See the full GWCC Calendar

New Members - please send me your biography and pictures to announce your company to the Chamber membership!

The GWCC Executive Committee meets on the second Wednesday of every month. The full GWCC Board of Directors meets on the third Wednesday of the month. Your Board of Directors is listed here: http://www.westfieldbiz.org/directors-officers.html

Fund Development Committee

(Meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month at 8:00 am at Air Compressor Eng.)

If you would like to be a part of this committee, please contact Dave Felty at dfelty@fivestarcorp.net.

The Fund Development Committee is working very hard on increasing the attendance at our Chamber's WestNets by asking everyone who attends to bring a guest. I am pleased to report that we are averaging 58 people at our WestNets. Please share this information with your business associates and feel free to invite them to attend. Here are some pictures from the May WestNet:

May WestNet - Pioneer Valley Railroad Dining Car

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee has been out in full force pounding the pavement in Westfield. Teams of two have been visiting businesses with sunglasses in hand and asking them to join. We will know the fruits of their labor very shortly. If you would like to be a member of this committee, please contact Sean Hogan at sean@teamhogan.com.

Here is a list of our committees and contact names. We welcome current and new members to get involved. Please feel free to contact the chairpersons below if you would like to participate on a committee.

Due to vacation schedules, there are no updates at this time.

The next Coffee Hour will be Monday, September 10, 2012 at Tim & Jeanne's Common Westfield State University.  

Save the Date 

The Great River Bridge Community Celebration

Friday, June 29th

(Tentative program) 

• 12 noon until ? Hot Dog Social
• 2:00 Dedication with Governor Deval Patrick and many other dignitaries
• Vendor Tabletops
• Food, entertainment....and much, much more
• 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Downtown Merchant Grand Re-openings with scavenger hunt

BERKSHIRE BANK FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
AWARDS RECOGNIZE PIONEER VALLEY STUDENTS EFFORTS
IN THE COMMUNITY

Berkshire Bank announced today that it has selected 18 high school seniors to receive a total of $36,000 in scholarships through its Berkshire Bank Foundation Scholarship Awards Program.  Each of the recipients will receive $2,000.

A total of 93 employee volunteers reviewed more than 170 applications to select the winners. The winners all live in the regions served by Berkshire Bank, including eastern and central New York, western Massachusetts and southern Vermont.

The Pioneer Valley recipients were all surprised with their scholarship awards earlier today by bank employees at their respective High Schools. . In an effort to notify students in an exciting way, Berkshire Bank arranged with the guidance offices at their high schools to call them from class and surprise them with their award to recognize their achievements.

The five Pioneer Valley recipients are:

Allison McMordie - Westfield High School

Christopher Madden - Cathedral High School

Clarissa Marchia - Chicopee Comprehensive High School

Melanie Gomes - Chicopee High School

Brianna Lawlor - Chicopee High School

The scholarship awards recognize students that have exemplified community service through their volunteer efforts and have been successful academically. The program highlights the Foundation's support for education and the bank's commitment to promote volunteerism in the community.    

Foundation Executive Director Peter J. Lafayette said, "We are pleased to recognize these outstanding high school seniors with our 2012 Berkshire Bank Foundation Scholarship Awards. These students embody our values as a company and share in our commitment to making our communities a better place to live, work, and play. With the rising costs of a college education, we know these funds are needed and will help these students realize their dream of a college education."

FRIENDS OF THE COLUMBIA GREENWAY RAIL TRAIL, INC. RECIPIENT OF PAUL H. D'AMOUR MEMORIAL CHARITY GOLF OUTING

 

 

Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail, Inc. (FOCGRT) is the grateful recipient of $2,500 from the 2012 Big Y Paul H. D'Amour Memorial Charity Golf Outing. The funding allows FOCGRT to continue forging new pathways to create a bicycle and pedestrian friendly Westfield. Specifically the group is working to: (1) achieve completed construction of all phases of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail, (2) establish (upon construction) maintenance of the trail; and, (3) educate on the importance of comprehensive infrastructure to respond to the need for safe, viable, and active alternative transportation routes in Westfield.

According to Jeffrey LaValley, Chair, Board of Directors has said, "Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail is honored and grateful to Big Y Foods, Inc. and its employees for their generosity and support of our mission."

Diane Brunelle, MSN, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Noble Hospital, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award at the Elms College Commencement ceremony at the MassMutual Center on Saturday, May 19th.

Diane Brunelle '84, MSN, was a member of the first RN to BSN class at Elms College. She has been incredibly successful, both personally and professionally, since graduating from Elms. Diane always credits her alma mater for her many successes.

Since 2006, Diane has served as Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Noble Hospital in Westfield. The community hospital offers critical care to Southwick, Westfield, Agawam, and beyond. Since arriving at Noble, Diane has increased patient satisfaction to its highest levels in the Hospital's history, and is currently working on a five-year strategic expansion of the Hospital.

Throughout her career, Diane's goal has always been to create and foster an environment where patients feel as though they are receiving the best care possible. For years, Diane has been a leader in the medical community. She recently met with an eager group of Elms College students in an effort to offer them guidance, support, and strategies for successful networking with professionals in the healthcare field.

Diane received a Master's Degree in Nursing Administration from the University of Massachusetts in 1992. She is a 2005 graduate of the Wharton Nursing Leaders Program through the Wharton School and Leonard David School of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. She holds advanced board certification in Nursing Administration from the American Organization of Nurse Executives. She has been published numerous times, and lectures at various nursing workshops and seminars about obstetrics and nursing leadership. Diane is currently a board member for the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce and Healthcare Workforce Partnership of Western Massachusetts.

 

 

Noble Hospital to Unveil New Patient Monitoring Systems Purchased With Proceeds from 2011 Noble Ball

 

 

In our quest to provide the best possible patient care, Noble Hospital is dedicated to updating equipment and using the latest technology. The new patient monitoring systems are made by Nihon Kohden America. The TR-6000 bedside monitors will be used in each of the treatment rooms in the Emergency Department, and will be connected to a central monitoring system in the nurses' station in the center of the ED. With one or two touches, healthcare staff can gain access to the most important information to enables them to make a quicker assessment to treat and intervene appropriately, depending on the patient's condition. These small bedside units are transportable, have internal memory storage, and are convenient for caretakers to use. Noble staff will be able to remotely monitor the patients, check statistics, and print reports as needed.

Ted Cassell, President of Park Square Realty, is pleased to announce that April Cantell has re- joined Park Square Realty's Westfield office as a Sales Associate.  

Barry Boccasile, Director of Growth and Development, is excited to have April as part of the growing Westfield Office team.  April specializes in residential sales in Hampden and Hampshire counties and can be reached in the office at 568-9226 or directly at 485-7401.  

Licensed in Massachusetts and associated with the local Real Estate Association of Pioneer Valley (RAPV), April has been a full time Realtor since 2001.  She has earned recognition in the real estate industry with her involvement with the RAPV and in her community. April is currently on the RAPV Board of Directors and serves as the Chairperson for the Realtor Public Image Task Force.  In addition, April has served on the RAPV Strategic Planning Committee in 2009 and 2011 and also as a liaison for RAPV's Communication Technology and Community Service Committees. April was recently awarded the RAPV Presidents Award for this past year.

 In addition to assisting her clients to purchase and sell real estate, April is recognized in her community as the immediate past President of the West Springfield/Agawam Kiwanis club and participation on the Conservation Commission in West Springfield as well as the Community Preservation Act Committee.  

Tighe & Bond named David Loring, P.E., LEED AP the firm's new Technical Practice Leader (TPL) for the Civil Practice Group.  In this role, he will coordinate and advance the firm's extensive civil engineering capabilities, oversee the continual advancement of relevant technical skills, and promote professional development of key staff.  He will also ensure that the Civil Practice Group stays abreast of local, state, and federal regulations that impact clients.

Loring, who has worked for Tighe & Bond since 2002, is a licensed civil engineer and construction supervisor in Massachusetts, as well as a LEED Accredited Professional.  A senior project manager and a firm associate, he has served as the transportation specialist in the firm's Civil Practice Group since its formation in 2004.  He is also a Title V System Inspector and Soil Evaluator.

Loring has more than 25 years of experience encompassing a diverse range of civil engineering practices that include site development, water supply and distribution, sanitary sewerage collection, storm water management, and transportation.  He has been engaged in all phases of project execution, including: scheduling, cost estimating, assisting with project funding, developing technical specifications, expediting permits, and assisting with construction management. 

He has a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Western New England University, and serves on that university's College of Engineering Industry Advisory Council as it develops a new civil engineering undergraduate program. 

The Engineering News-Record (ENR) once again ranked Tighe & Bond among the top 500 design firms in the nation.  ENR ranks companies on the previous year's gross revenue for providing design services to domestic and international markets.  Tighe & Bond ranked 272 in ENR's 2012 report, which exceeds last year's 309 ranking, and reflects the firm's 2011 annual gross revenue of $36 million. 

"Last year was a very successful and profitable year for us, and we made great strides in achieving our strategic goals," comments David Pinsky, president of Tighe & Bond.  "We saw growth in all of our primary business units, and acquired a sixth office in Portsmouth New Hampshire that enables us to better serve our clients in that state, southeastern Maine, and northeastern Massachusetts.  All of this is backed by our ongoing commitment to deliver the highest quality services to our clients on time and within budget."

The Boston Business Journal (BBJ) also ranked Tighe & Bond as one of the largest engineering firms in Massachusetts.  In its 2012 Book of Lists, the BBJ ranked Tighe & Bond 12 out of 25 top billing firms.  This exceeds last year's ranking at the number 15 spot.

Each month a Chamber member has the opportunity to submit a write-up on their company and the profile will be under the "Member Spotlight" section for a fee of $75. Please submit images no wider than 440px.

All members are encouraged to submit their upcoming events to be published at no cost! The deadline for submission is the third Thursday, 5:00 pm of every month - no exceptions!

Sponsorships and/or advertising are available to you in our newsletter. Please contact the Chamber office at 568.1618 for more information.

The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce serves the communities of Blandford, Chester, Granville, Huntington, Montgomery, Russell, Tolland, Southwick, and Westfield.