BusinessTalk with Hubert Benitez, president of American International College

Colleges are in many ways at a crossroads, emerging from the pandemic years but still battling long-term trends toward fewer applications and heightened competition. On the next installment of BusinessTalk, BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar talks with Hubert Benitez, president of American International College, about that institution’s holistic approach to standing out in a crowd, one…

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HCC Foundation Awards $304,000 in Student Scholarships for 2023-24

The Holyoke Community College Foundation awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships to students for the 2023-24 academic year. This year, the HCC Foundation awarded 259 scholarships worth $304,125 to 249 incoming, current, and transferring HCC students. Many students received multiple scholarship awards. The HCC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that works to advance the college’s mission,…

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Town of Amherst, UMass Amherst Announce New Strategic Partnership Agreement

The town of Amherst and UMass Amherst announced a multi-year strategic partnership agreement recognizing the shared interests and responsibilities of the town and the university. The total value of university contributions to the town over the five-year agreement is $5.5 million, nearly double the university’s previous investment. “For the past decade, I have had the…

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Block Art Studio to assist youth, entrepreneurs in Springfield

Block Art Studio, a Black-owned and operated art center that focuses on neighborhood youth and entrepreneurs, is coming to Springfield. While the studio is not slated to open until April 2024, recent grants were awarded to assist in its establishment. Block Art Studio Managing Director Jasper McCoy explained that the Love Art Collective Inc. received…

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Governor Healey Appoints 7 New Members to Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Board of Directors

Today, Governor Maura T. Healey appointed Emme Handy, Aisha Miller, Carlos Aramayo, Meg Mainzer-Cohen, Sheena Collier, Gwill York, and Xiomara DeLobato to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) Board of Directors. The new appointees bring a range of experiences and are majority women and People of Color. Emme Handy, a senior leader at the Broad…

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The Mason Square TDI Partnership Announces – Mason Square TDI Activation Grant

The Mason Square Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Partnership, a collaboration of local organizations, businesses and residents committed to the equitable and sustainable growth of the Mason Square district, is thrilled to announce the launch of its Small Business Activation Grant Program. The program has received $200,000 in total funding from MassDevelopment and the MassMutual Foundation.…

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Sourcepass Donates $50,000 to Chamber of Greater Easthampton’s WorkHub on Union

The Chamber of Greater Easthampton announced a significant contribution of $50,000 from Sourcepass towards its ambitious co-workspace project, WorkHub on Union. The donation will support the development of a vibrant and collaborative co-working space, providing valuable resources for entrepreneurs and businesses in the Greater Easthampton region. “We believe in the power of entrepreneurship and are…

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Thomas Meshako Takes the Helm at Greenfield Savings Bank

Putting the Focus on Community Thomas Meshako acknowledged it was a quite a change moving from the large, regional institutions where he worked the first 30 or so years of his career in financial services to Greenfield Savings Bank. But it’s a change he wanted. “I decided I wanted to get out of the buying…

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