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BUSINESS BRIEFS: New Trustees at Berkshire Country Day School; Faculty and Staff updates at Berkshire Community College; New Board Members at Berkshire Innovation Center; New staff and Board Members at Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center; MCLA’s Greylock LEAD Academy news; Berkshire Bank honored nationally

Emma Lezberg is currently Ph.D. candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she researches how schools can best support their undocumented and liminal-status students.

New Trustees at Berkshire Country Day School 

Stockbridge— Berkshire Country Day School (BCD) is delighted to announce the appointment of new trustee Emma Lezberg, following the appointment last year of Robert Mulhall, CEO of Kripalu, and Heather Ryan Gallerstein, a Director of PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Emma Lezberg is a 2013 graduate of BCD, and subsequently a graduate of Pittsfield High School and Williams College. She is currently Ph.D. candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she researches how schools can best support their undocumented and liminal-status students and prepare them for life after graduation. Emma served previously as a Case Worker at the Berkshire Immigrant Center. 

Emma follows the appointment of Robert Mulhall, CEO of Kripalu. Robert has spent two decades developing an expertise in the non-profit and for-profit sectors. He spent his early career in accounting and finance with Pricewaterhouse-Coopers before shifting to focus on human leadership and development. Robert received numerous awards as a social entrepreneur prior to moving to India to lead innovative global health programming in partnership with UNICEF, the Gates Foundation and the Governments of India, Malawi, Kenya, Ghana, and Sierra Leone.

Heather Ryan Gallerstein has also joined the Board of Trustees. Heather Gallerstein has spent her entire professional career with Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, where she currently is a Director. She is an auditor and CPA by background and has spent the past several years in the firm’s Learning & Education department.

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Faculty and Staff updates at Berkshire Community College

Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces the addition of four faculty/staff members, three promotions, and two title changes.

Jacqueline Bianco. Courtesy Berkshire Community College.

Jacqueline Bianco joins BCC as Assistant Professor – Physical Therapist Assistant Program. She holds a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology-athletic training from the University of New Hampshire and a doctorate in physical therapy from Sacred Heart University. With 13 years of clinical experience, she was previously a physical therapist and personal trainer for Timeless Training and Gymfest Gymnastics in Pittsfield.

Caleb Kendig. Courtesy Berkshire Community College.

Caleb Kendig joins BCC as Maintainer I. He is a graduate of McCann Technical school, where he studied information technology. He completed about two years of core classes and criminal justice classes at BCC before enrolling at Westfield State University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in history. Throughout high school and the two years he was at BCC, he worked for BJs Wholesale Club as a cart pusher and cashier. After college, he worked security at a summer camp and since at BCC as contracted security.

Sarah Ryndak. Courtesy Berkshire Community College.

Sarah Ryndak joins BCC as Employee Engagement & Talent Development Specialist. With 16 years of experience in higher education administration at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the Human Resources Department. Most recently, she served as the administrative director of the Collaborative Arts & Open Arts Program. At BCC, Sarah will focus on employee engagement and training while contributing to all areas of HR. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and a master’s degree in higher education from New York University’s Steinhardt School.

Rebecca Wehry. Courtesy Berkshire Community College.

Rebecca Wehry joins BCC as Executive Director of Development. She brings extensive experience from her role as director of development at Buxton School. Previously, she served as associate director of development at Simon’s Rock for almost four years, including eight months as interim director. Wehry’s career began at MASS MoCA, where she spent 10 years in various roles, including manager of special events, partnerships, and external affairs. She later joined Hancock Shaker Village. An MCLA graduate, Wehry also completed an undergraduate internship with Pittsfield’s Colonial Theatre.

Jason Dion is now Interim Director of Facilities. Previously, he was Plumber and Steamfitter II. He has been with BCC since May 2024. Kaila Mullaney is now Academic Affairs Division Manager. She joined BCC in September 2021 as Administrative Assistant for the Vice President and Office of Academic Affairs. Erin Seagrave is now Executive Director of Academic Operations, Planning and Assessment. She was previously Director of Academic Operations. She has been with BCC since July 2022.

Julia Curletti is now Division Manager, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. Previously, she was Interim Division Manager, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. She has been with BCC since January 2017. Craig Ptak is now Recreation Facilities Supervisor III. Previously, he was Recreation Facilities Supervisor II. He joined BCC in March 2014.

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New Board Members at Berkshire Innovation Center

Pittsfield— The Berkshire Innovation Center is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors: Tanja Srebotnjak, Executive Director of The Zilkha Center for the Environment at Williams College, and Garth Klimchuk, Founder and Managing Partner at NorthRenew Energy.

Tanja Srebotnjak. Courtesy Berkshire Innovation Center.

Tanja Srebotnjak has worked on sustainability strategy and operations and in a variety of settings. She obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees in statistics from Dortmund Technical University, Germany and the University of Auckland, New Zealand before joining the UN Statistics Division to work on environmental statistics and indicators. Seeing the growing need for data-driven sustainability assessment and decision-making, she pursued doctoral research in environmental statistics and policy from the Yale School of the Environment and was the director of the Yale-Columbia Environmental Performance Index. Since then, she has led research, education and strategic initiatives to address sustainability, climate and environmental health issues in academia and K-12 education as well as for environmental advocacy and think tank organizations in the U.S. and Europe.

Garth Klimchuk. Courtesy Berkshire Innovation Center.

Garth Klimchuk has over 35 years of project development and financial advisory experience across the broad energy spectrum with the last 15 years dedicated exclusively to renewable energy.  As a developer, investment banker, CFO and consultant he has executed financial and strategic solutions representing over $10 billion in transaction value for companies ranging from start-up to Fortune 100. Prior to NorthRenew, he was Founder and Managing Partner of NorthWinds Advisors, a financial advisory firm and broker-dealer, in which he executed transactions representing more than 3,500 MW and over $5 billion of project value. Through his broad responsibilities on behalf of his clients, he was engaged in deep due diligence and negotiation processes across a wide range of renewable energy projects and technologies. Garth holds an MBA from The Wharton School, an MA in Energy Management and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BS in Geology from Brown University.

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New staff and Board Members at Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

Great Barrington— The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center welcomes Zac Parmelee as Marketing Assistant, and two new board members Jeff Lynch and Nelson Fernandez.

Zac Parmelee. Courtesy Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.

Zac Parmelee studied graphic design and studio art at California State University Northridge, focusing in designing for the arts, a specialty he’s already deploying at the Mahaiwe through flyers, ads, and more.

Jeff Lynch. Courtesy Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.

Jeff Lynch is the President and founder of Idle Smart, a proprietary software solution that reduces fleets’ fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. He has led its growth and expansion from its pre-revenue stage to having its solution installed on the largest fleets in North America. With a B.A. in Political Science from Boston University and an M.B.A. from Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, he has served in leadership positions at Thompson Reuters, Intel Corporation, and Sprint Nextel.

Nelson Fernandez. Courtesy Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.

Nelson Fernandez, Director of Advancement, Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires, is an experienced corporate brand, marketing communications, and public affairs executive. Prior to leading ViM’s advancement team, Mr. Fernandez was the principal of Crosby Street Consultants, a communications consultancy focused on building brands, and prior to that, served as chair of APCO Wordwide’s North America region and managing director of APCO New York. Mr. Fernandez also worked at Burson-Marsteller prior to APCO, in the North America and Latin America regions.

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MCLA’s Greylock LEAD Academy completes second year

North Adams— The Greylock LEAD Academy, a Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) program to help new students integrate into college life, has completed its second expanded year thanks to continued support from Greylock Federal Credit Union.

LEAD, which stands for Leadership, Education, Action, and Development, is a success, leadership, and civic engagement program designed to help students develop leadership skills and the tools necessary for college, which they can immediately apply. In 2023, Greylock pledged $100,000 to reimagine the College’s LEAD Academy, allowing the program to grow from around 30 MCLA students each year to encompass each fall’s new student cohort.

Courtesy MCLA.

From August 25th to September 3rd, this year’s LEAD students participated in a holistic onboarding experience prior to the start of fall classes. The first five days provided a signature experience focused on leadership development, team-building, community-building, and workshops conducted by student leaders. In addition to these important components, the program provides a sense of belonging and connection for those new to campus.

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Berkshire Bank honored nationally for extraordinary corporate responsibility efforts

Berkshire— The American Bankers Association Foundation has honored Berkshire Bank for its dedication to economic inclusion with the foundation’s Community Commitment Award, which recognizes banks for extraordinary corporate social responsibility activities. 

Berkshire Bank employees volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. Courtesy Berkshire Bank.

The Community Comeback focuses on four key areas: fueling small businesses, community financing and philanthropy, financial access and empowerment, and environmental sustainability. It has helped consumers realize the dream of homeownership, improve financial outcomes, create jobs, redevelop neighborhoods, and build a more equitable and sustainable future. Specifically, the award recognized Berkshire’s Community Comeback program for providing $5 billion in lending, investment and technical assistance, an increase of approximately 70 percent over three years.

Community Commitment Award winners must embody banking at its best and demonstrate success in measurable terms. The awards selection committee, comprised of independent national experts, reviewed bank nominations from across the country and chose winners based on specific criteria, including the creativity and thoughtfulness of the program.

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The Edge Is Free To Read.

But Not To Produce.