The Springfield Museums elected three new members to its Board of Trustees at the Annual Meeting of Corporators on Wednesday, September 23. The newly elected trustees are Jeffrey I. Fialky, Esq., John Pappas, and Erica True. Cynthia Campbell was named Chair of the Board; and Roger Crandall, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at MassMutual, was named a Trustee Emeritus.

Held in the Davis Auditorium at the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, the annual meeting featured presentations from several Museums leaders, including President & CEO Kay Simpson, Chair Cynthia Campbell, and Vice Chair David L. Longworth, M.D. The presenters highlighted the Museums’ accomplishments over the past year, discussed challenges and opportunities, and looked ahead to the institution’s future. Highlights and milestones included:

• Demonstrating continued fiscal responsibility, the Museums delivered its 10^th consecutive year of financial growth.
• The Museums received a Springfield Preservation Trust award—its sixth preservation award since 2018—for the exterior restoration of the Dr. Philip Kilroy House.
• The Tolman Hall in the Springfield Science Museum was transformed into a bold new permanent exhibition Dinosaurs Still Live: The Story of Archosaurs, with significant funding from the Liberty Bank Foundation.
• 94% of visitors rated their Museums experience “excellent” or “outstanding” in a comprehensive audience survey from COVES and the Art Bridges Foundation.

Dennis Duquette, Head of Corporate Responsibility and President & CEO of the MassMutual Foundation, accepted the Trustee Emeritus award on behalf of Roger Crandall. During his remarks, Duquette announced that MassMutual will make a $500,000 corporate gift to sustain the Museums’ Free First Wednesdays program through 2029, in addition to its annual support of the Museums.

Duquette noted that the gift was made in recognition of Crandall’s transition from the Board of Trustees to Trustee Emeritus. He emphasized MassMutual’s recognition of the significance of Free First Wednesdays and its inclusive mission of bringing new audiences to the Museums.

The $500,000 gift will match renewed funding from the nationally recognized Art Bridges Foundation, creating a partnership between a major national foundation and a leading corporate institution. Together, the two organizations’ support will help sustain Free Wednesdays and expand access to the Museums for the community.

About the New Chair of the Board of Trustees

• A member of the Museums’ Board for more than a decade, Cynthia Campbell has provided strong support for the Museums during a period of significant growth, innovation, and institutional achievement. She has provided leadership on major Museums initiatives, including serving as Chair of the Capital Campaign Committee for Seuss in Springfield, which supported the creation of the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum and investments in exhibitions, education, the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, the Welcome Center, and the Museums’ campus. During her previous tenure as Board Chair, the Museums achieved national reaccreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, recognition that cited the strength of the institution’s governance, collections planning, educational initiatives, and commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Campbell has also been involved in the cultural life of the region through her service on the Board of Directors of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Forum, and the Storrs Library.

About the New Trustees

• Jeffrey I. Fialky, Esq. is chair of the firm Bacon Wilson’s corporate and commercial department and is also a member of the municipal department. He specializes in sophisticated business, financing, and commercial real estate transactions, representing the interests of business owners and lending institutions, as well as municipalities and landowners. A former Assistant District Attorney in Hampden County, Jeffrey joined the firm after nearly a decade in Eastern Massachusetts where he held senior attorney positions within some of the country’s most prominent Fortune 100 telecommunications and cable television companies such as MediaOne, AT&T, AT&T Broadband, and Adelphia Communications. He has extensive experience in business, banking, commercial, real estate, estate planning, municipal, and telecommunications law. Fialky continues to be involved with several nonprofits and business groups including the Springfield Business Improvement District, and Springfield Regional Chamber. Previously, he was involved with causes such as the United Way, the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, Leadership Pioneer Valley and the American Cancer Society.
• John Pappas is a Finanical Advisor, Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Management Director and Family Wealth Advisor at Morgan Stanley. He started at Morgan Stanley and in the Financial Services Industry in 2015. John received his B.A. in Managerial Economics from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA and received his M.B.A. in Finance from the Isenberg School of Management – UMass Amherst in Amherst, MA. John is involved in the philanthropic efforts of two organizations: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County and The Children’s Study Home. He is the VP of the Board of Directors at Children’s Study Home and the Treasurer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County.
• Erica True is a senior leader at MassMutual, where she currently serves as Head of Procurement. During her nearly three decades in the financial services industry, she has held leadership roles spanning strategic planning, claims, insurance operations, transformation and procurement. She holds an MBA from the University of Connecticut School of Business and a B.S. from Bentley University and has completed executive leadership education through Wharton and Harvard Business School Online. Erica currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Way Finders, a leading Western Massachusetts nonprofit focused on housing stability, economic mobility and thriving communities. She has also held leadership positions with Springfield Public Forum, the North Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, Dress for Success Western Massachusetts, Leadership Pioneer Valley and MassMutual’s Women’s Leadership Business Resource Group.

About the Trustee Emeritus

• Roger Crandall joined the Springfield Museums Board of Trustees in 2017 and has been a dedicated advocate for the Museums and their role as a vital cultural and educational resource for the region. During his tenure, he championed the Museums’ partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, helping bring nationally recognized exhibitions, programs, speakers, and educational opportunities to Springfield, including exhibitions featuring winners of the Smithsonian’s Outwin Portrait Competition, Richard Avedon’s photographs of the Kennedy White House, and the Smithsonian Spark!Lab, an interactive invention space at the Springfield Science Museum. As President and CEO of MassMutual, Crandall provided valuable leadership and support that helped strengthen the Museums and expand their reach and impact in the community. His commitment to the Museums, both personally and professionally, has made a lasting contribution to their mission and future.

MassMutual is the season sponsor of the Springfield Museums.