Boston — State Sen. Adam G. Hinds, D-Pittsfield, has announced that his Senate staff team is fully assembled and ready to work, and that residents, businesses, local officials and communities within his Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden District have access to their expertise and assistance in three new office locations.
Hinds’ primary district office is located in Pittsfield at 100 North St., Suite 410, and is open Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Appointments are encouraged but walk-ins are also welcome. The phone number for the district office at (413) 344-4561. A second district staff office will be located at Commons Co-working, 16 Main St., Williamsburg. Hinds’ part-time Hilltown community liaison will work from this space on Wednesdays and Fridays, and can be reached at (413) 768-2373. On Beacon Hill, Hinds has temporarily been assigned to Room 413-F in the State House’s East Wing. His phone number is (617) 722-1625 and his Senate email is Adam.Hinds@masenate.gov. The policy team will work out of the Boston office. Online, constituents can engage with Hinds on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The members of Hinds’ staff are:
Bethann Steiner, chief of staff. Steiner has more than 16 years of public service experience in Massachusetts state government. She served as chief of staff to former Sen. Benjamin Downing from 2007–2015. Prior to working with Downing, she managed public affairs and legislative relations for the former state Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and as a policy and budget research analyst in the office of former State Rep. Daniel Bosley. Most recently, Steiner worked as the strategic initiatives manager at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, leading the agency’s International Enterprise Initiative. Steiner is from Dalton and holds an MSW in policy and planning from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work as well as a bachelor’s degree from Marist College.
Christopher Dunne, legislative and budget director. A graduate of Bennington College with a concentration in political science, Dunne also studied abroad, taking classes at the London School of Economics and interning with a member of the UK Parliament. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he worked for former Sen. Gale Candaras, managing constituent casework in her district office. Most recently he worked for Downing, first as a legislative aide focusing on healthcare policy, and then as legislative director. Dunne is from Northampton and is currently completing a master’s degree in public administration at University of Massachusetts Boston.
Vasundhra Sangar, legislative aide. Sangar began working in politics as a student intern for Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s 2012 campaign. After graduation she returned home to Windsor and served as a volunteer in Downing’s Pittsfield office and was soon hired to serve as district aide, managing the Downing’s extensive constituent services operation. Sangar also served as Downing’s appointee to the Berkshire Community Action Council’s (BCAC) board of directors. She was promoted to director of constituent services in 2015 and transferred to the State House office where she began to engage in legislative and policy matters. She is a graduate of Boston University where she studied classics.
Alfred “A.J.” Enchill Jr., district aide. Enchill was born and raised in Pittsfield and recently graduated from Tufts University where he was an American studies major. After graduation, he moved back to Pittsfield to be a part of the Berkshire community. Enchill will serve as the staff point person for constituents and communities in Berkshire County and work from the Pittsfield office. He serves as Hinds’ appointee to the BCAC board of directors.
Jon Gould, Hilltown community liaison. In addition to serving as Hinds’ part-time district aide for the 20 towns in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties that are part of the Senate district, Gould teaches English at Holyoke Community College, was formerly a journalist and taught English in two Franklin County high schools. He lives with his wife and two children in Williamsburg where he serves as an elected trustee for the town’s libraries. Gould will split his time between Pittsfield on Mondays and Williamsburg on Wednesdays and Fridays.
