Career Pulse

Local Red Cross Chapter Welcomes Brinkerhoff

SPRINGFIELD — The American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter welcomes Mark Brinkerhoff to the organization as the new director of chapter support. With more than 25 years of experience, he brings extensive knowledge in the areas of major gifts, annual giving, and capital-campaign fund-raising.

Brinkerhoff has eight years of direct Red Cross background, serving at both the divisional and chapter level, with his most recent post as director of development and communications with the Red Cross Connecticut Region. He is a seasoned national disaster fund-raiser and is a veteran of more than 15 national disaster-relief operations, including Hurricane Katrina, the Nashville floods, and the Massachusetts tornadoes of last June.

“We are delighted to welcome Mark to our chapter family,” said Rick Lee, executive director of the Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter. “He was one of the many national Red Cross disaster staff members who came to Springfield to assist with the relief efforts during the June 2011 tornado, and was a great asset to us. We are delighted to have a Red Cross professional of his experience and stature joining our team.”

Gudz Joins Team at Northern Berkshire Ob/Gyn

NORTH ADAMS — Marie Gudz, a certified nurse midwife, has joined Northern Berkshire Ob/Gyn at North Adams Regional Hospital and is seeing patients.

Gudz earned her master’s degree in Nurse Midwifery and Women’s Health at the Ohio State University College of Nursing. She is board-certified as a women’s health nurse practitioner. She most recently interned as a nurse midwife and nurse practitioner at a private practice in Columbus, Ohio, managing normal and high-risk obstetric and gynecologic patients and performing deliveries.

Gudz joins Drs. Charles O’Neill, Susan Yates, Alison Hastings, and Veronica Del Riccio at Northern Berkshire Ob/Gyn. “We are pleased to welcome Marie into our collaborative practice of obstetrics and gynecology,” said O’Neill said. “She brings a fresh perspective combined with superb medical training, and has readily meshed with our program of providing first-rate health care to the women of our region.”

“Nurse midwifery is a holistic approach to patients’ health,” said Gudz. “We can apply that approach to women of all ages, from onset of menses to post-menopause. It means we take into account what’s going on in the patient’s life — if she is under stress, if she is sleeping well and getting the support she needs. It all factors into overall health.”

Gudz can be reached at (413) 664-4343.

Loomis Communities Board Taps Sheehan, McClung

SOUTH HADLEY — The Loomis Communities welcomes Greg Sheehan and Gale McClung to its board of directors.

Sheehan is currently the executive vice president at Pension & Benefits Associates. He formally held the position of  vice president at PeoplesBank. He is also an Appropriations member and Town Meeting member for the town of South Hadley, a Mount Holyoke Masonic Lodge member, and a former board member of the South Hadley Council on Aging. He earned a bachelor’s degree at UMass Amherst in Sports Management and Marketing.

McClung is currently a resident of Applewood at Amherst. She is an editor for the Mount Holyoke Alumnae Quarterly, a former methods analyst for IBM World Headquarters, and a former Amherst Town Meeting member. She is also a song leader at Applewood, Mount Holyoke College, and various nursing homes. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Religion from Mount Holyoke College.

Founded in 1902, the Loomis Communities is a not-for-profit organization providing senior living where people share life experiences and explore new opportunities. The board of directors consists of volunteer business and community leaders who provide leadership and governance for Applewood in Amherst, Loomis House in Holyoke, Loomis Village in South Hadley, and Reeds Landing in Springfield.

Other members of the Loomis Communities board of directors include David Healey, Kay Sordillo, Nancy Eddy, Wayne Gass, Norman Halpern, Gwendolyn Jones Boisseau, Sara Lawrence, Ann McIntosh, Venus Robinson, Thomas Senecal, Mary-Anne Stearns, Joan Steiger, and Richard Whiting.