Cait Murray honored with MassHire Youth Partner Award
HADLEY — UMassFive College Federal Credit Union’s Community Engagement Manager Cait Murray has been recognized with the MassHire Annual Youth Partner Award, honoring her outstanding contributions to youth financial education and workforce readiness throughout the Valley.
The award recognizes Murray’s leadership in delivering financial literacy workshops, educational programming and UMassFive’s Reality Fair events, which help students gain practical experience managing personal finances and preparing for adulthood. Over the years, Murray has built a strong partnership with MassHire through a shared commitment to equipping young people with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed financial decisions.
Western Massachusetts Junior Achievement president named national award finalist
SPRINGFIELD — Amie Miarecki, president of Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JAWM), has been named a finalist for the prestigious Karl Flemke Pioneer Achievement Award for 2026. This national honor recognizes first-time Junior Achievement presidents who demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovation and impact within their local organizations and the broader JA network.
The award will be presented at the Junior Achievement USA NEXT National Leadership Conference, taking place July 20 through July 23 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Miarecki is one of four JA leaders from across the country as finalists for this highly competitive recognition.
Miarecki holds a Master of Science degree in corporate and organizational communication with a specialization in leadership from The College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University. She has a certification from the Comprehensive Outreach Education Certificate Program from the Community Health Education Center of The Boston Public Health Commission.
Greenfield Savings Bank hosts free security seminar
GREENFIELD — Greenfield Savings Bank will host a free, interactive Business Fraud Prevention Training for owners, managers and employees on Tuesday, July 21, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at its Easthampton branch located at 1 Sierra Vista Blvd.
Led by Vice President and Cash Management and Business Development Officer Kim Montague and Assistant Vice President and BSA/AML Officer Michelle Ozdarski, the session addresses the rising sophistication of financial scams by analyzing real-life examples, including a $200,000 fraud loss case.
Participants will learn to recognize warning signs and implement immediate protection strategies against common threats such as wire fraud, check washing, business email compromise and identity theft. Registration is required and can be completed at bit.ly/4vLLFtI.
bankESB promotes Vincelette to VP
EASTHAMPTON —bankESB has promoted Stephanie Vincelette to vice president, human resources operations, based at the bank’s 36 Main St. office in Easthampton.
Vincelette joined the bank in 2012 as a part-time payroll specialist and has steadily advanced throughout her tenure, demonstrating a strong commitment to operational excellence and employee support. She has held several key roles in the Human Resources department, including payroll manager and human resources operations officer. Most recently, she served as assistant vice president, human resources operations.
In this expanded leadership role, Vincelette oversees the operations side of Human Resources, including payroll, benefits, compensation strategy, compliance, HRIS, and overall HR administration. The Human Resources Operations team serves as a shared services function across Hometown Financial Group, the parent company of bankESB, bankHometown, TruNorth Bank, and Hometown Mortgage, and has grown into a team of five under her leadership.
Vincelette holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western New England University and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).
Naturopathic clinic opens satellite location in Hadley
HADLEY — Cedar Rose Naturopathic, a naturopathic medicine clinic based in Greenfield, has opened a satellite location in Hadley to expand access for patients in Amherst, Hadley and the southern part of the Pioneer Valley.
The new office, at 226 Russell St., Suite D, inside Embodied Chiropractic and Family Wellness, is Americans with Disabilities Act accessible.
Dr. Nitya Eisenheim, a naturopathic doctor and herbalist who has run the Greenfield practice for seven years, said she opened the second location after hearing from patients in Hampden and Hampshire counties that the trip to Greenfield was difficult.
Eisenheim treats chronic illness, pain, fatigue, neurological conditions and mood disorders, and works with children with ADHD, autism and tick-borne diseases. She also treats adults with autoimmune diseases, mold toxicity, digestive issues, chronic pain and hormonal and reproductive health concerns.
Services offered include naturopathic consultations, individualized herbal formulas, nutritional supplements, dietary assessments, craniosacral therapy and visceral manipulation.
Eisenheim is licensed as a naturopathic doctor in Massachusetts and Vermont. She previously served as a primary care physician at Windhorse Naturopathic Clinic in Brattleboro, Vermont, for three years and is a graduate of Bastyr University.
Free 15-minute consultations are available for new patients. More information is available at cedarroseheals.com.
HCC president, board selected for national collaborative
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College President George Timmons and the HCC Board of Trustees have been selected to join the second cohort of the Aspen Presidents & Trustees Collaborative.
This year-long initiative, led by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, brings together colleges nationwide to strengthen alignment between boards and presidential leadership and advance long-term student success.
Through this collaboration, Timmons and the trustees will engage with national experts and peer institutions, learning from best practices of Aspen Prize-winning colleges and leveraging Aspen’s Trustee Framework. The goal is to build sustainable governance practices that drive meaningful reforms in student success.
The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program aims to strengthen higher education leadership and practice to improve student outcomes, with the ultimate goal of advancing economic mobility and developing talent for the good of each individual and society as a whole.
Learn more about the program: https://as.pn/presidentsandtrusteescollaborative