The appointment of a new executive committee and two directors highlighted the September meeting of the Westfield State Foundation.
The Foundation was established in 1980 as a public-private partnership for raising funds to support the University.
Appointed to serve a two-year term as members of the executive committee were Chair Elizabeth Scheibel, Past Chair Andrew Oleksak ’69, 1st Vice Chair George Flevotomos, Treasurer James Krupienski, and Clerk John Davies.
Lawrence Gwozdz ’69 and Heather Witalisz joined the Foundation as directors. Gwozdz retired recently as a senior weapons analyst for the United States Department of Defense. He is in the process of transitioning back to his native western Massachusetts, and plans to marry a Westfield State classmate with whom he renewed a friendship at their 50th reunion.
A Westfield resident, Witalisz manages and directs her family-owned real estate business. She is a graduate of UMass Amherst and an MBA candidate at the University of Connecticut.
She demonstrates her commitment to Westfield by lending her time and expertise to organizations such as The Boys & Girls Club, Stanley Park, Westfield on Weekends, Chamber of Commerce, and the Kiwanis Club.
Foundation Stewardship Award
In addition to these appointments, recipients of the annual Foundation Stewardship Award and the Sgt. Sean Gannon ’07 Scholarship for Criminal Justice were recognized. John Davies, a proud supporter of Westfield State students for 20 years, received the Foundation Stewardship Award.
“For the past two decades John has advocated for and engaged with our students, and, when a call goes out for help, he is the first one to say “I’m in, How can I help?” said Erica Broman, executive director of the Foundation and vice president for Institutional Advancement.
Gannon Scholarship and Westfield State Foundation Scholarship
Adam Hanna ’21 and Kiara Nazario-Cartagena ’21 spoke on behalf of Westfield State students at the meeting. Hanna, a senior from Middleboro majoring in criminal justice and sociology, was awarded the Gannon Scholarship, named to honor the Yarmouth police officer who died in the line of duty in 2018. He also received the Westfield State Foundation Scholarship.
At the event, Hanna shared “Over the past few months, I served at on the Provincetown Police Department, where many of my fellow officers worked and attended Westfield State with Sgt. Sean Gannon. Sgt. Gannon has been described to be as an individual who always did his best and represented what it means to be a true leader.” Hanna aspires to become a Massachusetts State Trooper.