SPRINGFIELD — Florence Bank and the city of Springfield will upgrade a basketball court at Greenleaf Community Center in time for summer. The bank and the city each contributed $15,000 to the project, which includes court surfacing and new hoops and backboards.
Florence Bank recently opened branches in West Springfield and Springfield.
A celebratory event will be held on Tuesday, June 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. The rain date is June 19.
Florence Bank also has branches in Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Northampton and Williamsburg, and is headquartered in Florence.
AMHERST — John Page has been hired as membership and marketing director for the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce.
Page recently graduated from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has worked as an intern at the chamber.
He has helped to double engagement and exposure across web and social media over the last nine months and will develop marketing campaigns through the chamber website, social media and communications.
GREENFIELD — Dr. Ruth A. Potee, medical director for addiction services at Behavioral Health Network’s Franklin Recovery Center in Greenfield, has been promoted to medical director for addiction services for all of BHN.
Potee will oversee services provided by BHN throughout Franklin and Hampden counties, and lead a campaign to expand access to methadone and buprenorphine treatment. She will continue to teach about the impact of addiction and trauma in patients’ lives, and work to bridge the transition from incarceration to the community.
Previously, Potee was a family physician at Valley Medical Group in Greenfield. She also serves as medical director for the Franklin County House of Corrections and the Pioneer Valley Regional School District, and is chairwoman of the Healthcare Solutions of the Opioid Taskforce of Franklin County. Potee was named Franklin County Doctor of the Year by the Massachusetts Medical Society in 2015.
A native of western Massachusetts, she attended Wellesley College, received her medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine, and completed her residency in Family Medicine at Boston University, where she remained as an assistant professor of family medicine for eight years.
NORTHAMPTON — Jon Niedzielski has been promoted to district director for U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, chairman of the House Rules Committee.
Niedzielski will oversee all operations and staff in McGovern’s district offices in Worcester, Northampton and Leominster, replacing longtime district director Kathleen Polanowicz.
Niedzielski was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2013 to serve as Massachusetts executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. For over a decade before that, he served as deputy chief of staff and district director to former U.S. Rep. John Olver.
A resident of Amherst, Niedzielski received his bachelor’s degree in history from Ithaca College, and a master’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. He may be reached at Jon.Niedzielski@mail.house.gov.
CHICOPEE — Richard Kowal of Belchertown has joined Polish National Credit Union as vice president in commercial lending.
Kowal has 29 years in the financial industry, including analytical and financial skills, outside sales, cash flow budgeting, strategic planning, commercial and real estate lending, cash management, and product profitability and development. His background includes senior management and vice president experience.
He is an instructor for the Center of Financial Training (CFT) Atlantic States. CFT is the training partner for banks, credit unions and other financial institutions to educate employees to complete accredited classes that can be transferred to any four-year college. He is also an associate member for the Risk Management Agency, focusing on business to business connections, cash flow management and strategic analysis.
Kowal holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing, from Western New England University in Springfield and an associate degree in business administration from Holyoke Community College in Holyoke.