Ben Lamb is the Director of Economic Development at 1Berkshire, the regional economic development and marketing and tourism organization for the Berkshires. He lives in North Adams with his wife, two kids, and a Golden Retriever. Ben recently concluded his service of four terms as a City Councilor in North Adams, is the Vice Chair of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, is on the board of the North Adams Partnership and the North Adams Chamber of Commerce, and is co-founder and director of the NAMAzing Initiative, a community group committed to growing and sharing the lovability of North Adams. Ben holds a B.A. from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and an M.A. from the College of Saint Rose. He is currently conducting dissertation research to complete his PhD in Higher Education from the University of Nebraska Lincoln, focusing on how experiences during college influence recent graduates’ decisions to remain in the rural college community.