Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts announces Kiese Laymon, award-winning author, as commencement speaker
North Adams— Kiese Laymon, award-winning author, the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University, and a 2022 MacArthur Fellow, will be the commencement speaker at MCLA’s 126th commencement on May 17th.
Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. He is the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University. Laymon is the author of “Long Division,” which won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for fiction, and the essay collection “How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America,” named a notable book of 2021 by the New York Times. Laymon’s bestselling memoir, “Heavy: An American Memoir,” won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, the Barnes and Noble Discovery Award, and the Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media, and was named one of the 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years by The New York Times. The audiobook, read by the author, was named the Audible 2018 Audiobook of the Year. Laymon’s newest book, “City Summer, Country Summer” is the recipient of 2020-2021 Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard. He is the founder of The Catherine Coleman Literary Arts and Justice Initiative, based out of the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University and aimed to aid local young people in becoming more comfortable reading, writing, revising, and sharing on their own terms, in their own communities.
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Williams College announces Honorable Valerie Jarrett, chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors of The Obama Foundation, as commencement speaker
Williamstown— The Honorable Valerie Jarrett, chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors of The Obama Foundation, will be the principal speaker at Williams College’s 236th Commencement Exercise on Sunday, June 8th.
In her role at the Obama Foundation, Jarrett is overseeing the creation of a new world class cultural and civic institution on Chicago’s south side, and the Foundation’s programs that inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. She is also a senior distinguished fellow at The University of Chicago Law School, and the author of the New York Times bestselling book “Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing.” As the senior advisor to President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017, she became the longest serving senior advisor to a president in history. She oversaw the Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs and Chaired the White House Council on Women and Girls. Jarrett has also received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including TIME’s 100 Most Influential People Award and Forbes 50 Over 50.
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Bard College announces Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis, former Prime Minister of Haiti, as commencement speaker
Annandale-On-Hudson, N.Y.— Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis, former Prime Minister of Haiti, will be the commencement speaker at Bard College’s 165th commencement on Saturday, May 24th.
Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis was the prime minister of Haiti from 2008–09. Upon leaving office, she returned to the foundation she created in 1995, Fondation Connaissance et Liberté (Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty, or FOKAL). She is FOKAL’s president, coordinating special projects in sustainable development and higher education. Pierre-Louis has contributed to several books and publications about Haiti, and she is a founding member of the Haitian/Caribbean review magazine Chemins Critiques, in which she has published articles on politics, gender, economics, arts, and culture. Among numerous other awards, she is the 2023 recipient of the French Legion of Honor.
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Berkshire Community College announces Noe Ortega, Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education, as keynote speaker for graduation ceremonies
Pittsfield— Noe Ortega, Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education, will be the keynote speaker for Berkshire Community College’s 65th commencement at Tanglewood in Lenox on Friday, May 30th.
Noe Ortega, Ph.D., was sworn in as Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education in 2022. He has led the Department of Higher Education (DHE) through a time of historic investment by the state legislature and Healey-Driscoll Administration in affordability and access for all learners in the Commonwealth. During Dr. Ortega’s tenure, Massachusetts has more than doubled its investment in the state’s financial aid programs. These investments have made the Commonwealth’s public community colleges free and made its public four-year colleges and universities tuition and fee free for Pell Grant-eligible students, while reducing costs for middle-income students. Dr. Ortega is dedicated to closing equity gaps through the Board of Higher Education’s four strategic priorities: Student Success and Affordability, Economic Mobility, Public Good, and Innovation.
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Bard College at Simon’s Rock announces Chloe Demrovsky ’01 as commencement speaker
Great Barrington— Chloe Demrovsky ‘01 will address graduates at the 56th commencement ceremony of Bard College at Simon’s Rock on Saturday, May 17th.
Chloe Demrovsky is an experienced executive leader with a distinguished career advising Fortune 100 companies, startups, consortia, and government on all aspects of emergency management. Recognized for her forward-thinking approach, she leverages present market fundamentals and technological innovation to drive transformation across industries. Demrovsky is currently Executive in Residence in Global Business and Economy at NYU where she oversees research on topics from geoeconomics and weaponized interdependence to emerging advanced technologies and cryptocurrency. As a senior Forbes contributor, Demrovsky’s insights have been featured across major media outlets like Fox News, CBS News, CNBC, Newsmax, News Nation, CNN, MSNBC, Bloomberg, and Sky News. She’s also been a reliable source for leading publications, including The Financial Times, AP, BBC, USA Today, and ABC News. A sought-after speaker, she has presented at 150+ events on five continents and briefed government bodies such as the US Congress, the European Commission, and the UN. In 2024, she served on the FEMA National Advisory Council, evidencing her impact and recognition in her field.
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Berkshire Health Systems has announced the appointment of James Curtiss, MD, to Gastroenterology Professional Services, practicing in the North Adams Regional Hospital
North Adams— Berkshire Health Systems has announced the appointment of James Curtiss, MD, to Gastroenterology Professional Services, practicing in the North Adams Regional Hospital office and providing gastroenterology and endoscopy services for North Berkshire patients. He is a General Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist who does general and advanced endoscopic procedures, and is now taking new patients.
Dr. Curtiss received his medical degree and completed a Fellowship in Gastroenterology from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Dr. Curtiss has over 20 years’ experience as a gastroenterologist. He has practiced the last seven years at Gastroenterology Associates of Central Virginia.
“I enjoy the teaching aspect of medicine both to those still in training and particularly to my patients as I feel if they have a better understanding of their issues and the rationale for treatments it helps my patients take a more active part in their health and happiness,” said Dr. Curtiss.
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Patrick White named Chief Financial Officer of Southern Berkshire Ambulance
Great Barrington— Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad (SBA) has named Patrick White as the Chief Financial Officer, a newly-created part-time position at the Great Barrington non-profit.
Jim Santos, President of SBA, observed, “We welcome Patrick to our team. This is a much-needed position as we complete our transformation from a volunteer organization to one that serves most of southern Berkshire County on a 24-7-365 basis.”
White, who also serves as a Select Board member in Stockbridge and as the part-time CFO of the Berkshire Waldorf High School, said “It is an honor and privilege to join the Southern Berkshire Ambulance team. I’ve worked for and with many of the world-famous nonprofits throughout Berkshire County. This is one of the lesser-known ones and yet it is vital to our community’s well-being. When you need them, they are there. Let’s keep it that way.”
