Greylock Federal Credit Union celebrates 2025 summer interns
Pittsfield— Greylock Federal Credit Union celebrated the completion of its 2025 Summer Internship Program which included a cohort of interns representing five of the credit union’s departments, including Matteo Chang, Human Resources; Connor Lavinio, Finance; Sara Stevens, Marketing; Sydney Wilk, Training and Development; and Elissa Wong, Branch Training and Development.
Greylock’s internship program is designed to provide meaningful, hands-on experience in a professional financial institution. Interns are encouraged to participate in committee meetings, shadow a department, and volunteer in the community. They also spend time with senior leadership to learn about career pathways. In addition to obtaining valuable experience, interns receive regular coaching sessions with their supervisor, gaining insight into chosen fields of study, confidence, as well as an expanded network of colleagues to support skill-building.They are also paid above minimum wage.
“At Greylock we want to invest in our community’s future, which means educating, empowering, and inspiring our youth, not only through our work, but through Greylock’s culture of inclusion and compassion. Our internship program is designed to provide our interns with real life professional experience blended with meaningful human engagement,” said Rachel Mabee, Vice President, Culture and Brand.
A send-off luncheon was held for the interns on Friday, August 8th at The Proprietor’s Lodge. At the luncheon, Training and Development intern Sydney Wilk remarked that she appreciated “building a network of valuable connections in the Berkshire community.” Marketing intern Sara Stevens highlighted her creative contributions to summer campaigns, “Being trusted to bring ideas to the table and see them come to life has been really exciting.”
“We learn a lot from them, too,” said HR Generalist Nicholas Darrow, who facilitates the program at Greylock. “Our interns share with us different points of view through their specific generational lens. It’s enlightening.”
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Berkshire Theatre Group welcomes Smitty Pignatelli as Director of Strategic Initiatives
Pittsfield— Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) announces the appointment of William “Smitty” Pignatelli as Director of Strategic Initiatives. In this role, Pignatelli will lead BTG’s Save The Playhouse Initiative, a major campaign to renovate and restore The Playhouse, the historic cornerstone of BTG’s Stockbridge campus.
A lifelong Berkshire County resident, Pignatelli brings over four decades of leadership and public service experience to BTG.He served 22 years in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 3rd Berkshire District, during which time he held key positions including Vice Chair of the House Rules Committee and membership on committees focused on education, financial services and tourism, arts and cultural development. Prior to his distinguished career in public office, Pignatelli worked as an entrepreneur and in the banking sector, while maintaining a strong commitment to civic service. He served on the Lenox Planning Board, the Lenox Board of Selectmen, including multiple terms as Chairman; and as a Berkshire County Commissioner. A steadfast supporter of cultural organizations, he holds an honorary doctorate from MCLA and a financial degree from Babson College.
“I am thrilled to join Berkshire Theatre Group at this pivotal moment,” said Pignatelli. “The Playhouse is not only an architectural treasure but a living symbol of Berkshire County’s artistic legacy. I look forward to working closely with the BTG team and the broader community to ensure that this historic venue continues to inspire future generations.”
“We are deeply honored to welcome Smitty to BTG,” said Artistic Director and CEO Kate Maguire. “His passion for our community, deep understanding of civic leadership, and long-standing support for the arts make him uniquely suited to guide this critical campaign. The Playhouse has endured for nearly a century, and with Smitty’s leadership, we are confident it will thrive for the next hundred years.”
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Hoffmann Bird Club of Berkshire County to celebrate 85th anniversary
Pittsfield— The Hoffmann Bird Club (HBC) of Berkshire County was founded in Pittsfield in 1940. On Monday, September 8th, the club will celebrate its 85th Anniversary at Berkshire Community College, located at 1350 West Street. Social hour will start at 6 p.m., with the meeting and programs starting at p.m. on the first floor of the Susan B. Anthony building. The event will be complete with a birthday cake and presentations from several HBC Members. Admission is free and everyone is invited.
A brief meeting will be followed by mini programs:
- Dick Ferren, former professor of Life Sciences at BCC and recipient of the 2020 “Distinguished Naturalist” by the Rhode Island Natural History Survey, will introduce his new book “The Birds of Rhode Island.”
- Zach Adams will discuss his new book “The Birds of New England.” Throughout his career in conservation, working with National Audubon, Mass Audubon, and Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, and now Trout Unlimited; Zach’s knowledge and enthusiasm have helped hundreds of people connect with birds.
- Chip Blake, HBC’s current president, will present “The History of Birding in Berkshire County.” Blake is the author of The Birds of Berkshire County, to be published later this year by the Nuttall Ornithological Club. Earlier, he served for 25 years as the editor of Orion magazine.
- HBC Vice President Steven Miller will preview the new Hoffmann Bird Club archive, containing bird sightings, field trip reports, and other historical documents from the club’s 85 years of birding the Berkshires.
Named in honor of naturalist Ralph Hoffmann, the club has played a vital role in ornithological education, conservation, and community science for 85 years. Today, it remains dedicated to fostering a community of bird enthusiasts and protecting the region’s rich bird diversity for future generations.
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Norman Rockwell Museum honored by 1Berkshire as 2025 Putting the Berkshires on the Map Honoree
Stockbridge— Norman Rockwell Museum has been selected as the 1Berkshire 2025 Putting the Berkshires on the Map honoree, presented annually to a project, initiative or organization that has left an indelible mark on the region and contributed substantially to the advancement of the public perception and overall image of the Berkshires. This recognition will be presented at the 12th annual Celebrate the Berkshires event on September 18th. The entire Berkshire community is invited to honor the Norman Rockwell Museum for its extraordinary contributions to the Berkshire economy and the Museum’s role in shaping the region into a nationally celebrated cultural hub.
From its home in Stockbridge, the Museum has welcomed more than 6.7 million visitors and brought travelers from across the globe to experience the Berkshires. Through nearly 250 exhibitions—circulating to 47 states and 7 countries—as well as cultural diplomacy partnerships with the U.S. State Department in Ethiopia, Russia, and Mongolia, and collaborations with institutions including the White House and the United Nations, the Museum has expanded its reach far beyond the region. And yet, it has remained firmly rooted in the Berkshires, enriching the local economy and reinforcing the county’s reputation as a world-class arts destination.
Together with staff, Board, and national partners, Museum’s Director/CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt helped to shift the cultural narrative around illustration—from overlooked to essential. Initiatives like the establishment of the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies and the Museum’s robust traveling exhibition program have sparked new scholarship and public engagement, cementing NRM as a national leader in the field.
The Celebrate the Berkshires event will also feature the announcement of the 2025 Berkshire Trendsetter Award winners, recognizing individuals, businesses, and organizations shaping the future of the Berkshires. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for Emily Elizabeth Bunnell’s Map of Downtown Pittsfield
Pittsfield— Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for Emily Elizabeth Bunnell’s Map of Downtown Pittsfield on Friday, September 5th at 6:15 p.m. at Dunham Mall.
The map, created as part of the Reimagine Dunham Mall effort, is the first of several wayfinding efforts being introduced in Downtown Pittsfield. Bunnell describes the map as highlighting “the walkability and major sites of Downtown Pittsfield in an approachable and playful design, with a hope that this invites more people to enjoy the many sites, shops, and dining options the area has to offer on foot.”
Bunnell is a painter and graphic designer living in the Berkshires. She loves exploring the wild spaces, building community, and engaging with the art and music scene. She hopes to create work that connects people with each other and the larger world around them. Her design motto is “Good Design that Does Good” and her paintings focus on the beauty, inherent value, and interconnected nature of all of our wild community members.
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Berkshire United Way receives donation from Eversource Foundation
Pittsfield— Eversource Energy, a long-time supporter of United Ways across New England, has donated $17,000 to Berkshire United Way (BUW). The financial support will help BUW further invest in the work of its nonprofit partners and the people they serve, with a focus on school and career readiness, household stability, and mental health.
The donations from Eversource are collected during the company’s six-week employee and retiree annual fundraising effort. “We are thankful for the generosity of the Eversource Foundation, as well as the consistent dedication of Eversource employees to volunteer their time and dollars, to help enable our important work to empower our neighbors to achieve their goals, creating a stronger Berkshires,” said BUW Interim President and CEO Katherine von Haefen.
“Through the generosity of our employees and the support of the Eversource Foundation, we’re proud to partner with United Way and its local agencies to help create meaningful, lasting change in the lives of our customers. Whether it’s through financial contributions or the thousands of volunteer hours our employees dedicate each year, we’re united in our mission to uplift and empower those who need it most,” said Theresa Hopkins-Staten, president of the Eversource Foundation and vice president of Corporate Citizenship and Equity.
