What are the important considerations for those who have received funding through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)?
What is the best and safest way to bring my team back to work?
What do I do if my employees are afraid or unable to return?
How can you I set myself up for success navigating PPP loan forgiveness?

If you have asked yourself any of these questions lately, this session is designed to bring you answers. 

Join the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce for a presentation and Q&A session on Wednesday, June 3 at 10:30 AM via Zoom featuring Ken Messina, Rapid Response and Business Services Manager for the Massachusetts Department of Career Services, and Oreste Varela, Branch Manager of the U.S. Small Business Administration Springfield office who will present updates and answer questions. Please submit your questions ahead of time if possible in your registration form via the box provided. 

About Ken Messina, Rapid Response and Business Services Manager for the MA Department of Career Services
Ken has twenty- Eight years of experience in workforce development particularly in the Rapid Response field. Ken and his team have served over 10,000 company closings or layoff events that have affected over 550,000 employees.
 
Ken has been involved in the Department of Labor?s National Rapid Response Workgroup since 1998 and is regularly requested to provide Rapid Response/ Layoff Aversion training nationally.
 
Some initiatives that Ken has started include; the first Regional Rapid Response Summit, Rapid Response Set Aside fund program, and he developed the Massachusetts Rapid Response model that ensures consistency be maintained statewide.  This model has been recognized nationally and duplicated in many other states.
 
Ken was hired in January of 2009 by the US Department of Labor as the National Rapid Response coordinator. He is part of the Department of Labors effort to ensure quality/ consistent Rapid Response services are carried out throughout the country.
 
Ken continues to oversee the Mass BizWorks Program which coordinates business services and programs from various agencies and departments provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that makes it easier for businesses to access these services. 
 
About Oreste Varela, Branch Manager of the U.S. Small Business Administration Springfield Office
Oreste Varela has been with the U.S. Small Business Administration since November 2012. He is the Branch Manager of the Springfield office with responsibilities that include; lender relations, customer service, and marketing of SBA resources and programs. He received an Associate?s degree in Radiation Therapy Technology from Gwynedd-Mercy College, PA and his Bachelor?s in Computer Science from St. Peter?s College, NJ. He is also a retired US Air Force Colonel with over 30 years of experience in administrative leadership, management, and strategic planning.
 
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
Created in 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) continues to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream. The SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation?s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.