Making news in business, Nov. 30

UMassFive raises over $18K for local nonprofits

HADLEY — UMassFive College Federal Credit Union employees have raised over $18,000 for two local nonprofits this fall — $13,677 in support of the UMass Cancer Center via participation in the UMass Cancer Walk and Run, and $4,800 for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts via participation in Will Bike 4 Food.

A longstanding and top supporter of the UMass Cancer Walk and Run event for over 20 years, UMassFive employees join together annually as “Team UMassFive” to raise funds for the cause — both personally and in branch locations. Including the money raised in 2023, Team UMassFive has raised over $186,600 in donations to the UMass Cancer Center over the lifetime of their participation.

Since 2020, UMassFive employees have also jumped on their bicycles in support of Will Bike 4 Food, a major fundraising event for the Food Bank of Western Mass. In 2023, seven riders teamed up to raise $4,800 in support of their cumulative 300-mile ride. Including the 2023 efforts, Team UMassFive has raised $17,500 in four years of participation, which equates to providing 70,332 meals to neighbors in need.

Dunn appointed to lead ServiceNet’s HR Team

NORTHAMPTON — Mary Dunn, a lifelong resident of the Pioneer Valley, has joined ServiceNet as chief human resources officer.

Born and raised in Holyoke, Dunn earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at Wheaton College. Her first job after graduation was as a marketing assistant with a life insurance company. While she quickly learned that cold-calling prospective customers was not for her, she was intrigued enough about insurance to consider working on the benefits side of human resources.

Dunn pursued that interest in her second job, working for the next seven years at the Center for Human Development in Springfield, where she oversaw the agency’s worker’s comp, short-term disability, and other benefit programs. While at CHD, she also enrolled in law school at what was then Western New England College, earning the law degree that would serve her well in subsequent HR roles at Emmanuel College, Springfield College, and for 11 years Baystate Health.

After she left Baystate in 2020 to care for her parents through the first year of the pandemic, Dunn worked briefly for a law firm but found herself missing human resources.

Dunn views ServiceNet as a great fit for her and was attracted to the agency by its nonprofit mental health and human services mission and the nature of its workforce.

CDH named among top 25 women-led business in Mass.

NORTHAMPTON — Cooley Dickinson Hospital was honored as one of the top women-led businesses in Massachusetts during a recent award ceremony.

The hospital, which is led by president and chief operating officer Lynnette Watkins, was ranked No. 21 on the list of 100 businesses statewide. The list was assembled by The Women’s Edge, a nonprofit organization that works to advance women in leadership positions.

The Women’s Edge ranks organizations by examining a number of variables including their revenue, diversity, operating budget, number of employees, and innovative projects.

Kuhn Riddle welcomes new interior designer

AMHERST — Kuhn Riddle Architects has hired Mallory Nurse to join its interior design team.

Nurse, having previously designed corporate workplace interiors and larger scale projects, was interested in the slightly more intimate type of design at KRA. She loves projects that have a beneficial impact through education, community-oriented organizations, and residential buildings of all types.

Nurse chose to study interior design in college. She is a graduate of Suffolk University with a BFA in Interior Design and was awarded the Design Excellence commendation for her senior thesis project.

She loves to pay close attention to the details of a project: lighting; scale, texture and color. Her holistic approach to design focuses on fostering connection between people and the spaces in which they thrive.

Tag sale to benefit Dress for Success

SPRINGFIELD — Dress for Success Western Massachusetts will host another of its popular clothing tag sales on Friday, Dec. 1, to Sunday, Dec. 3, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. each day (except for Sunday, which will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

This time the tag sale will take place at DFSWM’s new location at 45 Lyman St., across from Union Station in Springfield. Hundreds of women have refreshed their wardrobes at past tag sales, while at the same time supporting Dress for Success’ mission to empower women to achieve economic independence.

Women can choose from an extensive array of clothing, shoes, accessories and more. These new and gently used items include selections from name-brand fashion houses such as Anne Klein, Evan Picone, Ellen Tracy and many more. Customers can fill a shopping bag for $25 or a larger bag for $45.

All proceeds of this tag sale go directly toward supporting Dress for Success’ programs and services, including work-readiness education, interview training, mentoring, and digital literacy coaching. All these programs are available at no cost to women and non-binary people who are seeking meaningful employment.

For more information about Dress for Success Western Mass., contact Executive Director Margaret Tantillo at 413-732-8179.