BusinessWest Celebrates 20th Class of 40 Under Forty Honorees

SPRINGFIELD — BusinessWest is proud to celebrate the 20th annual class of its 40 Under Forty awards, the region’s most prestigious recognition program honoring outstanding young professionals who are shaping the future of Western Mass. For two decades, the program has spotlighted emerging leaders under age 40 whose professional achievements, leadership, and community involvement distinguish them among their peers.

With more than 120 unique nominations, the 40 Under Forty class of 2026 honorees were selected by a panel of five independent judges who are all 40 Under Forty alumni: Patrick Leary (class of 2007), partner at MP CPAs; Scott Foster (2011), partner at Bulkley Richardson; Shannon Rudder (2016), president and CEO of Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services; Matthew Kushi (2021), academic advisor at Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst and owner of Kushi Farm and North Hadley Chili Pepper Co.; and Tori Thompson (2025), vice president and head of Internal Audit at PeoplesBank.

The BusinessWest 40 Under Forty class of 2026 are:

• Paul Accorsi Jr., Assistant Vice President, Business Banking Lender, PeoplesBank

• Alexandra Balise, Director of Corporate Strategy, Balise Auto Group

• Felicia Barr, Service Director, Bertera Auto Group

• Anthony Boido, President, TNT Tent and Table Rentals

• Alicia Brown, English Teacher, John J. Duggan Academy

• Kate Caligaris, Vice President, Human Resources Program Management, Liberty Bank

• Lezlie Braxton Campbell, Deputy Director, Neighbor to Neighbor

• Darryl Cole, Global Cyber Product Consultant, Liberty Mutual

• Mychal Connolly Jr., CEO, Realistic CEO

• Steven Costa, First Vice President, C&I Lending, Beacon Bank

• Giancarlo Crivelli, Executive Director, Fishing Friends

• Danielle Delgado, Principal, Brightwood Elementary School

• Mariana DeLobato, Executive Vice President, Chief Delivery Officer, Farm Credit Financial Partners

• April Doroski, Senior Wetland Specialist, Team Leader, Fuss & O’Neill

• Jack Dowd, Partner, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, The Dowd Agencies

• Tom Dowling, Partner-in-Charge, Holyoke, Whittlesey

• Jill Foley, Director of Membership, Massachusetts Society of CPAs

• Evan Garber, Architect of Political Strategy, Anthony L. Cignoli & Associates

• Ted Hanna, Commercial and Residential Real Estate Agent

• Ali Haqq, Center Coordinator, Department of Elder Affairs

• Brooke Jones, Owner, Lovelo Cycle & Strength

• Sara Landaverde, Director of Survivor Advocacy & Outreach Programs, YWCA of Western Massachusetts

• Kylie LaPlante, Deposit Operations Officer, Monson Savings Bank

• Heather Leclerc, Business Partner, Riley Home Realty; Membership & Events Coordinator, Home Builders & Remodelers Assoc. of Western Massachusetts

• Siobhan Matty, Assistant First Vice President, Financial Advisor, St. Germain Investment Management

• Jesse McMillan, Principal, Westfield Middle School

• Daniel Miller, Senior Environmental Scientist, Tighe & Bond

• Robyn Miller, Owner, MorningBird Media

• Jamillah Joy Medina Nova, Community Relations Coordinator, Springfield City Library

• Shannon O’Connell, Facility Manager, The Good Dog Spot

• John Page, Executive Director, Amherst Business Improvement District

• Leanese Ramos, Owner, RCollaborative

• Bianca Romero, Assistant Director of Student Engagement and Residence Life, Adjunct Professor, Bay Path University/Cambridge College

• Corrine Ryan, Managing Attorney – Hampden County, Community Legal Aid

• Aimee Salmon, CEO, Positively Africana by Aimee

• Amanda Shafii, Owner, CopyCat; President, Downtown Northampton Assoc.

• Nicole Stevenson, Vice President, Consumer Lending, PeoplesBank

• Brandon Towle, Manager, Rolling Meadows Country Club

• Yeselie Tulloch, Co-founder, Academic Leadership Assoc.

• Isaac Weiner, Owner, Familiars Coffee & Tea and Florence Pie Bar

Their stories are featured in the April 27 issue of BusinessWest, available digitally by clicking here.

The awards gala will take place on Thursday, June 11 at 5 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Tickets cost $140 per person, and tables of 10 are available. Tickets for this event, which always sells out quickly, are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here.

The 20th annual 40 Under Forty program is presented by PeoplesBank and sponsored by the Dowd Agencies, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, and the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. The Alumni Achievement Award is presented by Baystate Health/Health New England.