Riverside Industries Expands Board, Sharpens Focus on Strategic Planning

EASTHAMPTON — Riverside Industries Inc. (RSI) recently announced that four new members have joined its board of directors, all beginning their terms of service with the start of the new year.

“Our board of directors strives to be representative of the community we serve,” said Lynn Ireland, president and CEO of RSI. “We offer programming to individuals of incredibly diverse backgrounds and all abilities. As we dig deeper into our strategic planning process and envision the future of this agency, I am excited to draw on the experiences and talents of an equally diverse board of directors. I am especially happy to continue RSI’s longstanding tradition of giving voice on the board to our program participants and their caregivers.”

The four new board members are:

• Kasey Corsello, a TedX speaker, ICF professional certified coach, and co-owner and founder of Corsello Butcheria, a whole-animal, Italian-style butcher shop in Easthampton;

• Jacob Demling, who joined Riverside in the fall of 2017 and currently participates in RSI’s community-based employment program and is employed at UMass Amherst;

• Rebecca “Becky” Demling, Outreach coordinator for the Amherst Recreation Department and the mother of Jacob Demling; and

• Billy McBride, who serves as associate Athletic director for Diversity and Inclusion, director of Club Sports, and senior coach at Amherst College.

Melissa Pike has renewed her commitment to serve as chair of the board for RSI, a position she has held since 2021.

“I am honored to continue serving RSI in this way and thrilled to begin this term by welcoming new members to our board. Their input will be invaluable as we move into the final stage of strategic planning,” Pike said. “This cohort of new members adds an important perspective and diverse skill set to RSI’s governing body that will be necessary as we design the strategic framework and the organizational initiatives that will guide our work for years to come.

“On behalf of the board, I also want to also express my sincere gratitude to John Gannon and Jenny Garcia, who have each concluded their terms of service as members of the RSI board,” Pike added. “Each have supported this organization in a multitude of ways during their time on the board. Jenny, also a program participant, has already expressed her interest in returning to the board, and we look forward to John’s continued volunteer involvement in other areas of RSI’s operations.”

For 55 years, Riverside Industries has provided individualized services to people throughout Western Mass. Riverside’s core program combines day habilitation, life-skills development, transition services for students ages 14-22, and employment options for adults living with a wide range of disabilities and across the autism spectrum.