Expedia names Lenox ‘Best place to escape’ in Massachusetts
Lenox — The Lenox Chamber of Commerce announced Thursday that travel-booking website Expedia has named Lenox as the “best place to escape” in Massachusetts.
In its “Best place to escape in every state” feature published Jan. 3, Expedia chose 50 places, one in each state, where people can “soak up nature’s wonders and revel in serene solitude.” In her article, Expedia writer Lily Rogers notably highlighted the Lenox destinations of Blantyre, Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary and The Mount.
Said LCC marketing director Jamie Trie, “It’s very exciting for Expedia to recognize Lenox as the exceptional place it is once again. … This is a great recognition to start off the new year with.”
–E.E.
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1Berkshire to join spring ArtWeek festival
Pittsfield — 1Berkshire has announced that it has been named as a collaborator for the statewide 2018 ArtWeek festival, which will take place Friday, April 27, through Sunday, May 6.
Presented by the Highland Street Foundation and produced by the Boch Center, ArtWeek offers new ways to experience art, culture, and creativity. Now an annual statewide festival, ArtWeek began in Boston in 2013 and recently expanded its footprint across Massachusetts, featuring hundreds creative experiences that are hands-on and interactive or offer behind-the-scenes access to art, culture and the creative process. As an official ArtWeek collaborator, 1Berkshire will provide information about hosting ArtWeek events, and will encourage the public to experience the festival. Also new this year, the Mass Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism have joined ArtWeek in order to highlight the state’s creative economy.
The early application deadline to submit an ArtWeek event is Monday, Jan. 8. The final deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 28.
–E.E.
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Huffman to head Hutchinson Consulting
Lee — Kristine Huffman of Lee is one of three partners who will bring new leadership to nationally recognized hospitality recruiting firm Hutchinson Consulting. Hutchinson Consulting President Bill Hutchinson announced his retirement and that a team consisting of Huffman, Carol Stratford and Michael G. Tompkins will take over the lead.
Huffman has over 30 years of experience in hospitality and human services including leadership, staff training, program development and brand direction. After 16 years at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, she founded Huffman Hospitality Concepts, providing expertise to hospitality brands across the United States including Miraval and Travaasa resorts.
“Lori and Bill Hutchinson have created a revered company, and I feel honored to be merging the brands Michael, Carol and I have created with the Hutchinson legacy,” Huffman said.
–E.E.
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Allison Romeo joins Salisbury Bank as assistant vice president
Lakeville, Conn. — Salisbury Bank and Trust Company has announced Allison Romeo as its new assistant vice president, customer support and electronic services manager.
Romeo most recently worked at Adams Community Bank as assistant vice president, customer care manager. She also has experience at Lenox National Bank as data processing manager. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and lives in Lee, Massachusetts.
–E.E.
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Shakespeare & Company announces new board members
Lenox — Shakespeare & Company has announced the addition of six new members to its board of trustees: Sandra Bourgeois, George Camarda, Phoebe L. Giddon, Beverly Hyman, Maureen O’Hanlon and Scott Rubinow.
Bourgeois graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, and holds a master’s degree in African studies from University of California, Los Angeles. After teaching high school social studies in New York for six years, she switched careers and worked for 30 years in information technology as a programmer, project manager and testing specialist. After retiring in 2011, Bourgeois has volunteered with Shakespeare & Company, and Pigeon Key and Marathon Garden Club in the state of Florida. Bourgeois was president of Shakespeare & Company’s volunteers from 2015 to 2017, serving ex officio on its board of trustees for the Company.
Giddon is a graduate of Brandeis University in Waltham, and has served as a member of the Brandeis’ National Board for Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She and her husband, Dr. Donald Giddon, created the Women and Health Initiative in the women’s studies program at Brandeis, and have sponsored WGS’ popular “Sexuality in Healthcare” course. Giddon owns Travel Consultants International in Wellesley, and is co-owner of Rothmans New York with her sons. She is actively involved with various arts organizations in and around Berkshire County.
Camarda has been a script supervisor for the past 20 years on television productions including “Law & Order,” “The West Wing,” “Boardwalk Empire” and “Bull.” He has been a member of IATSE Local 161 since 1993 and was previously a locations manager for a number of films, TV commercials and music videos. He is a recipient of awards from the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. His 30-minute short film “Miguel, Ma Belle” has screened at more 40 international film festivals. As a photographer, he was awarded a grant by MTA Arts for Transit to create a 17-foot wide photo panorama in the New York subway. Camarda is a graduate of Emerson College in Boston with a bachelor’s degree in theater directing.
Hyman is president of the international organizational development and training firm Beverly Hyman, Ph.D. and Associates. She is a long-time resident of the Berkshires with a historic home in Otis, and she and her husband live full-time in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Her current community involvements include New York University trustee, board chair of NYU Steinhardt, immediate past president of NYU’s alumni association, and patron of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Hyman holds a Ph.D. in media, culture and communication from NYU. She is the author of three books, most recently “How to Know If It’s Time to Go,” which she co-authored with her husband.
Prior to his move to the Berkshires, Rubinow worked as a math teacher at the Miller School and the Field School in Charlottesville, Virginia. Rubinow has also worked in various leadership positions with AIG, UBS, J.P. Morgan, and Morgan Stanley. He holds master’s degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University and Columbia Business School. His undergraduate degree in mathematics was from Tufts University in Medford.
O’Hanlon is a 25-year veteran of the travel and hospitality industry. She joined the Prism Partnership in Boston as a partner in 2004 and leads the firm’s marketing and sales practice. O’Hanlon previously served with Prime Hospitality and Carlson Companies. She has been recognized as one of the 25 most influential industry executives by Tour & Travel News, and was a recipient of the Association of Travel Marketing Executives’ ATLAS Award for Marketing. O’Hanlon serves on the board of Synnikan, a Minneapolis-based organization that promotes mentoring and the advancement of women in the workplace. She also serves on the board of Berkshire Lyric, has been a volunteer at Shakespeare & Company for 14 years, and is currently co-president of Shakespeare & Volunteer Company.
–E.E.
