Shafii named DNA board president

NORTHAMPTON — The Downtown Northampton Association (DNA) has appointed Amanda Shafii as its new board president. A dedicated business owner and community advocate, Shafii brings experience and passion for the city’s downtown vibrancy to her new role.

Shafii is the owner of Copycat, a local printing and design business that has been serving the Northampton area for years. She has been an active contributor to the local business community, demonstrating a strong commitment to economic growth and community engagement. In addition to her new leadership role with the DNA, she also serves on the board of directors for the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce and is a mentor for E-for-All, helping aspiring business owners navigate their journeys.

As board president, Shafii will work closely with businesses, city officials and community organizations to continue fostering a vibrant, welcoming, and economically thriving downtown. Her leadership will be instrumental in guiding the DNA’s initiatives, from events and beautification projects to advocacy efforts that support local businesses.

The DNA is responsible for organizing many events in the city, including the Taste of Northampton, Sidewalk Sales, and Chalk Art Festival. Additionally, the organization hosts monthly Downtown Business Owner Forums, providing a space for local entrepreneurs to connect, share ideas, and discuss key issues impacting the community.

MassHire Holyoke set to relocate

HOLYOKE — After 29 years at 850 High St., MassHire Holyoke will relocated on Monday to a new office at the STEAM Building, 208 Race St. in Holyoke.

The new location will provide a welcoming environment designed to better serve job seekers, employers and community partners.

MassHire Holyoke provides a wide range of career and workforce development services, including job search assistance and workshops, fully equipped resource center, career counseling, training programs, and employer recruitment support.

UMass nurse lands prestigious honor

AMHERST — Gabrielle Abelard, a clinical associate professor of nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been selected as a 2025 Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP), the only Massachusetts inductee among 51 honorees from 23 U.S. states and two other countries.

The FAANP program recognizes nurse practitioner (NP) leaders who have made outstanding contributions to NP education, policy, clinical practice and research.

Abelard serves as the graduate program director and psychiatric mental health specialty director for the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing.

Abelard and the other honorees will be inducted into the FAANP program in June at the AANP National Conference in San Diego. In addition to her academic activities, Abelard founded and directs a multisite community mental health clinic that provides comprehensive behavioral health services in the home and in outpatient settings throughout Massachusetts. She also works as a motivational speaker and enjoys mentoring up-and-coming clinicians in mental health nursing.

In other recent recognitions, Abelard was named Nurse Leader of the Year in Nurse.org’s annual Best of Nursing Awards and given an Excellence in Clinical Practice award by the New England Regional Black Nurses Association.

Sullivan to retire from WMass EDC

SPRINGFIELD — Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Western Mass Economic Development Council, will retire at the end of the year.

Sullivan came to the EDC as an already-seasoned leader in Massachusetts, and in his 11-year tenure, he focused on growing the organization and its influence with statewide leaders and policy makers. Programming has also greatly expanded, membership has doubled, and the region’s economics are considerably stronger.

Most recently, Sullivan led the EDC in publishing a white paper early in 2024, outlining where to make multi-million-dollar investments in the region, which led to a recent $70 million award through the state’s Economic Development Bond Bill. The region is now investing in food science, quantum computing, and clean tech. The award was the largest in the region’s history.

A partner in a law firm early on in his career, Sullivan was mayor of Westfield from 1994 to 2007, and served as president of the Massachusetts Mayors Association in 1998.

Before coming on board as president and CEO of the EDC, he was chief of staff in the Massachusetts Governor’s Office in 2014 and 2015 and held leadership roles with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Sullivan is 66 and lives in Westfield with his wife, Lisa Oleksak Sullivan, a realtor. They have three children and eight grandchildren.

bankESB promotes Salois to VP

EASTHAMPTON — bankESB recently promoted Meridith Salois to vice president, lending systems manager based at its 241 Northampton St., Easthampton office.

Salois, of Westfield, has nearly 30 years of banking experience. She joined bankESB in 2001 working in loan servicing and collections, and moved on to become a credit analyst, and eventually vice president, commercial credit systems management.

In her new role, she will be evolving and maintaining the suite of lending information systems, while supporting all aspects of commercial, consumer, and residential systems across the bank’s parent company, Hometown Financial Group.

Salois has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Baypath University and earned a certificate from the New England School of Financial Studies. She is a longtime volunteer for Junior Achievement, is the vice president of the LoanVantage User Group Board, and has been the education and training booth chair for Westfield Credit for Life since 2019.