"Welcome Back" Season Kick-off
Networking Social

Join us on Sept 10, 2026 from 5 PM - 7 PM

at

White Lion Brewery, Tower Square, 1500 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01115

The Estate Planning Council of Hampden County would like to welcome all new, existing, past members as well as interested members to a networking social to kick off the 2026-27 season of events.

There will be a cash bar and heavy hors D'oeuvres served. Non-Members and interested parties are welcomed.

First time guests are free. Please drop by for a drink or stay and network.

Reminder:  Annual dues must be paid by September 15th.

Senator John Velis represents the Hampden and Hampshire district in the Massachusetts State Senate, which includes his hometown of Westfield and 8 other cities and towns in Western Massachusetts.     

In the Senate, Senator Velis is Chairman of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, and Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on Aging and Independence.

Senator Velis is also a lawyer, a Veteran of the US Army Reserve, and is currently a Major in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Prior to his election to the Senate, he was the State Representative for the 4th Hampden District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2014 to 2020.

Aaron Vega became President and CEO, Western Mass Economic Development Council (EDC) at the start of 2026, succeeding Rick Sullivan in the role.  Vega most recently held the position of  Director of the City of Holyoke's Office of Planning and Economic Development in which he was instrumental in advancing major housing and redevelopment projects; as well as initiatives to strengthen business support and local economic planning.  His career in service of community began prior to that serving from 2013 – 2021 as MA State Representative for the 5th Hampden District, as an Adjunct Political Science Professor at UMass Amherst for four years and before that for two terms as a one of Holyoke’s first Latino at-large councilors, where he served a term as Chair of the Redevelopment Committee. Vega’s passion for economic growth can also be seen in his role as a small business owner of VegaYoga & Movement Arts and VegaYoga Mobile.  

Vega is also a well-known keynote speaker and panelist, having presented at the University of Massachusetts  School of Public Health and Health Sciences’ 2nd Annual Summit on Health Care, the Massachusetts Women in Law Enforcement Conference, an MMA webinar on regulatory developments related to cannabis, the Western Massachusetts Health Equity Network’s MOSAIC Film Screening, and the Democratic State Convention panel on Combating Bigotry, Racism, and White Supremacy in American Politics. 

Vega’s educational journey found him attending Holyoke Community College and Keene State College where he graduated with a dual bachelor’s degrees in psychology and film studies. After which he pursued a career in film editing, working on projects for Ken Burns, PBS, TLC and HBO. 

A proud Ecuadorian, born and raised in Holyoke, Mass; his film career took him to New York City and New Hampshire for a number of years. Missing what Western Mass offers, he moved back to Holyoke with his wife, former Rockette and now entrepreneur, Debra. He is the proud parent of three daughters and a son, as well as a recent grandfather.  

Vega currently serves on the board of Mass Humanities as Chair and serves on the board for the Community Foundation of Western Mass, The Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice, NEPM and MassHire Hampden County Career Center.