DA’s office announces series of promotions

The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office has made promotions and other staffing changes following the departure of three prosecutors for legal positions in other state and federal agencies.

Following the departure of Assistant District Attorney Joseph Webber after 12 years with the office, ADA Aidan Lanciani was promoted to handle felony cases in Superior Court. She has worked in Greenfield District Court since February 2021. Lanciani has been working alongside Webber on the Northwestern District’s Anti-Crime Task Force for two years.

For ADA Lanciani’s new role, in addition to investigating, indicting and prosecuting general felony cases in the Superior Courts of Hampshire and Franklin counties, she will supervise and coordinate with the Northwestern District’s Anti-Crime Task Force on investigations, arrests and resulting prosecutions.

ADA Jillian Parent, who has worked for the DA’s office since September 2021, was promoted from a District Court prosecutor position to one in the Child Protection Unit, where she will prosecute Superior Court cases involving child victims. Parent joins Child Protection Unit ADAs, led by Lori Odierna, who supervise investigations and prosecute crimes against children.

ADA Alex Keir has been named to replace Parent as the Orange District Court’s attorney-in-charge. Keir, who joined the DA’s office in September 2022, grew up in Franklin County and graduated from Pioneer Valley Regional School in Northfield.

“Our office is fortunate to have such a deep bench of talented, compassionate and dedicated prosecutors to fulfill our mission,” Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan said in a statement. “I have no doubt ADAs Lanciani, Parent and Keir will thrive in their new roles.”

In departures from the office, former ADA Jillian Handy left in November to join the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; former ADA Anne Yereniuk left in January to join the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland, Maine; and Webber left last month to become first assistant clerk magistrate in Franklin County Superior Court in Greenfield.

“We wish nothing but the best to Jillian Handy, Anne Yereniuk and Joe Webber in their new endeavors,” Sullivan said.

Junior Achievement of Western Mass hires education pathways director

SPRINGFIELD — Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts recently welcomed Nicole Baltazar as its new education pathways director. In this role, she will oversee traditional, experiential and entrepreneurial learning experiences, guiding their alignment with the organization’s mission and objectives to meet the needs of our community.

Baltazar’s responsibilities will include an emphasis on stakeholder engagement, especially coordinating volunteer and educational partners. She will also manage administrative programming procedures to uphold standards, ensuring adherence to program models and evaluating impact to deliver high-quality educational experiences.

“I’m thrilled that Nicole has joined our team,” Amie Miarecki, president of Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts, said in a statement. “She comes with more than 20 years of experience in the field of early education and care, is a strong advocate for youth, and enjoys mentoring and coaching.”

Baltazar is Director I and Director II through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s University Without Walls program, with a concentration in early education and administration.

In her previous role, Baltazar served as the center director for the Valley Opportunity Council.