HCC names new chief of operations
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College recently welcomed Angela O. Cardenas as chief of operations in the Office of the President.
Cardenas comes to HCC with more than 25 years of executive-level leadership experience, having served in continuously advancing roles at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for the past 17 years, most recently as senior policy advisor.
As a career diplomat and public servant, Cardenas has lived and worked in numerous countries around the world, including Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Egypt, Tanzania, and the Dominican Republic. She joined USAID in 2008 as a private enterprise officer and has since worked for the agency as a land reform advisor, agriculture team leader, and education office director and coordinator of USAID’s Young African Leaders Initiative.
In her role as senior policy advisor, Cardenas, who is bilingual, served as liaison to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, a consortium of more than 600 U.S. and international higher education institutions.
She started her job at HCC on Aug. 18.
Cardenas holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in urban planning from Texas A&M University. She is pursuing a PhD in applied social justice at Dominican University.
In her role at HCC, she serves as a strategic advisor to the college president and a key operational leader, directly supporting the president, the president’s cabinet, division vice presidents, and the Board of Trustees and collaborating with department heads, community leaders, government entities, and other external partners to advance institutional priorities.
Westfield Bank names new VP
WESTFIELD — Nelson Duarte has been named vice president commercial credit manager at its Exchange Street location in Chicopee.
Duarte joins with over 10 years of banking and commercial credit experience. In his new role, he will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Credit Department, providing oversight to a team of credit analysts, and managing the process and communication between credit and commercial lending teams.
Duarte most recently served in credit and portfolio management roles at other community banks, adding to his experience and expertise. Duarte is an alumni to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, completing his bachelor of science in economics.
Florence Bank launches first-time homebuyer program
FLORENCE — Florence Bank has launched a new first-time homebuyer program called Welcome Home, designed to help first-time buyers in Chicopee, Holyoke and Springfield secure a mortgage for a single- or two-family home or a condominium.
Two tiers of the program are available—Welcome Home and Welcome Home Plus. The Welcome Home mortgage offers a reduced interest rate, 100 percent financing, a $1,000 lender’s credit and does not require private mortgage insurance, known as PMI. The mortgage processing fee is also waived, and there are no income restrictions.
With Welcome Home Plus, borrowers receive all the benefits of the Welcome Home mortgage, plus an additional $10,000 lender’s credit for a total of $11,000 in credits. The processing fee is also waived, no PMI is required, and there are no income restrictions.
Florence Bank has branches in Springfield and Chicopee, and a Holyoke branch is expected to open in the spring of 2026.
Easthampton social worker earns certification
EASTHAMPTON — Kara Beth Joseph, a licensed independent clinical social worker from Easthampton, has been awarded national board certification by the American Association of Bariatric Counselors (AABC). After completing a specialized training and education program in bariatric science, Joseph was recently credentialed as a board-certified bariatric counselor.
Joseph earned her master’s of social work from Boston College and has more than 25 years of clinical experience in medical social work and therapy. She currently has a private practice in Massachusetts specializing in bariatric therapy, including pre-surgery psychological evaluations, support groups and individual therapy for those pre and post-surgery, in medical weight management programs, and/or making significant changes
to support healthy and sustainable living.
Recognizing the need for specialized training in bariatric science led her to pursue certification with AABC, where she was awarded an academic scholarship for her clinical excellence and dedication to bariatric care.
Deerfield Inn inducted into Historic Hotels of America
DEERFIELD — The Deerfield Inn has been inducted into Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the finest historic hotels in the United States.
The Deerfield Inn is one of more than 300 hotels and resorts throughout the country that is recognized by Historic Hotels of America for preserving and maintaining its historic integrity, architecture and ambiance. The inn is a colonial revival style hotel built in 1884.
To be selected for membership in Historic Hotels of America, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historic significance.
Originally opened to serve travelers arriving by rail, the Inn became part of the Historic Deerfield experience when it was acquired by Henry and Helen Flynt in the mid-20th century. Since then, it has provided lodging and hospitality to generations of visitors exploring the region’s cultural and educational offerings.
bankESB to host two free shred days
EASTHAMPTON — bankESB invites customers and members of the community to two free shred days at local offices. Events will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. (or until the truck is full).
No appointment is necessary for the events, which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 4, at The Home Depot, 350 Russell St., in Hadley, in partnership with TRIAD of Hampshire and Franklin County; and Saturday, Oct. 25, at the bank’s Easthampton office, 241 Northampton St.
Residents can reduce their risk of identity theft by bringing old mail, receipts, statements, bills, cancelled checks, pay stubs, medical records, or any other unwanted paper documents containing personal or confidential information and shredding them safely and securely for free. A professional document destruction company will be on site in the bank’s parking lot and can accept up to two boxes of documents per person.