Walker appointed senior VP at UMass

BOSTON — University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan has appointed Nefertiti Walker as senior vice president for academic affairs, student affairs and equity, a role critical to advancing academic quality, student success and equity across the five-campus UMass system.

Walker has served as deputy vice president for academic affairs, student affairs and equity since July 2023, following her role as presidential advisor for equity and inclusion. She joined the UMass President’s Office in January 2022 while also serving as vice chancellor for diversity, equity, and inclusion at UMass Amherst.

She will assume her new responsibilities in place of interim senior vice president and UMass Amherst Chancellor Emeritus Kumble Subbaswamy, who will be retiring at the end of this calendar year.

During her time at UMass Amherst, Walker spearheaded several transformative initiatives, including the creation of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Conference, a campus climate survey engagement process, and employee resource groups (ERGs). Her leadership led to new grants, advisory councils, and programs designed to foster an inclusive campus culture.

As associate dean for an inclusive organization at the Isenberg School of Management, Walker established the school’s first Office of Equity and Inclusion. Her scholarly contributions include more than 100 international publications and presentations on topics such as organizational inclusion and the experiences of individuals with marginalized identities. Her research has been featured in leading journals, including the Journal of Sport Management and the Journal of Business Research.

Walker is also a tenured professor at Isenberg, where she teaches courses on leadership, organizational behavior, and diversity in business.

Fager joins Florence Bank

FLORENCE — Florence Bank has hired Christopher Fager of West Springfield to serve as vice president/commercial loan officer in the Commercial Lending department.

With 15 years of experience at banks in the region, he is skilled at commercial loan origination and analysis, portfolio management and customer service.

Over his career, he has worked with companies across all industries and has extensive knowledge with those in construction, manufacturing, nonprofits, auto dealership, logistics, dental, veterinarian and wholesale distribution.

Fager holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

bankESB launches Neighbors Helping Neighbors

EASTHAMPTON — bankESB has kicked off its 2024 Neighbors Helping Neighbors fundraising drive to help support local food pantries.

This marks the fourth year of the bank’s annual appeal, which invites bank customers, employees, and community members to donate money in the month of November to help fight food insecurity. All donations up to $2,500 per customer will be matched dollar for dollar by bankESB and the total raised will be divided among participating food pantries across western Massachusetts in communities the bank serves. In 2023, through contributions and matching donations, the campaign raised $35,000 and since inception has donated $109,000.

Those who wish to participate can make checks payable to “bankESB Neighbors” and can be dropped off at any bankESB branch or mailed to: Margaret Prendergast, bankESB, 36 Main St., Easthampton, MA 01027

Two attorneys join Bacon Wilson, P.C.

SPRINGFIELD — Alexandre Pereira and Sara Cafaro have officially joined the Bacon Wilson, P.C. firm.

Pereira, a former law clerk, and Cafaro, a former real estate intern, sat for the Massachusetts State Bar Exam in late July and have since been sworn in to the Massachusetts Bar as of Nov. 19.

Pereira joined Bacon Wilson as a law clerk in June 2023, gaining experience across multiple legal disciplines and discovering a strong passion for elder law and estate planning.

During his time at Bacon Wilson, Alexandre earned his juris doctor degree with a concentration in transactional law from Western New England University School of Law in May. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, magna cum laude, from Western New England University, achieved in 2021.

Cafaro began her journey at Bacon Wilson as an intern in the summer of 2022, working in the Corporate and Commercial Real Estate Department at the Springfield office. She later transitioned to the Westfield office in the winter of 2022, continuing her practicum internship through 2024.

She earned her juris doctor degree from Western New England University School of Law in May. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Western New England University, completed through the accelerated 3+3 program. This innovative program allowed her to begin her law school coursework during her senior undergraduate year, enabling her to graduate cum laude with her bachelor’s degree a year early in May 2022.

During her academic career, Sara was recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Edward F. McBride Award and the CALI Award for Excellence in Evidence Law. She is ethe firm’s newest associate attorney in the Commercial and Residential Real Estate Department.