Conval, a global manufacturer of high-performance severe service valves in Enfield, Conn., recently announced the appointment of Mike Mikaelian as inside sales engineer.
A resident of Florence, Mikaelian holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Western New England University in Springfield and earned a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification from Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. He previously served as design engineer at Judd Wire in Turners Falls, senior sales engineer and production manager at Dipwell Techware in Northampton, route service representative at Quest Diagnostics in Marlborough and in various engineering and sales positions at BETE Fog Nozzle in Greenfield.
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Market Mentors LLC, a marketing, advertising and public relations agency, announces the addition of two Enfield, Conn. residents to its account services team. Chelsea Shelander is as an account executive and Kaitlyn Smith is an account coordinator.
Prior to joining Market Mentors, Shelander worked in public relations and brand management at BioSafe Systems and as a service and retention consultant for The Aspire Group at UConn Athletics. She earned her earned her Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Dayton in Ohio after receiving two Bachelor of Science degrees — one in business administration with a concentration in marketing and one in sports management — from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania.
Before coming to Market Mentors, Smith spent several years as an account manager for ADESA Boston as well as social media manager for the DiGrigoli Companies. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in media arts and analysis from Westfield State University.
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HCC Foundation Inc., the nonprofit fundraising arm of Holyoke Community College, has added nine new members to its Board of Directors, including six alumni, and also voted in a new slate of officers.
The new board members are:
Jasarah Burgos of Springfield, program director of New North Citizens Council; Steven Clement ‘11, of West Springfield, a certified public accountant and former controller for ServiceNet; Kate Douglas, of South Hadley, president emerita of SUNY Corning Community College; Luindy Espinal ‘19, of Granby, senior accountant at Colony Hills Capital; Dean Gallagher, of Florence, retired; Johnnie McKnight ‘10, founder and president of Massachusetts Scholars With A Goal; Matt McMahon ‘06, of Franklin, senior technical advisor with Booz Allen; Ryan Rege ‘08, of Belchertown, director of vocational programs for Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School in Fitchburg; and Jim Shevlin ‘80, of Alpharetta, Georgia, division president of ESIS, a Chubb Company.
The foundation board approved the appointment of the new directors at its annual meeting on Dec. 5 while also welcoming a new slate of officers.
Susan Goldsmith, of Longmeadow, president of Marcus Printing in Holyoke, will serve as chair; Lynn Starr ‘95, of Southampton, executive vice president and chief information officer at bankESB as vice chair; and Tiffany Madru, of West Hartford, Conn., founder of Analytics Labs in Holyoke, as secretary.
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Gov. Maura T. Healey has appointed Chicopee resident Shavon Prophet to serve on the Advisory Board for the Massachusetts Center for Employee Ownership for a four-year term. The 19 seat multi-stakeholder board will advise MassCEO and the MA Office of Business Development on policies to strengthen employee ownership.
Prophet is the former program director of MassCEO and a “business advisor for the greater good” specializing in shared ownership models and impact investing. During her tenure at MassCEO, she was one of only two people of color in the United States in a role of its kind and helped to secure additional grant funding to offer expanded technical assistance and capital resources for Massachusetts worker cooperatives — The Gateway City Legacy Business Program and the Capital for Cooperatives Program. She has helped hundreds of business owners explore succession planning and employee-led buyouts, with a special focus in worker cooperatives.
The MassCEO Advisory Board was established by the passage of the MassCEO Enabling Act in November 2022, which fortified the office as a permanent part of the state government. o
Prophet now leads portfolio development for Obran Cooperative, the first and only cooperative conglomerate in the US, and also independently advises business owners and economic development professionals on employee ownership transitions.
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The Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee selected its 2024 Executive Committee and welcomed two new members to its board. Michael Vogel, of Westfield Bank, will serve another year as president. Tracy Hebda, of iSolved Benefits Solutions will serve as vice president. Dr. Jacqueline Pleet will serve as clerk. Roberto Nieves, of CommonCapital, will serve as treasurer. Jason Levine, of Jason L. Levine Law, P.C. will serve as the at-large member.
Welcomed at the meeting, to begin three-year terms on the board, were Julia Marrero of BaconWilson, P.C and Ann Dargie Gladd, of Family Law of Western Massachusetts, P.C.
They will be joining the following current members: Alayna Anderson — BaconWilson, P.C.; Benjamin Garvey — HUB International New England LLC; Angela Gotay-Cheverez — Freedom Credit Union; Robert Houle — Unity Financial & Insurance Group; Sarah Mailhott; Malar Patel — Google; Danielle Rosario — PeoplesBank.
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Monson Savings Bank recently announced the hiring of Michelle Beaudette as assistant vice president, residential operations officer.
Beaudette resides in Charlton. Beaudette has 18 years of experience in banking and finance. She is a graduate of The New Seminary and holds a Financial Management Certification from the U.S. Army Reserve Command. Prior to joining Monson Savings Bank, she worked at Millbury National Bank.
