Norman Rockwell Museum announces senior leadership hires
Stockbridge— Norman Rockwell Museum announced three senior leadership hires. Hilary Dunne Ferrone has assumed the role of Chief Philanthropy Officer to lead the museum’s annual fundraising campaign and to align its fundraising programs with its strategic initiatives and overall strategic growth plan. Kathryn Potts has been named Chief Learning and Engagement Officer responsible for developing engaging learning content and programming to inspire the Museum’s visitors, community members, and digital audiences. Potts will oversee the Museum Guides and build on the Museum’s long tradition of excellent public education and interpretive work. Tiffani Silverman joins the Museum as its new Director of People and Culture to develop strategic human resources initiatives and programs and foster and deepen a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Hilary Dunne Ferrone is a senior fundraising professional who has spearheaded fundraising at several Berkshire-area organizations including Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Spencertown Academy Arts Center, and most recently Berkshire Museum. A graduate of Hamilton College with a B.A. in History, she is a certified fundraising executive and holds an M.S. degree in planning and preservation from Columbia University. She serves as an advisor to the Fund for Columbia County at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
Kathryn Potts worked at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art for 23 years. She has worked at Norman Rockwell Museum as assistant to the director for special projects to strategically redevelop the Museum’s traveling exhibition program and was Chair of Education at the Whitney Museum. She was the founding co-chair of the Whitney’s Equity and Inclusion Committee, among other areas of service. Prior to the Whitney, Potts held curatorial positions at the Jewish Museum, New York, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She holds an M.A. from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art and a B.A. from Brandeis University in Art History and History.
Tiffani Silverman brings over 20 years of combined legal and human resources experience. She began her career in the public sector at the New York Bar Association and the Legal Aid Society and continued to work in the human resource areas of environmental law firms and, most recently, as Director of Human Resources at St. Anne Institute, a nonprofit community organization serving Albany and surrounding towns. Recognized this past year by The Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA) as a rising leader, Silverman sits on a national Human Resources Committee for The Association of Children’s Residential & Community Services. Silverman graduated from the State University of New York at Albany and received her Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certification from Cornell University.
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Berkshire Community College announces new staff
Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces the addition of four new staff members.
Erica Barreto joins BCC as Coordinator of Student Diversity Programs and Belonging. Born to first-generation immigrant parents from Brazil and Portugal, Barreto grew up in the Hudson Valley before moving to the Berkshires. In 2019, she returned to her alma mater, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts to coordinate the MCLA Institute for the Arts and Humanities (IAH). She is the vice president of the board of directors for WAM Theatre.
Kathy Baugh joins BCC as Program Coordinator of the STEM Starter Academy, helping to recruit new students and prepare them to start at BCC. Baugh brings over 30 years of experience in non-profit management including 16 years in youth development through the Student Conservation Association (SCA), where she became National Director of Program. Baugh is an editor for the Becket Beat, a small monthly newspaper, and she serves on the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Advisory Board.
Lauren Gregory joins BCC as an Accountant II in the Business Office. A native of Pittsfield, she attended BCC before graduating and transferring to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in 2020. She graduated MCLA in December 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (accounting concentration). Gregory brings six years of accounting experience, as a bookkeeper at David J. Tierney, Jr., Inc. and as a staff accountant and tax preparer at Brazee and Huban, CPAs.
Amy Emerson-Inhelder joins BCC’s Jonathan Edwards Library as Library Assistant III-Circulation Manager. Native to Berkshire County, Emerson-Inhelder comes to BCC after almost 10 years as library director of a small local library. Previously, she was an elementary school teacher at Cheshire Elementary School after earning a B.S. in Elementary Education at North Adams State College.
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CHP Berkshires welcomes new clinicians
Great Barrington— CHP Berkshires has expanded its clinical team with the addition of three new providers.
Marina Hoag, family nurse practitioner, has joined the primary care team at CHP Neighborhood Health Center in Pittsfield. Previously a registered nurse at CHP North Adams Family Medical, she recently completed her doctorate of nursing at Elms College. She earned her B.S. in nursing at the University of Phoenix and received her associate degree in nursing at Berkshire Community College. She has previously worked at Berkshire Medical Center in the emergency department and Mcgee Substance Abuse and Center for Rehabilitation, and has also worked in elder care.
Dr. Mary Zabinski, pediatrician, has joined CHP Lee Family Practice. She earned her medical degree at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha and completed her postdoctoral pediatric internship and residency at UMass Chan Medical School/Baystate Medical Center. She earned her B.A. in biology at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester after which, she worked at the Pulmonary Center at Boston University School of Medicine. She is also completing her M.S. in bioethics at the Alden March Bioethics Institute at Albany Medical College.
Michael Jefferson, physician assistant, has joined the CHP Mobile Health team. He earned his master’s degree from Bouve College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University, followed by a post-graduate fellowship at Albany Medical Center. At Eastern Kentucky University, he received a bachelor’s in emergency medical care. Earlier, he completed the emergency medical technician/paramedic degree program at Prince George’s Community College in Maryland. He previously worked at the BMC emergency department and at Holyoke Medical Group Walk-in Clinic.
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Berkshire Bank included in annual rating on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s assessment of LGBTQ+ workplace equality
Berkshire— Berkshire Bank is pleased to announce its inclusion on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Berkshire Bank joins the ranks of 1,384 major U.S. businesses that were also ranked in the 2023-2024 CEI.
“For well over two decades, businesses have played an important role in furthering LGBTQ+ equality by centering employee needs and voices when it comes to workplace inclusion. While there is much more work to be done, year-over-year growth in CEI participation is evidence of a business community that recognizes the responsibility and value in upholding equity and inclusion,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, Human Rights Campaign senior director of workplace equality. “Our goal at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is to work in a spirit of partnership with companies, providing educational resources and leading benchmarking, and collaborating on ways for businesses to support the LGBTQ+ community at a time when we face unprecedented legislative attacks, heightened anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and physical violence. The CEI is an ever-evolving tool – a blueprint that companies can use to show up more effectively in supporting their LGBTQ+ employees and their families.”
The results of the 2023-2024 CEI showcase how U.S.-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+ friendly workplace policies. The first year of the CEI included 319 participants and this year includes 1,384 participants. Further demonstrating the tremendous trajectory of the CEI, a record-breaking 1,340 businesses have non-discrimination protections specific to gender identity, up from just 17 in 2002. These critical non-discrimination protections cover 21 million employees in the U.S. and around the globe. The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.
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Spencertown Academy awarded $25,000 by New York State Council on the Arts
Spencertown— Spencertown Academy Arts Center announced today a grant award totaling $25,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the nonprofit arts and culture sector. Through New York State’s continued investment in arts and culture, NYSCA has awarded over $80 million since Spring 2023 to over 1,500 artists and organizations across the state.
Governor Kathy Hochul said, “Research confirms what we’ve always known here in New York: arts and culture are a powerhouse, with a staggering return on investment for our economy and our communities. Nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences generated $151.7 billion in economic activity nationwide in 2022 and New York’s unparalleled arts and culture sector is leading the way to benefit our residents, our students and our visitors every day. I commend these grantees on their achievements and look forward to their contributions in the coming year.”
NYSCA Chair Katherine Nicholls said, “Thanks to the unwavering support of Governor Hochul and our Legislature, NYSCA is so proud to support the work of organizations and artists from all across New York. Spanning the entire breadth of the arts and culture sector – from world-renowned performers to after-school programs, from long established museums to community arts collectives—these organizations and artists together are a powerful driver of health, tourism, economy and education for our residents and visitors. On behalf of Council and staff, congratulations to Spencertown Academy and thank you for your perseverance, your creativity and your tireless service to New York State.”
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Berkshire Community College to benefit from new MassGrant financial aid program
Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College (BCC) is one of 15 community and state colleges across the Commonwealth that will benefit from a historic financial aid expansion recently approved by Governor Maura Healey’s administration.
With close to $62 million in new program funding supporting approximately 25,000 students, the MASSGrant Plus Expansion program will cover tuition, fees, books, and supply costs for Pell Grant-eligible students and reduce out-of-pocket expenses for middle-income students by up to half.
“For so many Massachusetts residents, higher education can be the ticket to their future career and economic stability. Our employers are looking to graduates of Massachusetts’ exceptional public colleges to meet their workforce needs, and those graduates are most likely to stay in Massachusetts. But far too many people are held back from pursuing the education of their choice because of high costs,” said Governor Healey. “This expansion of MASSGrant Plus will open doors for more students to access higher education, which will strengthen our economy as a whole.”
For the first time, the state funding will cover the federally determined “expected family contribution” (EFC) and an additional allowance of up to $1,200 for books and supplies. Middle income students — defined as those whose families earn between $73,000 and $100,000 annually in adjusted gross income — will see costs for tuition and mandatory instructional fees reduced by up to half of their out-of-pocket expenses. Also, while middle-income students must be enrolled full time to qualify, the MASSGrant Plus expansion will extend financial aid to both full- and part-time Pell Grant-eligible students for the first time.
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Dalton Rotary Club installs swing set for Branches Autism School
Dalton— Dalton Rotary Club supplied both funding and labor needed to install a new swing set at Branches School of the Berkshires last month, providing a recreational opportunity for the children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) the school serves.
On a chilly Saturday, Rotary Club members dug post holes, built and inserted the swing set framework, filled the cement footers, laid a ground cover, and provided a thick surface cover of wood chips for safety. Matt Rennie and other volunteers from Allegrone Construction Co., Inc. provided critical site preparation and installation support.
“This project is very special to the students as, up to now, the students would go outside but did not have anything to play on,” said Branches Executive Director Helen Bloomer, who co-founded the school with Kassy Vorce, the school’s Clinical Director. “We’re very appreciative.”
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Greylock Federal’s new Lee branch set to open in January
Lee— Greylock Federal Credit Union’s new Lee branch at 43 Park Street is scheduled to open Tuesday, January 16th.
The new location, which is nearly three times larger than the existing location, has many new features for members to enjoy including a drive-up, ample off-street parking, one Video Teller Service(VTS)/ATM machine, and a community room. The new branch will also be in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
In support of this opening, Greylock is sharing several important details:
- The existing Lee branch at 47 Main Street will be fully closed by Monday, January 8th.
- For members’ convenience, a nearby fee-free ATM is available at the Sunoco gas station at 15 Park Street in Lee.
- For other financial needs, members can use Greylock’s Lenox branch at 68 Main Street in Lenox.
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1Berkshire Berkshire Leadership Program now accepting applications for it’s Class of 2024
Berkshire— 1Berkshire’s Berkshire Leadership Program (BLP) is excited to announce that the 2024 class applications are open.
The Berkshire Leadership Program seeks, prepares, involves, and sustains individuals from diverse backgrounds who are committed to and competent in addressing community challenges and improving the quality of life in the Berkshires. More than 640 community-minded individuals have graduated from the program since its inception in 1997.
The Class of 2024 will kick off with a two-day retreat Friday, April 26th and Saturday, April 27th, which includes training in many facets of leadership, problem-solving techniques, and networking. The retreat is followed by weekly sessions held on Thursdays, May 2nd through June 27th, focusing on areas of economic development, healthcare, tourism, creative economy, housing, and community involvement.
“The Berkshire Leadership Program is one of the most comprehensive ways to learn about the community and a great opportunity for additional professional development,” stated Christine Hoyt, 1Berkshire Director of Member Services and BLP Coordinator.
The deadline to apply for the Class of 2024 is Friday, January 12th. The cost of tuition is $800; some scholarships are available. The application and a full program schedule can be found at: https://1berkshire.com/berkshire-leadership-program-blp/. Contact blp@1berkshire.com with any questions.
