Smith named chair of HCC trustees
HOLYOKE — Vanessa Smith of Holyoke, the former chief legal officer for Baystate Health, has been named the new chair of the Holyoke Community College board of trustees.
Smith has served on the HCC board since 2021. She was recently reappointed by Gov. Maura Healey to a five-year term and also designated as the permanent chair. She has been serving as interim chair since former chair Robert Gilbert stepped down in November 2023.
Her term runs until March 1, 2030.
Smith is a lawyer with more than 35 years of legal experience. Until March, she had served as the chief legal officer for Baystate Health in Springfield for nine years. Before that, she was a partner in the Springfield law firm Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas. She started her career in upstate New York, where she worked as a judicial law clerk and an assistant attorney general.
She is a graduate of the Syracuse University College of Law and holds a bachelor’s degree in French language and literature from Wells College.
Over the years, Smith’s volunteer work has included serving on the boards of Friends of the Homeless, the Center for Human Development, and the Springfield Public Forum.
PVPC announces leadership changes
SPRINGFIELD — The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) has named Kenneth Comia as the new director of the land use and environment department. In June, PVPC elevated Catherine Ratté to the role of deputy executive director, ensuring a smooth leadership transition drawing on her deep expertise across the organization. Ratté will continue in this role through the end of the year, when she retires after a distinguished 27-year career advancing regional planning and community development across the Pioneer Valley.
Ratté is a leader recognized for her innovative, equity-driven, and community-centered approach to regional planning. With decades of experience at PVPC, she has been a driving force behind efforts that blend sustainability, resilience, and collaboration, earning a reputation as both a strategic thinker and a trusted partner to communities across the Valley.
Since joining the PVPC in 2019, Comia has led numerous initiatives supporting smart growth, climate resilience, and sustainable land use across the Valley. He is a certified planner who leads municipal zoning and comprehensive‑planning services across the Pioneer Valley. Comia helps communities, especially those without dedicated planning staff, update bylaws, prepare long‑range plans, and advance housing and sustainable development priorities.
Since 1962, the PVPC has been the designated regional planning body for the Pioneer Valley region, which encompasses 43 cities and towns in the Hampden and Hampshire counties.
Urban Planet x joins Holyoke Mall
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Mall is excited to welcome Urban Planet x Charlotte Russe. Located on the Upper Level near Best Buy, this store combines fresh fashion with value for a unique shopping experience.
To celebrate the grand opening, the store held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 12.
Urban Planet x Charlotte Russe is a new concept that brings together two popular fashion brands in one destination. The store offers apparel, footwear, and accessories for men and women, with a focus on inclusive, versatile styles.
Big Y appoints Hatfield resident
SPRINGFIELD — Anita Giroux of Hatfield has been appointed director of IT infrastructure by the board of directors for Big Y Foods.
Giroux will continue overseeing the networking and hardware support departments in maintaining and leading the strategic planning of the IT infrastructure and will have the added responsibility of leading the security and controls department in driving Big Y’s security and data governance posture.
Giroux has been in the IT field for over 25 years. Prior to joining Big Y in June 2019 as manager of networking and hardware support, she spent 14 years in IT at a local community bank, including nine years as senior network administrator. She was
promoted to senior manager of networking and hardware support in January 2023.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from UMass Lowell, with a
minor in sociology and is a member of the Alpha Sigma Lambda Gamma Delta Chapter
of the National Honor Society. She is currently pursuing her MBA in IT Management at
Southern New Hampshire University.
One-day leadership summit for emerging leaders
SPRINGFIELD — The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield (YPS) is launching its next Up Next Summit, a first-time leadership event designed to empower, inspire, and connect the region’s rising professionals. This first-of-its-kind event will take place on Thursday, Oct. 16, at MGM Springfield.
Designed to bring together emerging leaders for a day of workshops, keynote speakers, and high-impact conversations, Up Next will directly address the challenges faced by rising professionals and the leaders who champion their development.
This one-day event will bring together professionals from across the region for a mix of expert-led micro workshops, networking, and big-picture conversations with topics ranging from community impact to personal development. In addition, Up Next will feature keynote presentations from Jill Monson, founder of POP!more Confidence Coaching, and Michelle Wirth, founder of Feel Good, Shop Local. Both speakers are known for their powerful insights on leadership, purpose-driven work, and community engagement.
Tickets are available now online at springfieldyps.com. More information about the Summit can be found online on the YPS website or on their social media channels: Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.