Office Profile: Conz Street Northampton
Working with Nonotuck’s Conz Street Northampton office is like taking an institutional history lesson. The office employs and supports some of the longest-tenured people in Nonotuck’s history, including Care Manager Dan Zimmerman, who has been with Nonotuck since 1992, as well as several families who were among the first to embrace shared living in Massachusetts. Care Manager Laurie Bell has also been part of the Conz Street team since 2002.
Nonotuck was founded in Hampshire County in 1972 by parents of children with disabilities seeking alternatives to institutions like the Belchertown State School. Over the years, Nonotuck has had offices throughout the Pioneer Valley before settling into its current location on Conz Street.
The Conz Street office supports families like the Johnsons, who have three generations of shared living caregivers and more than 30 years of partnership with Nonotuck. Their caregiver lineage includes Ruth, who worked for Nonotuck in the 1980s, and Ray and Dodie, who are current caregivers in Erving. Read Ray’s story here.
Tom Joyce is another shared living provider supported by the Conz street office. He celebrated thirty years of shared living with Ron Campbell in 2023—Ron has since unfortunately passed—and continues as a shared living caregiver to this day. Read about Ron and Tom’s life together here.
These longstanding relationships—- and because of where it is—-make Conz street a living history of Nonotuck. “Nonotuck’s roots are in Hampshire County. We have folks in our services and caregivers who have been here since the very beginning,” says Janet Yurko. “They really are rich in history and stories, and that’s a testament to those long-standing relationships. Twenty-five to thirty years later, they’re still doing Shared Living, still working with us.”
As CEO and someone who has shepherded Nonotuck’s evolution for decades, George H. Fleischner sees Conz Street as a reflection of everything the agency stands for. “Conz Street reflects the very best of Nonotuck, our history, our values, and the deep relationships that have shaped us for more than fifty years,” he says. “The commitment of the caregivers and staff continues to inspire us as we grow as an agency and their example will help ensure that our future remains rooted in the same compassion and connection that sparked Nonotuck’s founding.”
That history extends to Conz St. Program Directors Nichole Bourke and Janine Conklin, who bring close to two decades of cumulative experience to Nonotuck (10 years and 9 years respectively). Nichole handles the northern part of Western Massachusetts—towns including Greenfield, Hadley, Orange, and while Janine handles Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, and Westfield.
Both describe the Conz Street office as close-knit, enjoying shared activities like bowling and pool, and organizing volunteer efforts like a clothing and food drive the group is undertaking this fall. They point to the office’s embrace of civility and kindness—two of Nonotuck’s core values—as especially meaningful.
“I’ve had a couple people tell me that this is the first place they’ve ever worked where anyone asks them how they are,” Janine says. “We have full staff meetings once a month and we always talk about it—right at the top of the agenda is civility and kindness.”
In addition to her work as a Program Director, Nichole also serves as co-chair of Nonotuck’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) Committee. Although Nonotuck has upheld DEI&B efforts in various forms since the 1990s, Nichole helped spark its current chapter after a 2020 conversation with CEO George H. Fleischner about revitalizing the initiative. Since then, under her leadership, the committee has hosted thoughtful monthly events and discussions where employees explore topics ranging from cultural identity and heritage to cuisine and community. For her leadership, Nichole was honored by the Association of Developmental Disability Providers (ADDP) and has also served as an invited speaker on the Juneteenth holiday at an ADDP event.
“I enjoy being part of a space that encourages open dialogue, self-reflection, and growth,” Nichole says. “I get to collaborate with colleagues who are passionate about fostering inclusivity and belonging throughout Nonotuck. I appreciate the opportunity to help shape initiatives that not only celebrate diversity but also create meaningful connections and understanding across our organization. It’s rewarding to see how our discussions and actions can inspire both personal and organizational change.”