Berkshire Business Journal January 2024

Vin Magnano and Jeff Noble, from left, are the principals of Hill-Engineering, Architects, Planners Inc. of Dalton. Hill started as a one-person business 75 years ago, but has grown into the Berkshires’ largest full-service architectural, engineering and civil surveying firm. Page 2

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Berkshire Business Journal JANUARY 2024 I VOL. 3, NO. 1

All in the family

BEN GARVER

The founders of Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, brothers Chris and Matt Masiero, front row, from left, have turned the two stores’ day-to-day operations over to their children, Nick, Anna and Luke, back row from left. Anna is Chris’ daughter. Nick and Luke are Matt’s sons. The younger generation of Masieros grew up working in the business that their fathers started in 1979.

As one generation retires at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, a younger one takes its place

BY JIM T HERRIEN PITTSFIELD

T

he rehearsals are over and the curtain has risen on a new — yet quite familiar — team of owners at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace.

On New Year’s Day, management of the popular and consistently crowded Guido’s stores in Pittsfield and Great Barrington formally passed to three members of the Masiero

family’s second generation.

Brothers Chris and Matt Masiero, who founded Guido’s, officially retired on New Year’s Eve. That’s more than four decades after the brothers opened

what was originally a modest fruit and vegetable stand on 1020 South St. not far from Guido’s current Pittsfield store.

“I think in this day and age it is really an anomaly that a business such as ours will go to another generation,” Chris Masiero said recently. “I have a daughter, Anna, who is taking over along with her cousins and my brother’s two children, Nick Masiero and Luke Masiero.”

The kids will be alright, their elders say.

“They know what they are getting into,” Chris said, “and

I believe they are excited; they love the business.

“Being around the Masiero family for 30-to-35 years I think has taught them a whole lot about how the business is run,” Chris added. “Of course, they are taking it over, and I believe they’ll make changes, which they should. I believe that all the changes that they make will be for the better.”

“As far as the kids taking over, they are more than ready, more than capable,” Matt Masiero said. “They can bring Guido’s to another level; I have

no doubt about it. I see it in the way they work, in the way they handle customers, in the way they handle staff. They are mature beyond their years.”

The Masiero brothers are both in their 60s (Chris is 2 1/2 years older than Matt). Their children are in their 20s and 30s, around the same ages they were when they started the business.

CHELSEA MARKET Guido’s — the store is named after Chris and Matt’s father, a former schoolteacher — had GUIDO’S, Page 10

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Berkshire Business Journal

January 2024

From small business to powerhouse

Hill-Engineers, Architects, Planners marking 75th anniversary

By John Townes DALTON — It started as a one-person business focused on mechanical engineering for the Berkshire’s once burgeoning paper industry.

Seventy five years later, Hill-Engineers, Architects, Planners Inc. has some 40 people on staff, and has grown into the Berkshire’s largest full-service, architectural, engineering and civil surveying firm.

“Not many companies in the region can do it all,” said Hill’s vice president, Vin Magnano, who has been with the company since the 1970s. “Clients appreciate having everything available under one roof.”

Headquartered at 50 Depot St. in Dalton, Hill provides an array of services to commercial, industrial, governmental, institutional and individual clients. The company has played a key role in building and development projects throughout the Berkshires and beyond, including many familiar structures and sites.

Hill, which also has an office at 44 Spring St. in Adams, handles most aspects of planning and preparation for small, mid-sized and large projects encompassing site and infrastructure development, construction of new buildings, and repairs and upgrades of existing facilities. It is not a construction company, but collaborates with contractors during the building phase.

Specific services include structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering, architectural design, surveying, land-use planning, project management, cost estimations, specifications, environmental sustainability, remediation, and support for clients through the regulatory review and permitting process, among others.

According to Magnano, it’s this diversity that enables Hill to internally integrate all facets of a project, like engineering and architectural design, which increases the company’s efficiency. From a business perspective, this diversified approach also provides Hill with a balance of income sources to handle fluctuations in demand for individual services, and in specific markets and industries.

“We don’t put all of our eggs in one basket,” Magnano said.

Hill primarily serves Berkshire County, the Pioneer Valley and the Springfield area in Massachusetts, and nearby sections of New York, Vermont and Connecticut.

“We describe our market as covering a 50-mile radius although we also do jobs further away sometimes,” said company president Jeff Noble.

Hill will be celebrating its 75th anniversary later this year, and plans to mark that occasion by placing a time capsule in the ground containing items that reflect the company’s activities and history.

MODEST BEGINNINGS Originally known as W.T. Hill Inc., the company was founded in 1949 by William T. Hill, a former engineer with Crane & Co. The firm originally focused on providing mechanical engineering for the pulp and paper industry. Founded in 1801, Crane & Co. supplies currency paper to the U.S. government, and has been the government’s sole supplier since 1964.

Over the years, Hill slowly added services and began to take on clients in other categories. When Magnano joined the firm in the 1970s, Hill only had about a dozen employees on staff.

In 1980, a group of five employees purchased the company’s fixed assets and reputation, and founded Hill Engineering, Inc. The company changed its name to Hill-Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc. in 1987. Hill is a privately held C-Corporation, a business structure that allows the firm’s owners to be legally separate from the business itself. It allows the company to issue shares and pass on profits while limiting the liability of both the shareholders and the directors, according to Investopedia.com. C corporations are owned by the shareholders, all of whom own stock in the company.

Under this structure, C corporations can have an unlimited number of inves-

BEN GARVER

Vin Magnano and Jeff Noble, from left, are the principals of Hill-Engineering, Architects, Planners Inc. of Dalton. Magnano, the firm’s vice president, joined the company in the 1970s. Noble, the company’s president, arrived in 1986. tors. One of the shareholders main tasks is electing the firm’s board of directors.

Hill’s diversification and expansions resulted from strategic planning and circumstances that arose along the way, according to both Magnano and Noble.

“In addition to deliberate steps to expand, our evolution has also been driven by opportunities that presented themselves, such as when a client would ask for a service we didn’t do at the time,” Noble said. “If the service was a logical fit, we’d add it.”

As an example, Noble said Hill expanded it services a few years ago when it acquired West Stockbridge Enterprises, a civil surveying firm.

“Land surveying was not something we had been looking to get into,” Noble said.

“But when the chance to acquire that business came along, it made sense. So now, if a client has a parcel of land, we can offer everything from the initial site survey through other phases.”

Hill’s earlier movement to expand beyond the paper industry was also an outgrowth of the company’s original activities.

“Initially, we only worked on buildings when they housed some aspect of a paper operation,” Magnano said. “But people in other industries noticed what we did and started coming to us for those services, too.”

Broadening the company’s services was also necessary as the Berkshire paper industry began to decline.

“Being able to serve clients in other industries made up for that,” Magnano said.

Hill added a full range of architectural services to its portfolio when Noble, a certified architect, joined the firm in 1986.

This allowed the company to expand its scope beyond industrial facilities into other forms of development and construction. Today, Hill’s projects also include scientific labs and technology centers, residential and commercial developments, corporate offices, hospitals, resorts, schools, roads, parks, solar arrays, churches, and many others.

Hill adapted to the increasing emphasis on environmental stability when it joined the Green Building Council, which gave the company the credentials and capacity to design LEED certified green buildings.

Being involved in the preparation of projects means that at times Hill’s services overlap, which places the company in competition with construction companies and

other contractors. But those relationships are symbiotic.

“We understand what contractors need and we work together, well,” Noble said.

On some projects, Hill hires contractors.

On other projects they are retained by a contractor to perform specific services.

HILL-ENGINEERS, Page 3

January 2024

Berkshire Business Journal

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Hill-Engineers FROM PAGE 2

“We also partner on design-build projects,” Noble said.

DIVERSE CLIENTELE Hill’s diversity is reflected in the company’s portfolio of past and current clients. It includes manufacturing and construction firms like General Dynamics Advanced Mission Systems, Lenco Inc., Neenah Paper, Unistress Corp., Crane, Smith and Wesson and Phillips. Hill has also worked with financial firms like Greylock Federal Credit Union, and has clients in the hospitality and recreation sector like Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Canyon Ranch and the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.

Hill has provided services on individual homes and at residential developments like Ashmere Landing in Hinsdale.

The company has also worked with numerous institutions and nonprofit organizations like Berkshire Health Systems, the county’s largest employer, the Brien Center, the Boys and Girls Club of the Berkshires, Clark Art Institute, Community Health Programs and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Past clients also include schools and colleges, municipalities, state agencies and churches.

Hill often provides support for non-profit projects and organizations through reduced fees, in-kind services, contributions, and other forms of assistance.

“We’re very community- oriented, and that aspect of our work is important to us,” Noble said. “So whenever possible, we treat those jobs a little bit differently.”

Hill played a key role in the $40 million expansion and modernization of an industrial facility for Weidmann Electrical Technology in St. Johnsbury, Vt. Closer to home, the company has provided work on some highly visible local projects like the new Taconic and Wahconah high schools, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, and the Proprietors Lodge restaurant and event facility on Pontoosuc Lake in Pittsfield. Hill partnered with the Allegrone Companies on the recent renovation and modernization of the Pittsfield YMCA. The company’s work on these bigger projects is offset by the services it has performed on less notable but important structural, mechanical and technical upgrades.

Hill restored the historic Lee Congregational Church in Lee and provided Hill expertise to the First Baptist Church in Pittsfield through a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

Like all businesses, Hill has had to adapt to many changes over the past 75 years, such as new technology and materials, increased costs, and more stringent and complex building codes and regulations.

While Hill has numerous long-term clients, that form of partnership is becoming less prevalent.

“Companies thought differently in the past,” said Magnano. “They would develop relationships with contractors they worked with regularly, and when they needed something done, they would give the job to them. But now companies will put out a project for bids instead. So it’s become much more competitive.”

Noble attributed this change to the consolidation of the economy, as independent companies with regional roots have been acquired by large outside corporations and investors.

“With corporate takeovers, those formerly independent companies have to answer to the stockholders, and face more pressure to reduce costs whenever possible,” he said.

Hill has grown and diversified, but it

The workspace at HillEngineering, Architects, Planners Inc. in Dalton.

The company now has 40 employees and began as a one-person operation in 1949. The firm is marking its 75th anniversary in 2024.

BEN GARVER

HILL-ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTS, PLANNERS INC

Workers perform tasks while working on the $40 million expansion and modernization of an industrial facility for Weidmann Electrical Technology in St. Johnsbury, Vt. Hill-Engineering, Architects, Planners Inc. of Dalton played a key role in this project.

The new 6,500-square-foot basketball court is one of the new features that were added during the recent $12.4 million renovation of the Berkshire Family YMCA’s facility in Pittsfield. Hill-Engineering, Architects, Planners Inc. of Dalton is one of the local firms that worked on the project, which began in October 2021 and was completed in May. HILL-ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTS, PLANNERS INC.

continues to be an independent, locally owned business with a regional orientation. That has been a conscious decision by the company.

“We’ve had many offers from larger firms and brokers to be acquired, but we have chosen not to do that,” Noble said.

“We prefer to be able to make decisions ourselves and run the business in the way that we think is best. Also, we’re very family oriented, and we believe that operating independently is better for our employees and for the community.”

Like many Berkshire firms, Hill has had trouble attracting younger staffers. The company employs many professionals with varied skills, including those in specialized disciplines such as architecture and engineering.

“A large proportion of our staff have been here for many years which is an advantage,” said Noble. “However, we have the same problem that many companies here have in attracting young talent. We have to work a lot harder to fill vacant positions than we used to. I think young professionals often prefer to be in larger cities where there are more opportunities and chances to work on projects that might be more glamorous.”

“It seems that when people get a little older and have families, they want to come back to a place like the Berkshires,” he said.

The company’s goal of remaining independent reflects its approach to employment.

“It’s important how you treat employees,” Noble said. “We make an effort to attract and encourage employees to make a commitment to staying with us for the long-term. We’re fortunate in being able to have brought in a number of younger professionals who want to follow in our footsteps and keep it going as a successful independent business into the future.”

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Berkshire Business Journal

January 2024

Business updates

GREYLOCK FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

An artist’s rendering of Greylock Federal Credit Union’s new branch at 43 Park St. in Lee, which is expected to open Jan. 16.

Greylock Credit Union opening new branch in Lee Greylock Federal Credit Union will open its new branch at 43 Park St. in Lee on Jan. 16. The credit union’s current Lee location at 47 Main St. will close on Jan. 8.

The new location, which is nearly three times larger than Greylock’s existing branch, has many new features including a drive-thru, ample off-street parking, one video teller service/ATM machine, and a community room. The new branch will also be in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. For members’ convenience, a nearby fee-free ATM is available at the Sunoco gas station at 15 Park St. in Lee. For other financial needs during the period between the old branch closing and the new one opening, members can use Greylock’s Lenox branch at 68 Main St. in Lenox.

Big Y again named to top state employers list Big Y Foods has been selected as a Forbes “Best-In-State Employer” for the fifth straight year.

It has received that ranking from Forbes for both Massachusetts and Connecticut since 2019.

Forbes America’s Best-In-State Employers have been identified across all industries based upon an independent survey of employees who anonymously recommend their employers for this award without their employers knowledge.

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

Carr Hardware donates $1,100 to Thanksgiving Angels Carr Hardware recently donated $1,142 through its “Round Up with Carr” campaign to Thanksgiving Angels.

The campaign took place in October when Carr offered its customers the option to round their purchases to the nearest dollar during that month. The funds were collected and were donated directly to Thanksgiving Angels on Nov. 20.

Sponsored by a collaboration of 21 food pantries, organizations, and faith communities, Thanksgiving Angels addresses local food insufficiency by providing 1,800 Pittsfield-area households with uncooked turkeys and the fixings to celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving meal in their own homes.

“Neighbors helping neighbors,” said Hope Amandoa, of Thanksgiving Angels. “Thank you so much for your continued support.”

Greylock Investment Group opens new office in North Adams Greylock Investment Group, a subsidiary of Greylock Federal Credit

Union, recently opened a new office at 131 Ashland St. in North Adams.

It will be staffed by Marissa Kirchner, an LPL Financial adviser who holds both her Series 7 and Series 66 securities licenses through LPL Financial.

Before joining Greylock Investment Group, Kirchner worked at Greylock Federal Credit Union for over 17 years in the branch and retail division as the assistant vice president of member service operations. She worked with the branch retail team, creating efficiencies within the member service areas and major projects including mergers with other credit unions.

Kirchner, a Cheshire resident, serves on the board of directors for both Northern Berkshire United Way and Berkshire Family and Individual Resources.

The office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday. For information, call 413-749-8001.

1Berkshire schedules monthly entrepreneurial meetup 1Berkshire will hold its monthly entrepreneurial meetup from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Jan. 25 at Sohn Fine Art Gallery in Lenox.

The event will feature networking, and owner Cassandra Sohn will talk about her entrepreneurial journey. 1Berkshire entrepreneurial meetups are free.

Information: 1berkshire.com.

MCLA receives suicide prevention grant Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts has received a $306,000 Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Over the next three years, this funding will launch the MCLA Cares Project, an initiative to build campuswide infrastructure to support student mental health.

The MCLA Cares Project will utilize a multipronged approach to address mental health support deficits across campus. This project will engage a health promotion coordinator, a new position designed to plan and implement the grant’s activities as well as produce additional mental health and wellness programming. Grant funds will contribute significantly to training the student-facing faculty and staff in suicide awareness and prevention.

The initiative was developed in accordance with MCLA’s mission to provide an accessible liberal arts education to students traditionally underrepresented in higher education, such as first-generation students, students of color, and LGBTQIA+ identified students.

The health promotion coordinator will collaborate with these groups to identify their specific needs and challenges in order to create responsive programming.

Four entities receive state funds to redevelop properties Four Berkshire entities have received state grants to either redevelop

CARR HARDWARE

Carr Hardware donated $1,142 from its “Round Up with Carr” fundraising campaign this fall to Thanksgiving Angels. underutilized properties or revive community spaces.

Alander Group of Great Barrington, Eagle Street Holdings LLC of North Adams and AM Management LLC of Pittsfield all received funding from the state’s Community One Stop for Growth Under Utilized Property Program, while Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association Inc. received funding from the Commonwealth Places Grant Program.

Alander Group received $450,000 to renovate and convert a historic 22,504-square-foot building in Great Barrington into two retail spaces and 13 units of mixed-income housing.

Eagle Street Holdings received $250,000 to redevelop the vacant, historic Tower and Porter Block in North Adams into nine units of market-rate housing and two commercial units.

AM Management LLC of Pittsfield received $200,000 to convert a distressed 20,000-square-foot office building in Pittsfield into 28 units of mixed-income housing.

Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association, Inc. will use this grant to activate community spaces with lighting.

Specifically, the organization will add a large-scale outdoor light show to the Festive Frolic and 10x10 Upstreet Arts festivals; install lighting in underutilized alleys that connect to the district’s parking garage; create permanent seating and add lighting to critical locations for night events; and illuminate three historic properties as part of the ongoing Berkshire Landscapes project.

BUSINESS UPDATES, Page 5

January 2024

Berkshire Business Journal

Business updates

Holland, Mich.; Bethlehem, Pa.; and North Pole, Alaska.

In 2020, Stockbridge was selected as the country’s best Christmas town in Country Living magazine’s “55 Best Christmas Towns To Put on Your Holiday Bucket List.” The publication highlighted the Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas festival, which pays tribute to Norman Rockwell’s painting of the village during the holidays.

FROM PAGE 4

Hospital staffers recognized Southwestern Vermont Medical Center staff and leaders recently honored the winners of the hospital’s 2023 Putnam Awards, which are given annually to recognize employees who embody the organization’s values and mission.

Each year SVMC, a member of Dartmouth Health, presents one award for each of the organization’s five core values: quality, empathy, stewardship, teamwork and safety.

This year’s winners include Jessica Winship of The Learning Tree child care program for quality; Cooie Kenyon of Entry Point for empathy; Julie Case of finance for stewardship; Seth McClellan of environmental services for teamwork; and Randy Bates of security for safety.

Staff are nominated for the annual Putnam Awards and winners are the standard bearers within the organization.

NBT cultural donates $30,000 to South County organizations NBT Bank has donated a total of $30,000 to three South County organizations: The People’s Pantry and Construct Inc. of Great Barrington and Sheffield Food Assistance Program.

Each organization received $10,000.

The donations were made as part of the bank’s commitment to maintain charitable support in the markets served by the former Salisbury Bank. Salisbury Bank merged into NBT in August.

“This incredibly generous donation from NBT will significantly impact our ability to address food insecurity in the community,” said Beth Moser, board president for The People’s Pantry.

“Our weekly program has been supplementing food budgets for residents in the Southern Berkshire School District for more than 35 years, and we can only do this with the generosity of community partners such as NBT Bank,” said Marcia Brolli from the Sheffield Food Assistance Program.

And Jane Ralph, executive director for Construct, Inc., said, “Construct is incredibly grateful for the recent gift and the long-term support we received from NBT and the former Salisbury Bank.”

Based in Norwich, N.Y., NBT Bank has been serving Berkshire County since 2011 with locations in Great Barrington, Lee, North Adams and Pittsfield. The merger of Salisbury into NBT Bank added a second location in downtown Great Barrington and offices in Sheffield and South Egremont.

Mill Town forms advisory board Mill Town has formed a six-member advisory board to support the impact investment firm’s management team and contribute insights to further its mission and strategic planning.

Board members include John Bissell, the president and CEO of Greylock Federal Credit Union; JD Chesloff, the president and CEO of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable; Jayson Cuyler, executive director of 2nd Street Second Chances; Benjamin Downing, vice president of public affairs at The Engine in Boston; Ellen Kennedy, the president of Berkshire Community College; and Caitlin Pemble, head of The Living Balance Sheet at Guardian Life Insurance.

Formed in 2016, Mill Town’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the region as part of a broad economic and community development strategy.

It has invested in and renovated numerous city properties in recent years, including Bousquet Mountain Ski Area, the former St. Mary the Morningstar Church, and several North Street buildings.

“We are thrilled to convene this high-caliber group of professionals with diverse backgrounds and experiences,” said CEO Tim Burke said in a news release. “This group will support the Mill Town team as we continue to pursue transformative economic development and community partnerships in the region.”

5

BCC pledges $16,000 to paraprofessionals program

SOUTHWESTERN VERMONT MEDICAL CENTER

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center recently awarded the 2023 Putnam Awards to employees who exemplify SVMC’s values. Pictured left to right are: Randy Bates, Julie Case, Jessica Winship, Cooie Kenyon, Seth McClellan and SVMC President and CEO Tom Dee.

TEDx Berkshires Talk released on YouTube

Boys & Girls Club starts homework program

The Berkshire Innovation Center, in partnership with Berkshire Health Systems and the Phelps Cancer Center, has released last summer’s TEDx Berkshires talk at the BIC featuring former NFL player and international Lung Cancer advocate Chris Draft, on YouTube.

Draft’s talk, “Changing the Face of Lung Cancer, is now available on the official TEDx YouTube Channel.

Draft, a Stanford University graduate who holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, played 12 years in the NFL after being drafted in 1998 by the Chicago Bears.

In 2010, Draft’s late wife, Keasha, was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer.

Keasha was the vision of health and a non-smoker, doing P90X and preparing to run in a 10K race. The couple launched Team Draft, an initiative dedicated to creating a strong network of Lung Cancer “Survivor Advocates”, on their wedding day on Nov. 27, 2011.

The Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires recently launched a Power Hour homework help program. specifically designed to assist members in grades 3-12 with their academic studies.

Power Hour offers members a dedicated time and space to complete their homework assignments and receive academic support in a structured and supportive environment. It will provide homework help, tutoring and fostering self-directed learning.

The program runs from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

Monday through Thursday allowing students to make the most of their after-school hours.

Information: www.bgcberkshires.org.

Six cultural districts granted state funding Six local state-designated cultural districts are among the 54 entities across the state that have received a combined $810,000 from the Mass Cultural Council’s fiscal 2024 Cultural District Investment Program.

The grants are intended to encourage the development and success of the cultural districts and foster local cultural preservation. Each cultural district received $15,000.

The local recipients are Cummington Cultural District; Great Barrington Cultural District; Lenox Cultural District; North Adams Cultural District; Upstreet Cultural District in Pittsfield, and Williamstown Cultural District.

Berkshire Bank is listed on Corporate Equality Index Berkshire Bank has been included on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-24 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

It is one of 1,384 major U.S. businesses that are ranked in the 2023-24 index.

“The ranking illustrates our continued strong commitment to creating an ecosystem of inclusion and equity for our employees, customers and communities,” said Gary Levante, senior vice president, corporate responsibility, in a news release.

The index rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars: Nondiscrimination policies across business entities; equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families; supporting an inclusive culture; and corporate social responsibility.

The full report is available online at hrc.org/cei.

The Berkshire Community College Foundation has pledged $16,000 in support of professional mentorship expenses related to the Associates to Bachelors Pathway to Licensure for Paraprofessionals, which is known as the P2T Cohort.

BCC formed the P2T Cohort with Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in January 2022. The program’s goal is to provide an efficient pathway to teacher licensure.

The mentor for the program at BCC, Gabriela Sheehan, attends education classes with paraprofessional students, meets weekly or as needed with them, helps identify resources they might find useful for a project or paper and offers specific feedback on their work.

Paraprofessionals support students under the supervision of a teacher. The P2T Cohort is specifically designed for paraprofessionals employed by pre-K–12 schools in Berkshire County.

The program also provides flexibility to meet the needs of participants with either some or no prior college experience, ultimately allowing paraprofessionals to earn an associate degree at BCC and then transfer to MCLA to earn a bachelor’s degree and a teaching license.

Massachusetts releases Farmland Action Plan The Healey-Driscoll administration has released the Massachusetts Farmland Action Plan, a long-range, strategic initiative to address the state’s farmland needs.

The plan sets goals and priorities around increasing farmland conservation and protection, addressing farmland access, and preserving and expanding the economic and environmental viability of farms across the state.

The plan was developed through a collaboration between MDAR, the UMass Donahue Institute, the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, and the American Farmland Trust, and engaged hundreds of farmers and stakeholders during its development.

It complements the state’s Clean Energy and Climate Plan, Healthy Soils Action Plan, Resilient Lands Initiative, and other related efforts as the state makes investments and policies.

These plans also serve as a resource for private sector stakeholders as they contribute to the state’s environmental and economic goals.

Information: tinyurl.com/2vvkmex7.

Stockbridge a top Christmas town Stockbridge has been ranked 7th on the 2023 list of America’s 75 Favorite “Christmassy Towns” by the photo book brand Mixbook.

Mixbook compiled its list based on a survey that was sent to 3,000 families nationwide. Stockbridge is the only Massachusetts town on this year’s list.

The listing states that Stockbridge “becomes a living postcard during the holiday season, reflecting a timeless beauty. The main street, resembling Rockwell’s famous painting, is festooned with festive decorations and lights, evoking a sense of nostalgia and warmth.”

Pigeon Forge, Tenn., is the top ranked town on the list. The rest of the top 10 includes, in order, Durango, Colo.; Lake Placid, N.Y.; Stowe, Vt.; Alexandria, Va.; Old Saybrook, Conn.;

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Berkshire Business Journal

January 2024

Business voices

New collaboration could pay big dividends PITTSFIELD — At its core, the Berk-

shire Innovation Center was designed to drive economic development by convening industry, academia, and government. We wholeheartedly believe that a dynamic partnership between this triumvirate can spur innovation, address complex challenges, and propel private and regional economic growth.

Institutes of higher education develop talent, generate groundbreaking ideas, and conduct cutting edge research, all of which can empower industries to stay at the top of their reBen Sosne spective fields.

Berkshire When properly Innovation partnered, Center industry gains access to this work and talent and can apply it to enhance products, streamline processes, and create new markets. Both startup companies and established firms can leverage this expertise to push the boundaries of innovation and breed high-value jobs.

Government, meanwhile, acts as a facilitator. Effective governmental partners provide the necessary frameworks, policies, and funding to encourage this collaboration. Through research grants, tax incentives, student support, and other strategic initiatives, government can level the playing field of industries of all sizes and enable them to engage with academic institutions in a mutually beneficial way.

Government-backed initiatives can target key sectors that are identified as critical growth opportunities and that align with state and national priorities.

In our first few years at the BIC, we’ve seen the effectiveness of the industry-academia-government collaboration play out again and again, most notably with the launch of the BIC Manufacturing Academy. The Manufacturing Academy is an industry-led training

program that was jointly developed by BIC member firms and researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

It was funded primarily by the U.S. Department of Commerce, carrying out federal policies intended to spur expansion of manufacturing in regions like Pittsfield. The program serves established firms in our region and is taught by BIC staff, MIT researchers, and industry veterans. This partnership is not only making an impact locally, MIT is taking what’s been learned and considering other regions in the U.S. where a similar program might be deployed.

With the academy successfully launched, the BIC is thrilled to be serving as the connective tissue on another major industry-academia-government collaboration that will have a significant impact on Western Massachusetts. The project, which will accelerate the development and adoption of emerging metalense technology, is a partnership between researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and BIC industry member Electro Magnetic Applications, Inc., and is funded with significant support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts via the Mass Tech Collaborative.

METALENSES In the realm of optical technology, metalenses have emerged as a groundbreaking frontier, a cutting-edge innovation that is poised to reshape the landscape of next-generation devices. In 2019, the World Economic Forum named metalenses one of the top 10 emerging technologies.

Metalenses are extremely thin optical structures — approximately 1/50th the thickness of a human hair — that combine multiple functions of traditional and bulky curved optics into an ultracompact package. Unlike traditional lenses that rely on natural materials like glass, metalenses are crafted from metamaterials — engineered substances with

STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN

Justin McKennon is the principal scientist at Electro Magnetic Applications, one of the Berkshire Innovation Center’s member companies. properties not found in nature.

These materials are meticulously designed with structures that allow for precise control and manipulation of light at the nanoscale.

Metalenses are key to enabling a wide range of next-generation products in consumer health care, aerospace, and defense markets. Examples of technologies that can be dramatically improved with metalenses include virtual reality and augmented reality (AR/VR) smart glasses, automobile Lidar, cell phone camera lenses, night vision, terrain mapping, and facial recognition. Massachusetts is uniquely positioned to lead this industry transformation.

The Commonwealth possesses a powerful consortium of legacy precision optics companies, academic centers of excellence in emerging optics designs spawning innovative startups, and an internationally unique test and simulation capability for various harsh environments.

LEVERAGING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING Traditional lenses, which are curved and bulky, have been in use for hundreds of years.

Ultrathin metalenses — flat lenses that can deliver advanced capabilities and better performance — have been developed over the past decade. Until now, these flat lenses have been

manufactured in semiconductor foundries using a subtractive manufacturing in which the patterns are carved out of a layer of material. Construction of the foundries, and the manufacturing process itself, are both extremely expensive.

The grant from the Mass Tech Collaborative, a $5 million award announced in October, will enable UMass Amherst to establish an open-access advanced optics fabrication and characterization facility on its campus. This new facility will utilize additive manufacturing (3D printing) to produce metalenses. The UMass team is led by James Watkins, a professor of polymer science and engineering.

As Watkins explains it, additive manufacturing is far more efficient in terms of cost, materials, and energy usage compared to the traditional subtractive approach. It can also be done in smaller, less expensive facilities. Indeed, as a statefunded open-access facility, the UMass lab will be accessible to any companies that can leverage this resource to support advances in this sector.

ELECTRO MAGNETIC APPLICATIONS While UMass will host the open-access research and production facility, EMA, which specializes in the testing and design of materials used in the space environment, will build out and operate a sister lab at the Berkshire Innovation Center which will help researchers and companies prove out their products.

The EMA portion of the project is led by the company’s principal scientist, Justin McKennon. McKennon and his team are keenly aware that the development and commercialization of a new technology such as this requires the ability to prove that it can work in harsh environments. With EMA’s testing and simulation capabilities, the lab they establish at the BIC will play an important role in helping researchers and companies test their innovations.

From a practical standpoint,

any researcher or private firm working to advance this new and revolutionary sector will have good reason to be spending time in Pittsfield.

The potential impact of this new project cannot be overstated. According to UMass’ Donahue Center, more than 40 private companies in Massachusetts specialize in advanced optics and photonics. They have a combined 3,000 employees and generate more than $750 million in annual sales. Most of these firms are small or medium-sized enterprises. Many of them are poised to grow exponentially over the next decade as the technology continues to advance.

THE BIC The BIC will not only house the EMA lab, but we will also continue to serve as the bridge between industry, academia, and government. We will build awareness around the technology, the project, and the resources available. We will help both established firms and new firms access and leverage the technology, and we will work with other educational partners such as Berkshire Community College and Springfield Technical Community College on professional development and eventually on the incorporation of hands-on learning and training. Establishing a workforce capable of working in these emerging areas is fundamental in the long- term success of EMA and UMass’ work.

Obviously, this also presents an unbelievable opportunity to strengthen and grow our relationship with UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth, and local industry partners like EMA. Hopefully, the success of this project continues to fuel opportunities for additional transformative collaborations between industry, academia, and government.

Ben Sosne is the executive director of the Berkshire Innovation Center in Pittsfield.

An orange roof. An artist’s inspiration. An endless salad bar.

Restaurant site’s past disappears, with car wash in its future

By Heather Bellow PITTSFIELD — There was once an orange roof at 1035 South St. And under that Howard Johnson’s roof once sat a boy and a state police trooper at the lunch counter. Norman Rockwell was staging a photograph to make what would be yet another iconic oil painting.

“The Runaway” would be the cover of The Saturday Evening Post on Sept.

20, 1958.

Fast forward to 1984. The Dakota Steakhouse opened at the former “HoJo” restaurant after changing it up and adding an addition.

Fast forward to December. The demolition of the building had begun. In its place will go a car wash owned by Lipton Energy, the city-based company that owns Lipton Mart gas stations and convenience stores, and sells propane and heating oil.

Michael Lipton, the company’s owner and president, said he knows the his-

tory of the Rockwell painting. The city native also remembers the epic salad bar at Dakota.

“I grew up going to Dakota with my family,” he said. “Being there for the demolition was bittersweet.”

The company, started by his great-grandfather in 1910, is looking to build up a car wash division.

This new tunnel-conveyor belt-brush affair will be Lipton’s second, and big enough to handle around 2,500 cars a day. Lipton still has to get city approval. If so, it will open anywhere from late summer to early winter.

Arizona-based Mint had bought the property in 2019 for $1.5 million and got a permit from the city to put in a dispensary. It’s unclear why they dropped their project, and the owners could not be reached for comment.

Lipton found the South Street site available after the pot shop’s shift in plans and bought the parcel from Mint Cannabis in July for $1.75 million.

“We were at the right place at the right time,” Lipton said of scouting for a car wash location.

The building was unused and forlorn.

It was in “disrepair,” Lipton said.

‘TENDERSWEET FRIED CLAMS’ The Howard Johnson’s restaurant opened in 1940. The colonial-style building was similar to many of the others in the franchise.

It closed because of World War II, fell into foreclosure before it was auctioned off, then bought in 1946 by a new owner, according to Jim Shulman, who wrote about it in The Eagle in 2020.

In 1958, Rockwell staged the scene for the painting at the restaurant using 8-year-old Edward Locke and the late Richard Clemens, a State Police Trooper, according to the Norman Rockwell Museum’s webpage about the artwork.

Locke, now 73 and living in Housatonic, said that when Rockwell painted from the photograph, he changed a number of things so that there was very little trace of the chain restaurant. He wanted it to look like a diner out in the country.

“He wanted to make it look like the kid got further out of town,” said Locke, who grew up in Stockbridge and had also posed for Rockwell for a different painting.

Locke said Rockwell went so far as to buy two of the stools from the Howard Johnson’s supplier so that he could have

them nearby for accuracy. The stools and the coffee cups are the only things that remained true to the restaurant.

And he said that the posing that day took about 45 minutes to an hour.

“He had the idea of what he wanted long before,” Locke said.

Locke in the 1980s would play at the Howard Johnson’s with a band called Cornerstone, “with a couple of guys from Pittsfield.”

He’ll never forget the restaurant’s “tendersweet fried clams.”

“They were just so good,” he said.

The restaurant almost didn’t make it.

In 1961 it was “badly damaged in a fire,” Shulman wrote. New owners ran it for 23 years before a new restaurateur opened Dakota there in 1984.

Four years later the original HoJo building was destroyed by another fire, then rebuilt.

Dakota closed in 2013 when its parent company went bankrupt.

Two Asian restaurants tried to make a go of it there after the Dakota left, but did not last.

The last Howard Johnson’s restaurant, in Lake George, N.Y., closed last year.

January 2024

Berkshire Business Journal

7

Advice, encouragement, insight and wisdom for 2024 GREAT BARRINGTON — The right

resource can make all the difference in the world. So can the right strategy, best practice, or professional tip.

As we enter 2024, we asked some of our business and consultant friends for their words of wisdom regarding Berkshire nonprofits. Their reflections — some equally viable for the Liana for-profit world Toscanini — include adNonprofit vice, interestNotes ing exercises, and practical approaches for increasing organizational health. The chances are you’ll find at least one actionable item from the pearls listed below.

STRATEGY “In this reflective season, write the toast you’ll give at a party 10 years from now sharing all your organization has accomplished.

You’ll create a compelling destination to aim for and you can assess whether potential steps propel you towards (or away) from that destination.” — Sarah Glatt of Paper Crane Associates.

“Focus on clarity in 2024.

Clearly articulate your mission, goals, and impact. Engage and inspire supporters through clear, simple communication.

Clarity breeds trust, fuels purpose, and promotes accountability. By prioritizing clarity, you’ll ensure that every action aligns with your vision and supports your mission.” —

Nicole Antil of Antil Creative.

“Many of the services nonprofits provide are free to participants. One of my favorite questions is ‘what would we do differently if we charged admission to our organization or charged for our services?’

It helps to open new questions about how we’ve always done things.” — Dave Manning of Grow Meaningful.

“Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good is powerful advice.

Nonprofits do important work — and there’s so much of it. It’s easy to not explore a new collaboration or start a social media channel for fear of mistakes.

Move forward and adjust as you learn and grow.”— Dawn Stanyon of Dawn Loves Social.

BEST PRACTICES “Use both data and real-life stories to help quantify the impact of your work and guide-decision making. Incorporate ongoing program evaluation and reflection into your practices even when it’s not required by funders.” — Mary Nash of Nash Insights “Holding succinct and productive team meetings is an art and a skill. Identify your meeting leader(s) based on their ability to define the meeting goals and decision points and keep things moving briskly toward those goals. Humor is a helpful tool to gently shut down unproductive tangents.”

— Katy Sparks of Katy Sparks Culinary Consulting.

“When things are good, managing risk seems unnecessary. However, when there are mistakes, errors in financials

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

We all need advice no matter what field we’re in. Representatives of firms that work with nonprofits provide professional tips on what to look for in 2024. and management or natural disasters your risk management policies can become a lifeline.” — Kim Baker of Toole Insurance.

“Nonprofits get deep discounts on credit card processing but not automatically. You can start 2024 by finding out if you have them, and, if not, how to get them.” — David Honneus, consultant.

“Make sure you have the right tools for success. A benefit program that is tailored to your sector can save you time, money, and help position you for growth.

The Commonwealth offers a unique retirement plan built to help small nonprofits.” — Lisa Cardinal of the Massachusetts 401(k) CORE Plan.

FUNDRAISING “Fundraising is not a four-letter word! When done properly, fundraising aligns critical funding needs with donor values and priorities. It is a mutually beneficial relationship whereby donors

positively impact something they are passionate about and your funding priorities provide the vehicle to do so.” — Kevin Fleming, Ph.D., of ProsperNPA.com.

“As you think about your 2024 fundraising approach, my advice is simple — tell people you need their support!

Remember, everyone wants to make a difference. Your job is to show them how they can have a real impact in their community and beyond.” — Liz Albert of Strategic Fundraising.

“Donors are people first and foremost so stay true to who you are. If funding your nonprofit and the work it does makes them feel good about themselves they are likely to give as generously as they can for as long as they can.” — Roger Magnus of Roger Magnus Consulting.

“Focus on donor retention. As nonprofits begin to level set from the last five years paying special attention to keeping the donors

you have should be priority number one. Increase your donor stewardship efforts, communicate your mission frequently and share outcomes of donor support.” — Michael Buckley of The Killoe Group.

“January is the start of the new budget season for many companies. Now is a good time to kick off a capital campaign or a yearly fundraiser. Departments have an unencumbered budget, which means they have money to donate.” — Katie Brelsford of KB Accounting.

“Learn how to research potential donors and then how to ask them for support. Get them interested and then engaged with your programs.” — Abbie von Schlegell, consultant.

MORE RESOURCES The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires is in the business of identifying people and businesses that can help nonprofits meet their challenges and goals. We find that our business partners are extraordinarily generous with their time and talent, writing articles, teaching classes, holding office hours and even providing a bit of pro bono consulting. Nonprofits are encouraged to email NPC for direct referrals.

Check out our online Nonprofit Resource Directory at npcberkshires.org/virtual-resource-directory/, or attend our annual Nonprofit Resource Fair where you can meet many of the individuals and businesses who contributed to this article.

Liana Toscanini is the executive director of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires in Great Barrington.

8

Berkshire Business Journal

January 2024

Expanding seats for CTE is good for state percent and a reading proficiency level of 54 nical high schools, once percent compared to the considered second-tier alstatewide average of 57 ternatives for underperpercent. forming students, have A key factor driving become the superstars of the performance of voc-​ the Massachusetts public tech schools in Massaeducation system.

Patricia chusetts is that these In the Berkshires, Begrowicz institutions are schools we have the Charles The View of choice. Students H. McCann Vocational from AIM must choose to enroll in Technical School in them, rather than being North Adams which has residentially assigned, been providing quality and they choose their content technical career training for 35 track within the school. This years and currently serves over gives students more ownership 500 students. In January 2023, over their education, which the Pittsfield School Commithelps them stay motivated. tee approved a plan to convert Vocational schools have Taconic High School to a Career become so ascendant throughand Technical Education (CTE) out the state that there are not program, with the goal of havenough spots for all the students ing a fully vocational student who wish to attend. The Massabody, a total of 925 seats, by the chusetts Department of Educafall of 2026. tion reports that there are 1.75 Student performance at applications for every open seat Massachusetts high schools at a voc-tech. Some 18,500 rising dedicated to CTE has improved ninth graders applied for 10,616 during the past several decades available seats in the state’s to levels that equal, and in some vocational schools during the cases surpass, traditional high 2020-2021 academic year. schools. For example, Massa“There’s a huge demand for chusetts’ voc-tech schools, have vocational-technical education,” a graduation rate of 96 percent, says Steve Sharek, Executive compared to 91 percent for all Director of the Massachusetts Massachusetts high schools.

Association of Vocational Standardized test results also Administrators. “The problem show that the historical gap in is this: There simply are not performance between voc-tech enough seats.” schools and traditional high The push to gain admission to schools is closing. Voc-tech vocational schools has become schools have an average math so intense that an advocacy proficiency score of 39 percent group has filed suit challenging versus the overall average of 44

LEE — Vocational-tech-

FILE PHOTO

The Charles H. McCann Vocational Technical School in North Adams has been providing quality technical career training for 35 years and currently serves over 500 students. the strict admissions criteria used by most voc-tech schools.

A federal civil rights complaint filed last February claims that the state’s vocational-technical schools use admissions criteria that inappropriately exclude students of color and those who are learning English, have disabilities or come from low-income families.

The complaint asks federal officials to investigate practices at the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and prohibit the use of “exclusionary” admissions criteria like grades, attendance records and interviews. Instead, students and advocates say these schools should use a lottery system when they have more interested students than available seats.

Why the increased demand

from students for CTE Programs?

The hands-on learning approach is attractive to students. Students in voc-​tech schools alternate weeks between academics and shop work, and they get to learn by doing. This hands-on learning approach includes studying physics while working on hydraulic brakes or using the Pythagorean theorem to frame a house. Some students are even able to secure internships or apprenticeships with local companies, giving them a chance to learn a trade or skill on the front line.

Another driver is the recognition that a CTE program can provide a solid pathway to college. Research at Florida State University and Vanderbilt University found that students who studied fields such as health

care and information technology in technical schools attended college at higher rates than students from traditional high schools, and earned more money seven years after graduation.

Approximately two-thirds of voctech graduates continue to some type of post-secondary education, including apprenticeships, associate degree programs, or studies at a four-​year college.

But this can also be a source of frustration for businesses who rely on CTE Program graduates to fill positions that don’t require a college degree. I have heard from business colleagues who bemoan the fact that the seats at some voc-tech schools in the eastern part of the state are being filled by college-bound students with no intention of entering the trades or technical careers desperately needed by their companies.

With the demand from students for career technical education and a state economy desperate for workers with the type of manufacturing, construction and technical skills taught in vocational technical schools, the solution is to expand the number of CTE seats available in the commonwealth. This would be a win for students and businesses.

Patricia Begrowicz, the president of Onyx Specialty Papers in Lee, is chair of the board of Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

Rebuilding community with kindness following COVID-19 LEE — In the aftermath of standing for something greatCOVID-19 our communities face er. This ethos not only attracts a unique challenge. customers who share our values As we navigate this new norbut also gives our team a sense of mal, the core values of kindness pride and purpose. and community, which once Our experience shows that bound us, seem to have dimincommunity-based initiatives ished. This presents an opportuare incredibly effective. Hosting Meg Sanders nity for business leaders, like us events like the 65 we organized Cannabis at Canna Provisions, to step up this year at the Locker Room Corner and make a difference.

Sports Pub in Lee isn’t just about At Canna Provisions, we’ve publicity. These events allow us long believed in the power of community to connect with the community genuineengagement. Our involvement with local ly, earning their gratitude and loyalty. It’s chambers of commerce (of which the a win-win: the community benefits from Lee Chamber voted us Corporate Citizen our initiatives, and our business thrives of the Year in 2023) and community through this deeper local connection. groups, like the Lions and Rotary and Embedding a cause-based philosophy Kiwanis, isn’t just about networking; it’s in our business model does more than about fostering a sense of belonging and just attract customers; it builds a strong, rebuilding the communal fabric torn by values-driven company culture. Our the pandemic. We’re also excited about team members are encouraged to engage joining Rotary, amplifying our commitin community service and support causment to community service. es they believe in. This approach not only Today’s consumers are increasingenhances our business’s social footprint ly conscious about where they spend but also fosters a more engaged and motitheir money. They prefer supporting vated workforce. businesses that align with their valAs we emerge from the pandemic, ues. This shift isn’t just a trend; it’s a there’s a collective sense of a ‘COVID reflection of a deeper societal change. hangover’ — a lingering absence of the By aligning our business practices with warmth and empathy that characterized these evolving consumer preferences, our pre-pandemic world. As business we not only stand out in a competitive leaders, we have the power and responmarket but also foster a stronger consibility to address this void. Whether it’s nection with our customers. through supporting national organizaAn authentic narrative is more than tions, volunteering at local charities, or a marketing strategy; it’s about sharing creating our own community events, our ‘why.’ At Canna Provisions, our there are myriad ways to rekindle the story isn’t just about selling cannabis; spirit of kindness and community. it’s about creating positive impacts and Giving back to the community isn’t

JENNIFER FOSTER — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A New York City police officer presenting boots to a barefoot homeless man in Times Square, in this file photo. Acts of kindness that benefit the community are needed in the Berkshires as the economy continues to rebound from COVID-19, columnist Meg Sanders writes. just about altruism; it’s a strategic business decision. Around 75 percent of companies recognize the importance of community engagement. But it’s not enough to just give; involvement needs to be genuine and integrated into the business ethos. This approach not only sets you apart from the competition but also draws people to your business, creating a cycle of goodwill and success.

As business leaders, we’re at a pivotal moment. We can choose to lead with

kindness and community engagement, setting an example for others to follow.

By doing so, we’re not just rebuilding what was lost during the pandemic; we’re creating a more connected, empathetic, and thriving business environment.

Let’s not just aim for recovery; let’s strive for a renaissance of community spirit and mutual support.

Meg Sanders is the CEO and co-founder of Canna Provisions in Lee.

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January 2024

Berkshire Business Journal

9

New year, same challenges in real estate PITTSFIELD — It was a

In October, the MBA rough year for real estate predicted an 11 percent in 2023, and the prognosis increase in new mortfor this year, at least for gages originating in the beginning, is more of 2024. Mike Fratantoni, the same. the MBA’s chief econA challenging market omist, cited last year’s is expected during the resilient economy as Sanda J. first quarter of 2024, acproof of that trend, Carroll cording to national real and tsaid here are inReal estate estate analysts. dications from Federal Despite some good Reserve officials that news regarding mortadditional rate hikes gages, most real estate analysts might not be needed due to believe that overall historically that strength. higher interest rates, tighter “Lower rates should help credit conditions, and less boost both homebuyer demand household savings will lead to a and increase the inventory of challenging market during the existing homes, thereby supfirst three months of 2024. porting purchase origination There is a common belief volume in 2024,” Fratatoni said that home prices will rise in in a news release. the coming years due to limitBut there is a common belief ed housing availability, which that home prices will rise in will keep pushing prices up. It the coming years due to limitshould be noted that first-time ed housing availability, which homebuyers will be the largest will keep pushing prices up. It age group entering the market, should be noted that first-time and this will drive a lot of new homebuyers will be the largest demand. Finding entry-level age group entering the market, homes to buy may be challengand this will drive a lot of new ing because inventory is low, demand. Finding entry-level as is credit availability homes to buy may be challengThe good news is the Morting because inventory is low, as gage Bankers Association is credit availability. recently reported that it anticAccording to chief econoipates 30-year mortgage rates mist Danielle Hale of Realtor. to begin 2024 at 7.1 percent, com, home sellers nationally then gradually decline to 6.1 are likely to face more compepercent by the end of the year, tition from builders than from before falling even further, to other sellers in 2024.

5.5 percent in 2025.

“Builders are continuing to As of early December, the maintain supply and increasing30-year fixed rate mortgage ly adapting to market conditions, was 7.03 percent, while the 15they are increasingly focused on year fixed rate mortgage was lower-priced homes and willing 6.29 percent. to make price adjustments when

SETH WENIG — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

When it comes to real estate, what happens on Wall Street often affects what occurs on Main Street. Several economic factors, some carryovers from 2023, are expected to affect the market during the first quarter of 2024. needed,” Hale said. “As a result, potential sellers will want to consider the landscape for new construction housing in their markets and any implications for pricing and marketing before listing their home for sale.”

Besides mortgage rates, two other wildcards could also effect the housing market, Hale predicted. They include instability on trade/energy costs worldwide and upheavals stemming from U.S. elections. A new president will be elected in November.

It should be noted that mortgage rates trends impact affordability, which affects the home prices offered in particular areas. Economists are sending mixed signals on future prices, with some seeing sellers start to lower prices to offset the higher mortgage

rates to entice more buyers.

Lawrence Yun, the chief economist of the National Association of Realtors, agrees with the projected mortgage interest rate drop to between six and seven percent by the spring buying season and anticipates that more sellers will enter the market.

As an example, Yun referenced the latest GDP figure, which grew by 4.9 percent, but his optimism comes with a warning.

“Statistically, this is much better than the historical average, but if we look at this component, there are some worrying signs in the economy,” Yun said. “The first being that business spending is essentially flat. The second is that goods inventory is rising, meaning products are being

produced but not getting sold.

“We cannot keep adding to the shelves,” he said. “Just like in housing, businesses have to borrow money, and business spending is down because it’s more expensive to borrow.

“Builders are back on their feet, up five percent in newly constructed home sales year to date,” said Yun. “Builders can simply create inventory. In a housing shortage environment, builders are really benefiting.”

Finally, it was announced at the beginning of December that the baseline conforming loan limit for mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2024 will be $766,550, up 5.5 percent compared to the current limit of $726,200. Conforming loan limits are increasing at a slower pace overall, mirroring home prices.

That’s because the FHFA’s conforming loan limit increase is based on a formula related to home-price data in the third quarter of each year. The regulator compares home prices yearover-year and adjusts the limit by the corresponding amount.

Overall, the 2024 real estate market projections are expected to present challenges and opportunities in availability of property and credit, with moderate changes dependent on outside economic and employment factors.

We’ll see how all of this plays out.

Sandra J. Carroll is the chief executive officer of the Berkshire County Board of Realtors and the Berkshire County Multiple Listing Service.

Leader in Commercial / Industrial Sales and Leases in Berkshire County LE SA ING ND PE

293 MAIN ST, GREAT BARRINGTON

FUEL - Iconic Great Barrington Coffee House Located in Middle of Downtown Great Barrington For Sale. Business only for sale.

Property is leased.

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29 CHURCH ST., GREAT BARRINGTON

Elegant older Greek Revival Victorian located just one block off of Main Street in Great Barrington. Has three units currently (all are vacant), was in use as a dental office and two rental apartments. Could be converted to a single family.

For Sale: $795,000

44 MAIN STREET, STOCKBRIDGE

210 COLUMBIA ST., LEE

For Lease: $3,000/MTH/YR

For Lease: $4,000/MTH/YR

Beautiful Storefront (Unit 1A) with 1,337 SF in historic New 6,400 sf warehouse/manufacturing Main Street building. Recently renovated and in pristine building for lease condition. Available immediately. Next door to Stockbridge Available for immediate occupancy. With 1 loading dock and 4 Library and just up the street from the Red Lion Inn, this is ground level drive in access doors. Office area and 2 bathrooms. an ideal location for a retail or public facing office space.

Ample power, suspended overhead gas heaters.

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100 SPRING ST., WILLIAMSTOWN

TUNNEL CITY COFFEE is for sale. Three locations.

All three locations are rented & assignable to the new owner. Sale to include the business, all FF&E and goodwill.

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36 MAIN ST., STOCKBRIDGE

Heirlooms Jewelry, location for 53 years in The Mews in the center of Stockbridge is for sale. A perfect quaint, one to two person business with a very loyal customer base, Heirlooms has had great success.

For Sale: $395,000

278 MAIN ST., GREAT BARRINGTON

42 SUMMER ST., PITTSFIELD

List Price: $475,000

For Lease: $14/SF/YR

GORHAM & NORTON - An institution on Main Street in Great Second Floor office area of ~3,350 SF. Elevator and Barrington since 1911 is now for sale. The sale is for the business large parking lot for tenants. Ideal for professional, only, as the space is leased. Gorham & Norton includes a small medical or other offices. Currently set up as about 9 grocery and dry goods store, fresh produce, a sandwich deli offices with waiting and conference and staff areas. counter and full package store selling wines, beers and spirits. Property will be available for rent starting on 9/1/2023.

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COMMERCIAL SALES & LEASES BUSINESS BROKERAGE SERVICES INVESTMENT PROPERTIES 55 Railroad Street • Gt. Barrington, MA

10

Berkshire Business Journal

January 2024

Guido’s FROM PAGE 1

humble beginnings. The brothers originally borrowed $2,500 from their parents — Guido and Rena (DelBarco) Masiero — to help purchase a truck, which they used to establish the business on the site of the former Quarry Snack Bar & Gifts in Pittsfield in March 1979.

The brothers, who have five siblings, including Paul Masiero, who owns Baba Louie’s restaurant in Great Barrington, grew up in Manchester by the Sea, near Rockport, but were both born at the former St. Luke’s Hospital in Pittsfield.

Their mother, who is originally from Lee, wanted to be closer to her mother after giving birth.

Chris and Matt were attracted to the Berkshires because they liked to ski here.

Guido’s offered fresh fruit and produce trucked in by Matt five times a week from the Boston area market now known as the New England Produce Center in Chelsea.

Those overnight runs for the freshest produce continue today — in a Guido’s truck with a staff driver, supplying both the Pittsfield and Great Barrington marketplaces.

The brothers moved their Pittsfield market to its current location on South Street in the mid-1980s on what had previously been a vacant lot. In 1995 they launched the Great Barrington marketplace at 760 South Main St., where it’s still located.

Both locations literally are marketplaces offering a wide array of quality fine foods and products, including specialties from independent food-related businesses as tenants who work closely with the Masieros.

Three tenant businesses, a florist (Bella Flora), Mazzeo’s Meat and Seafood and the Chef Shop, are located inside of Guido’s two locations. Counting those firms, the stores employ more than 300 people.

“We have several other businesses that operate under our roof at Guido’s Marketplace,” said Alana Chernila, Guido’s marketing and communications director. “We all work together as a team, so we are all collectively the store, but we have independent businesses.

So what that does is, areas are handled by experts that know best, which is really great.”

The Great Barrington marketplace encompasses 40,000 square feet and the Pittsfield store 25,000 square feet.

“I don’t think my brother and I had a vision of it becoming what it is today,” Chris Masiero said, “but as time went

PHOTOS BY CAROLINE BONNIVIER SNYDER

Vitamins and mineral supplements are some of the products customers can find in the wellness section of Guido’s Fresh Marketplace’s two stores in Great Barrington and Pittsfield.

Abijah Levi hands a receipt to a customer at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace in Pittsfield, in this file photo. on, we just kept adding products and services and we saw the success behind that and the populace accepted it, and it just kept growing on those terms.”

SECOND GEN “It definitely feels like, as the second generation, we’re ready and we’ve been primed,” said Anna Masiero. “The unknown is always scary, so there is a hint of the unknown, which is kind of exciting.

“And as the dads step back, and we step up with the team that we have, with my cousins, I definitely feel like we’ve

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got this,” she added. “The dads showed us how much effort and passion and dedication and time that it takes to make it right.”

Anna said the incoming team “has been in training mode pretty steeply for I would say — well, it feels like a lifetime.

But for the past three years, we have really stepped into these roles. And the three of us had a pretty big part in the expansion of the Great Barrington store.”

Luke Masiero and Nick Masiero — “those are my business partners and my cousins,” Anna said, “although I like to call them my brothers.”

EXCITED, NERVOUS Luke and Nick say they’re equally enthusiastic, as well as aware of the responsibility of taking over a landmark Berkshire business that is thriving after the work and vision of their parents.

“I would say we are all excited, but you know, we’re pretty nervous as one would be after they created this beautiful grocery store after 45 years,” Nick said.

But there was no quick handoff and a “you are on your own,” this month, he said. Chris, who lives in Lenox, and Matt, who resides in Richmond, will be in

EXPERIENCED STAFF The three younger Masiero’s also appreciate the large, experienced and supportive staff at both stores.

“We have staff who have been with my dad and uncle for 30 years,” Nick said. “They’ve really done the hard labor of really building this up and getting this place to where we feel confident in taking it over.

They have so much knowledge between everybody here — it’s just incredible.”

“Whenever I talk to customers,” Chris said, “the first thing they say is how wonderful our staff is, and that has something to do with people just loving what they do. To me, good leadership is all about bringing the best out in people and that is what my job has been for the past 45 years, and my brother as well.”

He added, “Of course, the staff also pass on that passion to the people they’re training and that kind of energy just perpetuates itself to a place where when you come into Guido’s it’s not just coming into a store; you’re coming into an experience.”

HANDS-ON TRAINING Ever since they were young, Anna said, the second generation team members worked at times in the marketplace, gaining hands-on experience.

“We all started out bagging or with other tasks,” Nick said.

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the store occasionally and are only a phone call away.

“It is nice to have them around with all the experience that they have just in their heads,” Nick said. “They can just look at something and say, ‘It’s not going to sell like that, or whatever.

“I’m not saying they will be in every day of the week, but they’ll still be there a couple days a week, and they’ve also encouraged us that if we ever need help, don’t hesitate to call.”

He added, “We are super excited, the staff seems to be excited, although sad to see the dads leave.”

“It’s something we have been working toward behind the scenes for years,” Luke said.

“Both my dad and my uncle Chris, throughout this whole process, have always been super conscious of trying to set us up for success. I think they’ve gone above and beyond accomplishing that.

“It’s great that, as a second generation, we have a good relationship,” he said, “and I feel it’s nice to be going into this situation with partners that we can bounce ideas off of, lean on. We know we’re all there to support each other so that feels very good.”

January 2024

Berkshire Business Journal

11

BEN GARVER

The first and second generations of Masieros gather at Guido Fresh Marketplace’s store in Great Barrington. From left, Nick, Matt, Chris, Anna and Luke.

Guido’s FROM PAGE 10

“Dad never really pressured us to take over when they retire,” he said. “It just kind of happened organically ... Between the three of us, we probably all hit every single department in the store, from the bottom up. They always had us start at the lowest level and work our way up to supervisor or manager.”

“I am right now managing the café,” Anna said. “I was the designer/director of the Café Rena, which is named after my grandmother. And it was really important to me to make sure that both their names were on the front of the store.”

About five years ago, Nick said, discussions began about a transition in ownership, and the family eventually worked with a consultant to develop a succession plan.

In recent years, “they [the founders] have kind of been tapering off a little bit,” Luke said, “doing more of a coaching role for us.”

EARLY DAYS Guido and Rena Masiero also worked in the family store during the early days.

Guido was from Manchester-by-the-Sea, but the couple met in the Berkshires.

“My grandfather would actually come here to go skiing — at Bousquet — and they met and fell in love,” Nick said of his grandparents.

Chris said that when he and Matt were younger and living in eastern

Massachusetts, they gained experience in the produce business by working in a store in Beverly during summers with their father, who was a school teacher the rest of the year.

He said his father predicted at the time, “Someday boys, we are going to have a store just like this.”

Chris said Matt wanted to open a produce stand in Pittsfield and soon “asked me to go partners with him, due to the fact that the business was more than he could handle alone, as he did all of the produce buying. That required trips back-and-forth to Boston five days a week. I was responsible for the store and its merchandising. Both jobs suited our personalities perfectly.”

‘FRIENDSHIP, FRESHNESS’ Asked about the solid customer base Guido’s has built up over the years, Chris said, “I think the following comes from the energy that the store gives off, the sort of energy my staff has, and it is a very positive form of energy that I think has been passed down from my brother and I to the staff. I really feel my customers feel it.”

Walking into Guido’s, “you are coming into friendship, into freshness, into wholesomeness, into a place that is well cared for – from the people that run the store to the people shopping there,” he said.

“It is a food store,” Chris added, “but outside of being retailers, we are really in the hospitality business. And when customers come in here, I view them as

our guests.”

Chris and Matt are both planning to stay in the Berkshires “We will be around,” he said. “The operation is quite complex, and I’m sure there are going to be a lot of questions that come up, and we will be in and out of the stores for a couple of years. It’s not like we will be picking up and leaving.”

“This is something both of us just hold dear to our hearts,” Chris said. “You know, there wasn’t a day in my life when I didn’t look forward to coming to the store, and I still do. I’m just a lucky guy, and I’m sure my brother feels the same way.”

He’s confident the younger Masiero’s will know what to do.

“I feel the second generation is totally up to the challenge,” he said. “They have the right work ethic, the right personalities, and a ton of passion for what they’re doing. Those three main ingredients I know will set them up for success.”

The brothers are dealing with their own transition as they head into retirement.

“The question is, am I ready?” Matt said with a laugh.

The business he has worked in for decades often six or seven days a week, “is the only job I’ve known,” Matt said. “So it is a little bit daunting to me to think that come Jan. 1, what am I going to do? That is a little anxiety provoking.

“But I’ve got a good core group around me,” he said. “We are going to travel a little bit, but we will still be around if the kids need help or if they have questions.

My brother and I will always be around.”

NEW INITIATIVES Will there be new products or services at Guido’s with the kids in charge?

Anna said it’s likely the store will expand its offerings of prepared foods beyond the deli sandwiches, pizzas, burritos and other hot lunch items that are currently available.

Having Bob Turner onboard as Guido’s executive chef, “has really elevated the kitchen into a really nice dining experience With fresh, quality ingredients,”Anna said. “And he has a really creative eye.”

Then there are the doughnuts.

“We’ve been doing apple cider doughnuts for some time now, and we are diving deeper and exploring the doughnut world,” Anna said.

The doughnuts are made in-house and packaged on-site, allowing customers to try them while still warm.

Anna has noticed Matt and Chris’ leadership style over the years.

“Their job has shifted since having 10 employees at the beginning to more than 300 now,” she said. “They really have a good gut feeling for others, like teamwork, who to hire to support them. I would say they are kind of masters at that.

“And their leadership skills and teamwork created such a team over the past 40-plus years, I would say that was really, really accomplished well,” she said. “I would just like to thank them for showing us what it means to follow your dreams, and to share with others the success that it brings.”

That’s the new generation’s task now.

12

Berkshire Business Journal

January 2024

Comic shop a welcome addition New Lee business fills a void for fans and owner

By Meg Britton-Mehlisch LEE — When the first custom-

ers arrived at Ryan Davis’ new store in downtown Lee the day it opened, there was a lot of excitement — and some sighs of relief.

“I had one customer who came in and as soon as he walked in the door he put his hands up and said, ‘Thank god!,” Davis said with a smile.

It’s the kind of reaction Davis hopes to get every time a customer comes into the newly launched Main Street Comics, Toys and More — a sense of excitement, recognition and perhaps a bit of homecoming, as well.

What awaits shoppers on the other side of the door at 74 Main St. is the product of unadulterated fandom. The three-aisle store is packed full of figures from dozens of franchises like Godzilla, Star Wars memorabilia of all sorts, classic ‘80s hero comics, Magic the Gathering and Pokémon cards, Warhammer miniatures, arcade cabinets, paints and more.

The store is a manifestation of Davis’ lifelong dream.

Raised in Tyringham, Davis grew up in the 1980s in what he calls a “heyday” for collecting.

For Davis, it all started with Godzilla, then came the love of Star Wars, then He-Man and G.I. Joe. “It was all part of my childhood growing up,” Davis said.

“It never left me — even as I got

older and was in high school and into sports and girls and everything — I always had toys and always loved comic books.”

Davis said he started collecting toys and comics at the age of 12, but it became a real passion in his late teens and 20s.

When Davis would visit his father in Florida, he’d drop into his dad’s antique shop and foster the store’s comic section.

If something caught his eye as he got older — a figurine or comic or bit of memorabilia — he’d buy two, one for himself and one for the store he’d hoped to open.

“In the back of my head, through the years, I’ve been planning this and wanting to build and be ready,” Davis said.

Earlier this year, opportunity presented itself to Davis.

He and his wife, Emmy, purchased 74 Main St. in June for $280,000 from Doug and Sally Wilcox. The Wilcoxes made their own living for nearly 40-years out of the same spot, running the office and art supply store Paperdilly.

For Davis, it was the perfect location both personally and professionally. Davis, a local property manager, is around Main Street all the time. He said he’d regularly talk to his wife about the need for a place for kids and young adults to just hangout and spend time downtown.

The store, just down from the corner of Franklin and

Main streets, was right in the heart of where Davis wanted to be. It didn’t hurt that Starving Artist Cafe and Creperie, the restaurant he and his wife started and that his wife has run for 12 years, was just a stone’s throw away.

The couple has big plans for the building. They’re renovating the upstairs units into apartments that they hope to complete soon. In September, they decided to try and make the comic store a reality before the holidays.

In a little less than two months, the Davises — along with their three children Wren, Hayden and Claire — began sorting through everything Davis had collected over the years, pricing it and stocking it in the new store.

The result is an inventory that — while it certainly has mass appeal — is largely personal for Davis.

“I like the idea of having a shop, but I also like the idea of a shop where you’re kind of walking into my den — like this is how it would be at home,” Davis said. “So make yourself at home, check some stuff out and maybe you’ll walk out with something cool.”

During a recent interview, Davis called out some of the special items.

A set of mechanical figures on the front corner display are toys loved by Davis and his

BEN GARVER

Ryan Davis opened Main Street Comics, Toys and More on Main Street in Lee to share his love of collectables and memorabilia. son, Hayden. There’s a windup Godzilla riding a bike that rings a ting bell as it races around that Davis admits he has five of at home and is “one of my most favorite things.”

And watching over every customer is the Darth Vader suit that Davis meticulously built for his time in the 501st Legion, the global collective of Star Wars enthusiasts that gather in costume to share their love of the saga. Davis explains that the suit is rated at Sith Lord level — and is as close to movie accurate for “The Empire Strikes Back” as

just about anyone can get.

Davis said everything in the shop is for sale — even the Vader suit for the right price. He thought he might have a hard time selling items that he’s loved for so long, but he said that after the store’s first weekend he’s found joy in giving his collection a new home.

“It’s been with me for so long and I’ve appreciated it,” Davis said. “Knowing where it’s going now — it’s going to go to someone else who might keep it for another 10 years and love it and that’s cool for me.”

January 2024

Berkshire Business Journal

13

New Marlborough compound sells for $9.3 million Sale marks most expensive house sold in the Berkshires

Big Deals Some of the most expensive residential real estate deals in Berkshire County history:

By Jane K aufman

• Canaan Southfield Road, New Marlborough, former property of Vergelegen LLC, sold for $9.3 million, November 2023.

NEW MARLBOROUGH — A 298-acre farm and

• East Road, Alford, former property of A. Ruth Littlechild Trust 2008, sold for $8 million in December 2022.

compound with an ultra-modern house as its centerpiece recently netted $9.3 million, becoming the most expensive house sold in the Berkshires.

The sale broke the previous record for a residential home sale by $1.3 million.

The $8 million sale of an Alford Tudor built in 2010 set the previous record for a home sale in Berkshire County on Dec. 7, 2022. The property had previously sold for $4.3 million in January 2011, just missing The Berkshire Eagle’s list of the county’s top 10 most expensive residential property sales (see info box).

For a sale of this size to come through, it took the right buyers, an experienced listing agent with an eye for high-end properties and the perfect grocery store not too far away.

The buyers of the New Marlborough property, Lynn and Mitchell Samberg, are empty-nesters who were initially looking to purchase something in the West, perhaps a ranch, where Lynn, 56, said she wanted to have animals.

Then a friend suggested they look closer to home, so they searched a 50mile radius of Westchester County, where they raised their three children.

The New Marlborough listing came onto their radar.

When they first viewed the property in July, the land “made our hearts pound and I had butterflies in my stomach,” Lynn said, adding they weren’t quite ready for the move. “But when we saw it, we were like, you can’t un see it, and something like this isn’t going to come around, you know, every day.”

And then there was this: “My husband saw us there,” she said of Mitchell Samberg, 57, who is CEO of Truman Capital, based in Armonk, N.Y. “He kind of fell in love.”

The Sambergs are currently selling their house perched on Lake Waccabuc in South Salem, N.Y. That property is marked pending and priced at just under $3.5 million. They plan to split their time between New Marlborough and Sarasota, Fla., where Lynn’s parents live and Truman Capital has an office.

The Sambergs owned a restaurant for seven years in Westchester County, named Bedford 234 after their phone exchange. Lynn said it was like “opening up our personal kitchen.” They care about food and Lynn enjoys cooking.

So, as they finished their first viewing in New Marlborough, her next question to the listing agent, Elle Villetto, was where to find the nearest grocery store. Villetto steered them to Guido’s Fresh Marketplace in Great Barrington, 9 miles away.

“It’s the best grocery store I’ve ever seen in my life,” Samberg said, and that sealed their interest. She recalled thinking, “I can live here because I love Guido’s.”

Owned by Vergelegen LLC, the property at 2128 Canaan Southfield Road was initially listed at $15.5 million on March 24, 2022, with Elyse Harney Real Estate. Villetto, who works for William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty in Great Barrington, took the listing on May 9 and set the price at $12 million, dropping it to $10 million on Aug. 22.

“Cross a covered bridge over the Konkapot River, pass a red barn and the caretaker cottage, follow the land’s arc as it rises through rolling green fields with fruit trees until you reach the crest of a hill,” Villetto’s property description opens. “Here, on 298 private acres, is a contemporary masterwork by world-renown architect Tom Kundig. In collaboration with acclaimed landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith, Kundig has created a bold, innovative, yet intimate home where line and form embrace light and the landscape.”

The property also came with two guest cottages, an equestrian center and a secret garden, removed from the

• Southmayd Farm, Glendale Middle Road, Stockbridge, former property of Charles and Carol Shulze, sold for $6.9 million in January 2007.

• Southmayd Farm, Glendale Middle Road, Stockbridge, former property of James Kiggen, sold for $6.25 million in December 2017.

• Ice Glen Road, Stockbridge, former property of Yathrib LLC, sold for $6.25 million in December 2020.

• Berkshire Heights Road, Great Barrington, former property of Aston Magna Nominee Trust, sold for $5.1 million in August 2023.

NICK LAROCHE

• West Road, Alford, former property of Arthur, Julianne and Alessandra Bresciani, sold for $5 million, April 2014.

This 298-acre property recently sold for $9.3 million, making it the most expensive residential property sale in Berkshire County.

• Highwick Farm Manor House, Undermountain Road, Lenox, former property of Twinhouse Cottage LLC, sold for $4.85 million, February 2022.

main house, as well as 7 miles of trails.

Potential buyers responded from all over the world with six making multiple visits in the 117 days Villetto represented the property.

“I was absolutely surprised by the interest, and I have to praise Sotheby’s for the marketing team,” she said. Kundig’s name drew most of the interest, although that was not the case for the Sambergs.

Villetto also deserves credit, said Stephanie McNair, brokerage manager for William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty in Great Barrington.

“Our job is to make properties look and feel the most expensive that they can be,” McNair said. “And she has really done a banner job with presenting properties, and she’s also very skilled at relationships.”

McNair praised Villetto’s ability at hand-holding, a critical part of closing a sale.

In 2022, Villetto was the eighth top individual sales agent in the multiple listings region, which includes eastern New York, southern Vermont, northern Connecticut, Berkshire County and the hilltowns. That year she was also the top seller at William Pitt Sotheby’s in Berkshire County.

This year she sold $30.5 million, the top volume in the region of any individual agent.

Born in Great Barrington, Villetto, 47, graduated from Mount Everett High School in Sheffield. She attended Bard College at Simon’s Rock for one year, then transferred to the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, where she studied art history and film. Her major was art history; her minor was computer graphics and computer art.

She then headed to Boulder, Colo., where she worked as a buyer for a highend, private boutique. She traveled from New York City to Las Vegas for that job. She later relocated to Texas, where she opened women’s boutiques in greater Austin.

After returning to the Berkshires, she decided to get her real estate license.

“When I first started, I marched into Greylock Federal Credit Union and I told them I wanted to take on their foreclosures,” she said, adding that all of those houses were dilapidated.

“From there I met a gentleman who flipped houses and that became a great way of buying and selling.”

Now in the business for 10 years, she said real estate draws on all of the skills she developed previously, including marketing, sales, people skills, as well as her artistic eye for staging and her passion for interior design.

“It needs to be relevant, and it needs to be interesting, especially with a high-end product,” she said.

Villetto said she will not turn down a property and that she works seven days a week and responds promptly to phone calls.

“I take anything and everything with gratitude and happiness and just make

• Baldwin Hill Road, Egremont, former property of Eliot and Jane Tatelman, sold for $4.6 million, September 2013.

• West Center Road, West Stockbridge, former property of Tamari Nominee Trust, sold for $4.75 million, September 2021.

• Seekonk Road, Great Barrington, former property of L. Linfield Simon and Susan R. Simon, sold for $4.5 million, December 2021.

• Boulder Farm, Ice Glen Road, Stockbridge, former property of Richard and Mica Hadar, sold for $4.5 million in November 2013. (Boulder Farm was also sold for $3.235 million in December 2006). *Sources: Berkshire County Board of Realtors, Berkshire Eagle files.

the best out of it,” she said. “And that’s the work ethic my parents taught me.”

Samberg said she’s looking forward to having horses and playing at what she’s calling One Love Farm, hosting friends and family and adding her personal touches to the house to, as she puts it, “warm it up a bit.”

She’s also looking forward to getting to know her neighbors in the Berkshires, including people she meets in line at Guido’s.

“We’ve heard nothing but great things,” she said of the Berkshires.

“We’re so excited to embrace it and meet everybody.”

“The key is not in spending time, but in investing in it.”

Stephen R. Covey, author

Portfolio Management ▪ Financial Planning ▪ Trust & Banking Services*

103 West Park Street Lee, MA 01238 (413) 243-4331 www.octobermountainfa.com

Advisory services offered through St. Germain Investment Management. October Mountain Financial Advisors is a name under which St. Germain Investment Management operates. *Trust and Banking Services provided by Lee Bank.

14

Berkshire Business Journal

January 2024

Kelly family closing Donnybrook

By Tony Dobrowolski

GILLIAN JONES-HECK

Waubeeka Golf Links, an 18-hole public golf course in Williamstown, has new owners with local ties to the area.

Waubeeka Golf Links sold

New owner grew up near 2nd hole

By Tony Dobrowolski WILLIAMSTOWN — Waubeeka Golf Links has new owners, a group with deep ties to both the property and the town who plan to keep the course on New Ashford Road a viable entity into the foreseeable future.

Berkshire entrepreneur Chris Kapiloff, the president of Kapiloff’s Glass, a construction company in Adams, his brother, Peter, and Williams College graduate Steven Nielsen, who will operate as Waubeeka Partners LLC, officially purchased the 18-hole public golf course for $1.15 million from Waubeeka Land LLC on Wednesday, according to documents filed at the Northern Berkshire Registry of Deeds.

The course, built in 1965 and open since 1966, according to Eagle files, had previously been owned by late Northern Berkshire entrepreneur Michael Deep, who died in August 2022 following a long battle with cancer.

Deep’s sister, Ellen Millard of North Adams, inherited the course following her brother’s death. She declined to comment on the transaction, referring all inquiries to the new owners.

Millard heads Waubeeka Land LLC. “I’ve been sort of thinking about this, dreaming about this for 20 years of my adult life,” said Chris, who grew up in Williamstown in a house that bordered on Waubeeka’s second hole. His grandparents lived across the street from the course’s main entrance.

Chris and Peter Kapiloff’s family has been involved in the ownership of some of the property where Waubeeka is located on and off for five generations: their great-great grandfather, Samuel Rhodes, bought land on that site in 1883. The course is located in Williamstown just south of The Store at Five Corners at the intersection of routes 7 and 43.

“I grew up hearing stories from my grandfather about what South Williamstown used to be like,” Chris said.

“A lot of that used to be property that my family once owned.”

The sale comes as good news for golfers in the Berkshires, where five courses have closed since 2010. Donnybrook Country Club in Lanesborough recently announced that it will not open its course next year under its current ownership.

Chris said he intends to work with the Conservation Commission on fixing some ponds on the course, but is not planning to make any major improvements.

“I’m incredibly lucky that Waubeeka is in fantastic shape right now,” he said.

Deep was credited with saving Waubeeka after purchasing the course from Denver businessman Jim

Goff and his wife in 2014.

The new owners have never owned a golf course; Chris, who used to sell golf balls that drifted into his yard from the course as a boy, said he is looking forward to learning the sport. But they have plenty of business experience.

Chris is a former part owner of both LTI Smart Glass in Pittsfield, and founded School Guard Glass, which develops high-tech bullet-proof safety glass for schools, embassies and government facilities. LTI is a subsidiary of Advanced Impact Technologies Group, of Pinellas County, Fla., which was created in 2016 when School Guard and Kapiloff’s Glass merged.

The Kapiloff brothers have been involved in several business ventures.

“We do uncommonly well as brothers in business together,” Chris said.

Nielsen, who graduated from Williams in 1985, is the president and CEO of Dycom Industries of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., a Fortune 500 company that is a leading provider of specialty contracting services to the telecommunications infrastructure and utility industries throughout the United States. Chris refers to Nielsen as his “business mentor.” Peter Kapiloff also lives in Florida, so Chris will be in charge of the day-to-day operation of the course in the Berkshires.

Deep failed to turn a profit during the early years he ran Waubeeka, but did well later on.

“The profitability of the course was not in my top three reasons for wanting to purchase it,” Chris said. “Family history, personal history are really the two driving factors for me.”

Plenty of golf was played at Waubeeka in 2023.

“One of the first things I noticed when going through data was that Waubeeka Golf Course sold 16,000 or 17,000 rounds of golf last year,” Chris said. “So there’s a real strong membership core of about 120 to 140 members and they sold about 12,000 rounds of golf to non-members this past year. So I really believe that the revenue side is there.”

The course’s head groundskeeper, golf pro and restaurant manager have all agreed to remain at Waubeeka under the new ownership group, Chris said.

“Working with them I firmly believe we’ll find a way to pay all of our debts,” he said.

At LTI, Chris often hired former inmates after they had served their time at the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction.

“I’m really looking forward to having a series of events tied to golfing with tournaments to work with local charities,” at Waubeeka, he said.

“This seemed like a great vehicle to make that happen.”

LANESBOROUGH — The Kelly family is getting out of the golf business.

The owners and builders of Donnybrook Country Club on Williamstown Road have decided to close its nine-hole public golf course, as they continue to list the property as a private estate, which has been on the market for two years.

“Donnybrook is now on sale as a mansion with 165 acres, and four barns,” said the listing agent, Realtor Andy Kelly, whose family owns the land. “It’s a beautiful property for a home.”

A new owner could retain the nine-hole layout as a private course, or even reopen it to the public, “but it won’t be up to us to make that decision,” Kelly said. “Whoever purchases it could do whatever they like with it. ... Whatever happens will be up to the new owner.”

Marketing the property strictly as an estate, “is the highest and best use of the property,” Kelly said.

Donnybrook is the fifth golf course in the Berkshires to close since 2010 following North Adams Country Club, Skyline Country Club in Lanesborough, Pontoosuc Country Club in Pittsfield and Egremont Country Club. Skyline and Pontoosuc were both purchased by Mill Town, the Pittsfield-based impact investment firm. Mill Town closed Skyline after it purchased the course in 2021.

The investment firm is part

of a group that bought Pontoosuc in 2020, but new ownership has never announced its plans for the venerable 18-hole layout, which began operating in the 1920s.

Participation in the sport of golf has increased 15 percent worldwide since 2022, according to the R&A Global Golf Participation Report. But Kelly said it is difficult to operate a golf course in the Berkshires.

“Golf doesn’t make any money around here,” he said, when asked why the Kellys have decided to close Donnybrook. “It’s pretty simple and straightforward. I don’t know if you’ll get a more accurate quote than that.”

Kelly declined to comment on Donnybrook’s finances specifically, referring those questions to his brother, Matt, who is Donnybrook’s general manager. Matt Kelly, who lives in Tobago during the winter, had earlier sent an email to members of the Berkshire County golfing community stating his reasons for not running a golf course on the property anymore.

The Kelly brothers’ late father, James “JW” Kelly, began constructing the course in 2001 on the site of the clan’s old family home, which was known as Donnybrook Farm. The course opened in 2008. Matt took over the operation of the course when his father died in September 2022.

“I have never been what you might call a golfer,” Matt wrote. “Donnybrook

was not my dream.

“We have had several parties interested in the property, but none of them wanted to keep the golf running,” Matt wrote. “It has become clear to me, that in order to sell the property, Donnybrook Country Club must cease golf operations.

It has been a tremendously tough decision that Donnybrook will now remain closed as a country club and golf course.

“I am now in my retirement age years,” Kelly said.

“I have worked my father’s dream for many years...It is time for me to move on to my own life.”

Andy Kelly said the family had considered closing the golf course since the property first went on the market in 2021, but waited until the end of this year’s golf season in November to make that decision.

The 165-acre property includes two houses, one built around 1800, four historic barns, and two private ponds, according to the listing. Donnybrook was originally listed at $4.9 million, but the price has since dropped to $2.9 million, according to the current listing.

Kelly said there has been a lot of interest in the property the last two years, but that none of the prospective deals came to fruition.

“It’s been under contract a number of times,” he said, “but they’ve fallen apart because people were unable to get the financing.”

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January 2024

Berkshire Business Journal

Real estate transactions Berkshire County Real Estate Transactions for Oct. 30-Nov. 24

Stoney Brook Property Management LLC, $100,000.

ADAMS

David W. Carlow and Deborah L. Barrett sold property at 496 East Harbor Road, Cheshire, and Alger Avenue, Adams, to Daniel J. and Beth Amy Barrett, $300,000.

David L. Krutiak sold property at Tracie Avenue, Adams, to Jennifer W. Convery, $75,000.

Robert B. and Carole S. Carlow, trustees of the Robert B. Carlow and Carole S. Carlow NT, sold property at 6 Pine St., Adams, to Scott D. and Donna Sherman, $117,000.

Samantha J. Desautels sold property at 182 Columbia St., Adams, to Jeanne O’Neill, $100,000.

Royal Realty Holdings LLC sold property at 29 Powers St., Adams, to Lori P. Venezia, $240,000.

Willem Rosenthal and Julia Kostreva sold property at 193 East St., Great Barrington, to Julia K. Boehlke and Thomas Boehike, $782,500.

Cady Street LLC sold property at 266 East Road, Clarksburg, to Hillary Maselli and Bryce Horsfall, $283,000.

West Avenue LLC sold property at 140 West Ave., Great Barrington, to Ravjeet LLC, $437,500.

DALTON

Shirley Snyder sold property at 945 Main St., Great Barrington, to 945 Main LLC, $150,000.

Margaret E. Strong sold property at 14 Pease Ave., Dalton, to Jeremy J. Curley, $190,000.

Luigino and Joan M. Dario sold property at 46 Summer St., Adams, to Shanon M. Duran Oden, $100,000.

Elizabeth Krant, trustee, 43 River Birch Lane NT, sold property at 43 River Birch Lane, Dalton, to Charles I. and Marcia B. Mandel, trustees, Marcia B. Mandel RVT, $880,000.

David P. and Alan P. Trottier, Lynn A. Trombley, Debora A. McDonald, Lisa A. Gazaille, Lori T. Hickey, Ronald A. Boucher, Lynn M. Bizzi, and Catherine A. Dean sold property at 26 Apremont St., Adams, to Linda L. Haczela, $254,900.

ALFORD Beth M. Jones sold property at 137 East Road, Alford, to Christopher K. Clemans and Marya Spence, $630,000.

Becket Ingrid K. Ogren sold property at Silver Leaf Drive, Becket, to Pierre Raymond Properties LLC, $14,500.

Vicky L. Zaleski and Albert J. Grasso sold property at 122 Mystic Isle Way, Becket, to Alexander J. and Vicky L. Zaleski, $331,021.

Ashley Sabin sold property at Fred Snow Road, Becket, to Eric J. Eichstedt, $28,500.

Charitable Adult Rides and Services Inc. sold property at Moberg Road, Becket, to Faith Campbell and Steve Powers, $11,999.

Priscilla Robinson sold property at Jacobs Ladder Road, Becket, to Jonathan Butcher, trustee, Jack of the Shire RVT, $18,000.

Gene Henkel and Carl Squitieri sold property at 72 Blacksmith Path, Becket, to Mark Cannizzaro, $20,000.

Mortgage Assets Management LLC and Louise V. and William E. Jefferson sold property at 3650 Jacobs Ladder Road, Becket, to HB2 Alternative Holdings LLC, $132,189.83.

Lea Abiodun, trustee, Lea Abiodun Declaration of Trust, sold property at 302 Sherwood Drive, Becket, to Christopher and Alexandra Lee, $480,000.

Avigdor Konig sold property at 33 Lady Lucille Lane and King Richard Drive and Lady Lucille Drive, Becket, to Scott and Cynthia Miller, $718,000.

CHESHIRE Michael Kwasniowski, Judy M. Marko and John Clossey, trustees of MGE RT, sold property at 534 Savoy Road, Cheshire, to

Lee A. Zipperling, personal rep. of Jay Ellen Lebeau, sold property at 53 Tilda Hill Road, Florida, to PAH Properties LLC, $60,000.

Jane D. Moulton, trustee of the Jane D. Moulton Trust, sold property at 484 Middle Road, Clarksburg, to Melissa L. and Fred C. Perry IV, $50,000.

Daniel J. Barrett sold property at 39 Victory St., Adams, to Amy Lynne Wilks, $218,500.

Fillion Inc. sold property at 101 Howland Ave., Adams, to Adams Trucking Company Inc., $65,000.

Donald E. Saunders Jr. sold property at 16 Mohawk Trail, Florida, to Melani Mielke, $260,000.

GREAT BARRINGTON

Minh and Elaine Y. Luu sold property at 146 Pleasant St., Dalton, to TMR Realty LLC, $170,000.

Wayne G. Arnold sold property at 41 Morningside Ave., Adams, to Sarah Ann Dix and Keith Lambert Kokindo, $217,000.

William R. and Vera E. Kelton sold property at 68 Tilda Hill Road, Florida, to Brandon N. and Brittany N. Field, $339,000.

CLARKSBURG

Timothy J. Morey, personal rep. of Paul O. Gravel, sold property at 19 Elm St., Adams, to Shirley F. Martin, $175,000.

Virginia R. Lamb, Timothy F. and James A.P. Rowley, Catherine Capizzi, Carrie Rowley Kelly, and Suzanne R. Viani sold property at 16 Edward Ave., Adams, to Rebecca McKeever, $279,000.

and Ann E. McKenzie, $185,000.

Philip F. Townsend Jr. sold property at 250 High St., Dalton, to 250 High LLC, $175,000.

Edward L. Corbett III, Robert M. Corbett, Nelanne Corbett and Lynmarie Corbett sold property at Brunell Avenue & 72 Brunell Ave., Dalton, to Scott and Nicole Simonelli, $595,000.

Michael R. and Patricia A. Peltier sold property at 116 North Mountain Road, Dalton, to Robert J. and Carlene J. Arambula, trustees, Carlene J. Arambula Revocable LT, $737,500.

PennyMac Loan Services LLC and Doris M. Mongue sold property at 61 Daly Ave., Dalton, to LND Investments LLC, $187,000.

Cesar Ariosto Zuna Guallpa sold property at 151-153 West Housatonic St., Dalton, to Claudio N. Siguencia, $37,500.

Zachary E. Hansen and Emma L. Desjardins sold property at 143 Park Ave., Dalton, to Christina Marie Daley, $234,000.

Anthony J. and Alexandra B. Barone sold property at 183 Park Ave., Dalton, to Dylan J. Hamilton, $260,000.

Terence R. and Timothy J. Kerans sold property at 19 Mill St., Dalton, to Moira K. Kerans, $200,000.

Caitlin Gutheil, trustee, Naomi K. Rauff Trust, sold property at 60 North St., Dalton, to Barbara E. Moynihan, $225,500.

EGREMONT

John Horton and Michele Horton sold property at 20 Taconic Lane, Great Barrington, to Todd Maloy Smith and Margaret Mary Smith, $960,000.

Stephen R. Schoenfeld and Penelope Hudnut sold property at Muirfield Drive, Lenox, to Robert and Louise Grant, $700,000.

Neal P. Mulcahy sold property at 221 New Lenox Road, Lenox, to Dominick D. Pierro Jr., $550,000.

Marie J. Weatherhead sold property at 85 Birchwood Lane, Lenox, to Miriam G. Gluck, $757,500.

MONTEREY Margo Drohan sold property at 85 Pixley Road, Route 57, Monterey, to Green River Holdings LLC, $292,000.

Joan E. Cominski sold property at 0 Norwalk Acres Road, Monterey, to Ivan Espinoza, $30,000.

Davina Muse and Arizona Muse sold property at 13 Forest Row, Great Barrington, to Maura Cuny, $354,000.

NEW ASHFORD

Town of Great Barrington sold property at 207 Pleasant St., Great Barrington, to WDM Properties LLC, $1,000.

HANCOCK Robert W. Ronnow and Margaret A. Ouellette sold property at 147 Whitman Road, Hancock, to Brian Reardon, $330,000.

Folly Land Corporation sold property at 312 Kittle Road, Hancock, to Huttopia Berkshires Properties LLC, $2,000,000.

HINSDALE Kenneth L. and Mary P. Knepper, trustees, Knepper RT, sold property at 166 Lenore Drive, Hinsdale, to Douglas L. and Paula Prittie, $114,500.

Leslie C. Soha sold property at 39 Edgewood Drive, Hinsdale, to John S. and Lisa M. Kelley, $399,500.

Kenneth L. and Lana M. Hall sold property at Old Dalton Road, Hinsdale, to Brian and Adele Spencer, $100,000.

LANESBOROUGH Judith Ann Labrie sold property at 66 Scott Road, Lanesborough, to Richard J. Mathisen and Lisa Marie Beane, $265,000.

Amelia Hazel and Frances A. Altieri sold property at Bailey Road, Lanesborough, to Patrick Malloy and Cassandra Bentley, $70,000.

Christina Wignall sold property at 13 Egremont Heights, Egremont, to Evelyn C. de Melker and Richard S. Starr, $600,000.

Kevin T. Nash, trustee of the Nash FT, sold property at 365 Summer St., Lanesborough, to David W. and Sherri P. Wilson, $218,574.

Helen E. Hanna sold property at 46 Mohawk Trail, Florida, to Camden J. McGrath

Susan M. Chamberlain and David R. and Craig N. Jones, trustees, Jones Family PTB Trust, sold property at 38 Brunell Ave., Lenox, to Denis and Shari Gozlan, $410,000.

Thomas O. Andrews sold property at 309 Main St., Great Barrington, to Baldwin Building LLC, $1,225,000.

Carrie Amon and Ira S. Cohen sold property at 5 Gilbert Road, Egremont, to Keith Ahser and Blake McDonald, trustees of Blake McDonald Trust, $950,000.

FLORIDA

Lenox Landings Barrington Brook Holdings LLC sold property at 7 Golf View Drive, Lenox, to Patricia A. Beck, trustee, Mitchell L. Beck and Patricia A. Beck NT, $1,037,203.

Nicholas Louis Terzo, trustee of 50 Hupi Road Nominee Trust, sold property at 50 Hupi Road, Monterey, to Luke F. Egan and Allison C. Egan, $479,000.

Lawrence S. Martz and Anne S. Martz sold property at 50 Jug End Road, Egremont, to Louise Barzilay, $1,275,000.

Stephen Fechtor and Amy Thompson, trustees of Stephen Fechtor & Amy Thompson Trust Agreement dated Aug. 22, 2018, sold property at 48 Lakeside Drive, Egremont, to Madeleine Irene Rachel Pelton and Charles Pelton, $995,000.

Linda M. Shafiroff, trustee, Blackwater RT, sold property at 9 Hynes St., Lenox, to Carroll Bever, $300,000.

Robert Grant and Louise Grant sold property at 3 Cornwall Drive, Great Barrington, to Paul Moglia and Jean Moglia, $1,025,000.

Scott A. and Nicole M. Simonelli sold property at 75 Meadow Lane, Lanesborough, to Michelle M. Filiault and Daniel A. and Dee A. Micari, $320,000.

Kerry T. Millikin, trustee of Kerry T. Millikin Revocable Trust, sold property at 25 Town House Hill Road, Egremont, to Michael Oliver Weiss and Frances J. Weiss, $1,785,000.

15

LEE Catherine L. and Sarah J. Towne sold property at 325 Laurel St., Lee, to Sam Cuttito Jr., $260,000.

LENOX Michael Sternschein and Susan J. Frank sold property at 89 and 94 Dunmore Court, Lenox, to Amy Margolin and Robert Jay Sommer, $1,695,000.

Erich and Jacqueline Schmidt sold property at 813 East St., Lenox, to David and Jacqueline Savir, $2,380,031.

Silverleaf Resorts LLC sold property at Old Route 7, New Ashford, to Brodie Mountain Developments LLC, $975,000.

NEW MARLBOROUGH Vergelegen LLC sold property at 2128 Canaan Southfield Road, New Marlborough, to Mitchell Samberg and Lynn Samberg, $9,300,000.

Hollis Reynolds North and Sarah Reynolds North sold property at 172 Cross to Canaan Valley Road, New Marlborough, to Richard A. Kerber and Elizabeth O’Brien, $1,000,000.

Hilary Simons sold property at 108 Country Road, New Marlborough, to Robert Perazzo and Anna Houston, $380,000.

Lake Buel LLC sold property at 106 Downs Road, New Marlborough, to Matthew Richter and Kerri-Ann Sweeten, $1,360,000.

Vbaklayan Property LLC sold property at 824 Mill River Southfield Road, New Marlborough, to Isabel Slokar and Antony Slokar, $575,000.

NORTH ADAMS James R. Kennedy sold property at 29 Gallup St., North Adams, to BM Property LLC, $150,000.

Maddie Elizabeth Baird and Adriane Elizabeth Meyer Baird sold property at 25 Greene Ave., North Adams, to Caitlyn Kirby, $268,000.

Matthew J. Kelly, personal rep. of Sharon Marie Thomas, sold property at 88 East Quincy St., North Adams, to Steven and Jenna Beagle, $166,000.

Douglas S. and Gail D. Duncan sold property at 1129 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams, to M. Stephen and Lauri D. Hawley, $295,000.

Nancy R. and Robert F. Callahan Jr. sold property at 138 East Quincy St., North Adams, to Eric Gordon, $82,000.

Adams Community Bank sold property at 21-35 Taft St., Unit 35, North Adams, to Jennifer LaChance, $160,000.

Steven F. Lesage sold property at 14-18 Loftus St., North Adams, to Ernest Perry, $21,522.74.

Ellies Holdings LLC sold property at 77 Natural Bridge Road, North Adams, to Bilal Warrith-Din Ansari and Colleen Marie Keyes, $332,020.

TRANSACTIONS, Page 16

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Transactions FROM PAGE 15

Scott E. McGowan and Heather B. Beaudreau sold property at 127-129 Ashton Ave., North Adams, to Amelie C. Gubbels, trustee of the Petrie Family RVT, $155,000.

Nancy J. Walker sold property at 105-107 Beaver St., North Adams, to Heather and Chadwick A. Walker, $170,000.

Charles and Linda R. Stevenson sold property at 54 Marietta St., North Adams, to RealDeal Apartments LLC, $50,000.

Susan I. Spooner sold property at 66 Hathaway St., North Adams, to Madison J. Marceau and Joseph A. Kozlowski, $210,000.

Robert W. Maroni, trustee of the Robert W. Maroni Trust, sold property at 14 Pine Hill Terrace, North Adams, to Claire M. Angeli, $165,000.

Tyler J. Shoestock sold property at 64 Richmond Ave., North Adams, to Rachel Powers and Kenneth David Walker, $181,500.

Jacob and Molly Racette sold property at 87 Summit Ave., North Adams, to Dale F. and Joannia Maria Trottier, $174,000.

Cynthia M. Lamore and Jessica M. Bugbee sold property at 293 East Main St., North Adams, to Miguel David Rodriguez, $200,000.

OTIS Stephanie G. McNair sold property at 499 Norton Road, Otis, to Melitza Iglesias, $810,000.

KTI Realty LLC sold property at 1898 East Otis Road, Otis, to Knox Trail Inn Associates LLC, $815,000.

Gail Ann Beauregard sold property at 29 South Bay Road, Otis, to Matthew G. Brown, $1,586,000.

Lawrence Weinstein and Janet Mercadante sold property at Shore Circle and 47 Shore Circle, Otis, to William and Natalie Zappone, $315,000.

PERU Richard S. LaFrancis sold property at Curtin Road, Peru, to Dominick Palumbo, $35,000.

PITTSFIELD Mountain Stream LLC sold property at Churchill Street, Pittsfield, to Julie Nichols and Glenn Wilson, $60,000.

Yaacov J. and Nina R. Rone sold property at 29 Lakecrest Drive, Pittsfield, to David J. and Risa Abrams, $510,000.

Daniel J. and Laura J. Lysick sold property at 98 Ventura Ave., Pittsfield, to Alicia Hernandez, $259,000.

Margery Perkins, trustee, Cuyler NT, sold property at 43 Roselyn Drive, Pittsfield, to Derrick J. Babcock and Allyson R. Dunham, $307,000.

Lisa M. Wendling and Gina M. Isenhart, personal reps. of the Estate of David A. Leone, sold property at 106 Clarendon St., Pittsfield, to Cheryl C. Rocca and Alexandra Astrid Lacnoir, $244,400.

Kelly A., Patrick D. and Kurt W. Reagan and Colleen M. LaRochelle sold property at 66 Dickinson Ave., Pittsfield, to Sherralyn Castillo-Scipione, $223,500.

TJLR Onota LLC sold property at 53-57 Madison Ave., Pittsfield, to K.O.W. LLC, $215,000.

Allen E. Lifvergren sold property at 316 Connecticut Ave., Pittsfield, to Adrian Dean and Francis Raymond Kolodziej, $225,000.

Sebastiana Jane Carnevale sold property at 203 Cheshire Road, Pittsfield, to Matthew Thomas Sebastino, $197,600.

Marcia B. and Charles I. Mandel, trustees,

Berkshire Business Journal Marcia B. Mandel RVT, sold property at 7 Gaston Drive, Pittsfield, to Michael J. and Candice M. Schroth, $1,550,000.

Kelly H. Sullivan sold property at 33 Bishop Parkway, Pittsfield, to William Kelley Castellan, $326,000.

77 East Street LLC sold property at 77-93 East St., Pittsfield, to 601 Wales Avenue Corp., $975,000.

First Pitts LLC sold property at 174-176 First St., 307 Springside Ave. and 75 East Housatonic St., Pittsfield, to Hurricane Properties LLC, $754,000.

Laura A. Danylin, personal rep. of the Estate of Dorothy Danylin, and Laura A. and J. Dale Danylin sold property at 92 Noblehurst Ave., Pittsfield, to Jacquelyn Michelle Harden, $325,000.

Gary J. Rossin sold property at 75 Clarendon St., Pittsfield, to Mireille L. Ngwelebe, $236,000.

Daniel and Pamela J. Irish sold property at 86 Dickinson Ave., Pittsfield, to Christopher Arnold, $245,000.

Mark and Cathy C. Drumm sold property at 39 Fairfield St., Pittsfield, to Isabelle Jasmine Morley, $258,000.

Trevor S. and Paul Regensburg sold property at 109 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield, to Rachel Laura Occhiogrosso-Schwartz, $470,000.

TNR LLC sold property at 75 Tyler St., Pittsfield, to Lake Rentals LLC, $310,000.

Virginia C. Gennari sold property at 724 Peck’s Road, Pittsfield, to Ethan W. and Jordynne T. Delphia, $265,000.

Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity Inc. sold property at 58 Gordon St., Pittsfield, to Caryn R. Bertelli, $187,500.

Dettinger Lumber Co. Inc. sold property at 509-511 South St., Pittsfield, to Jonathan J. and Andrea L. Sutherland, $189,000.

Links LLC sold property at 114-116 Plunkett St., Pittsfield, to Anaelisa S. Jacobsen, $201,500.

Paul T., James P. and Maureen K. Coughlan, Deborah A. Deloye, and Christine M. Coughlan-Burke sold property at 37 Jayne Ave., Pittsfield, to Jeannine Rita Brayman, $287,000.

Mary Ellen Koch Burns sold property at 178 Blythewood Drive, Pittsfield, to Farah Zubaida Quadri, trustee, Quadri RT, $587,500.

Alan L. LaPalm, personal rep. of the Estate of Paulette M. LaPalm, sold property at 68 Anita Drive, Pittsfield, to Anthony Monteleone, $247,775.

Lisa Lausier and Debra Wojtkowski, individually and personal reps. of the Estate of Claire Marie Podavini, and Lisa Lausier and Debra Wojtkowski, trustees, Clarie Podavini RVT of 2011, sold property at 36 Mohegan St., Pittsfield, to Ava M. and Edwin K. Mungin, $250,000.

Joy L. Engels sold property at 71 South Church St., Pittsfield, to Carmel S. Wilson, $305,000.

Alexander A. and Ellen K. Lomaglio sold property at 250 Linden St., Pittsfield, to Tarkan and Hilal Topcuoglu, $137,000.

Laura and Andrew Shepard, personal reps. of the Estate of Bonnie Jean Sumner, sold property at 375 Dalton Ave., Pittsfield, to Yomary Almonte and Jose Modesto Mercado, $200,500.

Ben T. and Brynna E. O’Shaughnessy sold property at 498 South St., Pittsfield, to Ashlin Ploss, $333,900.

Bespoke Capital LLC sold property at 31-33 Courtland Place, Pittsfield, to Juan Carlos Parra, $215,000.

TYRINGHAM

WEST STOCKBRIDGE

James P. and Rosemary R. Dellea sold property at 30 Williams St., Pittsfield, to Katherine D. and Cristian A. Diaz, $277,500.

Eugene J. Scapin Jr. and Bernadette A. Scapin sold property at 696 Crane Ave., Pittsfield, to Cody Reagon and Rebecca Hover, $285,000.

Mountain Stream LLC sold property at Cascade Street, Pittsfield, to Guidewire Inc., $195,000.

Mountain Stream LLC sold property at Cascade Street, Pittsfield, to Angela Fazio, $120,000.

Ryan D. Turner and Jennifer A. Clark sold property at 71 Backman Ave., Pittsfield, to Melanie A. Counsell, $275,000.

Gerald F. Ely II and Kristianna DiNicola, trustees, Ely Family NT, sold property at 13 South St., Stockbridge, to Jessica Fenwick, trustee, 13 South Street NT, $120,000.

Alex and Gail Perillo sold property at 52-54 Brown St., Pittsfield, to Aida Vintimilla, $220,000.

Lincoln Eramo Jr. and Martin P. Eramo, personal rep. of the Estate of Doris O. Eramo, sold property at 16 Williams St., Pittsfield, to Catheryn Y. Chacon Ortega, $225,000.

Ashlin T. Ploss sold property at 22 Meadow Lane, Pittsfield, to Gerald W. and Nancy J. Meadows, 250,000.

Sandra L. Tytel sold property at Stone Hill Road, Stockbridge, to Adam M. and Kirsten Miley Howell, trustees, Howell RVT, $362,500.

Kevin F. Williams and Derek C. Brine sold property at 11 Stockbridge Way, Tyringham, to Solo Salsa Verde LLC, $580,000.

Nikolaos Dionysopoulos sold property at 338 Springside Ave., Pittsfield, to Ashley T. Strack, $250,000.

Joseph A. Renzi sold property at 157 Meadowview Drive, Pittsfield, to Paul Letendre, $320,000.

Ortel, sold property at 3 Yale Hill Road, Stockbridge, to M. Macaire Pace, trustee, M. Macaire Pace 2023 Trust, and Charles Owen, trustee, Charles Owen 2023 Trust, $745,000.

Bank of America N.A. and Ann Langlois sold property at 82 Acorn St., Pittsfield, to Ellies Holdings LLC, $130,000.

Franklin R. Williams III sold property at 12 Winesap Road, Pittsfield, to Domerica Chairez, $360,000.

Linda A. Diel sold property at 155 Scammell Ave., Pittsfield, to Ellen A. Dick, $335,000.

January 2024

Anthony J. Cimini sold property at 16 Murphy Place, Pittsfield, to Nicholas Perrault, $243,000.

Theodoros V. and Susan K. Bilis sold property at 508 East St., Pittsfield, to Wind Chime Properties LLC, $300,000.

Richard R. LeClair and Richard R. LeClair Jr. sold property at 37-39 Bel Air Ave., Pittsfield, to Daniel C. and Samantha Parker, $135,500.

Second Congregational Church sold property at 363 Columbus Ave., Pittsfield, to Westside Legends Inc., $30,000.

RICHMOND Timothy J. and Tracy E. DiSilva sold property at 1750 Dublin Road, Richmond, to Kshitij Misra and Xiaolin Yin, $589,000.

John F. and Linda Lloyd sold property at Firehouse Lane, Richmond, to Wesley Pamplin and Emilia Fulop, $80,000.

Timothy J. Rudin, trustee, 50 Branch Farm Road Nominee Trust, sold property at 50 Branch Farm Road, Richmond, to Dennis J. Lamke and Shay A. Barnes, $470,000.

SANDISFIELD Joshua A. Nicosia and Kelly M. Gold sold property at 314 Wood Lands Way, Sandisfield, to Robert H. Meeropol and Ellen V. Meeropolol, $510,000.

SHEFFIELD Carol Casey Stack sold property at Short Street, Sheffield, to Rhonda Cushwa and Nathaniel R. Divine, $1,800.

David Losaw and Judy McGuffey sold property at 290 East Stahl Road, Sheffield, to William J. Crine and Patricia A. Crine, $80,000.

Melissa L. Bassett sold property at 259 Salisbury Road, Sheffield, to Sheffield Dairy Barn LLC, $375,000.

Harold W. Stalker sold property at 131 Alum Hill Road, Sheffield, to Bruce A. Goodchild and Donna M. Kaczyk-Goodchild, $200,000.

STOCKBRIDGE Charles K., Erik G. and Gormley F. Ortel, personal reps. of the Estate of William G.C.

William P. Gorth and Janet I. Gorth, individually, and as trustees of Janet I. Gorth 2001 Revocable Trust, sold property at 19 West Alford Road, West Stockbridge, to Charles O. Prince III, trustee of Sankaty 2013 Revocable Trust Agreement, and Margaret L. Wolff, trustee of Sconset 2013 Revocable Trust Agreement, $4,300,000.

Aldrich Maple LLC sold property at 0 & 55 Maple Hill Road, West Stockbridge, to AJC Makana LLC, $4,100,000.

WILLIAMSTOWN Gloria R. and Edward G. Benedict sold property at 422 North Hemlock Lane, Williamstown, to Judith S. Madden, $429,000.

Patrick J. Wynne, personal rep. of Phyllis E. McGuire, sold property at 189 Stratton Road, Unit C-1, Williamstown, to Gulam Ghouse, $188,481.

Charlene E. Lambert sold property at 1099 New Ashford Road, Williamstown, to Double P Enterprises LLC, $560,000.

Memorable Getaways LLC sold property at 171 North St., Williamstown, to Shauna Ono Dunton, $320,000.

Judith S. Madden sold property at 100 Berkshire Drive, Williamstown, to Casey K. Gardiner, $675,000.

Barbara A. Craig sold property at 1479 Green River Road, Williamstown, to Bradley C. Wells and Elizabeth D. Burris, $870,000.

David A. and Lisa R. Waynick sold property at 168 Southworth St., Williamstown, to The President and Trustees of Williams College, $685,000.

Gerret Van Duyne sold property at 17 Bryant St., Williamstown, to Leyla Rouhi and Julie A. Cassiday, $690,000.

Monica M. Mackey sold property at 20 Linden St., Williamstown, to Caitlin E. Hegarty and John M. Tranfaglia, $620,000.

160 Water LLC sold property at 160 Water St, Unit 106, Williamstown, to Gary and Cynthia Marks, $485,000.

Marshall A. Lapidus and Suzanne L. Gordon, trustees of the Marshall A. Lapidus Declaration of Trust, sold property at 18 Harwood St., Williamstown, to Rose M. Wallent, trustee of the Rose M. Wallent RVT, $315,000.

WINDSOR The Chippery LLC sold property at 5 Route 9, Berkshire Trail, Windsor, to Weston Brook LLC, $350,000.

FFT — Family Trust LLC — Limited Partnership LT — Life Trust NT — Nominee Trust RET — Real Estate Trust RT — Realty Trust RVT — Revocable Trust The real estate transactions are provided by the Middle Berkshire, North Berkshire and South Berkshire Registry of Deeds offices.

January 2024

Berkshire Business Journal

People in the Berkshires Norman Rockwell Museum has announced three appointments to refresh the museum’s leadership positions.

Hilary Dunne Ferrone has assumed the role of chief philanthropy officer; Kathryn Potts has been named chief learning and engagement officer; and Tiffani Silverman has joined the museum as its new Ferrone director of people and culture. Cindy Cohen has also been hired as finance associate.

The new leaders build on the work of three outgoing members of the Norman Rockwell Museum leadership Potts team. Former Chief Audience Officer Sue Elliott was recently named general director and CEO of the Calgary Opera in Canada.

Former Chief Philanthropy Officer Ellen Spear is now editor of Berkshires Week, a pubSilverman lication of The Berkshire Eagle. And longtime Director of Human Resources Holly Coleman recently retired after nearly 25 years of distinguished service.

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 bachelor’s degree in history, she is a certified fundraising executive and holds a master of science degree in planning and preservation from Columbia University. She serves as an adviser to the Fund for Columbia County at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

Potts, a graduate of Monument Mountain Regional High School in Great Barrington, has worked at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art for 23 years and has been a museum consultant advising on strategic planning, recruiting and hiring, and curatorial projects since 2020. She served as chair of education at the Whitney Museum for over a decade.

She has also held curatorial positions at the Jewish Museum in New York and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

In recent months, she has worked at Norman Rockwell Museum as assistant to the director for special projects to strategically redevelop the museum’s traveling exhibition program. Potts holds a master’s degree in history of art from Williams College and a bachelor’s degree in art history and history from Brandeis University. She moved back to the Berkshires in 2021.

Silverman has 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

17

of environmental law firms and, most recently, as director of human resources at the St. Anne Institute.

A graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, she received her diversity, equity, and inclusion certification from Cornell University.

Cohen has worked as an accounting manager and controller for companies in real estate, construction and related industries in the Boston area and in Arizona, and has volunteered with the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center and Aston Magna Music Festival.

Roberta McCulloch-Dews, David Russell and Joseph Zlatnik have all joined Berkshire Immigrant Center’s board of directors.

McCulloch-Dews, of Hinsdale, is the vice McCulloch-Dews president of marketing at Greylock Federal Credit Union.

Born in Jamaica, McCulloch-Dews came to the U.S. at age 2 and grew up in the Bronx, N.Y. She serves as a trustee on the board of the Norman Rockwell Museum and is a board member of both the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, and the Samuel Harrison Society.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from New York University and a master’s degree in social and public policy from SUNY Empire.

Russell, of Dalton, grew up in the Midwest. His career included nearly 30 Russell

years with Procter & Gamble as project manager and program manager, three years managing a sizable portion of the project portfolio at Yale University as a director, and multiple years consulting in the field of project management. He also served as the president and chair of the board for the Southwest Ohio Chapter of the Project Management Institute.

A U.S Air Force veteran who attended the Air Force Academy, Russell holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Michigan State University.

Zlatnik, who was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and raised in Queens, N.Y., came to the Berkshires in 2011 to work for the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office. He later worked as an associate attorney at Hochberg Law Offices in Zlatnik Pittsfield and currently operates his own private law practice. Zlatnik is also a member of the board of directors of the Berkshire Bar Advocates.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in legal studies from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a law degree from Boston University School of Law. Veterinarians Melissa Brady and Dinah Russell have joined Berkshire Humane Society’s Wellness Clinic on Dalton Avenue in Pittsfield.

The clinic has also secured a $20,000 grant from the John T. and Brady Jane A. Weiderhold Foundation to help develop a business model for its future

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through the Open Door Veterinary Collective in Asheville, N.C., to expand affordable veterinary care in the Berkshires. Increasing affordable veterinary medical services is one of three major goals of Berkshire Humane Russell Society’s strategic plan for the next five years.

Russell practiced for 11 years with a variety of clients in the Northeast and has an interest in educating and providing care to local communities, especially those of low income.

Brady, a native of Dalton, joined the clinic in mid-December. She has more than 25 years of experience working as a veterinarian for private practices and government agencies along the east coast, from Florida to Massachusetts.

Norman Anton has been named design and project manager and Amy Pulver office manager at Pamela Sandler Architect LLC in Stockbridge.

Anton is a U.S. Air Force veteran who has Anton lived and worked in Europe and Saudi Arabia.

He attended the Washington University School of Architecture in St. Louis and has worked extensively in the field with carpenters, electricians and landscape designers.

He previously was an Pulver architectural designer at Clark and Green, and has a wide range of experience, including historic preservation, corporate interiors, retail showrooms and residential projects.

Pulver has served for nearly a decade in multiple positions and departments with the town of Great Barrington, including public works, planning, and most

recently as the executive secretary for the town manager and Select Board.

Her duties will include event planning, facilities management, project coordination, and budget planning, ensuring that the office runs smoothly so the design team can continue to deliver unique projects to clients and grow its relationship with the community.

Casey Ferriter has joined Berkshire County Arc as the assistant director of human resources.

She will support the vice president of HR in overseeing all aspects of the department.

Ferriter has previFerriter ously served as human resources director at Hillcrest Commons Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Pittsfield; as the executive director of Sweetwood, an independent living community in Williamstown; and as regional employment coordinator at Care One, a senior care company.

She has experience in all areas of human resources including compliance issues, benefits, and administering leaves of absence.

The Berkshire County native studied clinical psychology at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. The owner of three dogs, Ferriter serves as a foster parent for a rescue center that sends her older dogs when they enter their final stage of life.

Giovanna Fessenden, of Lenox, is one of 11 attorneys from the law firm Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds of Boston that have been included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Fessenden, a member Fessenden of the Berkshire Innovation Center’s board of directors, is one of 10 lawyers from the firm that were recognized for their patent law expertise. Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds is an intellectual property law firm.

Two other attorneys from the same

January 2024

firm have been included in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America for their expertise in patent law and/or intellectual property law.

Best Lawyers recognition is based on peer-reviewed listings and is the legal industry’s oldest and most respected publication. The publication, compiled from more than 6.7 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers, is distributed worldwide in almost 75 countries.

Jennifer Meehan has been appointed vice president, community engagement officer at MountainOne. In this role, Meehan will drive MountainOne’s community engagement efforts Meehan throughout the company’s footprint in the Berkshires and the South Shore.

Her primary focus is on cultivating relationships with strategic community and nonprofit partners; directing MountainOne’s community dividend giving program; coordinating community financial education initiatives; and organizing volunteerism opportunities for Mountaineers within the local communities that the company serves.

Meehan has previously served as director of community engagement at Berkshire Housing; director of volunteer services and community engagement at Southwestern Vermont Healthcare; and director of marketing at Berkshire Family & Individual Resources, where she collaborated with a vast array of community businesses and organizations, and managed outreach campaigns, and events.

A lifelong Berkshire resident who lives in Adams, Meehan also serves as vice chair of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, and as a board member for the Northern Berkshire United Way. She holds a master of arts degree from SUNY Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and a bachelor

of arts degree from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Ann Deely was unanimously appointed director emeritus recently by Greylock Federal Credit Union’s board of directors in recognition of her long and distinguished service to the credit union.

Deely People who are appointed directors emeriti function as an advisory committee to the credit union’s board of directors. Deely’s recent designation by the board reflects a two-year term.

Deely, who lives in Lee, joined the board in November 2010. She was elected board chair in 2018 before resigning later that year due to personal circumstances.

She founded the law firm Deely & Deely in Lee, and was actively involved in the community for many years.

Former affiliations included the Lee Youth Association, Lee Planning Board, Berkshire United Way, and the Lee High School Building Committee.

Deely was a former legal adviser for Community Television of Southern Berkshire County and the Lee VNA Ethics Commission.

Deely is a graduate of Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich., and received a bachelor’s degree in business management from Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill in 1980. Deely was a member of both the Berkshire and Massachusetts Bar Association and is a Massachusetts Bar Foundation life fellow.

Rodowicz

Darlene Rodowicz, the president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems, was recently named one of the 2023 recipients of the fourth annual Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcare Awards from The Women’s Edge.

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Berkshire Business Journal

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Formerly known as The Commonwealth Institute, The Women’s Edge was founded 26 years ago to help women leaders in Massachusetts achieve greater success.

This award is the first of its kind in the nation, reaching across diverse sectors of health care — from life sciences, health care education and systems, to health care foundations, patient care, and public health. It recognizes and celebrates remarkable health care leaders in Massachusetts for their outstanding career achievements and resounding impact.

Rodowicz, a lifetime resident of Berkshire County, joined Berkshire Health Systems in 1984 and has served on BHS’ executive leadership team since 2005. She served 15 years as BHS’s financial officer, and succeeded David Phelps as president and CEO in 2022.

Over 150 nominations were received for the 2023 Awards. Ten finalists were selected for their impact and innovative ways of advancing health care, for inspiring and leading others, and fostering diversity in their organizations and the health care community through policy, practice and mentorship. None of the other finalists works in Western Massachusetts.

A graduate of Western New England College with a master’s degree in business administration, Rodowicz also holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is a member and Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, a national organization of health care financial leaders.

Burns

Amy Burns, personal line senior account manager at The Richards Group in Wilmington, Vt., has earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence for her superior underwriting skills and long-term commitment

to Safeco Insurance.

The award recognizes those individuals with excellent underwriting skills who have developed a solid underwriting partnership with Safeco and whose agencies have qualified for the Safeco Insurance Premier Partner Award, the company’s top recognition program.

Agents who earn this designation will have the ability to make selected underwriting decisions, in addition to being recognized publicly as an Award of Excellence recipient.

Burns, who lives in Wilmington, joined The Richards Group in 2000.

She is an accredited customer service representative. The Richards Group operates 11 offices in Vermont and New Hampshire.

Eric Padelford was recently named senior vice president, chief technology officer at Pittsfield Cooperative Bank.

Padelford will oversee the bank’s Padelford information technology department, and work closely with leadership on modernizing technology and platforms to increase efficiency and better serve the institution’s customers.

Padelford had served as vice president, integration architect and developer at Berkshire Bank for the last six years. He has over 22 years of systems architecture and development expertise, serving in IT and development roles at McGlinchey Stafford, and Tech Valley DataPro LLC. Padelford holds an associates of applied science degree from Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y., and a bachelor of science degree in information technology from SUNY– Empire State College in Saratoga, N.Y. He lives in Dalton with his family.

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Scott Fujioka has been named to Berkshire HorseWorks’ board of directors.

Fujioka, who recently retired, spent 26 years as senior vice president/relationship manager in City National Fujioka Bank’s Entertainment Division in Los Angeles.

He oversaw over $700 million in deposits and $600 million in loan commitments at City National Bank.

His portfolio while at CNB comprised individuals and companies engaged in the entertainment industry including actors/actresses, writers, directors, and producers in both television and feature film, business management firms, commercial production companies, talent agencies, and entertainment law firms.

During his tenure at CNB, Fujioka managed a team that assisted clients in a broad spectrum of operational banking needs, including crisis resolution.

He directly handled both personal and business loan requests for his clients, including lines of credit, commercial/ residential mortgage loans, standby letters of credit, and wealth management solutions. Fujioka splits his time between Los Angeles and Tennessee.

Following a national search, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center recently named Robert Laba its next chief financial officer.

Laba joins SVMC from Adirondack Health in Saranac Lake, N.Y., Laba where he served as chief financial officer and vice president of finance of the 95-bed, community hospital since 2018.

Laba holds an MBA with a concentration in health care administration from Columbia Southern University and a bachelor of science degree from Plattsburgh State University.

Laba’s career at Adirondack Health

19 began in 2012 when he joined the organization’s finance department. In 2017, he served as the assistant vice president of Finance. He progressed into chief financial officer/vice president of finance role where he achieved year‐over-year financial improvement; developed a five-year capital plan for facilities, information technology, and equipment; and worked on many strategic service line projects.

Laba and his wife of 21 years have a son, who is a freshman at the University of Vermont studying civil engineering.

The board of trustees of Lee Bank has elected four new corporators who have all accepted their roles.

Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Jeffrey R. Minkler, Baljit “Jesse” Singh and Marcela Urrea were all nominated by the board’s governance committee.

Gonzalez previously worked in the banking industry in Colombia. Since moving to the Berkshires he has been focused on empowering the Latinx community through resources for financial mobility and stability.

Minkler, a longtime resident of Stockbridge, is a co-owner of Arcadian Shop in Lenox. He enjoys spending time hiking, paddling and biking around the Berkshires.

Singh has years of business and entrepreneurial experience, which include the ownership of a car wash in Canaan, Conn., and the Sunoco and Car Wash in Great Barrington.

Urrea is a community health worker at Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires.

In her work she connects patients with necessary resources and strives to create more equitable community systems that empower patients to lead healthy lives.

Corporators are intended to represent a cross-section of Lee Bank’s depositors. They are responsible for electing the trustees and officers of Berkshire Financial Services, Lee Bank’s holding company.

They approve any changes in the bank’s bylaws or corporate structure, but they have no financial stake in the corporation. The board now has 43 corporators.

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