing a record-breaking total of $234,733.71 in food and monetary contributions. The non-perishable food donations filled four full-size Mayflower trailers and an additional one-and-a-half box trucks, marking a remarkable increase of more than $55,000 from the 2022 Marathon. Throughout November, the Thunderbirds actively collected donations at the team office and during home games inside the MassMutual Center. Leading up to Mayflower Marathon Night on Nov. 22, fans making contributions were rewarded with tickets to the T-Birds game.

Merged Agency to Be Called Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western Massachusetts

WESTERN MASS. — The mentorship agencies of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Franklin County and BBBS of Hampden County, both founded in 1967, announced they will merge into one organization. The combined agencies, operating under the name Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western Massachusetts (BBBSWM), will become the largest mentorship organization in the region. David Beturne, executive director of BBBS of Hampden County, who has been acting as interim executive director in Franklin County since April, will lead the new agency. Beturne brings 23 years of experience with BBBS and plans to maintain all staff at both locations. Both agencies have a long history of fostering connections in their respective counties, and plan to grow to serve areas without an established BBBS office. The merger does not include the Center for Human Development’s BBBS program, which will continue to serve the Hampshire County area. BBBS creates connections between children (Littles) with qualified and vetted mentors (Bigs) in the community to create fulfilling relationships. BBBS monitors all matches to ensure safety standards are upheld and that the relationship is positive and empowering for the children involved.

UMassFive Employees Support Local Nonprofits

HADLEY — UMassFive College Federal Credit Union announced that its employees have raised more than $18,000 for two local nonprofits during the fall of 2023: $13,677 in support of the UMass Cancer Center via participation in the UMass Cancer Walk and Run, and $4,800 for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts via participation in Will Bike 4 Food. A longstanding and top supporter of the UMass Cancer Walk and Run event for more than 20 years, UMassFive employees join together annually as Team UMassFive to raise funds for the cause, both personally and in branch locations. In 2023, fundraising efforts included raffle baskets, bake sales, candy sales, and art and jewelry sales. Donations were also sought from credit union corporate partners, whose support helps bolster efforts each year. Including the $13,677 raised in 2023, Team UMassFive has raised over $186,600 in donations to the UMass Cancer Center over the lifetime of its participation. Since 2020, UMassFive employees have also jumped on their bicycles in support of Will Bike 4 Food, a major fundraising event for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. In 2023, seven riders teamed up to raise $4,800 in support of their cumulative 300-mile ride. Including the 2023 efforts, Team UMassFive has raised $17,500 in just four years of participation, which equates to providing 70,332 meals to neighbors in need.

Smith Brothers Insurance Merges with the Quintal Agency

NORTHAMPTON — The Quintal Agency, an independent insurance agency led by Lynne Quintal-Hill and located in Plainfield, Conn., has merged its operations with Smith Brothers Insurance. Smith Brothers has offices across Connecticut, Massachusetts (including Northampton), New Jersey, and New York. Quintal-Hill will be fully engaged in client service and business development, and will continue to serve clients as she and her team members join Smith Brothers. The team will continue to work from their office in Plainfield while leveraging the resources of Smith Brothers.

Westfield Bank Donates Food to Local Communities

WESTFIELD — Westfield Bank invited its customers and community members across Western Mass. and Northern Conn. to help fight hunger in local communities as part of its 2023 food drive. From Oct. 25 through Nov. 18, all Westfield Bank branches collected non-perishable food items and monetary donations. Food items included items for Thanksgiving meals, including canned fruit, boxed stuffing and potatoes, gravy, jelly, cranberry sauce, and more. Each branch donated to a food pantry or community kitchen local to their service area. Some branch managers also gathered to cook for a local soup kitchen with the donated food items, donating a total of 126 pounds of food, which would be able to feed about 100 people that day.

Freedom Credit Union Supports Unify Against Bullying

SPRINGFIELD — Throughout the month of October, Freedom Credit Union and its members raised more than $1,000 for Unify Against Bullying. “Unify Against Bullying is an organization we are very proud to support,” said Debra Mainolfi, the credit union’s West Springfield branch officer and a member of the Unify Against Bullying executive board. “Every year in the U.S., over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying, and Western Massachusetts is no exception. Most children who experience bullying don’t report it. Unify Against Bullying makes a positive impact in our schools and communities to bring people together to speak out against bullying in a unified voice.” Unify Against Bullying pledges to bring an end to bullying through the celebration of true diversity. The organization works to ensure that victims of bullying know they are not alone — that they are, in fact, supported by a loving, caring community of fellow students, teachers, parents, siblings, business leaders, and many others.

Easthampton Learning Foundation Invests in STEAM Program at Mountain View School

EASTHAMPTON — The Easthampton Learning Foundation is investing significantly in enhancing the STEAM program at Mountain View School. Priscilla Kane Hellweg, founder of the Arts Integration Studio, and Megan Kelley-Bagg, Easthampton Public Schools STEAM teacher, are collaborating to expand STEAM opportunities for K-5 students. STEAM, an educational approach integrating science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, fosters 21st-century skills like creative thinking and collaboration. Hellweg and Kelley-Bagg aim to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, elevate arts education within STEAM, and develop replicable content for teachers. A dedicated STEAM cohort has been formed, starting with fifth-grade teachers engaging in collaborative professional development. The focus is on weather, climate, and earth systems, with two hands-on curriculum units created for fifth grade. New STEAM content units will be developed monthly during the pilot year. With the success of the fifth-grade team, the program aims to inspire more teachers to embrace creative arts integration in the coming years. The STEAM program, launched last year, aims to promote collaboration among educators and introduce captivating, project-based learning opportunities into the academic day.

MCLA Receives $306,000 Grant to Fund Mental-health Support

NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announced it has received the Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Suicide Prevention Grant for $306,000 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Over the next three years, this funding will launch the MCLA Cares Project, an initiative to build campus-wide infrastructure to support student mental health. The MCLA Cares Project will utilize a multi-pronged approach to address mental-health support deficits across campus. This project will engage a health promotion coordinator, a new position designed to plan and implement the grant’s activities as well as produce additional mental-health and wellness programming. Grant funds will contribute significantly to training the student-facing faculty and staff in suicide awareness and prevention. The MCLA Cares Project was developed in accordance with MCLA’s mission to provide an accessible liberal-arts education to students traditionally underrepresented in higher education, such as first-generation students, students of color, and LGBTQIA+ students. The health promotion coordinator will collaborate with these groups to identify their specific needs and challenges in order to create responsive programming.

Springfield College Awarded $240,000 for Mental-health Needs

SPRINGFIELD — In partnership with the city of Springfield, Springfield College was awarded $240,000 to help assist in combating the growing mental-health needs among college students and the local community. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan announced the partnership as part of the Sarno administration’s Higher Education ARPA Fund at City Hall on Dec. 6. Sarno had previously announced the creation of the $750,000 Higher Education ARPA Fund as part of his 13th round of ARPA awards in July, as Springfield College was joined by American International College and Western New England University as recipients of the funding. The $240,000 allocation that Springfield College received will create additional opportunities to further support youth and families in the city of Springfield and provide collaboration between Springfield College students and Springfield Public Schools to enhance their learning and simultaneously support the community. With the funding, Springfield College intends to hire case managers to provide support and advocacy for both college students and children and families in Springfield Public Schools who have difficulty navigating the often-complex web of available resources, hire a psychiatric nurse practitioner to support critical needs within area colleges and the community, and strengthen relationships between school counseling and clinical mental-health counseling student interns at Springfield College and Springfield Public Schools to provide additional community-based mental-health services and support.

Lee Bank Foundation Distributes $83,750 in First Grant Funding Round of 2022

By BusinessWest Staff May 11, 2022

Daily News

LEE — Lee Bank Foundation has awarded $83,750 to 12 Berkshire area organizations and an additional grant to Pittsfield Public Schools in its first-round of 2022 community funding.

Recipients were awarded grants ranging from $1,000 to $16,000 to support their local programming. Included in the awards are a series of Arts Access Grants for arts and culture organizations to expand access to programming for underserved audiences.

The following organizations received funding:

Berkshire Center for Justice;
Berkshire Community Diaper Project;
Berkshire Concert Choir;
Berkshire County Arc;
Berkshire Historical Society;
Berkshire Family YMCA;
Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity;
Community Access to the Arts;
Great Barrington Public Theater;
Greenagers;
Roots Rising; and
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

The deadline for the next round of 2022 Foundation funding is June 1. The application and more information can be found on the Community Impact section of Lee Bank’s website (https://www.leebank.com/community-impact/donations-sponsorships.html)

To be considered for grant awards, applicants must be a (501)(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Foundation is focused on funding programs that work to bridge income and opportunity gaps in our region. Funding requests should reflect one or more of Lee Bank Foundation’s primary focus areas: education and literacy; food security and nutrition; economic growth and development; health and human services; mentorship, internship and “school to work” initiatives; and arts and culture

Applicants are only eligible for funding once in a 12-month period.

Lee Bank Foundation was established in 2021 to support Lee Bank’s long-standing mission of community reinvestment. In its first year, the Foundation awarded a total of $228,610 in grants and the Bank contributed an additional $84,000 in sponsorships.

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff July 11, 2017

Departments People on the Move

Shannon Rudder

The Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc. (PMN) board of trustees named Shannon Rudder executive director of PMN’s multi-human-services agency. First appointed interim director in May, Rudder previously served as executive director for MotherWoman Inc. in Hadley for four years. Prior to that, she was associate director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal Inc. in Buffalo, N.Y. “Shannon’s leadership, contagious enthusiasm, solid business acumen, strong operational skills, team-building focus, and dedication to building strong community relationships will advance our mission into the bright future ahead,” said Jean Zaleski, board chair. Rudder is currently on Springfield Technical Community College’s Foundation board; Mama’s Voice, a community-based participatory research project with Holyoke Community College; the grant review committee for United Way of Pioneer Valley; and United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council, and is an instructor at Bay Path University and Cambridge College. In addition, she has served as a guest lecturer at Springfield College, Smith College, and UMass School of Regional Planning. BusinessWest included Rudder in its 40 Under Forty class of 2016. “We are thrilled to have Shannon as our new executive director,” said James Wall, chair of PMN’s personnel committee. “She brings a great breadth and depth of experience that will help take Providence Ministries to the next level.” PMN is a member of the Sisters of Providence Ministry Corp. and is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization serving the Holyoke community with programs to feed, clothe, and shelter the poor and marginalized. These include Kate’s Kitchen, foodWorks at Kate’s Kitchen, Broderick House, Loreto House, McCleary Manor, Margaret’s Pantry, and St. Jude’s Clothing Center.

•••••

Anthony Hayes

Following a nationwide search, Anthony Hayes has been selected as the new general manager for public broadcaster WGBY in Springfield. Hayes comes to WGBY with nearly two decades of executive experience in public TV and radio in Connecticut and Washington, D.C. He succeeds Rus Peotter, who retired last fall after leading the station for 15 years. “Anthony is a visionary leader, and his extensive background in strategic development and engaging with audiences will advance WGBY’s mission and vital role in the community and across the region,” said Liz Cheng, Television Stations manager for the WGBH Educational Foundation, which includes WGBY. Hayes will lead the station in its strategic planning, editorial operations, and community engagement, serving its public-media mission of advancing the educational and cultural life of Western New England. “As a highly accomplished media executive, Anthony’s management skills, experience, and style will be a great fit for WGBY. His industry knowledge and community focus will be of tremendous value in leading our public-media initiatives,” said Crist Myers, chair of the WGBY board of tribunes. Most recently, Hayes served as senior vice president for Engagement at Connecticut Public Broadcasting in Hartford, which includes CPTV and WNPR, where he guided fund-raising and sponsorship initiatives to develop new strategic opportunities and growth. Prior to that, he was at WAMU-FM, American University Radio, where he oversaw the sponsorship sales division and designed and implemented integrated fund-raising, communications, and outreach strategies, locally and nationally, that increased stakeholder engagement. Earlier in his career, he was with WETA, public TV and radio in Arlington, Va., where he managed corporate marketing and developed non-traditional revenue initiatives. “I couldn’t be more pleased to have this opportunity to magnify the impact of this exceptional organization,” said Hayes. “I will work collaboratively and strategically to build upon WGBY’s rich history and advance its core mission, focusing on building a stronger community through engagement, learning, and understanding. I believe WGBY is poised to expand its reach throughout Western New England, and I am eager to lead the charge.” Hayes holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the New York Institute of Technology, and a master’s degree in media entrepreneurship from American University. He will join WGBY on July 10.

•••••

Mike Hamel, owner of Summit View Banquet House and Hamel’s Creative Catering, has been named 2017 Business Person of the Year by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. Hamel’s Creative Catering was established in 1990, but the Hamel family business roots go back to 1963, when his family owned and operated Hamel’s Market in South Hadley and Edgar’s Market in the Churchill section of Holyoke. “Mike is an exemplary model of a home-grown success story. This is a great story of small business success,” said Kathleen Anderson, president of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce. “It includes a family legacy, following a passion, having a dream, and overcoming obstacles to achieve something significant and lasting. We are very proud of Mike and his family, and congratulate them on this achievement.” The award has been presented annually to an outstanding business person who is community-oriented, is innovative, possesses a high degree of integrity, and for business accomplishments in Greater Holyoke’s business community. Marge Manton, treasurer and CFO of Loomis Communities and chairman of the chamber board of directors, also announced the selection of Harry Montalvo of bankESB to receive the Henry A. Fifield Award for Voluntary Service to the Chamber. The award is named for the late Henry A. Fifield, former Amped executive and civic leader who served in leadership positions with the chamber. Montalvo’s service includes the chamber ambassador committee, the board of trustees of the Chamber Centennial Foundation, and chamber liaison between the two chamber boards. Montalvo has also been a mentor to many of the Chamber Foundation’s SPARK Launch Class graduates. Both award winners will be honored at the Business Person of the Year and Fifield Volunteer Award Dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. at the Delaney House. Information can be found online at holyokechamber.com or by calling the chamber office at (413) 534-3376. Everyone is invited to attend.

•••••

Sarah Jordan

James Kelly, president and CEO of Polish National Credit Union (PNCU), announced that Sarah Jordan has joined the credit union as a marketing specialist. Jordan’s responsibilities include internal and external communications, marketing and public-relations campaigns, community relations, and website management. She comes to PNCU from Westfield Bank/Chicopee Savings Bank, where she served as marketing coordinator. She is a graduate of the University of Hartford with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and has held marketing and communication assignments with the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, where she is a member of the marketing committee; the Barney School of Business Leadership Council; and the National Society of Leadership and Success – Sigma Alpha Pi. She has also been an active volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, the Spaulding After School Program, and Loaves and Fishes. “We look forward to Sarah’s success in promoting Polish National Credit Union and its products and services to both current and future members,” said Kelly. “We are pleased to welcome her to our team.”

•••••

Grace LaValley

Grace LaValley, who earned her doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree in the inaugural DNP class at Elms College, had a paper accepted to the American Assoc. of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) for a podium presentation at AACVPR’s 32nd annual meeting in October, where it is a candidate for the conference’s Beginner Investigator Award. The paper Lavalley will present at the AACVPR conference was her capstone project in the DNP program at Elms College. Each DNP student is required to complete a scholarly capstone project that contributes to the field of nursing. The project topics are related to the areas of nursing where they currently work or areas in which they have a particular interest. Lavalley’s project earned her the 2017 DNP Capstone Award from Elms College, which honors a DNP student who has developed a distinguished capstone project that demonstrates scholarly rigor, innovation, and outcomes that improve health or health-related outcomes for a specific population, and has the potential to advance nursing science, practice, or policy. The paper is titled “A Telephone Intervention to Improve Patient Return Rates in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Pilot Study” and focuses on cardiac rehabilitation, or CR. “Cardiovascular disease accounts for 17.3 million deaths per year, a number projected to reach 23.6 million by 2030,” Lavalley said. CR improves patient outcomes and reduces risk in the earlier post-discharge period, but it remains highly underused, she added. Despite its benefits, many patients are at risk for not following the CR program, for a variety of reasons. She and her colleagues decided to investigate whether a telephone call focused on patient motivation, education, risks, and goal setting would improve return rates among patients identified as at risk for non-adherence to the CR program. “Telephone interventions are known to be an important tool to provide support and help overcome barriers after discharge,” she noted. They studied 100 patients in Baystate Medical Center’s outpatient CR program and found that those who received the telephone call were more likely to attend their second session of CR as scheduled, compared with patients who did not receive this intervention (80% versus 51%). The overall return rate was higher in the intervention group as well. “This straightforward strategy represents an attractive adjunct to current management of outpatient CR patients,” she said. Lavalley’s coauthors are Heidi Szalai, Dr. Quinn Pack, and Andrew Storer, associate professor of Nursing at Elms. Their paper will be published in the September/October 2017 issue of the AACVPR’s Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention. Storer was the capstone chair for Lavalley’s project; he supervised the project from the development stage through implementation and analysis. The project, he said, “has made a positive impact in the quality of care for the patients, institutions, and communities served.” Added Lavalley, “this project may be of great value to other cardiac rehab programs around the nation, particularly in this complex healthcare environment.”

•••••

Paulo Marques

LUSO Federal Credit Union announced that Paulo Marques, senior loan originator, ranked fourth among top loan originators by volume for credit unions in Western Mass., with loan volume of $23.4 million. He also ranked fourth for top loan originators by number of loans for credit unions in Western Mass., with 156 loans. These results were reported by the Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman.

•••••

Deborah Jordan of Shamrock Financial in Wilbraham was named 2017 Affiliate of the Year by the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley (RAPV). The announcment was made during the association’s annual awards banquet held June 8 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. As the highest honor given to an affiliate member, the award is bestowed upon the one person who has shown outstanding service and devotion to the organization during the past 17 months in the areas of affiliate-related association activity, community service, and business activity. A member of RAPV for five years, Jordan has served on the affiliate/Realtor, Education Fair & Expo, and community service committees. Her committee involvement includes the annual Benefit Golf Tournament, Playhouse Build for the Boys and Girls Clubs, and blanket and book drives to benefit Shriner’s Hospitals for Children – Springfield. Jordan’s additional community activities include serving as president-elect for the Ludlow Rotary Club, volunteering with Revitalize CDC, and serving on the Buy Springfield Now Committee to promote home ownership.

Picture This

By BusinessWest Staff November 2, 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]

And the Winners Are …

Human Resources Unlimited recently staged its annual employer recognition and fundraising event, which featured awards to several area businesses that help HRU carry out its multi-faceted mission.Top to bottom: HRU’s 2015 Employer of the Year Award went to Harrington Hospital. Seen from left are: Sally Irvine of HRU’s Tradewinds program; Harrington Hospital President and CEO Edward Moore; Brittany Walker, program manager of Tradewinds; and Donald Kozera, President and CEO of HRU; HRU’s 2015 Rookie Employer of the Year Award went to Plastipak Packaging. Front row (from left): ETS Career Services Senior Employment Coordinator Guss Ofori; Edgardo Antonmarchi, Karl Treat, and Rich Schroll, all with Plastipak Packaging; Pedro Martinez-Cruz, HRU’s ETS Career Services program; and Kozera. Back Row, from left: Paul Willridge, ETS Career Services, and Dean Kimber and Maryann Ayala of Plastipak Packaging; HRU’s 2015 Sheldon B. Brooks Employer Lifetime Achievement Award Winner was the YMCA of Greater Westfield. From left: Dan Flynn, COO for Wholesale Banking, United Bank; Dave Wunch, maintenance director, YMCA of Greater Westfield; Andrea Allard, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Westfield; and Ashley Ethier of HRU’s Forum House program; HRU’s 2015 Armand Tourangeau Volunteer of the Year Award Winner was John Ernst. From left: Timothy Marini, HUB International New England (formerly FieldEddy Insurance); John Ernst, Ernst Financial Group; Carol Tourangeau, wife of the late Armand Tourangeau; and Kozera.

Branching Out

Farmington Bank celebrated the opening of its first branch in western Massachusetts at 85 Elm St. in West Springfield on Oct. 15 with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by area business, municipal and community leaders. As part of the ceremony, the Farmington Bank Community Foundation announced donations to four area nonprofit organizations, which included a $2,500 contribution to the Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield. Seen here, from left, are: Mike Moriarty, Farmington Bank senior vice president, commercial team leader, and Boys & Girls Club of Springfield board member; Dan D’Angelo, Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield executive director; John Patrick, Farmington Bank chairman, president, and chief executive officer; and John O’Farrell, Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield director of development. The Farmington Bank Community Foundation also announced donations to West Springfield Partnership for Education, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity; and Cancer House of Hope.

Downtown Arrival

Springfield College hosted an Open House and Ribbon Cutting ceremony on Oct. 21, in recognition of its new office space at 1350 Main Street in downtown Springfield. Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper joined Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno in leading the ceremony. Both Cooper and Sarno highlighted the college’s strong and rich commitment to the city of Springfield. Tours of the new office and conference room space were available for the individuals in attendance. The downtown office will assist the college in working more closely with city officials, organizations, and schools. It will provide new opportunities for experiential learning and collaborative planning. Here, from left, Springfield College Trustee Emeritus Lyman Wood, current Springfield College Student Trustee Jonathan Reidy, Cooper, Sarno, and Springfield College Trustee James Ross III help cut the ribbon.

Super 60 Celebration

The Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce staged its annual Super 60 Awards Luncheon on Oct. 23. The event recognizes top-performing companies in two categories: Total Revenue and Revenue Growth. Top, Wonderlyn Murphy, center, president of City Enterprise Inc. (No. 1 in the Growth category), receives her honor from Jody Gross, director of Business Development for Health New England, and Luke Kettles, senior vice president and chief lending officer for Berkshire Bank. Bottom, keynote speakers Emily and Oliver Rich, a.k.a. the Tea Guys, talk about their Whately-based venture.

Berkshire Bank Foundation Giving Tops $1.1M in First Half of 2016

By BusinessWest Staff July 15, 2016

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank announced that its charitable foundation awarded $1,120,862 in grants from Jan. 1 through June 30 to nonprofit organizations across Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont.

In addition to supporting organizations within the foundation’s funding focus areas of education, community, and economic-development projects, it also donated to youth, cultural, and human-service organizations that provide vital services to the community. Berkshire Bank Foundation Inc. plans to award more than $1.8 million this year to nonprofit organizations across the bank’s service area.

In total, 365 nonprofits received grants from the foundation during the first half of 2016, including Berkshire County organizations 1Berkshire Strategic Alliance Foundation, Berkshire Community Action Council, Berkshire Family YMCA, and Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity; and Pioneer Valley organizations Baystate Health Foundation, Brightside for Families & Children, Chicopee Neighborhood Development Corp., and ReGreen Springfield.

Businesses Connect and Grow at the Orange Innovation Center

By BusinessWest Staff April 3, 2018

Franklin County

Hive of Activity

Mary Winzer Canning, owner of Follow the Honey.

The movement toward innovation centers and collaborative maker spaces might be hot right now across Western Mass., but the Orange Innovation Center was on the cutting edge when it opened 20 years ago in this small Franklin County town. Under its current ownership, the complex has doubled its tenant roster over the past five years, in turn boosting perhaps its greatest calling card — the built-in support of a business community invested in seeing each other succeed.

Mary Winzer Canning characterizes her business, Follow the Honey, as a “human-rights honey company” that creates products with honey sourced from beekeepers and small-batch producers around the world. So she knows a little something about bees — and their habitats.

“No bee in isolation is effective because it operates as a superorganism,” she explained. “It’s about what’s best for the whole.”

The same can be said for the Orange Innovation Center (OIC) and the 48 businesses that call the complex — nestled in the woods in this Franklin County town of 4,500 residents — home.

“It’s a hive,” Winzer Canning said. “There’s a sense of egalitarianism here, where everyone is really rolling together. We want this to be a place where people are not in their silos. It’s the whole idea of having an open hive where everyone can learn from each other and help each other. It’s about giving; it’s about problem solving.”

And it’s about community, tenants repeatedly pointed out when BusinessWest spent the better part of a morning at the complex recently.

“I love that fact that I get to pamper the people with businesses here in the community, just building those bonds and really cross-advertising each other,” said Danalynn Stockwood, who owns the Fun Fancy Nails salon, just a quick walk down the hall from other personal-care businesses.

“I tell my customers, ‘hey, if you need your hair done or colored, we have a little salon right around the corner, and if you need a facial or waxing, go down the hall,’ and it’s just nice to have that support amongst each other,” she said. “We’re always saying, ‘hey, have you tried the Valley Farm Café?’ or ‘have you tried the gym?’ and ‘have you seen the honey?’ It’s just such a great family.”

Then-building owner Noel Vincent launched the Orange Innovation Center as a mixed-use destination 20 years ago, but occupancy really began to soar under its current owner, Jack Dunphy, who bought the complex in 2013 and has increased its tenant roster from 26 to 48.

“The mill owners had just left these abandoned buildings in the post-industrial era, so Noel started converting it into offices and multi-purpose suites,” said Brianna Drohen, the center’s development director. “He was actually a visionary; this is one of the first innovation centers in the state, if not the country.”

When Dunphy, who also owns Dunphy Real Estate, purchased the property, about 75,000 of its 128,000 square feet were rented, and he saw plenty of potential in the rest — but, more than that, an investment he could truly enjoy.

Brianna Drohen and Jack Dunphy have seen tenancy surge to nearly 50 businesses at the Orange Innovation Center.

“I met some of the tenants and saw a real sparkle in their eye and realized this could be fun,” he recalled. “And if you can do something fun and maybe make a little money along the way, that’s an exciting business venture — and it has been.”

The tenants, several of whom were enthusiastic about speaking with BusinessWest, range from a clinical psychologist to a photographer; from a career-services center to the Literacy Project, and even the Center for Human Development, which houses a branch on the ground floor.

“The kinds of businesses we concentrate on tend to be in the service industries, so they’re bringing in foot traffic — a brewery, a nail salon, a hair salon, a gym, a massage therapist, and there are also lot of professional offices. There’s a really healthy mix of businesses. And we’re strategic about who we let in here,” Drohen said, noting that she and Dunphy don’t allow competing businesses unless an existing tenant doesn’t mind.

“It’s about revenue,” she went on, “but at the end of the day, it’s more about growing this business community and having all the businesses be able to work with each other and sustain each other and support each other in any way they can.”

They certainly do, and in many ways, as we were quick to discover.

Food for Thought

Matt Buzzell has been in the food-service industry for almost a quarter-century, working in establishments in New York, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. He said he wouldn’t have recognized the potential of the OIC, where he opened Valley Farm Café in July, just by looking at the understated old mill.

“Driving by, you have no idea what’s going on. But this place has a heartbeat — there’s a pulse when you walk in the doors and look around and see these businesses … it’s very energizing.”

He was introduced to the center by Jay Sullivan and Sean Nolan, the proprietors of Honest Weight Artisan Beer, who gave him their spent grain to feed the hogs on his nearby farm. “I found out through them that this opportunity was going to come up — the previous café owner didn’t want to do it anymore — so, long story short, I got together with Bri, had a meeting, and proposed a business plan.”

It turned out to be a successful one; the enterprise — which serves up salads, sandwiches, Tex-Mex fare, smoothies, and more, with ingredients sourced from local farms — draws a long line during the lunch rush, and virtually everyone who spoke with BusinessWest mentioned the café, not just for the food, but for its role as a nexus for making connections and hanging out with other business owners.

“I believe in the economic-development renaissance going on in the area, and that’s what was attractive about coming here,” Buzzell said. “I’m very thankful for the reception I’ve received from the tenants, the sense of community — the support from them is very humbling.”

Carly Mongeau has worked in the hair-salon business all her professional life, mostly in the Worcester and Marlborough areas, but once she settled in Petersham, she fell in love with the Franklin County culture. She stumbled upon the Orange Innovation Center two years ago, and the timing wasn’t right, but when she took a second look last year, she couldn’t stop thinking about the potential. One of the newer tenants, she opened Salon Nouve in January.

“It’s a great opportunity for someone who’s starting a new business to have space versus having to find a whole building — it’s a little more affordable, and a great way to get started,” she explained.

That’s partly because the tenants, especially those in similar fields, not only patronize each other, but also create a one-stop shop of sorts, which they all benefit from.

“Around the corner is a nail salon and a skin-care business, so we’re a good trio,” Mongeau explained, noting that her last client that day, a business owner in Athol, had told her she couldn’t regularly get her nails and hair done if she didn’t have a place to schedule everything at once.

Meanwhile, she added, a handful of women business owners at the OIC meet regularly for lunch. “We all brainstorm and bounce ideas off each other. We’re all different businesses, but we all have common ground in one way or another.”

She also appreciates the way different business owners talk each other up to customers.

“I recommend people to Matt all the time, and Matt recommends people to me. They smell the food as they’re walking up and say, ‘that smells amazing,’ and I say, ‘you have to go check out Matt.’ Or, ‘now that you’re all beautiful, you’ll have to go stop and get a drink at Honest Weight.’ It’s a great one-stop shop, and that’s what most of my clients love — that they can come here and get everything taken care of in a very accessible way.”

Matt Buzzell has seen Valley Farm Café become a hub of sorts at the OIC, where small-business owners make connections over breakfast or lunch.

Phil Simon is one of the veteran tenants at the OIC, having headquartered his music booking and publicity company, Simon Says Booking, there for a dozen years. Meanwhile, his wife, Angel Simon, and her mother, Lynn England, operate Old 78 Clothing — which makes upcycled and refashioned music-festival wear — elsewhere in the building.

Simon, who previously lived in Oregon, ran his company — which represents about 20 bands doing up to 1,500 shows a year, in addition to representing venues and festivals — from Boston and then Greenfield before moving to Warwick and finding ideal office space in Orange.

“I was an early adopter; it was a matter of convenience for me,” he said, adding that he appreciates the balance between a quiet workspace and the ability to chat with other tenants when he wants to.

“Even though we have our privacy in our office, I could walk down and get something in the café, there’s a gym here, and we can interact with a variety of other local businesses and talk about the things we’re doing. We don’t have to be locked in our box all day long.”

Those neighbors aren’t just friends and sounding boards, however; they’re also resources. For example, he was able to locate a tow-behind generator, to be used at an event this summer, through another OIC tenant. “It’s not surprising; there’s quite a network going on here. We get people knocking on the door all the time.”

Launching an Idea

Like Simon, Alec MacLeod has been at the OIC for a long time; in fact, he was one of Vincent’s earliest tenants, running a wetlands and watershed consultancy. Today, he’s teaming up with Drohen on a project to turn 10,000 square feet in a currently unusable building in the complex into LaunchSpace, a ‘community workshop’ that will provide resources, equipment, training, and support to a broad spectrum of people.

To explain it, MacLeod broke down the endeavor into three tiers. First is a community-based set of shops with three rooms: an arts room for paper arts, fabric arts, pottery, etching, glass blowing, and photography; a large room entirely devoted to robotics and information technology; and a third room divided between metalworking and woodworking.

The second tier is an emphasis on workforce development and education, aimed at improving the employability and salary of members who may, for instance, learn how to operate CNC (computer numeric control) machinery, an important skill in manufacturing. MacLeod has reached out to both local manufacturers about what their workforce needs are, and the region’s colleges and universities about developing courses for the space.

The third tier is entrepreneurial support, he added. “If you would like to be a cabinetmaker or some other type of woodworker, for instance, but you don’t have $30,000 or the room at your own place to set up your own shop, you can buy an entrepreneurial membership here, month to month, and come use our equipment.”

He noted that members will also access storage, marketing services, help with writing a business plan, and the services of board members including two local credit-union representatives and the head of the North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce. As small businesses develop, they may incubate into spaces at the OIC or, better yet, need more space out in the community.

Carly Mongeau, who loves the Franklin County lifestyle, found in the OIC an ideal spot to grow Salon Nouve.

“This is economic development at the most basic,” MacLeod said. “This is grass-roots, town-scale economic development without needing to invite Apple to build a big factory.”

Drohen noted that Jay Ash, the state’s secretary of Housing and Economic Development, supported a recent $250,000 MassDevelopment Collaborative Workspace Initiative grant to improve the LaunchSpace site, because Ash is a believer in what’s happening in this corner of Franklin County.

“He sees how one business owner, Jack, can host all these businesses, and the state sees this whole collaborative workspace as the new way of doing business. This is where people can grow and can incubate and collaborate.”

Dunphy envisions LaunchSpace as the sort of environment where a middle-schooler might work alongside an 80-year old on woodworking equipment. “There will be interaction that normally doesn’t happen in a community, where different people who wouldn’t otherwise associate with each other are suddenly working together on a project.”

That also, in a way, describes the entire ecosystem at the Innovation Center.

“We’re all here earning our own livings,” MacLeod said, “but when we meet in the café, we have conversations, and we talk about what’s going on — ‘how is your business going? How are you doing? What are the hard parts?’ — and we help each other out. It’s a business community, and it really does foster innovation.”

Bee Ambitious

In a sense, innovation has been happening at the OIC since it housed Minute Tapioca in the early days of the 20th century. It was a multi-use complex in the middle of the century, hosting a sewing company, a shoemaker, and a retail store, among other businesses, before the Bedroom Company, a furniture manufacturer, set up shop in the 1960s.

Today, it’s back to multi-use, but the original tapioca vat is still in the basement, too expensive to remove. On the roof is a 93-kilowatt solar array, with plans to install another on the building that will house LaunchSpace.

That combination of old and new, historic and cutting-edge, isn’t unlike what Adam Suzor brings to the OIC, running two separate businesses: his own information-technology outfit, Suzor Enterprises, LLC — he also maintains the Innovation Center’s Internet service — and a fitness center, where he has incorporated digital technology into the equipment and is gratified when senior citizens join Snapchat to check out the gym’s activities there.

Some business relationships, however, are strictly old-fashioned, such as the bartering that goes on; for example, the resident photographer recently paid for massage services with a photo session.

Meanwhile, Dunphy is emphasizing the complex’s natural surroundings, planning a shuttle service for people who want to kayak or canoe on Millers River, right outside the OIC’s back door. A system of hiking and bike trails, stretching to New Hampshire, is equally accessible.

“We’re trying to offer more amenities to encourage people to come here,” he said. “We put a shower in just for that reason — if you take a bike ride or go to the gym, and then have to go to a meeting.”

In short, it’s a place to enjoy being at work, grow a business, and, in many cases, outgrow the space and have to find other digs, as North Quabbin Food Co-op, which incubated at the Innovation Center, did when it changed its name to Quabbin Harvest and moved into a building in downtown Orange, a short walk up the road.

Stockwood, on the other hand, who lives in Athol and used to rent a booth at a nail salon in Fitchburg before finding the OIC, believes she’ll thrive there for the foreseeable future.

“I absolutely love being here. It’s a cozy atmosphere for my clients,” she said, adding that she maintains a ‘party room’ one door down, where girls and women can get together for baby showers, birthday parties, or other events.

“Everyone gets to paint their nails and do some artwork and have some fun,” she said, adding that “this is my haven. My 11-year-old says, ‘are you going up to your castle?’ I call it my getaway, my quiet space, and it’s just nice to have.”

Winzer Canning feels that way, too, knowing she can throw open her doors any time to make her quiet space a little more social. She operated a yoga studio at the OIC a decade ago and was happy to return to build her bee-based business.

“There’s definitely beauty in numbers; it builds morale. Just go into the hallway — it’s like Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood. There’s Matt, smoking his pork out back. There’s Shawn and Jay doing things with their hops, and there’s Brianna talking with the film crew down the hall. She’s the queen bee,” she said with a laugh.

“People are doing their own daily grind, but at the same time, you’re not working in isolation,” she went on. “It really is a hive where you can feel connected to something greater.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Sunshine Village Celebrates a Half-century of Creating Great Days

By BusinessWest Staff October 31, 2017

Cover Story Features

Star Power

Lenny Recor attends to the second floor at the TD Bank building, a position he secured with the help of Sunshine Village.

Back in the mid-’60s, a group of parents, advised by friends, family members, and attorneys alike to put their developmentally disabled children into an institution, collectively rejected that idea and, far more importantly, came up with a much better one. The result of their innovative, forward-thinking outlook was Sunshine Village, which, 50 years later, remains an immensely powerful source of light, warmth, hope, and lives fulfilled.

Lenny Recor was in a good mood — or as good a mood as you might expect someone to be in on a Monday morning.

Actually, the day of the week doesn’t seem to matter much to Recor, who appears to wear a smile on an almost permanent basis. And such was the case as he went about his work vacuuming, mopping, dusting, and cleaning bathrooms at 1441 Main St. in Springfield, a.k.a. the TD Bank Building.

“I like to work … it’s meaningful, and I get to meet people and say hello,” said the 39-year-old. “Besides, it’s good to have money in your pocket — really good.”

The ability to work and put money in one’s pocket is something that many people might take for granted, but not Recor.

He has managed to secure several such opportunities thanks to Sunshine Village, the Chicopee-based nonprofit that this year is celebrating a half-century of doing what it does best — creating ‘great days’ for hundreds of individuals with developmental disabilities and help them lead rich, meaningful (there’s that word again) lives.

SEE: List of Employment Agencies

And these great days come in many forms, said Gina Kos, long-time executive director at Sunshine Village, noting that, for some, it means a day of working and earning. For others, it might mean volunteering at one of a number of area nonprofits. For still others, it might mean using a computer or practicing yoga. And for some, a great day may involve learning to shake hands or hold a spoon.

“A great day is a collection of small, proud moments,” she told BusinessWest, noting that this simple definition covers a significant amount of ground, to be sure. “What goes into ‘great’ depends on the individual.”

Elaborating, she said the agency’s mission, and its mindset, are neatly summed up with a collection of words — a summary, if you will, of what the agency provides for its participants — now filling one wall inside the agency’s administration building:

“Warm welcomes, new skills, shared laughs, many choices, caring staff, friendships, creativity, new experiences, safe travels, big smiles, helping hands, happy people, kind words, unique opportunities, lifelong learning, fun times, teamwork, dedication, shining moments, celebrations, personal accomplishments, sunshine, great days,” it reads … with those last two words in bold red letters.

Over a half-century, Gina Kos says, Sunshine Village has evolved, but has always remained true to its core mission.

But it’s not what’s on the wall that defines Sunshine Village, but what goes on inside the walls — and, in Recor’s case and many others, well outside them.

At the hangars and administration buildings at nearby Westover Air Reserve Base, for example, where participants at Sunshine Village have been employed for more than 40 years, handling various cleaning duties. Or at a host of nonprofit agencies such as the Cancer House of Hope, Habitat for Humanity, the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, and many others. Or at area businesses and office buildings ranging from the Trading Post, a large convenience store just down the street from the agency’s headquarters on Litwin Drive in Chicopee, to the TD Bank building.

And while on the subject of great days, Kos said Sunshine Village strives to provide them for both its participants and the team of employees who serve them.

“We work very hard to be a provider of choice and an employer of choice,” she noted, adding that these are the broad organizational goals outlined in a three-year strategic plan for the agency, one due to be updated in the near future. “And in the third year of our plan, we’ve realized outcomes with both of those goals that have really exceeded our initial expectations.”

For this issue, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at the Village as it marks a key milestone, and at how, as it looks forward to its next half-century of creating great days, it will continue its evolutionary process.

Bright Ideas

When asked about the circumstances that brought her to the corner office at Sunshine Village, Kos quickly flashed back more than 25 years to the agency’s first annual fund-raising golf tournament at Tekoa Country Club in Westfield.

“I was a volunteer — I drove the beer cart,” she recalled, adding that she had such a good time, and was so impressed with the agency’s mission and how it was met, that she volunteered again the next year.

And through those experiences, Kos, who was, at the time, working in the banking sector, decided she wanted to get involved at a much higher level.

Indeed, she joined Sunshine Village in a marketing position, and a few years later rose to director. She told BusinessWest that, early on, her focus was on putting the agency on a stronger financial footing and enabling it to operate more like a business, or a nonprofit business, to be precise.

Kori Cox, a participant in Sunshine Village’s community-based day services, describes herself as an ambassador committed to generating positive thinking.

“When I came here, people in the human-services world didn’t talk about money,” she noted. “But I said, ‘you need to talk about money.’ And today, I think a lot of organizations follow Sunshine Village’s path of talking about money and acting like a business; in order to achieve your mission, you need to have a solid financial base.”

And while that work continues, she said the primary assignment for the team at Sunshine Village has been to continue a 50-year process of evolution and refinement in order to better meet the needs of those the agency serves and create more of those great days.

This is a broad constituency, individuals 22 and over, for the most part, who have one of many types of development disabilities, including, and increasingly, those on the autism spectrum.

To fully understand this evolutionary process, it’s best to start at the beginning, when a small group of parents of children with developmental disabilities set on a course that would change lives for decades to come.

“These parents were told by their physicians, their lawyers, their families, and friends that they needed to put their children into an institution — either Belchertown State School or the Monson Developmental Center,” she said, adding that they had a different, considerably better idea.

“These families were pretty radical at that time — this was the mid-’60s — and they said, ‘no, institutions are not for us; we’re going to keep our children at home with us,’” she went on. “But they also realized that the resources to help them raise their children weren’t there; they couldn’t go through the school system, and just bringing their kids to nursery schools and the local playground didn’t feel right 50 years ago.”

So this group of parents, under the leadership of Joseph Casey, owner of Casey Chevrolet, who had a young daughter with a developmental disability, started a group called Friends of the Retarded Children and set about creating an organization that would become what Sunshine Village is today.

On land donated by the city and local sportsmen’s club, and with money raised through an involved grassroots effort, a playground and the first building (eventually named after Casey) were built and opened in the spring of 1967.

In its early years, the agency served children, said Kos, noting that it had a nursery school and recreational facilities that reflected playgrounds of that era. As those original participants grew older, the roster of programs evolved accordingly, including the addition of employment services as well as a skills center for those who wanted to work, but needed the skills to do so.

It Takes a Village

Today, Sunshine Village, which has a $13 million annual operating budget, serves roughly 450 adults with developmental disabilities across Western Mass. Many stay with the agency for years or decades, and one participant in its programs recently turned 86.

In addition to its facility in Chicopee, there are other locations in Springfield, Three Rivers, and Westfield, added over the years to bring participants closer to the services being offered.

Day programs provided by the agency cover a broad spectrum. They include:

• Community Engagement Services, also known as community-based day services, or CBDS, which offer individuals activities promoting wellness, recreation, community engagement, technology, self-advocacy, and personal development;

• Contemporary Life Engagement Services, a highly structured program specifically designed to support individuals on the autism spectrum. This is a medically based day ‘habilitation’ program with services augmented with clinical supports as necessary, including speech and language, physical, and occupational therapies, and access to a board-certified behavior analyst;

• Traditional Life Engagement Services, a medically based day habilitation program focused on building functional life skills, including social, communication, personal wellness, and independent living; and

• Employment Services, which support participants in obtaining a job or working as a member of a supervised team. It does this through placement services, and also through Village Works, an agency-owned business located just off exit 6 of the Turnpike, as well as Westover Maintenance Systems, a commercial cleaning company operated by Sunshine Village, which, as noted, provides maintenance services for all the buildings and hangars at Westover Air Reserve Base.

Over the years, and on an ongoing basis, the programming at the Village evolves to meet changing needs within society and area school departments and their special-education divisions, said Kos.

“Over the years, we’ve offered different kinds of services — residential services, shared-living services, different kinds of day and employment services — but we’ve always remained true to our mission,” she told BusinessWest. “And that is to serve people with disabilities and to serve them regardless of the level of disability; we’ve served people that other organizations can’t and won’t serve.”

As one example of this evolutionary process, she noted additions and changes undertaken to meet the dramatic rise in the number of individuals on the autism spectrum.

“There are a lot more people graduating from area high schools who are on the autism spectrum,” she explained, adding that the reasons for this are not fully known. “And on the autism spectrum, 40% of the individuals also have an intellectual disability, meaning their IQ is less than 71.

“And one of the things we’re doing at Sunshine Village is redefining and redesigning our services so that we’re able to meet the needs and support people on the autism spectrum who do not have intellectual disabilities,” she went on, “because that is a growing need in the community.”

Denise Simpkins and Bill Denard have been working at Westover Air Reserve Base for several years now through Sunshine Village’s employment-services arm.

It’s also an example of how the agency is constantly listening to the constituencies it serves when they’re asked about needs and concerns — and responding to what it hears.

These traits have certainly benefited the agency as it works toward that goal of being a provider of choice, said Kos, adding that the same is true when it comes to being an employer of choice.

Elaborating, she said the competition for talent in the nonprofit sector is considerable, and Sunshine Village looks to stand out in this regard by working hard to enable employees to shine as well as those they serve.

“We see our employees as our best asset, and we invest a lot of money in training, recognizing, and thanking them,” she said of her team of more than 250.

Shining Examples

Kos said the official 50th anniversary date for the agency was in April of this year, and in many respects it has been a year-long celebration.

There was a dinner for employees last spring, several outreach events, and a community celebration in September, called, appropriately enough, the ‘Great Days Gala,’ that was attended by more than 250 people.

But in most all ways, Sunshine Village has been celebrating 50 years by doing more of what it’s been doing for 50 years — enabling people with developmental disabilities to shine.

And as BusinessWest talked with some of the clients served by the agency, it became clear that there are many ways for that verb to manifest itself.

For Jonathon Scytkowski, a participant in the CBDS programs who came to Sunshine Village in 2015, there are several components to his great days. He works at the Trading Post, cleaning floors, taking out the recyclables, and other duties. Meanwhile, he also volunteers at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and other nonprofits, and takes visits to the libraries in Chicopee and South Hadley and area malls.

Add it all up, and he’s busy, active, and, most importantly, involved.

“I like volunteering — at the Food Bank I do a lot of volunteering putting food in boxes for those who need it,” he told BusinessWest, noting, like Recor did, that working is important on many levels, from making money to having a sense of purpose.

Those sentiments were echoed by Denise Simpkins and Bill Debord, who have both worked at Westover, through Sunshine Village, for several years.

In fact, for Debord, it’s been almost 30 years, long enough to see a number of personnel come and go, but also long enough to feel like he’s part of that important operation.

“I really like working there — you feel like you’re part of the family,” he said, adding that he knows people by name, and vice versa.

As for Simpkins, who has been doing it for 12 years, she likes the work, the pay, and especially the perks — like the special occasions where she gets to see the planes close up and take some pictures.

“It’s good to have a job because you get to pay you bills and manage your money,” she told BusinessWest.

Meanwhile, for Kori Cox, another participant in the CBDS program, shining, if you will, takes a different form.

Indeed, as part of initiative called Positive Behavior Supports (PBS), she said she has an important role she described this way. “I do a lot of stuff to try to prevent the Village from being negative.”

Elaborating, she said she made a sign that reads “Positive Attitude, Positive Life,” and she works to encourage others, inside and outside Sunshine Village, to not only read the sign, but live by those words. Specifically, she works diligently to prompt people to stop using the ‘R’ word.

“We remind people that’s not nice to use that word — ever,” she said, adding that her efforts in this regard dovetail nicely with her broader mission.

“I love positivity — it really helps life; there’s no negativity,” said Cox, 24, who described herself as an ambassador, advocate, and peer leader.

As for Recor, well, let’s just say he seems to embody the words on Cox’s sign.

A World of Difference

Sunshine Village still stages a golf tournament every year. In fact, it’s the agency’s most successful fund-raising effort.

Its new, permanent home is Chicopee Country Club — only a drive and a wedge away from the Litwin Drive campus — and Kos no longer drives the beer cart, obviously.

Her role has evolved and grown — as has the agency’s.

But the basic goals are still the same — to create great days and enable those with developmental disabilities to shine, however those words are defined.

Half a century later, Sunshine Village is delivering on those promises.

Just ask Lenny Recor. He’s the guy with a smile on his face — on a Monday morning no less.

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

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff June 22, 2022

People on the Move

James Sullivan, president of The O’Connell Companies Inc., announced that the board of directors has named Matt Flink president of Appleton Corporation. Flink, who will be based in the firm’s Holyoke office, succeeds Paul Stelzer. Prior to joining Appleton in 2012, Flink worked in the real estate development and construction industry in Colorado and Florida. He has developed management services accounts in the transportation industry, and coordinated projects for The O’Connell Companies real estate portfolio of multi-family and commercial assets. “I am very excited to be named President of Appleton Corporation,” said Flink. “The culture of the company is based on our family-oriented core values and principles and our service delivery model is implemented across a diversified portfolio of management accounts. Our team is loaded with talent and energy, and I look forward to guiding the future strategic and management direction of the firm.” Appleton Corporation provides comprehensive property, facilities and asset management services, along with accounting and financial services, to managers and owners of commercial and residential properties in central New England.

•••••

UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, under whose leadership the commonwealth’s flagship campus experienced a decade of unprecedented success and momentum, has announced that he will retire at the end of June 2023. Subbaswamy arrived in Amherst in July 2012, and during his tenure the campus has excelled in a wide range of key areas, including attracting growing numbers of diverse, high-achieving students, steadily improving graduation rates, and conducting cutting-edge research with real-world impact. “It has been a privilege to serve as chancellor of this great university,” said Subbaswamy. “I will forever treasure the support and friendship of the faculty, staff, students and alumni whom I’ve come to know over the past decade and am grateful for all that we have accomplished together. By channeling our revolutionary spirit, we have become one of the fastest rising top-tier public research universities in the country and I am confident that, in its next chapter, the University of Massachusetts Amherst will soar even higher.” In the latest U.S. News & World Report Colleges Guide, UMass Amherst is ranked No. 26 among the 209 public universities included in the national survey. A rankings rise from No. 52 in 2010 marks a 26-step ascent, principally during Subbaswamy’s tenure. Robert Manning, chair of the UMass Board of Trustees, has named UMass Trustee and UMass Amherst alumnus Victor Woodridge as chair of the search committee that will be appointed to identify candidates to be the next UMass Amherst chancellor. Under Subbaswamy’s leadership, the university has played a pivotal and unique role in educating the commonwealth. UMass Amherst alone enrolls more first-year students from Massachusetts than do the commonwealth’s top eight private universities combined. In addition, UMass Amherst awards more undergraduate STEM degrees than any other college or university in Massachusetts, public or private. Meanwhile, the university’s research enterprise is driving innovative solutions to the world’s greatest challenges and boosting the state’s economy. In FY 2021, UMass Amherst totaled $213 million in research expenditures, and it ranked first among public universities in New England in National Science Foundation grant awards. UMass Amherst recently secured major investments in computer science, fueling the Massachusetts tech economy. An $18 million naming gift will endow the Robert and Donna Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences. A state investment of $75 million—along with $30 million from the Amherst campus—will enhance and expand the college’s facilities, enabling accelerated enrollment growth. The university is also playing a lead role to help address the commonwealth’s pressing health care needs supported by the largest gift in UMass Amherst history to the Marieb College of Nursing. The $21.5 million naming gift from the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Charitable Foundation is advancing the university’s innovative nursing engineering center, and it is also providing support for student scholarships, an endowed professorship, and mentorship and research initiatives designed to further access, equity and excellence in nursing education.

•••••

The Board of Trustees at Amherst College announced Wednesday that Michael Elliott, a 1992 graduate, has been named the next president of the institution. He will succeed Carolyn ‘Biddy’ Martin, who announced last year that she would retire from the presidency but continue teaching at the college. He is expected to begin work August 1. Elliott has been the chief academic and executive officer of Emory College of Arts and Science in Atlanta since 2016. He earned a doctorate in English and comparative literature at Columbia University in 1998. His bachelor’s degree from Amherst consisted of a dual major in Russian and English.

•••••

Erik Lamothe

bankESB recently promoted Erik Lamothe to assistant vice president, asset liability management. Lamothe joined bankESB in 2016 as ALM manager and was promoted to ALM officer in 2017. He has nearly 25 years of experience in banking, and is responsible for budgeting, forecasting, managing interest rate risk, and CECL for the Hometown Financial Group family of banks, which includes bankESB, bankHometown, and Abington Bank. Lamothe earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Westfield State University and his master’s degree in banking and financial studies from Boston University. He serves as a board member and Finance Committee member of the Lathrop Home in Northampton and is also a course instructor with the Center for Financial Training.

•••••

Timothy M. Netkovick

Jennifer R. Sharrow

Alayna Anderson

Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that attorney Timothy M. Netkovick and attorney Jennifer R. Sharrow have joined the firm. Netkovick is a member of Bacon Wilson’s Employment Law Practice Group. He is licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and Connecticut and has significant experience in matters including employment and commercial litigation. He has been practicing law for 20 years, having earned his J.D. from Western New England College School of Law in 2002, and a B.S. magna cum laude from American International College in 1999. He was recognized as the School of Law Academic Scholarship Recipient during his time at Western New England, and an All-American Scholar in 1998 at American International. He will be working from Bacon Wilson’s Springfield location. Sharrow is a member of Bacon Wilson’s Commercial Law Practice Group. She is licensed to practice in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She has more than a decade of experience working in public service, with experience in federal programs where she focused on municipal, non-profit, and business development. She earned her J.D. in 2010 from the University of Connecticut School of Law and earned a B.A. summa cum laude from the University of New Hampshire in 2007. She has volunteered her time by serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Habitat for Humanity from 2010 to 2011 and participated in multiple pro bono programs including the Women’s Bar Foundation Family Law Project and the Hampden County Bar Association Lawyer for the Day Program. Currently, she serves as the Legal Chair for the Shoshin Ryu Martial Arts Association and is a member of the Belchertown Zoning Board of Appeals. She will work from Bacon Wilson’s Springfield location. The firm also welcomed Alayna Anderson, as the marketing coordinator, who recently joined the firm at the Springfield location. She is a Cape Cod Native who since relocated to Springfield after earning her bachelor of Science degree in marketing as well as her master’s of Business Administration, both from Springfield College. She will work directly with Bacon Wilson’s Executive Director, Lisa Carpenter, on all aspects of managing the firm’s marketing and public relations for all five locations.

•••••

Kevin Conway, whose IT expertise spans both domestic and global markets, has been named Senior Vice President & Chief Information & Digital Officer (SVP/CIDO) of Baystate Health. His appointment becomes effective June 27.

Conway, a strategic executive with more than 25 years of success in executive leadership, strategic planning, and consulting within large academic multi-facility healthcare IT systems, most recently served as client executive for Tegria Services Group, overseeing the clinical and digital transformation initiative for Northern Ireland. In his role, he was responsible for strategic direction and leadership of Epic Solutions deployment as part of the overall digital health strategy for acute, community, mental health, and social care services. Previously, Conway held the role of Chief Information Officer at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in Pittsburgh, Pa., where he managed all facets of IT operations of clinical and essential service departments at UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Shadyside, and UPMC Mercy & UPMC Magee-Womens Hospitals. He also served as VP of IT Advisory Services, chief information officer, and director of IT at UPMC.

Conway received his BA in Business Administration Health Management Systems from Robert Morris University. In his new role at Baystate Health, Conway will be a key senior executive responsible for the health system’s information and technology systems. His work will include system interoperability and optimization of IT systems, transformation of business processes, human-centered design, enhancements of patient-centered technologies, and focused work on cyber and information security.

•••••

The Royal Law Firm recently welcomed Attorney Kylie Brown to its team. Brown received her bachelor’s degree from Lasell College and her juris doctor from Western New England University School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in the state of Connecticut. Prior to joining The Royal Law Firm, she worked as a Law Clerk of Court at the Connecticut Superior Courts in Hartford, Rockville and New Britain.

•••••

Bulkley Richardson has welcomed five law students to its 2022 Summer Associate Program. The program will introduce law students to the inner workings of a law firm, where they will receive mentorship from lawyers ranging from firm leaders and retired judges all the way through the ranks to junior associates, and gain exposure to real-life legal matters.

This year’s Summer Associates are:

• Allison Laughner, who is currently attending Western New England University School of Law, where she is on the Law Review staff. She is also working toward an MBA at Western New England University College of Business and earned a B.A. from Smith College;

• Jacob Cronin is currently attending Northeastern University School of Law. He earned a B.A. from Connecticut College with additional coursework at Carnegie Mellon University and Georgetown University;

• Sara Sam-Njogu is currently attending Western New England University School of Law. She earned a B.A., magna cum laude, from St. Lawrence University and participated in the Denmark International Study Abroad Program in Copenhagen, Denmark with a focus on international business;

• Christa “Christabelle” Calabretta is currently attending the University of Connecticut School of Law and earned a B.A. from St. John’s University and an A.A. from Suffolk County Community College; and

• Mumina Egal is currently attending the University of Connecticut School of Law, where in addition to a juris doctorate, she is seeking certificates in both Intellectual Property and Transactional Practice. Egal received a bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Ottawa.

•••••

Country Bank announced the appointment of 16 new corporators from local businesses within the communities it serves at its annual meeting held at the Publick House in Sturbridge on June 6.

Newly appointed corporators include:

• Grace Barone, director of the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce;

• Kelly Tufaro Bartholomew, a certified public accountant at Marcum LLP;

• Heather Bean, an eCommerce IT PM/Tech Expert at Nestle;

• Ashley Clark, vice president of Marketing & Sales at Quirk Wire Company Inc.;

• Debra Cusson, owner of Spartan Auto Care Center;

• Keshawn Dodds, executive director at the Boys & Girls Club Family Center;

• Anthony Frasco, vice president of Corporate Sales & Marketing at Quality Beverage;

• Ivon Gois, president at Gois Broadcasting;

• Russell Haims, owner and real estate investor at Hampton Properties, LLC;

• Cherisa Hernandez, a middle/secondary clinical professor at Worcester State University;

• Amie Miarecki, executive director at Christopher Heights of Belchertown.

• Richard Morris Jr., chief information officer at Linedata;

• Charles Norton, resident of Franklin Realty Advisors Inc.;

• Jasmine Jina Ortiz, founder & principal CEO at HestiaLIVING;

• Joseph Searles, president at International Container Company LLC.; and

• Erin Wynne, assistant head of School for Institutional Advancement at Eagle Hill School in Hardwick.

“While each of our markets offer a unique value proposition, we are adding strategic business professionals throughout the region to help us focus our efforts on the areas that will provide the bank with the greatest growth opportunities,” stated Paul Scully, president and CEO of Country Bank. “We are excited to have these new dedicated and experienced business professionals join us. Together, we look forward to the future with great optimism, continued success and making a difference in the lives of our customers, communities and team members.”

•••••

Five University of Massachusetts faculty have been awarded the 2022 Manning Prize for Excellence in Teaching for their exemplary dedication to students and the university. The faculty members — one from each UMass campus — will receive $10,000 awards in recognition of their commitment to academic excellence. UMass Lowell alumni Rob and Donna Manning established the Manning Prize in 2016 to honor UMass professors who excel in teaching and service. With the selection of this year’s honorees, 35 UMass faculty members now have the distinct honor of being Manning Prize recipients. The winner from UMass Amherst is Lorraine Cordeiro, PhD, director of the Center for Research on Families and associate professor of Nutrition, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Cordeiro is a community-engaged scholar who describes herself as “an educator, a scientist, a first-generation college graduate, a U.S. immigrant, a woman, a cancer survivor, a multigenerational caregiver, and a community volunteer.” Cordeiro has been at the forefront of leading efforts for major curricula changes, new pedagogical approaches, and her department’s efforts in implementing and assessing holistic faculty teaching evaluation. Cordeiro has been nominated consistently for teaching awards; she is the recipient of the university’s 2015 Distinguished Teaching Award and the College Outstanding Teacher Award from UMass Amherst’s School of Public Health and Health Sciences in 2013.

Country Bank Donates $670,000 to Area Organizations in 2015

By BusinessWest Staff April 11, 2016

Daily News

WARE — Officials at Country Bank reported that the bank donated more than $670,000 in 2015 to nearly 350 organizations in the communities it serves through its Charitable Giving Program. Many of these donations were in the form of contributions to local nonprofits, including senior centers, food pantries, homeless shelters, and health centers.

“Our commitment to our communities is deeply rooted in our philosophy of being a good corporate citizen. As a local community partner, we understand the importance of supporting local nonprofits that exist to benefit and improve the lives of the families and individuals in our communities,” said Paul Scully, president and CEO.

For example, the Ware Valley Domestic Violence Task Force through Valley Human Services received a $15,000 donation which enabled them to work with more than 100 adults and children from Ware and Hardwick. They also used these funds for an important educational theatre for the Ware Middle and High School to teach students to recognize the signs of partner violence and what healthy relationships look like.

Meanwhile, Hearts for Heat in North Brookfield received a $2,500 donation which was used to purchase heating assistance for five local families, ensuring they stayed warm during the winter months. Scholarships were also awarded to 32 graduating seniors totaling $80,000.

Other organizations that received support from Country Bank’s charitable contributions included Leicester Public Library, Ludlow Boys & Girls Club, Baystate Mary Lane Hospital Cancer Services through the Walk of Champions, the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, the Jimmy Fund, and many more.

Country Bank’s staff are equally invested in giving back to their communities. In 2015, they volunteered more than 800 hours of their own time and contributed an additional $50,000 to employee-selected nonprofits through the bank’s Employee Charitable Giving Program. For more information about Country Bank’s Charitable Giving Program and 2015 donations, visit www.countrybank.com/about-us/our-involvement.

Florence Bank Awards $150,000 to Nonprofits in Customers’ Choice Community Grants

By BusinessWest Staff May 19, 2023

Daily News

FLORENCE — In its 21st year, Florence Bank’s Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program awarded $150,000 to 46 area nonprofits in honor of the bank’s 150th anniversary.

“I know the total we announced we would award this year was $125,000, but I feel like $150,000 would be a more appropriate amount to celebrate the 150 years that Florence Bank has been in existence,” President and CEO Matt Garrity said in leading his first Customers’ Choice celebration on May 16. “It’s amazing to see so many community organizations being recognized, and the fact that the recognition comes from Florence Bank customers in the form of votes is really special.”

Garrity handed checks to 46 nonprofit leaders across the region, awarding 13 with $5,000 gifts — the most ever granted in 21 years — and presenting $500 surprise awards to 10 organizations that fell just short of the required 50-vote count.

These organizations received $5,000 grants: Dakin Humane Society, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Amherst Survival Center, Friends of the Williamsburg Library, Northampton Survival Center, Goshen Firefighter’s Assoc. Inc., Cancer Connection, Manna Soup Kitchen, It Takes a Village, Friends of Forbes Library, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Our Lady of the Hills Parish, and Friends of Lilly Library.

These 23 organizations also received an award: Williamsburg Firefighter Assoc., $4,701; Bernese Auction Rescue Coalition Inc., $4,652; Easthampton Community Center, $4,309; Friends of M.N. Spear Memorial Library, $4,064; Northampton Neighbors, $4,064; Springfield Shriners Hospitals for Children, $3,917; Grow Food Northampton Inc., $3,819; Amherst Neighbors, $3,721; Smith Vocational High School PTO, $3,721; Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School, $3,624; Performing Arts Charter School, $3,575; Therapeutic Equestrian Center, $3,575; Kestrel Land Trust, $3,427; Edward Hopkins Educational Foundation, $3,330; Northampton Community Music Center, $3,232; Safe Passage, $3,134; Empty Arms Bereavement Support, $2,987; New Hingham Elementary School PTO, $2,987; R.K. Finn Ryan Road School, $2,889; Whole Children, $2,693; Belchertown K-9, $2,595; Northampton Football League, $2,545; and Tapestry, $2,448.

Finally, these 10 organizations received unexpected $500 awards: the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hampshire County, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen & Pantry, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, Gray House, Holyoke Community College Foundation, Mental Health Assoc. Inc., Springfield Rescue Mission, the Parish Cupboard, and Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center.

Voting takes place all year long, online at www.florencebank.com/vote and in bank branches, and each customer has only one vote. To qualify for a community grant, organizations must receive at least 50 votes. In 2022, roughly 7,000 votes were cast, making 36 nonprofits eligible for a grant; the other 10 funded organizations were invited to attend the event and were surprised with their $500 award. Over the past 21 years, Florence Bank has donated a total of $1.5 million to 165 organizations.

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff December 2, 2014

Company Notebook Departments

Florence Bank Opens New Hadley Branch
HADLEY — Florence Bank, a mutually owned savings bank serving the Pioneer Valley through nine branch locations, celebrated the opening of its new Hadley location at 377 Russell St. last month, with local and state officials, as well as more than 100 well-wishers. Florence Bank CEO John Heaps Jr. and bank officials were joined by State Senate Majority Leader Stan Rosenberg, state Rep. John Scibak, Hadley Town Administrator David Nixon, and Amherst Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Don Courtemanche, along with customers, friends, and supporters who turned out to welcome the bank to its new home. In addition to the ribbon cutting, bank officials officially dedicated a new tractor weathervane, which sits atop the new building, to the Devine family of Hadley. John Devine, who was a lifelong farmer and a member of Hadley’s Planning Board, was instrumental in recommending that the bank consider a cupola and weathervane as part of the new building’s design. Bank officials wanted to do something to honor the memory of Devine, who passed away unexpectedly a year ago. Florence Bank Senior Vice President Sharon Rogalski presented a replica of the weathervane to John Devine Jr., who accepted the gift on behalf of his family. Toby Daniels, vice president and branch manager of the Hadley Branch, will continue in that role in the new location. “Hadley has been our home for nearly 20 years,” said Heaps. “We are especially pleased to renew our commitment to this community with our new location. We thank our many customers and friends for their ongoing support and look forward to serving everyone for years to come.”

PeoplesBank Named a ‘Top Place To Work’
HOLYOKE — Recently, the Boston Globe recognized PeoplesBank as a “Top Place to Work” for the third year in a row. Massachusetts-based companies that are eligible for Top Place to Work consideration undergo a rigorous evaluation by survey firm WorkplaceDynamics. More than 76,000 individuals’ responses were submitted by the companies regarding key factors related to employee happiness, company direction, execution, employee connection, work load and responsibility, management, and pay and benefits.  “While there is definite value in these indicators, many signs of recovery cannot be boiled down to pure economics,” said Boston Globe Business Editor Mark Pothier. “The companies on our Top Places to Work list foster productivity and innovation by investing in the happiness of their employees, which cannot solely be measured in dollars and cents.” Said Douglas Bowen, president and CEO of PeoplesBank, “our intent was to establish the values and culture necessary to support a great organization. Over time, we learned that those values and that culture would improve our bottom line and make PeoplesBank a top place to work.” Employee engagement is critical to a high-performance culture, according to Janice Mazzallo, executive vice president and chief human resource officer at PeoplesBank. “Associates become engaged when they know we care about them,” she said. “We want to know their ideas, so we have associate think tanks. We want them to grow, so we have innovative development programs, mentoring, and learning centers. And we want to encourage life-work balance because our values are abou more than just work. We need to have fun, too.” As part of the Top Place to Work award to PeoplesBank, the Boston Globe highlighted two efforts by bank associates. The first, called the Smoothie Patrol, started at an associates’ organized wellness fair and was so well-received that associates decided to take it on the road and make surprise visits to each of the bank’s 17 offices. Xiaolei Hua, an assistant vice president and credit officer at PeoplesBank and Habitat for Humanity volunteer, was interviewed by the Boston Globe regarding the bank’s support of volunteerism. “I know that the bank cares about more than just getting the work done,” Hua told the paper. “They care about me, my family, and the community.”

Polish National Credit Union Donates $15,000 to Westfield Senior Center
WESTFIELD — At a check-presentation ceremony last month, Polish National Credit Union made a $15,000 donation to the capital campaign of Friends of the Westfield Senior Center Inc. The donation was made at the Westfield River Branch of the PNCU by Branch Manager Cynthia Houle to Friends of the Westfield Senior Center’s board of directors. PNCU President and CEO James Kelly commented on the credit union’s commitment to the Westfield community. “Our branch in Westfield is one of our largest and most vibrant locations, and we enjoy being involved in supporting the community in any way we can. The new senior center is going to be a wonderful asset to the community, and PNCU is thrilled to be a part of it.” The donation will be used for furnishings at the new senior center, currently under construction on Noble Street in Westfield. “The Polish National donation will enable us to provide comfortable furniture and accessories for the new senior center that Westfield’s seniors will benefit from for years to come,” said board member Tom Keenan. “Polish National is genuinely concerned about the community and making Westfield a better place to live.” Founded in 1921, Polish National Credit Union is one of the largest credit unions in the Pioneer Valley. Headquartered on Main Street in Chicopee, the credit union operates full-service branches in Chicopee, Granby, Westfield, Southampton, Hampden, and Wilbraham.

Grainger Foundation Supports STCC Foundation
SPRINGFIELD — The Grainger Foundation, an independent, private foundation located in Lake Forest, Ill., has donated $5,000 to the Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Foundation in support of its Foundation Innovation Grant program. “This grant will be used to help us continue to support faculty and staff innovation here at STCC,” said President Ira Rubenzahl. “The Foundation Innovation Grant program helps us to improve excellence in the delivery of academic or student retention services at STCC. We are grateful to the Grainger Foundation for its generosity and in helping us to continue our mission.” In addition to the contribution from the Grainger Foundation, the STCC Foundation will match Grainger’s $5,000 contribution this year. Foundation Innovation Grants are awarded in the spring. “We want to thank the Grainger Foundation for its generous support,” said STCC Foundation President Kevin Sweeney. “With their assistance, the STCC Foundation will continue its commitment to support innovative projects at the college that promote community impact, economic growth, workforce development, and quality of life in our region.” The donation to the STCC Foundation was recommended by John Duffy, market manager of W.W. Grainger Inc.’s Springfield location. Grainger has been a part of the Western Mass. business community for nearly 40 years as the leading broad-line supplier of maintenance, repair, and operating products. “We are proud to recommend the programs offered by STCC,” said Duffy. “We understand the need for active engagement and partnership between our technical education providers, businesses, and the community.” The Grainger Foundation was established in 1949 by William Grainger, founder of W.W. Grainger Inc.

Mercy Hosts Topping-off Event for Cancer Center
SPRINGFIELD — The construction project to expand the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center is on schedule, and a topping-off ceremony was held Nov. 20 to mark the completion of the project’s main structure with the placement of the top steel beam. A topping-off ceremony is a tradition within the construction industry and is held when the highest structural point in the building construction is attained. To celebrate this event, the last steel girder is signed, lifted into place, and welded to the structure. A small evergreen tree and the American flag are also secured to the girder as it is hoisted to the top of the structure. The tree is meant to represent the strength of the new building and the desire for the construction project to remain injury-free. The $15 million expansion of the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center, which will add an additional 26,000 square feet of space on two levels, is designed to provide more comprehensive care delivery and added convenience for patients. In addition to radiation-oncology services, medical-oncology offices, physician offices, and exam rooms will be located on the first floor. Medical-oncology treatment and infusion space, an oncology pharmacy, and laboratory space will be located on the second floor.

PeoplesBank Again Named a “Top Place To Work”

By BusinessWest Staff November 21, 2014

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Recently, The Boston Globe recognized PeoplesBank as a Top Place To Work for the third year in a row. Massachusetts-based companies that are eligible for Top Place To Work consideration undergo a rigorous evaluation by survey firm WorkplaceDynamics. More than 76,000 individuals’ responses were submitted by the companies evaluated regarding six key factors related to employee happiness, company direction, execution, employee connection, work load and responsibility, management, and pay and benefits. “While there is definite value in these indicators, many signs of recovery cannot be boiled down to pure economics,” said Boston Globe Business Editor Mark Pothier. “The companies on our Top Places To Work list foster productivity and innovation by investing in the happiness of their employees, which cannot solely be measured in dollars and cents.” Said Douglas A. Bowen, president and CEO of PeoplesBank, “our intent was to establish the values and culture necessary to support a great organization. Over time, we learned that those values and that culture would improve our bottom line and make PeoplesBank a top place to work.”

Employee engagement is critical to a high-performance culture according to Janice Mazzallo, executive vice president and chief human resource officer at PeoplesBank. “Associates become engaged when they know we care about them,” she said. “We want to know their ideas, so we have associate think tanks. We want them to grow, so we have innovative development programs, mentoring, and learning centers. And we want to encourage life-work balance because our values are more than just about work. We need to have fun, too.” As part of the Top Place To Work award to PeoplesBank, The Boston Globe highlighted two efforts by bank associates. The first, called the Smoothie Patrol, started at an associates’ organized wellness fair and was so well received that associates decided to take it on the road and make surprise visits to each of the bank’s 17 offices. Xiaolei Hua, an assistant vice president and credit officer at PeoplesBank and Habitat for Humanity volunteer, was interviewed by the Boston Globe regarding the bank’s support of volunteerism. “I know that the bank cares about more than just getting the work done. They care about me, my family, and the community, Hua told the paper.

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff June 6, 2022

Company Notebook

bankESB Makes $500,000 Challenge Grant to Cooley Dickinson

EASTHAMPTON — Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced that the bank has made a $500,000 challenge grant to support the Emergency Department at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. The funds will be used to support Transforming Emergency Care: Campaign for the Cooley Dickinson Emergency Department, a $19.76 million expansion, reconfiguration, and renovation effort to allow Cooley Dickinson to meet the ever-evolving emergency medicine needs of all members of the community, from infants to older adults. “Access to quality medical care is something we all count on, and Cooley Dickinson continues to do an amazing job treating our friends, family, and neighbors who live and work in our communities,” said Sosik. “bankESB is pleased to do its part in supporting Cooley Dickinson and its efforts to transform its Emergency Department into one that’s as up-to-date as possible and can unlock its full potential. We hope others will do the same.” According to Cooley Dickinson Hospital, its Emergency Department is 40% undersized to meet the community’s needs and cares for many patients who require critical medical attention. The number of patients visiting the department has doubled — from 17,000 in the 1970s to nearly 34,000 in recent years. Renovations are expected to break ground next spring. Organizations contributing to the Campaign for the Cooley Dickinson Emergency Department can increase the impact of their donations through this matching grant. bankESB will give one dollar for every two dollars donated to the Emergency Department campaign through Dec. 31, up to $500,000.

AIC Partners with STCC with Signing of Articulation Agreement

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) has signed an articulation agreement with Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), formally establishing a close academic relationship between the two-year college and the four-year institution. This accord between American International College and Springfield Technical Community College aligns academic programs that enhance the seamless transition of STCC graduates and qualified candidates from STCC, and promote a smooth, successful transfer to AIC. This articulation agreement offers time and cost savings for students by recognizing the coursework pursued at the community college and demonstrates the ongoing commitment of both AIC and STCC to the community and its students, by ensuring that educational pathways are created for all those who wish to consider a degree in higher education. At AIC, the program is referred to as Direct Connect. Direct Connect transfer students automatically receive a $4,000 scholarship in addition to their earned merit scholarship, before any need-based aid is awarded. This means Direct Connect students can earn up to $18,000 in financial gift aid, not loans, before being evaluated for additional need-based aid. And, unlike some other transfer articulation agreements, the Direct Connect program at AIC allows students to study and major in their area of interest while attending their community college.

Easy Company Brewing Launches in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — Easy Company Brewing recently launched Springfield’s newest brewery Thursday at the Student Prince in downtown Springfield. Easy Company Brewing (ECB) is a veteran-owned business that is committed to donating 100% of its profits to veterans, first responders, and their families. The name and its mission are inspired by the men of Easy Company from WW II, made famous by the book and mini-series Band of Brothers. Following in the footsteps of the men of Easy, ECB is committed to brewing drinkable European style beers with “a little bit of American boldness and edge,” while honoring the men and women who serve or have served our country. All of ECB after-tax profits, will be donated through its companion foundation to a number of charities that do work on behalf our nation’s heroes. Founders Jeff St. Jean and John DeVoie served together in the Air National Guard, and have teamed up to create this new beer brand in the City of Homes. St. Jean is still serving, and DeVoie is one of the co-founders of Hot Table, a Springfield based fast casual restaurant company. ECB beers are currently contract brewed locally in Western Mass., but DeVeVoie and St. Jean hope to build a brewery and tap room in Springfield at some point. Their beers are currently available for sale at Table & Vine in West Springfield. Other retailers will follow this summer.

Two New Woman-owned Businesses Open in Thornes Marketplace

NORTHAMPTON — Two women entrepreneurs with a passion for artistry and design have opened shops in Thornes Marketplace, one offering Bohemian home décor and the other, women’s lingerie and loungewear. Cigdem “Chi” Turkomer, the owner of Le BonNton, originally located on Old South Street, moved into Thornes last June, relocating several times within the building over the past year and recently settling permanently on the second floor. In its fifth year, Le BonNton offers linens, furniture and other décor, which Turkomer also provides for a fee to couples through her wedding design service. On June 10 from 5-8 p.m., Thornes will host a fifth-anniversary celebration for Le BonNton in the shop, with music, local art displays and Turkish Delight sweets prepared by Turkomer.

Ali Ingellis, owner of Ooh La La, opened her boutique on the first floor of the historic shopping center in downtown Northampton in May. The lingerie and loungewear she designs and produces are inspired by history and nature, and she describes her shop as, “Beautiful, unapologetically feminine, intimate — like your best friend’s closet.”

MassMutual Center Sees Positive Economic Impact in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — The MassMutual Center recently collaborated with Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company that measures local economic impact in local markets, to research the economic impact the venue had in Springfield and surrounding markets from July 2018 through June 2019 (FY19). Findings show that the MassMutual Center’s gross economic impact as well as Incremental Impact were significant. Tourism Economics found that in FY19, the MassMutual Center had more than 300,000 total attendees in the arena and convention center events, resulting in a total gross economic impact of $47.1 million, which generated 555 total jobs in the market and contributed $4.4 million in total state and local tax revenues. Of the total event attendees, 147,000 were out-of-town attendees, resulting in a total incremental impact of $34.9 million, which generated 443 total jobs in the market and contributed $3.2 million in total state and local tax revenues. Gross economic and incremental impacts were measured by money spent by the venue in the local economy to sustain operations, including spending on payroll, marketing costs, legal services, and professional services, as well as money spent by event attendees while attending events at the MassMutual Center and at off-site establishments, including local restaurants, hotels, retailers, and recreation/entertainment venues. Gross economic impact shows impact made by all event attendees, while incremental impacts focuses on the out-of-town event attendees.

Florence Bank Celebrates 20th Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program

FLORENCE — Florence Bank celebrated its 20th annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program gala last month, awarding $100,000 to 45 nonprofits across the valley. And at the close of the event, President and CEO Kevin Day drew cheers from the audience of nonprofit leaders, announcing that giving will increase to $125,000. Day’s announcement was the second commemoration of the evening, the first coming as he called for bank and nonprofit staff and leaders to raise a glass to toast the event’s 20th year. “We can’t let that go without celebration,” he said. Florence Bank’s community grants program is an annual offering founded in 2002, and, through it, Florence Bank customers are invited to vote for their favorite local nonprofit in hopes it will receive a share of grant funding. Voting takes place all year long, online at www.florencebank.com/vote and in bank branches, and each customer has only one vote. To qualify for a community grant, organizations must receive at least 50 votes. In 2021, roughly 7,000 votes were cast, making 45 nonprofits eligible for a grant. Over the past 20 years, Florence Bank has tallied more than 141,000 customer votes and given grants to roughly 164 different organizations. At its 20th annual event, held May 19 at Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park, the bank offered awards to 45 nonprofits and celebrated a total of $1.4 million in community giving through this one channel. Six nonprofits received funding for the first time — some in Hampden County, where Florence Bank now has three branches and has established a presence as a good neighbor. Three recipients have accepted an award every year since the program launched. Four organizations received the maximum amount of $5,000 this year: Cancer Connection Inc., Dakin Humane Society, Food Bank of Western Mass., and Friends of Williamsburg Libraries.In addition to the four top vote-getters, these other organizations received an award: Friends of Lilly Library, $4,097; Northampton Survival Center, $3,782; Amherst Survival Center, $3,588; Our Lady of the Hills Parish, $3,564; Friends of Forbes Library, $3,539; Goshen Firefighters Association, $3,370; Friends of Northampton Legion Baseball, $3,224; Easthampton Community Center, $2,909; It Takes a Village, $2,909; Williamsburg Firefighters Association, $2,642; Northampton Neighbors, $2,400; Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School, $2,303; Belchertown Animal Relief Committee, Inc. (BARC), $2,230; Manna Community Kitchen, $2,109; Shriners Hospitals for Children, $1,988; and J.F.K. Middle School PTO. Also, $1,867; Kestrel Land Trust, $1,867; Northampton High School PTO, $1,794; Riverside Industries, Inc., $1,770; R.K. Finn Ryan Road School PTO, $1,648; Cooley Dickinson Hospital, $1,624; Safe Passage, $1,624; Northampton Community Music Center, $1,527; Therapeutic Equestrian Center, $1,527; Amherst Neighbors, $1,503; Friends of M.N. Spear Memorial Library, $1,455; Edward Hopkins Educational Foundation, $1,430; Grow Food Northampton, $1,430; Smith Vocational High School PTO, $1,333; Whole Children, $1,309; Easthampton Elementary Schools PTO, $1,164; Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity, $1,139; Hitchcock Center for the Environment, $1,115; Revitalize CDC, $1,091; The Parish Cupboard, $1,067; Belchertown Police K-9 Unit, $1,042; Cooley Dickinson Hospital VNA & Hospice, $1,042; Historic Northampton, $1,018; Granby Senior Center, $994; Leeds Elementary School PTO, $994; and Ludlow Boys & Girls Club, $970.

Monson Savings Bank Donates Bikes to YWCA of Western Mass.

MONSON — In the spirit of its 150th Anniversary, Monson Savings Bank announced earlier this year that it will be launching its 150 Build-a-Bike campaign. The community bank has purchased more than $20,000 worth of bikes to donate to local children and they have partnered with various non-profits in the area to host Build-a-Bike events throughout the year. Most recently, Monson Savings delivered 10 bikes and 10 helmets to YWCA of Western Mass. Members of the Monson Savings team delivered the bikes that they helped to assemble with Ray Plouffe, owner of Family Bike Shop in East Longmeadow. Many members of the team expressed feelings of gratitude and a sense of fulfillment after building and delivering the bikes. “All of us were very excited to come together for the YWCA Build-a-Bike event. Our team had a great time getting to know the YWCA team and confirming our knowledge about all of the incredible ways they help those in need,” said Dan Moriarty, President and CEO of Monson Savings Bank. “Plus, it was wonderful to deliver the bikes and hear how the YWCA plans to make a safe, designated area for children to enjoy the bikes as they receive support from the organization.” Throughout the summer, Monson Savings Bank will also partner with I Found Light Against All Odds and the Springfield Housing Authority, South End Community Center, and Educare Springfield to host more 150 Build-a-Bike events, continuing to spread happiness to children and families throughout the area. To learn more about Monson Savings Bank’s 150th anniversary, the bank’s historical timeline, and to view a full schedule of events visit www.monsonsavings.bank/anniversary.

Caolo & Bieniek Architects Selected to Design Northfield Emergency Services Facility

CHICOPEE — Caolo & Bieniek Architects (CBA) has been selected, and has begun work, on designing options for a public safety complex to serve the town of Northfield. The CBA design team boasts 60 years of experience working in Western Mass., with extensive knowledge in the construction of public safety complexes, police stations, fire stations, and emergency service facilities. The team will compose a feasibility study assessing program needs and developing Phase 1 – programing and conceptual design. The focus of the study is to explore design options that accommodate the town’s Fire Department, Police Department, and Emergency Medical Services Department. Each department’s current condition is in need of attention and redesign to better enable department members to effectively serve their community.

Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan & Blakesley Provides Financial Gift to Community Legal Aid

SPRINGFIELD — The law firm of Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan & Blakesley recently made a $3,500 donation to support Community Legal Aid of Central and Western Massachusetts.Community Legal Aid Executive Director Jonathan Mannina Esq., in accepting the donation said, “with the firm’s gift, PSRB is helping to pass on the American promise of equal Justice under the law. With Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan & Blakesley’s support, Community Legal Aid will be able to continue to serve some of the most vulnerable members of our community.” “It is critical to us as a firm, that the work of the Community Legal Aid continue,” said Charlie Casartello Jr., Managing Partner at Pellegrini, Seeley Ryan & Blakesley. “For 70 years, they have provided invaluable advocacy for and support to people who otherwise would not be able to afford legal representation in central and western Massachusetts. The impact they make is tremendous and we are proud that we can make a difference in their mission.”

Chelsea Russell

By George O'Brien April 27, 2023

40 Under 40 Class of 2023

Manager/CPA, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; Age 29

Chelsea Russell “There’s never a dull moment.”

That’s not a phrase anyone not in accounting and auditing would probably use to describe that profession. But Chelsea Russell, who has chosen that field, means it when she says it.

“There’s a lot of variety, a lot of excitement — you can do the grind of the work, but you can also go out and meet people in the community and other business owners,” Russell said as she talked about the sum (that’s an industry term) of everything that goes into her career, especially the networking and relationship building, in addition to the number crunching.

Russell was trending toward business management while at Westfield State University, became inspired by one of her accounting professors to focus her career in that direction, and became further inspired by a talk delivered by Jim Krupienski, now a partner at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, on “a day in the life of an accountant.”

She pursued an internship at MBK, one that led — as these opportunities so often do — to a job at the firm. She currently serves as a manager in the Audit and Assurance Department, where she handles large audits in the not-for-profit, commercial, and employment-benefit-plan arenas.

She has become an emerging leader at the firm, serving as co-leader of the Not-for-profit Division, a member of the mission and vision committee, an internal trainer for the Audit and Assurance Department, a member of the Business Development team, and a mentor to audit and accounting associates.

But maybe her most noteworthy contribution at the firm, one she’s passionate about, is her work to develop its Community Outreach program, through which she has established monthly charitable opportunities for the firm to participate in. She has coordinated drives, awareness campaigns, and service for a wide range of organizations in Western Mass., including Square One, Dakin Humane Society, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, the Opera House Players, Friends of the Homeless, Rachel’s Table, and many others.

“It’s become a staple of who we are,” she said of the program. “I always wanted something to make my work more meaningful. I love what I do, and I love my clients … but there was more that we could do with the resources that we have. We’re in Western Mass., and there’s so much need in the community.”

When not working or coordinating support for nonprofits, Russell is engaging in outdoor activities — camping, hiking, kayaking, fishing, and more — with her husband, Tyler, and 8-month-old lab, Copper.

—George O’Brien

Florence Bank Celebrates 20th Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program

By BusinessWest Staff May 26, 2022

Daily News

FLORENCE — Florence Bank celebrated its 20th annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program gala last month, awarding $100,000 to 45 nonprofits across the valley. And at the close of the event, President and CEO Kevin Day drew cheers from the audience of nonprofit leaders, announcing that giving will increase to $125,000.

“Some of you longtime recipients may recall when we began this great program back in 2002, we started by giving away $50,000,” Day said. “Years later we increased to $75,000 and then to $100,000. We’ve decided to increase the total grant amount again — to $125,000 — immediately, for grants to be awarded at next year’s gala.

“My hope is that our customers continue to use this program to provide you with a vote of confidence, as well as some much-needed funding to help you continue your mission to serve the community,” he added. “All of us at Florence Bank truly appreciate everything you do to make our communities better places to live and work.”

Day’s announcement was the second commemoration of the evening, the first coming as he called for bank and nonprofit staff and leaders to raise a glass to toast the event’s 20th year. “We can’t let that go without celebration,” he said. 

Florence Bank’s community grants program is an annual offering founded in 2002, and, through it, Florence Bank customers are invited to vote for their favorite local nonprofit in hopes it will receive a share of grant funding.

Over the past 20 years, Florence Bank has tallied more than 141,000 customer votes and given grants to roughly 164 different organizations.

At its 20th annual event, held May 19 at Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park, the bank offered awards to 45 nonprofits and celebrated a total of $1.4 million in community giving through this one channel.

Six nonprofits received funding for the first time — some in Hampden County, where Florence Bank now has three branches and has established a presence as a good neighbor. Three recipients have accepted an award every year since the program launched. 

Four organizations received the maximum amount of $5,000 this year: Cancer Connection Inc., Dakin Humane Society, Food Bank of Western Mass., and Friends of Williamsburg Libraries.

“The commitment of Florence Bank customers to all of you serving the needs within our community is awesome, and we couldn’t be prouder to be able to support the programs our customers believe in,” Day said. 

Organizations receiving awards range from police, fire, library, and school groups to nonprofits that provide food, shelter or support to people living with a serious illness or disability.

In addition to the four top vote-getters, these other organizations received an award: 

Friends of Lilly Library, $4,097; Northampton Survival Center, $3,782; Amherst Survival Center, $3,588; Our Lady of the Hills Parish, $3,564; Friends of Forbes Library, $3,539; Goshen Firefighters Association, $3,370; Friends of Northampton Legion Baseball, $3,224; Easthampton Community Center, $2,909; It Takes a Village, $2,909; Williamsburg Firefighters Association, $2,642; Northampton Neighbors, $2,400; Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School, $2,303; Belchertown Animal Relief Committee, Inc. (BARC), $2,230; Manna Community Kitchen, $2,109; Shriners Hospitals for Children, $1,988; and J.F.K. Middle School PTO.

Also, $1,867; Kestrel Land Trust, $1,867; Northampton High School PTO, $1,794; Riverside Industries, Inc., $1,770; R.K. Finn Ryan Road School PTO, $1,648; Cooley Dickinson Hospital, $1,624; Safe Passage, $1,624; Northampton Community Music Center, $1,527; Therapeutic Equestrian Center, $1,527; Amherst Neighbors, $1,503; Friends of M.N. Spear Memorial Library, $1,455; Edward Hopkins Educational Foundation, $1,430; Grow Food Northampton, $1,430; Smith Vocational High School PTO, $1,333; Whole Children, $1,309; Easthampton Elementary Schools PTO, $1,164; Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity, $1,139; Hitchcock Center for the Environment, $1,115; Revitalize CDC, $1,091; The Parish Cupboard, $1,067; Belchertown Police K-9 Unit, $1,042; Cooley Dickinson Hospital VNA & Hospice, $1,042; Historic Northampton, $1,018; Granby Senior Center, $994; Leeds Elementary School PTO, $994; and Ludlow Boys & Girls Club, $970.

Real Estate Transactions

By BusinessWest Staff July 7, 2021

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

BERNARDSTON

519 Bald Mountain Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $490,000
Buyer: Jared Lockwood
Seller: Martin D. Powers
Date: 06/09/21

208 Martindale Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Matthew D. Parody
Seller: Eric Vassar
Date: 06/07/21

BUCKLAND

9 Williams St.
Buckland, MA 01338
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Shelburne Falls Studios
Seller: Home Roots Properties Inc.
Date: 06/11/21

CONWAY

75 Pleasant St.
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: John E. Mrykalo
Seller: Isaac Feely
Date: 06/01/21

DEERFIELD

11 Captain Lathrop Dr.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $291,192
Buyer: Maxwell J. Gagnon
Seller: David W. Pike
Date: 06/11/21

5 Cross St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $371,000
Buyer: Jennifer E. Healy
Seller: RPF LLC
Date: 06/03/21

31 Graves St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $435,100
Buyer: Andrew R. Gaylord
Seller: Michael A. Abbate
Date: 06/01/21

46 Mathews Road
Deerfield, MA 01341
Amount: $603,721
Buyer: Taylor G. Williams
Seller: Janice L. Schell
Date: 06/09/21

5 Memorial St.
Deerfield, MA 01342
Amount: $1,100,000
Buyer: Seth Brennan
Seller: Andrew Shilling
Date: 06/09/21

131 North Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Judith Rathbone
Seller: Vera Mark
Date: 06/04/21

ERVING

18 River St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Scott Kuzmeskus
Seller: Pioneer Valley Redevelopment LLC
Date: 06/11/21

GREENFIELD

8 Coombs Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Venture Residential LLC
Seller: James E. Singley
Date: 06/11/21

89 Country Club Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $329,900
Buyer: Michael Sullivan
Seller: Daniel J. Shea
Date: 06/03/21

132 Davis St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: LCS Realty LLC
Seller: Pioneer Valley Redevelopers
Date: 06/01/21

18 East Cleveland St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Bethany Barton
Seller: Veronica R. Burns
Date: 06/07/21

26 Elm St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Abbie Lundberg
Seller: Ethel E. Hutchinson
Date: 06/04/21

217 Main St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Chapman St. Properties LLC
Seller: Singley, Chris E., (Estate)
Date: 06/01/21

64 Munson St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Karen J. Regan
Seller: Karen T. Renaud
Date: 06/04/21

31 Norwood St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Matthew G. Perry
Seller: Gregory A. Eaton
Date: 06/01/21

25 Oak Hill Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Patrick Williams
Seller: Stephen P. Forrest
Date: 06/07/21

177 Shelburne Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: SCF RC Funding 4 LLC
Seller: Ruggeri, Sebastian, (Estate)
Date: 06/02/21

282 Wells St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Thomas Fleming
Seller: Duane Griffin
Date: 06/07/21

73 Wisdom Way
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Craig Ryan
Seller: Kuznik TR
Date: 06/01/21

83 Wisdom Way
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Craig Ryan
Seller: Kuznik TR
Date: 06/01/21

44-A Woodleigh Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Mary B. Jamierson
Date: 06/09/21

44-B Woodleigh Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Mary B. Jamierson
Date: 06/09/21

HEATH

68 Sumner Stetson Road
Heath, MA 01340
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Crystal J. Reardon
Seller: Carmen F. Donelson
Date: 06/02/21

118 Taylor Brook Road
Heath, MA 01346
Amount: $207,500
Buyer: Maureen L. Borg
Seller: Robbin-Marie A. Smart
Date: 06/09/21

LEVERETT

35 Juggler Meadow Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Mill River Renovations LLC
Seller: Hoadley, Barbara L., (Estate)
Date: 06/10/21

25 Laurel Hill Dr.
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $620,000
Buyer: Astrid C. Schween
Seller: Elizabeth S. Spelke
Date: 06/11/21

MONTAGUE

31 Montague Ave.
Montague, MA 01347
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Daniel J. Drumgool
Seller: Mark Bordeaux
Date: 06/02/21

3 Norman Circle
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Daniel G. Dausch
Seller: Eric C. Emond
Date: 06/11/21

3 T St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Adam Larsen
Seller: Jennifer A. Cummings
Date: 06/03/21

NORTHFIELD

54 East St.
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Gloria Funkhouser
Seller: Phyllis H. Whitney
Date: 06/07/21

913 Millers Falls Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $374,900
Buyer: Shane Duclos
Seller: Kelly Brigham-Steiner
Date: 06/10/21

ORANGE

177 Pleasant St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Sarah E. Nolan
Seller: Timothy B. Cohen-Mitchell
Date: 06/04/21

SHUTESBURY

73 Weatherwood Road
Shutesbury, MA 01002
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Peter Everett
Seller: Jane Slater
Date: 06/10/21

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

32 Belvidere Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Maxwell S. Furioni
Seller: Amelia E. Morin
Date: 06/11/21

48 Florida Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $288,000
Buyer: Joshua R. Bragg
Seller: Todd Downie
Date: 06/04/21

64 Greenacre Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Elizabeth A. Jarvis
Seller: Jeffrey A. Blews
Date: 06/11/21

56 Homer St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Kerry Thurlow
Seller: Patrick J. Campbell
Date: 06/04/21

116 Hunters Greene Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $518,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Pavelcsyk
Seller: Nicola A. Liquori
Date: 06/02/21

49 Logan Place
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Pavel Yusenko
Seller: Charles A. Calisti
Date: 06/11/21

1710-1712 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Nigar Yurdanidze
Seller: Barbara A. Spear
Date: 06/09/21

33 Maple Meadows Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $431,000
Buyer: Nelson J. Milano
Seller: Anna T. Mineo
Date: 06/10/21

232 Meadow St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Alycar Investments LLC
Seller: Richard A. Whitney
Date: 06/03/21

692 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $309,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Girroir
Seller: Mary C. Lamson
Date: 06/07/21

94 School St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Manchester Enterprises
Seller: Thomas J. Dobrowolski
Date: 06/04/21

95 Spencer St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Benjamin Goff
Seller: John J. Delucchi
Date: 06/03/21

58 Sunset Ter.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: Adam G. Smith
Seller: Elizabeth Jarvis
Date: 06/10/21

69 Valentine Ter.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Jeremy Libby
Seller: Jeremiah C. Quill Jr RET
Date: 06/03/21

24 Vassar Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Michelle A. Provencher
Seller: Michael Marcus
Date: 06/09/21

BRIMFIELD

34 3rd St.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Jonathan Pope
Seller: Richard A. Lisowski
Date: 06/08/21

CHESTER

78 Maynard Hill Road
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $389,000
Buyer: Jonathan J. Owens
Seller: Adam M. Starr
Date: 06/04/21

CHICOPEE

12 Baptist Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: James T. Hare
Seller: David A. Heroux
Date: 06/04/21

19 Bonner St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Carolynn M. Bird
Seller: Shane K. Duclos
Date: 06/10/21

108 Davenport St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Juan E. Torres
Seller: Rachael W. Piedra
Date: 06/07/21

162 East Main St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Kawrin G. Polanco
Seller: EAD Properties LLC
Date: 06/03/21

11 Eldridge St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Santana Real Estate Inc.
Seller: City Of Chicopee
Date: 06/04/21

110 Fernwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $245,500
Buyer: Kyle A. Martindell
Seller: David M. Brown
Date: 06/11/21

258 Fletcher Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $271,500
Buyer: William E. Olson
Seller: Bolduc, Robert R., (Estate)
Date: 06/04/21

134 Glendale St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Kirk M. James
Seller: James E. Anyon
Date: 06/11/21

69 Grape St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: MTC Finally Realty LLC
Seller: City Of Chicopee
Date: 06/04/21

30 Hawthorn St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $198,494
Buyer: Wilmington Trust
Seller: Richard M. Sladeski
Date: 06/09/21

21 Marble Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Alicia Ladue
Seller: Matthew J. Crowley
Date: 06/02/21

Montcalm St. #30
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Joseph Ricker
Seller: Sean Martin
Date: 06/08/21

207 Montgomery St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $227,000
Buyer: Kyle Laplante
Seller: Sheila A. Pronovost
Date: 06/09/21

3 Morton St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Melissa Hoy
Seller: Denise Bibiloni
Date: 06/01/21

18 Sycamore Lane
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Iris Rosario
Seller: Grandview Development Assocs. LLC
Date: 06/08/21

24 Walton St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $130,500
Buyer: Denise Barberet
Seller: Shauna M. Lougee
Date: 06/07/21

EAST LONGMEADOW

7 Broadleaf Circle #7
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $611,963
Buyer: Mary Ann Spencer RET
Seller: D. R. Chestnut LLC
Date: 06/02/21

51 Donald Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Karen A. Hibbard
Seller: Schoenfeldt, Barbara A., (Estate)
Date: 06/10/21

93 Favorite Lane
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Ernest A. Gralia 3rd RET
Seller: Michael Kane
Date: 06/11/21

Favorite Lane #15
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Kenneth Eagen
Seller: Michael Kane
Date: 06/08/21

Favorite Lane #79
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Kenneth Eagen
Seller: Michael Kane
Date: 06/08/21

5 Michel St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $141,500
Buyer: Nicole Anderson
Seller: Carrington Mortgage Services LLC
Date: 06/04/21

43 Pease Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $410,000
Buyer: Benjamin M. Keating
Seller: Lori Crum
Date: 06/09/21

275 Prospect St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Augustus Z. Rivera
Seller: Joanne Camerotta
Date: 06/11/21

48 Schuyler Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Monica D. O’Hearn
Seller: Felix J. Barros
Date: 06/04/21

HAMPDEN

173 Bennett Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Christina Murphy
Seller: Carroll, Jean E., (Estate)
Date: 06/07/21

45 Erica Circle
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $605,000
Buyer: Douglas A. Gray
Seller: Joshua J. Hastings
Date: 06/01/21

358 South Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $277,500
Buyer: Joy L. Leblanc
Seller: Joseph S. Bonavita
Date: 06/07/21

HOLLAND

30 Leno Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $288,000
Buyer: Scott Sheldon
Seller: Andrew Colon
Date: 06/02/21

5 Overlook Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Korin Watras
Seller: Gerald R. Bourcier
Date: 06/09/21

HOLYOKE

46 Claremont Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Ian C. Waters
Seller: Cathy H. Lay
Date: 06/07/21

35 Evergreen Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Marissa Saia
Seller: Laurel Saia
Date: 06/04/21

2 Francis Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Adrienne M. Hornby
Seller: Mark J. Rodgers
Date: 06/04/21

957 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Jude Prych
Seller: Jude Prych
Date: 06/04/21

11 McLellan Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Evan M. Saia
Seller: Elizabeth M. Robertson
Date: 06/08/21

18 McLellan Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $226,900
Buyer: John F. Sousa
Seller: Meichner, Frederick A., (Estate)
Date: 06/10/21

203 Michigan Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $261,200
Buyer: Mary Webster
Seller: Amanda J. Nugent
Date: 06/02/21

1471 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Ryan A. Tierney
Seller: Stiebel Properties Inc.
Date: 06/09/21

3-5 O’Connor Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $142,000
Buyer: Marsha Qian
Seller: Josue Andujar
Date: 06/09/21

15-17 Oakwood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Jeffrey L. Damico
Seller: David T. Lizotte
Date: 06/04/21

44 Portland St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Lopez
Seller: Maritza Perez
Date: 06/01/21

308 Rock Valley Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Daniel W. Sullivan
Seller: Miguel A. Ortiz
Date: 06/02/21

226-230 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $387,850
Buyer: NG Estates LLC
Seller: 228 Sargeant Street LLC
Date: 06/08/21

131-133 Waldo St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Francis M. Reyes
Seller: London Realty LLC
Date: 06/07/21

LONGMEADOW

112 Barbara Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $355,000
Buyer: Humberto Bocanegra-Evans
Seller: Carole A. Gloth
Date: 06/09/21

107 Barrington Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Patricia D. Smith
Seller: Janet L. Dipietro
Date: 06/11/21

146 Brooks Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Michelle Grodsky
Seller: Joanne Freedman
Date: 06/07/21

76 Duxbury Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $421,000
Buyer: Colin S. Cooper
Seller: Joshua Cooper
Date: 06/08/21

976 Frank Smith Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $397,188
Buyer: Cara Roberge
Seller: Louise C. Dean
Date: 06/11/21

161 Lawnwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Kevin J. Zabawa
Seller: Timothy D. Connelly
Date: 06/07/21

35 Lawrence Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Grace E. Kim
Seller: Young K. Kim
Date: 06/08/21

54 Longfellow Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: David A. Lenn
Seller: Pamela S. Sullivan
Date: 06/02/21

201 Longmeadow St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $326,500
Buyer: Rachel Mertz-Hart
Seller: Gaurav Narula
Date: 06/01/21

85 Lynnwood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Majid Mehmood
Seller: Perell, Ronald E., (Estate)
Date: 06/04/21

5 Pinelawn Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Ross A. Henke
Seller: Julian R. Ortiz
Date: 06/11/21

53 Sylvan Place
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $349,000
Buyer: Emily A. Anderson
Seller: Ellen E. Boyle
Date: 06/03/21

227 Wimbleton Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $357,000
Buyer: Hanife Yildiz
Seller: Reid, Joy B., (Estate)
Date: 06/09/21

322 Wolf Swamp Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Matthew F. Duggan
Seller: Anzhela Savonina
Date: 06/07/21

LUDLOW

Autumn Ridge Road #54
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $134,900
Buyer: Tiago A. Boacas-Martins
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 06/10/21

66 Edison Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Michelle Mayou
Seller: William Dupre
Date: 06/02/21

15 Elm St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $182,400
Buyer: Tracy L. Snow
Seller: Maria L. Casimiro
Date: 06/10/21

161 Lakeview Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $199,000
Buyer: Celia L. Larouco
Seller: Jose C. Larouco
Date: 06/02/21

229 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Hillside Valley LLC
Seller: Mountain View MHC LLC
Date: 06/03/21

18 Orchard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Nicole Cote
Seller: Cristina, Louis A., (Estate)
Date: 06/09/21

30 Southwood Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: Kaitlin M. Tronnes
Seller: Paulo L. Roxo
Date: 06/08/21

Turning Leaf Road #20
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Philip A. Brousseau
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 06/04/21

287 West St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $313,000
Buyer: William Chiarello
Seller: GJL RNL NT
Date: 06/09/21

110 West Akard St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: Lori Hanson
Seller: George P. Barroso
Date: 06/04/21

377 Woodland Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $455,000
Buyer: Monika M. Konopko
Seller: Hans D. Holsten
Date: 06/01/21

MONSON

Hovey Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Monson Conservation Commission
Seller: Booker, Jean, (Estate)
Date: 06/11/21

29 Lakeshore Dr.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Kim M. Canuel
Seller: Kevin R. Lamy
Date: 06/02/21

183 Palmer Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: John D. Holdcraft
Seller: FNMA
Date: 06/09/21

PALMER

11 Brown St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Stephanie M. Caruso
Seller: Kevin A. Gouvin
Date: 06/11/21

19 Cedar St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $163,000
Buyer: Erudite RT
Seller: William J. Waterman
Date: 06/09/21

48 Laurel Road
Palmer, MA 01095
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Benoit
Seller: Marianne Germain RET
Date: 06/04/21

1701 Park St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: RZM Productions Inc.
Seller: Russell G. Baker
Date: 06/09/21

26 South St.
Palmer, MA 01080
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Marc P. Graveline
Seller: Wayne S. Schofield
Date: 06/01/21

RUSSELL

71 Cedar Ter.
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $161,000
Buyer: Kelvin J. Mast
Seller: Gary F. Cranson
Date: 06/10/21

SPRINGFIELD

415 Abbott St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Darren G. Owens
Seller: David W. Kratt
Date: 06/11/21

57 Acushnet Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Timothy S. Burnes
Seller: Alfonsina Liguori
Date: 06/02/21

123 Alden St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Jose E. Pena
Seller: R. M. Blerman LLC
Date: 06/11/21

725 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $231,500
Buyer: Angela L. Dieni
Seller: Andrea M. Derose
Date: 06/07/21

69 Alwin Place
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Tasmia Iqrar
Seller: Hamid Hussain
Date: 06/01/21

3-5 Angelo St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $243,000
Buyer: Edwin Alvarado
Seller: Marcus Cardoza
Date: 06/07/21

12 Angelo St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $254,000
Buyer: Shalamar Williams
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 06/01/21

140-142 Bay St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Jackeline D. Paneto
Seller: Julio C. Vasquez
Date: 06/11/21

23 Bog Hollow Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Alfredo Lopes
Seller: H. P. Rum LLC
Date: 06/08/21

126 Bulat Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $239,000
Buyer: Eric Rodriguez
Seller: Julie M. Lavallee
Date: 06/08/21

15 Burnside Ter.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $205,850
Buyer: Renan Rodriguez
Seller: Robert J. Schroeter
Date: 06/04/21

941 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Angel M. Sanchez
Seller: Hector L. Rivera
Date: 06/11/21

204 Carol Ann St.
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $315,500
Buyer: Carmen Y. Rosario
Seller: Paul A. Levesque
Date: 06/01/21

132-134 Carver St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $261,560
Buyer: Evan Fernandes
Seller: Aimee J. Walczak
Date: 06/10/21

37-39 Clantoy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $304,000
Buyer: E. Tiburcio-Cabrera
Seller: William Younes
Date: 06/08/21

17-19 Coomes St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Malyun Ali
Seller: Nadia Foureau
Date: 06/04/21

138-140 Daviston St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $248,000
Buyer: Josefa Aguasvivas
Seller: Christina Albano
Date: 06/02/21

266 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Andrew Russo
Seller: Laura V. Russo
Date: 06/02/21

77-79 East Alvord St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Meonos Properties LLC
Seller: Michael J. Perez
Date: 06/01/21

134 Eddywood St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $229,900
Buyer: Marjorie Sheridan
Seller: Susan C. Foley
Date: 06/02/21

32 Elaine Circle
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $418,000
Buyer: Liliberth Martinez
Seller: Erich S. Driscoll
Date: 06/02/21

94 Fenimore Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Collin Mcquade
Seller: Arlene Iraola
Date: 06/04/21

89 Firglade Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: Brital 1987 LLC
Seller: Linda Evans
Date: 06/10/21

290 Gilbert Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Duane Griffin
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 06/07/21

313 Gilbert Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Matthew R. Olschefski
Seller: Bretta Construction LLC
Date: 06/04/21

35 Glendell Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Jeremias A. Brito
Seller: Sandra I. Velez
Date: 06/01/21

37 Greenleaf St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Jeffrey S. Stiles
Seller: Thomas E. Noel
Date: 06/11/21

43 Griffin St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Anthony Avilez
Seller: Richard J. O’Connor
Date: 06/07/21

49 Ionia St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Dine Fahrou-Amadou
Seller: Amneris L. Figueroa
Date: 06/04/21

74 Irvington St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: Shakara A. Brown
Seller: Campagnari Construction LLC
Date: 06/07/21

200 Island Pond Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $234,000
Buyer: Zi-Lani Shiver
Seller: Miranda McCarthy
Date: 06/10/21

39 James St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Ana Castro
Seller: Greater Springfield Habitat
Date: 06/01/21

28 Kazbeck St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: John L. Bortolussi
Seller: Louis R. Bortolussi
Date: 06/04/21

54 Keith St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $234,900
Buyer: Lashawna M. Lewis
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 06/09/21

28 Kenwood Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Jarritt Sheel
Seller: Sunshine Homes LLC
Date: 06/11/21

77 Laurence St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Rudi D. Ruiz-Moreno
Seller: Nelson J. Milano
Date: 06/10/21

30 Lester St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $185,900
Buyer: Keisha Binns
Seller: Trifera LLC
Date: 06/11/21

731 Liberty St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Muhammad Saleem
Seller: Boris Altman
Date: 06/03/21

75 Lyons St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $277,000
Buyer: Joshua Alicea
Seller: C. M. Fernandez-Garcia
Date: 06/09/21

433 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Daniel R. Alpiarca
Seller: John M. Fernandes
Date: 06/03/21

155 Mayflower Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Nicole E. Bondellio
Seller: Peter J. Avdoulos
Date: 06/02/21

88-90 Melville St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Elvis Germoso
Seller: Eric Cassidy
Date: 06/11/21

272 Mill St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Mtabele Mwandja
Seller: Kenneth S. Constanza
Date: 06/04/21

108 Monrovia St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Alba N. Rodriguez
Seller: Daniel Caraballo
Date: 06/01/21

171 Newhouse St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: James Cordero
Seller: Kevin V. Palaia
Date: 06/07/21

220 Nottingham St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Marisol Puente
Seller: Christina E. Ramirez
Date: 06/10/21

420 Nottingham St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Nelson Melendez
Seller: Theresa A. Wentz
Date: 06/01/21

115 Oak Hollow Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $325,500
Buyer: Michael Dushman
Seller: Michael Stabilo
Date: 06/04/21

85 Old Farm Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Mirza M. Delgado
Seller: Shirley L. Rodriguez
Date: 06/11/21

46 Pheasant Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $324,556
Buyer: Jafet D. Martinez
Seller: Craig A. Savoie
Date: 06/11/21

Pheland St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Iris L. Jenkins
Seller: Lashanda L. Dennis
Date: 06/04/21

11-13 Phoenix St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Mian Z. Saleem
Seller: Mustafa Rasheed
Date: 06/11/21

43 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: William Raleigh
Seller: Patricia R. Santamaria
Date: 06/08/21

231 Pondview Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $346,000
Buyer: Meghan L. Gaul
Seller: Leemarie Sanchez
Date: 06/04/21

21 Puritan Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $291,000
Buyer: Daniel A. Atkins
Seller: Donohue, Paula, (Estate)
Date: 06/11/21

3-5 Radner St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Maria Lizardi
Seller: Kevin J. Wedemeyer
Date: 06/08/21

31 Ravenwood St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Marilee E. Boothe
Seller: Yordy L. Santos
Date: 06/04/21

701 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $314,000
Buyer: Kevin C. Charlton
Seller: Lizbeth Rivera
Date: 06/10/21

38 Rutledge Ave.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Heung W. Poon
Seller: Extremely Clean 2 LLC
Date: 06/04/21

171 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $284,999
Buyer: Coralys Santiago
Seller: JJJ 17 LLC
Date: 06/03/21

341 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $295,800
Buyer: Aweis A. Hussein
Seller: Jose R. Martinez
Date: 06/07/21

860 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Luis M. Laiz-Morales
Seller: Lisa A. Lavigne
Date: 06/04/21

33 Schley St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Catherine Reynolds
Seller: Lance M. Bedford
Date: 06/04/21

50 Seneca St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Jose A. Cartagena-Colon
Seller: John M. Gawlik
Date: 06/04/21

42 Spruceland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $346,000
Buyer: Lance M. Bedford
Seller: Paul A. Weir
Date: 06/04/21

237 Stapleton Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Amanda Gureckis
Seller: Benjamin M. Pieciak
Date: 06/02/21

799 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Brandi M. Jackson
Seller: Jimmy E. Chang
Date: 06/04/21

415 Tiffany St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Arcange Gonzalez-Bonilla
Seller: Opus Durum LLC
Date: 06/08/21

202 Tyler St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Gilbert Baguma
Seller: Wei Q. Ni
Date: 06/03/21

613 Union St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Anaida Ovalles
Seller: Chad Lynch
Date: 06/09/21

186-188 Westford Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $217,000
Buyer: Yanjie Wang
Seller: Tyrone L. Jackson
Date: 06/09/21

586-588 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Finly Turnier
Seller: Catherine M. Chavez
Date: 06/04/21

201 Windemere St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Lexter A. Santiago-Ofray
Seller: Crystal L. Roy
Date: 06/04/21

1015 Worcester St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Eddy Robles
Seller: Daniel Burgos
Date: 06/10/21

SOUTHWICK

41 Bungalow St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Marcus Trinchini
Seller: Robert Bosco
Date: 06/07/21

15 Gillette Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: James Love
Seller: Gayle A. Franklin
Date: 06/10/21

356 Granville Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Ashley Lapointe
Seller: Ryan F. Henderson
Date: 06/04/21

22 Laurel Ridge Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Erin M. Johnson
Seller: Scott R. Brammell
Date: 06/04/21

73 North Lake Ave.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Lara Clarke
Seller: Cody Baron
Date: 06/08/21

355 North Loomis St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $201,000
Buyer: Kierstin Knightly
Seller: Kellogg Brothers Inc.
Date: 06/07/21

WALES

93 Main St.
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Jacqueline A. Sauliner
Seller: Carolyn Suchenicz
Date: 06/03/21

WEST SPRINGFIELD

430 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Thomas J. Stark
Seller: Thomas R. Stark
Date: 06/11/21

174 Bosworth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Eugene Ostrovskiy
Seller: Myrna E. Osowski
Date: 06/11/21

53 Burford Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: 3D Home Improvement LLC
Seller: Thomas J. Alouise
Date: 06/10/21

60 Churchill Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Kyle Douglas
Seller: Adam L. Dasso
Date: 06/02/21

154 City View Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $362,000
Buyer: Alla Bashinskiy
Seller: James M. Karalekis
Date: 06/02/21

19 Colton Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Sandra I. Velez
Seller: Semen Shapovalov
Date: 06/01/21

56 Exposition Ter.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Revitalized Renovations
Seller: Expo Realty LLC
Date: 06/03/21

66 Exposition Ter.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Revitalized Renovations
Seller: Expo Realty LLC
Date: 06/03/21

70 Garden St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: Nicholas Ottoson
Seller: Round 2 LLC
Date: 06/01/21

15 Hemlock St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Mass Housing LLC
Seller: Rostislav Peshko
Date: 06/07/21

27 Larchwood St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Stephanie Condino
Seller: Marie C. Finnerty
Date: 06/11/21

44 Lewis Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $257,000
Buyer: Ganga Tamang
Seller: David Demers
Date: 06/10/21

30 Massasoit Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: La Iglesia Rescatando
Seller: Holy Ghost Temple Church
Date: 06/03/21

15 Moseley Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Mircha Karcha
Seller: Joseph T. Alouise
Date: 06/10/21

Niles St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: La Iglesia Rescatando
Seller: Holy Ghost Temple Church
Date: 06/03/21

2107 Riverdale St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $610,000
Buyer: Richard Stewart Holdings LLC
Seller: 2119 Riverdale LLP
Date: 06/03/21

18 Wilbert Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Baril
Seller: Kyle M. Douglas
Date: 06/02/21

244 Woodmont St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Shibu Koruthu-Varghese
Seller: James S. Krupa
Date: 06/08/21

WESTFIELD

188 Apple Blossom Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Felicia M. Crowley
Seller: Jeffrey Keating
Date: 06/03/21

61 Carroll Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Philip A. Barry
Seller: Judith F. Farr
Date: 06/08/21

2 Collins St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Richard I. Ayala
Seller: Chad W. Hedges
Date: 06/10/21

44 Crown St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Cristia Montero-Saeteros
Seller: Heather M. Lufkin
Date: 06/08/21

47 Dartmouth St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Erin K. Hall
Seller: Nancy A. Mosher
Date: 06/01/21

336 Elm St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Markam LLC
Seller: V&A Realty LLC
Date: 06/04/21

19 Fairview St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $219,000
Buyer: Flutura Doko
Seller: Marie L. Brodowski
Date: 06/04/21

6 Foss St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Vitalii Kucherenko
Seller: Jacqueline S. Schwaber
Date: 06/04/21

11 Gloria Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $577,000
Buyer: Jacob A. Carmody
Seller: Michael C. Cousins
Date: 06/11/21

512 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Colin C. Green
Seller: Bruce A. Stone
Date: 06/02/21

25 Mockingbird Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Johnathan P. Imbriglio
Seller: Ronald P. Jurczyk
Date: 06/09/21

465 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $488,000
Buyer: Xiaoli Li
Seller: Pavel N. Gorobinskiy
Date: 06/03/21

841 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Susan J. Turrini RET
Seller: Wolf D. Herzog
Date: 06/01/21

7 Oak St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $251,000
Buyer: Westlee Cardenales
Seller: James L. Love
Date: 06/10/21

948-A Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Lauren M. Denney
Seller: Angelo Imbriglio
Date: 06/04/21

948-B Russell Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Lauren M. Denney
Seller: Angelo Imbriglio
Date: 06/04/21

23 Russellville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $339,900
Buyer: Ana Sirbu
Seller: Thomas E. Hoffman
Date: 06/10/21

10 Spartan Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Paul Tsvor
Seller: US Bank
Date: 06/03/21

317 Union St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Mr. Whipys Golf Acres LLC
Seller: Mann No Enterprises LLC
Date: 06/04/21

107 Woodcliff Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Casey E. Penn
Seller: Kathleen H. Potter
Date: 06/01/21

WILBRAHAM

10 Arbor Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Jordan Montoya
Seller: James H. Bugbee
Date: 06/03/21

3 Horseshoe Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: ZF 2021-1 LLC
Seller: Richard A. Stone
Date: 06/04/21

17 Hunting Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Mavis
Seller: SZF Properties LLC
Date: 06/11/21

1 Lance Lane
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Emma Reed-Collins
Seller: William Lee
Date: 06/09/21

12 McIntosh Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Jason L. Sutter
Seller: Tina M. Fiore
Date: 06/04/21

15 Mountainview St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Catherine Dyjak
Seller: Arslanian, Judith A., (Estate)
Date: 06/04/21

13 Pine Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Tai V. Nguyen
Seller: Carol A. Ligarski
Date: 06/02/21

7 Red Gap Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $670,000
Buyer: Jessica E. Posco
Seller: Scott Kertenis
Date: 06/04/21

28 Shirley St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Reaap FT
Seller: Jason J. Godin
Date: 06/08/21

444 Springfield St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Jack P. Griguoli
Seller: John Secora
Date: 06/02/21

870 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $336,000
Buyer: Gabriel Anderson
Seller: Jack McIntyre
Date: 06/01/21

29 Wright Place
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Tia M. Chevalier
Seller: Michael J. Trimboli
Date: 06/01/21

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

239 Aubinwood Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Anthony J. Willmer
Seller: Alan E. Harchik
Date: 06/04/21

34 Baker St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Michael R. Chunyk
Seller: Kelly J. Light
Date: 06/04/21

35 Butterfield Ter.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: John W. Kinchla
Seller: Ting FT
Date: 06/01/21

429 Henry St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $679,900
Buyer: Victoria Risk
Seller: Jon P. Foster
Date: 06/04/21

16 Hitching Post Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Sarah R. Fitzgerald
Seller: Anne-Marie E. Sheerman
Date: 06/01/21

111 Lindenridge Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $784,000
Buyer: Kelley J. Sung-Scarmeas
Seller: Bercume Construction LLC
Date: 06/01/21

375 Potwine Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $495,000
Buyer: Maximilian Safarpour
Seller: Ronald W. Keith
Date: 06/08/21

20 Sheerman Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $591,000
Buyer: Thomas W. Kornack
Seller: Jean A. Schwartz
Date: 06/10/21

21 Sunrise Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Dickinson Street LLC
Seller: Richard J. McKeown
Date: 06/02/21

245 West St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Good View LLC
Seller: Christopher L. Monteiro
Date: 06/01/21

12 White Pine Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $688,400
Buyer: Christopher P. Misra
Seller: Atimuktak K. Jain
Date: 06/11/21

BELCHERTOWN

39 Autumn Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $379,000
Buyer: Austin J. McDonald
Seller: David H. Damours
Date: 06/07/21

28 Bardwell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $627,000
Buyer: Mary-Knight B. Young
Seller: Jose A. Flores
Date: 06/11/21

227 Bay Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Maria Pereira-McCullah
Seller: Charles A. Blandford
Date: 06/10/21

34 Emily Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $505,000
Buyer: Grigory Yanovsky
Seller: Heather L. St.Germaine
Date: 06/01/21

38 Hickory Hill
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Marcia M. Martel
Seller: Heidi L. Bonafini
Date: 06/11/21

80 Jackson St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Laura Madden
Seller: Alison Waterbury-Bates
Date: 06/01/21

60 Magnolia Lane
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $447,400
Buyer: William H. Brush
Seller: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction Inc.
Date: 06/10/21

120 Mountain View Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Andrew M. Rachlin
Seller: E. C. Wright Funding TR
Date: 06/09/21

159 Munsell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $405,500
Buyer: Michael Burke
Seller: Lisa E. Zepke
Date: 06/09/21

200 Oakridge Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Renata Dudek
Seller: Eileen F. Farrington
Date: 06/04/21

35 Oasis Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $659,900
Buyer: John E. Nelson
Seller: Christopher M. Ronkese
Date: 06/04/21

224 South St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: David Damours
Seller: Robert E. Wojtczak
Date: 06/07/21

360 Stebbins St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Armida R. Fruzzetti
Seller: Hudson S. Allen
Date: 06/03/21

Sycamore Circle #CN
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Seller: Hickory Hills Realty LLC
Date: 06/04/21

Sycamore Circle #CT
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Seller: Hickory Hills Realty LLC
Date: 06/04/21

Sycamore Circle #CV
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: J. N. Duquette & Son Construction
Seller: Hickory Hills Realty LLC
Date: 06/04/21

CHESTERFIELD

113 Indian Hollow Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Lauren Rosa
Seller: Laine W. Wilder
Date: 06/04/21

Willicutt Road
Chesterfield, MA 01012
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Christopher Greenwood
Seller: Thomas E. Dawson-Greene
Date: 06/04/21

EASTHAMPTON

23 East Maple St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Leah Morton
Seller: Ralph R. Morton
Date: 06/03/21

134 Holyoke St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $139,264
Buyer: Holly R. Klin
Seller: Klin, Edmund J., (Estate)
Date: 06/02/21

55-63 Union St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $1,400,000
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: Stawarz RT
Date: 06/09/21

69 Union St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $1,400,000
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: Stawarz RT
Date: 06/09/21

4 Warren Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $312,600
Buyer: Christopher R. Conz
Seller: Hurley, Mary C., (Estate)
Date: 06/10/21

GOSHEN

206 South Chesterfield Road
Goshen, MA 01096
Amount: $347,000
Buyer: Pine Island Lake Investment LLC
Seller: Christine S. Sass
Date: 06/11/21

GRANBY

67 East St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: Kinga S. Legowski
Seller: Premier Home Builders Inc.
Date: 06/02/21

97 East St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Sarah A. Baki
Seller: Derek Swistak
Date: 06/01/21

School St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Matthew J. Walker
Seller: E. C. Shyloski & Sons Inc.
Date: 06/09/21

188 Taylor St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Erin Traniello
Seller: Wendy Garnett
Date: 06/02/21

HADLEY

1 Crestview Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $432,000
Buyer: Chad W. Brown
Seller: James R. Cadenhead
Date: 06/01/21

121 East St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $263,900
Buyer: Matthew J. Pfannenstiel
Seller: Christina J. Olson
Date: 06/04/21

234 River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: North Hadley Property LLC
Seller: Donald J. Pipczynski
Date: 06/07/21

29 Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $649,000
Buyer: Ann P. Hudson
Seller: David S. Haddock
Date: 06/10/21

7 West St.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $414,415
Buyer: Irene Costello
Seller: J. T. & Adele J. Westort LT
Date: 06/01/21

HATFIELD

18 Pleasant View Dr.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Josephine Hernandez
Seller: Sarah D. Jordan
Date: 06/10/21

NORTHAMPTON

Audubon Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Paul & Joanne Kelliher FT
Seller: Alexander RT
Date: 06/08/21

24 Audubon Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $419,000
Buyer: Clara A. McCoy
Seller: Alix L. Olson
Date: 06/10/21

46 Avis Circle
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $615,000
Buyer: Yezan S. Alayan
Seller: Susan M. Maguire
Date: 06/09/21

5 Crescent St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: John T. Geryk
Seller: Timothy O. Martyn
Date: 06/10/21

34 Day Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Day Avenue Properties LLC
Seller: Gary F. Bivona
Date: 06/01/21

345 Elm St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $847,000
Buyer: Thomas E. Powell
Seller: Kimberly A. Mahoney LT
Date: 06/04/21

64 Hatfield St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Kirstin Dand
Seller: Nelly Carmona
Date: 06/04/21

40 Ice Pond Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $561,000
Buyer: Mariyana Zapryanova
Seller: Jennifer A. Jurcsak
Date: 06/07/21

45 Lyman Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Jane Gish
Seller: Kotker FT
Date: 06/01/21

67 Milton St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $455,200
Buyer: Leigh E. Figueroa-Starr
Seller: William Hannigan
Date: 06/01/21

North King St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $900,000
Buyer: Green Delta Holding LLC
Seller: Damon Lane LLC
Date: 06/10/21

89 Oak St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $561,671
Buyer: Hanna Leibl
Seller: John T. Geryk
Date: 06/03/21

193 Prospect St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Joeli Hettler
Seller: Noa Milman
Date: 06/07/21

274 Prospect St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Nada Kawar
Seller: Patrick A. Fleming
Date: 06/04/21

147 Riverside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: David Lane
Seller: Susan Demaria
Date: 06/09/21

603 Spring St.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $552,815
Buyer: Caren Lipkin-Rifkin
Seller: Gregory J. Wales
Date: 06/11/21

377 Sylvester Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: James J. Mahoney
Seller: Melissa Seymour
Date: 06/11/21

8 Warner St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $560,000
Buyer: John Moran
Seller: Nu-Way Homes Inc.
Date: 06/11/21

22 Whittier St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $720,000
Buyer: Jesse Schreiber-Lambert
Seller: Michael A. Stamm
Date: 06/08/21

PELHAM

Buffam Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Harry Brakeley
Seller: Ezbicki, Virginia A., (Estate)
Date: 06/02/21

12 Shutesbury Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Jennifer M. Weaver
Seller: Thomas C. Crossman
Date: 06/01/21

SOUTH HADLEY

16 Bardwell St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: NRB Property LLC
Seller: Daniel F. Muldoon
Date: 06/09/21

33 Boynton Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Voula O’Grady
Seller: Lauren E. O’bregon
Date: 06/02/21

8 Elm St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Lindsey S. Watson
Seller: Rodrigue, Pierrette M., (Estate)
Date: 06/10/21

98 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $374,000
Buyer: Greta Currie
Seller: David W. Bernier
Date: 06/04/21

11 Hadley St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $535,000
Buyer: Hadley Street LLC
Seller: John R. Rigalis
Date: 06/02/21

45-47 High St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Elizabeth A. Montemagni
Seller: Carolanne Bright
Date: 06/08/21

135 North Main St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Crystal L. Roy
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 06/08/21

22 Ridge Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Kimberly Cook
Seller: Raymond G. Simon
Date: 06/01/21

26 San Souci Dr.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Laurel Francke
Seller: E. F. Damours TR
Date: 06/03/21

14 Summit St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $279,800
Buyer: Jennifer G. Stasinos
Seller: Emily K. Sorbi
Date: 06/03/21

3 Sunrise Circle
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $621,000
Buyer: Harvey Ashman
Seller: Kristina E. Manniello
Date: 06/01/21

30 Susan Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Joseph Ricker
Seller: Sean Martin
Date: 06/08/21

SOUTHAMPTON

10 Gunn Road Ext
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Joseph J. Houle
Seller: Jonathan M. Levin
Date: 06/04/21

WARE

14 Church St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Brian C. Perez
Seller: Jonathan D. Meyer
Date: 06/02/21

13 North St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: 13 North LLC
Seller: Joel J. Harder
Date: 06/02/21

WORTHINGTON

479 Old North Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $427,900
Buyer: Boris A. Samarov
Seller: Justin A. Barton
Date: 06/03/21

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff May 25, 2022

Company Notebook

Monson Savings Bank Elects New Corporators

MONSON — Monson Savings Bank announced the election of five new corporators. At the bank’s recent annual meeting, it was announced that Nikki Burnett, Cesar Ruiz, John Zienowicz, Ciara Speller, and Christian D’Amour had been elected by existing corporators. Burnett is the executive director of Educare Springfield. She also sits on national committees for the Educare Learning Network, such as the Educare Policy Work Group, the Collaborative Fundraising Advisory Board, and the Red Nose Day Advisory Board. Additionally, she is a trustee for the Community Foundation of Western Mass., and serves on the Distribution Committee as co‐chair; the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion subcommittee; and the Executive Committee. She is also a member of the Baystate Community Benefits Advisory Council. Ruiz is the founder, president and CEO of Golden Years Home Services. He was the first Hispanic popularly elected official in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, serving on the Springfield School Committee from 1980-1986. Prior to founding Golden Years, he worked in banking at Region’s Bank. He was recently recognized as one of business’s most influential Latinos by Hispanic Executive magazine. Zienowicz is the executive director of the Ware Council on Aging. Furthermore, he sits on the board of directors for the Quaboag Hills Community Coalition, the Ware Cable Access Television, and the Advisory Board for BHN Carson Center. He is a member of the Bay State Eastern Region Community Benefits Advisory Board, the Quaboag Region Coordinating Council, and the Quaboag Hills Substance Use Alliance. Speller is a weeknight news anchor for Channel 22 WWLP. She serves as a board member for local nonprofit I Found Light Against All Odds, is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, volunteers for the Miss Western Massachusetts Scholarship Assoc., and is a panelist for Girls Inc. of the Valley. Additionally, she was the recipient of the “Leadership in Broadcasting Award” from Bay Path University in 2019 and a 2021 Boston/New England Regional Emmy Winner. D’Amour is the director of E-Commerce at Big Y World Class Market and a third-generation member of Big Y Foods’ founding D’Amour family. Prior to working at Big Y, he worked at Delta Dental of Rhode Island as a sales and marketing representative. Additionally, he holds a B.A. from Saint Michael College.

HNE Offers $100,000 in Grants for DEIB in Maternal/Infant Health

SPRINGFIELD — Health New England is offering $100,000 in grants for non-profit organizations that address inequities to improve maternal and infant health. The company’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) grants will award up to $10,000 per organization. The DEIB grants will fund non-profits whose programs address health equity and focus on engaging at least one social determinant of health (SDOH). SDOHs are conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that affect health, quality of life, and life expectancy. These may include socioeconomic status, food insecurity, education, access to health care, safe housing, discrimination, violence, and trauma, etc. Registered 501(c)(3) non-profits focused on communities in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties are eligible. Eligible organizations can find out more and apply for the grant here. Submissions are due by midnight on May 30.

Mercy Medical Center Earns Fourth Consecutive ‘A’ Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

SPRINGFIELD — Mercy Medical Center has received an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2022. This national distinction recognizes Mercy Medical Center’s achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error in the hospital. This latest recognition marks Mercy’s fourth consecutive “A” safety grade. The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over thirty national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harms to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

Lee Bank Foundation Distributes $83,750 in First Grant Funding Round of 2022

LEE — Lee Bank Foundation has awarded $83,750 to 12 Berkshire area organizations and an additional grant to Pittsfield Public Schools in its first-round of 2022 community funding. Recipients were awarded grants ranging from $1,000 to $16,000 to support their local programming. Included in the awards are a series of Arts Access Grants for arts and culture organizations to expand access to programming for underserved audiences.

The following organizations received funding:

• Berkshire Center for Justice;
• Berkshire Community Diaper Project;
• Berkshire Concert Choir;
• Berkshire County Arc;
• Berkshire Historical Society;
• Berkshire Family YMCA;
• Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity;
• Community Access to the Arts;
• Great Barrington Public Theater;
• Greenagers;
• Roots Rising; and
• The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

Arts Access Grants of $1,000 each were awarded to Berkshire Concert Choir, Berkshire Historical Society, and Great Barrington Public Theater. Additionally, Lee Bank Foundation announced a $16,000 grant to the Pittsfield Public Schools — $1,000 for each school serving children and adults in Pittsfield, to coincide with the groundbreaking of the new Lee Bank branch on South Street. The deadline for the next round of 2022 Foundation funding is June 1. The application and more information can be found on the Community Impact section of Lee Bank’s website (https://www.leebank.com/community-impact/donations-sponsorships.html). To be considered for grant awards, applicants must be a (501)(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Foundation is focused on funding programs that work to bridge income and opportunity gaps in our region. Funding requests should reflect one or more of Lee Bank Foundation’s primary focus areas: education and literacy; food security and nutrition; economic growth and development; health and human services; mentorship, internship and “school to work” initiatives; and arts and culture

Marriott Brand Restored on Downtown Springfield Hotel

SPRINGFIELD — The Marriott brand has been restored to a downtown Springfield hotel in preparation for a planned September opening. The Marriott ‘M’ logo was attached to the Tower Square Hotel recently, a milestone in a nearly four-year-long effort to restore a brand name that was lost in 2017. Extensive renovations of the property, projected to cost $40 million, are ongoing, with a grand reopening planned for this fall. The new Marriott will have 266 rooms.

North Brookfield Savings Named Among ‘Top Extraordinary Banks’

NORTH BROOKFIELD — North Brookfield Savings Bank, was recently named among the top extraordinary banks in the United States by The Institute for Extraordinary Banking. This award comes on the heels of the Community Choice Central Mass. Best Bank Award it received for 2021. North Brookfield Savings Bank was recognized with the institute’s Banky Award for its commitment to strong community banking. This recognition is given to top community banks across the country to help people find the best banks in their communities.

Massage Clinic to Open at Asnuntuck Community College

ENFIELD, Conn. — The public is invited to make a reservation for a massage through Asnuntuck Community College’s massage clinic. Massages can provide physical and mental benefits. Massage can loosen tight muscles, lower blood pressure, and assist in recovery from injuries and illness. Students enrolled in ACC’s Massage Therapy program provide the massages for the clinic. The appointments begin May 23, and run until August 16 on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Appointment times are 9 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Rates are $30 for 50 minutes, and $60 for 100 minutes. Gift certificates are available. Tipping is not allowed by state law. Reservations are required. Visit https://asnuntuck.edu/massage/ to learn more about the clinic.

Spectrum Home Health & Hospice Care Named to ‘Elite List’

LONGMEADOW — JGS Lifecare, a not-for-profit healthcare system serving seniors and their families in Western Mass. for more than 110 years, announced that Spectrum Home Health & Hospice Care, one of its subsidiary organizations, has made the 2022 Hospice Honors Elite list. Hospice Honors is a prestigious annual national program from HEALTHCAREfirst that recognized hospices that continuously provide the highest level of quality care as measured from the caregiver’s point of view. HEALTHCAREfirst is a leading provider of billing and coding services, CAHPS surveys, and advanced analytics. It acknowledges the highest performing agencies by analyzing the performance of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) hospice survey satisfaction measures. Award criteria were based on Hospice CAHPS survey results for an evaluation period of October 2020 through September 2021. Award recipients were identified by evaluating performance on a set of 24 quality indicator measures. Performance scores were aggregated from all completed surveys and were compared on a question-by-question basis to a National Performance Score calculated from all hospices contained in the HEALTHCAREfirst’s Hospice CAHPS database. Hospice Honors recipients include those hospices scoring above the HEALTHCAREfirst national performance score on 20 of the 24 evaluated questions. HEALTHCAREfirst holds a special recognition, Hospice Honors Elite, to honor hospices scoring above the HEALTHCAREfirst National Performance Score on all 24 of the evaluated questions.

‘Together HCC’ Raises $192,000 for Scholarships, Student Aid

HOLYOKE — Alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Holyoke Community College led a historic day of giving last month, raising more than $192,000 for student support programs during its one-day ‘Together HCC: Drive to Change Lives’ campaign. Organizers had set a goal of 300 donors for the 24-hour, April 26, fund drive. The final tally was 418, a 41% increase from 2021. Auto dealer Gary Rome, an HCC Foundation board member, led the way with a $5,000 challenge when the campaign met its goals of securing 300 donors. Another alumni donor was Dylan Pilon, ’12, of Springfield, a former scholarship recipient who graduated from HCC debt free, which allowed him to start his own company, Cloud 9 Marketing in East Longmeadow. In addition to Rome and Pilon, Peg, ’58, and Gary Wendlandt, Jim Izatt, ’59, trustee Robert Gilbert, Foundation board member Carl Eger, ’56, and Shirley Eger, and HCC President Christina Royal all posed matching and challenge gifts for the campaign.

‘Parklets’ Come to Downtown Amherst

AMHERST — The Amherst Business Improvement District (BID) has received an $80,750 grant from the Regional Economic Development Organization (REDO) for outdoor seating accommodations on Amity Street and South Pleasant Street that have been dubbed ‘parklets.’

The grant is funded through the Massachusetts Office of Business Development and is being administered through the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council. It will cover the materials, labor, and insurance costs.

Each parklet will be located in front of a designated food-and-drink establishment for that establishment’s use, and the sidewalk next to each parklet location will be maintained as a pedestrian pathway. These ‘parklets’ will also be accessible to those with disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards for accessible design.

The Amherst BID is managing this project with support from the Amherst Planning Department staff. The parklets are being constructed by Keiter Corporation, a Florence-based construction company. Additionally, Evan Jones from Cowls Building Supply, located in Amherst, worked with the BID to procure the materials at a reduced cost.

“The main goal of this project is to help activate the downtown streetscape by providing extended sidewalks to serve as outdoor dining spaces, to attract residents and visitors and support local businesses. As the town explores urban design standards and streetscape designs for the downtown, this pilot project is an excellent opportunity for all stakeholders to learn from and enjoy,” said Maureen Pollock, Amherst planner.

The parklets are expected to be fully constructed by Saturday.

Picture This

By BusinessWest Staff June 9, 2021

Picture This

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

Brewing Up Business

One Way Brewing opened its doors at 807 Maple Road in Longmeadow on May 22, marking the launch of Longmeadow’s first brewery. One Way Brewing released a flagship beer, Kickstarter, a New England IPA. Pictured at top: two of the many customers who showed up at the event, which featured lines stretched around the building for much of the day. Above, Jason Tsitso, partner and head brewer, loads up six-packs of beer for sale at the kickoff event

Honoring a Legacy

Springfield’s Sinai Temple and the Jerome S. Gurland Human Relations Award Committee recently selected Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (GSHFH) as the 2021 award recipient. GSHFH Executive Director Aimee Giroux (pictured, right) met with Rabbi Jeremy Master (left) on May 26 to accept the honor. Award namesake Rabbi Gurland of Longmeadow, who passed away on May 20, had been an advocate for community service and interfaith relations. Giroux said the funds will be used to promote community involvement, primarily with youth volunteers through construction on its Bay Street project.

Customers’ Choice Community Grants

During a May 18 celebration at Look Park, Florence Bank awarded $100,500 to 32 community organizations through its 19th annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program. Each year, Florence Bank customers are invited to vote for their favorite local nonprofit; to qualify for a community grant, organizations must receive at least 50 votes. In 2020, almost 7,000 votes were cast. Pictured: Monica Curhan, senior vice president and Marketing director, joins President and CEO Kevin Day in leading the awards presentation.

Jack Toner

By BusinessWest Staff April 17, 2017

40 Under 40 The Class of 2017

Principal, Customer Relationship Development, Sumner & Toner Insurance Agency Inc.; Age 36

Jack Toner

Jack Toner is a third-generation business owner who you might say is going the distance. He’s an insurance agent by trade, and a marathoner for fun.

“The insurance business is always evolving and changing; on any given day you might come across a new risk that you need to manage,” he explained. “Running is a mental and physical recharge for me.”

He’s also on the run for his clients, some who’ve been with Sumner & Toner for more than 40 years.

Toner said the insurance industry is all about partnerships, bringing agents and customers together to tailor policies to meet each of their specific needs. “I like meeting people and figuring out not only how to help them prepare for the unexpected, but also make a positive difference in their lives.”

He got a jump start on changing lives for the better two years out of Georgetown University, when he taught English as a second language in China. “I was working in D.C. and decided I wanted to see the world and do something different,” Toner said. “It was amazing to experience their culture, and share ours.”

When he returned, he worked as a leasing agent for just over a year. He decided to come home to work at his family’s agency because it was an opportunity to not only carry on a family legacy, but build on a solid foundation of success.

“In 1967, our family became involved in a local independent insurance agency that was founded in 1933 in Springfield,” he noted. “The agency took its present form in 1998, when my father, Bill, and Warren Sumner III merged their two agencies. Today, Warren’s son Bud is my partner in the agency.”

Toner, who lives with wife, Elizabeth, in Longmeadow, is also involved in the community, serving as a leader for the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, Habitat for Humanity, and the Springfield Rotary Club. He also serves on St. Mary’s Parish Council in Longmeadow, and is a fourth-degree Knight of Columbus.

“I truly believe in the Rotary’s mission, ‘service above self,’ and serving humanity, whether it’s in our own backyard or across the world,” he said.

He added that he’s blessed to have loving parents who taught him that the world was bigger than him. “They told me to be patient, humble, and considerate, and that would lead to success.”

—Alta Stark

People On the Move

By BusinessWest Staff January 1, 2013

Departments People on the Move

James Sheils

James Sheils, a partner with Springfield-based Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., recently received the first John Auchter Award from Goodwill Industries of the Pioneer Valley for more than three decades of service to the nonprofit organization. The award, which honors those who show extraordinary dedication to community service, is named for the late John Auchter, a Pioneer Valley attorney whose own distinguished service to Goodwill included 40 years as director, president, and chairman of the board. Sheils has served on the Goodwill board for more than 30 years, during which time he has worked as legal counsel to the agency.

•••••

Gov. Deval Patrick has appointed Westfield State University alums Terrell Hill and Steven Marcus to serve as members of the Westfield State University Board of Trustees. Hill is the founding principal of High School Inc., Hartford’s public insurance and finance academy, which opened in 2009. The school is a National Academy Foundation finance academy, whose goal is to prepare young people for college and career success based on industry-focused curricula, work-based learning experiences, and business-partner expertise. Marcus is a licensed, certified social worker who has dedicated his life to improving the lives of those in need as CEO and owner of multiple diversified healthcare enterprises, including New England Geriatrics and West Central Family and Counseling. The board is comprised of 11 trustees, one of whom is elected by the student body and one who represents the alumni; all are appointed by the governor and serve for a five-year term.

•••••

Michael Daly

Lawrence Bossidy

Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. announced that President and CEO Michael Daly has been elected Chairman of the Board of Directors effective on Jan. 1, 2013. The board has also elected current Chairman Lawrence Bossidy to the new position of Lead Independent Director effective on the same day. Identical elections of Daly and Bossidy were made by the board of Berkshire Bank, the banking subsidiary of Berkshire Hills Bancorp. “I’m honored to assume the leadership of the Berkshire board, and I look forward to continuing the strong focus on business execution which has been a hallmark of Larry Bossidy’s long and distinguished leadership of our company,” said Daly. “I’m delighted that he will continue to have an active role in his new capacity as lead independent director. Our team has built a locally focused, customer-centric institution and invested in a strong infrastructure positioned across the middle of our four-state region. The board and the company remain committed to responsibly serving the financial needs of our markets and to providing strong returns to our investors.” Bossidy added, “the election of Mike Daly as chairman recognizes his success as CEO in building our strong franchise, and the confidence of our directors in his judgment, business acumen, and leadership. I look forward to working with him in my new role.” Daly was appointed president and CEO of the company and the bank in October 2002. During his tenure as chief executive, he has navigated Berkshire through significant growth, market-share expansion, and profitability gains. Total assets have risen to $5.5 billion, with 75 branches operating in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. Among Daly’s achievements are the creation of Berkshire Bank’s distinctive “America’s Most Exciting Bank” brand platform and the development of a high-performance, team-oriented culture. Berkshire is now one of the country’s 100 largest exchange-traded banks. In recognition of its standing and achievements, Berkshire recently moved its stock listing to the New York Stock Exchange. Bossidy joined the board as chairman in 2002 and serves on the compensation and corporate governance/nominating committees. His career has included the positions of chairman and CEO of Honeywell International, chairman and CEO of AlliedSignal, COO of General Electric Credit, president of General Electric’s Services and Materials Sector, and vice chairman of General Electric. Bossidy has also served as a member of the board of directors of Merck & Co., J.P. Morgan, and K&F Industries Holdings. In his new position, he is expected to have involvement in agenda-setting, communication with other independent directors, planning, and performance-evaluation activities. Berkshire also announced the retirement of Catherine Miller as a director of the company and the bank, effective immediately.

•••••

Joan Ingersoll

The board of directors of the Mental Health Association Inc. (MHA) recently announced the appointment of Joan Ingersoll as the new Executive Director of the organization. She succeeds Linda Williams, who retired from MHA this month. Ingersoll, formerly president and CEO of Allied Community Services in Enfield, Conn., was selected by MHA’s executive search committee. Ingersoll began her 10-year tenure at MHA in late October. As president and CEO of Allied Community Services, she led a $10 million organization that provides services to individuals with intellectual disabilities. She previously served for seven years as vice president at the Corporation for Independent Living in Hartford, a nonprofit developer of housing for people with disabilities. Her background includes leadership positions at disability agencies in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, as well as direct service experience. Ingersoll began her career at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. where she served as special assistant to the commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.

•••••

Katie Allan Zobel

The Trustees of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts have appointed Katie Allan Zobel as its next President and CEO, and she has accepted the appointment, effective Jan. 1, 2013. For more than eight years, she and her job-share partner, Kristin Leutz, have led the Philanthropic Services team at the Community Foundation, most recently as vice presidents. A magna cum laude graduate of Boston College, she served as the director of Annual Giving for WGBY before working for 10 years for Amherst College, directing its Alumni Fund during a period when it established a college record for percentage participation that still stands. During her tenure at the foundation, she earned her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation from the American College. Additionally, Zobel has served on the boards of directors for the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity and the Amherst Education Foundation, where she recently completed a two-year term as board president. She also regularly volunteers as an on-air fund-raiser for WGBY. “Vigorous growth and careful stewardship are the hallmarks of the Community Foundation’s first 20 years,” said Zobel. “I intend to move the foundation into an exciting new period of growth and am honored for the opportunity to serve the community I love. When I first arrived at the foundation to provide interim assistance, I intended to stay for three months until a new development director was hired. Within a few weeks, I was strategizing about how I might stay longer. Eight years later, the motivation to lead this organization has never been stronger.”

•••••

Elms College recently honored senior Laura Fusini with the Bishop Joseph F. Maguire Award during the Western Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association (WMCOPA) President’s Inaugural and Annual Awards meeting. The award was established by WMCOPA in honor of retired Bishop Joseph Maguire in recognition of his outstanding service as the association’s chaplain for 33 years. The honor, which includes $1,000 to assist in meeting educational goals and professional objectives, is given annually to an Elms College junior or senior who is enrolled in the field of religious studies, or has made outstanding contributions to the community-service or campus-ministry programs. An English and Religious Studies double major with a 3.8 GPA, Fusini participates in a Bible study group and is the editor of Bloom, the college’s student-run literary magazine. She has been a Deanery Scholar all four years at Elms and will participate in a college service trip to Baltimore in January, where she will work in a soup kitchen and food pantry.

•••••

Florence Savings Bank announced the following:

Shelley Daughdrill

• Shelley Daughdrill has been elected Vice President and Branch Manger for the bank’s Amherst office. Daughdrill joined FSB in December 2005. She is a graduate of Westfield State College and the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Amherst and the Highland Valley Elder Services Financial Exploitation Audit Team, and a volunteer for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Daughdrill is a recipient of FSB’s Presidents Award, the bank’s Community Support Award, and the Stavros’ Paul Winske Access Award; and

Kristen Adams

• Kristen Adams has been elected Assistant Vice President of Marketing for the bank. She joined FSB in 2011. Adams is a graduate of UMass Dartmouth, and is a graduate of the inaugural class of Leadership Pioneer Valley. Adams is a volunteer for the Cutchins Program and a member of the Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce and Northampton Area Young Professionals.

•••••

Jody Dion has joined the Wing Memorial Hospital and Medical Centers team as the new executive director of VNA and Hospice. She will be replacing Barbara Hitchcock, who is retiring after 12 years in the role. Dion has more than 20 years of experience in home healthcare and was most recently manager of Quality Improvement at UMass Memorial Medical Center Home Health and Hospice. She is a registered physical therapist. Wing Memorial VNA and Hospice is located at 40 Wright St., Palmer. For information or to make an appointment, call (413) 283-9715.

By BusinessWest Staff September 19, 2005

Departments

The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden and Hampshire counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.

AMHERST

North Amherst Community Farm Inc., 36 Harris St., Amherst 01002. Deborah Evans, 58 E. Leverett Rd., Amherst 01002. (Nonprofit) To provide services regarding organic farming methods, productive use of land, etc.

Margarita’s Food Inc., 28 Amity St., #5, Amherst 01002. Lius Manuel Medina Vaillard, 65 Amherst Road, Leverett 01054. To operate a full service restaurant.

CHESTER

PLS Inc., 128 Prospect St., Chester 01011. Joy L. Salvini, same. Land surveying.

CHICOPEE

Garg Trading Inc., 419 Montcalm St., Apt. #404, Chicopee 01020. Meena K. Garg, same. Trading of general merchandise.

TNT Asphalt Repair Inc., 221 Prospect St., Chicopee 01013. Milton Theriault, same. Asphalt repair.

FEEDING HILLS

Gorilla Marketing Inc., 547 Springfield St., Feeding Hills 01030. Gerald F. Smith Jr., same. To operate a cocktail lounge.

HOLYOKE

Stefanie’s Foundation Inc., 3 St. James Ave., Holyoke 01040. Pamela J. Murnock Lukomski, same. (Nonprofit) To provide financial assistance to families with a child suffering from cancer, etc.

NORTH HATFIELD

The Hatfield Pub Inc., 312 West St., North Hatfield 01066. Roger A. Grenier, same. To operate one or more bars, taverns, cabarets, restaurants, etc.

NORTHAMPTON

Northampton Cell Phone Store Inc., 98 Pleasant St., Northampton 01060. Jonathan L. Waxman, 19 Jyra Lane, North Easton 02356. To sell cellular phones and accessories.

Soo Ra Restaurant Inc., 1 Roundhouse Place, Northampton 01060. Hyun Kyu Lee, 162 Hadley Road, Sunderland 01375. To operate a restaurant.

SPRINGFIELD

Advantage Auto Service Inc., 93-97 Wilbraham Road, Springfield 01109. Shamone Cox, same. Automobile repair services.

Game Hunter Inc., 511 Belmont Ave., Springfield 01108. Vien Nguyen, 49 E. Gooseberry Road, West Springfield 01089. To deal in electronic media, game systems, CD, music and game equipment and media.

Hemocure Inc., 1462 Plumtree Road, Springfield 01119. Alexander L. Zheleznyakov, same. To manufacture and sell medical equipment.

HOPE for Habitat Inc., One Monarch Place, Suite 1900, Springfield 01144. Stephen D. Hoyt, 49 Drury Lane, Longmeadow 01106. (Nonprofit) To assist and carry out the purposes of Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity.

Ideal Financial Holdings Inc., 933 Main St., Springfield 01005. Marjorie Feinberg, same. To own the common stock of Ideal Financial Services.

JimBob Aviation Charter Services Inc., 1102 Riverdale St., West Springfield 01089. James E. Balise Jr., 87 Blueberry Hill Road, Longmeadow 01106. Airplane charter service.

The Center After School Program Inc., 82 Bay Meadow Road, Springfield 01109. Althea Haines, same. To provide a place for after school children to be assisted in homework, partake in educational and group activities, etc.

The Dory Lounge Inc., 487 St. James Ave., Springfield 01109. Maureen Catherine Perry, 115 Wilmont St., Springfield 01108. To deal in restaurants, inns, taverns, catering, etc.

Triple G Cable Inc., 112 Washington Road, Springfield 01108. Gerson R. Souza, same. Cable installations.

Valley Photo Center Inc., 1500 Main St., Springfield 01103. David Moviouganes, 474 Alden St;, Ludlow 01056. (Nonprofit) To operate a gallery to educate the public about the art of photography, provide classes, etc.

Zonin’s Meats Inc., 18 Winthrop St., Springfield 01103. Aurelio Daniele, 57 Longivew Dr., Suffield, CT 06078. Alfonsina Liquori, 18 Winthrop St., Springfield 01103, registered agent. To manufacture and sell foods products including meats.

WESTFIELD

Gauntlet Games Inc., 304 Sackett Road, Westfield 01085. John Michaliszyn, same. Distribution and marketing.

Hawken Management Inc., 3 Cross St., Westfield 01085. John D. West, 19 1/2 Avery St., Westfield 01085. To deal in real estate, etc.

Pinnacle Piping Inc., 40 Susan Dr., Westfield 01085. Dan Rohan, same. To provide plumbing/piping services.

Brickyard Commons Inc., 385 Root Road, Westfield 01085. Jeffery Morin, same. Real estate ownership and management.

WESTHAMPTON

G.R. Marketing Inc., 120 Chesterfield Road, Westhampton 01027. Gerard J. Ronan, same. To provide marketing, sales and development of construction and home improvement products.

WILBRAHAM

RL Lafley Construction Inc.,
3 Drumlin Circle, Wilbraham 01095. Richard L. Lafley Jr., same. Real estate development.

Scantic Valley Pool and Spa Inc., 1 Hilltop Dr., Wilbraham 01095. Thomas E. Wilson, same. Residential pool installation.

SK3 Engineering Inc., 840 Ridge Road, Wilbraham 01095. Stanley Kowalski, III, same. Engineering and product development.

The Natural Rights and Laws Compact Inc., 47 Glenn Dr., Wilbraham 01095. Richard J. Howell, same. (Nonprofit) To promote and further the mores established by God through the first settlers in 1620 to our independence in 1776, etc.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Carol’s Concession Corp., 60 Chilson Road, West Springfield 01089. Carol Delevo, 9 Tanglewood Dr., West Springfield 01089. To provide food and beverage to the general public.

Universal Trucking Service Inc., 182 Doty Circle, West Springfield 01089. Jan Chrzan, 89 Pendleton Lane, Longmeadow 01106. Truck delivery service.

Florence Bank to Celebrate 20th Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program

By BusinessWest Staff April 26, 2022

Daily News

FLORENCE — For 20 years, Florence Bank has awarded grants of up to $5,000 each to dozens of nonprofits chosen by its customers, and at its annual gathering this year, it will once again offer up $100,000 to organizations that support young and old in the community.

At its 20th Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants gala, to be staged May 19 at 5 p.m. at Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park, the bank will offer awards to 45 nonprofits and celebrate a total of $1.4 million in community giving through this one channel.

Organizations like Shriners Hospitals for Children in Springfield and the Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Holyoke will receive awards for the first time this year thanks to customer voting.

“We are so grateful,” said Stacey Perlmutter, director of development at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Springfield. “All care and services at Shriners Hospitals for Children are provided regardless of a family’s ability to pay. This grant money will help us to continue to provide life-changing pediatric specialty care to families throughout Western Massachusetts and beyond.”

Likewise, Gerry O’Connor Page, executive director of Therapeutic Equestrian Center (TEC) in Holyoke feels grateful for an assist that will help provide therapeutic horseback riding to individuals with physical, emotional or psychological disabilities.

“We will use the money to enable us to keep prices down,” she said. “It helps make the service accessible.”

In the past, the bank has granted funds to some Hampden County-based nonprofits, such as Dakin Humane Society, which typically is the top vote-getter each year. This year, as Florence Bank develops its engagement in the southern county, the awards to organizations based there are increasing.

“We have branches now in West Springfield, Springfield and Chicopee, and we very much want to be good neighbors in those communities,” said Florence Bank President and CEO Kevin Day. He noted that this year, the bank held a Zoominar event to educate Hampden County nonprofit leaders about the Customers’ Choice program.

“We wanted to be sure they were aware of the program so they could take part and have the best chance at success,” he said.

Over the past 20 years, Florence Bank has tallied more than 141,000 customer votes and given grants to roughly 164 different organizations.

Organizations to receive awards this year range from police, fire, library and school groups to nonprofits that provide food, shelter or support to people living with a serious illness or disability. Leaders of these nonprofits will learn the amount of their award at the May event.

In addition to Shriners Hospitals for Children — Springfield, the Therapeutic Equestrian Center and Dakin, the following organizations received enough votes to qualify for a grant and will receive an award at the celebration: Amherst Neighbors, Amherst Survival Center, Belchertown Animal Relief Committee Inc. (BARC), Belchertown K-9, Cancer Connection, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Cooley Dickinson Hospital VNA & Hospice, Easthampton Community Center, Easthampton Elementary Schools PTO, Edward Hopkins Educational Foundation, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Friends of Forbes Library, Friends of Lilly Library, Friends of M.N. Spear Memorial Library, Friends of Northampton Legion Baseball, Friends of the Williamsburg Library, Goshen Firefighters Assoc., Grow Food Northampton, Granby Senior Center, Habitat for Humanity Pioneer Valley, Historic Northampton, Hitchcock Center for the Environment, It Takes a Village, J.F.K. Middle School, Kestrel Land Trust, Leeds Elementary School PTO, Ludlow Boys & Girls Club, Manna Community Kitchen, Northampton Community Music Center, Northampton High School PTO, Northampton Neighbors, Northampton Survival Center, Our Lady of the Hills Parish, Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School, Revitalize CDC, Riverside Industries, R.K. Finn Ryan Road School, Safe Passage, Smith Vocational High School PTO, The Parish Cupboard, Whole Children, and Williamsburg Firefighters Association.

By BusinessWest Staff February 20, 2006

Departments

The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden and Hampshire counties, and are the latest available. They are listed by community.

AMHERST

Consumer Exports Group Inc.,
495 Old Farm Road, Amherst 01002.
Michael Aronson, same. International and domestic sales.

P.H.E. Inc.,
55 University Dr., Amherst 01002.
Patrick Daly, 369 South Gulf Road, Belchertown 01007.
To operate a restaurant.

RJVM NR Inc.,
24 North East St., Apt. 6,
Amherst 01002. Nicholas Renzette, same.
Food service business.

Take5 Inc.,
61 Main St., Amherst 01002.
Huai Chin Chu, 94 Rambling Road, Amherst 01002.
Restaurant.

CHICOPEE

Bento Management Inc.,
1981 Memorial Dr., Suite 172,
Chicopee 01020. Arthur Paulino,
24 Westerly Circle, Ludlow 01056.
To deal in real estate.

New England Retirement Communities Inc.,
c/o Atlantic Capital Investors, 7 Coburn St.,
Chicopee 01013. Benjamin A. Surner Jr.,
55 Baker St., Amherst 01002.
Real estate development.

EASTHAMPTON

Salon O Inc.,
163A Northampton St., Suite RT 10,
Easthampton 01027.
A hairstyling salon including sale of hair care products.

FLORENCE

Hospitalist Management Solutions,
P.C., 860 Florence Road, Florence 01062.
Bipinchandra Mistry, M.D.,
90 Whittier St., Florence 01062.
To practice the profession of medicine.

HADLEY

Valley Vintage Cars Inc.,
81 River Dr., Hadley 01035.
Michael DiCola, 11 Crestview Dr., Hadley 01035.
Restoration of vehicles.

Valley ComputerWorks Inc.,
84 Russell St., Hadley 01035.
Delcie D. Bean, IV, same, president and treasurer;
Peter A. Gelinas, same, secretary.
Computer sales, consultation, service and repair.

HAMPDEN

All Propery Services Inc.,
42 North Monson Road, Hampden 01036.
Chris Lomascolo, same.
To clean and restore commercial, industrial and/or residential properties.

HATFIELD

Willflo Corp.,
122 Bridge St., Hatfield 01038.
Charles J. Florio, 3 Straits Road, Hatfield 01038.
To deal in real estate.

HAYDENVILLE

Natural Siding Associates Inc.,
206 Main St., Haydenville 01039.
Jennica L. Huff, 1 King Ave., Florence 01062.
To install fiber cement siding, exterior construction, etc.

HOLYOKE

E.C.M. Electronics Inc.,
6 Appleton St., Holyoke 01040.
Raymond M. Welch, 649 South Summer St.,
Holyoke 01040.
Repairing and upgrading industrial equipment.

LONGMEADOW

Ace Fire & Water Restoration Inc.,
95 Meadow Road, Longmeadow 01106.
Gary W. Brunelle, 125 Crest Lane, Granville 01034.
Fire and water restoration.

LUDLOW

Kara Evans-Scott Memorial Fund Inc.,
714 Fuller St., Ludlow 01056. Sandra Evans, same.
(Nonprofit) To establish an endowment fund to provide educational scholarships and the development of literacy programs.

Ultimate Motor Cars Inc.,
7 Spring St., Ludlow 01056. Bruno Fernandes,
190 Lakeview Ave., Ludlow 01056.
Sales and service of new and used motor and recreational vehicles, motorcycles, boats, etc.

MIDDLEFIELD

Happy Wednesday Inc.,
86 Chester Road, Middlefield 01243.
Joan L. Winberg, 2 Pickens St., Lakeville, 02347.
(Nonprofit) To build homes for deserving mothers through Habitat for Humanity’s women build program, etc.

MONTGOMERY

Pearl Property Management Services Inc.,
292 Main Road, Montgomery 01085.
David R. Champiney, same.
Real property management and services.

NORTHAMPTON

Friends of Northampton Trails and Greenways Inc.,
341 Prospect St., Northampton 01060.
Nicholas Jon Horton, same. (Nonprofit)
To promote the proper use, development and care of the ongoing trail and greenway development, etc.

Northampton Cal Ripken Basebell Inc.,
351 Pleasant St., Suite B-PMB 189,
Northampton 01060. Robert K. Ostberg,
48 Greenleaf Dr., Florence 01060. (Nonprofit)
To provide all children interested in baseball a safe place to dream and succeed, etc.

Peri Hall & Associates Inc.,
16 Armory St., Suite 8, Northampton 01060.
Peri H. Hall, same.
A strategic consulting firm specializing in content rich media design and web development, etc.

PALMER

Accurate Auto Glass Inc.,
320 Wilbraham St., Palmer 01069.
Robert Corliss, 178 Bourne St., Three Rivers 01080.
Auto glass replacement and repair.

Akcess BioMetrics Corp.,
21 Wilbraham St., Palmer 01069.
Katrina Champagne, same.
(Foreign corp; NV) Manufacturing security equipment.

RUSSELL

Massachusetts Association of Professional Foresters Inc.,
260 Upper Moss Hill Road, Russell 01070.
Robert E.W. Collins, 109 Carson Ave., Dalton 01226. (Nonprofit)
To improve the conditions and grade of products of agricultural personnel.

SOUTHAMPTON

Law Offices of Michael Sacco, P.C.,
The, 116 Brickyard Road, Southampton 01073.
Michael Sacco, same.
The professional practice of law.

SOUTHWICK

Sunrise Mortgage Co. Inc.,
9 Bonnieview Road, Southwick 01077.
Georgios Karathanasoulos, same.
To operate a mortgage company, etc.

SPRINGFIELD

Ascher Zimmerman Funeral Home Inc.,
44 Summer Ave., Springfield 02208.
Robert P. Zimmerman, 97 Fillmore St.,
Chicopee 01020.
To operate a funeral home and related services.

J & M Partners Inc.,
1123 Main St., Springfield 01103.
Marc W. Sparks, One Pearl Brook Road,
Southwick 01077.
To own and operate bars, taverns, restaurants, etc.

Jagat Guru Inc.,
114 Lakeside St., Springfield 01109.
Jihan Ali, same. (Nonprofit)
To collect, analyze, and distribute information on third-world countries, etc.

Tavern Restaurant Springfield Inc.,
25 Mill St., Springfield 01108. John Bonavita,
26 Autumn Ridge Road, East Longmeadow 01028.
To own and operate a restaurant.

The Raging Red Rooster Co.,
64 Bronson Terrace, Springfield 01108.
Mark Alan Russett, same.
Production and sale of food items.

Ushirika Sacco Cooperative Inc.,
45 Copley Terrace, Springfield 01107.
John Wachira, same.
To engage in cooperative trade.

WESTFIELD

Galreal Inc.,
18 Whispering Wind Road,
Westfield 01085. Gail Ann Butler, same.
Real estate sales, brokerage and leasing.

Magic Printing Inc.,
14 Lisa Lane, Westfield 01085.
Richard B. Wechter, same.
Vinyl printing.

WILBRAHAM

Pioneer Valley Funding Inc.,
3 Foxhill Dr., Wilbraham 01095.
Anabela Basile, same.
Commercial lending for real estate.

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff December 8, 2020

People on the Move

Anthony Worden

Michael Tucker

Kevin O’Neil, chairman of the board of directors of Greenfield Cooperative Bank (GCB) and its Northampton Cooperative Bank division, announced the promotion of Anthony Worden to president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2021. This promotion is in anticipation of the retirement of current President and CEO Michael Tucker, who is relinquishing his title as president, but will remain CEO until his actual retirement in January 2022, when Worden will take over that role as well. Tucker will remain as a director of the bank and holding company. O’Neil noted that this transition schedule is part of an overall succession plan for the bank that the board adopted some time ago. Worden has worked closely with Tucker in addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic within the bank and its local communities. Tucker also noted he has complete confidence in Worden’s ability to lead the bank into the future. O’Neil noted the board was pleased to be able to select someone like Worden who already knows and values GCB’s traditions and internal culture. A Pioneer Valley resident for the past 30 years, he is a director, executive committee member, and chair of the governance committee for the United Way of Franklin County; a former director of the Franklin County Community Development Corp.; and a former director of the Berkshire Brewing Co. of South Deerfield. He received his bachelor’s degree from UMass Amherst and his MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, and he is a graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Pennsylvania.

•••••

Monson Savings Bank announced the recent promotion of Rob Chateauneuf to senior vice president and senior commercial loan officer. In his new role, Chateauneuf will be responsible for leading the bank’s Commercial Lending team as they continue to serve local businesses of all sizes. He is skilled in commercial real-estate lending, C&I lending, construction lending, and SBA lending. At Monson Savings Bank, he most recently served as first vice president of Commercial Lending and has been the bank since 2012. With more than 20 years of banking experience, including commercial lending, residential lending, and retail branch management, he has a comprehensive understanding of the needs and challenges of commercial businesses. Chateauneuf earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Springfield Regional Chamber’s Leadership Institute at Western New England University and the American Bankers Assoc. Stonier Graduate School of Banking – Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2014, he was recognized as one of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty. He served on the board of directors at Hawthorn Services from 2006 to 2010, serving as president and chair from 2008 to 2010. When Hawthorn Services merged with the Center for Human Development (CHD), he was asked to join the CHD board, which he served as chair of the program committee and a member the board of directors from 2010 to 2020. He also served on the board of directors of the South Hadley Chamber of Commerce from 2004 to 2013. He has also been involved in myriad other charitable organizations and volunteer events throughout the years, including those benefiting Habitat for Humanity, the Westfield Boys & Girls Club, the United Way, and the towns of Agawam and South Hadley.

•••••

Berkshire Bank announced the promotion of Jennifer Carmichael to executive vice president and chief internal audit officer. She previously served as senior vice president and audit manager at the bank. In her role, Carmichael will continue to lead all aspects of Berkshire’s internal audit and independent SOX testing programs. She is responsible for providing independent and objective assurance to management and the audit committee on the adequacy and effectiveness of governance and internal controls to support the achievement of organizational objectives as well as promote and facilitate continuous improvement as part of the third line of defense. She reports directly to the audit committee of the board of directors and administratively to acting CEO Sean Gray. Carmichael previously served as senior vice president and audit manager at Berkshire Bank. She joined Berkshire in 2016 from Accume Partners, where she served as senior audit manager to several clients in the New York and New England regions, including Berkshire. She began her career in the community-banking sector in internal audit roles and previously served several years at Ballston Spa National Bank, including as assistant vice president, compliance and BSA officer and assistant auditor. In addition to her professional achievements, she also serves as a member of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary and the Vermont Veterans Home board of trustees, where she serves on the strategic planning committee.

•••••

Eric Ohanian

Eric Ohanian, structural project engineer at Tighe & Bond Inc., was named a 2020 Young Professional of the Year by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA). This award recognizes the accomplishments of young engineers by highlighting their interesting and unique work, and the resulting impact on society. Ohanian has been a key contributor to the successful rise of Tighe & Bond’s bridge-design and assessment practice over the last few years. His extensive experience and knowledge of engineering design have greatly contributed to the service the firm provides to municipal and DOT clients, including assisting numerous towns with applications for more than $3 million in grant funding for bridges. Beyond bridge design, his work includes business development, project management, marketing, mentoring, and engineering. His hard work was recognized early in his career with Tighe & Bond when he was selected to join the first year-long Aspiring Leaders Program. This provided an opportunity to work directly with senior leadership and solve upcoming challenges. His contributions to the program resulted in the development of a new internal quality management committee, of which he is an active member. Ohanian will be honored by ACEC/MA alongside other award recipients at its 2021 awards gala.

•••••

Belt Technologies Inc., a manufacturer of custom metal belt conveyer solutions and conveyor systems, announced that Timothy Condry has joined the team in the role of materials coordinator. A seasoned professional, he will coordinate logistics for the busy manufacturer. Condry holds business degrees from Manchester Community College and Eastern Connecticut State University. Prior to joining Belt Technologies, he was a production planner for 15 years, responsible for forecasting and purchasing materials, providing customer support, and production control.

•••••

PeoplesBank recently announced nine promotions. Christina Bordeau has been promoted to assistant vice president, banking center manager for the High Street, Holyoke location. She has more than 24 years of financial-services and banking experience, having served in various retail banking roles. Michael Gay has been promoted to vice president, banking center manager for the Amherst location. He has more than 20 years of retail and banking experience. Jacquelyn Guzie has been promoted to vice president and regional manager. She has more than 20 years of financial-services and banking experience, having served in various retail banking roles, including managing the Suffield Banking Center. Clare Ladue was promoted to vice president and regional manager for the Holyoke region. She has more than 25 years of financial-services and banking experience, having served in banking center management, administration, and commercial lending. She previously served as banking center manager for the Hadley Banking Center and was promoted to assistant vice president, regional manager, in 2019. Aneta Lombardi was promoted to finance officer. She has more than 15 years of financial-services and banking experience, including serving in various positions in the finance division, most recently as financial analyst. Nicole Nelson was promoted to banking center manager at the Windsor Locks location. She has more than eight years of banking experience, including serving as assistant manager of both the East Longmeadow and Windsor Locks banking centers. Steve Parastatidis was promoted to first vice president, commercial banking. He has 16 years of banking experience. Brenda Rodriguez was promoted to assistant vice president, banking center manager of the Chicopee location. She has more than 14 years of financial-services and banking experience, having served in various retail banking roles, including most recently as banking center manager for the St. James Avenue, Springfield location. Danielle Rosario was promoted to vice president, banking center manager, for the Chicopee location. She has more than 17 years of banking experience.

•••••

Bill Jackson

Restoration specialist Bill Jackson has joined the business-development team at Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding Inc. He will work to expand partnerships and provide assistance throughout the New England condominium industry, particularly for members of the Community Associations Institute (CAI). His experience in the condominium industry will give property managers a go-to source for renovations that may include roofing, siding, windows, decks, and all-inclusive envelope projects. He will also work closely with clients to solve any issues. Jackson was a member of the CAI-CT board of directors, covering the Connecticut region, for six years. He also served on the association’s full fun committee and conference committee, and is a certified educated business partner. He worked for several years at two restoration companies. Jackson met Quenneville at a CAI conference in Connecticut, and is now hoping to meet property managers from all over New England to offer consultation and advice on upcoming projects and to solve any issues they might have. Jackson expects a busy spring because many projects have been put on hold during the pandemic.

Trending Now

Celebrate This Year’s Difference Makers on March 24

Creature Comforts

Hear Her Roar

Poignant Paws

New Valley Bank & Trust Opens West Springfield Branch

Country Bank Pledges $10 Million to Support Affordable Housing

Arts Integration Studio Opens

Mercedes-Benz of Springfield Celebrates Five Years

Rocky’s Ace Hardware Reopens Agawam Store

Hometown Financial Group Welcomes Envision Bank

Chariot Payments Network Emerges from Reorganization

Liberty Bank Supports Habitat for Humanity

Celebrating the Class of 2013

The event was sponsored by:

Delcie Bean Turns Over 40% of Paragus Stock to Employees

Elms, WNEU Establish Law School Agreement

HCC Gateway to College Program Earns Award

Berkshire Bank Employees Volunteer More Than 4,500 Hours on June 7

GoodWorks Insurance Profiled in National Magazine

HCC Expands Presence in Hampshire County

Living with the Land

Holistic Approach

Dollars and Sense

A Changing Dynamic

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

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

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?

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

Owner and President, TNT General Contracting, age 37

Liberty Bank Opens First Branch in Massachusetts

Thunderbirds Contribute $15,000 to Mayflower Marathon

Merged Agency to Be Called Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western Massachusetts

UMassFive Employees Support Local Nonprofits

Smith Brothers Insurance Merges with the Quintal Agency

Westfield Bank Donates Food to Local Communities

Freedom Credit Union Supports Unify Against Bullying

Easthampton Learning Foundation Invests in STEAM Program at Mountain View School

MCLA Receives $306,000 Grant to Fund Mental-health Support

Springfield College Awarded $240,000 for Mental-health Needs

And the Winners Are …

Branching Out

Downtown Arrival

Super 60 Celebration

Hive of Activity

Food for Thought

Launching an Idea

Bee Ambitious

Star Power

SEE: List of Employment Agencies

Bright Ideas

It Takes a Village

Shining Examples

A World of Difference

bankESB Makes $500,000 Challenge Grant to Cooley Dickinson

AIC Partners with STCC with Signing of Articulation Agreement

Easy Company Brewing Launches in Springfield

Two New Woman-owned Businesses Open in Thornes Marketplace

MassMutual Center Sees Positive Economic Impact in Springfield

Florence Bank Celebrates 20th Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program

Monson Savings Bank Donates Bikes to YWCA of Western Mass.

Caolo & Bieniek Architects Selected to Design Northfield Emergency Services Facility

Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan & Blakesley Provides Financial Gift to Community Legal Aid

Manager/CPA, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.; Age 29

Monson Savings Bank Elects New Corporators

HNE Offers $100,000 in Grants for DEIB in Maternal/Infant Health

Mercy Medical Center Earns Fourth Consecutive ‘A’ Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

Lee Bank Foundation Distributes $83,750 in First Grant Funding Round of 2022

Marriott Brand Restored on Downtown Springfield Hotel

North Brookfield Savings Named Among ‘Top Extraordinary Banks’

Massage Clinic to Open at Asnuntuck Community College

Spectrum Home Health & Hospice Care Named to ‘Elite List’

‘Together HCC’ Raises $192,000 for Scholarships, Student Aid

‘Parklets’ Come to Downtown Amherst

Brewing Up Business

Honoring a Legacy

Customers’ Choice Community Grants

Principal, Customer Relationship Development, Sumner & Toner Insurance Agency Inc.; Age 36

Blog Posts

News