Gorth joins Eric Carle Museum board of trustees
AMHERST — The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art has appointed Phillip W. Gorth to its board of trustees.
Gorth is an Amherst native and a graduate of Amherst College, where he studied law, jurisprudence and social thought. He subsequently built a career in finance and investment management in New York City and attended Columbia Business School, participating in the Value Investing Program. Since 2014, he has focused on managing personal investments and philanthropy.
Gorth maintains deep ties to the Amherst community and a strong commitment to supporting the people and institutions that have shaped him. He established a scholarship at Amherst College that gives special consideration to students who demonstrate excellence in writing and service to the Amherst community. As a part-time resident of the Berkshires, Gorth is a board member of the Alford Historical Society and supports the local volunteer fire department and Alford Land Trust.
The Gorth family are longtime supporters of The Carle; Phillip’s father, William P. Gorth, served on the Museum’s Board for 16 years, most recently as chair.
Greenlight Savings partners with Greenlight
Greenfield Savings Bank has partnered with Greenlight Financial Technology Inc. that will provide customers with new tools to help children and teens build lifelong money management skills.
Because financial education is not consistently taught in schools, many families are looking for ways to help children build confidence with money. By providing access to tools that encourage real-world learning, Greenfield Savings is helping parents reinforce important financial concepts at home and prepare the next generation for financial success.
To support those conversations at home, Greenfield Savings is offering customers complimentary access to Greenlight, a family-focused financial education platform with a debit card and app that helps kids and teens learn real-world money skills. Through hands-on experiences with earning, saving, spending and giving, families can start meaningful conversations about money while parents stay actively involved in guiding financial decisions.
Greenfield Savings customers can access Greenlight’s SELECT plan at no cost by enrolling through www.greenfieldsavings.com/personal/greenlight and linking their Greenfield Savings account.
Rowe new development manager at Jewish Family Service
SPRINGFIELD — Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts welcomes Lindsay Rowe as its new development manager.
Rowe is a nonprofit and community-focused professional who has worked throughout western Massachusetts with experience in development, communications and public service.
Most recently, Rowe served as development manager at Congregation B’nai Israel in Northampton, where she focused on fundraising through building relationships, and engaging community members to support the organization’s long-term growth and sustainability.
Rowe holds an Master in Business Administration and brings a systems-oriented, collaborative approach to work, along with an enthusiasm for connecting people to organizations and causes they care about.
Hitchcock Center honors solar co-op
PV Squared Solar, a Greenfield-based worker-owned cooperative, received the Resilient Community Award from the Amherst-based Hitchcock Center for the Environment at the center’s annual Hitchcock Harvest celebration.
The award recognized the cooperative’s commitment to environmental stewardship, local economic resilience and community well-being.
Founded in 2002, PV Squared designs, installs and maintains solar electric and battery storage systems throughout western Massachusetts and southern Vermont. The cooperative designed and installed the Hitchcock Center’s solar energy systems, which support the center’s pursuit of the Living Building Challenge, along with its electric vehicle charging station. PV Squared continues to maintain the center’s solar equipment and sponsors community events, including Hitchcock Harvest and Battle of the Botanicals.
The honor followed other recognition for the cooperative this year. It was named Best Solar Installer and Best Local Green Business in the Valley Advocate’s 2026 Best of the Valley awards, appeared again on Solar Power World’s Top Solar Contractors list, and was recognized as a New England Public Media Champion.
Herrell’s Ice Cream wins customer service award
Herrell’s Ice Cream in Northampton received the 2026 Spectrum Award for excellence in customer service from City Beat News, which gave the shop a five-star rating, the highest score it awards.
City Beat News, which publishes the award, says it rates businesses’ overall customer satisfaction and gives the Spectrum Award to those with its top ratings.
Founded in 1980, Herrell’s makes more than 400 flavors of ice cream and No-Moo frozen desserts on site, using locally sourced dairy.
City Beat News recognizes companies and professionals that deliver outstanding service and customer experiences. Its mission is to celebrate the often-unsung businesses that strengthen their communities and to encourage excellence wherever it is found.
The Spectrum Award gives business owners a credible, independent endorsement they can share with prospective customers. City Beat News evaluates broad, balanced customer-satisfaction research and summarizes the results in one clear annual rating.