Easthampton chamber executive director to retire next June

EASTHAMPTON — Moe Belliveau, executive director of The Chamber of Greater Easthampton for the last 10 years, will retire on June 1, 2025.

Under her leadership, Belliveau was instrumental in advancing The Chamber’s mission of promoting economic development and enhancing business opportunities. After successfully navigating the Chamber through the pandemic of 2020, she championed a number of innovative initiatives, including creating the “Mind Your Own Business” podcast which highlights local professionals, business owners, thought leaders and Chamber members; launching the sheLEADS women’s leadership conference designed to empower women in all stages of their careers; implementing the CO.STARTERS entrepreneurial program for aspiring professionals; and, most recently, opening the Chamber’s WorkHub on Union co-workspace to address the needs of the region’s “grey economy” and stimulate small business job growth.

Belliveau’s leadership extended beyond The Chamber, as she built strong partnerships with local government, regional organizations, and business owners, furthering Easthampton’s reputation as a vibrant thriving economic hub.

The Chamber’s Board of Directors will undertake an extensive search for her replacement.

Granby resident named to advisory board for college foundations

HOLYOKE — Amanda Sbriscia, of Granby, vice president of Institutional Advancement at Holyoke Community College and executive director of the HCC Foundation, has been named to the Council of Foundation Leaders for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges.

The association (AGB) provides leadership and guidance to the governing boards of its member institutions. The Council of Foundation Leaders is an advisory committee that includes foundation professionals from 25 U.S. colleges and universities.

Sbriscia is one of only two council members representing a community college and the only one from Massachusetts.

The HCC Foundation became a member of AGB in 2020 to help its board of directors navigate a complex bylaw revision process.

As vice president of the division of Institutional Advancement, Sbriscia oversees the offices of development, grants, alumni relations, and marketing, and serves as executive director of the HCC Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising corporation for the college. The HCC Foundation manages assets of $25.3 million, including an endowment of $18.3 million, the largest community college endowment in Massachusetts.

Sbriscia holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Cedar Crest College, a master’s degree in higher education from Drexel University, and a doctorate in education in educational leadership from Gwynedd Mercy University.

UMassFive donates personal care items to survival centers

HADLEY — UMassFive College Federal Credit Union collected thousands of personal care items over the summer through an annual drive, and has donated the items to the Amherst Survival Center, Northampton Survival Center and The Gray House in Springfield.

UMassFive members and staff at all three branches participated in the drive, donating a wide variety of items such as toothpaste, shampoo, soap, menstrual products, diapers, and more.

State launches stipend program for eligible jobseekers in training

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll administration has launched the Massachusetts Workforce Skills Fund, a pilot stipend program to provide financial support for eligible unemployed and underemployed Massachusetts residents enrolled in job training, including the Career Technical Initiative and Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund programs.

Administered by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development in partnership with Commonwealth Corporation, the Workforce Skills Fund is designed to reduce barriers to job training and employment by providing financial support for eligible trainees and also attract and retain untapped talent pursuing skills and credentials for in-demand occupations in health care and human services, manufacturing, construction and more.

The stipend program is intended as a resource to attract and retain talent by providing greater means to pursue and persist in job training programs that ultimately lead to employment outcomes.

The fund became available Sept. 1. Stipends are awarded to participants based on training duration and issued upon completion of three milestones. Participants in training programs that are fewer than three months will receive $3,000 and participants in training programs longer than three months will receive $5,000. Stipends are issued following the first two weeks of training, at the completion of the training program, and upon post-training employment.

bankESB named among most charitable companies in Mass.

EASTHAMPTON — bankESB has received the 2024 Corporate Citizenship Award from Boston Business Journal, recognizing the bank as one of Massachusetts’ top corporate charitable contributors. It’s the tenth year in a row that bankESB has received the honor.

The Business Journal annually publishes this list to showcase companies that promote and prioritize giving back to their communities. Through its sponsorship and charitable giving program, The Giving Tree, bankESB and the Easthampton Savings Bank Charitable Foundation support nonprofit organizations and causes throughout Hampden and Hampshire counties. In 2023, The Giving Tree donated nearly $635,000 and over the past decade has donated more than $3.6 million.

This year 100 companies have qualified for the distinction by reporting at least $100,000 in cash contributions to Massachusetts-based charities last year as noted above.