We are a small team making a big difference.
Meet Springfield WORKS! We have a team of staff and a long list of diverse local and regional partners who are dedicated to advancing collective solutions for economic opportunity.
Our Structure
Springfield WORKS is governed by a set of core partners, who 'steer the ship' by deciding the priorities and domains of the other groups affiliated with Springfield WORKS. These core partners include Baystate Health, Holyoke Community College, Springfield Partners for Community Action, and many more shown below. Numerous different subgroups, made up of our staff and community partners, execute different types of projects and co-collaborate on funding opportunities, all creating the conditions for economic opportunity and mobility in the region.
Our Staff Team
Anne Kandilis
Director
Anne Kandilis serves as the first Director of the Springfield WORKS Collaborative, a community-wide initiative formed in 2016 with the Western Mass Economic Development Council and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Working Cities Challenge, to promote economic growth in under-served communities. Her desire to remove systemic and racial barriers to economic opportunity grew from her neighborhood board work after a 2011 tornado devastated her diverse, under-resourced neighborhood. Before leading Springfield WORKS, she assisted the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation in the launch of a high quality early education and care center, Educare Springfield, in that devastated neighborhood. In the first leg of her career, she was a Senior Executive in Corporate Strategy and Government Relations at a Fortune 100 insurance company, and a Tax Partner with a "Big Four" Accounting/Consulting practice in Boston. She is a native of Springfield, attended Springfield Public Schools, and was a first generation college student at UMass Amherst.
Contact me to engage with Springfield WORKS, collaborate on grant work, to learn more about our existing partnerships, or current and past initiatives
Shawntsi Baret
Workforce Development
Shawntsi Baret is a workforce development consultant with extensive experience in the public sector. With 20+ years of experience in the industry with a focus on strategic management consulting with a variety of community based organizations, adjunct and contract faculty experience at Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College. Ms. Baret has led efforts integrating the employment needs of businesses with the employment goals and needs of the unemployed, underemployed, and entry-level worker. Formerly, she was Vice President of Workforce Development/Client Services with a nationally-recognized workforce development consulting firm.
Contact me for Future collaborations, information on current or past initiatives
Eneida Molina
Community Alignment Specialist
Eneida began her career path during a DTA Works internship and as a member of the Massachusetts Service Alliance (MSA), a nonprofit expanding volunteerism and service in Massachusetts. Through MSA she trained with other individuals and organizations to tackle pressing issues, strengthen communities, and make our Commonwealth a better place to live. Working wih the EDC allowed her to network with community leaders and find new ways to get involved. As a Community Alignment Specialist with Springfield WORKS since 2020, Eneida is project support for outreach and recruitment. She communicates with organizations and community members with free career readiness training programs. She is also a proud member of the Springfield Parent Council, working together to advocate for families in the Greater Springfield Area.
Contact me to learn more about career resources in the Springfield region
Roland Bernier
Data Administrator
Roland Bernier brings more than 40 years of experience to Springfield WORKS, in both the private and public sectors. After building his own cross-sector consulting practice focused on developing computer and business systems and leading multi-national business projects, Mr. Bernier entered the non-for-profit area working on social challenges. His impressive work history includes graduating from the first class of Encore!Hartford as a business fellow trained in the not-for-profit sector, and creating the backbone systems and processes for Foodshare, Inc, a Connecticut-based organization addressing the needs of food-insecure individuals and families. Mr. Bernier lends us his technical and planning skills, as well as his passion for helping people to be better off.
Contact me for Data or grant reporting
Hannah Reuter
Cliff Effect Pilot Director
Hannah began her career working with youth and served as an AmeriCorps Member in Portland, Oregon where she managed a weekend “backpack” food program for food-insecure elementary school students. Since then, she has worked for various research and policy organizations, bridging the gap between research evidence and policy making. Most recently, she was a Policy Manager at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL North America), a research center based at MIT that catalyzes rigorous evaluations in partnership with non-profits and state and local government partners. Hannah received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a Masters of Public Administration from the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. As the inaugural Cliff Effect Pilot Director, she oversees the development of partnerships critical to the Pilot’s success, the design and refinement of the pilot model in close collaboration with the community, and ensures the Pilot’s learnings influence future policy. She is a passionate advocate for a strong, accessible, and supportive social safety net.
Contact me for anything related to our Cliff Effect work
Get in Touch with Springfield WORKS
Springfield WORKS:
An affiliate of the Western Mass Economic Development Council
1441 Main Street,
Springfield, MA 01103
Phone: (413) 755-1365
info@springfieldworks.net
Please fill out the contact form for more information.
Our Partners
National and Multistate Initiatives
