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SPRINGFIELD — The Community Foundation of Western Mass. (CFWM) has announced that it has distributed $4.3 million in grants from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund. These grants are a part of the $6.4 million overall awarded through the CFWM COVID-19 Response Fund to support Western Mass. nonprofits serving the most vulnerable populations in the midst of the pandemic.

In addition to the resources from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, more than 700 donors, including individuals, foundations, and businesses have contributed to CFWM’s COVID-19 Response Fund. To date, $8.2 million has been contributed to the CFWM Fund.

The Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund supports those across the state most impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis, focusing on essential frontline workers and vulnerable populations, including the homeless, immigrant populations, people with disabilities and those facing food insecurity. The Fund works in concert with regional community foundations and nonprofit leaders who partner with local leaders to understand the response and relief landscape, strategically filling in where gaps are pronounced.

CFWM has also announced a new round of grants from the COVID-19 Response Fund to 37 local nonprofit organizations totaling $925K, addressing immediate needs during the pandemic: They are:

Arise, Bayanihan Association of America, Bethlehem House, Caring Health Center, Cutchins Programs for Children & Families, Dakin Valley Humane Society, Ellie Fund, Enlace de Familias de Holyoke/Holyoke Family Network, Family Outreach of Amherst, a program of CHD, Friends of Chicopee Senior Citizens, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, and Greenfield Community College Foundation.

Also, Hilltown Community Health Centers, Holyoke Community College Foundation, Home City Development, Lovin’ Spoonfuls, Make-It Springfield, Manna Soup Kitchen, New England Farm Workers’ Council, a program of Partners for Community, New England Learning Center for Women in Transition, New North Citizens’ Council, Nuestras Raices, People’s Medicine Project, a program of Western MA Training Consortium, Revitalize Community Development Corporation, South End Community Center, Springfield Rescue Mission, and Springfield Technical Community College Foundation.

Also, Stone Soup Café, a program of All Souls Church Unitarian Universalist, The Performance Project, the Salvation Army – Holyoke Corps, the Salvation Army – Springfield Corps, Treehouse Foundation, United Way of Pioneer Valley, Urban League of Springfield, Way Finders, Valley Radio Reading Service dba Valley Eye Radio, and YWCA of Western Massachusetts.

“We are grateful for the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, the statewide collaboration established to help our most vulnerable fellow citizens and the front-line nonprofit organizations that are responding to their needs in this time of crisis,” said Katie Allan Zobel, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. “Thanks to this funding, we have reached many more individuals and families in our region.”

The COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley was established to provide grants to community nonprofit organizations serving the needs of the most vulnerable populations affected by the pandemic in Western Massachusetts.

The Community Foundation welcomes additional donations to the COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley. 100% of donations go to community needs. Gifts can be made online at: www.communityfoundation.org/covid19.

2014 40 Under Forty Reunion

By BusinessWest Staff May 6, 2014

40 Under 40

Scenes from the 2014 40 Under Forty Reunion

More than 100 people gathered at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House on April 24 for the second annual 40 Under Forty reunion party, which drew alumni from among the past seven classes of honorees. Pictured are Nico Santaniello, financial representative at Northwestern Mutual, a sponsor of the event; Kate Campiti, associate publisher at BusinessWest; and Paul Kozub (class of 2007 and 2009 judge), owner of Valley Vodka.

From left, Sharon Marshall, financial representative at Northwestern Mutual, an event sponsor; Kathleen Plante, advertising consultant at BusinessWest; Sarah Tsitso (class of 2007), executive director at the Springfield Boys & Girls Club; Michelle Theroux (class of 2007), executive director of Berkshire Hills Music Academy; and Pam Thornton, business development manager at United Personnel and past president of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield.

Danielle Lord (class of 2012), administrator at O’Connell Care at Home & Staffing Services, and Dan Bessette (class of 2009), owner of Get Set Marketing.

From left, Dan Finn (class of 2010), independent associate at Viridian; Jason Tsitso (class of 2012), project manager at MR&D LLC; and Adam Quenneville (class of 2009), president of Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding.

From left, Kristi Reale (class of 2009), senior manager at Meyers Brother Kalicka, P.C.; Sean Wandrei (class of 2010), lecturer in taxation at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst; and Melyssa Brown (class of 2013), manager of audit and accounting at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.

Members of event sponsor Northwestern Mutual, from left, Shekha Patel, financial representative; Tia Allen, campus recruiter; and Anand Thakkar.

From left, Bernie McCoy; Kate Kane, managing director of Northwestern Mutual’s Springfield office, an event sponsor; and Susan Mielnikowski (class of 2010), elder-law and estate-planning attorney at Cooley Shrair, P.C.

From left, Ed Zemba (class of 2007), owner of Robert Charles Photography; Gwen Burke, senior advertising consultant at BusinessWest; and Craig Swimm (class of 2007), general manager of 94.7 WMAS and 1450 WHLL.

From left, Leyla Kayi, director of donor relations at the Gray House; Peter Ellis (class of 2011), creative director at DIF Design; Jessecah Gower of the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center; and Jennifer Schimmel (class of 2011) of Habitat for Humanity. The Gray House, Habitat, and the O’Connor Center were all spotlighted at the reunion by the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, which unveiled its YPS Cares program, an effort to foster volunteerism in the community.

From left, Jason Barroso (class of 2013), project environmental scientist at Tighe & Bond; Jeremy Leap (class of 2013), vice president of commercial lending at Country Bank for Savings; Kristen Hua (class of 2011), assistant vice president at PeoplesBank; and Xiaolei Hua (class of 2013), assistant vice president and credit officer at PeoplesBank.

Dianne Doherty (2011 judge), left, regional director of the Mass. Small Business Development Center’s Western Mass. office, and Samalid Hogan (class of 2013), project manager for the city of Springfield.

From left, Erin Couture (class of 2013), vice president of commercial lending at Florence Savings Bank; Jeff Fialky (class of 2008 and 2013 judge), attorney at Bacon Wilson, P.C.; and Susan Mielnikowski (class of 2010), elder-law and estate-planning attorney at Cooley Shrair, P.C.

Members of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, which partnered with BusinessWest in the production of the reunion event, gather for a group photo. Many of the group’s members are 40 Under Forty honorees.

Berkshire Bank Completes Company-wide Week of Service

By BusinessWest Staff July 1, 2015

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Nearly 350 Berkshire Bank employees completed more than 20 community-service projects as part of the bank’s company-wide week of service June 8-12.

The week of service is an expansion of the bank’s successful day of service that took place in previous years. The 2015 week of service represented the highest number of employee participants and most projects undertaken during a single week in the company’s history.

The series of projects benefitted nonprofit organizations and communities across Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. Local Berkshire Bank employees, who serve as leaders of the company’s XTEAM volunteer program, selected and organized the projects in their markets. This year’s activities in Western Mass. included:

• Great Barrington: 15 employees undertook a series of improvement projects alongside the Trustees of Reservations at Monument Mountain. Projects included mulching the trailheads, painting the visitor kiosk, and painting the new visitor hut.

• Pittsfield: 40 employees undertook a series of projects at Hancock Shaker Village to assist in public-access, public-safety, and visitor-experience improvements throughout the property, which included repairing and repainting the iconic white fence, painting the historic woodshed, and rebuilding the boardwalk.

• South Hadley: five employees helped organize the Birthday Wishes supply room, making it easier for volunteers to locate needed items. Birthday Wishes provides birthday parties to children living in transitional housing.

• Springfield: 20 employees helped with a series of beautification projects at the Zoo at Forest Park to improve the ascetic appearance for visitors. Projects included planting flowers, weeding, and mulching throughout the zoo.

• Springfield: 15 employees helped construct a new home for a local family in need in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Springfield. Employees also presented Habitat with a check for the funds raised through Berkshire Bank Foundation’s Hockey 4 Housing campaign with NESN.

“We were so pleased to give back in this meaningful way through our company-wide effort,” said Lori Gazzillo, vice president and director of Berkshire Bank Foundation. “We’re proud of our employees’ involvement and the growth of our volunteer day into a week dedicated to service, which speaks to our values as a company and commitment to making a difference in our community.”

Community Foundation Announces Four New Hires

By BusinessWest Staff March 18, 2021

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) announced the appointments of Briana Wales as vice president for People and Culture, Emma Mesa-Melendez as director of Communications, Keith McKittrick as Development coordinator, and Ullapi Shrestha as program assistant. These appointments are the latest example of CFWM’s ongoing commitment to expand its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts internally and within the nonprofit sector.

In her new role, Wales will focus on a wide scope of DEI initiatives to guide both the foundation’s external and internal DEI work, training, and development of best practices. She has an extensive career in workforce development for youth and adults and has provided leadership in both nonprofit and quasi-public settings. In her efforts to serve communities, she has fostered partnerships and programming to increase equity and access for underrepresented or marginalized groups. She received her bachelor’s degree in social justice education from UMass Amherst and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mount Holyoke College.

Mesa-Melendez will be responsible for CFWM’s communications strategy and will assist with DEI initiatives. In recent work, she has consulted in marketing and graphic design, and previously served as vice president for Community Relations, Human Resources, and Marketing Management for New Valley Bank & Trust. She received her MBA from Southern New Hampshire University and her bachelor’s degree in critical social thought from Mount Holyoke College. She has worked with several nonprofits as both a board member and volunteer, including the Minority Inclusion Project, Farmington Valley YMCA, Vet Air, and the Performance Project.

McKittrick comes to the foundation with 25 years of experience in philanthropy. He has held positions at UMass Amherst, Western New England University, and Holyoke Community College, where he has worked with donors to establish scholarships and fundraise for educational initiatives. He received his master’s degree in public administration from Framingham State University and his bachelor’s degree in political science from Westfield State University.

Shrestha has worked as an interpreter at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and as an intern at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. She has volunteered with the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity. She received her master’s degree in management from Saint Joseph College and her bachelor’s degree in business marketing from the Institute of Technology in Carlow, Ireland.

Community Spotlight: Westfield

By BusinessWest Staff June 30, 2015

Community Spotlight Features

In Westfield, Redevelopment Plan Becoming Reality

Mayor Daniel Knapik says Westfield is rife with activity that is leading to dramatic changes in the landscape, as projects that were years in the making come to fruition.

New buildings are under construction, while older ones that sat empty for as long as a decade are being transformed and repurposed. Phase I of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail is underway, work is being done in the so-called Gaslight District, and other initiatives are becoming a reality.

“Fourteen years ago, Mayor [Richard] Sullivan showed me his plan for the city, and I saw what the future could be,” said Knapik, adding that this action plan and its prospects for becoming reality led him to seek election to the City Council, where he held a seat from 2001 to 2009 before being elected to the corner office. “It’s astonishing what has happened since then. I supported the mayor’s vision that he created with City Engineer Mark Cressotti, and all of the projects have finally come over the finish line.”

Much of the work has taken place in the last year or two, and projects are in varying stages of development. Change is occurring downtown as well as on Route 20, where a new 99 Restaurant will be built on property that has stood vacant since a Pontiac/Oldsmobile dealership closed down more than 15 years ago.

“We have been talking with officials from 99 for six years to help them find the right spot; they were very selective and looked at other parcels, but finally settled on this one,” Knapik said, adding that ground was broken two weeks ago for the eatery, which is expected to open before Thanksgiving.

In addition, the end units of the former Kmart plaza will finally have tenants. Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore opened in late April in the former Grossman’s Bargain Outlet building on East Main Street, and the space at the other end will soon be occupied by a business that will provide medical-related services. “The site they will move into had been vacant for six years,” Knapik noted.

Daniel Knapik, pictured with Kate Phelon, says the Great River Bridge project, finally completed in 2012 after 30 years in the planning stage, benefits residents and businesses alike.

Another parcel, located at the gateway to Westfield on Route 20, is also flourishing. Nabil Hannoush, serial entrepreneur and vice president of the Hannoush Jewelers chain, purchased the former Balise Ford dealership on 99 Springfield St. and turned the 11-acre property into a center that houses Expert Fitness and other health-related businesses, along with the new Short Stop Bar and Grill and Batter’s Box. He and his wife want to build three additional standalone structures on the side of the building that would likely house a bank as well as retail and commercial office space.

“We are working with them and the Mass. Department of Transportation to enhance the traffic entrance,” said Knapik. “The hope is that the city can secure a grant to widen the road and add a traffic light and dedicated turn lane; we would like to begin work next fall.”

In addition, funding for the entire rail trail has been secured (more about that later), and nearby parks and other venues are planned or under construction.

Progress has also been made on a medical office built on 57 Union St. by Noble Hospital during the recession. Although New England Dermatology rented 20% of the space after it was completed, finding occupants for the remainder became problematic due to the economy. “But that changed in the past year. Noble brought in physicians who have offices there, and it has been nicely filled,” Knapik said.

Overall, the completed and in-progress projects have created a great deal of momentum in the city, said Kate Phelon, executive director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, adding that the positive vibes will undoubtedly spur additional growth.

“Since I’ve been in my position, it is very exciting to see these various projects completed, new businesses opening or expanding, and continued growth in our city,” she said. “This has a direct impact on jobs and population growth.”

Complex Components

The vision Knapik embraced and has worked toward with Cressotti’s help included a number of components: the Great River Bridge project, which was on the drawing board when the mayor took office; the rail trail; badly needed infrastructure improvements on Main and Broad streets; and development of the Gaslight District and an area of underutilized property on Elm Street that fronts it.

The $100 million Great River Bridge project was completed in 2012 after 30 years in the planning stage. The original bridge that crosses the Westfield River was rehabilitated, and a twin span was built directly opposite it. The construction required relocating three parks as well as overcoming other obstacles, but today the old bridge serves southbound traffic while the new one accommodates northbound vehicles.

Major improvements have also taken place at Westfield Barnes Regional Airport, including a $13.5 million runway reconstruction and two new hangars to be built in the future. In addition, a $2 million redesign and reconstruction of Airport Industrial Road is complete, providing better access to companies operating just outside Barnes as well as those who want to locate in the city’s new, 80-acre Air Industrial Park.

Knapik said there has been a tremendous amount of interest in industrial parcels on the north side of the city over the past six to eight months.

“It’s a sign that the economy is turning around, and we are anticipating an announcement of a big warehouse and distribution facility this month on more than 500,000 square feet of vacant land by the airport,” said the mayor. “Plus, a manufacturer is looking at a smaller parcel owned by the city. If we capture both of these, it will lead to about 400 new jobs.”

City officials also secured the $18.5 million needed to complete the rail trail. They are working on Phase I, which covers two miles from the Southwick line to the Stop & Shop in the city’s downtown. During Phase II next summer, the old railroad bridge that crosses the Westfield River will receive new decking and a new surface; work on the last leg of the project will take place in 2017 when the middle section will be completed. It’s no easy feat because the elevated, 3.5-mile trail crosses nine bridges.

“But the economic impact will be significant,” said Phelon, noting that it will connect with a larger rail trail that covers 65 miles. “We expect tens of thousands of travelers to use it, including cyclists on multi-day trips and organizations that plan bicycling vacations. Retail stores and eateries will benefit, and the area will become a perfect spot for bed-and-breakfast operations.” She added that the chamber and Friends of the Columbia Green Railway hope to partner with local businesses to help them become more bicycle-friendly and draw rail-trail users into their stores.

Travelers and locals will also be able to enjoy amenities on the Westfield River Esplanade, which runs along the levee between the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail and Great River Bridge.

“We plan to construct overlooks with natural-gas fireplaces on it and bocce courts where families can gather; we broke ground six weeks ago and expect to be done by midsummer. The most livable cities encourage people to get out of their automobiles,” said the mayor, who was recently feted with the 2015 Bicycle Advocate of the Year Award by the Alliance for Biking and Walking.

Another major capital project is underway in the Gaslight District. The streetscapes are being rebuilt, and utilities are being modernized and moved underground.

“The design was completed last year,” Knapik said, adding that the $6.5 million cost is being paid for with local money. “The city engineer wants to make this a neighborhood of distinction, and the six streets in the district will be outfitted with gaslights to create an old-fashioned, colonial-style feeling. It’s appropriate because the gas and electric companies got their start there in the 1870s.”

There will also be a new park in the district that will feature a fountain from the Thayer House that was demolished decades ago. “It was saved and unearthed by the Parks Department and hasn’t been used for about 80 years,” Knapik said.

Once improvements are complete in the Gaslight District, the city will finally be able to redevelop Elm Street. “The infrastructure was 100 years old and failing, so we couldn’t put anything there, but three buildings have been knocked down, and two more will be demolished,” Knapik said. “We have remediated the brownfield sites, and when the project is finished in the fall of 2016, the city will have four acres of unpolluted land ready for redevelopment.”

Efforts to modernize Westfield include green initiatives that were finished last year. “Sustainability is important, and adopting single-stream recycling has reduced the amount of tonnage that leaves the city by 30%. We also spent $30 million to make city buildings energy-efficient, which included new rooftops, boilers, and windows,” Knapik said, noting that the heating systems in 14 structures were converted from steam to hot water, which lowered the consumption of gas.

Another green project proposed six years ago came to fruition in January when a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for a 2-megawatt solar farm on the former Twiss Street landfill, which closed about 20 years ago and was a topic of discussion for many years.

“Citizens Energy is leasing the property from the city and will care for the 10 acres in lieu of a tax payment,” the mayor explained, adding it guaranteed the city’s price for electricity for the next 20 years, and cost savings of about $100,000 a year are expected.

Lengthy Process

When Knapik first learned about Sullivan’s vision for the city, he had no idea how long it would take to accomplish. The work on Main and Broad streets has been completed thanks to stimulus funds, which reaped the city $14 million for shovel-ready projects.

“We’ve spent $130 million on utilities, bridges, roads, and street lamps in the last decade, and all of the projects we envisioned have come to a collision point,” Knapik said. “We have had a lot of support from the governor, and good things have come to Westfield.”

Phelon agreed. “With all that has happened and will continue to happen in our great city,” she said, “the chamber is even more excited about connecting its business members and leaders to further promote economic development and entrepreneurism, and to keep the momentum moving forward that makes Westfield a great place to work, live, and play.”

Westfield at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1669 (town); 1920 (city)
Population: 41,094 (2010) 
Area: 47.3 square miles 
County: Hampden 
Residential Tax Rate: $18.54 
Commercial Tax Rate: $34.69
Median Household Income: $55,327 (2010) 
Family Household Income: $57,018 (2010) 
Type of government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Noble Hospital; Westfield State University; Airtherm; Berkshire Industries Inc.
* Latest information available

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff July 26, 2016

Company Notebook Departments

AIC to Make SAT, ACT Scores Optional Next Spring

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) will become one of the first local institutions of higher education to become SAT- and ACT-optional beginning in the spring semester of 2017. This will include all applicants for all majors. A growing trend nationally, more than 850 schools, including big names such as George Washington, Wesleyan, and Fairfield universities, are now test-optional. Thirty-five schools in Massachusetts are on board. In a study conducted by the National Assoc. for College Admission Counseling, college performance was evaluated for more than 100,000 students at 33 test-optional colleges. It was determined that the differences in college performance of those students who submitted SAT scores and those who did not were negligent in terms of grade point averages and graduation rates. The study also found that those students who did not submit SAT scores were more likely to be first-generation-to-college applicants, minority students, women, Pell grant recipients, and students with learning differences. “Moving to test-optional admissions is core to our mission of educational access for first-generation students and students from underserved backgrounds,” said Dean of Undergraduate Admission Jonathan Scully. “We’re invested in our students’ success and recognize that standardized tests don’t typically serve those populations well. There is a direct correlation between test scores and economic resources. Students who have the financial means to afford test preparation will do better than those who don’t. We shouldn’t be basing our admission decisions on test scores. It’s important to look at the whole student.” A multi-year study at AIC determined that high-school success — good grades in rigorous courses — is two to three times more predictive of retention and college success than standardized test scores.

Zweig Group Names Tighe & Bond a ‘Best Firm to Work For’

WESTFIELD — Based on the survey results of its 2016 “Best Firms to Work For” ranking, Zweig Group recently named Tighe & Bond one of the best civil-engineering firms to work for in the nation. This annual awards competition is based on business-practice data collected from numerous participating firms across the country, including feedback solicited through an employee survey. Zweig Group — a provider of management information and expertise to engineering, architecture, and environmental-consulting firms worldwide — sponsors the program that recognizes the top firms leading the way in creating a work place that inspires, motivates, and rewards employees. The competitive ranking that results is based on comprehensive evaluations of factors such as firm culture and workplace practices, employee benefits, career development and growth opportunities, compensation, performance and recognition, as well as recruiting and retention rates. All firms that apply for this prestigious ranking and recognition are evaluated against each other, not a set standard. “Zweig Group has recognized Tighe & Bond several times as one of the best engineering firms to work for in the nation, and it is always a significant honor. It also exemplifies our ongoing commitment to create a working environment where all of our employees feel valued, and where they can see their contribution to the overall mission and success of the firm and our clients,” said Tighe & Bond President and CEO David Pinsky. “Our ability to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented staff is crucial to providing the high-quality, responsive services that our clients have come to expect and deserve.” Zweig Group will recognize Tighe & Bond, along with the other winners, during the 2016 Zweig Group Hot Firm + A/E Industry Awards Conference in September. This is the industry’s largest and most comprehensive business conference for leaders and aspiring leaders of architectural, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S.

Berkshire Bank Foundation Giving Tops $1.1M in 2016

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.

MARX Events Announces Second Annual Dream Wedding Giveaway

EAST LONGMEADOW — For the second straight year, MARX Events, along with dozens of participating vendors, will award a U.S. veteran or active service member a free wedding. The giveaway aims to honor the service and sacrifice of the military and create a special atmosphere for a military couple as they embark on the next chapter of their lives together. The nomination process is now open. Community members may nominate themselves or someone they know by submitting either a written or video story to www.marxdreamwedding.com. This second annual MARX dream wedding includes a free wedding-venue space with food and beverage for 50 participants, complimentary flowers and photography, wedding dress, rehearsal dinner, and full entertainment services provided by MARX alongside many other services and providers. Participating vendors and sponsors include Chez Josef, the Delaney House, Operation: Love My Dress, Formal Affair, Pete’s Sweets, Pop’s Biscotti, Durocher Florist, Deluxe Limo, Mikkie Viereck, CJC Lighting & Events, Tanya Constigan Wedding Planning, Robert Charles Photography, Wedding Day Sourcebook, WMAS, Western Mass News, Smith & Wesson, and With Love Jacquelyn. The wedding ceremony will take place at Chez Josef in Agawam, and the rehearsal dinner will be held at the Log Cabin in Holyoke in April 2017. The top three finalists will be announced on Veterans Day, and the winner will be announced on Dec. 20. “This is our way, each year, to give back to the men and women of our military who give so much for us,” said Mark Ashe, managing partner of MARX Events.

AIC Awarded Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant

SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) has received a one-time $347,000 Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant from the Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA) in support of the college’s Nursing Education Achievement Program (NEAP). HRSA is the primary federal agency for improving access to healthcare for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. HRSA programs span across America, providing direct healthcare to 23 million people, particularly those who live in underserved inner cities and rural communities. In addition, HRSA provides scholarships and programs to encourage greater minority participation in the healthcare professions. In partnership with Baystate Medical Center, the Western Mass. chapter of the National Assoc. of Hispanic Nurses, and the Western Mass. Black Nurses Assoc., NEAP will provide professional nurses to mentor participating students along with implementing multiple evidence-based supports that will strengthen the ability of economically and educationally disadvantaged students to pass their courses, graduate, and move into the workforce. “It is an honor for American International College and the Division of Nursing to be awarded this grant, which recognizes AIC’s dedication and success in diversifying our community’s nursing workforce,” said Dean of Health Sciences Cesarina Thompson.

3D Printer Makes Orthopedic Boot for African Penguin

CROMWELL, Conn. — Local organizations banded together to support STEM education in Connecticut while making a positive difference in the community. The ACT Group, Mystic Aquarium, and Mystic Middle School, with assistance from 3D Systems, designed and produced an orthopedic boot for Purps, an African penguin and life-long resident of the aquarium. In 2011, Purps was left with a non-functional flexor tendon following an altercation with another penguin on exhibit. Since then, she has been wearing a traditional hand-casted boot to support her injury. While the traditional boot adequately immobilized, supported, and protected her injury, it posed some concerns for the veterinarian staff at the aquarium. The moldable plastic material it was made of deteriorated quickly, forcing the veterinarian staff to reproduce the boot frequently, a very time-intensive process. The collaboration between local organizations began when Sue Prince, library media specialist at Mystic Middle School, started an innovation lab with the goal of introducing students to 3D technology. She applied for and won a grant from the Stonington Education Fund and used the funds to purchase a 3D printer for the lab. Prince worked in conjunction with Kelly Matis, a member of Stonington Education Fund’s community board and director of Education and Conservation at Mystic Aquarium. Matis, aware of the diverse applications of 3D technology, shared the need for a new orthopedic boot for Purps with Prince. Eager to help and put the 3D printer to use for a great cause, Prince contacted the ACT Group to inquire about assistance with computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D scanning. Nick Gondek, ACT Group’s director of Additive Manufacturing, led his team in demonstrating state-of-the-art 3D technology to Prince and her students. These demonstrations gave the students of Mystic Middle School invaluable hands-on experience using technology from 3D Systems and allowed the ACT Group to provide technical expertise through the course of the project. The ACT Group’s assistance was a crucial part of the successful design of Purps’s boot, ultimately completed by the students of Mystic Middle School.

The Class of 2010

By BusinessWest Staff April 26, 2010

40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

This Diverse Group Is a Breed or Several Breeds Apart

The Class of 2010

You could call this a good dog-gone class of 40 Under Forty winners.

Canines are dominant in this year’s photographs, with several breeds, including the basset hound, weimaraner, and rottweiler, among others, represented (apparently cats don’t sit still for this kind of thing). There’s even a cartoon dog that has become a company’s logo. But members of this class are much more than animal lovers — although that’s a good start.

They’re also successful in business and contributors within the community, helping those with two legs as well as four. And, like the three that came before it, the class of 2010 is diverse, with a number of business groups and nonprofit agencies represented. There are entrepreneurs as well, with members starting businesses in the high-tech sector, marketing and public relations, and even motion pictures.

This year’s class has several lawyers, accountants, and bankers, as in previous years, but it also has managers of nonprofits ranging from Springfield School Volunteers to the United Way to Big Brothers Big Sisters. And the contributions within the community are diverse as well, from work (if you call running work) to raise funds for the Jimmy Fund to efforts on behalf of Habitat to Humanity, to initiatives to rescue basset hounds.

Overall, this is an inspiring class, perhaps best exemplified by the story of Nancy Bazanchuk (page A4), this year’s highest scorer. Born with a congenital condition that required the amputation of both legs above her knee, she is now program director of Disability Resources for the Center for Human Development. In that role, she has grown the department exponentially over the past 13 years, and today empowers people with physical disabilities through participation in a number of different sports.

There are a number of stories like Bazanchuk’s over the next 30 or so pages. They involve people who were inspired, and are now inspiring others. People like Natasha Clark, who was reminded daily by her father about the importance of reading and learning. He didn’t live to see her become a respected journalist and, now, program manager for Springfield School Volunteers, but he’s always been a force in her life. Or people like Jill Monson, who says she learned from the death of her mother that one never knows how much time they have, so they have to make the most of each day. She does, and she named the business she started after her mother — sort of. It’s called Inspired Marketing & Promotions because her mother inspired her to start it.

So here are the stories of the class of 2010, and, in many cases, their dogs as well. Read, and become inspired along with us. — George O’Brien

2010 40 Under Forty Winners:
Nancy Bazanchuk	David Beturne	Raymond Berry Jr.
Maegan Brooks	Karen Buell	Shanna Burke
Damon Cartelli	Daniel Finn	Natasha Clark
Julie Cowan	Karen Curran	Adam Epstein
James Krupienski	Susan Mielnikowski	Owen Freeman-Daniels
Lorenzo Gaines	Thomas Galanis	Anthony Gleason II
Allen Harris	Meghan Hibner	Amanda Huston
Kimberly Klimczuk	Mary Fallon	David Kutcher
James Leahy	Kristin Leutz	Meghan Lynch
Brady Chianciola	Jill Monson	Kevin Perrier
Lindsay Porter	Brandon Reed	Boris Revsin
Aaron Vega	Ian Vukovich	Thomas Walsh
Sean Wandrei	Byron White	Chester Wojcik
Peter Zurlino

Meet Our Judges

This year’s nominations were scored by a panel of five judges, who took on the daunting task of reviewing more than 100 nomination forms and choosing 40 winners from that impressive pool.

BusinessWest would like to thank these outstanding members of the Western Mass. business community for volunteering their time to the fourth annual 40 Under Forty competition. They are:

Denise Dukette, associate director of the Western Mass. Enterprise Fund, who serves as director of lending and head of operations for that organization, a nonprofit community-loan fund that works with banks and other lenders to enable financing for businesses that would otherwise not qualify.

Ronn Johnson, president of R.D. Johnson Consulting in Springfield, which specializes in strategic planning and organizational development. Formerly, he served as director of Community Responsibility for MassMutual.

Kathy LeMay, owner and founder of Raising Change, a Florence-based company focused on building bridges between philanthropists and nonprofits. The highest scorer among the 40 Under Forty Class of 2009, she recently completed a book titled The Generosity Plan.

Jeff McCormick, a partner with the Springfield-based law firm Robinson Donovan, and one of the region’s preeminent trial lawyers. He specializes in business litigation, personal-injury law, federal litigation, professional-malpractice law, and legal ethics.

Marla Michel, executive director of Strategic Communications and Outreach at UMass Amherst. In this recently created role, she will help lead efforts to build awareness and understanding of research and scholarly accomplishments among internal and external constituents and to expand the university’s role in local and regional innovation. Previously, she served as director of Research Liaison and Development.

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff April 10, 2024

People on the Move

Mei-Ann Chen

Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) announced that internationally acclaimed conductor Mei-Ann Chen, who was guest conductor for the SSO’s 2023-24 opening-night performance, is joining the SSO in the newly created position of artistic advisor, effective for the 2024-25 season. Chen will serve as the orchestra’s artistic face, curating programs, selecting guest soloists, and facilitating other artistic needs. She will also conduct a minimum of two symphonic concerts per season. At the same time, the SSO will continue to engage guest conductors in performances of the symphony. An acclaimed, innovative leader both on and off the podium, Chen has served as music director of Chicago Sinfonietta since 2011. Chief conductor of Austria’s Recreation – Grosses Orchester Graz at Styriarte, she also serves as an artistic partner with ROCO in Texas and Northwest Sinfonietta in Washington. A sought-after guest conductor, she has appeared with distinguished orchestras throughout the Americas, Europe, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia (more than 150 orchestras to date). Named one of Musical America’s 2015 Top 30 Influencers, Chen is a recipient of a League of American Orchestras Helen M. Thompson Award, a Taki Concordia fellowship, and several ASCAP awards, and is the only woman in the history of the Malko Competition to have been named First Prize Winner.

•••••

Jack Dill

Ashley Vanesse

Lisa Wills

Elms College announced that three prominent leaders in the region have joined the college’s board of trustees. B. John (Jack) Dill is the president and principal of Colebrook Realty Services and has been negotiating real-estate transactions on behalf of his clients — buyers, sellers, property owners, and tenants — for more than three decades. He holds the counselors of real estate designation, along with other professional designations and licenses in the fields of real estate, finance, and construction, and is a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Dill has been an active supporter of more than 20 local nonprofits, including Elms College, and is currently vice chairman of the Fallon Community Health Plan board of directors and a member of the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp. He earned his bachelor of arts degree cum laude from Williams College. Ashley Vanesse is the president of the Elms College Alumni Assoc. and has been a member of the association since graduating from the Elms in 2011. She is currently office manager for Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home and also held various positions in the Elms College Admission Office. She earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Elms College and her master’s degree in psychology and school counseling from Westfield State University. Lisa Wills is a partner at Whittlesey, one of the largest regional CPA and IT consulting firms in New England. She has worked primarily with nonprofits over her 25-year career and is an expert in complex audits. She is a licensed certified public accountant with the state of Connecticut and an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, as well as the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CTCPA). In addition, she is a recognized industry leader and frequent speaker on topics such as FASB changes and female leadership. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from Elms College in 1988.

•••••

The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce announced that its executive committee has concluded its search for the chamber’s new executive director and selected Jacob Robinson, who brings more than 15 years of experience in building coalitions, fostering partnerships, and promoting business-driven leadership for sustainable impact. In his most recent role as the West Roxbury Main Streets program director, Robinson concentrated on local economic development, offering technical assistance to small businesses, facilitating pandemic recovery efforts, leading community events, and championing inclusive commercial planning efforts. His commitment has extended to serving on municipal planning committees and nonprofit boards and contributing to Belchertown’s Climate Resilience and Sustainable Growth Plan. His past work includes building regional and national networks of business leaders working together to develop and share best practices in energy management and strategy. He is also a skilled researcher and educator on the topics of corporate environmental, social, and governance leadership. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental management from Indiana University.

•••••

Thomas Dufault

Country Bank announced the appointment of Thomas Dufault as senior vice president of the Retail Lending department. With 35 years in the mortgage industry and an entrepreneurial and construction background, he brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to his new role. Dufault has gained extensive experience in construction standards, business acumen, and process improvements throughout his career. His diverse background, including as a former business owner, makes him an ideal candidate to lead Country Bank’s Retail Lending team. In addition to his professional achievements, Dufault is also committed to community service. He has served on the board of Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts for 10 years, the past four years as the board president. He supports various charitable initiatives, including the United Way of North Central Massachusetts, the American Cancer Society, Heifer Project International, and the Alzheimer’s Assoc. He has also served on various committees and boards in the town of Rutland, where he lived for 26 years.

•••••

Tech Foundry, the regional leader in IT workforce development and training, announced the hiring of four new staff members as well as promotions of existing staff to support the organization’s growing operations. Phillip Borras, Tech Foundry’s Career Readiness and Recruitment coordinator, was recently promoted to Coaching manager. A professional speaker, comedian, and life coach, he now leads a team of three coaches who mentor student members throughout the organization’s IT support training program and after graduation. This work complements Tech Foundry’s professional-development training, including résumé writing, interviewing, networking, and other professional-development skills. Jessica Cogoli has been promoted to instructor. A Tech Foundry alum, she has been working closely with the organization since she graduated, as a volunteer, assistant instructor, and technical lead for the IT support training program. She recently graduated from Holyoke Community College with an associate degree in computer science and is now working toward her bachelor’s degree at Southern New Hampshire University. Eric Maldonado, a 20-year veteran of the human-services field, joins the Tech Foundry team as a coach. His previous work focused on youth and homeless adults, including experience as a career coach with MassHire in Springfield. He is also an entrepreneur and has been running two successful businesses for the past five years. William Medina, a former instructor at Tech Foundry, returned to the organization as the new Tech Hub director at the end of February. He is a technology enthusiast who helped build the organization during its early years. In his new role, he is responsible for managing the daily operations of the Tech Hub, a Holyoke-based center which provides digital-literacy classes, technical support, and device distribution throughout Western Mass. As director, he manages daily operations, curriculum development, community relations, the digital fellows program, and professional development. Hilda Santa, a recent graduate of Tech Foundry, joins the team as the new administrative assistant and coach. She is a retired 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air National Guard and brings more than 15 years of administrative experience to the organization. In her role as a part-time coach, she will mentor the next generation of student-members. She holds a bachelor’s degree in health studies from UMass Amherst. Pattie Carulli-Hauser brings her passion for coaching and mentoring to the Tech Foundry team as one of the organization’s new coaches. In her role, she will provide ongoing mentoring and support for Tech Foundry’s student members. She has spent most of her career in research and development leadership roles in the consumer-goods industry.

•••••

Caitlin von Schmidt

Franklin Community Co-op recently welcomed Caitlin von Schmidt as its new Outreach and Communications manager, effective March 19. “Caitlin’s time as coordinator of the Greenfield Business Association and in the Mayor’s Office at the city of Greenfield sets her up beautifully to succeed in her new position, and we’re excited to have her on board,” co-op General Manager John Williams said. “We’re happy to have her as the newest member of our successful team.” Williams also thanked Amy Britt for her time in the position as she moves on to other opportunities. “I’m thrilled to be joining the Franklin Community Co-op family,” von Schmidt said. “The co-op is a beloved establishment, and its role as an anchor business and vital community member can’t be overstated. In addition, I’m thrilled to be involved at such an important time, with the expansion into the Wilson’s building on the horizon.”

•••••

Duc-Pac Corp. announced that its president, Gregory Merchant, has been voted to serve as president of Air Distribution Institute (ADI), the national alliance of steel HVAC pipe and fittings manufacturers focused on research and working with industry leading decision makers to create better policy. Duc-Pac is a family-owned and operated business that was founded in 1949. The company moved its manufacturing facility to Springfield in 2022. “I am proud to contribute my experience by helping lead the ADI,” Merchant said. “Duc-Pac has been a member of the organization for over 15 years. There is a lot of attention today on the use of green energy in HVAC and achieving ever-greater efficiencies with heating and cooling our homes. On one hand, we are very specialized production manufacturers. On the other hand, we have a big role to play in providing products and information essential to more efficient HVAC systems. We cannot lose sight that to not participate in HVAC improvements this way is to invite overseas competition to do so.”

•••••

Lauren Tabin

bankESB recently hired Lauren Tabin as assistant vice president, branch officer of its King Street, Northampton office. Tabin has nearly 30 years of banking experience. Prior to joining bankESB, she was assistant vice president, branch officer at PeoplesBank, and previously held various other positions there, including banking center manager, branch officer, trainer, and teller. She brings an extensive background in management and leadership experience to her new role, where she will manage the Northampton office team while remaining engaged in the community. She currently serves on the board of the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club, and previously served on the board of Black Horse Trust, the Miracle League of Western Massachusetts, the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round, and Providence Ministries. She is a member of BusinessWest’s 40 Under Forty class of 2011.

•••••

Country Bank announced the appointment of four new corporators and a new trustee at its annual meeting on March 11. Ivon Gois, president of Gois Broadcasting, brings a wealth of experience to the bank. Based in Worcester, Gois operates 12 radio stations in New England and is well-known for his contributions to the media industry, ethnic and racial diversity work, and financial expertise. Mechilia Salazar, CEO and director of Hope for Youth and Families Foundation in Springfield, is a respected leader in the nonprofit sector. Her previous role as CEO of the Ludlow Boys and Girls Club demonstrates her commitment to serving marginalized and underbanked communities. She often serves as the bridge between local businesses and the communities they serve. Samalid Hogan, a business consultant, CEO, and principal at Greylock Management in Ludlow, is a seasoned professional with a strong track record of success. Her leadership as past president of the Springfield Rotary Club and her involvement on various boards further highlight her dedication to making a positive impact. Her passion for empowering small businesses has made her a respected leader in the industry. Walter Pacheco, a prominent figure in the hospitality industry, owns several Western and Central Mass. restaurants and investment properties. His extensive business acumen and local ties make him a valuable addition to the bank. In addition to the new corporators, new Country Bank President Mary McGovern was appointed to the board of trustees.

•••••

Paul Asselin

The Massachusetts chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors announced that Paul Asselin, Gould Construction Institute instructor, is the 2024 ABC National Craft Instructor of the Year. Asselin was honored at the 2024 ABC Convention in Orlando, Fla. on March 13. ABC presents the annual Craft Instructor of the Year Award to an outstanding instructor with a passion for their craft, creativity, a positive attitude, and the ability to transfer knowledge through excellent communications skills and forward-thinking teaching to future construction professionals. With nearly 40 years of experience in the construction industry, Asselin has taught basic through advanced electrical courses since 2001. He is the training manager for Elm Electrical Inc. in Westfield, where he has worked since 1983. He is also the wiring inspector for his hometown of Russell and previously served as chair of Westfield Technical Academy’s general advisory board and electrical shop advisory board. As Craft Instructor of the Year, Asselin received a $10,000 cash prize. Co-sponsors of Craft Instructor of the Year are the National Center for Construction Education and Research, the training, assessment, certification, and career-development standard for the construction industry; and Tradesmen International, North America’s premier craft-professional staffing resource. Asselin will also be profiled in the June issue of Construction Executive magazine.

•••••

On April 6, Westfield State University inducted six alumni into the Criminal Justice Alumni Hall of Fame. Inductees are recognized for their excellence in their chosen field and for their accomplishments in criminal justice and law enforcement at the state, federal, and local levels. This year’s alumni inductees are Benjamin Campbell ’11 of the Maine State Police; David Campbell ’84, a retired special agent in the U.S. Department of Justice; Cheryl Clapprood ’92, Springfield Police superintendent; John Kotfila Jr. ’08, who served in the Sheriff’s Office in Hillsborough County, Fla.; Kenneth O’Connor ’87, a chief court officer in the Massachusetts Trial Court; and Jeffrey Trask ’02, a leader in emergency management and preparedness. Kim Tobin, professor of Criminal Justice, was also honored for her distinguished service to Westfield State. Both Benjamin Campbell and Kotfila were recognized posthumously.

Geoff Sullivan

By BusinessWest Staff April 22, 2014

40 Under 40 The Class of 2014

Owner and Performance Coach, Continuum Performance Center, age 32

Geoff Sullivan is all about performance. It’s in his title and his company’s name, after all. But it took a few career stops before he set his eyes on his most challenging goal — entrepreneurship.

After studying exercise science at UMass Amherst, and a stint in the Corporate Wellness division of Yankee Candle, he became a fitness director for Healthtrax. At the time, Healthtrax was partnering with Altheus, an innovative business model for personal coaching. “I loved what they brought to the table,” he said.

In fact, he assisted in implementing the Altheus model in 12 Healthtrax facilities in seven states, growing fitness-related revenues by more than 600% in the process. He also created and implemented what’s known as the Small Group Coaching model in 15 facilities.

Eventually, he felt like he could bring his skills and knowledge to his own enterprise, so he left Healthtrax and opened Continuum Performance Center in East Longmeadow in 2011. It proved to be a smart decision, as the business has quadrupled in size since then.

“We are very, I don’t want to use the word ‘prideful,’ but if we are attaching our name to a fitness program, we’re going to give the best we have; we’ll give extra time, do something that wasn’t agreed upon, to reach our goals,” he said. “Our success comes quite literally from the fact that we put the program first, and people achieving the results they want.”

His business also pours energy into the Season of Giving, an annual effort around the holidays that raises money for organizations like Toys for Tots, the Western Massachusetts Food Bank, the Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity. Sullivan gives of his time, too, such as working with his employees on a Habitat house build and visiting regions affected by Hurricane Sandy to assist with cleanup efforts.

That’s gratifying, Sullivan said, but so is his everyday work, because it changes lives.

“Each time someone achieves something they always wanted to but didn’t think they could, you see the pure elation on their face,” he said. “You were an integral part of that — you mapped it out for them — but they were the ones who accepted the challenge and put in the work and accomplished their goal.”

— Joseph Bednar

By BusinessWest Staff October 15, 2007

Departments

MassMutual Named A Working Mother 100 Best Company

SPRINGFIELD — Working Mother magazine recently named MassMutual a ‘2007 Working Mother Best Company.’ Leading a significant and ongoing culture shift, MassMutual officials note they are using company-wide benefits and programs to help ensure the retention and advancement of working mothers. MassMutual provides a number of options to help employees achieve a strong work/life balance, including flexible schedules, on-site and near-site child care facilities, an on-site credit union, convenience store with a full-service pharmacy, dry cleaner, tailor, jewelry and shoe repair, a barbershop, and a hair salon. MassMutual also has a strong commitment to employee health, offering state-of-the-art wellness activity centers, employee health service centers that offer such amenities as personal health assessments, on-site physical therapy, and flu vaccinations, as well as an employee-assistance program. In other news, the company has been awarded the No. 1 ranking in this year’s InformationWeek 500 “Information Security/Privacy” category for its proprietary information security management system. MassMutual’s award is one of only five “Leaders in Innovation” category awards identified by InformationWeek, namely, Productivity, Information Security, Supply Chain Innovation, Emerging Technology and Customer Intimacy.

Daly Honored At Baystate Dedication

SPRINGFIELD — Recognizing his strategic vision and his inspirational leadership of the organization for 22 years, Baystate Health recently honored Michael J. Daly during a dedication ceremony of the Daly Building, formerly the Centennial Building, at the stystem’s Springfield campus. Baystate’s Board of Trustees officially renamed and dedicated the medical center to honor Daly, who served as chief executive officer from 1981 to 2003. An unveiling of a special plaque in his honor was among the festivities during the dedication ceremony on Oct. 2.

Spalding Introduces ‘The Beast’

SPRINGFIELD — Spalding is bringing an NBA in-arena style experience to a new portable outdoor system. By introducing The Beast, Spalding now offers the first ever 60-inch glass portable backboard system in the market. The Spalding Beast’s glass board provides increased benefits to players, highlighted by a 37% truer rebound than achieved with acrylic systems, according to company officials. The Beast also boasts an aluminum-trimmed unit which features a heavy duty steel frame, Z-arm board mounts that provide increased stability, and a heavy duty Pro Image® breakaway rim. In addition, an institutional style lift provides infinite height adjustment from 7.5’ to 10’, a portable, multi-wheel with castors base provides ease of movement, and a four-strut pole/base mount provides superior system rigidity.

North Amherst Company Wins National Award

NORTH AMHERST — Cowls Land and Lumber Company has been awarded the Assoc. of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ prestigious Landowner Stewardship Award. The award is presented annually to landowners who make a significant and positive conservation impact on a large area of privately owned land. The award was recently presented to Cinda Jones and her husband, Chuck Walker, of the Cowls Companies at the annual meeting of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in Louisville, Ky. Over the past 265 years, the family’s Western Mass. forest land has been devoted to sustainable timber production, while providing public recreational access and improved wildlife habitat. Cowls was one of the original tree farms to embrace and meet the requirements to be certified as a sustainable producer of trees in the United States. Cowls employs professionally trained foresters in the management of its land and incorporates multiple uses into its land-management plans. Cowls management plans are long-term and set the goal of achieving a sustained yield while retaining diversity of fish and wildlife, habitats, and ecosystems function. This year’s award represents the first time recognition has been given to a sustainable forest-based enterprise (in the past only farmers and ranchers have been recipients) and the first time for a Northeastern state. For more information on the award program, visit www.fishwildlife.org.

Big Y Promo Supports Breast Cancer Research

SPRINGFIELD — Big Y Supermarkets will be donating proceeds from its produce department as well as additional select products in October to the local Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Massachusetts and Connecticut Affiliates, to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer. The month-long initiative is titled “Partners of Hope,” and Big Y has partnered with many manufacturers to procure hundreds of thousands of pick-labeled products with funding toward breast cancer research and awareness. Big Y will be selling pink T-shirts, pink-frosted cupcakes, pink travel mugs and water bottles, pink bouquets and more. Pink paper ribbons will also be available for a $1 donation and will be posted in each market. Internally, Big Y’s Wellness Team will be hosting several programs this month to highlight breast cancer awareness to the employee family.

TD Banknorth Grant Supports Museum Programs

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Museums have received a $10,000 grant from the TD Banknorth Charitable Foundation for its Weekend Family Fun series of educational programs. Weekend Family Fun programs highlight holidays, special exhibits, cultures from around the world, and popular topics like dinosaurs and Dr. Seuss. Each program includes a performance, art demonstrations, science activities, and hands-on craft workshops. The four Springfield Museums and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden are located on the Quadrangle at 21 Edwards St.

Springfield Falcons Partner with Big Y, WNEC

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Falcons recently signed a two-year corporate partnership agreement with Big Y Foods that once again offers fans a discount ticket for select nights when they present their Big Y Savings Card at the MassMutual Center Box Office. Big Y Foods will also receive maximum exposure as part of its partnership with their logo appearing on signage on the MassMutual Center center-hung video board, and also on dasherboard signage inside of the MassMutual Center. The Falcons also recently partnered with Western New England College for the 2007-08 season to develop the Falcons’ new multimedia section located on Falconsahl.com. The new feature will consist of both audio and video clips involving Falcons players and coaches, as well as game highlights. WNEC officials noted they are proud to provide support and assistance for this ambitious web marketing enterprise, known as the Western New England College multimedia section of the Springfield Falcons’ website, where fans will be able to enjoy a more interactive experience with the organization.

Avada’s Blulink Offers Wireless Hearing

SPRINGFIELD — Avada Hearing Care Centers recently introduced Blulink™, its first wireless communication system that tackles challenges for those with hearing loss — providing ultimate sound quality that is delivered in sync with the listening environment and offering hands-free connectivity to Bluetooth-enabled cell phones and other wireless electronic devices. Unlike traditional hearing instruments, Blulink’s high speed wireless digital technology creates a wireless ‘bubble’ around the user, allowing a pair of Blulink hearing devices to communicate together to process sounds similar to the way the human brain receives and interprets sounds. For more information, visit www.avada.com.

Hampden Bank to Continue Energy Relief Program

SPRINGFIELD — There is still uncertainty about how much it will cost homeowners to stay warm this heating season. However, many people are already beginning to wonder, and worry, about how they are going to pay their heating bills this winter. In response to what could be some very tough situations for local residents, Hampden Bank has decided to once again continue it’s Energy Relief Program introduced two years ago. The program is designed to give mortgage customers the option to make a smaller, ‘interest only’ payments on their mortgage for the duration of the heating season. “We are reacting to the needs of our customers,” said Senior Vice President Robert Michel. “While fuel prices have come down, filling up your car or paying the heating bill is still painful. With this program, we allow our borrowers to make an interest-only payment. They’ll be able to use the savings each month to apply toward their heating costs.” Michel added. The program is simple, but the savings can be profound. For example, a $150,000 loan balance with a 20-year remaining term at an average 6.5% interest rate would yield a savings of almost $250 per month.

Scenes from 40 Under Forty Alumni 2014 Event

By BusinessWest Staff September 28, 2015

Scenes from the 2014 40 Under Forty Reunion

From left, Jason Barroso (class of 2013), project environmental scientist at Tighe & Bond; Jeremy Leap (class of 2013), vice president of commercial lending at Country Bank for Savings; Kristen Hua (class of 2011), assistant vice president at PeoplesBank; and Xiaolei Hua (class of 2013), assistant vice president and credit officer at PeoplesBank.

Country Bank Welcomes Two New Team Members

By BusinessWest Staff May 16, 2018

Daily News

WARE — 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.

Real Estate Transactions

By BusinessWest Staff January 7, 2020

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

60 Merrifield Road
Bernardston, MA 01337
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Veaceslav Falceanu
Seller: Arno L. Skalski
Date: 12/17/19

COLRAIN

4 High St.
Colrain, MA 01340
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: David W. Adams
Seller: Carole Adams
Date: 12/11/19

CONWAY

13 West Parsons Dr.
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Hendrik VanDen-Broek
Seller: Dkma Consulting LLC
Date: 12/13/19

DEERFIELD

47 Graves St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $179,000
Buyer: Barbara B. Galli
Seller: Adele B. Dowell
Date: 12/16/19

2 Park St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $1,250,000
Buyer: J2K Realty LLC
Seller: Joseph W. Gorey
Date: 12/11/19

54 South Mill River Road
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: Kirstin L. Miner
Seller: Karkut 2013 RET
Date: 12/16/19

ERVING

16 Flagg Hill
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Jacob M. Earl
Seller: Curtiss R. Brunelle
Date: 12/11/19

36 High St.
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Alex Colon
Seller: Christine H. Costa
Date: 12/05/19

54 River Road
Erving, MA 01344
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Tyler J. Young
Seller: Wojtkowski FT
Date: 12/05/19

GREENFIELD

98 Burnham Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Judith Roberge
Seller: Linda Freeman TR
Date: 12/16/19

176 Chapman St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Christopher Lewis
Seller: William J. Doyle
Date: 12/06/19

258 Chapman St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: David Stratford
Seller: Michael K. Perreault
Date: 12/04/19

109 Cottage St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $170,400
Buyer: Erik K. Hurley
Seller: Blake E. Wilson
Date: 12/06/19

7 James St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $363,750
Buyer: Douglas E. Andrew
Seller: John R. Mason
Date: 12/16/19

7 Newell Pond Place
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Alyssa Bobe
Seller: Robert Mugar Yacubian RET
Date: 12/06/19

75 Shattuck St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Renee J. Kampfe-Leacher
Seller: Paul E. McDonald
Date: 12/04/19

139 Silver St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $218,000
Buyer: Kaylie A. Love
Seller: Susan Antico
Date: 12/16/19

MONTAGUE

Old Sunderland Road
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Joan M. Deignan
Seller: Justin D. Killeen
Date: 12/10/19

20 Turner St.
Montague, MA 01351
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Jessica Dimitriou
Seller: John Castorino
Date: 12/13/19

25 Turners Falls Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Samantha Myburgh
Seller: Megan A. Atherton
Date: 12/10/19

70 Turnpike Road
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $158,400
Buyer: Norwich Commercial Group
Seller: Jacob Stafford
Date: 12/10/19

NEW SALEM

520 Daniel Shays Hwy.
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Joshua H. Mason
Seller: Jamie Beauchesne
Date: 12/16/19
.
842 Daniel Shays Hwy.
New Salem, MA 01355
Amount: $279,900
Buyer: Heidi M. Bohn
Seller: Warren H. Farnham
Date: 12/12/19

NORTHFIELD

211 Birnam Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $347,000
Buyer: Katherine A. Clark
Seller: Jeanne B. Grubman TR
Date: 12/16/19

178 Old Vernon Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Randy W. Brown
Seller: Dale S. Whitney
Date: 12/17/19

ORANGE

10 Eddy St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $165,900
Buyer: Gary B. Willard
Seller: Emma G. Ellsworth
Date: 12/05/19

23-25 Howe St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Crystopher D. Clarke
Seller: Thomas Cleveland
Date: 12/13/19

81 Memory Lane
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Catherine Breckenridge
Seller: Theresa Feehan
Date: 12/09/19

78-80 New Athol Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Frances Bates
Seller: Ingrid Willard
Date: 12/11/19

10 Nina Pierce Circle
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Rosario Dimartino
Seller: Vytis LLC
Date: 12/09/19

7 Nina Pierce Circle
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: Rosario Dimartino
Seller: Litvak LLC
Date: 12/09/19

86 Packard Road
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Leslie V. Thompson
Seller: Chris A. Soucie
Date: 12/12/19

174 Pleasant St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Olivia A. Kimball
Seller: Jacob M. Earl
Date: 12/11/19

16-36 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Karmacan LLC
Seller: New Home Orange LLC
Date: 12/09/19

58 South Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Karmacan LLC
Seller: New Home Orange LLC
Date: 12/09/19

65 Summit St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $145,900
Buyer: Antonio J. Woodland
Seller: Justin M. Basque
Date: 12/06/19

SHELBURNE

106 Shelburne Center Road
Shelburne, MA 01370
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Benjamin B. Russell
Seller: Frances M. Pheeny
Date: 12/06/19

SHUTESBURY

14 Ladyslipper Lane
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Carole A. Demetre
Seller: Donald A. Perreault
Date: 12/05/19

WENDELL

15 West St.
Wendell, MA 01380
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Louis N. Rapp
Seller: Byron J. Ricketts
Date: 12/04/19

WHATELY

11 Grey Oak Lane
Whately, MA 01373
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Andrew J. Demado
Seller: Hamelin Framing Inc.
Date: 12/12/19

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

54 Charles St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Barbara Brizzolari
Seller: Andrea M. Davis
Date: 12/10/19

120 Clover Hill Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $281,500
Buyer: Joshua X. Tower
Seller: Nicholas Beaudette
Date: 12/05/19

244 Colemore St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $287,500
Buyer: George L. Vershon
Seller: Kenneth A. Labonte
Date: 12/17/19

89 Granger Dr.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Adam D. Schmaelzle
Seller: Charles F. Kehoe
Date: 12/13/19

26 Hall St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Shannon Dion
Seller: Keith J. Camyre
Date: 12/16/19

33 High St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $233,888
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Jonathan N. Towle
Date: 12/06/19

51 Howard St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Gheorghe G. Munteanu
Seller: Jean C. Ceccarini
Date: 12/05/19

45 Kirkland St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Alanna A. Tidwell
Seller: Michael J. Donovan
Date: 12/12/19

22 Lakeview Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $332,910
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Timothy Murphy
Date: 12/11/19

167 Lancaster Dr.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Kevin Atkin
Seller: Justine Craven-Goetz
Date: 12/13/19

959 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Adam M. Debarge
Seller: Stuart B. Gordon
Date: 12/10/19

85 North Alhambra Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Michael Lapointe
Seller: Jonathon Mach
Date: 12/06/19

173 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Daniel C. Normandeau
Seller: Douglas B. Cesan
Date: 12/13/19

45 Oak Hill Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $244,000
Buyer: Michael Ritchie
Seller: Laurence J. Outhuse
Date: 12/12/19

491 South West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Ana Kaletina
Seller: Hatzipetro, Barbara A., (Estate)
Date: 12/13/19

BLANDFORD

1-R Beagle Club Road
Blandford, MA 01008
Amount: $314,000
Buyer: Liza M. Farrelly
Seller: Neil J. Geary
Date: 12/12/19

BRIMFIELD

1477 Dunhamtown Brimfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $143,094
Buyer: US Bbank
Seller: Nickolas J. Digregorio
Date: 12/05/19

39 Prospect Hill Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Michael E. Siegel
Seller: Michael J. Gelinas
Date: 12/04/19

CHESTER

430 East River Road
Chester, MA 01050
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: Allison M. Mills
Seller: Eric D. Braaten
Date: 12/06/19

CHICOPEE

50 Archie St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $269,900
Buyer: Jose I. Aponte
Seller: Wayne A. Laflamme
Date: 12/06/19

144 Blanan Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Darryl Bress
Seller: Casimir J. Storozuk
Date: 12/05/19

1307 Burnett Road
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Frederick T. Szlosek
Seller: Masztal, Edward W., (Estate)
Date: 12/06/19

572 Chicopee St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Degaulle N. Litoma
Seller: Providencia Melendez
Date: 12/12/19

475 Dale St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Revampit LLC
Seller: William Stocker
Date: 12/09/19

36 Daley St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Nicole A. Drobnak
Seller: Elaine J. Labbe
Date: 12/16/19

160 Edgewood Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Nicholas O’Connor
Seller: Nancy R. Helwig
Date: 12/10/19

150 Empire St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Mark Kristev
Seller: Timofey Sychev
Date: 12/16/19

255 Frontenac St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Chandler T. Boutin
Seller: Daniel Whalen
Date: 12/12/19

316 Hampden St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Daniel T. McMahon
Seller: Michelle Aucoin
Date: 12/06/19

28 Henshaw St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $264,900
Buyer: Western Mass. Training Consortium
Seller: Stephan W. Zaremba
Date: 12/04/19

160 Jacob St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Stephen G. Young
Seller: Terri A. Major
Date: 12/06/19

62 Jamrog Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Devan M. Stamborski
Seller: Daniel Stamborski
Date: 12/13/19

20 Johnson Road
Chicopee, MA 01022
Amount: $8,085,000
Buyer: RM Acre Chicopee Hampden
Seller: Education Capital Solutions
Date: 12/06/19

30 Larchmont St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $326,500
Buyer: Ahmed Jebur
Seller: Viktor Savonin
Date: 12/06/19

57 Larchmont St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $298,000
Buyer: Camilo Pascual
Seller: Natalya Arbuzov
Date: 12/06/19

70 Larchmont St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $150,500
Buyer: Dawn L. Holland
Seller: Joseph Roda
Date: 12/12/19

205 Loomis Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Travis Odiorne
Seller: William M. Keating
Date: 12/16/19

143 Lukasik St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Tracy A. Wehr
Seller: Thaddeus R. Caisse
Date: 12/06/19

34 Maple St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Celestino Montes
Seller: Maple Ledge Associates
Date: 12/04/19

46 Maple St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Cheri Pitt Team LLC
Seller: Jean Grondin
Date: 12/16/19

48-50 Maple St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Cheri Pitt Team LLC
Seller: Jean Grondin
Date: 12/16/19

91 Marcelle St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Sarah Jasinski-Wodecki
Seller: Paul T. Sullivan
Date: 12/16/19

79 Park St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Andre Perez
Seller: Urszula R. Stetson
Date: 12/10/19

31 Pleasant St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $277,500
Buyer: RM Blerman LLC
Seller: Lachenauer LLC
Date: 12/12/19

64 Pondview Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Jason Orne
Seller: Adam M. Debarge
Date: 12/04/19

798 Prospect St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Samantha L. Langevin
Seller: Robert P. Langevin
Date: 12/17/19

85 Simonich St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Carolyn A. Blajda
Seller: Gladys M. Stokowski
Date: 12/10/19

541 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Miroslav Nesterchuk
Seller: 541-543 Springfield St NT
Date: 12/13/19

223 Summit Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $297,000
Buyer: Bryan Doctolero
Seller: DCL General Construction
Date: 12/16/19

50 Westport Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Joseph Menard
Seller: Callahan, Kathleen A., (Estate)
Date: 12/06/19

EAST LONGMEADOW

43 Gerrard Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Sean R. Agustynowicz
Seller: John F. Mahan
Date: 12/16/19

32 Parker St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: KRM Real Estate LLC
Seller: Ryan J. Callan
Date: 12/10/19

2 Ridge Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $316,000
Buyer: Michael E. Vona
Seller: Natasha T. Drane
Date: 12/13/19

10 Senator Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Joseph C. Zguro
Seller: Randy Sample
Date: 12/06/19

31 Thompson St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Connor M. Corsi
Seller: Vanvalkenburg, Jane M., (Estate)
Date: 12/13/19

90 Wood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $212,150
Buyer: Sean Bechard
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 12/13/19

GRANVILLE

75 Blandford Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Nathan Testerman
Seller: Johanna C. Wolff
Date: 12/12/19

164 Reagan Road
Granville, MA 01034
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Nicholas Hultine
Seller: Austin J. Prokop
Date: 12/17/19

HAMPDEN

34 Burleigh Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Jared Lewis
Seller: Michael S. O’Rourke
Date: 12/13/19

84 Chapin Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Victor A. Deangelo
Seller: Pamela Outhuse
Date: 12/13/19

32 Dresden St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $174,900
Buyer: Makenson Petit-Frere
Seller: Home Staging & Realty LLC
Date: 12/13/19

212 Glendale Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Brian Stamm
Seller: Kevin J. Czaplicki
Date: 12/12/19

73 Glendale Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $267,500
Buyer: Robert Martucci
Seller: Deborah L. Loyd
Date: 12/16/19

147 Mill Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $340,500
Buyer: Stephen K. Atwater
Seller: David Markham
Date: 12/16/19

354 North Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Justin M. Simmons
Seller: Thomas L. Jarvis
Date: 12/06/19

88 Oak Knoll Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Douglas L. Leclair
Seller: Clifford E. Bombard
Date: 12/16/19

140 Rock A. Dundee Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $585,000
Buyer: Meredith A. Sample
Seller: Michelle W. Neveah
Date: 12/06/19

131 Stony Hill Road
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $326,000
Buyer: Wayne Whitlock
Seller: Dana R. Gahres
Date: 12/12/19

HOLLAND

181 Brimfield Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: John A. Kroell
Seller: Robert W. Sutton
Date: 12/10/19

75 Dug Hill Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: David B. Crane
Seller: Hunt, Alice H., (Estate)
Date: 12/05/19

14 Maiden Lane
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Robert L. Williams
Seller: Roberta T. Bennett
Date: 12/13/19

6 Park Road
Holland, MA 01521
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Joshua M. Johnson
Seller: Richard G. Johnson
Date: 12/16/19

HOLYOKE

199 Bemis Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Andrew S. Lafrennie
Seller: Kenneth J. Lafrennie
Date: 12/16/19

193-195 Brown Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $120,340
Buyer: Richard Santos
Seller: Wilmington Savings
Date: 12/13/19

Chmura Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Anniversary Hill Development LLC
Seller: Joseph Chapdelaine & Sons
Date: 12/06/19

233 Easthampton Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $650,000
Buyer: Arment & Vanzandt Realty
Seller: Wyckoff Associates LLC
Date: 12/13/19

2 Elliot St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $227,500
Buyer: Sophia L. Chambers
Seller: David R. Garfinkel
Date: 12/10/19

142 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $214,000
Buyer: Luis Robles
Seller: Coakley Corp.
Date: 12/13/19

783 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $242,500
Buyer: Brian T. Matlock
Seller: Lauren M. Magri
Date: 12/06/19

73 Martin St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $187,000
Buyer: Stephen P. Peregrin
Seller: Amanda M. Rogers
Date: 12/13/19

36 Merrick Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Thomas H. Werbiskis
Seller: Joanne C. Bligh
Date: 12/17/19

1070 Northampton St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Adam Gosselin
Seller: Dakota J. Hebert
Date: 12/17/19

224 Pine St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $149,459
Buyer: Lakeview Loan Servicing
Seller: Charles J. Berard
Date: 12/11/19

270-272 Pine St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Ibrahim Raphael
Seller: Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity
Date: 12/06/19

28 Portland St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: William P. McHugh
Seller: L. Elizabeth Crowley
Date: 12/17/19

300 Rock Valley Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $181,500
Buyer: William H. Sullivan
Seller: Maureen Sullivan
Date: 12/06/19

2 Ross Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Susan Calderon
Seller: Albert J. Knybel
Date: 12/06/19

12-16 Sargeant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $5,930,000
Buyer: SC Hamilton Apartments
Seller: South Canal LP
Date: 12/09/19

Scott Hollow Dr.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Anniversary Hill Development LLC
Seller: Joseph Chapdelaine & Sons
Date: 12/06/19

12 West Glen St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $168,000
Buyer: Stephen Akalis
Seller: John J. Munro
Date: 12/12/19

70 West Glen St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $172,000
Buyer: Dave Ouellette
Seller: David J. Hearn
Date: 12/13/19

LONGMEADOW

87 Birchwood Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $165,001
Buyer: CIG 4 LLC
Seller: Jane W. Lawson
Date: 12/17/19

206 Burbank Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Dylan A. McDonald
Seller: Cole A. Nikodemus
Date: 12/12/19

147 Greenacre Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $247,000
Buyer: Ashley A. Nyman
Seller: Brian W. Phillips
Date: 12/06/19

68 Hazardville Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Paul Cangialosi
Seller: Adam Salerno
Date: 12/13/19

167 Hazardville Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Franny Krushinsky
Seller: Gary W. Holmquist
Date: 12/12/19

104 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $262,000
Buyer: Yinle Wu
Seller: Bernard T. Davidow
Date: 12/05/19

856 Maple Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Talita Mirena
Seller: William A. Townsend
Date: 12/06/19

101 South Park Ave.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Ryan J. Callan
Seller: KRM Real Estate LLC
Date: 12/10/19

129 Tanglewood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $640,000
Buyer: Jonathan Hastings
Seller: Dwight G. Ebeling
Date: 12/06/19

225 Tanglewood Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: Prasanth Potluri
Seller: John M. Zeroogian
Date: 12/16/19

217 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Cleland D. Cochrane
Seller: Neda Dulaimy
Date: 12/17/19

30 Wyndward Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: David B. Hart
Seller: Muhammed H. Warasat
Date: 12/05/19

LUDLOW

19 Allison Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $337,000
Buyer: Jessica J. Brown
Seller: Hoffmann, Guenther H., (Estate)
Date: 12/05/19

Center St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $423,000
Buyer: William J. Decker
Seller: Yvette C. Archambault TR
Date: 12/11/19

214 Church St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Bradford J. Trahan
Seller: Travis Odiorne
Date: 12/13/19

113 Colonial Dr.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $296,000
Buyer: Nathan L. Carvalho
Seller: Wieslaw Krol
Date: 12/16/19

546 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $334,900
Buyer: Leslie Marshall
Seller: Jessica L. Janes
Date: 12/06/19

701 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Jan Kochman
Seller: Peggy A. Bowles
Date: 12/04/19

58 Georgetown Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $212,500
Buyer: John R. Norden
Seller: Heidi Morace
Date: 12/09/19

63 Green St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Richard Dzierwinski
Seller: Laurie Kareta
Date: 12/04/19

106 Pine Cone Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $345,500
Buyer: Eric J. Watson
Seller: Richard J. Corsi
Date: 12/11/19

68 Ray St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Alan S. Kirkland
Seller: Nicole L. Longtin
Date: 12/06/19

MONSON

Cote Road #G
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Peter D. Martins
Seller: Jack G. Carter
Date: 12/06/19

36 Country Club Heights
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Steven Giguere
Seller: Jessy R. Sirois
Date: 12/12/19

118 Peck Brothers Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $176,500
Buyer: Stephen R. Chiacchia
Seller: Nicole Hamel
Date: 12/13/19

PALMER

1084 Overlook Dr.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Sarah A. Thompson
Seller: Healy, Helen M., (Estate)
Date: 12/16/19

RUSSELL

385 Blandford Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $329,000
Buyer: William F. Barry
Seller: Reuben M. Leinbach
Date: 12/12/19

387 Blandford Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $329,000
Buyer: William F. Barry
Seller: Reuben M. Leinbach
Date: 12/12/19

48 Pine Hill Road
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Paula M. Tennyson
Seller: Brian D. Kibbe
Date: 12/17/19

SPRINGFIELD

114 2nd St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $153,000
Buyer: Geraldo Rodriguez
Seller: Joseph P. Latif
Date: 12/13/19

88 Agnes St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $157,000
Buyer: Katie A. Verrochi
Seller: Bradford J. Trahan
Date: 12/13/19

555-557 Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Kelnate Realty LLC
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 12/13/19

145 Barber St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $139,900
Buyer: Aimee Chofay
Seller: Michelle Stewart
Date: 12/13/19

224 Birchland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $243,000
Buyer: James T. Lawson
Seller: Benjamin Elliston
Date: 12/09/19

83 Bowdoin St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Tammy Reed
Seller: Nikolaos Panteleakis
Date: 12/13/19

959 Bradley Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $126,700
Buyer: Old Green Acres LLC
Seller: O’Connor, Ruth Joan, (Estate)
Date: 12/10/19

189 Brookdale Dr.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $1,080,000
Buyer: You & Me Investment LLC
Seller: Shawinigan Drive LLC
Date: 12/13/19

14 Brunswick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $208,000
Buyer: Carlos K. Osorio
Seller: Oscar Gonzalez
Date: 12/10/19

46 BurnsideTerrace
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $173,000
Buyer: Stephanie M. Hurley
Seller: Daniel S. Triggs
Date: 12/13/19

1640 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Rosemary B. Rosado
Seller: Lynne M. Goda
Date: 12/06/19

94 Catharine St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Samuel Roman
Seller: Yubelkis Rijo
Date: 12/04/19

113 Cedar St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Robert A. Monegro
Seller: Golden Gates Realty Assocs.
Date: 12/16/19

246 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Swami Dickinson LLC
Seller: Epsilon Property Mgmt. Inc.
Date: 12/16/19

44 Duryea St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Cecilia Z. Bonilla
Seller: Bachir M. Saleh
Date: 12/06/19

14-16 Esther St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $246,000
Buyer: Yeslin B. Gonzalez-Perez
Seller: Lisa Kern
Date: 12/11/19

30 Fallston St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $199,900
Buyer: Jason Johnson
Seller: Charles H. Heimann
Date: 12/10/19

76 Ferncliff Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Nancy J. Pride
Seller: Juan J. Irizarry
Date: 12/13/19

11-13 Flagg St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $179,900
Buyer: Hector M. Martinez
Seller: Ben M. Garfield
Date: 12/06/19

116 Fort Pleasant Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $349,900
Buyer: 116 Fort Pleasant LLC
Seller: Youngs Realty Management
Date: 12/06/19

116 Gillette Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Rafael Irizarry-Fields
Seller: Arlene Rodriguez
Date: 12/13/19

53 Hall St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Round 2 LLC
Seller: Valley Castle Holdings
Date: 12/13/19

255 Hartwick St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Jeffrey Mueller
Seller: John E. Pike
Date: 12/12/19

33 Holy Cross St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Charles Lattanzio
Seller: Andre P. Tessier
Date: 12/05/19

210 Keddy St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Patrick K. Russell
Seller: Anthony S. Gregory
Date: 12/06/19

67-69 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Round 2 LLC
Seller: Valley Castle Holdings
Date: 12/13/19

68 Kensington Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Round 2 LLC
Seller: Valley Castle Holdings
Date: 12/13/19

95-97 Kent Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Jarelis E. Rodriguez
Seller: Anthony M. Santaniello
Date: 12/16/19

38 Kingoke Lane
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Multi-Cultural Community
Seller: Richard C. White
Date: 12/05/19

49 Kirk Dr.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $119,367
Buyer: Kirk Drive TR
Seller: Pamela L. Bongiovanni
Date: 12/09/19

116 Lakevilla Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Justin X. McMillian
Seller: Scott J. Rogers
Date: 12/12/19

110 Lehigh St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Jorge Perez
Seller: Jorge Perez
Date: 12/11/19

64 Lyndale St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Jennifer Diaz
Seller: Mike Nguyen
Date: 12/06/19

5 Mandalay Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $122,000
Buyer: Steven Hoang
Seller: Dil M. Gurung
Date: 12/09/19

70-72 Manhattan St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Darinel Marte-Diaz
Seller: RM Blerman LLC
Date: 12/05/19

96 Manhattan St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $291,900
Buyer: Kiara Correa
Seller: Tehran Lewis
Date: 12/09/19

41 Merrimac Ave.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $162,500
Buyer: Tascon Homes LLC
Seller: US Bank
Date: 12/06/19

74 Monmouth St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $253,500
Buyer: Orlando C. Harvey
Seller: Patriot Living LLC
Date: 12/13/19

36 Montrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $164,000
Buyer: JJJ 17 LLC
Seller: JJJ 17 LLC
Date: 12/16/19

73-75 Narragansett St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $198,000
Buyer: Jacqueline Merced
Seller: Anthony Alvaro
Date: 12/11/19

605 Newbury St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Joseph Vazquez-Rivera
Seller: Linda Perlman
Date: 12/16/19

140 Oak St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Lisa M. Fotiathis
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 12/05/19

80 Oklahoma St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Juan A. Colon
Seller: Casey J. Placek
Date: 12/06/19

1093 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Luz Quintana
Seller: Jamie J. Agen
Date: 12/04/19

11 Perkins St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Felix Decesare
Seller: Susanne M. Fahringer
Date: 12/05/19

59 Pheasant Dr.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Nicola S. Williams
Seller: Jeffrey T. Perrin
Date: 12/04/19

7 Plumtree Circle
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Ricky T. Mack
Seller: Catherine V. Santaniello
Date: 12/13/19

1570 Plumtree Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Chelsea M. Blake
Seller: Jovanna A. Soto
Date: 12/17/19

120-122 Powell Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Chad VanWingerden
Seller: Michael E. Larose
Date: 12/06/19

235 Prentice St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Karla E. Garcia-Arroyo
Seller: Lynn A. Laplante
Date: 12/12/19

106 Revere St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $212,000
Buyer: Wilbert Weche
Seller: Global Homes Properties
Date: 12/11/19

39 Rimmon Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $197,000
Buyer: Jasmine Santana
Seller: Jacek J. Klosowski
Date: 12/12/19

79 Roosevelt Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $194,500
Buyer: Shawn D. Cruzado
Seller: David Borkosky
Date: 12/13/19

227 Roy St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Jose Zavala
Seller: Anthony Santaniello
Date: 12/16/19

50 Scarsdale Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Marie McCormack
Seller: Rita M. Panasian
Date: 12/13/19

55 South Tallyho Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Kenneth D. Taylor
Seller: Adam Robbins
Date: 12/11/19

95-97 Suffolk St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Round 2 LLC
Seller: Jeffrey VonDauber
Date: 12/13/19

24-26 Sullivan St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $143,500
Buyer: Teresa Quiles
Seller: Maria D. Farina
Date: 12/12/19

285 SunriseTerrace
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $155,500
Buyer: Jonathan Dimo
Seller: Kara A. Petrie
Date: 12/06/19

111 Upton St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Taylor N. Holland
Seller: Michelle Stuart
Date: 12/11/19

32 West Alvord St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Kelnate Realty LLC
Seller: Emtay Inc.
Date: 12/16/19

348-350 White St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Nancy A. Urena-Pena
Seller: Benjamin J. Brunese
Date: 12/10/19

2004 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Cynthia McCarthy
Seller: John Rosado
Date: 12/09/19

SOUTHWICK

15 Ferrin Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $542,000
Buyer: Vicki L. Lacapria
Seller: Jeremy D. Leap
Date: 12/04/19

14 Hunters Ridge Circle
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $388,000
Buyer: Nicholas A. Beaudette
Seller: Deborah Melita
Date: 12/11/19

15 Lake Shore Dr.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Richard R. Tumolo
Seller: Maher, Paula J., (Estate)
Date: 12/06/19

19 Laurel Ridge Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: James Montemayor
Seller: David B. Hart
Date: 12/05/19

Noble Steed Xing #22
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Harley J. Dulude
Seller: Jaan Development Corp.
Date: 12/13/19

Noble Steed Xing #23
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Harley J. Dulude
Seller: Jaan Development Corp.
Date: 12/13/19

143 South Longyard Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Gregory Hamelin
Seller: Hamelin Framing Inc.
Date: 12/06/19

17 White St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $397,500
Buyer: David S. Bunten
Seller: John Gulbrandsen
Date: 12/10/19

WALES

22 Holland Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $289,900
Buyer: Jason Oney
Seller: David W. Foote
Date: 12/16/19

10 Lake Shore Dr.
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $136,000
Buyer: Carl L. Erickson
Seller: Ruben Semidey
Date: 12/10/19

73 Main St.
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $129,000
Buyer: Barbara L. Lovell
Seller: Theodore W. Siok
Date: 12/06/19

WEST SPRINGFIELD

57 Abigaile Lane
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $515,000
Buyer: Christopher T. Connelly
Seller: Michael R. Bogacz
Date: 12/04/19

50 Apple Ridge Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $261,000
Buyer: Henry Tenzar
Seller: Whitehead, Judith, (Estate)
Date: 12/09/19

41 Banks Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Shelley A. Burgeois
Seller: Joshua X. Tower
Date: 12/12/19

229 City View Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Center For Human Development Inc.
Seller: Brightside Inc.
Date: 12/04/19

148 Craiwell Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Brendan R. Cawley
Seller: Thomas Flaherty
Date: 12/06/19

53 Greystone Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Jjrob Realty LLC
Seller: Kathleen S. Matera
Date: 12/05/19

223 Greystone Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Carl O. Jalal
Seller: Christopher A. Settle
Date: 12/06/19

151 Labelle St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Sergey Savonin
Seller: Mary A. Parley
Date: 12/13/19

318 Lancaster Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Christopher N. Williamson
Seller: Paul J. Meals
Date: 12/13/19

28 Laurence Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $252,500
Buyer: Robert J. Robinson
Seller: Kevin T. Atkin
Date: 12/13/19

176 Lower Beverly Hills
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: MAA Property LLC
Seller: Falbo, Rosanne C., (Estate)
Date: 12/13/19

1022 Main St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Invast LLC
Seller: West Co. Investments LLC
Date: 12/16/19

2 Primrose St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Deddeh Investment LLC
Seller: Peter J. Asta-Ferrero
Date: 12/10/19

138 Southworth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Stephen M. Heald
Seller: Kuber Adhikari
Date: 12/05/19

25 Virginia Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Amy Russell
Seller: Robert F. Pion
Date: 12/17/19

102 Westwood Dr.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Stephanie M. Palange
Seller: Glenn Grabowski
Date: 12/06/19

100 Wolcott Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Tuyen T. Le
Seller: Troy Collins
Date: 12/17/19

WESTFIELD

7 Atwater St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Jennifer Balukonis
Seller: Erik B. Quinn
Date: 12/12/19

9 Belden Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Shaelyn N. Bielanski
Seller: Patrick J. Healy
Date: 12/13/19

12 Briarcliff Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Karen D. Hackett
Seller: Robert G. Pouliot
Date: 12/06/19

6 Carriage Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Julie Hall-Case
Seller: Deborah M. Hadley
Date: 12/05/19

7-1/2 Frederick St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $193,000
Buyer: Ryan J. Emken
Seller: Denise L. Pumphrey
Date: 12/06/19

145 Granville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $268,000
Buyer: Ernest C. Gardner
Seller: Clark, Donald R., (Estate)
Date: 12/05/19

27 Knollwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Stefani Leonczyk
Seller: Tricia L. Ancelli
Date: 12/17/19

8 Lincoln St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $252,000
Buyer: Caio H. Veloso-Silva
Seller: Ivan Mokan
Date: 12/11/19

285 Lower Sandyhill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Yves G. Dumonsau
Seller: Couture Partners LLC
Date: 12/04/19

145 Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $229,000
Buyer: Camile A. Hannoush
Seller: Stratton Renovation LLC
Date: 12/13/19

186 Main St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Terrence J. Welch
Seller: Dustin Taudal
Date: 12/11/19

409 Montgomery Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: Daniel H. Bray
Seller: Barbara Dillon-Goodson
Date: 12/06/19

Munger Hill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Megan A. Shibley
Seller: Robert P. Cunningham
Date: 12/16/19

255 North Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $565,000
Buyer: D. Larochelle-Pumphrey
Seller: Richard S. Leske
Date: 12/06/19

40 Orange St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: James P. Schmidt
Seller: Mark Sears
Date: 12/04/19

101 Pequot Point Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Patrick M. Lalli
Seller: Jenna R. Krzanik
Date: 12/06/19

64 Roosevelt Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $147,927
Buyer: Bank New York Mellon
Seller: Deborah L. Waterman
Date: 12/09/19

219 Russellville Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: CED Westfield Solar LLC
Seller: J. W. Cowles Construction
Date: 12/04/19

124 Saint James Ave.
Westfield, MA 01040
Amount: $337,700
Buyer: Javier Rivera
Seller: Francis Wheeler Construction
Date: 12/09/19

509 Southwick Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: VAR LLC
Seller: 509 Southwick Road LLC
Date: 12/05/19

47 Zephyr Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Wilmington Savings
Seller: Ruth H. Taraska
Date: 12/05/19

WILBRAHAM

3086 Boston Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $246,250
Buyer: CIL Realty Of Mass. Inc.
Seller: Peter M. Ferland
Date: 12/17/19

6 Devonshire Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $350,100
Buyer: John D. Sopet
Seller: Maryann Baltazar-Alves
Date: 12/12/19

151 East Longmeadow Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $253,000
Buyer: Association Props Group
Seller: Juan C. Rodriguez-Lopez
Date: 12/16/19

4 James Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: James Circle NT
Seller: Vincent M. O’Connell
Date: 12/17/19

1 Sawmill Dr.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $288,000
Buyer: Jessy R. Sirois
Seller: Gladys M. Grande
Date: 12/12/19

161 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Damato
Seller: Benjamin C. Hudnall
Date: 12/04/19

21-35 Weston St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: 21-35 Weston Street RT
Seller: Raymond G. Lewis
Date: 12/17/19

22-36 Weston St.
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $625,000
Buyer: 22-36 Weston Street RT
Seller: Raymond G. Lewis
Date: 12/17/19

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

212 Aubinwood Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Jesus A. Carl-Acosta
Seller: Michael J. Jenkins
Date: 12/12/19

51 ButterfieldTerrace
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: 51 ButterfieldTerrace LLC
Seller: Grethe B. Camp
Date: 12/17/19

64 High Point Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $337,000
Buyer: Karl Knapp
Seller: Lucinda S. Nuthmann
Date: 12/16/19

10 Poets Corner Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Wei Cui
Seller: Nancy A. Keefe
Date: 12/05/19

1427 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: David Merck
Seller: Plumtree Real Estate LLC
Date: 12/05/19

1488 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Mara Niefer
Seller: Maria E. Caputo
Date: 12/06/19

759 South East St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Stephen D. Gillett
Seller: Edward A. McCarthy
Date: 12/06/19

BELCHERTOWN

402 Allen Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Christopher L. Dunn
Seller: Noryn A. Resnick
Date: 12/05/19

480 Chauncey Walker St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $423,000
Buyer: William J. Decker
Seller: Yvette C. Archambault TR
Date: 12/11/19

8 Cloverhill Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $429,900
Buyer: Christian Bourdeau
Seller: Alex N. Gerard
Date: 12/09/19

Front St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $133,334
Buyer: Belchertown Day School
Seller: Belchertown Economic Development
Date: 12/11/19

257 Jabish St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Priscilla B. Mollard
Seller: Rebecca J. Mazuch
Date: 12/06/19

160 Ludlow St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Philip Roncarati
Seller: Joshua N. Weiss
Date: 12/10/19

162 Munsell St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Jonathan Ankiewicz
Seller: Timothy C. Relihan
Date: 12/06/19

40 Oakridge Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $399,900
Buyer: David E. Eyerman
Seller: Allan A. Ruell
Date: 12/06/19

95 Pondview Circle
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Gottfried Schlaug
Seller: Ronald C. Simmons
Date: 12/13/19

480 State St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Jesus Gonzalez
Seller: Steven Cole
Date: 12/04/19

EASTHAMPTON

30 Bryan Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $249,000
Buyer: Cortney Kowalczyk
Seller: Richard V. Yarra
Date: 12/13/19

366 East St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $405,000
Buyer: Sarah-Jane M. Poindexter
Seller: Brian M. Greenwood
Date: 12/13/19

9-11 Exeter St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $195,100
Buyer: Kevin C. Netto Construction Inc.
Seller: 9-11 Exeter Street RT
Date: 12/04/19

33 Groveland St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Rachel Doubleday
Seller: Lauren E. Arcibal
Date: 12/12/19

1 Harvey St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $244,500
Buyer: Krystal M. Oldread
Seller: Frank S. Geryk
Date: 12/09/19

46 Highland Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Joyce C. Gurski
Seller: Hebert FT
Date: 12/16/19

2 Mutter St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $195,352
Buyer: Christopher St.Martin
Seller: Maureen McGuinness
Date: 12/16/19

201 Park St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $222,900
Buyer: Andrew D. Saltarella
Seller: James R. Tunstall
Date: 12/06/19

17 Picard Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Wilson G. Buri
Seller: Kimberly J. English
Date: 12/13/19

12 Sheldon Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $331,000
Buyer: Joy B. Bergman
Seller: Barbara A. Kasper
Date: 12/11/19

17 Stanley St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $334,900
Buyer: Ashley E. Anglin
Seller: James M. King
Date: 12/05/19

14 Water Lane
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $296,000
Buyer: Cory M. O’Brien
Seller: Judith Sector-Ryan
Date: 12/10/19

GRANBY

193 Amherst St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Kaylee A. Quenneville
Seller: Brian S. King
Date: 12/11/19

101 East St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $134,000
Buyer: Ann M. Gagnon
Seller: Citimortgage Inc.
Date: 12/04/19

Miller St. #B
Granby, MA 02771
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Oak Ridge Custom Home Builders
Seller: Irene R. Simon
Date: 12/13/19

HADLEY

Rocky Hill Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Huong C. Chow
Seller: Wilga, Joseph J. Jr., (Estate)
Date: 12/06/19

HATFIELD

36 North Hatfield Road
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $307,000
Buyer: Levin G. Dupree
Seller: Dunn, Ruby Pearl, (Estate)
Date: 12/12/19

HUNTINGTON

46 Basket St.
Huntington, MA 01050
Amount: $219,259
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Steven C. King
Date: 12/06/19

NORTHAMPTON

18 Burts Pit Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Konstantin Vatrenko
Seller: Rita M. Douville
Date: 12/13/19

13 Drewsen Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Rachel M. Goodman
Seller: Francis W. Hogan
Date: 12/10/19

137 Emerson Way
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Mary E. Just
Seller: Emerson Way LLC
Date: 12/11/19

2 Florence St.
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $423,000
Buyer: Rachel Keller
Seller: Rosemary R. Black
Date: 12/06/19

269 Florence Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Edward J. Callahan
Seller: David E. Foucher
Date: 12/13/19

486 Haydenville Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $367,500
Buyer: Gabriel R. Deangelis
Seller: EDC Real Estate LLC
Date: 12/16/19

178 Island Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Sofia Szamosi
Seller: Jeffrey T. Remillard
Date: 12/05/19

163 Kennedy Road
Northampton, MA 01053
Amount: $686,000
Buyer: Malcolm White
Seller: Sharron V. Chiulli
Date: 12/06/19

11 Landy Ave.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $231,000
Buyer: Kathy J. Smith
Seller: Konstantinos Sierros
Date: 12/13/19

2 Laurel Lane
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: William Gertzog
Seller: Rosehill FT
Date: 12/10/19

Northampton Meadows
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $120,000
Buyer: Szawlowski Realty Inc.
Seller: David Gizienski
Date: 12/05/19

28 Ridge View Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $570,000
Buyer: Barbara J. McCollough
Seller: James C. Link
Date: 12/09/19

40 Spring St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $185,400
Buyer: Grosz RT
Seller: Douglas E. Andrew
Date: 12/11/19

PELHAM

144 Harkness Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Beverly Haase
Seller: James Burgoff
Date: 12/06/19

SOUTHAMPTON

45 Lead Mine Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Hunter Tinkham-Silva
Seller: Carmelina G. Ortiz
Date: 12/13/19

SOUTH HADLEY

7 Ashton Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Shaina Tramazzo
Seller: David J. Della-Torre
Date: 12/12/19

24 CharonTerrace
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Maria Fahey
Seller: Wilson, Elaine R., (Estate)
Date: 12/13/19

412 Granby Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Scott Family Properties
Seller: Janet Doolittle
Date: 12/10/19

24 Leahey Ave.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Carolyn J. Miller-Coulter
Seller: Cathleen A. Foley
Date: 12/06/19

Miller St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Oak Ridge Custom Home Builders
Seller: Irene R. Simon
Date: 12/13/19

209 Mosier St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $222,000
Buyer: Katelyn Labrie
Seller: Kenneth J. Corneliusen
Date: 12/05/19

99 Pine St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Gregory Belanger
Seller: Deanna Dixon
Date: 12/10/19

WARE

12 Lovewell St.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $186,600
Buyer: Maryam Morrow
Seller: Amy D. Vadnais
Date: 12/12/19

9 Wildflower Dr.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Theresa Martin
Seller: Yasser Fares
Date: 12/13/19

WILLIAMSBURG

146 Ashfield Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Frank S. Geryk
Seller: Christine M. Andrulis
Date: 12/09/19

WESTHAMPTON

69 Pine Island Lake
Westhampton, MA 01027
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Janice Pegels
Seller: Sheryl Blais
Date: 12/06/19

WORTHINGTON

126 Old North Road
Worthington, MA 01098
Amount: $337,500
Buyer: Kenneth P. Kirchner
Seller: Pulley FT
Date: 12/13/19

Area Banks, Credit Unions Stress Philanthropy, Volunteerism

By Joseph Bednar March 14, 2024

Mary McGovern, incoming president of Country Bank.

Banking and Financial Services Special Coverage

Community Interest

Mary McGovern, incoming president of Country Bank.

When asked why Country Bank supports local nonprofits, incoming President Mary McGovern gave a simple answer. “It’s a way for us to make a difference in our community.”

Then she elaborated.

“We have a tagline we adopted two years ago, ‘made to make a difference.’ We feel that encapsulates what Country Bank is all about, trying to make a difference in our community. It’s something we’ve done over the history of Country Bank, and we continue to make a positive impact by supporting local nonprofits, specifically the kind that rely on donations from their local businesses to help support them.”

Those efforts have focused in recent years on a number of priorities, she added, including food insecurity, health, education, and financial literacy, as well as homeless shelters, senior-serving programs, youth organizations, and more.

To that end, Country reported more than $1.2 million in donations in 2023, with 463 organizations receiving grants. One highlight last year was a partnership with (and $30,000 donation to) the Wonderfund, which aims to improve the lives of individuals in the Department of Children and Families system.

That large number of supported nonprofits resonates with Matt Bannister, senior vice president of Marketing and Corporate Responsibility at PeoplesBank, who was named a 2024 Difference Maker by BusinessWest last month for his extensive role in the bank’s community-support efforts. PeoplesBank recorded $1.6 million in donations last year to more than 550 area nonprofits, making the average grant just under $3,000.

“We continue to make a positive impact by supporting local nonprofits, specifically the kind that rely on donations from their local businesses to help support them.”

“We give a little to a lot of groups. We don’t tend to do large capital campaigns,” he said. “One big ‘yes’ often means a lot of little ‘no’s.’ So many nonprofits out there are doing good work, so it feels wrong to say ‘no’ to people.”

So, outside of a few big splashes — like a major donation to help the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts build its new headquarters — spreading the wealth around is a guideline the bank tends to stick with.

“The overall philosophy for our funding is we want to level the playing field — give opportunities to those who are disadvantaged and need more help,” Bannister added. “We have funding areas — food insecurity, housing, economic development, etc. — and the overarching principle of all these funding areas is to level the playing field.”

Many area institutions share their donation figures each year; Pittsfield Cooperative Bank donates nearly $200,000 — a striking number, considering it boasts around $385 million in total assets — through its charitable contributions to regional scholarships, youth mentorship programs, and nonprofit, economic-development, and health and human-service organizations.

Meanwhile, the Liberty Bank Foundation granted $1,453,742 to local nonprofits in 2023, including $10,000 as an annual ‘holiday gift’ from the bank, with the recipient chosen by bank customers. And Greenfield Savings Bank (GSB) gave more than $1 million in 2023 to more than 300 organizations.

Peter Albero, GSB’s chief financial officer and treasurer, noted that, while profits have been challenged over the past couple years by rising interest rates, the bank has not cut back on its financial support in the community, or its level of employee volunteerism.

Freedom Credit Union President Glenn Welch (right) presents a check to John Beaulieu, president of the Westover Galaxy Community Council, one of the recipients of Freedom’s Month of Giving campaign.

“Profitability may be reduced, but we have not reduced our commitment to our communities. I think we are a pillar of Greenfield and the broader community,” Albero said. “So we continue to reinvest in the community, and everyone benefits from that.”

A.J. Bresciano, first vice president and commercial loan officer at GSB, agreed.

“Even in a higher-interest-rate environment, we’re taking measures to ensure our impact in the community is not being impacted and not deteriorating. So many local organizations throughout the Pioneer Valley rely on contributions of time, talent, and treasure. We make supporting those organizations a priority at Greenfield Savings Bank, and we want our team members to invest going forward.”

Philanthropic Priorities

Bannister made it clear that banks are required, to some degree, to be involved in their communities in a charitable way, noting that bank examiners make sure a bank’s locations and loan activities are representative of where it does business — meaning not just serving and lending to those with high incomes or profits — and they also ask how the institution gives back to the community.

“The challenge with that is there’s no right answer. We just have to go to the examiners each year and say, ‘here’s what we did.’ And when we give, we make sure a substantial amount that we give away benefits LMI — lower- to middle-income communities.”

Area banks and credit unions have increasingly inspired employees and customers to involved in giving efforts as well. In 2023, Freedom Credit Union contributed $181,898 to more than 70 charitable organizations throughout the four counties of Western Mass.

Of that, corporate charitable giving accounted for $130,432, but throughout the year, Freedom also conducts Month of Giving campaigns, in which customers can support a specific organization each month; those programs raised $17,316 in 2023. And local branch and department giving contributed an additional $34,150 to local charities.

“Our members and staff are passionate about supporting the community where we live, work, and serve,” Freedom Credit Union President Glenn Welch said. “In 2023, we were proud to donate funds for a wide variety of deserving institutions.”

“We give a little to a lot of groups. We don’t tend to do large capital campaigns. One big ‘yes’ often means a lot of little ‘no’s.’ So many nonprofits out there are doing good work, so it feels wrong to say ‘no’ to people.”

Other institutions take customer involvement to the polls. Both Florence Bank and Monson Savings Bank boast popular programs — called the Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program and the Community Giving Initiative, respectively — that complement other bank philanthropy by letting customers vote for nonprofits to support.

Through that initiative, Florence Bank awarded $150,000 to 46 area nonprofits in 2023, the 21st year of the program; the higher-than-usual total commemorated the bank’s 150 years in business.

“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,” President and CEO Matt Garrity said.

Meanwhile, in the 14th year of its community-giving program, Monson Savings Bank awarded a total of $15,000 to the 10 top vote-getting nonprofits.

A team of PeoplesBank employees volunteers at Kent Memorial Library in Kent, Conn.

“Everyone’s passion for our annual Community Giving Initiative is always so exciting,” said Michael Rouette, the bank’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “As a locally operated bank, Monson Savings has a great desire to support the residents, businesses, and nonprofits of the communities that we work in and live in.”

President and CEO Dan Moriarty added that “these organizations are worthy nonprofits that supply important resources to our communities. It is clear why they were chosen by our community members to receive support from Monson Savings.”

More Than Money

But community banks and credit unions in Western Mass. aren’t just giving money; many also emphasize a culture of volunteerism, even providing time for their employees to get involved in the community.

For example, employees at UMassFive College Federal Credit Union raised more than $18,000 for two local nonprofits last fall — $13,677 for 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 supporter of the UMass Cancer Walk and Run for more than 20 years — during which time it has raised more than $186,600 for the cause — UMassFive employees join together annually as Team UMassFive to raise funds, both personally and in branch locations. In 2023, fundraising efforts included raffle baskets, bake sales, candy sales, and art and jewelry sales, and the credit union’s corporate partners also pitched in.

Will Bike 4 Food is a more recent priority at UMassFive, as employees have taken part since 2020, raising a total of $17,500 in just four years, which equates to providing 70,332 meals to neighbors in need.

“We are so proud of our employees for supporting local causes that they care about,” said Cait Murray, Community Outreach manager at UMassFive. “Together, our team can make a more significant impact than if we all participate in events on our own. These organizations make such a big difference in our communities, and we are thrilled to support those efforts.”

Country Bank reported that its team members volunteered 1,255 hours of community service in 2023, while 37 team members served on 65 nonprofit boards and committees.

“Oftentimes, we can supplement or replace a monetary donation with volunteers, whether it’s picking vegetables at a local farm to be donated out, or helping nonprofits clean up the facility, or doing outdoor work like volunteering with Habitat for Humanity,” McGovern said. “We’re still putting the bank’s dollars to work, but the hands of our employees are helping to sustain some of these nonprofits as well.”

Liberty Bank reported 13,721 employee volunteer hours, including nearly 170 hours at Connecticut Foodshare, the aforementioned recipient of the bank’s holiday gift in 2023. The bank also actively solicits nonprofits to share information on what types of volunteer help is needed — whether working on a project or serving on a board or committee — and aims to meet those requests.

At PeoplesBank, employee volunteerism is considered part of the bank’s culture, Bannister said — part of its DNA, in fact, and something made clear to job applicants.

“We report volunteer hours to the bank examiners, and we were third in the state last year in hours volunteered per employee. It’s something that’s expected, and it’s something that builds camaraderie,” he said.

And it’s something that community banks simply should do.

“We’re more engaged in the community, where national banks are not known for that as much,” Bannister told BusinessWest. “And we consider it a competitive advantage. When you’re choosing a bank, hopefully the bank’s values are something you consider, and hopefully that volunteerism reflects well on the brand.”

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff July 19, 2023

Company Notebook

Thunderbirds Recognized for Record-setting Season

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Thunderbirds were recognized for hitting milestone thresholds across a variety of business categories during the American Hockey League’s team business meetings in Tucson, Ariz. The annual event features representatives from all 32 member clubs for sessions discussing best practices and innovative ideas across multiple departments. On the heels of another record-setting year for the Thunderbirds business that saw new regular-season records in attendance per game (6,162), sellout games (15, including every Saturday from Dec. 30 onward), season-ticket members, and group-sales revenue, the team’s ticket sales department achieved a number of milestones for a second straight season. Among them were 600 new full-season equivalents (FSE), a metric that tracks full-season and partial-season ticket sales. The department also saw a greater than 85% renewal rate among its full-season ticket members. Individual game ticket sales also provided the Thunderbirds with two more threshold recognitions, as the business saw a greater than 15% increase in both FSE revenue per game and group ticket revenue per game. In what was also a record-setting year for the club’s corporate sales department, that area of the business was recognized for also seeing a greater than 85% renewal rate in corporate cash accounts en route to a single-season record in corporate revenue. The Thunderbirds also had a prolific season in the Springfield community, with more than 250 appearances by mascot Boomer and team players combined, ranging from youth hockey practice sessions to charitable affairs like the Rays of Hope walk, annual Teddy Bear Toss deliveries, and corporate partnership events.

National Grid Awards $800,000 to Eight Chambers of Commerce

NORTHAMPTON — National Grid announced it will donate $800,000 to eight chambers of commerce in Massachusetts to support local small businesses. The Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce has been named one of the recipients of a $100,000 award. Other chambers receiving the funds include the Cape Cod Chamber, Merrimack Valley Chamber, North Central Chamber of Leominster, North Shore Chamber, OneSouthCoast Chamber, South Shore Chamber, and Waltham Chamber. Each chamber will receive $100,000, which they will then distribute in grants of $1,000 to National Grid small-business customers with fewer than 150 employees. The Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce looks forward to distributing these grant awards to give local small business community a boost during the coming months. This pledge follows a similar donation by National Grid in January, when the company distributed $1 million to four small-business organizations to help with energy bills. The Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, the Retailers Assoc. of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Restaurant Assoc., and the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce each received $250,000 to distribute to their small business members.

Lee Bank Foundation Distributes $50,000 in Grant Funding Round

LEE — Lee Bank Foundation awarded $50,000 to 12 Berkshire area organizations for its second round of 2023 community funding. Recipients were awarded grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to support their local programming. The following organizations received funding from Lee Bank Foundation: Becket Athenaeum, Berkshire Bounty, Berkshire Center for Justice, Berkshire Children’s Chorus, Berkshire Community Diaper Project, Berkshire County Arc, Berkshire South Regional Community Center, Community Access to the Arts, Elizabeth Freeman Center, Greenagers, Mass Audubon Pleasant Valley, and Roots Rising. The deadline to apply for the next round of 2023 foundation funding is Sept. 1. 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 the 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; or mentorship, internship, and school-to-work initiatives.

Mandati Jewelers Opens at Holyoke Mall

HOLYOKE — Family-owned Mandati Jewelers celebrated its grand opening at Holyoke Mall on June 28 on the shopping center’s lower level near Center Court. The 2,423-square-foot space is the custom jeweler’s first Massachusetts location. Mandati specializes in certified diamonds, watch and timepiece brands, necklaces, charms, and other fine jewelry. The store is offering 30% to 50% off gold and diamonds and 25% off watches through July 31. The New York jeweler’s custom jewelry clientele includes Buffalo Bills defensive end Carlos “Boogie” Basham Jr. and rappers Conway the Machine, Westside Gunn, and Benny the Butcher. Holyoke Mall is Mandati’s fourth store and joins locations in Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse.

The Dowd Agencies Supports Area Charities as Part of 125th-anniversary Celebration

HOLYOKE — The Dowd Insurance Agencies, LLC, a leading insurance provider serving New England since 1898, has donated a total of $3,250 to five charities since the beginning of the year as it celebrates its 125th anniversary. Charities were determined by polling employees. So far in 2023, the Dowd Agencies donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes for children diagnosed with critical illnesses; Community Music School of Springfield, which provides arts education to local students; Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Holyoke, which provides horseback riding to children and adults with disabilities; Shriners Children’s, which provides critical medical care to children; and Homework House Inc., in Holyoke, which provides free tutoring and mentoring for children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The Dowd Agencies will continue to donate to charities selected by its employees throughout the remainder of the year.

Liberty Bank Supports Nonprofits

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — David Glidden, president and CEO of Liberty Bank and president of the Liberty Bank Foundation, announced that the foundation recently awarded five nonprofits with $5,000 each in recognition of the bank’s 198th birthday. As part of Liberty’s birthday celebration on May 4, the team came up with a creative idea to provide ‘birthday gifts’ in the aggregate amount of $25,000 to five community organizations on behalf of the Liberty Bank Foundation. Liberty teammates had the opportunity to vote on their favorite charity from a list of three nonprofits in each of the regions the bank serves: Central North, Central South, Eastern, Western, and Massachusetts. Based on the final vote count, the following five nonprofits received a $5,000 donation from the Liberty Bank Foundation: House of Heroes (Hamden, Conn.), the Boys and Girls Club of Lower Naugatuck Valley, Middlesex Habitat for Humanity, New London Community Meal Center, and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

Smith Brothers Insurance Acquires Rawson & Sons

NORTHAMPTON — Smith Brothers Insurance, with an office on Main Street in Northampton, has acquired Rawson & Sons Insurance Group, an independent insurance agency located in Worcester. The acquisition expands the Smith Brothers Insurance footprint in Massachusetts, with Rawson & Sons maintaining a local presence while leveraging the resources of Smith Brothers Insurance, one of the nation’s top 100 independent brokers. Rich Rawson, founder of Rawson & Sons, will stay fully engaged in business development, sales, and client service, alongside the same team of insurance professionals. All Rawson & Sons team members will be joining Smith Brothers. Smith Brothers Insurance has more than 200 team members in locations across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff March 24, 2015

Departments People on the Move

PeoplesBank has announced the promotions of several key associates:

Karen Buell

• Karen Buell has been promoted to Vice President, Customer Innovation Lab. Buell possesses more than a decade of banking experience. She joined the bank in 2006 and previously served as assistant vice president, eChannel officer. Buell holds an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Houghton College. In 2010, she was recognized as a BusinessWest 40 Under Forty award winner, and she received the Uncommon Volunteer award from the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce in 2011. Buell volunteers at Chicopee Comprehensive High School, where she teaches financial literacy.

Gail Richard

• Gail Richard has been promoted to Vice President, Information Systems. Richard has more than four decades of banking experience. She joined the bank in 1971 and previously served as assistant vice president, Information Systems Officer. A resident of South Hadley, she graduated from the Mass. Bankers Assoc. School of Banking.

Michael Sugrue

• Michael Sugrue has been promoted to Vice President, Compliance. Sugrue has close to two decades of banking and auditing experience. He joined the bank in 2009 and previously served as assistant vice president, Compliance. Sugrue holds an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from American International College. He is a graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Sugrue is vice president and a board member of the Western Mass. Compliance Assoc.
• Cynthia Wszolek has been promoted to Cash Management Officer. She has 15 years of banking experience. She joined the bank in 2013, serving as a cash management sales and support specialist. She volunteers for the American Cancer Society, serving on the planning committee for the Evening of Hope Gala. Ms. Wszolek is currently working toward an associate degree in business administration at Springfield Technical Community College.
• Starr McGrath has been promoted to Consumer Loan Officer. She has more than three decades of banking experience. She joined the bank in 1983 and previously served as consumer loan analyst.
• Patricia O’Brien has been promoted to Underwriter Officer. With more than two decades of banking experience, she joined the bank in 2008 and previously served as underwriter. O’Brien holds an associate degree in business administration from Holyoke Community College. She serves as a director of the Holyoke Kiwanis Club.
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Moyah Smith

William Crawford IV, CEO of United Financial Bancorp Inc. and United Bank of Glastonbury, Conn., announced the hiring of Moyah Smith, who has taken on the primary role of United’s community outreach officer, responsible for covering Western Mass. In this role, Smith has assumed a number of key responsibilities, including organizing and participating in financial-literacy programs and classes where local residents can learn more about a range of important topics such as money management, the homebuying process, and how to repair and maintain good credit. She will also leverage her mortgage banking experience and strong ties to the Western Mass. region to promote and guide local residents through the entire homebuying process from application to closing. Her volunteerism and reputation in the Western Mass. community is extensive; she has dedicated her time to several nonprofit organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together Springfield, Relay for Life, the Alzheimer’s Assoc., and Project Clean Up Springfield, among others. She also volunteers weekly as a personality for the local nonprofit community radio station WTCC-FM at Springfield Technical Community College. In addition to serving as the community outreach officer in Western Mass, Smith will also hold the title of mortgage loan officer for United Bank. She gained considerable mortgage banking experience while working as a MLO for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in West Springfield from 1998 to 2004. Smith was also a Realtor and MLO with Keller Williams Realty in Longmeadow from 2004 to 2009. Before coming to United, Smith was a regional account executive with Elavon Inc., where she worked with banks and credit unions in delivering business solutions for small to mid-sized banks and providing merchant services to the company’s commercial customer base. Smith is based at United Bank’s offices at 95 Elm St. in West Springfield. She reports to Lisa Kraus, vice president and Western Mass. sales manager.
•••••
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) announced that Peter Salerno will return to the post of Executive Director for an interim period as the board of trustees begins a nationwide search for permanent leadership. Salerno, a local business leader and long-time member of the orchestra’s board of trustees, served in this capacity prior to the hiring of outgoing Executive Director Audrey Szychulski. In January of this year, Szychulski announced her acceptance of a new position with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, leaving the Springfield Symphony Orchestra with enhanced sponsorship and a strengthened business plan. In addition to serving on the orchestra’s board of trustees, Salerno teaches at Bay Path University and Clark University, serves as Finance chair of the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee, and is lead consultant for Management Solutions, LLC. He looks forward to bringing his decades of business experience to his position with the symphony. In the upcoming months, the SSO board of trustees will oversee a nationwide search for a permanent executive director, with the goal of having that individual in place by early fall 2015, as the symphony enters the beginning of its 72nd season.
•••••

Nicole Griffin

Nicole Griffin, president of Griffin Staffing Network, LLC in Springfield, has been selected as the recipient of the Urban League Community Builder Award for 2015. Griffin began her career in the financial industry, but after 12 years, she shifted into the staffing and recruitment field. She has several years of experience as a human-resources professional, including employee relations, recruitment, and retention. Her ability to understand the needs of a client led her to establish Griffin Staffing Network (GSN), now made up of a team with a combined 26 years of experience in staffing and recruitment. Focusing more on quality than quantity, GSN places top talent from call-center to C-level management positions in temp, temp-to-hire, contract, and permanent-placement structures. Griffin says her goal is to empower the community through employment opportunities and career development. Griffin was named to the 40 Under Forty by BusinessWest magazine in 2014. She serves on the board of SABIS International Charter School, the board of directors for Intercity Youth Inc., the committee of the Women Leadership Council, and the Plan for Progress Coordinating Council, and is a participant in the 2014-15 Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact Program. For more information about Griffin Staffing Network, visit www.griffinstaffingnetwork.com. For more information about the Urban League of Springfield, visit www.ulspringfield.org.
•••••

Samantha Peia

Residence Inn Chicopee announced that Samantha Peia has been appointed the hotel’s new Director of Sales. The four-story, 115-room hotel is located at 500 Memorial Dr. and has been open since September 2013. In her new role, Peia will be responsible for leading and directing the development and implementation of strategic sales and marketing plans. Prior to joining Residence Inn, she was senior sales manager at Courtyard by Marriott in Farmington, Conn. She holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from Boston University and has worked in multiple positions with Marriott hotels. “Based on Samantha’s outstanding record, we are confident that she will be instrumental in ensuring the success of the Residence Inn Chicopee,” said Karen Warren, the hotel’s general manager.
•••••
Climate scientist and Distinguished Professor Raymond Bradley, director of the Climate System Research Center at UMass Amherst, has won a 2015 national Texty award for excellence for his book, Paleoclimatology: Reconstructing Climates of the Quaternary, which provides an overview of methods for reconstructing ancient climatic and of historical climate changes during the past 3 million years. The Text and Academic Authors Assoc. (TAA) announced seven 2015 Texty awards on Feb. 25. They will be presented to the authors during a lunch at the association’s 28th annual Textbook & Academic Authoring Conference in Las Vegas in June. Bradley’s 700-page text, published in its third edition by the academic press division of Elsevier this year, discusses such topics as natural climate variation, dating methods, ice cores, marine sediments, lake sediments, non-marine geologic evidence, pollen, corals, tree rings, and historical documents. In the introduction, he explains that paleoclimatology is the study of climate in the period before the tiny fraction of the Earth’s history that can be told using instrument measurements. He points out that a longer view can be obtained by studying climate-dependent natural phenomena that provide a proxy record of climate in the past. Such records can be combined and built up to help scientists theorize and test hypotheses about causes and mechanisms of climate variation that may still be at work today. Bradley, professor of Geosciences at UMass Amherst, said, “I was quite surprised to learn about this award, but I’m really pleased. I learned a lot writing the book, so it’s gratifying to know that others appreciate the result.” The TAA is the only nonprofit membership association dedicated solely to assisting textbook and academic authors. Its mission is to support textbook and academic authors in creating top-quality educational and scholarly works that stimulate love of learning and foster the pursuit of knowledge.

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff July 5, 2023

People on the Move

Michael Fox

Michael Fox has been appointed dean of the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) at UMass Amherst, effective Aug. 15. Fox has been a member of the Virginia Tech faculty since 2012, where he currently serves as director of the Virginia Tech School of Neuroscience, the endowed I.D. Wilson Chair in the Virginia Tech College of Science, and professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, a research-intensive institute on the health-sciences and technology campus of Virginia Tech. After beginning his undergraduate studies at the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), Fox earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the College of William and Mary and his Ph.D. in anatomy from Virginia Commonwealth University. He completed his post-doctoral training in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University. Throughout his career, Fox has received numerous awards and honors, including both the Jordi Folch Pi Award and the Marian Kies Award from the American Society for Neurochemistry, and has served as a counselor for the American Society for Neurochemistry, on several leadership committees for the Society for Neuroscience, and as a reviewer and chair for National Institutes of Health review panels.

•••••

Kuhn Riddle Architects (KRA) announced the promotion of four key team members to leadership positions. Andrew Bagge has been promoted to associate/senior architect. He has a proven track record of delivering successful projects and will play a vital role in driving the firm’s design vision and fostering creative excellence. Thom Barry has been promoted to associate/senior architect. He displays outstanding leadership abilities and commitment to delivering exceptional results, and will optimize project-delivery processes and ensure the highest standards of quality and client satisfaction. Brad Hutchison has been promoted to senior architect. He shows deep attention to detail, remarkable dedication to his clients, and outstanding project-management skills. He will expand his technical proficiency and mentor staff in the latest building-science technologies and energy-efficient design practices. Karen Michalowski has been promoted to associate/senior interior designer. Her tremendous expertise in interior design, and her sensitivity and understanding of client needs and the ever-changing interiors market, will help to expand the firm’s market presence in interior design.

•••••

Elizabeth Dougal joined Bulkley Richardson as counsel in the Trusts & Estates department, where her practice incudes preparation and administration of wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, personal-effects memorandum, durable powers of attorney, healthcare proxies, real-estate deeds, homestead exemptions, and small-business succession plans. For the past 19 years, Dougal ran a boutique legal practice providing clients with estate planning and related transactional work. She was also a consultant to estate, trust, and elder-care clients in several states through the Attorney Resource Center. She earned both a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, and a juris doctorate from Boston College.

•••••

Aimee Goddard

Kristina Laplante

Sara Dieters

Terry McConkey

Fifteen months after introducing its Client Advisory Team, HUB International New England announced the appointment of the personal lines directors: Aimee Goddard, director of Personal Lines – Operations; Kristina Laplante, director of Personal Lines – Sales; Sara Dieters, director of Personal Lines – Service; and Terry McConkey, director of Personal Lines – Specialty. Goddard has been in the insurance industry for over 32 years, starting her career in commercial lines before switching to personal lines in 1997. She spent 10 years of her career at Eastern Insurance, contributing to the company’s personal-lines growth and success. Having been with HUB since 2016, she has been promoted numerous times, to manager, director, regional director/senior vice president, and now to Operations director/senior vice president. With more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, Laplante has held various roles, providing her with extensive experience. She is committed to growing a sales team that is both customer-focused and driven to achieve results. A natural leader, her energy and enthusiasm inspires her team to strive for excellence, making them an asset to the organization. Having first started in banking, Dieters was introduced to insurance by a family friend, which proved to be an ideal fit, as she has now spent more than 16 years in the industry, including 10 years at HUB. She has been promoted numerous times over the years and is excited for this new opportunity. McConkey has worked for HUB for more than 35 years. She has held various roles in personal-lines service and leadership, including account manager, team leader, PL manager, PL specialty manager, and now Personal Lines director. She has a wealth of insurance knowledge and leadership experience and is excited to continue her positive impact in her new role. In addition, HUB congratulates the following employees who have been promoted to senior regional managers: Lisa Koehler, Partnership and Processing Teams; Patty Angell, Service and Remarket Teams; and Shirlee Capponcelli, Sales Team. Becky McLaughlin is moving into a new role as East Region director of Learning & Organizational Development.

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1Berkshire announced the promotions of staff members Benjamin Lamb and Kristen Harrington in recognition of their achievements, contributions, and dedication to the organization and its initiatives throughout Berkshire County. Lamb has been promoted to vice president of Economic Development. This promotion follows five years of work helping to build the economic-development team and expand the 1Berkshire footprint of activities and overall work. Hired in 2018 as the Economic Development projects manager, he was promoted to director of Economic Development a short time later. In his new position, Lamb will continue to lead and expand the outreach of 1Berkshire through its economic development in Berkshire County. Harrington has been promoted to Finance & Administration coordinator, a title that reflects her new responsibilities in accounting and internal operations and as property liaison. Previously, she functioned as the accounting specialist for 1Berkshire, a position she had held since 2019. She joined the Berkshire Visitors Bureau as a finance associate in 2015, and a year later, in a merger resulting in the creation of 1Berkshire, Harrington was named accounting associate.

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Country Bank announced four recent promotions. Jessica McGarry has been promoted to senior vice president, East Region Commercial Lending team lead, while Shantie Prashad, Cindy Saucier, and Blair Robidoux have been promoted to assistant vice presidents, Retail Banking. McGarry has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry and has been a commercial lender in the Worcester market for the past 10 years, with the entirety of her career spent in a community-bank setting. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business from Nichols College, received the Forty Under 40 designation in 2014 from the Worcester Business Journal, and was a member of the Leadership Worcester class of 2015-16. She also gives back to the community, currently serving on the board of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Worcester Business Development Corp. She remains active in volunteer opportunities through various organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Be Like Brit, and the Community Harvest Project. Prashad has more than 26 years of sales and leadership experience, most recently serving as the Retail Banking officer of Country Bank’s Park Avenue, Worcester location. She graduated from the New England School for Financial Studies in 2022 and is highly active in the Worcester community, serving on the board for the Learning First Foundation and the YWCA and as an ambassador for the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. Saucier has more than 20 years of banking and leadership experience, serving as the Retail Banking officer of the Charlton Banking Center. She graduated from the New England School for Financial Studies in 2021, is a board member and vice chair for the Central Mass South Chamber of Commerce, and serves with various nonprofits and committees within the Charlton community. Robidoux currently leads the West Street Banking Center and has more than 17 years of experience in the retail division. She has held various roles throughout her tenure at Country Bank and graduated from the New England School for Financial Studies in 2019. Throughout her career, she has been an integral part of the community within her market. She serves on the board of the Ware Business and Civic Assoc. Country Bank also congratulates Dianna Lussier, vice president of Risk, on her recent graduation from the American Bankers Assoc., Stonier Graduate School of Banking, which is the industry’s preeminent graduate banking program. Graduates receive both a Stonier diploma and a Wharton leadership certificate.

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Karen Rousseau

Karen Rousseau, dean of the School of Health Sciences at American International College (AIC), has been recognized as a member of the Commonwealth Heroines class of 2023 by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW). This state-established body is responsible for assessing the status of women in Massachusetts and making recommendations to enhance access to opportunities and promote equality. Each year, in collaboration with state legislators, the commission acknowledges and celebrates remarkable women who have made significant contributions to their organizations and communities. Rousseau was nominated by state Sen. Jacob Oliveira as the honoree in his Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester district. She was among 126 women across the state honored during the MCSW’s 20th-anniversary celebration at the Massachusetts State House on June 23. With a career spanning four decades, Rousseau excelled as a practicing registered nurse and has dedicated more than 30 years to nursing education. Her areas of expertise include maternal/newborn and pediatric nursing, as well as nursing management. Before holding the position of dean of the School of Health Sciences at AIC, she served as director of the Division of Nursing and contributed as a professor in both the undergraduate and RN-to-BSN programs.

•••••

Anna Bognolo will serve as the Greenfield Public Library’s new library director beginning July 10. She is taking over for Ellen Boyer, who is retiring after leading the library since February 2012. Bognolo earned her bachelor’s degree, three master’s degrees, and a post-graduate diploma while attending the University of Rochester, the University of Toronto, the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, the Scuola Vaticana di Biblioteconomia in Rome, and Simmons University in Boston. Prior to entering the field of librarianship, she worked for Christie’s Auctioneers in London and Rome. She then spent much of her career in library services, working for nearly a decade at Springfield Technical Community College as the reference outreach and technical services librarian. In that role, she developed a sound knowledge of the Central and Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing consortium’s inner workings and the services it provides to member libraries. In September 2017, Bognolo was named library and archive director at Eaglebrook School in Deerfield. She oversaw the day-to-day operation of the library, provided instructional support to students and teachers, and led the expansion of the school’s archive. She has also worked as a substitute librarian at the Jones Library in Amherst and the Greenfield Public Library, as well as in a part-time capacity at the Boyden Library of Deerfield Academy.

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Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., a leading labor and employment law firm, recently welcomed Kelley Mantz as a summer associate. Mantz attends Western New England University School of Law and will enter her third year this fall. After graduating from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2019, she assisted employers of all sizes as a technical recruiter. While doing so, she worked closely with human-resources professionals to identify hiring goals and implement strategies for meeting those goals. Since entering law school, Mantz has worked for a law firm in Connecticut and participated in the Small Business Clinic, where she assisted local small to mid-sized entrepreneurs in the Springfield area with legal matters, including employment matters.

•••••

The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) board of directors approved a long-planned leadership transition under which President and CEO John Regan will step down at the end of 2023 and be succeeded by Chief Government Affairs Executive Brooke Thomson. To support a smooth transition, Regan will remain in the CEO role through the end of the year, and Thomson will begin as president effective immediately. During his tenure, in tandem with the leadership team and board, Regan, 62, has guided AIM’s public-policy work, served as a voice for the employer community, expanded the award-winning AIM HR Solutions business, built a comprehensive team with the skills necessary to support AIM’s 3,400 member organizations, made AIM a leader on diversity, and assured that members had access to timely support during the pandemic. He plans to pursue new opportunities as a consultant, advisor, and board member. Before joining AIM’s leadership team more than four years ago, Thomson, 44, was a member of the AIM board. In her current role, she has been responsible for designing and advancing AIM’s policy agenda and strengthening relationships with elected officials and business leaders on Beacon Hill and throughout the Commonwealth, while ensuring that employer needs are represented at every level of the public-policy-making process. Thomson is committed to expanding the progress AIM has made in diversifying its membership, reflecting statewide business-community needs, and advancing policies that support both economic competitiveness and economic opportunity for the people of Massachusetts. She previously served as vice president of Government Affairs for AT&T and is a former senior official with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff January 31, 2024

Company Notebook

Fuss & O’Neill Announces Partnership with Trilon Group

SPRINGFIELD — Civil and environmental engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill announced a strategic partnership with Trilon Group, a family of infrastructure consulting businesses. The partnership gives Fuss & O’Neill additional capital and resources to expand its services and markets in the Northeast, while better serving its clients. Founded in 1924, Fuss & O’Neill is a leading provider of engineering services, with offices in each New England state and New York. Fuss & O’Neill was selected by Trilon Group to be a part of the company’s vision to build the next top-10 design firm in North America. Trilon will support Fuss & O’Neill to accelerate the growth and careers of its employees with additional investment in talent, technology, and targeted mergers and acquisitions.

Easthampton Announces Business Grant Winners

EASTHAMPTON — The City of Easthampton announced that five local businesses have been awarded business grants as part of the 2023 Business Census, launched earlier this year. The five winners were randomly selected out of the 66 survey respondents. The $1,000 business grant winner is Yarn Dragon’s Basket. The $500 business grant winners are Beautiful Gardens, Jude Ribisi, Klituscope Films, and Staying in Balance Acupuncture. In partnership with both the Chamber of Greater Easthampton and Blueprint Easthampton, the city launched the 2023 Business Census, a comprehensive survey for business owners, innovators, and entrepreneurs in the community. This effort was made possible by participation in the National League of Cities’ City Inclusive Entrepreneurship (CIE) program, the fourth that Easthampton has been a part of. Through support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the CIE program is a National League of Cities initiative that asks city leaders to commit to an inclusive economic-development policy, program, or practice over the course of one year.

Hyundai Hope on Wheels Gives $20,000 to Two Nonprofits

HOLYOKE — During a check presentation on Jan. 25 at Gary Rome Hyundai, Hyundai Hope on Wheels made two donations: $10,000 to LukeStronger Inc. of South Hadley and $10,000 to Each Moment We’re Alive of West Springfield. Launched in 1998, Hyundai Hope on Wheels is one of the longest-running corporate social-responsibility efforts in the automotive industry. In honor of its 25th anniversary, it announced plans to award $25 million in research grants this year, its largest donation in a single year, bringing its total giving to $225 million since its inception. Each Moment We’re Alive was launched by Sheridan Murphy in 2015 after her second bout with breast cancer. She then realized that reaching out, rather than blocking out, was the best chance for survival. Since then, she has helped organize support groups and workshops with a focus on emotional and spiritual health. Sheridan has since expanded her network to help families with all types of cancer, including pediatric cancer. LukeStronger Inc. is a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing assistance to local families dealing with pediatric cancer so that parents can spend time with their children. LukeStronger originated when Luke Bradley, a then 10-year-old boy from South Hadley, relapsed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Local residents rallied to support his family with, among other things, a benefit golf tournament. Complications and another unforeseen relapse kept Luke at Boston Children’s Hospital for 15 months. He underwent a bone-marrow transplant in December 2017 and is doing well today. Bradley’s family created a nonprofit to help other families by continuing the golf-tournament tradition. In its short history, LukeStronger has helped seven local families fill the income gap caused by pediatric cancer.

Dietz Supports Nonprofits with ‘Spread the Cheer’ Campaign

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. 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.

Breeze Airways Launches Service to Cincinnati, San Diego

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — The Connecticut Airport Authority announced that low-cost carrier Breeze Airways will be launching non-stop summer seasonal service between Bradley International Airport and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The flight will operate on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, starting May 2. Additionally, Breeze will offer daily summer seasonal service between Bradley and San Diego International Airport, starting May 1. The flight will be part of the airline’s BreezeThru service, which includes one stop, but passengers do not have to change planes. The announcement follows recent news of the airline’s plans to launch service between BDL and Orlando, Fla. and Santa Ana, Calif. in May. Breeze currently flies nonstop between Bradley and Charleston, S.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Fort Myers, Fla.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Las Vegas; New Orleans; Phoenix; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Richmond, Va.; Sarasota, Fla.; Tampa, Fla.; and Vero Beach, Fla.

Greenfield Cooperative Bank Supports Empty Arms Bereavement

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Cooperative Bank announced that its nomination of Empty Arms Bereavement, an organization offering compassionate support to families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss, has resulted in a $5,000 grant from the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. (MBA) Community Service Grant Program. “Empty Arms’ dedication to supporting families during some of life’s most difficult moments resonates deeply with our commitment to community service,” said Tony Worden, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank. This year, the MBA Charitable Foundation awarded 41 grants, totaling $152,500, to nonprofit organizations across the state. Empty Arms’ dedication to grieving families stood out among the many nominations, earning it this vital funding.

Nick Gelfand: 33

By BusinessWest Staff April 26, 2011

40 Under 40 The Class of 2011

Owner and President, NRG Real Estate Inc.

Nick Gelfand

Nikita Robert Gelfand’s parents didn’t plan on giving him initials that sound out a word, but he’s definitely had the ‘NRG’ to succeed.
Having immigrated to the U.S. from Russia at age 11 with his family, Gelfand said that he always liked real estate, and he knew, even as a child, that he wanted to own and operate properties. But he has always marched to the beat of a different drummer, he said, and after working for a larger realty company, he knew the time had come to hang out his own shingle.
“Maybe it was the hot market I got into in 2003,” he joked. “Those boom years were awesome. I realized it was something I could make a living at — which is nice, when you can do what you love.”
He’s equally committed to bringing the sum total of his professional experience to others in need.
“I think it’s important for everyone in a community to give back to the community,” he explained. “You always look for somewhere you can contribute that’s close to your heart. There are many great charities and nonprofits to be a part of, but Habitat for Humanity seemed right for me. Because I help people buy houses in my everyday life, it just seemed like a natural fit to help these folks who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for a mortgage in a traditional way.”
As a board member for the Greater Springfield chapter of Habitat, Gelfand also helps to coordinate the Fall Festival campaign, which last year raised more than $35,000.
Meanwhile, at work, Gelfand said that helping people get into their first homes is one of his proudest accomplishments — one he gets to enjoy on a weekly basis. “Some of my favorite clients to work with are first-time homebuyers, because I was in their shoes very recently.”
It’s the American Dream, he said, for a kid from Russia to own his own business. And with his energetic approach to real estate, he’s making that dream come true for others.
— Dan Chase

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]

Chester Wojcik

By BusinessWest Staff April 16, 2010

40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Chester Wojcik: 39

President, Design Construction Group

Chester Wojcik grew up with a family motto that said, “it is important to put a smile on someone’s face every day.” That principle, combined with his desire to give back to the community and build positive relationships, is a cornerstone of Wojcik’s life.

He devotes a tremendous amount of time to volunteer work and said his understanding of its value was made clear during childhood. “So many people gave to me when I was growing up — coaches, family members, people in church, and business associates in the town,” he said, remembering his first job working for a small company in Agawam.

The construction business formed by the North Carolina State graduate specializes in urban revitalization and historic preservation of buildings. He is passionate about the work and belongs to a variety of related organizations, including Springfield Preservation Trust, which is dedicated to community involvement.

Wojcik’s father was a volunteer for Junior Achievement, and he has followed the family tradition as a volunteer on that organization’s board, which he describes as “a cause very near and dear to my heart.” He has conducted mock interviews for Springfield students and is on JA’s long-term planning committee.

The small-business owner and father of two (son Tyler and daughter Emily) describes himself as a “very hands-on person.”

That comes into play in his work for Habitat for Humanity and United Way. “I am very involved, whether it is doing a local cleanup or working on projects that Habitat and the United Way do together,” Wojcik said.

He loves to fish and is a board member of Marathon Basin Yacht Club. Another group that benefits from Wojcik’s participation is the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, where he says members are dedicated to helping each other attain success.

“I really enjoy networking and being involved in social and civic events. What I do comes back to good Christian values and holding myself to a higher standard,” said Wojcik, who is a deacon at First Baptist Church of Agawam. “Building relationships is everything.”—Kathleen Mitchell

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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.

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.

By BusinessWest Staff June 8, 2009

Departments

Springfield Names Development Chief

SPRINGFIELD — John Judge, a real-estate developer in Boston, has been named the city’s new chief development officer. He will succeed David Panagore, who left last fall to take a similar position in Hartford. Judge, 42, who was introduced by Mayor Domenic Sarno at a City Hall press conference, brings a varied résumé to his position. He’s president of Judge Co., a real estate development firm based in Boston, and previously served as director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Boston. As he was introduced, Judge told the local press that “the challenges that Springfield is encountering right now are the challenges that America is encountering. Springfield can certainly be an incubator for innovation and ideas, an incubator in the lead, top of mind, if you will, for New England.”

Poll: Local Firms Optimistic About Economic Recovery

SPRINGFIELD — The recession has taken a toll on businesses across the country, and Hartford-Springfield firms are no exception: 83% report that the recession has had a direct negative effect on their business. To remain competitive, many businesses in the interstate region have postponed capital spending (48%), cut their workforce (45%), or initiated hiring or pay freezes (39%). Only a handful (9%) have raised prices. In fact, more businesses have lowered prices to boost demand, and almost half (49%) have increased marketing efforts to prepare for recovery when the economy bounces back. Those are some of the key findings in the 2009 Hartford-Springfield Regional Business Survey, released recently. Commissioned by the Hartford-Springfield Economic Partnership (HSEP), the survey was conducted by the Connecticut Business & Industry Assoc. (CBIA) and sponsored by Comcast Business Class and Kostin, Ruffkess & Co. It is a follow-up to the first survey in 2007. The survey finds that economic competitiveness, taxes, regulatory burdens, and the cost of doing business are high on Hartford-Springfield businesses’ list of concerns, while the region’s quality of life, educational institutions, and proximity to key markets rank high on the list of benefits. The majority (61%) of business leaders cited the cost of doing business as the single greatest barrier to their continued success in the Hartford-Springfield region. The sluggish economic climate overall ranked a distant second (18%), followed by the region’s demographics and skilled workforce shortage (14%). Somewhat encouraging is the fact that the proportion of businesses expecting to record a loss in 2007 and in 2009 has remained the same (23%); however, the share of businesses expecting to record a profit dropped precipitously from 71% in 2007 to a projected 41% in 2009. Perhaps the brightest news is that almost none of the businesses surveyed plan to shut down (2%). While 9% plan to sell their companies within the next five years, the vast majority (85%) expect to stay in business — and to stay in the Hartford-Springfield region. “Concerns expressed about the high costs of doing business are timely as state governments struggle with decreased revenue and flirt with increasing costs to compensate,” said Allan Blair, president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. “For our companies to grow when the economy improves, their costs must remain competitive. Fortunately, most businesses surveyed expect to successfully navigate these difficult times.”

Pay Gap Between Public, Private Sectors Reaches New High

WASHINGTON — The compensation gap between public- and private-sector employees continues to grow, according to recently released data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall total compensation for state and local workers in December 2008 was $39.25 per hour — $11.90, or 44%, more than in private business. A year earlier, the gap was $11.31. Public-employee benefits were 68% higher than private-sector workers — $13.38 an hour compared to $7.98. Annualized, that equates to $27,830 for the average government worker and $16,598 for the average employee in the private sector. Last year, the cost of public-sector benefits rose three times more than those in the private sector — up 69 cents for government workers and 23 cents for private-sector employees, according to the new report. The public-private wage gap has remained about the same since 2002, the report states, but for every $1-per-hour pay increase, public employees have received $1.17 in new benefits compared to 58 cents for private workers.

Consumer Confidence Climbs in May

SPRINGFIELD — The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index climbed 14.1 points in May, a much-larger jump than most analysts were expecting, bringing the confidence level to its highest mark — 54.9 — since last September (61.4). The gain was at least 10 points higher than economists were predicting, fueling speculation that the worst of the recession may indeed be over. Much of the improvement came from the expectations index, which measures shoppers’ outlook over the next six months. That barometer climbed to 72.3 from 51.0 in April. Consumers’ assessment of the present situation, however, was still weak, rising from 25.5 in April to 28.9 in May.

Springfield’s Jobless Rate Falls

SPRINGFIELD — A rise in seasonal hiring brought Springfield’s employment rate down from 8.7% in March to 8.2% in April, according to recently released statistics from the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The decline mirrored a 0.4% decrease reported statewide (from 8.2% to 7.8%); however, the numbers are not quite double what they were a year ago (4.3% for the state and 4.7% for Springfield).

Manpower Indentifies ‘Hardest-fill’ Positions

MILWAUKEE — Engineers, nurses, and skilled/manual trades are among the nation’s most challenging positions to fill, according to survey findings released by Manpower Inc. “In the four years we have performed this research, the same positions appear on the list again and again,” said Jonas Prising, president of the Americas. “Despite the current economic instability and high unemployment, there are still skills that the U.S. workforce seems to lack.” The 10 hardest jobs to fill, as reported by U.S. employers for 2009, are engineers, nurses, skilled/manual trades, teachers, sales representatives, technicians, drivers, IT staff, laborers, and machinists/machine operators. Each of the 10 job categories on the 2009 list has appeared on the Hardest Jobs to Fill list in the past. Technicians, machinists/machine operators and sales representatives have been present all four years. Engineers, drivers, and laborers have appeared three out of four years, while nurses, teachers, skilled/manual trades, and IT staff have been present in two of the four years Manpower has performed the survey. Even with unemployment at or near record levels in many communities, Manpower’s research highlights the problem many employers are having finding individuals with the right combination of job-specific skills, experience, training, and soft skills. “It is becoming more clear that there is a talent disconnect,” said Melanie Holmes, vice president, World of Work Solutions for Manpower North America.

Home Sales Increase in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — Home sales in Springfield surged in April compared to a year ago, bucking a statewide trend. A total of 90 homes were sold in Springfield in April, up 30.43% from the 69 sold in April 2008, according to figures released by the Warren Group. Year-to-date through April, there were 274 homes sold in Springfield, up 13.22% from the 242 sold in the first four months of 2008.

Country Bank Donates $1 Million to Local Charities in 2018

By BusinessWest Staff February 14, 2019

Daily News

WARE — Country Bank reported that donations for 2018 exceeded $1 million. Through the bank’s established charitable-giving program, support is provided to local nonprofits throughout the region; in 2018, more than 400 organizations received generous contributions from the program. Among the organizations that received donations, the Salvation Army, the YMCA of Greater Springfield, the Springfield Rescue Mission, Friends of the Homeless, and the USO of Pioneer Valley each received $5,000, while the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and Christina’s House each received $10,000.

The bank also teamed up with Habitat for Humanity to build a home in Springfield last September. “Spending the day helping a family to build their home was a meaningful experience for our staff members,” said Paul Scully, bank president and CEO.

Country Bank also has an employee charitable-giving program that raised more than $30,000 in 2018, through events such as jeans days, bake sales, and raffles.

“The staff at Country Bank understands the importance of supporting its local communities,” said Jodie Gerulaitis, vice president of Community Relations. “When we add an event to our volunteer calendar, it is filled instantly. This speaks volumes to our culture and our belief in helping others. In 2018, our team volunteered more than 1,100 hours of personal time at various events within the local communities. We served meals to the homeless, watered flowers throughout the summer for Ware in Bloom, and prepared meals for the children and families at the Ronald McDonald House, to name just a few.”

By BusinessWest Staff September 13, 2010

Departments

ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

Sept. 15: ACCGS After 5, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by the Springfield Marriott. Cost for members is $10, non-members, $20.

Sept. 23: Feast in the East-ERC, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by: Elmcrest Country Club. Cost: $25 per person. Call the chamber for more information.

Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com

Sept. 15: 17th Annual United Way Day of Caring. This event pairs volunteers with agency service providers to accomplish a variety of projects. YPS will again pair up with the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity and work on one of the homes currently under construction in Springfield. If interested in joining, e-mail Maureen Picknally at [email protected]

Sept. 16: Third Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted by Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield. This event is free for YPS members, and $5 for non-members.

Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com

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

Sept. 21: 13th Annual Table Top Showcase and business networking event, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, and Greater Westfield chambers of commerce. Call the chambers for more information.

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

Sept. 24: Breakfast Series – United Way Program, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Hosted by Franklin County Technical School, Turners Falls. Call the chamber for more information.

Sept. 25 and 26: Fiber Twist, an Annual Celebration of All Things Fiber in Franklin County,
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. No admission charge. For details, visit www.fibertwist.com

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

Sept. 8: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by the Apollo Grill. Tickets: $5 for members, $15 for non-members.

Oct. 1: Casino Night, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m, at One Cottage St., Easthampton. Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org

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

Sept. 15: Holyoke Chamber Clambake, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Holyoke Country Club. Tickets are $26. Call the chamber to reserve tickets.

Sept. 21: The 13th Annual Table Top Showcase, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Hosted by the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Call the chamber for more information or to reserve tickets.

Sept. 22: 2010 Pacesetter Awards Recognition Breakfast, starting at 7:30 a.m. Hosted by the Delaney House. The Pacesetter Awards go to exceptional small businesses and nonprofit agencies, entrepreneurs, and those advocates who make other businesses successful. Tickets are $18. Please call the chamber for more information or to reserve tickets.

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

Northampton Area Young Professional Society
www.thenayp.com
(413) 584-1900

Sept. 17: NAYP Dynamics of Fleet Safety Seminar, 8 to 10 a.m., Union Station. Safety supervisors and fleet managers from all industries will benefit from this important presentation, led by Gerry Sousa, executive director of the National Safety Council’s Western New England Chapter. Participants will identify the daily challenges of running an effective fleet and learn the essential elements of a fleet safety program. Best practices for motor-vehicle safety, collision prevention, and asset use will be discussed.

Sept. 21: Meet & Eat, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Clarion Hotel and Conference Center. Tickets are $15 for members, $20 for guests.

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

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

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

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

Sept. 21: “Rake in The Business” TableTop Expo, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Castle of Knights, Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield chambers of commerce. Call the chambers for more information.

Sept. 24: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce 104th Air Fighter Annual Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m. Hosted by the 104th Air Fighter, Barnes Airport, 175 Falcon Dr., Westfield. Guest Speaker: Ira Bryck, director of UMass Family Business Center. Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Call the chamber for more information.

Country Bank’s Employee-volunteer Program Evolves

By BusinessWest Staff January 6, 2016

Daily News

WARE — Country Bank has been supporting local communities for many years, not only through donations, but also with volunteers working at local community events, participating in parades and road races, serving dinner on Thanksgiving Day, feeding the homeless, collecting trash, and building houses for Habitat for Humanity, to name a few efforts.

In 2015, the volunteer program at Country Bank was taken to the next level with the implementation of the Country Bank Cares Community Volunteer Program. This new program offers volunteer opportunities at various events throughout the year to Country Bank staff. Each volunteer hour is logged, and at the end of the year, staff members who volunteered 10 hours or more are awarded a grant to a charity of their choice for either $100 or $250, depending on their total time volunteered.

A total of 109 Country Bank staff members participated in this new program for a total of more than 800 hours of volunteer service. Of those 109, 32 qualified for a grant, for a grand total of $4,100 donated by Country Bank.

“I couldn’t be more pleased at the success of our first year of the Country Bank Cares Program,” said Deb Gagnon, corporate relations officer. “Our staff really came forward and helped out at various events in our towns, and as a result, many nonprofits will benefit from the donation dollars. It is amazing to see the commitment from our staff members and the bank through this program.”

Liberty Bank Opens First Bank Branch in Massachusetts

By BusinessWest Staff December 6, 2023

Daily News

EAST LONGMEADOW — Joined by customers, area business leaders, community representatives, and state and local elected officials, Liberty Bank cut the ribbon on Tuesday to its first bank branch in Massachusetts, located at 94 Shaker Road in East Longmeadow, marking its official opening.

Teammates from Liberty Bank, which is headquartered in Middletown, Conn., also presented two grants totaling $10,000 to representatives from the East Longmeadow Food Pantry and Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity. In addition, state Rep. Brian Ashe and Jennifer Pickering, district director for state Sen. Jacob Oliveira, each presented official citations recognizing the opening of the branch. East Longmeadow Town Manager Tom Christensen also attended the event.

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.

“Due to our rapid pace of growth in securing lending and deposit customers in this part of the state, we identified the need and made it a top priority to open a branch to better support our customers and communities, expand our branch network, and drive future growth in Massachusetts,” said David Glidden, president and CEO, who is originally from Holyoke. “So we went out and hired some of the best of the best in community banking from Western Mass. who embrace our mission in the work they do every day: to improve the lives of our customers, teammates, and communities for generations to come.”

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.

“What’s so exciting about our East Longmeadow branch is that it is staffed with teammates who know the community, have resided here, and have customers they’ve been serving for many years,” Parker said. “I want our customers, community, and others looking for a new bank to serve all of their banking needs to know that our branch is open and ready to deliver an extraordinary banking experience.”

The opening of the East Longmeadow branch comes only two months after the launch of Liberty’s commercial loan production office (LPO) at One Monarch Place in downtown Springfield. The branch at 94 Shaker Road was previously the Massachusetts LPO.

Baystate Rug & Flooring Helps Springfield Tornado Victims

By BusinessWest Staff December 9, 2015

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — When tornadoes carved a 39-mile path through the landscape of Western Mass. on June 1, 2011, thousands of lives were impacted. Even today, many of the tornado victims are still dealing with the aftermath, including Isidoro and Alejandrina Mulero of Springfield. Their home in the Six Corners section of the city sustained significant damage to the roof, siding, windows, and foundation.

After four years, the Muleros’ home is almost habitable thanks to volunteers from the community as well as Habitat for Humanity and Revitalize Community Development Corp. (formerly Rebuilding Together), who refurbished the damaged structure. Now, all the family needs is to have the flooring installed, for which Baystate Rug & Flooring, a local, family-owned provider of flooring with locations in East Longmeadow and Chicopee, has donated labor.

According to Margarita Mulero, the daughter of Isidoro and Alejandrina, the family reached out to Baystate Rug & Flooring at the recommendation of a pastor at a local church.

“We were looking for someone whose heart would go out to them, someone who could volunteer their services to help finish the repairs to the house,” she said. “Baystate Rug & Flooring was the company that was suggested, and when we contacted them, they expressed interest in helping us.”

Jorge Morgado, vice president of Baystate Rug & Flooring, noted, “at Baystate Rug and Flooring, we live by the motto ‘how can I make today a better day?’ When we learned about the Mulero family of Springfield, who were struggling to get back into their tornado-damaged home, we wanted to help in some small way. Donating installation services is one way we can demonstrate our commitment to making each day better for our community.”

Real Estate Transactions

By BusinessWest Staff November 8, 2023

Real Estate

FRANKLIN COUNTY

BUCKLAND

119 Elm St.
Buckland, MA 01370
Amount: $680,000
Buyer: Steven C. Parsons
Seller: J. T. McConnell Investment
Date: 10/03/23

40 Mechanic St.
Buckland, MA 01370
Amount: $350,500
Buyer: John MacGibbon
Seller: Sachs Int.
Date: 10/13/23

CONWAY

638 South Deerfield Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $150,700
Buyer: Herlinda Tuesca
Seller: Pioneer Valley Habitat For Humanity
Date: 10/10/23

GILL

4 Set Back Lane
Gill, MA 01354
Amount: $289,000
Buyer: Paul D. Viens
Seller: Richard Cramm
Date: 10/10/23

GREENFIELD

11 Conway St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $1,000,000
Buyer: Eagle Real Estate Ventures LLC
Seller: Monahan Int.
Date: 10/06/23

110 Cottage St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Dauntless Path LLC
Seller: Lovell, George L., (Estate)
Date: 10/06/23

38 Ferrante Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $476,000
Buyer: Ryan Lavoie
Seller: Lawrence P. Interlande
Date: 10/11/23

150 Green River Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $313,000
Buyer: Joshua M. Levin
Seller: Steiner, Mary L., (Estate)
Date: 10/05/23

23-25 Haywood St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Hillary E. Smith
Seller: William Spencer
Date: 10/04/23

75 Laurel St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Kerry Heathwaite
Seller: Yestramski, Francis J., (Estate)
Date: 10/10/23

462 Leyden Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $292,500
Buyer: Zachary Fry
Seller: Richardson, Sally Tam, (Estate)
Date: 10/06/23

99 Meadow Lane
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $425,000
Buyer: Corissa E. Tripp
Seller: Wong, Yoshiko, (Estate)
Date: 10/02/23

4 Michelman Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Douglas Simon
Seller: John F. Lobik
Date: 10/10/23

36 Robbins Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $281,750
Buyer: Freeland J. Tuden
Seller: Joseph R. Lavallee
Date: 10/13/23

LEVERETT

2 Laurel Hill Dr.
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $778,750
Buyer: Linda A. Bullock
Seller: Peter Longiaru
Date: 10/12/23

LEYDEN

168 Kately Hill Road
Leyden, MA 01301
Amount: $781,000
Buyer: 168 Kately Hill LLC
Seller: Donald R. Adams
Date: 10/05/23

6 Stephen Lane
Leyden, MA 01301
Amount: $319,000
Buyer: 168 Kately Hill LLC
Seller: Donald R. Adams
Date: 10/05/23

MONTAGUE

111 Federal St.
Montague, MA 01349
Amount: $147,250
Buyer: Edward Terault
Seller: Warsawski, Rose A., (Estate)
Date: 10/12/23

110 L St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $1,350,000
Buyer: L St. Corporate Mgmt. LLC
Seller: Pioneer Valley Redevelopers LLC
Date: 10/06/23

132 L St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $1,350,000
Buyer: L St Corporate Mgmt. LLC
Seller: Pioneer Valley Redevelopers LLC
Date: 10/06/23

19 Morris Ave.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Tomas Ovalle
Seller: Vivier, Pearl, (Estate)
Date: 10/11/23

NORTHFIELD

571-E Millers Falls Road
Northfield, MA 01360
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Joseph R. Lavallee
Seller: David Gorzocoski
Date: 10/13/23

ORANGE

475 East Main St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $128,000
Buyer: 475 East Main St. RT
Seller: Avila, John B., (Estate)
Date: 10/06/23

188 Pleasant St.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $165,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Wickline
Seller: TCS Home Group LLC
Date: 10/13/23

SHUTESBURY

Summer Mountain Road, Lot 2
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Lugosch Int.
Seller: Joan A. Antonino
Date: 10/12/23

SUNDERLAND

Brown Cross Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $195,500
Buyer: Wiseacre LLC
Seller: Monterey Rose LLC
Date: 10/11/23

River Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $195,500
Buyer: Wiseacre LLC
Seller: Monterey Rose LLC
Date: 10/11/23

WENDELL

95 Lockes Village Road
Wendell, MA 01379
Amount: $242,533
Buyer: Donald Kuzmeskus
Seller: Chicorka, Katrina L., (Estate)
Date: 10/04/23

WHATELY

167 Haydenville Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $402,000
Buyer: Allissa T. Jukiro
Seller: Grace G. Dwight RET
Date: 10/04/23

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

28 Center St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Seller: Whitehead. Donald R., (Estate)
Date: 10/04/23

52 Edgewater Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Daniel M. Geiger
Seller: Dorothy A. Sliech
Date: 10/10/23

28 Maynard St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Douglas Delaroche
Seller: Thomas E. Schnepp
Date: 10/13/23

832 North West St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $342,500
Buyer: Thomas C. Williams
Seller: Colin O. McLean
Date: 10/06/23

20 Ottawa St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $330,000
Buyer: Brian Cote
Seller: Campagnari Construction LLC
Date: 10/12/23

99 Pineview Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Caroline A. Scherpa
Seller: Charles H. Heimann IRC
Date: 10/10/23

79 Poinsetta St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Brian F. Moriarty
Seller: Daniel Geiger
Date: 10/10/23

362 Poplar St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $549,000
Buyer: Stephen J. Wodecki
Seller: Viktor Savonin
Date: 10/05/23

435 River Road
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $429,000
Buyer: Colin M. Deforge
Seller: Longo, Robert L., (Estate)
Date: 10/03/23

966 Shoemaker Lane
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Mark R. Magistri
Seller: Rising, Daniel Cesan, (Estate)
Date: 10/05/23

277 Silver St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $2,562,500
Buyer: Maya Associates LLC
Seller: 277 Silver LLC
Date: 10/11/23

558 Southwick St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Maven Investment Co. LLC
Seller: Cynthia A. Kozak
Date: 10/04/23

647 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Brett Bamford
Seller: Kevin J. Davidson
Date: 10/03/23

784 Springfield St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Timothy J. Tracy
Seller: Tomroc Holdings LLC
Date: 10/02/23

BRIMFIELD

108 Cubles Dr.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $334,000
Buyer: Chad Carter
Seller: Joseph Lace
Date: 10/10/23

26 Hollow Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Jennysa Singvongsa
Seller: Methuselah RT
Date: 10/11/23

85 Hollow Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $218,500
Buyer: Kristen Wood Special Need
Seller: Jockamo H. Baldina
Date: 10/11/23

230 Park Ave.
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Paige Hill Properties LLC
Seller: Rcfam LLC
Date: 10/10/23

Sturbridge Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Paige Hill Properties LLC
Seller: Rcfam LLC
Date: 10/10/23

CHESTER

92 Old State Hwy.
Chester, MA 01011
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Lisa Estrada
Seller: Terence M. Pease
Date: 10/13/23

CHICOPEE

18 Bemis St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Meg Realty LLC
Seller: Dalton Alexis
Date: 10/10/23

415 East St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: SS Enterprises Inc.
Seller: C&H Investments Inc.
Date: 10/12/23

8 Grace St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Ahmed Al Jashaam
Seller: Brodeur, Gail A., (Estate)
Date: 10/03/23

138 Grattan St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $333,000
Buyer: Jack Watson
Seller: Andrew J. Crane
Date: 10/06/23

131 Hampden St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $226,000
Buyer: Shirley Donkor
Seller: Bozek Realty Inc.
Date: 10/04/23

30 Lafayette St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Priscilla Goldman
Seller: Jonathan W. Moulton
Date: 10/13/23

106 Lawrence Road
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $344,900
Buyer: Nancy M. Benard
Seller: Kazimiera Bak
Date: 10/11/23

1752 Memorial Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Matthew Yacavone
Seller: Carolyn Z. Vickers
Date: 10/04/23

36 Mercedes St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $246,500
Buyer: Patrick E. Goonan
Seller: Michael J. Goonan
Date: 10/11/23

Pleasantview Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Ahmed Al Jashaam
Seller: Brodeur, Gail A., (Estate)
Date: 10/03/23

123 Springfield St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Adivio V. Gomes
Seller: Revampit LLC
Date: 10/13/23

12 Tenney St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $314,000
Buyer: Donald A. Houle
Seller: Daniel A. Brosseau
Date: 10/04/23

27 Thornwood St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Phillip Rankin
Seller: McEwan, Joyce M., (Estate)
Date: 10/05/23

115 Tolpa Circle
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: Brendan Levesque
Seller: Donald J. Roy
Date: 10/13/23

44 Wallace Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $311,000
Buyer: Barbara Paulo
Seller: Kyle J. Partridge
Date: 10/13/23

EAST LONGMEADOW

Denslow Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Laplante Construction Inc.
Seller: Richard G. Elfman
Date: 10/13/23

41 Holland Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Megan Sullivan
Seller: Hugh K. Martin
Date: 10/10/23

11 Kenneth Lunden Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Brandon Obrien
Seller: David C. Malchow
Date: 10/11/23

39 Lenox Circle
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $475,000
Buyer: Sara Margoles TR
Seller: Lynn M. Bolton
Date: 10/02/23

260 Maple St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $281,500
Buyer: Kyle T. Palazzi
Seller: Darlene M. Collins
Date: 10/05/23

136 Meadow Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Brian Gurski
Seller: Walter J. Crawford
Date: 10/11/23

32 Melwood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Nicholas Gero
Seller: Grigely, Anne M., (Estate)
Date: 10/06/23

32 Melwood Ave., Lot 12
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Nicholas Gero
Seller: Grigely, Anne M., (Estate)
Date: 10/06/23

4 Millbrook Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Amanda Torres-Alvarado
Seller: Quercus Properties LLC
Date: 10/06/23

91 North Main St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Ryan B. McGuire
Seller: Erin Ahart
Date: 10/13/23

Purves St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: 60 Munson Meeting Way LLC
Seller: Laplante Construction
Date: 10/13/23

48 Wellington Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $690,000
Buyer: Jaafar M. Hamadeh
Seller: Thomas C. Williams
Date: 10/06/23

70 Wood Ave.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Robert McCarthy
Seller: Michelle McCarthy
Date: 10/12/23

HAMPDEN

50 Baldwin Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $352,000
Buyer: Ryan M. Terbush
Seller: Joseph Hutchison
Date: 10/10/23

102 Baldwin Dr.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $166,200
Buyer: Lumturi RT
Seller: Polley, David M., (Estate)
Date: 10/02/23

522 Main St.
Hampden, MA 01036
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: 522 Main St. Realty LLC
Seller: Hatch Property Mgmt. LLC
Date: 10/03/23

HOLYOKE

30 Ashley Road
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Megan E. Fanning
Seller: Mark J. Dizek
Date: 10/12/23

44 Congress Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Gabriella Phelan
Seller: Pedro Berrios
Date: 10/11/23

1519 Dwight St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $1,451,412
Buyer: Cadet 23 LLC
Seller: Oliver Auto Body
Date: 10/04/23

26 Florence Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $322,000
Buyer: Jason Laboy
Seller: Sky RET
Date: 10/03/23

278 Hillside Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Maria M. Aquino
Seller: Ameilia M. Czarnik
Date: 10/05/23

50-52 Vernon St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Sarah Jerome
Seller: Hann Realty LLC
Date: 10/12/23

LONGMEADOW

Brookside Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Camille Burger
Seller: Mark E. Salomone
Date: 10/12/23

112 Captain Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Anthony G. Dallessandro
Seller: Luigi Chiarella
Date: 10/06/23

55 Cedar Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: John Stocks
Seller: Reginald D. Smith
Date: 10/03/23

120 Crestview Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $675,000
Buyer: Eileen Castellanos
Seller: Daniel R. Schwarting
Date: 10/11/23

58 Fairfield Ter.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $492,500
Buyer: Jeslyn Carr
Seller: Jonathan A. Bubier
Date: 10/05/23

24 Herbert St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Xuan Tang
Seller: Matthew Gaffney
Date: 10/02/23

389 Inverness Lane
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $640,000
Buyer: Neil Greene
Seller: Jacob B. Webber
Date: 10/11/23

549 Laurel St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Gregory J. Hughes
Seller: David A. Hirsh
Date: 10/04/23

64 Redfern Dr.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $440,000
Buyer: G. B. & Susan R. Gravel RET
Seller: March Thompson
Date: 10/05/23

1112 Williams St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $635,000
Buyer: Matthew Sandler
Seller: Gregory Dumeny
Date: 10/02/23

42 Woodlawn Pl
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Christen Brownlee
Seller: Woodlawn Property LLC
Date: 10/05/23

57 Woolworth St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $267,000
Buyer: Goodman LLC
Seller: Morgan, Marjorie S., (Estate)
Date: 10/13/23

LUDLOW

66 Chapin St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Antonio G. Norton
Seller: Robert J. Lefebvre
Date: 10/02/23

504 Fuller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Galina Mashitlova
Seller: Transform Property Group LLC
Date: 10/02/23

415 Holyoke St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Robert F. Bourdeau
Seller: Bourdeau Sr., Robert D., (Estate)
Date: 10/11/23

16 May Road
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $302,000
Buyer: Christopher J. Behnk
Seller: Flowers, Steven A., (Estate)
Date: 10/11/23

455 Miller St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Nathanial Mizula
Seller: Nicholas R. Fales
Date: 10/05/23

13 Salli Circle
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Christopher H. Newman
Seller: Stephanie A. Richard
Date: 10/02/23

15 Victor St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $265,300
Buyer: Darlene L. Kennedy
Seller: Shawn N. Thompson
Date: 10/12/23

MONSON

59 Beebe Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Heather Garvie
Seller: Judith C. Chlebus
Date: 10/05/23

MONTGOMERY

217 Pitcher St.
Montgomery, MA 01085
Amount: $665,000
Buyer: Amy Varner
Seller: David W. Tourville
Date: 10/05/23

PALMER

4001-4003 Hill St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Stan Properties LLC
Seller: Jose Miranda
Date: 10/05/23

1505-A-C North Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Abdul Bashier Sroosh
Seller: Linda S. Pardo
Date: 10/03/23

1644-1646 North Main St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Steven Mercure
Seller: A To Z Property Mgmt.
Date: 10/12/23

1061 Park St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Ana Hernandez
Seller: Mt Home LLC
Date: 10/11/23

RUSSELL

541 Woodland Way
Russell, MA 01071
Amount: $430,000
Buyer: Jonathan Fannin Special TR
Seller: Tony L. Lewis
Date: 10/10/23

SPRINGFIELD

86 Anniversary St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $278,000
Buyer: Lismarie S. Negron-Morales
Seller: Mark A. Wikar
Date: 10/11/23

234 Arnold Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $273,000
Buyer: Frederick Collins
Seller: Douglas J. Dichard
Date: 10/12/23

438 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Yulaska G. Aguasvivas
Seller: Shaynah M. Orr
Date: 10/04/23

665 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Thomas Wilson
Seller: Joanne L. Lupi
Date: 10/13/23

726 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $740,000
Buyer: Shariyfah Lupus Fund LLC
Seller: Airbel Real Estate LLC
Date: 10/04/23

788 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $740,000
Buyer: Shariyfah Lupus Fund LLC
Seller: Airbel Real Estate LLC
Date: 10/04/23

818 Belmont Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Padam Gajmer
Seller: Ravin Sharma
Date: 10/02/23

24-26 Berkshire St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Okeila S. Ledgister
Seller: Franco Henriques IRT
Date: 10/06/23

220 Birchland Ave.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $296,000
Buyer: Jennifer D. King
Seller: Ann Hughes
Date: 10/04/23

333 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $975,000
Buyer: 1 Root Inc.
Seller: Boston Road RT
Date: 10/03/23

212 Bowles Park
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Andrea Giordano
Seller: Rene Ricardi
Date: 10/04/23

392-394 Carew St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $163,500
Buyer: Posiadlosc LLC
Seller: Steven E. Zeimbekakis
Date: 10/10/23

145 Carr St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $258,000
Buyer: Nickolas S. Demetrius
Seller: Robert M. Gleason
Date: 10/02/23

66 Cedar St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $156,800
Buyer: JR & Dee Realty LLC
Seller: Peter E. Sares
Date: 10/02/23

11 Champlain Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: P. & R. Investments LLC
Seller: Stacy L. Jacobs
Date: 10/03/23

43-45 Clayton St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Robinah Kintu
Seller: Kevin Kitchens
Date: 10/02/23

66 Clement St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $275,000
Buyer: Kristopher G. Hills
Seller: Robert H. Wilder
Date: 10/05/23

66 Crystal Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Keys Upgrade LLC
Seller: Sullivan Property Preservation
Date: 10/13/23

631-633 Dickinson St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Earl N. Reed
Seller: Khai D. Do
Date: 10/06/23

98-100 Draper St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $754,500
Buyer: Round Two LLC
Seller: Junior Properties LLC
Date: 10/03/23

37 Dubois St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $131,700
Buyer: Malia Homebuyers LLC
Seller: Emily A. Linzi
Date: 10/06/23

116 Edgemere Road
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Sasha Ramos
Seller: M. & F. Vazquez Home Improvements
Date: 10/06/23

57-59 Eloise St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $754,500
Buyer: Round Two LLC
Seller: Junior Properties LLC
Date: 10/03/23

156 Fair Oak Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Wolfpack Realty Corp.
Seller: Anthony S. Cremonti
Date: 10/06/23

31 Freeman Ter.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $115,000
Buyer: Beacon Cornerstone LLC
Seller: Paul L. Keyes
Date: 10/12/23

32-34 Fresno St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Idamaris Vega
Seller: Dimetrius A. Hatcher
Date: 10/11/23

27 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Jonathan Schroeder
Seller: Christopher J. Castellano
Date: 10/04/23

63 Gilman St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Anissa L. Nieves
Seller: Royal Hill LLC
Date: 10/11/23

128 Glenmore St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Alex J. Tsang
Seller: Czeslaw Kierkla
Date: 10/06/23

130 Glenmore St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $399,000
Buyer: Alex J. Tsang
Seller: Czeslaw Kierkla
Date: 10/06/23

71 Grape St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Keron Leslie
Seller: Rosalyn Champlain
Date: 10/10/23

18 Greenacre Square
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Aramis Ruiz
Seller: Plata O. Plomo Inc.
Date: 10/10/23

517-519 Hancock St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Silvia Gonzalez
Seller: Sonia C. Marte
Date: 10/13/23

54 Hood St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $270,000
Buyer: Sandra Roman
Seller: Wilson & Family Real Estate LLC
Date: 10/11/23

157 Jamaica St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Daliza M. Burgos-Ramos
Seller: Darryl E. Moss
Date: 10/06/23

56-58 Jefferson Ave.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Bright Day Care LLC
Seller: Jose J. Feliz-Gonzalez
Date: 10/03/23

96 Magnolia Ter.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $470,000
Buyer: Emily Sprague
Seller: 96 Magnolia Terrace LLC
Date: 10/13/23

403-405 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $344,000
Buyer: Lassarone Charlemagne
Seller: Lachenauer LLC
Date: 10/11/23

1628-1640 Main St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Amount: $758,000
Buyer: Mago Inc.
Seller: New England Farm Workers Council
Date: 10/06/23

49 Mallowhill Road
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Shaynah M. Orr
Seller: Carla M. Sylla
Date: 10/05/23

28 Medford St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $121,000
Buyer: Jjj17 LLC
Seller: Gonzalez, Pedro M., (Estate)
Date: 10/06/23

255 Oak St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $445,000
Buyer: Giovanni Paz
Seller: Relegacy Investments LLC
Date: 10/10/23

151 Packard Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Shanu Shanmugampillai
Seller: Alethea A. Haines
Date: 10/13/23

63 Park Edge Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Kevin P. Coffee
Seller: Skerker FT
Date: 10/06/23

676 Parker St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $306,000
Buyer: Andrea M. Bushman
Seller: Betty Deluca
Date: 10/10/23

174 Pineywoods Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $248,500
Buyer: Camilla J. Miller
Seller: Accredited Mtg. Loan TR 200
Date: 10/13/23

85 Pocantico Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Lisa Holland
Seller: Courageous Lion LLC
Date: 10/06/23

12 Prescott St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $367,000
Buyer: Robert Foster
Seller: Patricia A. Maione
Date: 10/13/23

50 Riverview St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Will J. Severe
Seller: Riverview Street RT
Date: 10/11/23

6 Rogers Ave.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $131,000
Buyer: Lee A. Dutil
Seller: Lachenauer LLC
Date: 10/13/23

34-36 Ruskin St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Steven Hayes
Seller: Diane N. Kadzik
Date: 10/02/23

30 Sachem St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $754,500
Buyer: Round Two LLC
Seller: Junior Properties LLC
Date: 10/03/23

239 Saint James Blvd.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $145,000
Buyer: Eric Chang
Seller: Fnma
Date: 10/13/23

288 Saint James Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $127,260
Buyer: Mortgage Assets Mgmt LLC
Seller: Annie L. Davis
Date: 10/06/23

22 Savoy Place
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: John Lizardi
Seller: Caroline R. Malaquias
Date: 10/06/23

116 Sierra Vista Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Sherilyn K. Small
Seller: Amanda C. Alvarado
Date: 10/06/23

12 Skyridge Lane
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $365,000
Buyer: Anthony Quinones
Seller: Casey L. Brown
Date: 10/12/23

34 Sonia St.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Jason G. Peskurich
Seller: Anna M. Maliga
Date: 10/06/23

1193 State St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: SRS Partners LLC
Seller: Pogman Realty LLC
Date: 10/02/23

52-54 Stockman St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Nelson Luciano
Seller: JJJ17 LLC
Date: 10/10/23

261 Sunrise Ter.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Emilio J. Bruno-Diaz
Seller: JJJ17 LLC
Date: 10/10/23

19 Taft St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $218,530
Buyer: United Wholesale Mtg. LLC
Seller: Michael Sandberger
Date: 10/04/23

35 Trafton Road
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $325,000
Buyer: Mohamed Bendrao
Seller: Garken Realty LLC
Date: 10/02/23

201 Verge St.
Springfield, MA 01151
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: James H. Burrell
Seller: Scott J. Denesha
Date: 10/02/23

80 West Alvord St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $235,500
Buyer: Round Two LLC
Seller: AJN Rentals LLC
Date: 10/03/23

122 West Crystal Brook Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Graham & Lumpkin LLC
Seller: Paul R. Hanney
Date: 10/06/23

208 Westford Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Tandeka Hicks
Seller: Td Bank
Date: 10/02/23

111 Winterset Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Magaly M. Vazquez
Seller: Stephen Farr
Date: 10/03/23

50 Winthrop St.
Springfield, MA 01105
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Alfred Shattelroe
Seller: Alfred Shattelroe
Date: 10/13/23

45 Yale St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Ebony Badger
Seller: David Givans
Date: 10/06/23

SOUTHWICK

62 Davis Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Elizabeth R. Imelio
Seller: Joseph M. Carnevale
Date: 10/02/23

25 Fernwood Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Scott Denesha
Seller: Streeter, Leland E., (Estate)
Date: 10/02/23

210 Hillside Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $272,000
Buyer: Connor J. Birchall
Seller: Paula Wells
Date: 10/11/23

105 Lakeview St.
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $590,000
Buyer: Launa Klimowicz
Seller: Jason K. Lichtenberger
Date: 10/13/23

7 Pineywood Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $282,000
Buyer: James Foley
Seller: Shirley Cross
Date: 10/12/23

TOLLAND

227 Lakeside Dr.
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $420,000
Buyer: Gary P. Fredericks
Seller: Susan M. Bullock
Date: 10/02/23

2000 New Boston Road
Tolland, MA 01034
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Diane C. Christian
Seller: Dina Dumezil
Date: 10/13/23

WALES

77 Mount Hitchcock Road
Wales, MA 01081
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: Jeffrey R. Latour
Seller: Sherry Latour
Date: 10/10/23

WEST SPRINGFIELD

2 Elizabeth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Mass Housing LLC
Seller: McNulty, Thomas O., (Estate)
Date: 10/06/23

512 Elm St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Joseph J. Czarnik
Seller: Samuel Sevelo
Date: 10/05/23

69 Hampden St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: URL Properties LLC
Seller: Alan N. Sharpe
Date: 10/05/23

26 Southworth St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Sean M. Fitzpatrick
Seller: Charles T. Disponett
Date: 10/04/23

38 Upper Beverly Hills
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Anthony Pelletier
Seller: Trevor Cupp
Date: 10/03/23

2165 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $255,000
Buyer: Nathaniel M. Mish
Seller: Andrew J. Gasperini
Date: 10/11/23

48 Worthen St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Stephen A. Alvord
Seller: West Co. Investments LLC
Date: 10/02/23

WESTFIELD

21 Allen Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $380,000
Buyer: Christopher Ramos
Seller: Paul R. Troy
Date: 10/13/23

55 Apple Orchard Heights
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Pah Properties LLC
Seller: Theodore R. Alvord
Date: 10/02/23

90 Berkshire Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $281,000
Buyer: Stephen J. Oleksak
Seller: Constance J. Tkaczek
Date: 10/06/23

25 Big Wood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $577,300
Buyer: Jonathan Zuber
Seller: Kelly J. Cieplinski LT
Date: 10/11/23

30 Cardinal Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $530,000
Buyer: Tatyana Sevostyanov
Seller: Gil D. Talamayan
Date: 10/06/23

51 Crescent Circle
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $489,900
Buyer: Charles Marsland
Seller: Thomas M. Bregoli
Date: 10/06/23

108 Elizabeth Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $317,000
Buyer: Dario Duchi
Seller: Aldo Palazzi
Date: 10/13/23

149 Glenwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $339,000
Buyer: Mary B. Tichacek
Seller: Edward P. Andreski
Date: 10/13/23

7 Harvest Moon Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: Robert M. Levesque
Seller: Chad H. Nelson
Date: 10/06/23

95 Honey Pot Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Andrew R. Loftus
Seller: Robert M. Lafrance
Date: 10/02/23

66 Janis Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $395,000
Buyer: Tyler Simmitt
Seller: Kimberly A. Constance
Date: 10/03/23

33 Jessie Lane
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $498,000
Buyer: Stephen Dowd
Seller: William E. O’Neill
Date: 10/06/23

109 Joseph Ave.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $312,000
Buyer: Andrey Nesen
Seller: Jeevan Kafley
Date: 10/10/23

39 Magnolia Ter.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $615,000
Buyer: Shannon N. Anderson
Seller: Sandra L. Fiedler
Date: 10/11/23

67 Mainline Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $700,000
Buyer: Morestate LLC
Seller: Three Brothers LLC
Date: 10/06/23

30 Medieros Way
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $950,000
Buyer: NGL Supply Terminal Co. LLC
Seller: Mongeau Realty LLC
Date: 10/03/23

199 Munger Hill Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $670,000
Buyer: Thomas M. Bregoli
Seller: Michael A. Mundorf
Date: 10/06/23

30-32 Park St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $468,000
Buyer: Viktor Pikulskyi
Seller: Jeremy J. Beltrandi
Date: 10/13/23

Pitcher St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $665,000
Buyer: Amy Varner
Seller: David W. Tourville
Date: 10/05/23

7 Westwood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $512,000
Buyer: Richard Howitt
Seller: Randolph R. Calvo
Date: 10/10/23

139 Wyben Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $525,000
Buyer: Benjamin Gillespie
Seller: Courtney M. Gagne
Date: 10/03/23

WILBRAHAM

291 3 Rivers Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $520,000
Buyer: William D. John
Seller: William L. Meeker
Date: 10/12/23

103 Burleigh Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $303,333
Buyer: Ashlee M. Tromblay
Seller: David T. Tromblay
Date: 10/10/23

12 Delmor Circle
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $340,000
Buyer: Valerie P. Huard
Seller: Christopher J. Behnk
Date: 10/11/23

161 Stony Hill Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Joan A. Devitto
Seller: Elizabeth Damato
Date: 10/11/23

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

18 Bayberry Lane
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $827,500
Buyer: Dominick C. Lacapra
Seller: Jonathan J. Kane
Date: 10/13/23

80 Fearing St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $642,500
Buyer: Enhan Wang
Seller: Kruppres LLC
Date: 10/11/23

85 Hillcrest Place
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $695,000
Buyer: Thomas E. Brennan
Seller: Nicholas J. Dufresne
Date: 10/06/23

29 Justice Dr.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $404,000
Buyer: Rongjuan Liu
Seller: Francis X. O’Connor
Date: 10/10/23

BELCHERTOWN

256 Cold Spring Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $435,000
Buyer: Sean P. Garcia
Seller: Theresa A. Przybylowcz
Date: 10/03/23

459 Franklin St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $575,000
Buyer: Mary B. Gunther
Seller: Kelly O. Galster
Date: 10/12/23

73-A Hamilton St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $153,647
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Shirley D. Desroches
Date: 10/12/23

73-B Hamilton St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $153,647
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Shirley D. Desroches
Date: 10/12/23

73-C Hamilton St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $153,647
Buyer: Wells Fargo Bank
Seller: Shirley D. Desroches
Date: 10/12/23

18 Ledgewood Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $510,000
Buyer: Monica Fowler
Seller: Michael A. Siniscalchi
Date: 10/06/23

Woodland Lane Lot R
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: JHP Builders LLC
Seller: Bell Property Corp.
Date: 10/03/23

EASTHAMPTON

41-43 Chapman Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $780,000
Buyer: North Harlow LLC
Seller: Arc Investments LLC
Date: 10/04/23

26-28 Federal St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: KMAK LLC
Seller: Christine E. Rucinski
Date: 10/10/23

3-3A Franklin St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Elaine M. Bryan
Seller: James R. Witmer
Date: 10/11/23

26 High St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $780,000
Buyer: North Harlow LLC
Seller: Arc Investments LLC
Date: 10/04/23

1-3 Lincoln St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: David Walter
Seller: Amy E. Linnell
Date: 10/06/23

106 Lovefield St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $456,200
Buyer: Stela J. Conyer
Seller: Brian J. Murphy
Date: 10/02/23

9-11 Lovell St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $460,000
Buyer: Jeremy D. O’Ber
Seller: John A. Knybel
Date: 10/04/23

16 Lyman St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Jose Faria
Seller: Canal Real Estate LLC
Date: 10/11/23

65 Phelps St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Kelly R. Lewis
Seller: Pah Properties LLC
Date: 10/13/23

22 Willow Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $640,000
Buyer: Indenture Of T. Eli T. Harr
Seller: Matthew F. Sandler
Date: 10/02/23

GRANBY

21 Center St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Charles J. James
Seller: Cynthia J. Ames
Date: 10/03/23

61 North St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $360,000
Buyer: Cherie L. Braun
Seller: Malia Homebuyers LLC
Date: 10/11/23

HADLEY

139 Mount Warner Road
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $300,000
Buyer: Jeffery M. Campbell
Seller: Steven B. Constant
Date: 10/02/23

255 River Dr.
Hadley, MA 01035
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Justin R. Yezierski
Seller: Yeszierski, Claire, (Estate)
Date: 10/10/23

NORTHAMPTON

343 Brookside Circle
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $335,000
Buyer: Kaitlynne Hard-Pieczarka
Seller: Kelly R. Lewis
Date: 10/13/23

1041 Burts Pit Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $371,000
Buyer: Justin L. Sheffler
Seller: Mildred Jimenez
Date: 10/10/23

25 Finn St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $465,000
Buyer: Allyson M. Garcia
Seller: Carmen M. Santiago
Date: 10/05/23

1095 Florence Road
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Day Farm LLC
Seller: Duga 3rd, Paula, (Estate)
Date: 10/11/23

5 Highland Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $600,000
Buyer: Bradley J. Levay
Seller: Justin T. Serpone
Date: 10/02/23

11 Kensington Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $729,000
Buyer: Amy A. Kassalty
Seller: Baker & Titelman 2012 RT
Date: 10/13/23

1095 Park Hill Road
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Day Farm LLC
Seller: Duga 3rd, Paula, (Estate)
Date: 10/11/23

57 Pine St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $540,000
Buyer: Rachel G. Wolk
Seller: Ann M. Konieczny
Date: 10/04/23

PELHAM

290 Amherst Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Amount: $485,000
Buyer: Kerri A. Tester
Seller: Doris M. Sherburne IRT
Date: 10/11/23

SOUTH HADLEY

48 Amherst Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $245,000
Buyer: Brightwood Properties LLC
Seller: Paul D. Viens
Date: 10/06/23

11 Dale St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Jonathan Jasmin
Seller: Julianne F. Barkman
Date: 10/12/23

70 Lathrop St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $341,250
Buyer: Vantage Home Buyers LLC
Seller: Brian A. Corriveau
Date: 10/03/23

6 Ludlow Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $345,000
Buyer: Yahdiel E. Torres
Seller: Donna M. Pellissier
Date: 10/06/23

143 Lyman St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $390,000
Buyer: Zachary C. Wright
Seller: Lisa L. Schechterle
Date: 10/05/23

550 New Ludlow Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $500,000
Buyer: Moynihan Realty Group LLC
Seller: Morningstar Enterprise LLC
Date: 10/04/23

37 Searle Road
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $385,000
Buyer: Carly A. Robinson
Seller: Benjamin T. Judge
Date: 10/12/23

23 Spring St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Sean Dawkins
Seller: Andrew J. Schnitzer
Date: 10/05/23

SOUTHAMPTON

12 Couture Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $287,000
Buyer: Joshua J. Prystowski
Seller: Simone Prystowski
Date: 10/06/23

5 Pomeroy Meadow Ext.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Fumi Realty Inc
Seller: Moeller, Beverly Dean, (Estate)
Date: 10/06/23

153 Pomeroy Meadow Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $415,000
Buyer: Carly A. Phillips
Seller: Benjamin C. Gillespie
Date: 10/03/23

WILLIAMSBURG

67 Depot Road
Williamsburg, MA 01039
Amount: $175,000
B uyer: Gregory Harry
Seller: Kathryn J. Harry
Date: 10/13/23

Springfields Priority: Attracting Private Investment

By BusinessWest Staff June 8, 2009

Opinion

Springfield’s Priority: Attracting Private Investment

Springfield has a new director of economic development. John Judge, a real-estate developer in Boston and former director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Boston, was introduced last week, and hell be on the job full-time in a matter of weeks.

Judge will have a number of challenges to meet and priorities to address from finding a new use for the York Street Jail site to following the script laid by the authors of the Urban Land Institute report; from filling the former federal building to infusing some life downtown.

Perhaps the broader challenge, though, and one that touches on all the others, is the need to generate private investment in Springfield. Weve said on many occasions that the city, and the region to a lesser extent, is becoming far too dependent on public investment for economic development, and that there must be greater balance if the city is to achieve significant growth and vibrancy.

If one were to look around, it would become quickly apparent just how much public-sector investment has taken place in the city: the MassMutual Center, the new federal courthouse, the infrastructure work on State Street, and more has all been funded with federal or state dollars, or both.

On the horizon are a backup data center, to be built at the site of the former Technical High School on Elliott Street (a state project), and the long-stalled revitalization of Union Station there is a revised plan being shaped called Union Station 2 that is predominantly a federal project. And now, all eyes are on federal stimulus dollars and projects that can be funded with them, which is understandable.

It would be fair to say that Congressman Richard Neal has been more active in economic development in Springfield he won money for the courthouse, Union Station, and State Street, and pushed hard for the data center to be placed at Tech than any other party.

And in the larger scheme of things, this isnt good for the City of Homes, which, historically, has prospered not through government-backed jobs projects, but entrepreneurial ventures ranging from MassMutual to Smith & Wesson.

The various public projects described above were undertaken with the intention of spurring private investment. The term people use when they seek such funds is that they can leverage private projects. Thus far, there hasnt been too much leveraging going on in the area near the MassMutual Center, on State Street (although there is some promise there, certainly), or anywhere else.

There have been pockets of private-sector development the riverfront and the broader Columbus Avenue corridor, for example, as well as Baystate Healths new Hospital of the Future, which has been delayed by the downturn in the economy but there obviously needs to be more.

How can it be generated?

This will be Judges main assignment, and he wont be alone in that challenge. Indeed, there are many other communities in this region and across the state that are trying to catch the attention of the development community. How does Springfield prevail with such vast competition?

It can start with more-aggressive marketing designed to introduce or re-introduce the city to developers and business owners. There has been some, but certainly not enough, and nothing on a consistent basis.

Meanwhile, there should be a renewed emphasis on small businesses and stimulating more entrepreneurial opportunities. Economic development isnt just about big, high-profile projects like the jail site or Court Square or Chapman Valve. Its also about long-neglected blocks off Main and Dwight streets and trying to bring them back one by one.

And perhaps another place to begin is with the arts. Other older industrial cities, such as Pittsfield and Lowell, have made artists and the small businesses that support them a key component of economic development.

Judge will have a long, detailed job description to go along with his new position. At the top of that list should be spurring private-sector development, because it will be the key to growth and prosperity down the road.

Chamber corners: Upcoming Events

By BusinessWest Staff September 13, 2010

Departments

ACCGS
www.myonlinechamber.com
(413) 787-1555

n Sept. 15: ACCGS After 5, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by the Springfield Marriott. Cost for members is $10, non-members, $20.

n Sept. 23: Feast in the East-ERC, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by: Elmcrest Country Club. Cost: $25 per person. Call the chamber for more information.

Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield
www.springfieldyps.com

n Sept. 15: 17th Annual United Way Day of Caring. This event pairs volunteers with agency service providers to accomplish a variety of projects. YPS will again pair up with the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity and work on one of the homes currently under construction in Springfield. If interested in joining, e-mail Maureen Picknally at [email protected]

n Sept. 16: Third Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted by Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield. This event is free for YPS members, and $5 for non-members.

Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
www.amherstarea.com

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

n Sept. 21: 13th Annual Table Top Showcase and business networking event, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Chicopee, Greater Holyoke, and Greater Westfield chambers of commerce. Call the chambers for more information.

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

n Sept. 24: Breakfast Series – United Way Program, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Hosted by Franklin County Technical School, Turners Falls. Call the chamber for more information.

n Sept. 25 and 26: Fiber Twist, an Annual Celebration of All Things Fiber in Franklin County,
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. No admission charge. For details, visit www.fibertwist.com

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

n Sept. 8: Networking by Night Business Card Exchange, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hosted by the Apollo Grill. Tickets: $5 for members, $15 for non-members.

n Oct. 1: Casino Night, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m, at One Cottage St., Easthampton. Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door. For more information, visit www.easthamptonchamber.org

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

n Sept. 15: Holyoke Chamber Clambake, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Holyoke Country Club. Tickets are $26. Call the chamber to reserve tickets.

n Sept. 21: The 13th Annual Table Top Showcase, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Hosted by the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Call the chamber for more information or to reserve tickets.

n Sept. 22: 2010 Pacesetter Awards Recognition Breakfast, starting at 7:30 a.m. Hosted by the Delaney House. The Pacesetter Awards go to exceptional small businesses and nonprofit agencies, entrepreneurs, and those advocates who make other businesses successful. Tickets are $18. Please call the chamber for more information or to reserve tickets.

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

Northampton Area Young Professional Society
www.thenayp.com
(413) 584-1900

n Sept. 17: NAYP Dynamics of Fleet Safety Seminar, 8 to 10 a.m., Union Station. Safety supervisors and fleet managers from all industries will benefit from this important presentation, led by Gerry Sousa, executive director of the National Safety Council’s Western New England Chapter. Participants will identify the daily challenges of running an effective fleet and learn the essential elements of a fleet safety program. Best practices for motor-vehicle safety, collision prevention, and asset use will be discussed.

n Sept. 21: Meet & Eat, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Clarion Hotel and Conference Center. Tickets are $15 for members, $20 for guests.

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

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

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

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

n Sept. 21: “Rake in The Business” TableTop Expo, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Castle of Knights, Memorial Dr., Chicopee. Presented by the Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield chambers of commerce. Call the chambers for more information.

n Sept. 24: Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce 104th Air Fighter Annual Breakfast, 7:15 to 9 a.m. Hosted by the 104th Air Fighter, Barnes Airport, 175 Falcon Dr., Westfield. Guest Speaker: Ira Bryck, director of UMass Family Business Center. Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Call the chamber for more information.

Country Bank Donates More Than $900,000 to Nonprofits in 2019

By BusinessWest Staff February 14, 2020

Daily News

WARE — Country Bank reported its donations to area nonprofits totaled $905,049 last year. Throughout 2019, more than 500 organizations in the communities the bank serves received donations, including the Children’s Trust, Ludlow Community Center Boys and Girls Club, Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity, Project Bread, and the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, among many others.

Recognizing the importance and overwhelming need to help organizations that address hunger, Country Bank provided monetary donations exceeding $100,000 to food programs throughout the region. The recipients of these funds included Friends of the Homeless, Springfield Rescue Mission, and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, as well as many local food pantries.

“Our desire to support and enrich our communities is not only a part of our mission, it’s truly who we are,” said Paul Scully, president, and CEO of Country Bank. “Team members embody our standards of professional excellence every day by applying the bank’s iSTEP core values of integrity, service, teamwork, excellence, and prosperity. These values continue to guide our mission, especially through our community-involvement efforts.”

In addition, Country Bank’s employee charitable giving program raised more than $30,000 in 2019 through events such as jeans days, bake sales, and raffles.

“Our team volunteered more than 1,000 hours of personal time at various events within our communities,” said Jodie Gerulaitis, vice president of Community Relations. “These volunteer hours speak directly to our culture and our belief in helping others. Serving meals, filling backpacks for the homeless, and building beds for children in need are just a few of the ways we gave back to our communities.”

Florence Bank Hires Nikki Gleason as VP, Branch Manager

By BusinessWest Staff May 22, 2018

Daily News

FLORENCE — Florence Bank hired Nikki Gleason to serve as vice president and branch manager of the bank’s new Springfield location, slated to open this year.

Gleason studied accounting at Springfield Technical Community College and completed the program at the New England School of Financial Studies at Babson College. She is a board member for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity as well as a fundraising committee member Revitalize Community Development Corp. of Springfield.

She will work in the bank’s second Hampden County branch, at 1444 Allen St. in Springfield.

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Nikki Gleason to our Florence Bank family,” President and CEO John Heaps Jr. said “She has garnered an impressive background in banking, and we feel very lucky to have her on board to help serve our customers in Springfield. I know we will be seeing outstanding results from her in the years to come.”

Berkshire Bank Will Take Tuesday Afternoon Off to Give Back

By BusinessWest Staff June 6, 2016

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — All Berkshire Bank locations will close at noon on Tuesday, June 7 to allow all employees the ability to participate in volunteer projects from noon to 4 p.m.

So far, 1,133 Berkshire Bank employees across all regions are scheduled to participate in work assignments as part of the bank’s Xtraordinary Day. This number is still growing, and is anticipated to reach 95% total employee engagement.

Employees will volunteer at Stanley Park, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, YMCA of Westfield, ReGreen Springfield, Southwick Rail Trail, West Springfield YMCA, Amelia Park Children’s Museum, Birthday Wishes, Children’s Study Home, YMCA of Greater Springfield, Community Survival Center, and Girls Inc. of Greenfield.

The bank will also host a contest called Catch Us in the Act, through which it encourages customers to take a photo of bank employees performing a volunteer service and post the photo to social media using the hashtag #xteam. Each submission will be entered to win $100 for the nonprofit of their choice; two winners will be selected per region.

Watershed Moments

By BusinessWest Staff March 26, 2013

Environment and Engineering Sections

Five Large-scale Hydropower Facilities Are Up for Relicensing

Andrew Fisk

For thousands of years, the Connecticut River has supported human communities throughout New England as a food source, transportation corridor, and, most recently, power provider. Today, electricity generated from hydropower facilities on the Connecticut River and its tributaries is a major part of the New England power grid.

In a unique process, five of these facilities, which generate almost 30% of our region’s electricity and span more than 175 miles of the Connecticut River, are being jointly relicensed for operation by the federal and state governments for another 30 to 50 years. The current licenses for these facilities were last issued between the late 1960s and 1980s, and all expire in 2018.

The five hydro projects included in the relicensing are Wilder, Bellows Falls, and Vernon Dams in Vermont, all owned by Transcanada, which also owns hydropower facilities in northern Vermont and on the Deerfield River, and the Turners Falls Dam and the Northfield Mountain Pump Storage Project in Massachusetts, owned by FirstLight Power, a subsidiary of GDF Suez. Both companies have extensive holdings throughout North America and beyond. What were once locally owned utilities are now holdings in large, globally diversified energy portfolios.

This relicensing process began in October 2012 and will continue according to a strict timetable for the next five years. This process will entail a great deal of study, dialogue, and negotiation between the public and the facilities’ two owners, Transcanada and GDF Suez. In early March, the first major deadline was reached, with dozens of individuals and organizations submitting their thoughts on what questions need to be answered about these facilities’ operations. The federal and state laws that guide this process require a balancing of public and private interests, where, in exchange for the right to dam the public’s river, a private company must provide the public with direct benefits, such as recreational facilities, and ease the problems that dams cause to migrating fish and riverine habitats.

What happens to the river when you use it for electricity generation? These facilities are all designed to store water and then release it through turbines, according to business strategies governed by how the New England energy market is regulated. One of the principal strategies for these facilities is to generate electricity at times of the day when it can be sold at the highest price, known as peaking mode. This has the effect of fluctuating the river’s height behind the dams many times a day; in some locations, this fluctuation is up to nine feet.

At the Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage facility, water is pumped from the river at night when electricity is cheap to an upper reservoir at the top of Northfield Mountain, and power is generated by spilling water back into the Connecticut River during peak demand periods.

For those fish that move up and down the river — such as American shad, eels, alewives, or herring — to do their jobs in the ecosystem, they must do more than just get around the dams themselves or avoid the turbines that do the actual generating. The ecology of the river is also affected by the flow changes created by the dams. How much water is released at what times and at what rates has a tremendous impact on whether fish such as the endangered short-nosed sturgeon can breed successfully or if riverbanks erode and lose their trees and vegetation.

But it’s not just about the fishes. Dams can have a positive or negative impact on river recreation, and much of the dialogue over the next several years will be about improving access to the river through boating facilities, enhancing cultural and historic resources at dam sites, and improving portages around dams for paddlers making short trips — or the epic, 400-mile, source-to-sea paddle that has captivated generations of adventurers.

The relicensing process is complicated and has many moving parts given the number of facilities and the amount of river they impact. But it’s a process designed for the public — because it’s your river and your wildlife — to engage in dialogue about what we want our watershed to do for us over the next two generations.

For more information, visit www.ferc.gov or ctriver.org.

Andrew Fisk, Ph.D., is executive director of the Connecticut River Watershed Council.

Springfield College to Host Fabien and Celine Cousteau

By BusinessWest Staff June 27, 2019

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College will host deep ocean explorer and environmentalist Fabien Cousteau and explorer and filmmaker Céline Cousteau for an evening entitled, One Ocean, One People: The Cousteau Legacy and a Call for Environmental Action, on Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Fabien and Céline are the grandchildren of legendary explorer Jacque-Yves Cousteau.

This year marks the sixth year of the college’s endowed Arts and Humanities Speaker Series, made possible through the generosity of Carlton (’63) and Lucille Sedgeley. This event is free and open to the public.

Both Fabien and Céline will highlight their commitment to fulfilling their family’s legacy of protecting and preserving the planet’s extensive and endangered marine inhabitants and habitats.

Fabien stresses the need for bold and innovative thinking to progress conservation efforts worldwide. He encourages individuals to follow their own curiosity in developing cutting-edge solutions that can address regional and global environmental challenges.

Through powerful storytelling, Céline uses her voyages around the world to offer a thoughtful perspective on the connection of the environment to populations around the world and how this knowledge is vital to the future of each of us on the planet.

Céline has extended her family legacy by co-founding The Céline Cousteau Film Fellowship, a non-profit program whose mission is to empower young aspiring filmmakers and activists to inspire change through filmmaking.

Karen Buell

By BusinessWest Staff April 16, 2010

40 Under 40 The Class of 2010

Karen Buell: 27

Internet Branch Officer, PeoplesBank

Karen Buell played three sports at Houghton College in Upstate New York — soccer, basketball, and track and field — and she’s still quite an athlete.

She ran in the recent Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Road Race, and, while her time wasn’t her best (actually, it was her worst) — “it was hot; when you’re training in the winter, when it’s in the 30s and 40s, and then you get 75 on the day of the race, that’s a little toasty” — she was happy to be out there competing.

Maintaining a sharp competitive edge is one of many life lessons Buell took away from her college athletic experiences, and she takes it to work every day as Internet Branch officer at Holyoke-based PeoplesBank.

“Twice in soccer we went to the nationals, so I’ve played at a really high level,” she explained. “You learn a lot from that; there are always challenges to overcome. Teamwork plays a big part in it; you have to rely on team members, and there are going to be people with strengths that you don’t have, and you need them for that, and you might have strengths that they can’t provide.”

Another quality she’s borrowed from sports is discipline. “Being an athlete requires a person to be disciplined,” she explained, “to perfect their talents through practice, and even research the best ways to get results.”

These lessons from athletic competition, plus a strong faith in God, have helped Buell blend success in her profession — she’s risen quickly in the ranks, from assistant manager to mortgage consultant to Internet branch officer — with considerable work within the community, much of it ‘green’ in nature. She has helped coordinate Habitat for Humanity projects, planned a Transportation Day for MassRides to help people find carpool matches, and served as project lead for the second annual Environmental Fair on Earth Day. She also teaches financial literacy to children in local schools, and is vice president of the Northampton Area Young Professionals.

Considering all this, it’s easy to see why she’s considered a winner — on the job and off. —George O’Brien

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Sarah Adams

By BusinessWest Staff April 30, 2019

The Class of 2019

Project Planner, Tighe & Bond; Age 27
Education: UMass Amherst (BS, MRP)

Sarah Adams

What did you want to be when you grew up? Definitely not a planner! I’ve always loved animals, so I wanted to be a veterinarian. I didn’t know what planning was until I got to college, but I immediately connected with the idea that the built environment should balance impacts to economy, environment, and social justice. I get to do work every day that helps animals (and humans) on a more macro scale by protecting important habitats and reducing GHG emissions.

How do you define success? One of my favorite quotes is “what matters most is how well you walk through the fire.” The most successful people I know can meet adversity head-on with no forfeiture of passion or energy.

What person, past or present, would you like to have lunch with, and why? David Bowie. I grew up listening to Bowie with my dad, and I’ve always been fascinated by how incomparably influential he was in music, fashion, and art in general. Bowie is a testament to the virtues of strangeness, and I’d like to tell him how grateful I am for the mark he left on the world. Although, instead of lunch, I’d rather take advantage of his discerning yet adventurous eye for style and go shopping!

What fictional character do you relate to most, and why? Roald Dahl’s Matilda. Matilda is an embodiment of the authority that girls have to control their education, and a reminder that knowledge truly is a superpower. Books and characters like Matilda taught me, when I was a little girl, that I should crave knowledge. Now, as an adult, I try to teach that message to my Girls on the Run team and remind students at NEWIEE (New England Women in Energy and the Environment) on Campus events that their education doesn’t stop when they graduate.

What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? I try to find time every day to run, stretch, or get outside with my dogs. My workouts are often the only time I fully give my attention to myself and how I’m feeling, and I find that I feel more focused in the afternoon on the days I get out for a few miles at lunch. I also feel my strongest when I’m running, so I try to carry that confidence into my next meeting or whatever else I have going on that day.

Photography by Leah Martin Photography

United Way of Pioneer Valley Opens Volunteer Signups for Day of Caring 2021

By BusinessWest Staff September 22, 2021

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — United Way of Pioneer Valley is holding volunteer signups for Day of Caring 2021, which takes place on Friday, Sept. 24. Volunteers may sign up at uwpv.org/doc21-events.

“There is a greater need than ever for kindness, good deeds, and building our sense of community this year,” said Paul Mina, president and CEO of United Way of Pioneer Valley. “I implore anyone with free time on or around Day of Caring 2021 to sign up and do good with us. Help our nonprofits, who have struggled greatly through the COVID-19 pandemic, and you will start your last weekend of September with the best night’s sleep you can find — knowing you’ve done a good thing when it was needed most.”

This year, Day of Caring sites include Chicopee Boys & Girls Club, Chicopee Child Development Center, Stanley Park in Westfield, Habitat for Humanity, Westfield Schools, Springfield Boys & Girls Club, Gray House, and YMCA of Greater Springfield, among others. Volunteers will be instructed to follow COVID-19 safety protocols at each location.

Learn more about Day of Caring, the United Way’s annual day of giving back, at uwpv.org/day-of-caring, or donate at uwpv.org/donate.

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Project Planner, Tighe & Bond; Age 27 Education: UMass Amherst (BS, MRP)

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Project Planner, Tighe & Bond; Age 27
Education: UMass Amherst (BS, MRP)