1Berkshire’s ‘Celebrate the Berkshires’ and Trendsetter Awards ceremony winners announced
Berkshire— After a three-year hiatus 1Berkshire was excited to bring back their signature ‘Celebrate the Berkshires’ event which was hosted at Berkshire Theater Group’s Colonial Theatre on September 14th. There were over 200 people present as 1Berkshire honored Mill Town for “Putting the Berkshires on the Map” and presented the highly coveted 2023 Berkshire Trendsetter Awards.
The Trendsetter Awards recognize businesses, organizations, and individuals whose outstanding achievements and commitment have strengthened the economy and helped the Berkshires grow. The winners are:
In the Enhancing Visitor Engagement category, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health took home the award for bringing new communities to the Berkshires through the diverse health and wellness programs offered. With over 500 programs each year supporting 40,000 people annually, Kripalu is seeing 65% of their guests from out of state.
Balderdash Cellars was named Entrepreneur/Visionary of the Year for their continued growth as a destination winery in the Berkshires, producing high quality wines while transforming their space to become a gathering spot for families and wine enthusiasts, as well as adding an event venue for special occasions and working with the community on a number of collaborations.
Lorena Dus who is currently the Director of Client and Community Services at the Berkshire Immigration Center received the Under 40 Change-Maker award for providing solutions and addressing community challenges with unique perspectives. She has provided humanitarian aid in El Salvador, Peru, and Haiti. She is currently part of the Literacy Network of South Berkshire, Elizabeth Freeman Board of Directors, and the DEI Committee of the Berkshire Natural Resources Council.
The Nonprofit Collaborator award was presented to the Elizabeth Freeman Center for creating a solution to build a safer, healthier, thriving community where everyone can live with dignity and justice; and for offering hope, help, and healing to all experiencing or affected by domestic, dating, and sexual violence through free, accessible, and confidential services.
The Breaking the Mold award was given to Blackshires for developing a BIPOC program in Berkshire County that fosters and cultivates a shared talent pool. Through numerous collaborations, the Blackshires Leadership Accelerator Program enables local municipalities and nonprofits to benefit from a robust development process for emerging leaders.
The Growing/Advancing the Berkshire Economy award was presented to Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing for creating exciting pharmaceutical/biotech careers for 230 employees who make life-saving and disease-treatment drugs in Lee; and for completing $20M expansion including 4,000 sq-ft of pharmaceutical cleanrooms, robotic work cells, state-of-the-art pharmaceutical water systems, and other equipment.
Closing out the evening, Mill Town was recognized as the special honoree for “Putting the Berkshires on the Map” in recognition of the investments that they have made in housing, downtown redevelopment, and other key Berkshire properties along with their philanthropic support around the region. 1Berkshire wanted to shine a light on this work and honor them for all that they are doing for our community.
In 2016, Mill Town was founded by Dave Mixer with a vision of driving positive business development and community impact throughout our region. Since then, their focus and activities have evolved into a unique blend of traditional investment, impact investment, and sustainable philanthropy. Mill Town is breaking new ground in these areas, seeking to create a model that can be replicated in comparable regions. They work collaboratively to improve our community and region by investing in valuable projects, building connections, and empowering entrepreneurs and are truly deserving of this honor.
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Angéla Kóczé receives 2023 Beth Rickey Award from the Bard Center for the Study of Hate
Annandale-On-Hudson— The Bard Center for the Study of Hate is proud to announce that Angéla Kóczé, assistant professor of Romani Studies, chair of Romani Studies Program, and academic director of the Roma Graduate Preparation Program at Central European University, Budapest, is the winner of the 2023 Beth Rickey Award. The award is given to a member of the Bard/OSUN Network community who has “taken sustained and effective action against hate [and whose] achievements can either be in scholarship, adding to our understanding of how hatred works, or actions, such as political organizing or media work.”
Dr. Kóczé has not only contributed to wider understandings of anti-Roma hate (and particularly hatred directed toward Roma women), but has also worked diligently inside and outside academia to bring attention to the dehumanization of and discrimination against Roma, and to help those afflicted by it. Roma (also known as “Gypsies”) are a people who have suffered persecution, and worse, throughout history. They were a victim of genocide by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War II. Discrimination against them in Europe and elsewhere continues to this day, but is frequently ignored or condoned.
Dr. Kóczé, who is Roma, knows of the hatred she studies first-hand, having grown up in a poor family in a small town near the Hungarian-Ukrainian border. Kóczé, the only member of her family to have finished high school, set out to be a teacher, and became one. She continued her studies, receiving an M.A. in Human Rights and an M.A. in Sociology, Ethnic and Minority Studies, and a Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Anthropology. She is also a founding member of, Romaversitias, which prepares Hungarian Roma students for university attendance.
In a profile of Dr. Kóczé ten years ago, the Washington Post noted her substantial contributions, including educating about anti-Roma stereotypes in the media and beyond, highlighting the problems of forced sterilization of Roma women, and calling attention to the segregation of Roma students in the educational system.
The annual Beth Rickey Award is given in memory of Elizabeth “Beth” Rickey, who died on September 12th, 2009. Rickey was a Republican State Committeewoman in Louisiana. Politically conservative, Rickey was appalled when neo-Nazi and former Klansman David Duke won elected office and devastated that many of her fellow Republicans in state government welcomed Duke into their midst. She made it her mission to expose Duke, following him to meetings with other white supremacists, showing that he continued to sell Mein Kampf and Holocaust-denying material from his legislative office.
“Dr. Kóczé’s dedication to combating hate, both in forcing us to see and understand it through her academic work, and her dogged determination to help those directly afflicted by it, are the values and achievements we want to recognize and highlight,” said Kenneth S. Stern ’75, director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate and a friend of Rickey’s. “Like Beth, Dr. Kóczé made a significant mark against hate, and we are thrilled to present this year’s award to her.”
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The Lebanon Valley Community Corporation, a new non-profit, raises thousands for school supplies in New Lebanon
New Lebanon— Local students received a lifeline for needed supplies this fall thanks to the efforts of a new organization in New Lebanon. The Lebanon Valley Community Corporation (LVCC) collected cash donations of over $2,000 to buy school supplies, and gathered over 600 items such as new backpacks, pens, pencils, notebooks, folders, and art supplies. The total value of all donations is over $3,000.
LVCC, a new not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, was formed by caring citizens of the Town of New Lebanon to help address the needs of residents that go beyond government programs. The mission of this new philanthropic group is to “foster the community and economic well-being of the Town of New Lebanon, its residents, and its neighbors.”
New Lebanon Town Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling praised the formation of LVCC, “Our students would not have had access to these essential supplies but for the work of LVCC. It is a strong addition to our community development efforts, and I look forward to working with LVCC to forge a stronger New Lebanon.”
Next up for LVCC is supporting the Holiday Gift Drive, originally started by Supervisor Houghtling; sponsoring a fundraiser at Meissner’s Auction House for New Lebanon’s Free Bike Program; and building out their newly formed Disaster Relief Fund.
When asked about the Holiday Gift Drive, Erminia Rasmussen, President of LVCC, said “For the first time, all donations to the gift drive will be tax-deductible, and LVCC will help the town reach more people than ever before – providing toys and clothing to children and parents in need during the holidays.”
Donations to LVCC are tax deductible to the extent guaranteed by law. To make a tax-deductible donation, go to: tinyurl.com/NLpaypal, or write a check made out to the Lebanon Valley Community Corporation and mail it to P.O. Box 74, New Lebanon, NY, 12125.
To learn more about LVCC, or to volunteer, contact info@lebanonvalleycc.org, or contact Monte Wasch at (518) 781-0195 or monte@fairpoint.net. To sign up for the newsletter, go to tinyurl.com/LVcomnewssubscribe.
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Berkshire United Way partners with Greylock Federal Credit Union and Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Berkshires to collect school supplies and provide end-of-summer meals
Pittsfield— Back-to-school supplies can cost a family (or teacher) hundreds of dollars. Berkshire United Way (BUW) set out to alleviate some of this burden through a school supply drive, sponsored by Greylock Federal Credit Union (GFCU).
Brenda Petell, BUW director of volunteer engagement, reached out to Marisa Mendonsa, deputy superintendent of Pittsfield Public Schools, to get a list of supplies. BUW then created an Amazon wish list, set up collection sites at their office and at Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., and partnered with Lenco Armored Vehicles for a “Stuff the BearCat” event during Cultural Pittsfield’s 3rd Thursday in August. BUW and GFCU also worked with the Kiwanis Club of Sheffield and Berkshire South Regional Community Center to collect school supplies for Muddy Brook, Undermountain and New Marlborough elementary schools. GFCU employees helped pack and distribute the supplies to all the Pittsfield Public Schools.
Berkshire United Way and Berkshire Bounty also recognized that this year, there was going to be a gap in meal service between the last free summer meal and the first day of school for Pittsfield families. With support from the Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Berkshires, they distributed bags of food at Conte and Morningside Community Schools as well as Berkshire Peak and Brattlebrook Apartments.Additionally, GFCU pitched in and packed bags for the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires.Food was purchased through Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, Pittsfield Rye Bakery, and Samascott Orchards, and Blue Q donated the bags.
“The start of the school year is a busy time for students, teachers, and families,” said BUW president and CEO Tom Bernard. “By activating our network of community partners and supporters we helped to address challenges related to food security and access to materials, which hopefully gave everyone a strong, secure start to the year.”
Learn more about these efforts online.
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The Literacy Network hires Deisy Escobar in the role of First-Generation College Coordinator
Lee— The Literacy Network (LitNet) announces the addition of Deisy Escobar to its staff as the organization’s First-Generation College Coordinator. In this newly created role, Escobar will serve as a community ambassador for LitNet by helping to develop programming, outreach, and partnerships centered around supporting and educating first-generation college applicants and their families about the college application process and related opportunities. With Escobar’s support, LitNet hopes to launch its first First-Generation College-Goer Fair in spring 2024.
Escobar, a second-generation immigrant and first-year college student, graduated from Mount Everett High School in June of this year. The daughter of a Mexican immigrant and Colombian immigrant, Escobar is Spanish-English bilingual and has served as a LitNet volunteer tutor since 2021. Escobar has independently hosted a bilingual workshop for first-time college-goers and is active in the community as a co-host for the radio show Mundo Latino with her mother, Martha Escobar, with whom she also hosts an awards ceremony for community individuals and organizations who have provided outstanding support to Berkshire County immigrants.
LitNet’s Executive Director, Leigh Doherty, says: “Deisy has been steeped and active in service in the Berkshire Community for many years now. She is a perfect example of one we can call ‘wise beyond her years!’ As a new college student herself, Deisy is well-informed about the process, the challenges, and the excitement of it all. I look forward to having Deisy’s first-hand, direct experience to guide us.”
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Jewish Federation welcomes Susan Levine as Food Service Director for its kosher meals program
Pittsfield— Jewish Federation of the Berkshires announced the appointment of Susan Levine as the new Food Service Director for its “Connecting with Community” kosher meals program that provides free nutritious meals (in-person, takeaway, and meals-on-wheels) for the community year-round.
Levine received a Culinary Arts degree at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School in lower Manhattan before interning at Canyon Ranch in Arizona where she learned healthy ways of using her culinary skills, followed by a long career in catering and corporate dining that includes a recent stint working at the Executive Mansion in Albany.
A 20-year resident of the Berkshires region, Levine says she first learned about Federation’s kosher meals program when her parents stayed at her home in New Lebanon and attended Federation-sponsored programs and lunches at Knesset Israel in Pittsfield. Now, she is taking over the kosher meals program that was ably helmed by Cindy Bell-Deane for the past 25 years. “I look forward to working with Jewish Federation of the Berkshires to bring that support and sense of nourishment, both body and soul, my parents received from this community,” she says.
“We are thrilled to welcome Susan to the Federation team,” says Federation Executive Director Dara Kaufman, “and pleased to have someone of her experience continue the compassionate work of nourishing our older adults through this important program. We look forward to Susan using her skills to continue the creative and healthy meals our older community members and homebound individuals have come to rely on.”
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Pittsfield Cooperative Bank hires Eric Padelford as new Chief Technology Officer
Pittsfield— Pittsfield Cooperative Bank (The Co-op) announced the hiring of Eric Padelford as SVP, Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In this role, Padelford will oversee the information technology department and work closely with leadership on modernizing technology and platforms to increase efficiency and better serve the institution’s customers.
Padelford joins The Co-op after serving as Vice President, Integration Architect and Developer at Berkshire Bank for the last six years. Padelford has over twenty-two years of systems architecture and development expertise, serving in IT and development roles at McGlinchey Stafford and Tech Valley DataPro LLC.
“The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank is delighted to welcome Eric to our team,” said J. Jay Anderson, president and CEO of Pittsfield Cooperative Bank. “Eric brings years of IT experience aligning business and technology with much of it rooted in the financial industry.”
Padelford received his Associates of Applied Science (CIS) from Hudson Valley Community College in Troy and his Bachelors of Science (IT) from SUNY – Empire State College in Saratoga.
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Adam Community Bank announces Brad Felix as the new Vice President of Commercial Lending
Adams— Adam Community Bank is pleased to announce that Brad Felix has joined its team as the new Vice President of Commercial Lending. In this role, Felix will be instrumental in continuing to grow the commercial lending portfolio by working closely with businesses of all sizes to provide tailored financial solutions that drive growth and prosperity in the Berkshire County community.
With over 17 years of experience in commercial lending, credit analysis, and relationship management, his in-depth knowledge of financial markets and his track record of successfully managing commercial lending operations make him a valuable addition to Adams Community Bank.
“We are excited to welcome Brad to our team,” noted ACB President and CEO Charlie O’Brien. “Brad’s deep understanding of commercial lending and his proven expertise and dedication to excellence align perfectly with our goal to provide the best financial solutions to our commercial clients.”
Felix holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He is currently a Pittsfield Rotary member and served on the Rotary Foundation Board and Benevolence Committee. He also currently serves as a Corporator for the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Foundation, Inc. Brad has been a past member of the following committees: Berkshire Leadership Program, Northern Berkshire Relay for Life, and Berkshire Young Professionals, among others. He is a past graduate of the Berkshire Leadership Program and a past recipient of the Berkshire Trendsetter Award as a young professional making a difference.
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Clark Art Institute receives National Endowment For Humanities grant to support Guillaume Lethière exhibition
Williamstown— The Clark Art Institute recently received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for $100,000 to support the implementation of a summer 2024 exhibition on French artist Guillaume Lethière. The grant was part of a $41.3 million package of 280 humanities projects nationwide recently announced by the NEH.
Born in the French colony of Guadeloupe, Guillaume Guillon-Lethière (1760–1832), the son of a government official and plantation owner and a formerly enslaved woman of color, was a key figure in the history of art during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. As a painter, Lethière achieved the highest levels of recognition in his time. A favorite artist of Napoleon’s brother, Lucien Bonaparte, he served as director of the Académie de France in Rome from 1807 to 1816, as a member of the Institut de France beginning in 1818, and as a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts beginning in 1819. Despite his fame and influence during his lifetime, Lethière’s story has been all but lost to history.
The Clark’s exhibition is the first major museum presentation on Lethière’s remarkable life and achievements and will provide new insights into questions relevant in the artist’s time regarding the reception and assessment of Caribbean art. The Clark’s exhibition opens on June 15, 2024 and is planned to feature some eighty paintings, drawings, and prints.
“We are extremely grateful to the NEH for its support and for the recognition of the importance of this project,” said Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark. “This is the first time in the Clark’s history that we have received an NEH grant in support of an exhibition and its related programming and we are very honored to be in the prestigious company of the other recipients.”
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Berkshire Innovation Center’s (BIC) Stage 2 Accelerator event
Pittsfield— Berkshire Innovation Center’s (BIC) Stage 2 Accelerator is a 35-week hands-on and results-oriented program designed to serve early-stage tech startups that are building a physical product and moving toward the manufacturing phase.
Learn more about this exciting, new program on Wednesday, September 27th from 5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and hear from each of the six companies participating, eSki Watercraft, Fibrocor Therapeutics, MacFarlane Medical, PathogenX, Noble Carbon, and SQE Holdings.
The free event is on Wednesday, September 27th from 5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Berkshire Innovation Center on Woodlawn Avenue in Pittsfield. Doors open at 5 p.m. There will be a networking reception, program overview, and company presentations, followed by a Q&A session. Registration is required. Register online.
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Berkshire Health Systems introduces community code of conduct to help create welcoming, inclusive, and personalized care environments
Pittsfield— Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) released its Community Code of Conduct, proudly joining health systems across the nation in adopting a commitment to creating safe care environments for all staff, patients, and community members.
This Community Code of Conduct was created in response to the increasing number of dangerous and volatile situations arising in healthcare settings nationwide. The Community Code enforces the expectation of all people to be respectful and courteous while refraining from behaviors that are not welcome in BHS care environments. BHS is dedicated to the safety and wellbeing not only of patients, but also of employees and of front-line staff.
“It is important that every person that interacts with our system knows that they are in a safe and healing environment, enforced by our thoughtful Community Code,” said Charles Redd, BHS DEI Officer. “We must hold ourselves and others accountable for their words and actions in order to create a trusted place that people can turn to at some of their most vulnerable moments.”
BHS’ Community Code of Conduct is the product of months-long discussions and collaboration that combined the insights and experiences of BHS leaders and employees, community members, partners, and the BHS Community Code of Conduct Task Force, ensuring that all who interact with the system would be well- represented and understood.
Berkshire Health System’s Community Code of Conduct will be formally adopted October on 2nd. Visit BHS’s website for more information and to read the complete code: www.BerkshireHealthSystems.org/CommunityCode
