Board of Directors

Rus Peotter is responsible for the management of WGBY Springfield, the WGBH-affiliated public television station serving western Massachusetts, northern Connecticut and southern Vermont. He oversees programming, production, development, engineering, and administration. Rus came to WGBY in 2001 from Maine Public Broadcasting. He has served on numerous PBS national committees, helping senior PBS management develop policies and services in support of stations across the country. Outside of work, he is currently Chair of MassCreative, the Commomwealth’s Arts advocacy organization, Chair of the Hampshire Regional Chamber of Commerce, and on the boards of CISA and the Hilltown Land Trust among others.

As Manager, Public Health and Community Relations for Baystate Health, Annamarie Golden is responsible for managing the organizations system-wide community benefits and social impact activities and investments. Ms. Golden has been with Baystate Health for eleven years after earning her bachelor (’04) and master degrees (’06) from Springfield College.

Annamarie is an alumni of Leadership Pioneer Valley Class of 2012 and recognized as a Business West’s class of 2013 40 under Forty. Annamarie was recognized in 2013 by Stone Soul with a Community Service Award and in 2014 by the MA Latino Chamber of Commerce with a Women in Leadership Award. Annamarie is also a past board member of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, serving two years as Clerk. She currently serves on the Springfield Puerto Rican Parade Committee and Western MA Health Equity Network, as well as the boards of the American Heart Association - Western MA, Ronald McDonald House – Springfield, and the Advisory Board for the Mason Square Health Task Force. In addition, Annamarie serves as co-chair of LPV’s Alumni Network. Annamarie is a proud mother to her son, Zachary (18) and daughters, Abigail (7) and Lydia (4).

Kevin focuses his practice on resolving commercial disputes for businesses and individuals through advice, negotiation, litigation, arbitration and mediation in matters involving contracts, shareholder and fiduciary disputes, financial services, insurance and ERISA issues, construction claims, professional liability and environmental claims. His litigation experience encompasses both state and federal courts, and he has won appeals before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the state's Appeals Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in American each year’ since 2008 in the areas of commercial litigation and litigation specifically, banking and finance, and construction Kevin is board president of World is Our Classroom, lnc. and a board member of the United Way of Pioneer Valley and Partners for a Healthier Community. He is a board member and past board president of Square One, formally Springfield Day Nursery, lnc. He is also active in a number of other community organizations.

Kamari Collins is currently the Vice President of Student and Multicultural Affairs at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). Nineteen (19) departments and 70+ staff members report to him in the Student and Multicultural Affairs Division. Kamari began his career at STCC as an Academic Counselor in 2007. Kamari is a graduate of Springfield College with a B.S. in Movement and Sports Studies and a Master of Science Degree in Organizational Management and Leadership Development. He is a longtime City of Springfield resident and a product of the Springfield Public Schools and many community youth programs including the Urban League, Dunbar Community Center, and AHEC REACH programs. Kamari currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, the Children's Study Home, and the Urban League of Springfield, Inc.

Kamari received the Business West 40 Under 40 Award in 2009 and was a Massachusetts Community College Leadership Academy Fellow in 2008.

Ed Kubosiak has been with MassLive since 1998 in a variety of roles and was named editor in 2005. He started his career as a sports reporter with The Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, his hometown. Ed lives in Southampton with his wife Becky and has two children, Alex and Sophia.

Ann Burke is the Vice President of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. Burke is a seasoned economic development professional with experience in regional economic and community development, project management, strategic planning and organizational management, real estate, downtowns, entrepreneurship and special events and marketing. Burke holds a Master’s degree from George Washington University in Urban and Regional Planning. Burke has served as Vice President of the Springfield Business Development Corporation, President of Greater Holyoke, Inc., Associate Director of Springfield Central, and as a board member for Mass. Mentoring Partnership Board of Directors, Tech Foundry, CISA, and Valley Venture Mentors.

Richard Griffin Jr. is Vice President of Community Development at MassDevelopment where he facilitates brownfields and predevelopment financing, collaborative workspaces, and participation in the region’s three Transformative Development Initiative districts. Rich graduated with a BS in Business Management from Tuskegee University. Rich is on the board of the Association of Black Business and Professionals, SABIS International Charter School, and I Found Light Against All Odds. Rich currently resides in Springfield.

Dr. Calvin R. Hill has spent all of his professional life in an academic setting, having worked entirely in a college or university since obtaining his B.A. from Bethany College. Dr. Hill currently serves as the Vice President for Inclusion and Community Engagement at Springfield College. Prior to joining the Springfield College community, Dr. Hill served as the Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Worcester State University in Worcester MA, the Associate Provost and Chief Diversity Officer at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, MA, and as the Assistant Dean and Director of the Office of Diversity Programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). In addition to his administrative appointments, he also has several years of teaching experience. Most recently at Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts where he served as assistant professor in the Division of Business, Law and Public Policy.

In addition to his campus involvement, Hill is also engaged in the community. He is active on several boards and organizations that empower and inspire hope, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services Board, National Conference of Community and Justice (NCCJ), The Springfield Museum’s African Hall Committee, and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. Dr. Hill is a native of Marshall, Texas.

Hillary Hoffman has more than 25 years of marketing and communications experience. As Director of Marketing and Communications at Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield, she is responsible for marketing and communications strategies to support enrollment and fundraising goals. She has held marketing management positions at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Pearson, and Merriam-Webster, Inc. Hillary is a graduate of New York University and attended the University of Connecticut School of Law. She is a 2014 alumna of the Emerge Massachusetts program and served two elected terms on the Greenfield City Council, including one term as Council President. She now serves on several town boards, consults for local political campaigns, and volunteers with local non-profits. She lives in Greenfield with her husband and their three cats.

Tony Maroulis is the executive director of External Relations and University Events at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Tony started his career in arts administration in the mid-90s, working in various positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art before moving to Amherst, MA with his family in 2002. He had stints with the Emily Dickinson Museum, Museums10, and as co-founder and director of wünderarts, a commercial art gallery for contemporary and conceptual art in Amherst. He was executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce from 2008-2014, and starting in 2010 also served as co-director of the Hampshire County Regional Tourism Council. Tony was a 2009 BusinessWest 40 Under Forty honoree and an alumnus of Leadership Pioneer Valley’s 2011-12 inaugural class. He chairs the on the board of the Friends of the UMass Fine Arts Center, and is currently on the boards of the Amherst Business Improvement District and the United Way of Hampshire County, in addition to numerous town and regional boards and committees. He lives in Pelham with his wife Nora, and their children, Sofia and Mickey.

Kelvin Molina-Brantley brings extensive experience in project and program management, development of cross-sector partnerships, and coalition building. He currently works as the Director of Philanthropic Engagement at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. Kelvin also has a depth of experience in community engagement, resident leadership development, non-profit management, grant writing, and strategic planning. His professional experiences are augmented by his successful 20-year military career where he served with distinction as a commissioned officer and is now a retired Army Veteran. Kelvin is an alumni of Leadership Pioneer Valley’s inaugural Class of 2012 and the recipient of the BusinessWest’s 40 under Forty recognition in 2013. He is currently the Chair of the Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers, a founding member and Trustee for Springfield Prep Charter School, a board member for DevelopSpringfield, and serves on the Springfield Puerto Rican Parade Committee. Kelvin is also the co-founder and managing partner of Aurora Consulting Group, focused on assisting local non- profits with board leadership, change management, strategic planning and other related services. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration on Community Planning as well as a dual Bachelor’s degree in Regional Planning and Environmental Science from Westfield State University. Kelvin currently resides in Springfield where he is proudly raising his two sons, Griffin (4) and Agustin (3), and is married to a fellow LPV alumni, Ronald Molina-Brantley.

Callie serves as VP of Business Lending at Common Capital, where she has been employed since 2012. She enjoys helping local business owners and entrepreneurs grow or start their businesses, whether it is through financing or business assistance. Born and raised in Holyoke, she now lives there with her two children. She enjoys running, hiking, and coaching her kid’s basketball and soccer teams. She serves as secretary of the PTO of their school and volunteers at the school on a regular basis. She received her bachelor’s degree from Fordham University where she studied Business Administration.

Yemisi Oloruntola-Coates earned her bachelors from Hofstra University and has an MA & MAMC from the University of Florida. She is also a Fulbright-Hays Fellow in which she studied International Relations focusing on Monetary Unions, Economic Stability and Yoruba Culture in West Africa. Yemisi relocated with her family to Western Massachusetts and is currently Baystate Health System new Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Previously, she was the System Director of Diversity and Patient Care Civil Rights at Lee Health for 11 years. Yemisi has extensive experience in Diversity and Inclusion education and training. She received the FACE award in 2011 from D ’Latinos & Gulfshore Business Magazine, Hodges University, Corporate Diversity of Excellence Award, and the 2016 40 under 40 by Gulfshore Business Magazine. In addition, under her leadership Lee Health received recognition from Forbes Magazine as best employer for Diversity and the Horizon Council Diversity in Business award in 2018.

Dr. Christina Royal has been involved in education for over 15 years, in both academic (community college and private four-year institutions) and corporate environments. She currently serves as the President of Holyoke Community College. Prior to her presidency at HCC, she served as the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Inver Hills Community College. She has worked with Chancellors of Higher Education, Vice Chancellors, and other state leaders to impact policy, improve student success, enhance quality curriculum standards, and improve articulation and transfer. She is engaged in local, state, and national communities of interest, including participating on state-wide, regional and local boards. Dr. Royal is also the recipient of the 2012 United States Distance Learning Association International Award for Outstanding Leadership by an Individual.

Dr. Royal earned a Doctorate in Education from Capella University, and a Master of Arts degree in Educational Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics, both from Marist College.

Wisnewski grew up in Colombia and worked as a biology teacher before moving to this country to pursue a master’s degree in education at UMass Amherst. After settling in Greenfield, she immersed herself in volunteer work and selflessly continues to give time and effort to causes she believes in. “You have to do whatever you can to be part of the community, and I enjoy being involved in an inclusive process,” she said, adding that she believes it is important to educate children to their full potential and raise the quality of life for families.

The wife of Mark Wisnewski and mother of Luke, 11, and Corin, 8, she was a developmental specialist for the REACH Early Intervention program at ServiceNet in Franklin County and served as coordinator of Family Center Programs for Community Action in Greenfield for 10 years before assuming her current job at Raising a Reader.

David F. Woods is a principal of Woods Financial Group in Longmeadow. For over 40 years he has served as a board and committee member of many community organizations. Most notably he chaired the board of Baystate Medical Center and Baystate Health Systems and was the first chair of the Springfield Leadership Institute. David has served on the board and as chair of a number of national insurance organizations as well as CEO of two. He currently serves as a board member of Baystate Health Insurance Company.