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It Was a Very Special NightMore than 350 people turned out at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke on March 22 to honor BusinessWest’s Diff erence Makers for 2012. This year’s class, chosen by the editors and publishers at the magazine from dozens of nominations, refl ects the many ways in which individuals and groups can make a diff erence in this region. The winners, seen here with their awards (created by local artist Lynn Latimer), are, clockwise from above: William Messner, president of Holyoke Community College (right), seen with BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien (left) and now-former HCC student Rubin Sepuleveda — he’s currently a student of Amherst College — who was asked to present the award; Charlie D’Amour, president and COO of Big Y Foods, an honoree along with his cousin, Donald, the company’s chairman and CEO, who could not be in attendance; Robert Schwarz, executive vice president of Peter Pan Bus Lines; Majors Linda-Jo and Tom Perks, of the Springfi eld Corps of the Salvation Army; and the Women’s Fund of Western Mass., represented by CEO Carla Oleska, left, and Shonda Pettiford, president of the board of directors. For more information and compre-hensive stories on the winners, visit www.businesswest.com.

2012D FFERENCEMAKERS

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Clockwise from top right, all left to right: Priscilla Clarkson and Meredith Feltus

of UMass Amherst, and Sarah Page and Joanne O’Neil of HAP Housing; Rick Lee

of the Red Cross, McDonald’s franchisee Jorge Gomez, and Mark Brinkerhoff of

the Red Cross; Maureen Jaconetta of Peter Pan, Greg Chiecko of the Eastern

States Exposition, Margaret Schwarz, 2012 Diff erence Maker Bob Schwarz,

and Mary Kay Wydra of the Greater Springfi eld Convention and Visitors

Bureau; members of the YMCA of Greater Springfi eld’s Teens & Outreach Program,

which opened the event with dancing and poetry; Amy Royal of Royal LLP, Amy

Roberts of Kollmorgen Electro-Optical, and BusinessWest Associate Publisher Kate Campiti; Peter Rosskothen of the

Log Cabin, Anna Bowen, and 2009 Diff erence Maker Doug Bowen.

2012Cont’dD FFERENCEMAKERS

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2012Cont’dD FFERENCEMAKERSCounterclockwise from top left, all left to right: Julia Ortiz of Leadership Pioneer Valley, Kathleen Plante of Human Resources Unlimited, 2009 Diff erence Maker Susan Jaye-Kaplan, and Carla Oleska and Julie Kumble of 2012 Diff erence Maker the Women’s Fund of Western Mass.; Big Y’s Joe Paul, Maggie D’Amour, Emily D’Amour Pardo, 2012 Diff erence Maker Charlie D’Amour, Claire D’Amour-Daley, Michael D’Amour, and Jennifer D’Amour; (standing) Jim Ayres of the United Way of Hampshire County, Timothy Wallingford and Scott MacKenzie of MacKenzie Vault, Steve Troy of Troy Industries, (sitting) Shannon Reichelt of S. Reichelt & Co., Amy Roberts of Kollmorgen Electro-Optical, Amy Royal of Royal LLP, and Oytun Troy of Troy Industries; Pat Ford Yurkunas of Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, Meghan Lynch of Six-Point Creative Works, Natalie Georges of Common Capital, and Marty Lynch; Judith Danek of Health New England, Kris Allard of the YMCA of Greater Springfi eld, and 2010 Diff erence Maker Ellen Freyman; Patricia Daly and 2012 Diff erence Makers Majors Linda-Jo and Tom Perks of the Springfi eld Corps of the Salvation Army.

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Clockwise from top right, all left to right: from Sarat Ford Lincoln, (standing) Chris Sarat, Ann Callahan,

Jack Callahan, Bob Loomis, (sitting) Salina Sarat, Kimberly Sarat, and Jeff Sarat; from Meyers Brothers Kalicka, (standing) 2011 Diff erence Maker Bob Perry, Donna Roundy, Brenda Olesuk, Kris Houghton, John

Veit, Jim Barrett, (sitting) Bobbi Perry, Tony Gabinetti, Karen Hines, and Kevin Hines; Peter Pan’s Bob and Margaret Schwarz and Melissa and Peter Picknelly;

2012 Diff erence Maker Charlie D’Amour of Big Y; from Health New England, (standing) Lynn Ostrowski,

Judith Danek, June Gardner, Eric Harlow, (sitting) Brian Kivel, and Jessica Dupont; Baystate Health’s Chris Szarek, Tracy Whitley, Keith O’Connor, Jane

Albert, and Catherine Benoit.

2012Cont’dD FFERENCEMAKERS