About

The Springfield Public Forum in Springfield, MA is the oldest, independent, free public speaker series in the country. Since 1935 we have been bringing renowned speakers to our community and, because we are free to all, there is no financial barrier for anyone to attend our talks.

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and members, Springfield Public Forum brings award-winning authors, scientists, artists, educators and political figures to Springfield. These speakers share eye-opening insights and thought-provoking perspectives with Western Massachusetts audiences.

We have hosted speakers such as: NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly; Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak; Pulitzer and Nobel prize-winners such as Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Isabel Wilkerson, Siddhartha Mukherjee, and Jodi Kantor; US Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer; journalists and commentators George Stephanopoulos, David Gergen, Mark Shields, David Brooks, Alice Stewart, Keith Boykin, David Sanger; humorist Mo Rocca; Ambs. Susan Rice and Nicholas Burns; and hundreds of other notable experts in their fields.

Free admission. No RSVP. All we ask is that you show up, sit back and stay inspired.

We purposefully offer free access to our speakers. We believe change starts with ideas. As the late Robin Williams once said, “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” Let’s get started.

A Brief History

Programming

89 years ago, Springfield Public Forum started hosting inspiring speakers for the public’s enlightenment and enjoyment. In 2006, we realized if we expanded the opportunity for people to engage with speakers and to extend conversations out into the larger community, we could have a greater, more lasting impact on our community. We invite you to explore all three opportunities.

Speaker Series

Speaker Dinners

Forum Thinks

The Team

Amy Roberts, President

Amy Roberts, SPHR, SHRM-CHR is Senior Vice President/CHRO at PeoplesBank. She oversees all human resources and employee engagement activities for more than 300 employees spread over 21 banking centers and additional locations under development in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Ms. Roberts has extensive experience in leadership development and coaching, change management, performance improvement, organizational learning and development, and employee engagement, as well as over 20 years of experience serving in leadership positions in human resources. A resident of Wilbraham, Ms. Roberts holds a Master of Arts in human resource development from American International College in Springfield, MA, and a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, MA. She also has earned certificates in Leadership Development and Succession Planning, Talent Development and Retention, and Human Capital Management Principles from the Human Capital Institute. Her volunteer service includes having served as a board member for the Center for Human Development, the United Way of Hampshire County, Leadership Pioneer Valley, and the STCC Foundation, as well as serving as an advisory board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters and a Read Aloud volunteer for Link to Libraries.

Ed Kubosiak, Jr., Vice President

Ed Kubosiak is currently a district sales manager for SunRun Solar, the largest residential solar installer in the United States. Previously Kubosiak enjoyed a 30-year career as a journalist and team leader, serving most recently as Vice President of Content at MassLive.com from 2018-2023 and as Editor-in-Chief from 2005-2018. He began his career as a sports writer at The Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton from 1993-1998. While at MassLive, Kubosiak oversaw the site’s statewide expansion and his vision helped catapult MassLive to become the No. 1 digital news & information site in New England, surpassing BostonGlobe.com in 2021. MassLive was named website of the year by the New England Newspaper & Press Association in 2019, best mobile product in 2020 & 2022 and captured several journalism awards under Kubosiak’s stewardship. Dedicated to mission-driven non-profit work and community building, Kubosiak has served on the board of directors at the Springfield Public Forum since 2010 and was board president from 2016-2020. He previously served on the board of directors for Leadership Pioneer Valley and the Springfield Cultural District. Kubosiak graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in English.

Tricia Canavan, Treasurer

Tricia Canavan is the CEO of Tech Foundry where she brings a background in management, recruiting, education, and workforce development to her role at Tech Foundry, including experience as a business owner, nonprofit executive director and as a high school and community college instructor.  She is passionate about innovative and collaborative approaches to learning, training, economic and community development. A graduate of Trinity College, Hartford, Tricia serves on several boards including the Economic Development Council of Western MA, Mass Business Alliance for Education, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Education and the Associated Industries of Massachusetts. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family as well as reading, hiking, and biking.

Hugh Barrett, Ex-Officio

Hugh Barrett is Vice President, External Affairs with Prudential. Mr. Barrett joined Prudential in 2019. In this role, Mr. Barrett is responsible for advocating for Prudential’s legislative and regulatory positions with regulators, legislators and other policymakers in multiple states. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Springfield College and received an MBA from the Western New England College School of Business. In addition to his role with the Springfield Public Forum, Mr. Barrett has served on the board of several local non-profit organizations with a particular focus on the arts and community engagement.

David J. Martel, Clerk

David J. Martel is a retired attorney with Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury, & Murphy, P.C. He has served at all levels of the Springfield Public Forum board and, as of 2024, he is celebrating being on the board of the Forum continuously for 50 years.

Michelle Morash, Executive Director

Prior to becoming Executive Director the Forum in March of 2015, Michelle was the Director of Development and Marketing for the Forum for five years. A graduate of Boston College, she has worked in nonprofits for more than 30 years as both a fundraiser and grant maker.

Jessica Tuttle, Administrative Coordinator

Jessica Tuttle joined the Forum in 2020 and handles all administrative tasks for the Forum including managing our Membership program, donations, and staffing our Membership table at our events. Originally from New York, NY she has lived in Western MA for 16 years.

The Board of Directors

Officers

Amy Roberts, President
Ed Kubosiak, Jr., Vice President
Tricia Canavan, Treasurer
David J. Martel, Clerk
Hugh Barrett, Ex-Officio

Directors

Jean Canosa Albano
Nora Gerard
Brian Hetzel
Paul Hetzel
Jamie Manning
Siobhan Matty
Susan B. Monks
Adam L. Peck
Gordon Quinn
Phil Riegel
Peter Stasz
Caity Welz

Staff

Michelle Morash, Executive Director
Jess Dockendorff, Membership Coordinator
Jessica Tuttle, Administrative Coordinator