Adams Community Bank Employees Complete New England School for Financial Studies

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ADAMS, Mass. — Dawn Canales, assistant vice president/systems analyst, and Patricia Carpenter, retail loan officer, recently graduated from the New England School for Financial Studies in Wellesley.

The New England School for Financial Studies is an intensive two-year program to broaden the skills in the areas of strategic thinking, leadership and decision making.  

"The school has given Dawn and Patty a solid education from one of the best schools in the financial services industry as well as the chance to exchange information and ideas with their peers," said Charles P. O’Brien, president and CEO of Adams Community Bank.

Since its inception over 3,700 students have graduated from the school, which includes two one-week resident sessions with 135 hours of classroom instruction. Between sessions, students complete five assigned independent study projects that focus on their bank and build on the first week's instruction to prepare them for more advanced training during the second year resident session. The course culminates in a comprehensive computerized simulation which challenges students to assume senior management responsibilities.



Canales is responsible for analyzing processes for improvement and managing projects throughout the bank. She joined the bank in 2013. Dawn is Lean Six Sigma green belt-certified and is an alumnus of Berkshire Community College and the former North Adams State College, now MCLA. She is an active member on the PopCares & Moments House fundraising committee at the bank and is a member of the McCann Tech Business Technology Advisory Board. She resides in Cheshire with her husband and two children.

Carpenter is responsible for assisting loan customers to meet their individual needs. She joined the bank in 1988 and began her career as a teller. Throughout the years, she was also a customer service representative and branch manager before focusing solely on consumer and mortgage lending. She is a 2009 graduate of the Berkshire Leadership Program and is very active in the community. She currently serves on the Alzheimer's Association fundraising committee at the bank, and is also a member of the Adams Lions Club board of directors. She is a past president and treasurer of the Adams Lions Club and was the recipient of the Lions Club International Foundation Melvin Jones Fellow Award and this month was also the recipient of the Adams Lions Club Fred Couture Award for community service. She resides in Adams with her husband and son.

In addition, another graduation and awards ceremony was held on June 15 honoring those bank employees who received certificates and/or diplomas from the nationally recognized Center for Financial Training. Employees being honored for their professional development were Rebecca Crouse, Amanda Deneault, Jamie Leach, Lisa Odvar, Melanie Rowland and Judy Sayers.

 


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Adams Sees No Races So Far

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — With less than a week left before nomination papers are due, there are currently no contested seats.
 
Only selectman incumbent John Duval has returned papers. Selectman Howard Rosenberg has decided not to seek re-election. 
 
Rosenberg, who was elected in 2021, said he has chosen not to run again to make room for younger candidates.
 
"I feel strongly, we need younger people running for public office,  as the future of our town lies within the younger  generation. The world is so fundamentally different today and rapidly changing to become even more so. I believe we need people who are less interested in trying to bring back the past, then in paving the way for a promising future. The younger generation can know that they can stay here and have a voice without having to leave for opportunities elsewhere," he said.
 
The only person to return papers so far is former member the board Donald Sommer. Sommer served as a selectman from 2007 to 2010 and before that was a member of the School Committee and the Redevelopment Authority. He ran unsuccessfully for selectman in 2019 and again in 2021 but dropped out of before the election.
 
Incumbent Moderator Myra Wilk and Town Clerk Haley Meczywor have returned papers for their respective positions.
 
Assessor Paula Wheeler has returned papers and incumbents James Loughman and Eugene Michalenko have returned papers for library trustees.
 
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