Norman Rockwell Museum welcomes new team members
Stockbridge— Norman Rockwell Museum (NRM) welcomes new team members Caren Seward Kinne joins the Museum as Manager of Learning and Engagement, and Derrick Martin, the Museum’s new Norman Rockwell Teaching Fellow.
Caren Seward Kinne joins the Museum as Manager of Learning and Engagement. Kinne most recently worked as an arts administrator at Chesterwood, including helping to create new educational offerings. She will lead the development of programs for K-12 students, families, and community groups, working closely with NRM’s Chief Learning and Engagement Officer to deepen the Museum’s educational impact both locally and nationally. She holds a BFA in painting and a M.A. in Art Education, both from Russell Sage College.
Also joining the team is Derrick Martin, the Museum’s new Norman Rockwell Teaching Fellow. Martin is responsible for designing and facilitating K-12 tours and providing support in all programs for school, family, and public audiences. Derrick received his M.Ed. from MCLA and has a BFA in Sculpture from UMass Amherst. He has taught in schools across Berkshire County.
In addition to new leadership, the Museum has welcomed a number of new Museum Educators who bring diverse backgrounds in education, art, and accessibility. These professionals will play a key role in guiding student tours, supporting family programs, and extending NRM’s reach to community audiences. The new museum educators include Lucie Castaldo, practicing artist and experienced community-based visual arts educator; Dana Coleman, veteran elementary educator and reading specialist with a strong commitment to equity in education; Katy Matsuzaki , accomplished museum educator with experience at major institutions including MFA Boston and Historic New England; and Sandra Schilling, experienced special education teacher and volunteer coordinator, with a focus on inclusive practices.
The Museum has also hired two part-time team members to join its existing cohort of Museum Guides who give public tours of exhibitions and Norman Rockwell’s Studio that recently opened for the season. Each brings unique expertise ranging from museum and classroom teaching to museum interpretation and accessibility. The new Museum Guides include Olivia Good, freelance audio producer and museum interpretation expert who has created audio tours and verbal descriptions for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and many other museums across the U.S.; and Dan Michaels, experienced classroom teacher who also worked for several years as a Docent at the Ringling Museum of Art.
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Berkshire Community Land Trust Board elects new board member
Great Barrington— Berkshire Community Land Trust (BCLT) voted Jonathan Fertel as the newest board member on April 8th at the annual meeting.
Jonathan Fertel is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Lollipop, an employee wellness start-up. Previously, Jonathan served as Vice President of Customer Success at SiteCompli, a real estate compliance company acquired by private equity in 2019, and CEO of Envelope City, a zoning company sold in 2023 to First American Financial. Fertel moved to the Berkshires in 2019 after 20 years in New York City and has been actively involved with the BCLT as a volunteer with its Farmsteads for Farmsteads program. He also serves on the Ralph S. Hoffman Foundation board, a 501(c)(3) organization.
“Jonathan is a good friend of Berkshire Community Land Trust and we are very fortunate to have him join the board at this critical time. His leadership experience, energy, and dedication to the Berkshires community will be invaluable to the organization,” said Sarah Downie, co-chair of the BCLT board.”
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Berkshire Health Systems appoints new Board of Trustees members
Pittsfield— Berkshire Health Systems is pleased to announce the election of Ashley Benson, MSW, LICSW, and Matthew Lauro of Mountain One Bank to the BHS Board of Trustees.
Ashley Benson is the founder and owner of Optimal Healing, LLC, and is a Psychotherapist, consultant and clinical supervisor. A dedicated mental health professional with over two decades of experience in social work and clinical practice, she founded her practice in 2019 to provide holistic health resources to the community and formally established Optimal Healing in 2022. She specializes in trauma-focused care and the treatment of children, adolescents, and families. She earned her undergraduate degrees from Berkshire Community College and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, followed by a Master’s in Social Work from Smith College. Committed to continuous learning and leadership in the field, she holds two post-graduate certifications: Advanced Clinical Social Work Supervision from Smith College School for Social Work and Advanced Practice with Children & Adolescents from Springfield College.
Matthew Lauro is Senior Vice President and Western Massachusetts Commercial Team Leader for MountainOne Bank. He is responsible for managing existing portfolio risk, loan growth and a team of Commercial Bankers. He is active in the community as a Board Member for Berkshire Education and Correction in Pittsfield, former National Council Member of the Avon Old Farms School for Boys, and former trustee of the Pittsfield Affordable Housing Trust. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the Lally School of Business Management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
“We are excited to welcome Ashley and Matthew to the BHS Board of Trustees,” said President and CEO Darlene Rodowicz. “They are recognized leaders in our community, and BHS will be lucky to benefit from their perspectives as we continue working to advance health and wellness for everyone in the region.”
Departing the BHS Board of Trustees are Timothy Burke, Barton Raser, and John Loiodice, MD, who provided exceptional leadership and service to Berkshire Health Systems for many years. “On behalf of BHS, I offer my deepest appreciation to Tim, Bart, and John for their commitment to furthering our mission and their invaluable contributions in support of our community,” said Rodowicz.
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Berkshire South Regional Community Center welcomes new Board of Trustees member
Great Barrington— Berkshire South Regional Community Center is pleased to welcome Nick Papachristou to its Board of Trustees.
After a 35-year career in marketing, Papachristou recently moved to Sheffield. He is currently working as a sales and marketing consultant, helping for-profit and nonprofit organizations grow through strategic planning, performance marketing, and organizational development. Beyond his professional work, Papachristou has been a lifelong advocate for the communities where he has lived, serving on regional and national nonprofit boards across the arts, media, and health sectors including the MS Society, Louisville Ballet, Louisville Orchestra, Kentucky Educational Television, and Positive Recovery Centers in Houston.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Nick to our Board of Trustees,” said Executive Director Jenise Lucey “There’s important work ahead, and Nick immediately jumped in with heart, energy, and a clear commitment to furthering our mission.”
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Greylock Federal promotes Matt Tekin to Vice President of Operational Risk Management
Pittsfield— Greylock Federal Credit Union is proud to announce the promotion of Matt Tekin to Vice President of Operational Risk Management.
In his role, Tekin oversees the credit union’s enterprise risk management program, implements security measures in compliance with industry standards, manages the NCUA exam process, and provides management support toward the development of the credit union’s business continuity program and incident response program. He previously served as Assistant Vice President, IT Security, Audit, and Infrastructure. He began his career with Greylock in 2017 as an IT Security Engineer.
“Matt brings to this role a depth of knowledge and expertise honed over the past 20 years as a professional with experience in IT security, infrastructure, and risk management. With seven of those years at Greylock, Matt has played a critical role in the credit union’s risk management operations, and we look forward to his continued strategic leadership in his new role,” said Jeffrey Gerard, Senior Vice President/Chief Risk Officer.
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Berkshire Center for Justice founder joins Mayoral mental health advisory committee
Great Barrington— Audrey Eve Schatz, Executive Director and attorney of the Berkshire Center for Justice (BCJ) was invited to join Pittsfield Mayor Peter Marchetti’s Advisory Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use Taskforce.
This taskforce is composed of representatives from health and human service agencies, some with life experience, to ensure that all citizens of Pittsfield have access to proper care for both disorders in a judgement free environment and to strengthen partnerships among social service agencies and providers. The advisory committee will work collaboratively with community stakeholders, and advocate and ensure proper resources are available for individuals and families to receive timely and adequate treatment.
