Archive for March 2021
HCC Plans Virtual Graduation, Fall Campus Return
Holyoke Community College (HCC) is planning a virtual commencement for spring and preparing to welcome students, faculty, and staff safely back to campus for the fall 2021 semester. HCC’s 75th-anniversary commencement will be livestreamed on Saturday, June 5 on the HCC website and the college’s social-media channels. The virtual commencement will celebrate the class of…
Read MoreConstruction Sector Looks Ahead with Optimism
The past year has been an unusual time for the construction industry — one marked by project postponements, soaring prices for materials, and the establishment of strict COVID safety protocols on job sites. But for most builders, it wasn’t a devastating year, and, in many cases, it led to a surprisingly promising 2021. After all,…
Read MoreTourist Economy Is Coming Back
Every sector of the economy, and every business, large or small, has been impacted by this global pandemic. But this region’s large and important hospitality and tourism sector has easily been the hardest-hit. The hotels, restaurants, tourists attractions, event venues, and cultural institutions have been pummeled by this crisis. Some have not survived; those that…
Read MoreUMass Amherst Names Nefertiti Walker Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Chief Diversity Officer
Nefertiti Walker, a faculty member in the Isenberg School of Management who has been serving as interim vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been named the new vice chancellor for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer by Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy. Read the source article at…
Read MoreJacob’s Pillow Looks to Rebound from a Horrific 2020
or Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, the nation’s largest and longest running dance festival, 2020 was a lost year in almost every respect. That’s almost, and we’ll get to that silver lining, if it can be called that, shortly. First, all those losses. Jacob’s Pillow lost an entire season of live performances and all the revenue…
Read MoreTourism and Hospitality Industry Optimistic for 2021
Mary Kay Wydra learned a couple new phrases over the past few months. “The buzz term is ‘revenge spending,’” the president of the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) said. “That is, ‘I’ll spend more on things I was denied because of COVID.’ Things like in-person entertainment, eating at restaurants next to people, and…
Read MoreCo-working Spaces See Opportunities Beyond the Pandemic
Since launching Click Workspace a decade ago, Mary Yun has seen nothing but growth in one of the region’s first co-working ventures. That growth led her to abandon her original 1,000-square-foot facility in 2015 and develop a 9,000-square-foot building in downtown Northampton, which, at its peak prior to the pandemic, hosted 80 members and a…
Read MoreThe Zoo in Forest Park to Open 2021 Season with Eggstravaganza
The Zoo in Forest Park will host its annual Eggstravaganza on Saturday, April 3 and Sunday, April 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include socially distanced grab-and-go stations with pre-packaged candy bags, take-home crafts, goody-filled Easter eggs, and books and coloring books for children (while supplies last). There will also be…
Read MoreYPS Partners with Dress for Success to Support Local Women in Establishing Careers
The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield (YPS) and Dress for Success Western Massachusetts have partnered to provide networking and career-advancement opportunities to local women working to establish careers. This partnership is timely, as women have been disproportionately impacted by job loss related to COVID-19. According to the National Women’s Law Center, female workforce participation…
Read MoreTara Brewster to Host WHMP’s Western Mass Business Show
The Western Mass Business Show, the WHMP radio program showcasing business leaders of the Pioneer Valley, will have a new host, Tara Brewster, beginning May 1. The show explores the experiences and perspectives of entrepreneurs, delving into their aspirations, strategies, and evolution in friendly but probing conversations. It is intended to be both entertaining and…
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