The Recorder – Business Briefs: April 29, 2022
Published: 4/28/2022 2:16:07 PM
Modified: 4/28/2022 2:14:39 PM
GREENFIELD — Greenfield Cooperative Bank and its Northampton Cooperative Bank division have announced a series of promotions.
■Florence resident Lisa Kmetz is being promoted to executive vice president, retail banking. Kmetz has been with the bank since 1998, when she started as a branch manager. She holds an associate’s degree in business administration from Holyoke Community College and a certification in computer information systems from Western New England University.
■Chelsea Depault of Northfield is being promoted to vice president, commercial operations officer. With a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, she started with the bank in 2007 as a float teller and later worked in accounting before moving on to commercial lending. In her new role, Depault will oversee the operations of commercial loan servicing and administration.
■Shelburne resident Casey Cusson is being promoted to vice president, branch manager. Cusson, who holds a bachelor’s degree from UMass, has been with the bank since 2017, when he started as a branch manager.
■Lisa Granger of Orange is being promoted to vice president, branch manager. Granger has been with the bank since 2007, when she joined as a branch manager with several years of experience. She is a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies.
■Jenicca Gallagher of Belchertown is being promoted to vice president, branch manager. Gallagher, who holds a bachelor’s degree from UMass, has been with the bank since 2010, when she joined as a branch manager.
■Greenfield resident Cynthia Gonzalez is being promoted to vice president, branch manager. Gonzalez has been with the bank since 2003, when she joined us as a branch manager. She attended Salem State University.
■Dawn Hibbert of Easthampton is being promoted to vice president, branch manager. Holding an associate’s degree from Holyoke Community College, Hibbert joined the bank in 2002 as a teller.
■Chris Wilkey of Greenfield is being promoted to assistant vice president, information systems. He has been with the bank since 2007, joining as a back-up head teller before becoming lead technology specialist in 2014 and management information systems (MIS) officer in 2019.
■Greenfield resident Julie Gonzales, who holds an associate’s degree from Greenfield Community College, is being promoted to human resources officer. She has been with the bank since 2012, joining as a teller before becoming executive assistant to the CEO and then HR coordinator.
■Matt Welcome was promoted from branch manager-in-training to branch manager in Turners Falls. Welcome has been with the bank for more than four years, previously serving as a float teller and float head teller. He holds an associate’s degree from Springfield Technical Community College.
■Erika Kleeberg was promoted from head teller to assistant manager. Kleeberg has been with the bank since 2019, starting as a teller. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Roger Williams University.
GREENFIELD — The Franklin County Community Development Corporation (CDC) has hired Montague resident Glen Ohlund as lending director.
“We are extremely pleased to have Glen join our staff,” Franklin County CDC Executive Director John Waite said in a newsletter. “He has the experience and passion to work with our diverse entrepreneurs and small business community to support their financing needs.”
According to the newsletter, Ohlund has worked in economic development and small business lending for more than 30 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in community economic development, both from Southern New Hampshire University. He is also certified as an economic development finance professional through the National Development Council.
SPRINGFIELD — Eversource is bringing its Main Streets program to at least 45 Massachusetts communities in 2022. Through Main Streets, the energy company partners with municipalities to connect small business owners with approved contractors who provide no-cost energy assessments and can discuss energy efficiency upgrades.
“Over the last several years, we’ve had great success bringing Main Streets to our communities and helping thousands of local small businesses implement energy efficiency solutions that help them save money, reduce their energy use and gain a competitive edge,” Eversource Vice President for Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility Tilak Subrahmanian said in an Eversource press release. “As businesses continue to evolve following the uncertainty of the last two years, we’re excited to bring Main Streets to nearly 50 communities across the commonwealth this year to connect businesses with these resources that can be vital to their survival.”
In 2021, roughly 1,200 small businesses across 34 Massachusetts communities took part in the Main Streets program, which resulted in approximately 16 million kilowatt-hours in electric energy savings as well as nearly 129,000 therms in natural gas savings across the state, according to the release.
The Main Streets program begins with a no-cost energy assessment that identifies energy-saving opportunities for small businesses, such as new lighting, occupancy sensors, programmable thermostats, refrigeration controls and improved insulation. Some improvements, like installing aerators and spray valves, happen on the spot at no cost to the customer. More involved projects — like heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades or the installation of motor controls — are scheduled for a future date.
To schedule an assessment, visit bit.ly/3vJOIVF.