BusinessWest Accepting Nominations for 40 Under Forty Alumni Achievement Award

SPRINGFIELD — When BusinessWest launched its 40 Under Forty program in 2007, it did so to identify rising stars across our region — individuals who were excelling in business and through involvement within the community — and celebrate their accomplishments.

In 2015, BusinessWest announced a new award, one that builds on the foundation upon which 40 Under Forty was created. It’s called the Alumni Achievement Award. As the name suggests, it is presented to the 40 Under Forty honoree who, in the eyes of an independent panel of judges, has most impressively continued and built upon his or her track record of accomplishment.

Candidates must be from 40 Under Forty classes prior to the year of the award — in this case, classes 2007 to 2023.

Past winners include: 2023: Amy Royal, founder and CEO, Royal Law Firm (40 Under Forty class of 2009); 2022: Anthony Gleason III, president and co-founder, Gleason Johndrow Companies (class of 2010); 2021: Anthony Gulluni, Hampden County district attorney (class of 2015); 2020: Carla Cosenzi, president, TommyCar Auto Group (class of 2012), and Peter DePergola, director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health (class of 2015); 2019: Cinda Jones, president, W.D. Cowls Inc. (40 Under Forty class of 2007); 2018: Samalid Hogan, regional director, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (class of 2013); 2017: Scott Foster, attorney, Bulkley Richardson (class of 2011), and Nicole Griffin, owner, ManeHire (class of 2014); 2016: Dr. Jonathan Bayuk, president, Allergy & Immunology Associates of New England (class of 2008); 2015: Delcie Bean, president, Paragus Strategic IT (class of 2008).

The 2024 Alumni Achievement Award finalists will be profiled in the June 10 edition of BusinessWest, and the honoree will be announced at the 40 Under Forty gala on June 20. The presenting sponsor of the Alumni Achievement Award is Health New England.

The nomination form is available at businesswest.com/40-under-forty/alumniachievementaward. Only nominations submitted to BusinessWest on this form will be considered. The deadline is Friday, May 10 at 5 p.m., no exceptions. For your convenience, a list of the past 40 Under Forty classes may be found at businesswest.com/40-under-forty/40underforty.

For more information, call Melissa Hallock, Marketing and Events manager, at (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail melissa@businesswest.com.