Staff Directory
The MSBDC Network's Western Regional Office is staffed by professionals with extensive business experience and excellent educational backgrounds. Click on a link below to go to a staff member's biography.
Leslie Scales | Laurel Costello | Awilda Irizarry | Walter Manninen
Leslie Scales, Regional Director
Leslie recently joined the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center as regional director of the Northeast Regional Office in Salem.
Prior to joining the MSBDC, Leslie served as director, facilitator and professional coach at Leadership Dynamics, Inc., a firm specializing in personal and organizational leadership training and development. She is also the former president and co-founder of The International Leadership Institute for Women, specializing in helping women become the best versions of themselves.
Leslie has been in the organizational and personal development business for seventeen years. She graduated from Babson College with a degree in Entrepreneurial Studies, specializing in Marketing and Management. She is a frequent speaker to audiences delivering dynamic addresses on the topics of Women’s Leadership, Personal Development and Goal Setting. Leslie is the co-author of the book, Seven Steps to a Life of Significance.
Laurel
Costello,
Administrative Coordinator
Laurel joined the
Massachusetts Small Business Development Center’s
Northeast Regional Office in
November 2006.
Previously, Laurel
worked for Delta Air Lines, Inc. at Logan International
Airport for 30 years. She worked all aspects of
the Airport Customer Services Department including
training supervisor, customer services supervisor and
customer services representative. In addition to her
strong customer service background, Laurel brings a
wealth of experience in supervisory and management
skills to the MSBDC.
Laurel holds a
Bachelor of Science degree from Salem State University.
Awilda Irizarry, Senior Business Advisor
Awilda has over seven years of experience in
banking. Her areas of expertise include all phases of
small business operations, including business planning,
financing, and market research. Awilda is fluent in both
English and Spanish, and is familiar with the Hispanic
market from soup to nuts. As a business advisor, Awilda
helps business owners build sales and marketing
operations.
With her unique combination of
skills in strategic planning, marketing, sales,
financing, business development and performance
management, she has helped business owners launching
successful businesses.
Awilda holds a Bachelor
of Science degree from Salem State University in
geography and a Master’s degree from Lesley College in
international relations.
La señora Irizarry
tiene sobre siete años de experiencia en la banca. Sus
áreas de conocimiento incluye todas las fases de
operaciones de empresas incluyendo planeación,
financiamiento, y análisis del mercado. Awilda domina
la lengua inglesa y española y esta muy familiarizada
con el mercado hispano de la a la z. Como consejera de
negocios, Awilda ayuda a los empresarios a incrementar
operaciones de ventas y mercadeo.
Con su
única combinación de destrezas en planeamiento
estratégico, mercadeo, ventas, finanzas, desarrollo de
negocios y gestión del rendimiento corporativo, ella ha
ayudado a dueños de negocios arrancar negocios exitosos.
Awilda es licenciada en Geografía por la Universidad
de Salem y cuenta con un Máster de Relaciones
Internacionales por la Universidad de Lesley.
Walter Manninen, Senior Business Advisor and Financial Specialist
Walter Manninen joined the staff of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center's Northeast Regional Office in November 2005.
A former entrepreneur, Walter served as president and chief executive officer of CXO Media Inc. which published Chief Information Officer, Chief Security Officer and Chief Marketing Officer magazines for senior managers bridging technology and businesses along with associated professional conferences.
Walter also brings to the MSBDC ten years of experience in banking as a treasurer, controller, vice president and loan officer. His outstanding performance was noted in 2004, when he was nominated for an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and was later given the IDG Chairman’s Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership.
In 2005, Walter partnered with the director of the Secret Service and the director of CERT Coordination Center to conduct a comprehensive research study on cyber security.
Walter holds a BS from Salem State College and an MBA from Suffolk University. His interest in art, demonstrated through his philanthropy, has resulted in an endowed chair and a building named in his honor at Endicott College, the Walter J. Manninen Center for the Arts. Walter’s art collection has been highlighted in several feature articles both in U.S. News and World Report and CFO Magazine.