Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni announces that longtime Assistant District Attorney Maximilian J. Bennett has been named the recipient of the 2025 William C. O’Malley Prosecutor of the Year Award, one of the highest honors a Massachusetts prosecutor can receive.
This award, given annually by the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association, recognizes exceptional prosecutors who embody professionalism, integrity and an unwavering commitment to justice. Bennett has been with the Hampden District Attorney’s Office since 2009, specializing in the prosecution of violent crimes and homicides.
He is currently serving as chief of homicide and chief trial counsel, Bennett oversees the prosecution of the county’s most serious and complex cases. He is frequently called to crime scenes to collaborate with law enforcement at the earliest stages of homicide investigations.
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James C. Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank, announces that Tashima Hoilett-Murray has been appointed assistant branch manager at the bank’s Enfield, Connecticut, location.
Murray has 15 years of experience in the finance industry, with two years at Westfield Bank and previous years working at a bank in Jamaica. She graduated from the Jamaican Institute of Management with an associate degree in business administration and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean.
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State Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, was awarded two statewide honors: on May 15, Disability Law Center’s 2025 Senate Legislator of the Year; and on May 21, Children’s League of Massachusetts’ 2025 Senate Champion for Children Award.
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The Springfield Thunderbirds announced new front office hires to the team’s award-winning staff heading into the 2025-26 American Hockey league season. Joe Manning and Lorenzo Stisser have been promoted to account executives in the team’s ticket sales department, while Nina Liquori and Brianna Carroll have joined the organization as inside sales specialists.
Manning, a native of Wilbraham, is entering his second season in the organization after serving as an inside sales specialist during the 2024-25 season. He also interned for the team in the 2023-24 season in the team’s sales and communications departments. He is a 2024 graduate of Springfield College, where he played three seasons for the club hockey program.
Stisser joins the organization full-time after serving on the team’s game night staff and inside sales department over the past two seasons. A native of Wolcott, Conn., Stisser graduated from Springfield College this month and was a member of the men’s gymnastics program.
Liquori, a native of Agawam, joins the Thunderbirds as an Inside Sales Specialist after graduating from Southern New Hampshire University, where she played on the women’s lacrosse team.
Carroll, a native of East Yaphank, N.Y., also joins as an inside sales specialist after graduating this month from Western New England University, where she played on the women’s soccer team.
