Business Briefs: Sept. 24, 2021

SOUTH HADLEY — Greenfield Cooperative Bank will hold a Fall Festival at its South Hadley branch, located at 487 Newton St., on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“We’ve been waiting to host a celebration like this since we opened last January,” said Courtney Huxley, branch manager in South Hadley, “and we are really looking forward to seeing everyone.”

According to a Greenfield Cooperative Bank press release, volunteer from Northampton Bicycle will be at the bank performing complimentary bicycle safety checks, and there will be two drawings for Cannondale bikes with helmets.

Additionally, attendees can get a pumpkin from Millstone Farm, have their face painted or donate food pantry items to Neighbors Helping Neighbors. The South Hadley Fire Department will offer giveaways for children and safety information, and balloons, popcorn, apple cider and a variety of other snacks will be available.

GREENFIELD — Shannon Martineau has joined the Franklin County Community Development Corporation (CDC) as finance director. She will be based at the organization’s office at 324 Wells St.

“We’re extremely excited to have such a dedicated and experienced person join our team,” John Waite, executive director at Franklin County CDC, said in a press release. “Shannon will help build our programs to reach even more entrepreneurs and small businesses in Western Mass.”

Martineau has more than 15 years of experience working in retail banking and with nonprofits, most recently as coordinator of Community Action Pioneer Valley’s Money Matters Program. According to the release, the Montague native hopes to make a difference in the lives of others using her experience with financial accounting, tax law, grant writing, small business consulting and organizational leadership skills. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management.

ATHOL — The Athol Savings Bank recently announced promotions of four employees.

■Alice Sibley, who has been with Athol Savings Bank since 2002, was appointed vice president of business development.

■Kim Drudi was also appointed vice president of business development. She has been with Athol Savings Bank since 1978.

■Jennifer McLaughlin, who has been with the bank since 2013, was appointed assistant vice president — financial services officer. She will oversee the Gardner and Ashburnham offices, as well as manage the bank’s High-Performance Checking Account program.

■Tabitha Fournier was also appointed assistant vice president — financial services officer. Fournier has been with the bank since 2008 and currently oversees the Main Office Service Center in Athol. In the coming months, she will also oversee the Winchendon office.

GREENFIELD — Michael E. Tucker, CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, has been appointed by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to its Community Bank Advisory Council.

In this role, Tucker and his fellow councilors will advise Consumer Financial Protection Bureau leadership on a broad range of consumer financial issues and emerging market trends, according to a Greenfield Cooperative Bank press release. This appointment is for a two-year term beginning Oct. 1.

Tucker, an Easthampton resident, has served as CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank since 2002, as a director and audit chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 2014 to 2020, and as a director and statewide chair of the Massachusetts Bankers Association from 2008 to 2014, the release states.

SPRINGFIELD — Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts has hired Deerfield resident William Dziura as its new development director.

Dziura will plan and evaluate fundraising campaigns and activities; secure donations from individuals, foundations and corporations; and develop relationships with the community, a Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts press release states.

“We are thrilled to have William joining our team,” Jennifer Connolly, president of Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts, said in the release. “We offer our programs at no cost to schools and community groups, meaning our fundraising efforts are paramount to our success, making this position a vital role within our organization. I believe, with his unique background and experience in education and giving, William will be very successful in this role.”

Most recently, Dziura was director of annual giving at Elms College, while simultaneously working as an adjunct professor. Prior to his career in fundraising, he was an eighth-grade English teacher at Mater Dolorosa Catholic School in Holyoke, and director of student engagement and leadership at Elms College, the release states.

“I am excited to help Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts realize a bold, 21st-century vision to benefit the children and young adults of Western Massachusetts,” Dziura said in the release. “We owe it to today’s students to provide comprehensive workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy education.”

FirstLight Power, an energy producer and storage company with facilities in Northfield and Montague, has tapped Stephen Pike as vice president and general counsel.

Pike joins FirstLight after being CEO of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) for six years. According to a FirstLight press release, he will serve on the company’s leadership team and report to President and CEO Alicia Barton, assuming the role from Marc Silver, who recently announced his retirement.

“I’m incredibly excited to welcome Steve to our growing senior leadership team. Steve brings a rare combination of deep legal expertise and extensive leadership experience in the clean energy industry that will be a significant asset to FirstLight as we advance our mission to decarbonize the regional electric grid,” Barton said in the release. “I also want to acknowledge and thank Marc Silver for his many years of service and contributions to building FirstLight.”

According to the release, Pike brings more than eight years of experience in the clean energy sector, as well as more than a decade serving as outside general counsel to privately held and publicly traded companies, advising on transaction, commercial and operational matters.

“I am thrilled to be joining FirstLight at a time of dynamic change and opportunity in the power delivery industry,” Pike said in the release. “FirstLight’s vision for decarbonizing the electric grid and developing an electric system that is clean, reliable, affordable and equitable is a natural continuation of the goals I have pursued in the public sector over the past eight years.”