Business Growth Center Staff

CARING ABOUT YOUR SUCCESS AND PROFITABILITY

Marla Michel Former Director, Business Growth Center/Scibelli Enterprise Center at Springfield Technology Park

Marla is a trusted mentor who Pioneer Valley business owners turn to for consultation whether they oversee small sole proprietor shops or mature, national operations. She came on board as a loaned executive from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 2010 and led the Growth Center’s transition to its current model focused on entrepreneurial growth until 2015.

Previously, Marla was the founding director of the Research Liaison and Development Department at UMass Amherst, where she also continues to serve as director of campus engagement. During the first 12 years of her career, Marla worked for AT&T Bell Laboratories as a member of technical staff and senior marketing manager and was a key member of the team that defined the smart phone market and built the product.

Marla holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from the University of Albany, SUNY, and a master’s degree in software engineering from Monmouth University. She has completed executive education from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. She serves on various boards and committees in the Pioneer Valley.

Sarah Crouse Tenant Services Coordinator, Springfield Technology Park

Sarah is the Leasing Administrator/Tenant Services Coordinator at the Springfield Technology Park, managed by Appleton Corporation. She works closely with the tenants in Building 101, where the Business Growth Center is located, to ensure tenants get what they need so they can focus their time on more profitable matters. Sarah has worked at Easthampton Savings Bank, TD Bank, Crowley and Associates (a commercial appraisal company), and interned with the Springfield Falcons. Sarah graduated from St. Andrews University in 2010 with a degree in business administration and earned her high school diploma at the MacDuffie School.