Lee Bank names new VP to expand services across wider income range
LEE — Lee Bank has named a new financial wellness officer to broaden the bank’s financial planning and money management services to area residents with a range of incomes and needs.
Matthew R. Freitag, a certified financial planner™ and Cheshire native, has been named vice president, financial wellness. He works with Lee Bank customers to assist them in achieving better financial stability and devising personalized financial plans, regardless of income. This service is offered at no cost to customers of Lee Bank.
“The pandemic has shown us just how fragile some people’s financial circumstances are,” said Chuck Leach, president of Lee Bank. “We want to clear up any misperception that financial planning services are only for the wealthy. We aim to be an inclusive financial resource to help strengthen all of our customers’ circumstances, which in turn strengthens our community.”
Financial planning encompasses an array of money matters: budgeting, debt management, savings, tax questions, college planning, social security strategies, investment, and retirement planning.
“As we come out of COVID, many of our customers are reckoning with their financial futures after pandemic-related money challenges,” said Freitag. “For many people, their bank is already a trusted financial partner, and we can build on this foundation. Even for those who weathered COVID-19’s impact, it may be time for some financial evaluation and adjustment.”
Freitag will be based at Marble House in Lee, but is available to meet with customers at any Lee Bank branch in Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Lee, Lenox, or Pittsfield, by appointment.
In addition to his work with Lee Bank, Freitag will also collaborate with October Mountain Financial Services, providing wealth portfolio management and financial planning to Lee Bank customers with substantial assets.
Most recently a senior client advisor at RINET Company LLC in Boston, Freitag is a graduate of Bentley University, where he earned a master’s degree in personal financial planning. He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance, with a focus in ethics and social responsibility, also from Bentley, where he graduated cum laude. He now resides in Lenox.
—A.K.
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Construct welcomes five new board members
GREAT BARRINGTON — Construct, the leading nonprofit provider of affordable housing and supportive services to south Berkshire County residents in need, has appointed five new members to its Board of Directors. Joining the board are Hinda Bodinger, Wanda Houston, Laura Jordahl, Christa Montano, and Richard Slutsky.
“We regularly evaluate our board and concluded that the time was right to fill the limited available seats,” Board President Elizabeth Rosenberg said. “The newest members bring a wealth of complementary and diverse perspectives and skills.”
The new members of the Board assumed their official duties on June 2, 2021. Officers this year include Board President Elizabeth Rosenberg, Board Vice President Rabbi Neil Hirsch, Board Treasurer Keith Seidman, and Board Secretary Elaine Silberstein.
Hinda Bodinger moved to the Berkshires full-time in 2013. In 2016, she and her husband Bill started Berkshire Baby Box, a nonprofit with the mission of helping all new families feel welcomed and valued here and connecting new families to resources and services, regardless of income or immigrant status. In 2021, having given out over 1,000 safe-sleep boxes and their “baby shower in a box,” they found a new home for Berkshire Baby Box with Community Health Program (CHP). Bodinger wants to devote her energy to combatting food and housing insecurity in Berkshire County.
Wanda Houston is a performer, bandleader, music/choir director, and teacher. She comes to the Berkshires from Chicago, via Los Angeles and New York City. She has worked in film and television, and on the Broadway stage, and both performed and lived in Europe and Australia. Houston first worked in the corporate worlds of property development and management, and is now the minister of music at First Baptist Church in Pittsfield and leads The Wanda Houston Band, HBH Band, and is a private vocal teacher and coach.
Laura Jordahl has long been committed to reducing housing and food insecurity through her volunteer leadership and philanthropy. In her former home outside Chicago, Jordahl was involved in Housing Forward, a local nonprofit focused on ending housing instability. For nearly two decades, she oversaw the nightly meals and bed setup for 25 homeless individuals once a month. After becoming a full-time Great Barrington resident, she volunteered at Construct, overseeing the front desk and working with staff on various projects. Professionally, Jordahl has backgrounds in architecture/project management and early childhood education.
Christa Montano grew up in the Berkshires and recently moved back to Great Barrington full-time. After attending New York University, she began working in marketing for food brands and CPG startups. She currently works remotely for an indoor urban farming company based in Brooklyn, handling marketing and public relations.
Richard Slutsky retired to the Berkshires in 2019. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, he graduated from Washington University and Emory University School of Law.
Richard practiced general civil law in Kansas City for five years. For 12 years, he served as the executive director of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City and later at the Jewish Community Foundation of Metrowest, New Jersey. For 20 years, Richard served as senior vice president and institutional sales director for the Philanthropic Solutions Group at U.S Trust and Merrill Lynch in New York City.
—A.K.
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Berkshire County Historical Society receives grant from Education Task Force
PITTSFIELD — The Berkshire County Historical Society (BCHS) has received a $6,000 grant from the Berkshire County Education Task Force (BCETF) in support of a new educational initiative that will promote research and understanding of Native American history and culture, as well as civic responsibility in Berkshire County public schools. This initiative is a collaborative effort between BCHS, Berkshire Museum, the Stockbridge–Munsee Community, Pittsfield Public Schools, and Central Berkshire Regional School District. Additional organizations, including school districts, will be added over time.
“While working with several partners on the upcoming collaborative exhibition “Muh-he-con-ne-ok: People of the Waters that are Never Still,” it became clear that there were few resources available to teachers and schools wanting to incorporate into their lesson planning validated information about and from Native American nations” said Lesley Herzberg, BCHS executive director. “This project will provide resources to remedy this lack, first for Pittsfield Public Schools and the Central Berkshire Regional School District, and as the project grows, for additional districts and schools in the region.”
The exhibition, on view at the Berkshire Museum August 1, 2021–January 9, 2022, is a cooperative effort between BCHS, Berkshire Museum, Trustees of Reservations, Bidwell House Museum, Hancock Shaker Village, Williams College, Stockbridge Museum and Archives, Housatonic Heritage, and Stockbridge–Munsee Community.
BCHS will host a summer workshop bringing together teachers, community leaders, and museum professionals with facilitator Heather Bruegl, director of cultural affairs of the Stockbridge–Munsee Community, and curator of the exhibition. She will lead educators and museum professionals in activities, along with readings and interactions that will deepen their understanding of Mohican history and the broader context of Indigenous history and culture in what is now the United States.
The workshop will help identify ideas for projects that middle and high school teachers can implement in the fall and winter of 2021–22.
—A.K.
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Berkshire Economic Recovery Program seeks consultants for consideration
PITTSFIELD — 1Berkshire, in partnership with Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and with support from the United States Economic Development Administration, is seeking experienced consultants for consideration to be hired as part of the Berkshire Economic Recovery Program.
The Berkshire Economic Recovery Program is a two-year initiative to provide enhanced technical support to both businesses and municipalities in the Berkshires to assist in recovery and ongoing resiliency work. Consultants of a wide range of expertise will be considered to facilitate the effort by providing workshops and/or direct one-on-one consulting services.
To be considered as a potential hired consultant, individuals are required to complete the Berkshire Economic Recovery Program Technical Assistance Consultant Intake Form.
For more information, or for additional inquiries, please contact the 1Berkshire Economic Development Team at EconomicDev@1berkshire.com.
—A.K.
