Pynchon Awards

2022 Pynchon Medalists Announced
by Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts

Region’s oldest public-service award to be presented to two local changemakers.

Presentation of Pynchon Medal set for Thursday,
October 13, 2022,  at the Delaney House in Holyoke, Mass

The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts’ Trustees of the Order of William Pynchon announced their selection of two local residents as recipients of this year’s Pynchon medal. Brenda McGiverin, chairperson of the Pynchon Trustees, stated, “These are the times that we most need heroes, and we surely have them in this year’s recipients.”

Slated to receive the Advertising Club’s Pynchon Medal at an October 2022 event are two local residents.

The 2022 recipients are as follows:

Carol Cutting has been the owner and operator of WEIB – 106.3 FM since 1999. She persisted through a protracted legal battle to become the first Black woman to operate a radio station in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In so doing, she fulfilled a fifteen-year vision of bringing representation of the region’s African-American community to the airwaves. She has also served in a host of change-making organizations, including Alpha Kappa Alpha and the National Association of Black-Owned Broadcasters.

For nearly 24 years, Sherry Elander has served as a special education teacher in the Westfield Public School system, with a special focus in helping students transition to life after their formal education. Throughout her career, Sherry has built a program designed to bring college, careers, and other life goals within reach for countless students with intellectual, developmental, and/or physical disabilities. The program that she’s developed, and the network of advocacy she has built, has become a model for districts throughout the state — and for educators across the country. She has developed partnerships with colleges and universities, local businesses, and policy makers in western Massachusetts and beyond, all with a view to maximizing the opportunity her students deserve.

This year’s recipients were chosen from a pool of nominations for the award received earlier this spring by the Advertising Club. All nominees are researched by the trustees, who then deliberate before selecting final recipients. All Pynchon medalists are chosen by unanimous decision of the Pynchon Trustees, who are the current and five past presidents of the Advertising Club. Pynchon Trustees for 2022 are Teresa Utt, David Cecchi, Mary Shea, Scott Whitney, Brenda McGiverin, and current Advertising Club President Kelly McGiverin.

The presentation of the Pynchon Medal and celebration will take place on Thursday, October 13, 2022 at the Delaney House in Holyoke. For more information, you can call 413-342-0533.

BUY TICKETS HERE

Presentation of the Pynchon Medal

October 13th, 6:00 p.m. The Delaney House, Holyoke MA
Tickets may be purchased at $75 per person.

6:00-7:00 pm, Cocktail Hour
7:00-9:00 pm, Induction and Ceremony

More than 200 citizens have been inducted into the Order of William Pynchon since its founding in 1915.

The Order of William Pynchon
The Order of William Pynchon was established in 1915 by the Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts (then known as the Publicity Club) for the purpose of giving public recognition to those citizens in the region who have rendered distinguished civic service.

Nominees are brought forth each year by members of the community and medalists are chosen by unanimous decision of the Pynchon Trustees. The Trustees of the Order of William Pynchon are the current and five past presidents of the Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts.

Trustees for 2022 are: Teresa Utt, David Cecchi, Mary Shea, Scott Whitney, Brenda McGiverin, and Kelly McGiverin.

The Pynchon medal bears the name of Springfield's founder, whose life and achievements typify the ideals of promoting citizenship and the building of a better community, qualities the award is intended to recognize and encourage. Recipients are presented with a bronze medal bearing Pynchon’s likeness and inscribed with the quotation: “They honor us whom we honor.”

Previous Pynchon Award Events

Pynchon Recipients