Orloski top loanoriginator in region

HOLYOKE — Beverly Orloski, vice president and mortgage consultant at PeoplesBank, was named by the Warren Group as the top loan originator by volume in western Massachusetts for the third year in a row.

Orloski said she enjoys working with people.

“You get a certain satisfaction because you take them all the way through the process — from the time they first sit with you through their closing,” she said in a press release. “That can be typically 30-60 days, and you’re interacting with them the whole time.”

Orloski, of South Deerfield, has more than 30 years of financial and banking experience holds a Bachelor of Arts from Elms College. Orloski is also a member of the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley.

South Hadley/Granby Chamber rolls out changes

SOUTH HADLEY — The South Hadley & Granby Chamber has increased the number of categories in its membership program in an effort to help businesses in the area access the chamber’s resources.

Before, the chamber had two tiers of membership — basic and premiere — which has been expanded to three categories. The chamber also created an additional three new membership categories: affiliate, startup business and social/civic/recreation club.

The affiliate membership is designed for a business with a primary membership elsewhere that still does business in South Hadley or Granby. The startup membership is intended to be affordable for fledgling businesses. The social/civic/recreation club membership is intended to help nonprofit groups with an operating budget of $75,000 or less.

Membership ranges in price for the six tiers from $105 to $510 annually.

The chamber also recently announced it has a new website and logo featuring both Granby and South Hadley. It was designed by Paul J. Pereira, who won the chamber’s logo contest. The contest was open to the public.

Pereira received a $150 Village Commons gift certificate as his prize. Village Commons is a member of the chamber.

Schabacker,Didonnapromoted at ESB

EASTHAMPTON — Betsy Schabacker, of Southampton, has been promoted to branch officer for the Southampton office of Easthampton Savings Bank.

Schabacker will replace Julie Ouimette, who is retiring. Schaback has worked for ESB since 2005, and she was assistant manager for the Hadley office starting in 2012.

She was hired as a teller/customer service representative in the Easthampton office in 2005 and was promoted to senior teller in 2008. She was promoted to assistant manager in the Hadley office in 2012.

Schabacker, who has a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State College, is active in the Southampton and Easthampton communities.

Meanwhile, Natalie Didonna has been promoted to branch officer of the Easthampton office on Main Street. She replaces Joan Britton, who is retiring.

Didonna joined the bank in June 2015 as assistant branch manager of the Easthampton office on Main Street.

She has 16 years of banking experience, eight years of branch management working as a branch retail executive for BBVA Compass in Carlsbad, California, and as a branch manager for the Bank of Pensacola, a Synovus Bank in Florida.

She started her banking career with UMass Five College Credit Union and has also worked in customer service for Greenfield Savings Bank.

Didonna, a Northampton native, has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She lives in Hatfield

 

Sticks and Bricks reopens in Northampton

NORTHAMPTON — Sticks and Bricks reopened July 6 in Northampton with a new workshop and retail space after two months of renovation. The store is open noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

The space at 9 Market St. also has two new Airbnb apartments, designed and furnished by Sticks and Bricks.

The business says its mission is to be a one-of-a-kind store that helps customers find the right materials, create custom designs for inside the home or elsewhere, and build pieces to personalized measurements.

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