October 1, 2026 Press Releases
Community Foundation Announces New Directors
Three New Members Join CFWM Board; Charles D’Amour Appointed Chair, Succeeding Outgoing Chair Karin George
The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) has announced three new members to its Board of Directors: Attorney Seunghee Cha, partner with the law firm Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP; Dr. George Timmons, President of Holyoke Community College; and Dr. Martin Wohl, retired dentist from Wohl Family Dentistry, LLC. The Foundation has also announced Charles D’Amour, Executive Chairman of Big Y Foods, as its new Board Chair, formerly Vice Chair of the Board, succeeding outgoing Chair Karin George. Dr. Nikki Burnett, Executive Director of Educare Springfield, is now Vice Chair.
These appointments were unanimously approved by the CFWM Board of Directors and Trustees at CFWM’s Annual Meeting held on September 23.
According to Megan Burke, President and CEO of CFWM, “Since its founding 35 years ago, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts has been served by great leadership and stewardship by its Board. The investment of time and talent by members of the community represents a legacy that has served both the Community Foundation and the community at large. We are pleased to welcome Attorney Seunghee Cha, Dr. George Timmons and Dr. Martin Wohl to the CFWM Board of Directors. We look forward to their contributions to the organization. I also want to recognize Charlie D’Amour who will assume the position of Board Chair. The Board and the community will benefit from Charlie’s leadership and the breadth of experience he has in the private sector and in numerous volunteer positions. We also thank outgoing Chair Karin George for her service and the valuable contributions she has made to our Board and the Community Foundation.”
New Directors:
At Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP, Attorney Cha serves as Chair of both the firm’s Trusts and Estates department and Special Needs Planning practice, working with individuals and couples in estate planning and representing fiduciaries and beneficiaries in trust and estate administration. Her work includes intergenerational wealth transfer and charitable planning, with extensive experience planning for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental health conditions. Attorney Cha is active in community engagement, currently serving on the boards of directors of the Center for Human Development and Community Legal Aid. She is a past board member of the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County, The United Arc, and NAMI Western Massachusetts.
Dr. Timmons is the fifth president of Holyoke Community College. Prior to HCC, Dr. Timmons served as the provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs at Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson, New York, and as dean for the School of Liberal Arts at Excelsior College in Albany, New York. Committed to community service, Dr. Timmons serves on the Education Sector Working Group of Governor Maura Healey’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Taskforce. He also currently serves on the boards of Holyoke Hospital, MassHire Hampden County Workforce, The Tech Foundry, and the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council. Dr. Timmons earned a Bachelor of Science in financial management from Norfolk State University, a Master of Science in higher education from Old Dominion University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in higher education administration from Bowling Green State University.
Prior to retirement in 2016, Dr. Wohl established what is now Wohl Family Dentistry, LLC and before that directed the dental practices of the Hilltown Health Centers. Prior to settling in Western Massachusetts, he was a federal dentist in a Maternal and Child Health Clinic in Washington, D.C., and subsequently dental director with the National Health Service Corps at Hope Medical Center in New Mexico. After retiring, Dr. Wohl was a consultant and adjunct clinical instructor in the Dental Hygiene Department at Springfield Technical Community College. In 2017, he initiated Community Dental Day, an ongoing annual effort to provide free dental exams and treatment for those with minimal access. Dr. Wohl is a lifetime member of the American Dental Association, the Massachusetts Dental Society and the Valley District Dental Society, and has served on the Massachusetts Dental Society Foundation Board since 2018. Additionally, he’s served on boards, councils, advisory committees, and capital campaigns for Mass Audubon, Center for New Americans, the Iron Horse Music Hall, Grow Food Northampton, the Pioneer Valley Workers Center, and co-founded the Northampton Education Foundation Endowment Fund. He also founded and was the longtime coach of the Northampton High School Fencing Team. Dr. Wohl and his wife, who live in Northampton, established a Donor Advised Family Fund with CFWM in 2008, and in his words, “is dedicated to leaving things better than how he finds them.”
As a second-generation member of his family, D’Amour previously served as Big Y’s CEO before transitioning to his current role as Executive Chairman. Today Big Y operates 79 supermarkets across Massachusetts and Connecticut, along with 17 gas and convenience stores, 33 pharmacies, and the Table & Vine flagship store. D’Amour’s ties to the Springfield and Western Massachusetts region run deep personally, professionally and philanthropically. He has chaired the boards of Baystate Health, the Western Mass Economic Development Council, Westover Metropolitan Development Corporation, and the former Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of Pioneer Valley. At the statewide and regional level, D’Amour has co-chaired the Massachusetts Grocery Access task force and chaired the New England Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. He also currently serves as a member of Governor Maura Healey’s Anti-Hunger Task Force. He holds degrees from Boston College and New England School of Law, and is admitted to the Massachusetts and Federal Courts. D’Amour resides in Longmeadow with his wife, Elizabeth.
