Behavioral Health Network Inc. has announced that Senior Vice President Rose Evans is the recipient of the Association for Behavioral Healthcare’s Salute to Excellence, Scott M. Boch Force for Change Award. Jane Simonds and Lisa Yin, senior program managers in BHN’s substance use disorder division, accepted the award on Evans’ behalf on Oct. 20 at ABH’s annual Salute to Excellence event in Framingham.
The Scott M. Boch Force for Change Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated devotion to the behavioral health and human services fields, persistent advocacy on behalf of the workforce and individuals served, and successful consensus building among stakeholders.
In Evans’ nomination for the award, she is credited as being a force for change in Massachusetts throughout her 40-year career in behavioral health and human services. “From her role on the executive team at Center for Human Development (CHD) to her service as Deputy Undersecretary for the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development in the Patrick and Baker Administration, to her current role at BHN, Rose has demonstrated unwavering commitment to the needs and interests of the communities we serve and the staff who serve them,” the nomination stated.
At BHN since 2017, Evans is responsible for managing over 47% of client service programs, including substance use treatment, intellectual and developmental disabilities programs and forensic services.
The expansion of SUD services has included opening new clinical stabilization units in Springfield and Greenfield; opening medication-assisted treatment programs in Springfield, Holyoke and Orange; a statewide Section 35 program for women; and preparing to launch a mobile methadone program to serve individuals in the rural Quaboag Hills area. In addition, when Phoenix House SUD programs were at risk of closing, BHN was able to acquire those programs and deliver services without interruption.
****************************************************************
James C. Hagan, president and CEO of Westfield Bank, announces that Mortgage Loan Officer Joe Marek, of Ware, has been relocated to the bank’s 32 Willimansett St. location in South Hadley and will be covering the surrounding communities.
Prior to joining Westfield Bank, Marek held multiple roles in the banking industry, including mortgage loan officer, loan processor and loan assistant.
Marek is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in finance from Southern New Hampshire University.
**********************************************************
Amanda Sbriscia, vice president of institutional advancement at Holyoke Community College, has been selected for a fellowship for aspiring college presidents by the AGB Institute for Leadership and Governance in Higher Education.
Now entering its fifth year, 27 college administrators from institutions around the country began their fellowships with an in-person symposium in Washington, D.C., in September.
Sbriscia, 39, holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Cedar Crest College, a master of science in higher education from Drexel University, and a doctorate in education in educational leadership from Gwynedd Mercy University.
A native of Pennsylvania, she resides in Granby.
Before being hired at HCC in 2017, Sbriscia served as senior director of advancement at Bay Path University, following her role there as director of annual giving and alumni relations. Before Bay Path, she worked in fund development for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts and as director of annual giving for Anna Maria College in Paxton.
***********************************************************
Market Mentors, LLC, a marketing, advertising and public relations agency, announces the promotion of two of its employees to director-level positions. Sarah Murphy, an Agawam native and current resident of Springfield, was promoted from traffic manager to director of resource management. Megan Wehbe, a Michigan transplant who now resides in Wethersfield, Connecticut, was promoted from senior account executive/strategic planner to director of strategic growth. Murphy and Wehbe are now both part of the agency’s leadership team.
Murphy joined Market Mentors in 2016 after having worked there as an intern. Since that time, she has taken on increasing responsibilities as an account coordinator, account executive and traffic manager. Murphy was a member of the Business West 40 Under Forty Class of 2021.
Having worked in new business development and account services for over a decade, Wehbe joined the agency in 2021 as an account executive and was soon promoted to senior account manager and strategic planner. She has previous experience working on accounts for USAA and Audi.
****************************************************************
The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau announces the addition of three business leaders to its Board of Directors.
The following new members were voted onto the board at the bureau’s annual meeting and will serve two-year terms, expiring in October 2025: Jeremiah Micka, Tunnel Bar/Union Station; Peter Picknelly, Opal Real Estate;· Melissa Picknelly, Peter Pan Bus Lines.
