Mass Audubon names new chair of Natural History and Field Ornithology

LINCOLN — Mass Audubon, the largest nature-based organization in New England, has chosen University of Massachusetts Amherst assistant professor Nathan Senner as its next Gerard A. Bertrand Chair of Natural History and Field Ornithology.

Senner, an assistant professor in UMass Amherst’s Department of Environmental Conservation, and his lab focus on understanding how organisms respond to environmental change to better help conserve threatened and endangered species. Most of the lab’s research involves long-distance migratory shorebirds, a collection of species that are declining more rapidly than nearly any other group in the world.

The Bertrand Chair position is held by a leading expert in bird study and conservation and is named after Gerard A. Bertrand, a prominent figure in the field of ornithology and conservation, who served as the president of Mass Audubon for nearly two decades.

Senner replaces Joan Walsh, who held the role since 2017.

Senner’s love of birds began when he was a small child and continued into his time at Carleton College, where he was awarded the opportunity to follow Hudsonian Godwits, a long-distance migratory shorebird, on their annual migration from the Arctic to South America. He went on to earn a PhD at Cornell University and followed that up with postdoctoral work at the University of Groningen and at the University of Montana.

Peace Development Fund hires new leader

AMHERST — Peace Development Fund (PDF) has hired Allistair Mallillin as its new executive director, effective Nov. 1.

With over 15 years of experience in community organizing, transformational fundraising and social justice philanthropy, Mallillin is committed to participatory and community-led grantmaking that shifts practices and bridges relationships within the philanthropic field.

Mallillin previously served as director of strategy and asset building at Common Counsel Foundation, a national social justice public foundation. In this role, he directed philanthropic services for donors and foundations around social justice and participatory practices, while also scaling a community-led fund called Native Voice Rising (NVR), focused on Native organizing and advocacy within the US.

He currently serves as board chair for Asian Pacific Environmental Network in the Bay Area, as well as on the boards of Neighborhood Funders Group, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, and Filipino Advocates for Justice.

Peace Development Fund works to build the capacity of community-based organizations through grants, training, and other resources as partners in human rights and social justice movements.

New executive director takes helm at Homework House

HOLYOKE — Homework House has hired Dave Haslam as its new executive director.

Haslam joined Homework House in June as the volunteer coordinator and has since shown exceptional leadership and problem-solving skills, quickly making a positive impact on the organization and the community it serves.

Haslam brings a wealth of experience with management in retail and has a passion for supporting students and families in Holyoke. His dedication to the mission of Homework House, which focuses on providing academic support and enrichment to children in need, has been evident since he first joined the organization in June.

As executive director, Haslam aims to enhance the organization’s outreach efforts and develop new partnerships within the community to expand resources for students and their families. He is committed to fostering an inclusive environment that encourages the growth and success of every child.

PeoplesBank noted for charity work

HOLYOKE — PeoplesBank has been named a top corporate charitable contributor by the Boston Business Journal, which also recognized the bank’s employees by listing them as number three in the state for volunteer hours contributed. The bank was also included in the top three most generous corporate contributors in western Massachusetts.

Matthew Bannister, senior vice president and head of marketing and corporate responsibility, notes that the bank’s charitable impact has soared over the last decade, and its 10-year contribution total is now close to $13 million when both states are considered.

A sample of Massachusetts organizations supported by PeoplesBank include The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Girls Inc. of the Valley, the Spirit of Springfield, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services.

The Dowd Agencies acquires Vermont firm

HOLYOKE — The Dowd Insurance Agencies, LLC has acquired third-generation insurance agency Lonergan & Thomas Inc. in Bennington, Vt., effective Aug. 1.

The Dowd Agencies has operated under continuous family ownership for more than 125 years and five generations. Serving clients across Vermont and New York, Lonergan & Thomas has been family owned and operated for more than 65 years. The similarities between the agencies’ foundations and corporate trajectories made the development a natural one, said Dowd President and CEO John E. Dowd Jr.

Lonergan & Thomas will retain all the agency’s employees and, for at least the next two years, its name.

The Dowd Agencies has seven locations employing 75 people across the region. In addition to personal and commercial insurance, they launched Dowd Financial Services in 2009 to provide employee benefits including group and individual health, life and disability. In 2020, they started Dowd Wealth Management to offer equity-based product options such as retirement plans and investments along with individual financial planning.