Merrimack Valley Magazine

NoteWorthy – 7/28/19

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AROUND THE VALLEY

Autographed Les Paul Epiphone Guitar Raffle to Benefit Maudslay Arts Center

Here is your chance to win a Les Paul Epiphone guitar, personally autographed by many of the 2019 Summer Concert Series musicians.

Best known for its summer concert series, the Maudslay Arts Center (MAC) is a cultural and entertainment destination that has served thousands of patrons since its founding in 1992.

On October 28, 2018, a large maple tree cracked during a coastal windstorm and fell through the roof of the MAC concert barn causing extensive damage that was not covered by insurance. Funds from the guitar raffle will go towards further recovery from the 2018 aftermath.

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Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union Awards $1,500 to Joni & Friends New England ( Top of page )

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union announced the winner of its latest Give-A-Click campaign, Joni & Friends New England. The organization received a $1,500 donation from the Credit Union’s We Share A Common Thread Foundation.

The Give-A-Click program runs quarterly on the We Share a Common Thread foundation website (WSACT.com). Community members visit the site, learn about the worthy nonprofit contestants and cast their vote for the one they would like to support. The organization with the most votes at the end of the quarter is awarded a $1,500 donation from the foundation.

Jessica Moore Wilson Transitions to Mill City Grows Executive Director

Effective January 2020, Mill City Grows’ Director of Development Jessica Moore Wilson will be assuming the role of the organization’s executive director. This new leadership in the organization’s eight-year existence comes as Mill City Grows expands their new headquarters, builds their team, and engages new community partnerships. 

Mill City Grows co-founders Francey Slater and Lydia Sisson, 2013. Photo by Kevin Harkins.

Mill City Grows co-founders Francey Slater and Lydia Sisson, who have been at the helm of Mill City Grows since 2011, will be transitioning out of their current respective roles of executive director and director of programs by the end of 2019 and will continue to support the organization in transitional roles through the summer of 2020. 

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Scott Cote Elected to Depositors Insurance Fund Board of Directors, and Pentucket Bank Welcomes new Officer Positions: Scott D. Cote, CEO/chairman of the board of Pentucket Bank has been elected to serve a six year term on the Board of the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). “It is an honor and a privilege to have been elected by my peers to serve on this prestigious governing board of the DIF,” Cote stated. “I wholeheartedly believe in the mission of the DIF. I am passionate and committed to using my board position to ensure the fund continues to thrive on behalf of its member banks and most importantly the protections it provides for our customers’ deposits.” Cote is one of twelve board members representing all regions of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
 

Robert Glosner is the director of information technology and is responsible for overall ownership of IT within the bank. This includes strategic development of IT infrastructure and related development; disaster recovery/business continuity, vendor management and staff management, among other duties, to ensure a robust and secure technology environment on which the bank functions. Glosner has over thirty years of related IT experience, most recently with the United States Air Force. Glosner is also a certified regulatory and compliance professional and holds two masters’ degrees.    

 

Sara Wormald is the business banking manager, a new position to the bank. Wormald joined the team in March and came to the bank with over 17 years of retail and operational banking experience. Wormald is responsible for the daily management of the business banking team including business banking services and business online banking. In addition to coaching and mentoring the business banking team, Wormald maintains up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge on related policies, procedures and regulations while identifying areas of process improvement, all to ensure satisfactory audit results and to enhance the customer experience.  

 

Heather Harrell joined Pentucket Bank in March as the full-time training officer. Harrell joined the bank with over 11 years of industry experience. In the role of training officer, a new position at Pentucket Bank, Harrell is responsible for designing and implementing bank-wide training programs that educate employees at all levels while enhancing job performance and developing skills for future advancement. Harrell also works with newly hired employees. In addition to her role as training officer, Harrell serves on the customer experience leadership team.

 

The Merrimack Valley YMCA has named current Chief Operating Officer Francis Kenneally III as its new president and chief executive officer. Kenneally distinguished himself from a field of strong candidates drawn from across the country in a national search led by the Merrimack Valley YMCA corporate board of directors. Kenneally now will succeed Gary Morelli, who stepped down in 2018. In his new role, Kenneally will be the permanent CEO of the Merrimack Valley YMCA, headquartered in Lawrence, and consisting of the Andover/North Andover YMCA, the Lawrence YMCA, the Methuen YMCA and camping services. He will oversee an association consisting of 700 staff, delivering more than $4.1 million annually of subsidized services to deserving children, adults and families of the Merrimack Valley. He will also shepherd the multimillion-dollar renovations and expansion of the Lawrence YMCA.  

NoteWorthy – 7/14/19

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AROUND THE VALLEY

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union Sponsors “Football For YOU” in Lowell, Lawrence and Nashua

Over 100 kids in the Lowell, Lawrence and Nashua areas joined players from the New England Patriots Alumni Club to participate in “Football For YOU” camps. Sponsored for the sixth consecutive year by Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, “Football For YOU” is a one-day, free football clinic that is open to boys and girls, ages 9 to 14, of all skill levels. Patriots alumni coached the kids in non-contact strength and conditioning exercises. The youth participants ran agility exercises across the field, maneuvering around cones, as they were challenged to ladder jumps and even practiced defensive blocks against pads.

“Football For You has been a wonderful summer event for area youth for the last several years,” said Mark S. Cochran, president and chief executive officer of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union. “The Patriots Alumni Club and the players that come to coach are always enthusiastic and provide a great day for the participants. The kids truly enjoy the experience.”

Local Families Welcome NYC Children

The Eastern Massachusetts Committee will be welcoming New York City children as they arrive in Topsfield on July 18. Volunteer host families share their summers for one week or more with Fresh Air children, ages seven to 18. A Fresh Air summer means running barefoot in the backyard, riding bikes down country roads, learning to swim, catching fireflies, building sandcastles on the beach, making new friends, and having a lot of fun.  Some children are leaving home for the first time, while others are returning to visit the same host families for consecutive summers.

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Andover Surgical Associates Joins Lawrence General Hospital

Earlier this month, Andover Surgical Associates joined Lawrence General Hospital through its physician practice, Community Medical Associates. This new relationship is part of the hospital’s broader strategy to invest in surgical services, enhance patient accessibility and keep care local.

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Merrimack Valley Hospice Awarded Q2 Lowell Five Employee Charitable Giving Committee Award

Merrimack Valley Hospice was selected by Lowell Five employees to receive the Q2 2019 Employee Charitable Giving Committee Award. Home Health Foundation’s Karen Gomes, President and CEO and Lauren Brousseau, development officer, were presented with the $7,800 cash award by Lowell Five’s President and CEO David Wallace and members of the employee charitable giving committee. In addition to the award, Lowell Five employees collected donations of yarn and children’s craft supplies to support the hospice’s children’s bereavement group and adult bereavement group knitters’ circle.

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Lowell General Hospital and Circle Health President & CEO Joseph A. White to Chair Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association Board of Trustees

Joseph A. White, MBA, FACHE, president and CEO, Lowell General Hospital and Circle Health, is the 79th Chair of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA). He succeeds Mark A. Keroack.

The MHA serves as the unified voice for Massachusetts hospitals on Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill. Its members include 71 licensed hospitals, many of which are organized within 29 member health systems.

In his inaugural address, White urged attendees to think beyond the walls of their own facilities to connect all the components of the commonwealth’s health system, and to work collaboratively to advance and improve health for everyone in the commonwealth. White will serve a one-year term.

Preliminary Artist Lineup Announced for The Town and the City Festival 

Celebrating the adventurous spirit of Lowell native author Jack Kerouac, the line-up for the Second Annual “The Town and The City Festival,” will bring together more than 50 locally based and national touring acts for performances throughout multiple venues in downtown Lowell. Produced by Porter Productions in association with the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, the festival will take place October 18 and 19, 2019.

Officials Provide Updates on Greater Lawrence’s Post-Explosion Business Recovery Efforts

Nearly ten months after gas explosions devastated sections of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, a coalition of non-government organizations, nonprofits, local, state and federal officials, and a small business owner, held a press conference to update the public on business recovery efforts in the three communities. Among the updates were data showing that more than 70% of the nearly 900 small, locally owned businesses that were affected by the disaster have returned to pre-crisis operations. The coalition also announced the kickoff of a regional marketing campaign.

Lowell Community Health Center NP Evelyne Delori Receives Statewide Recognition for Outstanding Colorectal Screening Work  

Lowell Community Health Center (Lowell CHC) Nurse Practitioner Evelyne Delori was recognized as a 2019 Outstanding Health Center Employee by the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers at its 2019 Annual Awards Gala in June. Awardees were selected from among thousands of eligible community health center employees. Each recipient of this award must consistently demonstrate professional excellence, commitment and quality of care in the delivery of health care to patients.

 

Research Tackles Head Injuries in Youth Football

An athletic training method shown to reduce head injuries in high school football will be rolled out in Hawaii next week through an $800,000 grant to the UMass Lowell researcher who designed the system.

High school football players who practiced tackling and blocking drills without helmets experienced a 26 to 33% decline in head impacts during games when using a training technique created by UMass Lowell Prof. Erik Swartz. His work – supported by the National Football League, Under Armour, General Electric and the NineSigma Head Health Challenge II – has just been published.

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Covenant Health Names New Board of Directors’ Chair, Vice Chair and Adds Two Members

At its recent meeting, Covenant Health’s board of directors named a new chair, vice chair and added two members. Each has committed to a 3-year term.

John D. Oliverio, Board Chair

Oliverio succeeds Louise Trottier, who has served as board chair since 2016. He currently serves as the treasurer of the United States Province of an International Franciscan Order known as the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters. He retired in 2017 after 16 years of service as the president and chief executive officer of Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, a Catholic, nonprofit organization with 14 hospital sites including more than 1,500 staffed beds, more than 17,000 associates, over 500 medical group physicians and a housing ministry with over 4000 units of affordable housing in Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado and Illinois and several other states. Oliverio has served on numerous health care, education and other boards. He holds a master of business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree of business administration from Loyola University. He is also a certified public accountant.

Kenneth E. Arnold, Board Vice Chair

Arnold retired in 2016 from the position of senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of Lifespan Corporation. Lifespan is an integrated health care delivery system and the largest employer in Rhode Island. At Lifespan, Arnold had responsibility for legal affairs, risk management and insurance, and served as a special advisor to the board of directors and senior management. Over the course of his tenure, he had executive responsibility for development and managed human resources on an interim basis. In addition, Arnold served as chair of the Mount St. Rita board in Cumberland, R.I. Arnold holds a master’s degree in health systems management and a law degree from Tulane University as well as a Bachelor of Science in healthcare administration from Ithaca College.

Mark W. Anthoine, Sr., Board Member

Anthoine is the president/managing partner of BGA Financial in Lewiston and Portland, Maine. He has spent his entire career in financial services and employee benefits. Anthoine serves as board chair of the St. Mary’s Health System, which includes St. Mary’s Health Regional Medical Center and St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion. He also serves on the board of directors for the Auburn-Lewiston YMCA as well as the Portland Diocesan School Board. Anthoine holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.

Sister Catherine O’Connor, Board Member

O’Connor is a member of the Congregation of St. Brigid and currently serves as its congregational leader. Prior to this role, she served as vice president for mission and sponsorship at Covenant Health and offered strategic direction on the alignment and integration of mission and values.

NoteWorthy – 7/7/19

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AROUND THE VALLEY

Wedü Wins 2019 Communicator Award of Distinction for Non-Profit Integrated Campaign 

wedü (wedu.com) has been awarded the 2019 Communicator Award of Distinction for Non-Profit Integrated Campaign in recognition of their CashIQ campaign on behalf of Merrimack Valley Credit Union.

CashIQ was developed by wedü for Merrimack Valley Credit Union as a way to help millennials improve their financial literacy and decision making. With CashIQ, participants were able to test their knowledge and learn about financial topics such as student loans, credit cards, mortgages, and other financial subjects which millennials have indicated they need help with. The goals of the campaign were to target a younger audience and drive repeat engagement by promoting financial literacy which tied to the products and services of MVCU.

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Custom MMIC Provides Opportunity for Women in Engineering

In partnership with the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF), Custom MMIC Design Services (CMDS) launched the “Women In Engineering” scholarship program with the goal of providing significant financial assistance towards tuition and fees for recent female graduates. GLCF is in the second year of partnership with CMDS who hosted the 2019 CMDS Women In Engineering reception on Thursday, June 20, awarding three high school graduates with scholarships.

L-r: Lina Abu-Absi; Ananya Srinivasa-Gopalan; Lillian Geller. Photography by Kevin Harkins

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Cedar’s Foods Nears Completion on New $100 Million Production Facility

The nation’s leading producer and co-manufacturer of hommus is nearing completion of construction on a new 125,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility. After a year of construction, the new facility, which is set to open in August, will create an additional 125 jobs, adding to the 750 current employees who work across three facilities at the Ward Hill, Mass., campus.

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40th Annual Golf Tournament Raises Record $201,000 for Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence

More than 250 golfers raised a record $201,000 at the 40th annual Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence golf tournament held recently at Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover. The event is one of the club’s largest fundraisers for critical programs focusing on academic success, healthy lifestyles and community involvement for more than 4,000 youth members at two locations.

At the tournament, golfers were treated to meals plus continuous refreshments along the course, contests, raffles, a generous allotment of golf balls, gift bags and complimentary photos of the foursomes. The evening program included cocktails, dinner and live and silent auctions.

Jim Lacourse of North Andover was presented with an award honoring his longtime dedication to the tournament. Larry Yameen of Lawrence was recognized as chairman of the club’s Golf Committee, and award-winning WBZ-TV sports anchor and reporter Dan Roche served as the live auction emcee.

For more information, visit LawrenceBGC.com.

L-r: Nico Nardone, Chad Desautels, Tuscan Brands founder and owner Joe Faro and his son, Max Faro, represent key sponsor Tuscan Brands at the 40th Annual Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence Golf Tournament held recently at Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover. The event is one of the club’s largest fundraisers for critical programs focusing on academic success, healthy lifestyles and community involvement for more than 4,000 youth members at two locations.

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Wellforce and South Shore Health Announce Partnership Discussions

South Shore Health and Wellforce announced on July 1 that the organizations are in partnership discussions and the parties have formally indicated their intention to move forward with discussions and developing a tighter relationship. The organizations provided the following statements:

Statement from Wellforce Board Chair Ellen Zane

Wellforce was founded to bring together innovative health care providers who are focused on transforming health care in Massachusetts. Over the last five years, we have proven that academic and community medicine can work in partnership to improve quality, lower health care costs, keep care local and improve the health of communities. We are currently in partnership discussions with South Shore Health, a strong regional health system that shares our commitment to these values. Our discussions are ongoing and we are discovering many opportunities to work together to improve health care. We look forward to continuing our discussions.

Statement from South Shore Health Board Chair Ken Kirkland

In the midst of an increasingly complex and competitive healthcare environment, South Shore Health periodically reviews opportunities in the market so that we can meet the current and future needs of the community we serve. We have recently engaged in discussions with Wellforce, a health system comprised of community hospitals, academic medicine, several physician organizations, and home health agency. Our dialogue has focused on delivering advanced healthcare services in a community setting; working collaboratively with our physicians to control healthcare costs; increasing access to a larger provider network, and addressing the industry’s continued shift from volume-based to value-based care. We’ve been here for the last 100 years and we will continue to serve the needs of this community for the next 100 and beyond. We look forward to keeping our community, colleagues, and medical staff informed as we continue to discuss the potential for South Shore Health and Wellforce to work together.

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Dianne Anderson Receives Prestigious Award from Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association

Last month, Dianne Anderson, Lawrence General president and CEO, received the prestigious 2019 William L. Lane Hospital Advocate Award from the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association (MHA). Each year at the association’s annual meeting, MHA publicly acknowledges one senior hospital or health system executive for outstanding efforts on behalf of their organization, innovative and positive leadership and extraordinary advocacy to achieve health care access and high-quality, safe care for all.

Anderson has been at the helm of Lawrence General Hospital since 2009. She was recognized for increasing Lawrence General’s capacity and capability. She has also built important provider partnerships, reinvigorated care teams, and reached out to community, education, and business leaders to develop new service lines, and to create programs addressing the social determinants of health.

Dianne Anderson, president and CEO of Lawrence General Hospital; and Joseph A. White, incoming MHA board chair and president and CEO of Lowell General Hospital and Circle Health.

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NECC Introduces New Business Program for Working Adults

This fall, Northern Essex Community College will launch an Accelerated Business program designed especially for working adults who are short on time but want to earn a degree so they can advance in their careers.

Courses in the program will be offered online, face-to-face and as hybrids and run for seven weeks. Each student will be paired with a faculty coach who will assist with selecting courses and deciding on a personal timeline for degree completion.

To learn more, visit the program’s website or contact Kelly Sullivan at ksullivan@necc.mass.edu.

NECC’s new Accelerated Business Program is designed for students like Catherine Greene who are working full time while attending college. Catherine earned her associate degree in accounting in May.

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

NECC Welcomes New VP of Institutional Advancement

A Lowell native with two decades of experience in higher education marketing, fundraising and alumni relations has been selected as the new vice president of institutional advancement at Northern Essex Community College. She will oversee fundraising, marketing and communications, and workforce development and corporate relations, beginning July 1 of this year.

“Allison has a phenomenal skill set, and will be a great addition to our leadership team,” said Lane Glenn, president of Northern Essex. “Most importantly, through her work with public colleges in California and the experiences of her family, many of whom attended Northern Essex and other local community colleges, Allison understands the community college mission and is passionate about what we do.”

 

Two Salem Co-operative Bank Mortgage Lenders Named To New Hampshire’s Top Lenders List

Salem Co-operative Bank mortgage lenders Kim Kelley and Keri Hankus have been named as two of New Hampshire’s top lenders by the Warren Group.

Kim Kelley, vice president of the bank’s mortgage lending team, ranked 8th in the state of New Hampshire among all banks in dollar volume of loans. Additionally, in South Eastern New Hampshire she was named 4th for dollar volume of loans generated and 5th for total number of loans generated. Kim joined the bank in 1997.

Keri Hankus, AVP loan officer for the mortgage lending team, has been named 5th for dollar volume of loans generated and 4th in South Eastern New Hampshire for total number of loans generated. She has over 17 years of experience within the mortgage lending department.

NoteWorthy – 6/30/19

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AROUND THE VALLEY

Volvo Joins Jaffarian Family to Celebrate Grand Reopening of Volvo Showroom

Volvo Cars USA President & CEO Andors Gustafson, along with members of the local business community and customers, joined with the Jaffarian family to celebrate the grand reopening of its Volvo showroom. Jaffarian Volvo recently received the 2018 Volvo Excellence Award from Volvo Cars USA for a third consecutive year, an accomplishment no other dealer has achieved.

L-r: Gavin Jaffarian, Gary Jaffarian, Andors Gustafsson, President & CEO of Volvo Cars USA, Eric Miller of Volvo Cars USA, Mark Jaffarian.

Copper Door Restaurants Donate $25,000 to Children’s Scholarship Fund

Great NH Restaurants announced a donation to the Children’s Scholarship Fund New Hampshire of $25,000 from their Copper Door locations in Bedford and Salem, N.H. The funding will support scholarships for local N.H. children grades K-12. Forty-nine schools are part of the Children’s Scholarship Fund New Hampshire program, and the average school scholarship amount received is $2,402.

Lawrence General Hosts Event to Celebrate Launch of New Heart and Vascular Center

On Wednesday, June 19, Lawrence General Hospital held a special reception for area physicians and health care leaders to celebrate the launch of its new Heart and Vascular Center. Hosted by Lawrence General president and CEO Dianne Anderson, RN, the private event was held at the Lanam Club in Andover.

L-r: Ryan Messiner, DO, associate director/vascular surgery; Sunit Mukherjee, MD, medical director; James Meyer, MD, associate director/interventional radiology; and Ken Adams, MD, associate director/cardiology.

 

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union Awards $1,000 to Local Hometown Heroes

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union recently awarded a total of $1,000 to four local “Hometown Heroes” through its Small Acts That Give Back initiative.

Throughout the month of May, the Credit Union gave community members the chance to nominate someone who they believe goes above and beyond in their community. Between April 29 and May 24, Jeanne D’Arc received a total of 35 submissions, all of which described someone who has made a positive impact on the lives of others.

The credit union announced Kwame Asamoah-Addo of Lowell, Susanne Beaton of Lowell, H. David Reed of Carlisle and Craig Schorer of Andover as winners of the 2019 Hometown Hero campaign.

City of Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Park

On June 27, the city of Lowell celebrated the grand opening of Kerouac park with live music, games and family fun.

Thirty years ago the city formally dedicated the Jack Kerouac Commemorative in what was then called Eastern Canal Park. The commemorative honored Jack Kerouac, Lowell’s hometown literary hero and author. Last year, in an effort to restore and revitalize the park, the city successfully launched a funding drive in collaboration with MassDevelopment through the civic crowdfunding platform Patronicity. Now known as Kerouac Park, the almost one-acre space will provide local residents and visitors with a downtown destination to enjoy music, play games, take part in group exercise classes and celebrate Lowell.

To learn more about the park’s activities, click here.

L-r: Karen Cirillo, Rita Mercier, Jay McQuaide, Lowell Mayor William Samaris, Steve Edington, Judith Bessette.

SpaceX Launch Puts UMass Lowell Research Into Orbit

An Air Force satellite launched into orbit this week via SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket carries an instrument built by UMass Lowell researchers to conduct experiments in space.

Space is a harsh and dangerous place. Aside from temperature extremes, high vacuum and bombardment of cosmic rays, there are also extremely high-energy particles dubbed “killer electrons” that can pose a hazard to the health of astronauts and shorten the lifespan of orbiting satellites. These electrons are the subject of the research being conducted by UMass Lowell via the satellite.

“These electrons, traveling at nearly the speed of light, are capable of damaging the satellites’ sensitive electronics and exposing astronauts to high doses of radiation,” said UMass Lowell Physics Prof. Paul Song of the university’s Space Science Lab.

To help understand how these harmful electrons are generated and can be mitigated, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) awarded a three-year contract to a team of UMass Lowell researchers led by Song to support the Air Force’s Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) mission to the Earth’s radiation belts. The DSX’s objective is to explore the role of “wave-particle interaction” in the dynamics of these killer electrons.

Left: Air Force Research Laboratory DSX spacecraft in the final preparation stages before shipment to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The satellite includes research instrumentation designed and built by UMass Lowell researchers. Photo credit: U. S. Air Force. Right: A research team led by Physics Prof. Paul Song, right, in UMass Lowell’s Space Science Lab designed and built instrumentation for the new DSX satellite launched by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The team – which includes Research Prof. Ivan Galkin, left, and physics major and Air Force ROTC cadet Brianna Croteau, center – will use the technology to study so-called “killer electrons” in space that can put astronauts and equipment at risk. Photo credit: Edwin Aguirre for UMass Lowell.

Mayor Presents Proclamation to Retiring Lazarus House Executive Director

Over 300 civic, community, business and religious leaders joined in honoring the retirement of longtime Lazarus House Executive Director Bridget Shaheen with a mass and reception at her alma mater, Merrimack College, on June 13.

For over 36 years, Shaheen led the charge in building Lazarus House from a five-bed emergency shelter to a multiservice agency serving those materially poor and homeless with a food pantry, soup kitchen, transitional housing and job training programs.

Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera, who honored Shaheen with a proclamation, said when he needed help with the homeless or the hungry of the city, he would call her.  “Thank you for making Lawrence better,” he said.

Bridget Shaheen talks about her tenure with Doug Cook, board president, and Jeff Hassel, incoming executive director. Photo courtesy of Lazarus House Ministries.

 MOVERS & SHAKERS

Lowell General Hospital and Circle Health President & CEO Joseph A. White to Chair Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association Board of Trustees

Joseph A. White, MBA, FACHE, president & CEO, Lowell General Hospital and Circle Health, is the 79th Chair of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA). He succeeds Mark A. Keroack, MD, MPH, president & CEO, Baystate Health.

The MHA serves as the unified voice for Massachusetts hospitals on Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill. Its members include 71 licensed hospitals, many of which are organized within 29 member health systems.

In his inaugural address, White urged attendees to think beyond the walls of their own facilities to connect all the components of the commonwealth’s health system, and to work collaboratively to advance and improve health for everyone in the commonwealth. White will serve a one-year term.

Pamela Huntley Named Megan House Foundation Executive Director

The Megan House Foundation announced Pamela Huntley as the organization’s executive director. Huntley previously served on the foundation’s board of directors before assuming the executive director role on an interim basis early this year. She came to Megan’s House after spending a decade at Lowell General Hospital, most recently as the director of community relations and at the Center for Community Health & Wellness.

 

 

 

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NoteWorthy – 6/23/19

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AROUND THE VALLEY

Community Foundation Annual Meeting Highlights Homelessness in the Community and Impact of Philanthropy

Nearly 200 residents, business leaders and nonprofit professionals attended the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF)’s 2019 annual “Homelessness and Hope” meeting on June 13 at the UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center.

GLCF Board Chair Chet Szablak opened the event speaking about the impact of charitable giving on the local level,  citing the foundation’s $1.95 million in grants and scholarships distributed to the community in 2018, and it continued with remarks from GLCF President and CEO Jay Linnehan as he discussed the power of partnerships to address the growing issue of homelessness in downtown Lowell.

“Last June, the GLCF board voted to support and facilitate an initiative to address homelessness in the downtown. Since then, the foundation, under the adept leadership of the City Manager Eileen Donoghue and the City of Lowell, along with CTI, the Lowell Plan and SMOC (South Middlesex Opportunity Council) regularly meet as the leadership team charged with the important task of creating an action plan to address this critical issue.”

Align Credit Union Announces Support of “A Bed for Every Child” Initiative

Align Credit Union announced their support of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless’ “A Bed for Every Child” initiative. Over the course of several months, the credit union participated in Build-A-Bed events, collected donations from Members in their seven branches and helped increase awareness of the program through marketing and social media efforts.

“Most of us take for granted the bed we sleep in each night but there are thousands of Massachusetts children growing up in poverty who have no bed of their own,” said Robyn Frost, the organization’s executive director. “A bed is a very basic need that many low- to no-income families simply cannot afford.”

Lowell House Addiction Treatment and Recovery Awarded a Unique Four-Year Grant for Recovery Coaching Academy

Lowell House Addiction Treatment and Recovery (ATR) is one of 100 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 each through the Cummings Foundation’s “100K for 100” program.

Lowell House ATR is a 47-year-old cornerstone of the service provider community in Merrimack Valley providing a variety of outpatient, day treatment, case management, residential recovery, sober and transitional housing programs. Recovery coaching and the new Recovery Cafe are two major initiatives of the organization in recent years.

Mill City Grows Raises Money for Fresh Food and Education Access

On Friday, June 14, more than 450 attendees came out to support Mill City Grows in their efforts to improve fresh food access and food education in Lowell. The event raised $169,000 for the organization’s food access & education programs. As part of the event, a Fund A Need Campaign was launched to expand our popular Farm to Table Cooking Classes which bring families together in the kitchen to prepare and enjoy fresh, nutritious meals and learn more about integrating wholesome ingredients into their home cooking. Photos by Meghan Moore

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