Our Mission

Our purpose is to stimulate a more vital rural economy, to maximize community control over our future economic destiny, and to expand opportunities for low- and moderate-income residents.

Who We Are

Located in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and serving western and central Massachusetts, the Franklin County Community Development Corporation (FCCDC) is an economic development nonprofit providing business development education, access to capital, and commercial office and manufacturing space.

The FCCDC was formed in 1979 to maximize community control over our economic destiny. At that time, a number of manufacturing companies in the area were closing and moving elsewhere. The FCCDC has changed over the years as the needs of the community have changed, but our programs and activities are still geared toward stimulating a robust economy in every sector that includes every resident. 

We are home to the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center and administer the PVGrows Investment Fund, the Massachusetts Food Trust Program for the western part of the state, and the Massachusetts Agriculture Innovation Center.

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What We Do

The FCCDC helps small-business owners and entrepreneurs with business planning, lending, and commercial space. Our goal is to help entrepreneurs who live or work in western Massachusetts and the North Quabbin to minimize their risks by connecting them to resources and information to maximize their success.

The Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center helps guide specialty food entrepreneurs from throughout the New England region along the path to launch and manufacture food products. We help farmers and food entrepreneurs add value to their crops through the Massachusetts Agriculture Innovation Center. We give community members an opportunity to invest in our food system (and give farmers and food businesses access to financing) through the PVGrows Investment Fund. And we provide grants and flexible loans to food retail entrepreneurs who bring local healthy food to low-income and low-grocery areas through the Massachusetts Food Trust Program. 

Our commercial properties provide a space for new entrepreneurs. Since 1989, the Venture Center has been incubating and growing businesses by offering commercial space. Today eight businesses rent here, with one anchor tenant.

The team here consists of experienced staff, industry expert consultants, and dedicated volunteers. The FCCDC is funded by program fees (rental income, loan payments, and tuition), state and federal grants, and private contributors (donate here).

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The FCCDC Can:

*Assist with business planning for pre-venture and existing business owners;

*Connect business owners with information and referrals;

*Provide financial support for working capital, new equipment, and general business needs;

*Provide commercial space for office or light manufacturing businesses;

*Arrange for commercial kitchen space for value-added food production.

 

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FCCDC Staff

 

	John Waite, Executive Director	John Waite has been Executive Director of the Franklin County Community Development Corporation (FCCDC) since March 2000. John oversees all programs and finances of the organization. He has helped expand the Business Assistance Program, the Small Business Lending program, and construct and operate the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center. Most recently he has helped expand the FCCDC’s work in Food Systems and Racial Equity and is leading the Strategic Planning process during the organization’s 40th Anniversary year. John has a Business degree from University of Massachusetts and a Masters degree from Columbia University. He has over 35 years of community economic development experience, including Peace Corps in Burkina Faso and Uzbekistan, CARE/UNDP in Uganda, Community Organization in Brooklyn working with Refugee entrepreneurs. He is on many boards and committees at the local, regional and national organizations.	413-774-7204, X102
	Traci Talbert, Racial Justice and Community Engagement Leader	Traci Talbert joined the FCCDC as the Racial Justice Community Engagement Leader in late 2020. Traci appreciates and values the significance of cultural competence as a tool for achieving success and making significant changes in our ever-changing world. "Take the time to discern, by listening to the individuals that surround you and, asking significant questions, before constructing a conclusion," she says. Traci has spent the last five years facilitating presentations on diversity and cultural awareness in various organizations, incorporating customer service skills as a strategic initiative to develop a team and grow a business. Traci is an adjunct faculty member at Cambridge College and Bay Path University. She is teaching Business Management, Project Management, Diversity in the Workplace, Business Ethics, Leadership Models, and the Capstone Research Project.	413-774-7204, x113
	Glen Ohlund, Lending Program Director	Glen Ohlund has been the Business Lending Director at the FCCDC since 2022. He has worked in community economic development and business finance for more than 30 years. Glen is excited to be lending in western Massachusetts and is committed to sustainable development that adds value to businesses, builds community, and benefits people who may have challenges in access to capital and wealth creation. Glen holds a B.S. in business management and an M.S. in community economic development, both obtained at Southern New Hampshire University. He also is certified as an Economic Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council. Glen serves on the board of a nonprofit focused on land access and farm tenure, as well as on the Loan Committee of a regional Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). He lives with his artist-wife Tracy Vernon in Montague. In his free time, he enjoys cycling and fly fishing, although not at the same time.	413-774-7204, X105
	Scott LaRochelle, Administrative Assistant	Scott has been providing administrative support since the early 90s at a variety of organizations. His background comes from working with production factories, doctor’s offices, daycares, and most recently a local union as their office manager. Scott has worked with, and alongside of, many nonprofits over the years. He did physical labor, office work, fundraising, and pretty much anything needed to get to the agency’s goal. Scott has done volunteer work since 2001 and understands the need for people to get involved in helping others. Scott joined the organization in late 2021.	413-774-7204, X100
	Arthur Haselkorn, Credit Analyst	Arthur Haselkorn is the Credit Analyst reporting to Glen Ohlund, Lending Program Director. He supports all aspects of lending, from his initial interview, to collection and analysis of data, and ultimate decision making. He then follows with loan structure, documentation, and monitoring of ongoing relationships. His background includes both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in business, along with extensive experience in all aspects of lending both on behalf of banks and commercial finance lenders. He’s working at FCCDC to help grow and strengthen the employment base of Franklin County.	413-774-7204, X115
	Liz Buxton, Food Processing Center Operations Director	Liz Buxton has been the Director of Operations of the Western MA Food Processing Center (WMFPC) since August of 2013. Liz has over 30 years of management experience in food service, food production and food safety. She has held positions in many facets of food production such as restaurants, business and industry food service, college food service, and K-12 food service. Liz holds certificates in Better Process Control School, HACCP Plan development, Juice HACCP, FSPCA Preventative Controls for Human Food , Serv-Safe and OSHA 10 and 30. She works directly with food entrepreneurs to scale up and make their processes commercial ready and with local farms to develop value added products from their crops.	413-774-7204, X110
	Kate Minifie, Food Entrepreneurship Program Manager	Kate Minifie is the Food Business Manager for the Western MA Food Processing Center. Kate has worked across many sectors of the local food system, including on farms, in restaurants and in the nonprofit sector as a farm to school and local food system advocate. At the Food Processing Center, Kate is the first point of contact for clients making a specialty food product in the facility. She helps clients navigate systems for bringing a product to market, including recipe development, food safety, licensing and regulatory navigation, business planning and more. In addition, she coordinates product sourcing and sales for the Valley Vegetables program, a line of frozen local veggies sold to schools and institutions. Kate holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health and strives to apply this lens to her work at the FPC in order to build a more resilient food system that is accessible to all.	413-774-7204, X104
	Shannon Martineau, Finance and Administration Director	Shannon Martineau is the Director of Finance at the FCCDC. A finance leader with over fifteen years’ experience working in retail banking and the nonprofit community, Shannon leads the financial and administrative functions. She comes to work excited to make a difference in the lives of others by utilizing her experience with financial accounting, tax law, grant writing, small business consulting and organizational leadership skills. Shannon holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from the Isenberg School of Management. In her free time, Shannon enjoys New England's four seasons by spending time outdoors with her family and friends.	413-774-7204, X106
	Judy Scherer, Operations Director	Judy Scherer, the Director of Operations at the FCCDC, has been here since 2005. She is responsible for IT and maintenance of efficient office operations for the FCCDC and Venture Center. She brings many years of varied work experiences to the job. She also brings Amelio, our feline receptionist, to provide his warm welcome to visitors. Judy coordinates training activities, manages data collection and reporting for programs.	413-774-7204, X111
	Kate Lawless, Communications Director	Communications Director Kate strives to make sure that people understand the impact that the FCCDC and its programs have on the communities they serve. Kate’s background is in journalism; she worked for print outlets covering beats including corporate finance, Brooklyn neighborhoods, and New England politics before transitioning to marketing and communications roles at independent schools. She has also held leadership positions in nonprofits serving family farmers and local businesses. She is passionate about strengthening local economies, increasing equity, and creating community. She holds a B.A. in English from SUNY Buffalo, an M.A. in journalism from New York University, and an M.A. in sustainable landscape planning and design from the Conway School.	413-774-7204, X114
	Tricia Wancko, Massachusetts Agriculture Innovation Center Director	Tricia Wancko is the Massachusetts Agriculture Innovation Center (MAIC) Director at the FCCDC, providing technical assistance and coordinating a network of partners across Massachusetts that help farms launch and scale value-added product ventures safely, legally, and sustainably. She joined the FCCDC in 2022. Tricia has more than 15 years of experience working at national nonprofits, with local farm and food businesses, and in hospitality. She's an entrepreneur at heart and is passionate about cultivating robust food cultures, resilient local economies, and regional food systems. Tricia holds a B.S. in communications from Boston University and an M.A. in food studies, along with an M.B.A. from Chatham University’s Falk School of Sustainability.	413-774-7204, X116
	Myra Marcellin, Massachusetts Agriculture Innovation Center (MAAIC) Financial Business Advisor	Myra Marcellin is the Massachusetts Agriculture Innovation Center (MAAIC) Financial Business Advisor at the Franklin County CDC (FCCDC ). In this role Myra provides business technical assistance to farmers and value-added food producers across the state of Massachusetts. Myra has more than 25 years of working with New England farmers as Vice-President and Senior Loan Officer at Farm Credit East (FCE), supporting small and mid-size farmers in realizing their business goals and helping young, beginning farmers launch their businesses. She most recently served as the Executive Director at the Carrot Project, advancing their mission of breaking down financial barriers in the agriculture and food sectors and increasing access to capital. Myra is passionate about serving agricultural communities by bolstering local food economies, creating thriving farm operations, and building a more racially diverse, equitable, and just food system. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors at CISA and is a Trustee to the Eastern States Exposition representing the State of Massachusetts.
Business Advisors	413-774-7204
	Amy Shapiro
	Jack Clemente
Western Mass Food Processing Center
	Scott Savoie Operations and Production Floor Supervisor
	Jason Noyes Warehouse Lead/Production Support
	Evan Manning Packaging Lead/Warehouse and Production Support
	Ariy Rodriguez Production Worker
	Carlos Cardenales Production Worker
	Peter Shermeta Production Worker
	And our long-term temp crew from Working Fields: Juan, John, and Bill

Get started with business assistance

FCCDC Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors

To request additional Annual Reports or Financial Statements please call (413) 774-7204.

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