Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) Berkshires expands their team
Great Barrington— In January, 2023, the volunteer Board of Trustees of VIM Berkshires voted in four new board members: Liliana Atanacio, Gail DeNicola, Gary Lazarus, and Veronica Torres Martin. VIM also recently hired an additional full-time Family Nurse Practitioner, Christina deRis, who will help treat VIM’s growing population of 1,300 patients; in 2022, VIM added 400 new patients and expects another 500 new patients in 2023.
VIM cofounder and board member Art Peisner says he is “thrilled about the addition of these incredibly accomplished individuals committed to VIM’s mission.” He notes that it’s “essential to expand the Board of Trustees to keep pace with the expansion of the rest of the organization, including patients, staff members, volunteers, and donors.”
Ilana Steinhauer, the Executive Director of VIM Berkshires, says that, with their “diverse and distinguished expertise,” the new board members will “help guide the exciting next stage of VIM’s growth.”
VIM Berkshires is the region’s free, trusted health care provider for those who are ineligible for health insurance. Clinical and nonclinical volunteers come together with VIM’s staff of nurse practitioners and community health workers to provide wraparound, patient-centered health care that attends both to clinical conditions—including medical, dental, women’s health, behavioral health, and optometry—as well as the living conditions that determine health, such as safe housing, food security, and employment. With kindness, empathy, and respect, VIM Berkshires successfully empowers patients to lead healthy lives in our community, and in turn works with community establishments to develop more equitable systems: ninety percent of VIM’s patients are minority immigrants—asylum seekers and essential workers, parents and neighbors. For almost two decades, VIM has provided lifechanging, lifesaving health care, helping to create a deeply, uniquely thriving Berkshires.
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Rania Markham of CHP Family Services honored as ‘Rising Star’ in SBCOC Women in Leadership Awards
Great Barrington— Rania Markham, CHP Family Services care coordinator and a passionate advocate for families of children with disabilities, has been named a “Rising Star” by the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Leadership Award.
Markham was among 111 women nominated for an award. She was honored at the Women in Leadership Luncheon on March 8 in Great Barrington.
“Rania has transformed her family’s very personal experience with autism into professional advocacy and outreach by bringing an array of supportive connections to families like hers,” said Richard Gregg, interim CEO of CHP Berkshires. “Rania is a true advocate in the best spirit of CHP, and we are proud to support her courage in developing an entirely new program here at CHP Family Services.”
Markham leads a weekly online special needs support group for parents and caregivers, and she organizes activities and playgroups for families of children with disabilities. She has also developed “IEP 101,” an online training for parents navigating special education programs in public schools.
She is also offering a Special Kids, Special Diets for parents to discuss picky eaters. She has also established the Autism Awareness Walk to raise emergency funds for families.
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Applications for Berkshire Art Center’s 2023 Berkshire Artist Residency are open
Stockbridge— Berkshire Art Center is now accepting applications for its 2023 Berkshire Artist Residency program. This is the third year Berkshire-based artists can apply for a summer residency at two local institutions – The Red Lion Inn and Chesterwood. Selected artists will spend three months creating work inspired by the history, landscape, culture, and construction of those institutions.
Since 2012, Berkshire Art Center has coordinated Artist Residencies that pair local visual artists with cultural institutions and historic landmarks across the Berkshires. The heart of the Berkshire Artist Residency is to give artists the opportunity to create new work inspired by their home county. This tailored program provides visual artists with exclusive access to world-class cultural facilities to develop work that intertwines with the fabric of our county.
Berkshire Art Center recognizes the important outlet and invaluable opportunity an artist residency provides. The extended length and flexible hours of the program give artists, who might not have the luxury to attend residencies away from home for long periods of time, the ability to further their career and create art in a way that compliments their current practice. The program is supported in part by a grant from the Stockbridge Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
The Summer 2023 program begins on Memorial Day, May 29, and runs through Labor Day, September 4. Artists selected receive access to the buildings and grounds of their site and support for the development, creation, and exhibition of their work. Each artist will receive an honorarium, the opportunity to give an Artist Talk, invitation to teach a course or workshop through Berkshire Art Center, and invitations to special events held at their site. Additional benefits, such as meal stipends and a studio space, are site specific. Each residency closes with a reception and exhibition of the artist’s work.
Applications are due March 21, 2023. For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.berkshireartcenter.org/berkshire-artist-residency-apply
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Wheatleigh Hotel hires Molly Berg as general manager
Lenox— Wheatleigh Hotel in the Berkshires, Massachusetts has appointed Molly Berg as its new general manager. Built in 1893 as an Italianate-style country home, the Wheatleigh was reimagined as a 5-star hotel in 2015, making it one of the smallest properties to be part of Leading Hotels of the World. In 2021, the luxurious boutique hotel partnered with LifeHouse Hotel Management as it looked to offer a premier hospitality experience rooted in classic service and amenities while modernizing its approach for today’s consumers.
The hotel’s new General Manager hire, Molly Berg, will be focused on renewing and revitalizing guest experiences, with plans to bring on a new Executive Chef to lead its Portico fine dining restaurant, as well as more local and on property programming to appeal to a younger clientele looking to escape from their city dwellings. Meanwhile, she’ll continue the hotel’s legacy as a Forbes 5-Star hotel and restaurant as they’ve secured the coveted award for the 9th consecutive year in a row.
Berg will utilize her knowledge from 17 years of experience in hospitality. Having recently completed a Hospitality Management program at the Cornell School of Hospitality, she aims to create an inviting environment for guests. Berg joins the Wheatleigh team having previously served as general manager of The Reeds at Shelter Haven in New Jersey and the Bruce Hotel in Ontario, Canada. Her experience at the luxury resorts taught her invaluable skills in managing a high-end property across multiple outlets. Berg has also worked at multiple brands in California locations, such as The Pantai Inn, Château du Sureau, and Wawona Hotel.
This summer, Wheatleigh will be debuting a new fine dining culinary experience at the famed Portico. They will restart the popular Midsummer BBQ Series, as well as a new supper club program and afternoon tea service to complement the Berkshire’s summer music concerts and theater shows.
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Construct names Leigh Davis as its Communications and Community Engagement Director
Great Barrington— Construct, South Berkshires’ leading affordable housing provider, is pleased to appoint Leigh Davis as Communications and Community Engagement Director.
Davis has been instrumental in creating real, tangible change in the Southern Berkshires through her position as Construct’s Development Director as well as her broader advocacy for housing opportunity. She was instrumental in acquiring Windflower Inn as a more flexible workforce housing option, increasing Construct’s media presence, and ensuring the voices of those affected by housing insecurity are heard.
With her long and varied engagement with the community, Davis knows the area and its people very well. She has advocated for many of our underserved populations since moving to the Southern Berkshires from Ireland in 2009. Very active as a volunteer for many area organizations, Davis has also worked in marketing, journalism, housing development and local government roles for the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, The Berkshire Eagle, Eagle Mill Redevelopment and the Town of Great Barrington. With a background in film and television as a studio film editor in Los Angeles and a tenured film professor in Ireland, Davis has an innate storytelling ability. She communicates in a direct and compelling way that inspires people and enables change.
