FLORENCE — Dean Brown of Florence and Teresa Wurszt of Chicopee were named to the President’s Club at Florence Bank. The honor recognizes superior performance, customer service and overall contribution.
Brown is a card operations specialist in the bank’s main branch in Florence and began work at the bank in 2008. Wurszt is an assistant commercial loan administration manager in the main office and joined the bank in 2015.
Three employees were promoted to vice president/area managers. Each was previously vice president/branch manager within the organization.
Elissa Langevin, a 10-year employee of the bank from Wilbraham, will oversee management of the bank’s main office in Florence; Lee McCarthy, of Springfield and a 15-year employee, will oversee management of the bank’s King Street office in Northampton; and Shelley Daughdrill, a 12-year employee from Southampton, will oversee management of the bank’s Belchertown branch.
Florence — Alyx Akers is a new real estate agent at Five College Realtors. She began her real estate career in 2000 in Orlando, Florida, and relocated to Northampton in 2006.
Akers holds a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is a member of the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts Association of Realtors, MLS Property Information Network, National Association of Realtors, and is a recent member of Northampton’s Housing Partnership.
EASTHAMPTON — Finck & Perras Insurance Agency Inc. recently hired two new employees.
Alexandra Fach and Meghan Morton will serve as personal lines account managers. Fach will work in the firm’s Easthampton office, and Morton at the Florence location.
Fach holds a bachelor’s degree in communication technology and visual communication and a master’s degree from Lesley University in Cambridge. She has worked in the industry since 2013 and also holds state insurance licensure.
Morton is a certified insurance service representative and a certified insurance counselor. She holds state insurance licensure and has worked in the industry for six years.
SPRINGFIELD — Pathlight, a residential and community services provider for people with intellectual disabilities or autism, has named behavior specialist Erika Gleason as the first recipient of its Donald Fletcher Scholarship.
The $5,000 scholarship is meant to assist an employee in obtaining an undergraduate degree. This scholarship is in addition to Pathlight’s current tuition reimbursement program.
Gleason, 26, started at Pathlight in 2013 as a direct support professional. She became a behavioral specialist this year.
Gleason is currently working toward an associate degree in psychology at Holyoke Community College. Her goal is to transfer to Westfield State University, where she hopes to earn her bachelor’s degree.
HOLYOKE — Cynthia Beaudry has joined Century 21Home Town Associates as a sales associate. She will specialize in residential property sales in the Hampden and Hampshire County area.
Beaudry just successfully completed extensive training and licensing through Freedom Trail Realty School, Boston.
NORTHAMPTON — Laura M. Hamelin is the new home care manager at Barton’s Angels. She draws on both her home care management and field experience to coordinate client services and support caregiver relationships.
She will arrange home health support and nursing services for older adults who live in the greater Northampton, Amherst, Holyoke and Greenfield areas. She will be a liaison for the agency’s private clients as well as clients who are referred for home care services by state agencies.
Hamelin is a graduate of Elms College and is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling psychology at Bay Path University.
New rewards
program for
shopping local
NORTHAMPTON — The Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce has launched a program that rewards people with merit points for shopping at local businesses.
Individuals who sign up for Valley Placemaker online or in person during the month of April are eligible to win one of four $50 Northampton gift cards.
To create a Valley Placemaker account, shoppers can go to valley.placemaker.co and follow the simple steps.