Berkshire County boasts many women in key leadership positions, starting with elected officials in our Legislative delegation, State Representative Gailanne Cariddi, representing the 1st Berkshire District and Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier, representing the 3rd Berkshire District. Both women were elected in 2011 and have fought tirelessly to better our county and increase our visibility in Eastern Massachusetts. Last year, the City of Pittsfield elected Linda Tyer as Mayor for the first four-year term in its history. We applaud these women’s dedication to serving our region!
At the local level, our Women in Business Month would be sorely incomplete if we didn’t draw attention to some of the great female community leaders in our area. From Chamber of Commerce executive directors to town managers, the Berkshires has many women helping to pave the way toward our future. Every part of our county is filled with women who work to help make the Berkshires a better place to live, work, and visit.
In the north, the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce is lead by Emily Watts who has made an immediate impact. There is also Suzy Helme, North Adams’ Director of Community Events who has helped foster an atmosphere of creativity and fun in the city. Just south, in Adams is Erin Mucci, the Treasurer and a founding member of ProAdams, a not-for-profit organization that works to promote the natural beauty and splendor of Adams.
In central Berkshires, Pittsfield is home to many amazing women including Jennifer Glockner from the Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development and Kristine Hurley of Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. who are working together to increase citizen engagement in the city.
The southern Berkshires is graced with three Chamber executives in Betsy Andrus of the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, Barbara Zanetti of the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce and Colleen Henry who heads the Lee Chamber of Commerce. They are dedicated not only to their individual areas but to spreading the word about the Berkshires as a region.
On a local government level, Jennifer Tabakin has been the Town Manager in Great Barrington since 2013 and has done an extraordinary job of leading and representing her constituents during some challenging times.
These women are just a few of the extraordinary people that help make our county such a great place to live. Take a moment to thank them for all they do!
