UMass hires news and media relations leader

AMHERST — Former journalist and public relations professional Emily Gest has been hired as associate vice chancellor for news and media relations in the Office of News and Media Relations at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, effective immediately.

Associate vice chancellor for news and media relations is a new position that replaces that formerly held by Executive Director of Strategic Communications Ed Blaguszewski, who retired in June. Reporting to John Kennedy, vice chancellor for University Relations, Gest will oversee the university’s news office, which includes seven writers and editors, video production and social media.

Early in her career, Gest was a reporter for The New York Daily News, where she was a finalist, with other staff, for a Pulitzer Prize. She covered breaking news, including families of 9/11 victims, as well as health, entertainment and general features. She has also worked for Los Angeles Times and Mother Jones magazines.

As a public relations professional, she has extensive experience working in government, higher education, health care and the law. Most recently Gest served as senior director of media relations at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

For more than a decade, Gest worked at Rubenstein, a strategic communications firm, where she counseled clients in higher education, public and private non-profits and other philanthropic organizations. She was also director of communications for the Georgia State Department of Juvenile Justice and the DeKalb County Solicitor-General, a prosecutor.

HCC honored for excellence in marketing

HOLYOKE – Two stories about Holyoke Community College graduates earned awards for the college at the Fall 2024 District 1 Conference of the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations.

HCC won the top two Medallion awards in the category of Excellence in Writing – Short Form, for stories up to 800 words. Taking gold: “Name That Tune,” a short profile of HCC math major Tom Dulac ‘23, now a student at Westfield State University. In 2023, Dulac won a national award for musical composition that he submitted under the pseudonym “Zac Dune.”

Taking silver: “Ready to Go,” a Commencement profile about Tatiana McKnight ‘23, who suffered from agoraphobia as a teenager. Encouraged by her grandmother, the Puerto Rican educator and author Sonia Nieto, McKnight enrolled at HCC, where she excelled and used as a springboard for transfer to Mount Holyoke College.

Both stories were written by HCC Media Relations Manager Chris Yurko. “Name That Tune” was published in the Alumni Out & About section of the Spring 2024 issue of the HCC college magazine, The Connection, and “Ready to Go” in the Spotlight section of the HCC website in July 2023.

NCMPR represents marketing and public relations professionals at community and technical colleges in the United States and beyond.

Mass Humanities names seven new board members

NORTHAMPTON — Mass Humanities, the leading funder of humanities projects in the commonwealth, welcomes seven community leaders to its board of directors.

Board members serve three-year terms, renewable for one term. This latest group joined Mass Humanities at the foundation’s September board meeting.

The new members are Muhammad Burhan, an award-winning multimedia artivist, innovation expert and community organizer; Deena Caswell, who has served as the director of Bushnell-Sage Library in Sheffield since 2020; Michael Chambers II, a cultural leader with a 15-plus-year track record of incubating, developing, and executing high-quality programming; CJ Crowder, director of tutor acquisition at Ignite Reading; Leo Hwang, associate dean of inclusive excellence and the assistant academic dean for the College of Natural Sciences at the UMass Amherst; Christopher E. Goode, a public policy professional with more than 30 years of leadership experience in global, federal, state and local public policy and philanthropy; Brittney Peauwe Wunnepog Walley, Nipmuc, is an interdisciplinary thinker, traditional weaver, and tribal activist.

Amherst Chamber hands out A+ Awards

AMHERST — A longtime educator at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment and a former executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce were among those recognized as part of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual A+ Awards last week.

The awards honor leaders who have significantly enriched the community through their dedication in education, business, and civic engagement.

This year’s recipients include:

■Legacy / Lifetime Achievement Award: Colleen Kelley, retired education director at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, known for her 40 years of transformative contributions to environmental education.

■Leader in Innovation: Feel Good Shop Local, recognized for its exceptional initiatives in supporting local artisans and makers and promoting sustainable shopping practices.

■Young Professional Award: Kayla Sheridan, marketing director at TommyCar Auto Group, recognized for her dynamic marketing strategies and leadership within the automotive industry.

■Community Service Award: Seiha Krouch, paraeducator and community leader in Amherst, noted for his dedication to the Cambodian community and cultural preservation.

■Chamber MVP Award: Georgia Moore, director of leadership gifts at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, known for her extensive community service and significant roles in enhancing business and nonprofit collaboration.

■Harvesting Excellence Award: Claudia Pazmany, former executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, celebrated for her leadership in revitalizing and strengthening the Chamber during critical times.