Cover Story: Top Five Business Women in Western Mass.

by Leigh Greaney

Here, in Western Mass., women are climbing business ladders to the top and smiling down. After a tedious process of choosing exemplary women who stand out the most in the business world in of this community, Western Mass Women’s Magazine has chosen five women of prowess, who serve not only as role models, but as inspiration. Those women are: Cindy Anzallotti, Gina Barry, Carol Moore-Cutting, Cheryl Gorski, and Kathryn Kirby.

Cindy Anzallotti is the President of CityStage and Symphony Hall. She works longs days and nights delving into every facet of her business, yet admits, “Never in a million years would I guess I’d end up here.”

A Psychology major from Eastern Connecticut Stage College, Anzallotti started her business career in development by fundraising for hospitals, soon after, she was climbing the tiers of business success. She was originally hired at CityStage and Symphony Hall as the Director of Development, but after she unleashed her talent, it didn’t take long for her to climb from interim general manager to general manager and then to president. Now, she’s at the close of her 13th season and ready to start on her 14th starting in September.

“I was in the right place at the right time,” Anzallotti said.. “I’m a business person, not an arts person,” she admitted. “I’m into arts now, but I came here as a business manager. It’s what I do. I do the budget. I book the shows. I do the settlements. I do the contracts. I do the labor negotiations. I’m a Business Manager,” she said. And she does more than that.

She’s a mother of two and a wife. She’s turned the term “multi-tasking” on its head, but she knows she’s not the only octopus around. “Women can multi-task,” she said, “We can fold laundry, cook dinner, and do a spread-sheet at the same time.” She gets it from her mother, who she describes as a “whirlwind” - a mother, who not only raised six children, but also put herself through college when she was 35 years-old.

For Anzallotti, the juggling act of being a mother and a business woman has been her biggest challenge and her greatest pride. Both of her passions - her family and her career - collided in success at her wedding when she was remarried. As her son gave the toast, he mentioned how great his mom was for all that she’s done. She paid his way through college, took him on trips, and was there for him. With her daughter getting married this year, another toast is more than imminent.

“My kids love and respect me for what I’ve done. They’re the most important thing in my life. I love my babies,” Anzallotti said.

She has the same love for her staff of six powerhouses, who make everything possible. “We do everything ourselves and we do it all together,” Anzallotti smiled.

With their help, she was able to take an arts organization that was three-quarters of a million dollars in debt and turn it around to an organization that is profitable. Also, the business brings people to Springfield. She said, “It contributes over four million dollars, annually, to the local economy. It does its mission. It brings people downtown. Our people go to the bars and the restaurants, the hotels, the shopping, and they come to our shows and park in the garages. We employ people. That’s what I’m proud of.”

The biggest obstacle for Anzallotti and for her company is to make people realize what an asset the theater is to the community. With the threat of a possible 2,400 seat casino in Palmer, she is worried that part of the community’s fabric will be lost to the marketing power of the gambling business.

“We need the arts. We want to attract people to our area,” Anzallotti said. With her effort and the 26 shows that she’s making possible this season (never mind the rentals) there is still hope for the art’s future.

As for her future, Anzallotti wants grandbabies.

She doesn’t know what’s next. She could end up following her dream of becoming a consultant or as she says, “who knows what’s next. Maybe I’ll sell seashells on the seashore.”


Gina Barry is an attorney and shareholder for Bacon Wilson, P.C. Although she didn’t always know that being a lawyer was her career path, she was always sure that she had to be a champion of the underdog. Practicing Elder law has solidified that passion into an occupation. She was led to that conclusion after working with clients and finding what she describes as “a unique combination of intellectual challenge and consistent personal interaction.”

Aside from Elder law, Barry also practices Real Estate and Zoning Estate Planning, as well as having experience with guardianship, conservatorship, and planning for long-term care and residential real estate. She received her J.D. from Western New England College in 1999 and ever since she can be found in court, in client meetings, drafting documents, on the telephone with clients or other professionals, getting involved with civil projects, or at the barn if she has a day off.

Although spending time at the office has its perks, she really savors her time at the barn. Barry adores animals. One of her specialized practice areas is estate planning for pets. The development of that practice has been extremely rewarding for her. She said, “When I began planning for pets, many people laughed at the idea. Now, most states allow for pet trusts and a bill is pending here in Massachusetts to allow them.”

Moreover, the Massachusetts Bar Association has since established an Animal Law section

It was her unabashed love for animals that gave her such a title. Growing up, Barry volunteered at the Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Holyoke, where she met Jasper - a horse that has since changed her life. After working with him for several months, the bond between the two became encased in gold. Tragically, that bond was severed when Jasper became injured after their not-long-enough time together and had to be put down. However, the gold of their bond still shimmers, as it brought Barry from her admittedly “awkward teenage girl” state to her current state of self-confidence, pride and discipline.

Because Jasper was such a crucial part of the fabric of her life, Barry brainstormed ways to bring horses back into her world, while providing the same character-building opportunities to other young girls. She founded The Joy of Jasper, Inc., a non-profit horse sanctuary, in 2007, where she is currently the President of the company.

The Joy of Jasper provides sanctuary to abused, abandoned and neglected horses for as long as they live. At the moment, they have a 28 year-old Dutch Warmblood and a 37 year-old Thoroughbred, and hopes to add another horse to the family in the Fall of this year. Barry said, “We encourage volunteerism by at-risk youth with the hope that they will take away some of what I did from the experience.”

Although she gets great pride from The Joy of Jasper, she also gains notable satisfaction as an Elder law attorney. Being able to aid clients with complex legal issues that involve high-stress problems involving death, taxes and nursing homes, etc is very fruitful life-work in her eyes.

She says, “These wouldn’t typically be considered topics people enjoy discussing. I enjoy making the complex issues easily understandable. When I see relief of my clients’ faces as they gain the knowledge of what can be done in their situation, it is very rewarding.”

In the future, Barry would love to become a judge, preferably in the Probate and Family Court, although it is not easy to acquire such a high-standing position. As for now, she’s happy with her current endeavors, but is wide-eyed for what the future may bring.


Carol Moore-Cutting is the President, Owner and General Manager for WEIB - 106.3 Smooth FM. You may know her station well, but she was never tuned in to her growing passion for the business until later in life. After entering Tuskegee University on a scholarship and work study as a Mathematics major, she graduated in 1969 with a degree in Secondary Education. In 1971, the tides changed again and she got her Masters in Community Leadership and Development from Springfield Community College.

While working on her Masters, she couldn’t help but notice that there was a major deficiency of broadcast options in the community and found it difficult to know what was going on in the Springfield area. There were very few radio and television stations and absolutely no public television at the time.

Moore-Cutting wouldn’t stand for it. She began to ask questions about why this was the current state of affairs and what it would take to make change. It took a lot of research - especially due to the lack of Google search engines at the time. However, her long hours of scouring for answers finally led to conclusions. What it would take to own a radio station was simple: buy an existing radio station or build one by applying to the Federal Communications Commission for a Construction Permit. She did the latter.

In 1984, she applied to the FCC and got the permit she needed. By 1999, she was able to test broadcast. Ever since, her work has been on air and for that she is more than proud - proud like her parents are of her accomplishments.

Moore-Cutting is proud of her parents right back and said, “This was accomplished on their backs and past generations experiences...they didn’t have an easy life growing up in the segregated South.”

The community is proud, too. WEIB has had the opportunity to create what Moore-Cutting calls a “niche,” where “Cool Jazz, Smooth Sounds and A Touch of Soul” can be heard. The station is recognized nationally and internationally by artists who hope to hear their work on air. It is also recognized as a National Radio Reporting Station for over five different entities, making it responsible determining artist’s weekly ranked positions on the National and International Charts.

With all of its prestige, the stations still manages to be the only locally owned FM radio station. Moore-Cutting said, “We purposefully make decisions to partner with organizations that benefit our community and its citizens because ‘We are Your Caring Concerned and Committed Radio Station For Our Community.”’

WEIB-FM is free and covers areas from Southern Vermont and New Hampshire down throughout the Pioneer Valley and into Connecticut. With the dawn of weibfm.com, the whole world can now tune in.

Although that’s enough to make anyone proud, Moore-Cutting has a smile on her face at the end of the day knowing that she has historical significance. She is the first female in Massachusetts and the first African American in New England to have been granted a FCC-FM radio station construction permit.

For over ten years of “Broadcasting Excellence,” Moore-Cutting is contented, but she is ecstatic that her team’s emphasis is pointed towards the community. Now, she can proudly say, “It is believed that because of this tremendously tireless determination over many years, WEIB 106.3 Smooth FM is now one of the top-ranked radio stations in the market.” The success ratings don’t lie and out of 26 stations, WEIB is ranked number 4 in the age 55 plus bracket, number 6 in the age 25-54 bracket and number 6 in the age 18-34 bracket.

Although she doesn’t see any other career besides WEIB for her future, Moore-Cutting would like to spend more time with her family and good friends. However, she said, “The music must be kept grooving and constantly improving.”


Cheryl Gorski is the Executive Director of the Cancer House of Hope. She had not planned to work for non-profits after she graduated from Wilkes University, where she received a degree in English, or even when she moved to Springfield to attend Western New England College School of Law. After being at law school for a year, she decided that her path was yet to be found, but it certainly was not being a lawyer. She did, however, know that she wanted to stay in Springfield.

After steadily moving up the career ladder, starting at KPMG Peat Marwick, she found herself at a catalogue of different positions and jobs - both profit and non-profit. When she applied to for the Executive Director position at the Cancer House of Hope four years ago, she was looking for something new and exciting, as well as something with an appealing mission.

With a position at the Cancer House of Hope, she was able to connect the dots between having a good career and having a personally meaningful career. Her aunt was been diagnosed with brain cancer 10 years ago, and Gorski had her in mind when she applied for the job. She said, “I know what its like to be a family member of someone who has the disease.”

She also knows what its like to a successful business woman. She admitted, “I never wrote a grant before I came to the Cancer House of Hope and I was intimidated at the prospect of doing them, even though I have a writing background.” Her first grant went swimmingly, even though she was nervous. It was a grant to the Susan G. Kormen for the Cure Foundation and was complex and very long, but was funded for $12,000. Gorski, to this day, considers it the achievement she is most proud of since she started working for the company.

It was a challenge, but she can work under pressure. She can stay organized and soak up new knowledge like a sponge. One thing she learned: Non-profits are a business - just like profit businesses. She said, “Charitable organizations need to be run like a business. I think there is a misconception by some that we don’t function that way. Behind the scenes, however, that is not the case.”

This business is beneficial in the heart - not in the pocket. Gorski always leaves work happy when a member tells her how much the services at the Cancer House of Hope helped them. Although she seldom sees clients personally, as with most executive positions, she knows she is making happiness possible as she works on grants, attends fundraiser meetings, reviews program data and tends to a list of other management tasks.

However, she does make a point to candidly catch her clients and ask them how they like the programs. Members seem to love coming to yoga, Reiki and to All Cancers, as well as spending time with volunteers. Those candid moments remind Gorski why she’s there in the first place.

In the future, she would love to get a chance to work with girls or teen mothers in order to share the knowledge she’s acquired over the years. Being a single mother of two sons with no local-living family, she’s learned from her struggles and would love to lessen the struggle for any young woman who needs direction.

She’s learned how to cope with job struggles, as well. In tough economic times, there is a demand for services but a decrease in funding, leaving the Cancer House of Hope in dire need of strategy. That strategy has been fundraising. Gorski said, “You have to get creative in your fundraising strategies and as someone who did not come to the Caner House of Hope with a strong development background, it has been interesting to say the least.”

Interesting, but do-able - just like being a mom and business woman. It’s not easy, but it’s more than refreshing when you know you’ve done your best and learned much.


Kathryn Kirby is the Youth Employment Coordinator for the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, Inc. Like Gorski, working for a non-profit was not always her career dream, yet she is not surprised that’s where her niche was found. Originally, she wanted to be a reporter and followed that dream successfully for seven years as a radio news reporter. After working her way up to her ultimate dream of being a TV news reporter and morning/noon anchor at Channel 22 News, she moved to WVIT-NBC 30 in Hartford.

While living her dream, she established a new one. She decided she wanted to bring good news to people for a change. She fought the idea of leaving TV, but couldn’t fight the need in her heart to help other people. When the time came to renew her contract with NBC, she declined to come back - much to the dismay of her agent and her News Director.

Seven years later, here she is. Although it wasn’t a gust of wind that took her to her current position, it was planning.

She experienced a period of unemployment between her TV career and her job now. Instead of getting down, she remembered advice her father told her. “He said that people are going to experience lulls in their life, but the smart person takes the time to prepare. So, I took my downtime to learn new marketable skills on my own, including how to create websites with the assistance of PC Solutions and Training in Chicopee,” Kirby said.

A few months later, she landed a position with State Representative, Benjamin Swan, as a Legislative Aide. As part of the job, she advocated those living in the 11th Hampden District of Springfield. She loved it and took it very seriously. So, after being told she should apply to the position at the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, she couldn’t resist.

Now, she is able to harness her writing, public speaking, creative, and enterprising talents, as well as challenging herself - a quality of work that is a requirement for her. “If I’m not challenged, I will seek opportunities to be challenged,” Kirby said.

She challenged herself last year when she received a Masters of Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy from Bay Path College. She challenged herself to still involve herself with the media, even as the Youth Employment Coordinator, by doing a tremendous amount of marketing. She challenged herself when she takes on huge projects, such as working with Martha Coakley to help to encourage employers to hire youth during the summer months.

As a result of that specific negotiation with the Attorney General’s office, Kirby was able to secure a $10,000 donation which resulted in another donation of $10,000 given by the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation. The total $20,000 donation paid for the summer employment opportunities of Hampden County’s youth - quite the challenge.

The Regional Employment Board just celebrated their 3rd annual breakfast, which was held at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Over 150 employers, including community based organizations came to the event. It was a great motivator from employers and gave them a chance to hear the stories of young people who were able to benefit from a summer job.

Before the annual breakfast, Kirby had to opportunity to coordinate and plan a three-city press conference to kick off summer job openings in the cities of Springfield, Chicopee and Holyoke.

When it comes to being proud of her work, Kirby very much is, but she is the most proud that she is able to stay close to the root of her dreams that lie in the media. “I do not have to give up my love of writing,” Kirby said, “I write press releases, op-ed pieces, and magazine and newspaper articles on summer jobs.”

Here she is doing just that, enveloping herself in the media for doing what she loves most - helping others.

Congratulations to Kathryn Kirby, and the other four business women for doing what they love and doing it well.

They all act not only as living proof that women are capable and confident, but they act as proof that the rewards from living by doing what you love are more precious than words. for attorneys who specialize in animal-related issues. Because of her work, Barry has been considered a “pioneer” in pet estate planning - even if she can’t say it without blushing.