Business updates

The Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce recognized the officers of its 2023 board of directors and discussed past achievements at its annual meeting and member appreciation gathering at The Red Lion Inn.

Newly appointed chamber President Pamela Boudreau recognized the officers of the board: Amanda Barcenas of Prado de Lana Sheep Farm, vice president; Douglas Goudy of Wheeler & Taylor, assistant vice president; Wendy Pearson of Stockbridge Library, treasurer; and Mary Flournoy of National Shrine of Divine Mercy. Also recognized were four members at large: Amy Moorby of Berkshire Theatre Group; Doug Bagnasco of Devonfield Inn; Lauren Smith of Fairview Hospital; and newly appointed Margit Hotchkiss of Norman Rockwell Museum.

Resigning President Margaret Kerswill, who had served on the board since 2014, was appreciated and recognized for all she had done to advocate the chamber’s commitment to the support of the businesses and the overall well-being of the town of Stockbridge and its environs.

The chamber held two successful fundraising events in 2022. After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the chamber held a record-breaking “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas” weekend.

Stockbridge was named for the 3rd year in a row, “the best Christmas town in America” by Country Living. New businesses that joined the chamber last year included lShop Around the Corner, Township Four, Mundy’s Asia Galleries, Once Upon a Table, Berkshire Bach Society and Cana Provisions

The chamber once again received funds in 2022 from the town of Stockbridge to promote the local economy from the local occupancy room and meals tax collected by businesses. The chamber was awarded first place regional Award of Excellence by the 2022 International Best Brochure Competition. Berkshire Brochure Display submitted the Stockbridge, MA Guide as an entry.

TokenTag, a Web3 social network based in Williamstown, has recently conducted the beta launch of its product, a platform that disrupts how creators and community managers understand their audiences and how consumers interact with content across platforms.

TokenTag unifies social channels and chains to create a single, easy-to-use Web3 social ecosystem. By combining Discord, Twitter, and the blockchain, users are able to see and directly interact only with what matters: community and friends activity.

“After nearly a year working alongside dozens of fantastic projects to build TokenTag, I’m thrilled to finally kick off our public beta release. Our ultimate goal is to transform the way communities come together and interact. We believe that, with TokenTag, we’ve created a home for Web3 communities that enhances connection, and paves the way for broader consumer adoption of NFTs into the future” said Daniel Vataj, Founder & CEO of TokenTag.

Berkshire Bank Foundation invested more than $764,000 during the fourth quarter of 2022, to bring its total number of investments for the entire year to more than $2.8 million.

The fourth quarter fundings, which were invested between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, cover a wide range of projects in communities that the bank serves.

The investments also support the company’s BEST Community Comeback program, which includes a planned $15 million in community contributions by the end of 2024. The foundation supports programs that align with Berkshire Bank’s Center for Women, Wellness, and Wealth to provide opportunities for women to build a future enriched with financial stability, balance and growth.

Berkshire County recipients included, Berkshire Resources for the Integration of Diverse Groups and Education; Berkshire Black Economic Council; Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation; and Sculpture Now, along with The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in Hatfield.

Additional details on the foundation’s grant programs and focus areas can be found at berkshirebank.com/foundation.

The Berkshires Academy for Advanced Musical Studies in North Adams has received major support from several donors and foundations, all contributing to the expansion of its mission and increasing its ability to serve more young music students from Berkshire County and beyond.

A donation received from Michelle Daunais and Rick Seto of Weymouth was double matched by Takeda Pharmaceutical. Funds were also raised through Network for Good, and donated in memory of John T. “Jack” Gould, of North Adams, who died in December 2022. The funds donated in Gould’s memory were made possible by the family of Jack Gould and the Flynn & Dagnoli Funeral Home.

The school has also received grants from the William J. and Margery S. Barrett Fund, for young music students from Adams, Cheshire and Savoy, and the Guardian Life Insurance Co. in Pittsfield to support scholarships and reduced tuition for its students.

Berkshire Bank has been named to Forbes list of America’s Best Midsize Employers 2023.

The award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.

Berkshire is the only Massachusetts-based bank, and one of four banks in New England and New York, on the 2023 midsize employer banking and financial services list.

Forbes and Statista selected the America’s Best Employers 2023 through an independent survey applied to a vast sample of approximately 45,000 American employees working for companies with more than 1,000 employees in America.

Five hundred midsize employers were chosen for the list. The awards list can be viewed at tinyurl.com/474bztcx.

Big Y Foods has formed a partnership with the Fisher College of Boston’s Graduate Professional Studies Department that will allow its employees to attend online courses through the school’s Corporate Advantage Program.

Under the partnership, Fisher College will offer discounted tuition rates on online courses for Big Y employees and their immediate family members, and will work to identify courses and develop programs that fit the company’s needs.

Fisher College has similar corporate educational partnerships with several other companies, including Spectrum Health Systems and Visiting Nurse Association of New England.

Based in Springfield, Big Y operates Berkshire markets in Great Barrington, Lee and Pittsfield and convenience store/ gas locations in Lee and Pittsfield.

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has announced that the state is now covering the cost of Massachusetts residents’ initial General Education Development (GED) test and High School Equivalency Test (HISET) in each subject, plus two retakes.

The free HiSET testing began in February, while free GED testing began on Sept. 12.

By covering the cost of testing, the department is ensuring test fees will no longer be a barrier to candidates who were unable to attain their high school credential through traditional means. The fees for high school equivalency exams can be steep for students, costing as much as $143 per test depending on the setting and test mode.

To have their fees covered by the state, test takers will enter a promo code instead of credit or debit card payment when they register for the test. Additional information about covering the cost of testing is available on DESE’s High School Equivalency webpage at tinyurl.com/mv585h6s.

1Berkshire has received a $295,000 grant award through the Regional Economic Development Organization grant program.

The funding is made available through statewide investments made by the Mas- sachusetts Office of Business Development and the support of the Berkshire County legislative delegation.

It will help to sustain the ongoing work of the 1Berkshire Economic Development team’s support of small businesses, implementation efforts associated with the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0, and the ongoing regional efforts to bolster the Berkshire economy.

As part of this year’s grant, 1Berkshire also received funding to support a series of five distinct collaborative, regional economic development projects through the competitive application process. These projects include:

• Year 2 of the Best Foot Forward Facade Improvement Micro-Grant Program.

• “Insert Here” Vacant Window Art Program.

• Berkshire Innovation Center North Pilot Programming.

• Small Business Resource Expo.

• GreylockWorks lighting and signage.

Rob Adams and Patricia Kolis, employees of Edward Jones Investments in the Berkshires, have accepted limited partnership offers from the company.

Adams, a financial adviser at the Edward Jones branch in North Adams, will become a limited partner. Kolis, a senior branch office administrator, will increase her holdings in the Jones Financial Cos. LLLP, the holding company for the St. Louis-based financial services firm.

Adams joined Edward Jones in 2016 and has served investors in North Adams and the surrounding area for the past seven years. Kolis joined Edward Jones in 2011.

Edward Jones currently employs 50,000 associates throughout the United States and through its affiliate in Canada. This is the firm’s 18th limited partnership offering in its 100-year history.

Fontaine’s Auction Gallery realized $2.5 million in sales at a recent fine and decorative arts auction at the gallery on West Housatonic Street.

The 550-lot auction saw strong performers in nearly every category with a sell-through rate of 91 percent. The event drew over 7,000 approved bidders, according to auctioneer and owner John Fontaine.

The auction’s top lot, a Tiffany Studios window, “Jesus in a Field of Lilies,” sold for $237,500, nearly doubling its high estimate. The circa 1898 window, featuring plated, leaded and confetti glass, measured 9 feet 11 inches by 7 feet 5 inches.

The winning bidder was a church in the western part of the United States, which intends to restore and install the window in its church, Fontain

Berkshire Homewatch in Lenox has earned accreditation from the National Home Watch Association for the second year.

Business owner John Simons, a member of the Lenox Chamber of Commerce, formed Berkshire Homewatch when he discovered a need for second-home owners to have their properties looked after while they are away.

Simons, who has a wide range of experience in the real estate industry, including an almost 10-year stint with the New York City Housing Development Co., founded Berkshire Homewatch after doing property management in the Berkshires for four years.

The company serves all of Berkshire County.

Berkshire Bank is one of 483 companies around the world that has been named a member of the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index.

The index is a modified market capitalization-weighted index developed to gauge the performance of public companies dedicated to reporting gender-related data.

This reference index measures gender equality across five pillars: leadership & talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, anti-sexual harassment policies, and external brand.

The Blackshires Community Empowerment Foundation has launched the Blackshires Leadership Accelerator, a program designed to support and empower the Black community in the

Berkshires and surrounding areas.

This program offers Black community members the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, receive support, training, and resources, and take their leadership skills to the next level. The program is funded primarily through an urban agenda grant from the state Office of Executive Housing and Urban Development.

The Blackshires Leadership Accelerator is a 12-week program that provides community-based training, cohort support, leadership development, networking opportunities, and a stipend of $1,000. Information: blackshires.net/leadership/.

Old Brick Furniture & Mattress Co., which operates a store in Pittsfield, has been named 2023 Retailer of the Year in the large retailer division, by the Home Furnishing Association. The company received its award March 2 at its home office and showroom in Albany. N.Y..

Old Brick was judged by a panel of industry professionals on eight categories: Customer Experience, Company Culture, Social Responsibility, Innovation, Adaptability, Industry Contribution, Marketing, and Achievements.

Old Brick, Bennington Furniture and Old Brick Furniture merged in September 2020, after which Pittsfield’s Bennington Furniture store in the Allendale Shopping Center was rebranded as Old Brick Furniture & Mattress Co.

Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington has been named a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Scholars by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

This recognition is given to the U.S. colleges and universities that received the

UPDATES, Page 6

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