Westgate selected for Distinguished Faculty series
AMHERST — The University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Music and Dance chair Matthew Westgate has been named a Distinguished Faculty member for the 2025-26 academic year.
In his Dec. 2 lecture, “The Art of Conducting: Creating Community Through Music,” Westgate will share methods (both musical and non-musical) that bring people together around common goals and, in turn, help connect them as a community. The lecture is scheduled for 4 p.m. in the Old Chapel.
Established in 1974, the annual Distinguished Faculty Lecture is dedicated to acknowledging the work of the most esteemed and accomplished faculty members. Each honoree is presented with the Chancellor’s Medal, the highest recognition bestowed upon faculty by the campus.
With Westgate’s selection, there have now been six members of the Department of Music and Dance selected to this distinction, including four in the past five years.
Prior to his appointment at UMass Amherst, Westgate was the director of instrumental activities at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he conducted the symphonic band, jazz ensemble, Xavier Pep Bands, and chamber orchestra.
In addition to his role as chair of the department, Westgate serves as director of Wind Studies and conductor of the UMass Amherst Wind Ensemble.
Florence Bank announces two new hires
FLORENCE—Florence Bank has hired Xiaolei Hua of South Hadley as vice president / commercial loan officer, and Shadia Coley, of Enfield, Connecticut, as branch manager / branch officer of the bank’s new Holyoke office set to open in 2026.
Hua has 20 years of banking experience, and prior to joining Florence Bank, he held the positions of commercial credit officer, assistant vice president / portfolio manager and vice president / commercial lending. He is skilled in business development, relationship management, financial and credit analysis and underwriting.
In his new role, Hua will develop, manage and deepen client relationships while supporting the bank’s strategic growth goals.
Hua holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a master’s in business administration from the same institution.
Coley has over 10 years of banking experience and previously held the positions of assistant branch manager / business specialist and branch manager. In addition to managing Florence Bank’s newest branch, she will oversee community outreach and engagement, team leadership and coaching and customer service.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University and a master’s in business administration with a concentration in finance, also from SNHU.
CSO receives double honors
NORTHAMPTON — Community behavioral health agency Clinical & Support Options, based in Northampton, recently received double honors — one from a leading trade organization in recognition of its clinical outcomes and another stemming from survey results of its own staff.
Trade advocacy group Association of Behavioral Health (ABH), long a leading voice for mental health and addiction services in Massachusetts, selected CSO for its annual Salute to Excellence awards, which are considered among the most prestigious in the field. The honor recognizes CSO’s commitment to ensuring that clients across western and central Massachusetts receive care based on the most effective, research-supported practices.
According to ABH, CSO emphasizes peer learning, reflective practice, and the use of real-time feedback to ensure services are always improving. Staff also rely on standardized tools to measure progress and adjust care based on each client’s needs.
CSO’s approach includes a wide range of evidence-based models, such as Trauma-Focused CBT, the ARC Framework, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD). These methods are reinforced through ongoing supervision, learning collaboratives, and monitoring to ensure high-quality care.
Additionally, CSO hired human resources technology firm Energage to conduct employee surveys on a variety of topics earlier this year. More than 450 CSO employees (two-thirds of its workforce) voluntarily provided feedback about the agency on topics ranging from interdepartmental cooperation and room for growth to pay and benefits.
The results were impressive, earning the agency the Energage designation of “Top Workplace in Healthcare.”
bankESP commits $100K to Mercy Medical Center
EASTHAMPTON — bankESB has made a $100,000 multiyear commitment to Mercy Medical Center in Springfield in support of the Sister Mary Caritas Endowed Nurses’ Education Fund.
The investment will help provide critical resources for the ongoing education, training and professional development of nurses, ensuring patients in western Massachusetts continue to receive the highest quality of compassionate care.
Established to honor the legacy of Sister Mary Caritas, former president of Mercy Medical Center and a lifelong advocate for accessible, high-quality healthcare, the endowed fund strengthens the hospital’s ability to recruit, retain, and advance skilled nursing professionals.
The $100,000 pledge underscores bankESB’s dedication to strengthening local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism, and support of organizations that make a difference in people’s lives. To learn more about bankESB’s community giving programs, The Giving Tree, visit bankESB.com.
Doctor joins MiraVista Behavioral Health
HOLYOKE — MiraVista Behavioral Health Center announces that Dr. Dean Singer, a dual board-certified physician in family and addiction medicine, has joined its growing team of clinical professionals dedicated to compassionate, evidence-based care.
Singer brings extensive experience to MiraVista, with a long-standing commitment to improving access to treatment for individuals and families in recovery. As a community-based physician and advocate for integrated health, he has worked across multiple care settings in western Massachusetts, bridging the gap between primary care and behavioral health.
At MiraVista, Singer will serve as the physician in the organization’s Opioid Treatment Program, providing medication-assisted treatment and clinical support to individuals navigating recovery from opioid use disorder. His expertise and holistic approach to patient care strengthen MiraVista’s commitment to expanding access to effective, compassionate treatment.
MiraVista’s Opioid Treatment Program offers same-day and walk-in access, as well as free transportation within a 25-mile radius, helping to reduce barriers to care for residents across western Massachusetts.
Singer currently serves as owner and chief medical officer of Bridge Primary in Greenfield, a community-based practice offering both primary care and addiction services.