The Berkshire Leadership Program (BLP) has been preparing leaders in the Berkshires since 1997. BLP seeks, prepares, involves, and sustains leaders from diverse backgrounds who are committed to addressing community challenges and improving the quality of life in the Berkshires. BLP is a program of 1Berkshire, planned by a Steering Committee of 14 volunteers and supported by individuals and businesses in the community who donate their time for our sessions. The Steering Committee carefully reviews each application for the program and selects a wide variety of leaders in Berkshire County.
Kicking off with a two-day retreat at Jiminy Peak this April, 28 individuals began a journey that focused on their leadership styles and working within a team. Following the retreat, the class spent a day on an economic development bus tour highlighting stops “off the beaten path” while discussing several areas of opportunities and challenges throughout the County; stops along the bus tour included a behind the scenes tour at Shakespeare & Company, a tour of the Stationery Factory, the Greylock Glen construction site, the walking trails behind TOURISTS, and Ioka Farm.
The weekly sessions focused on the industry clusters highlighted in the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0 – Advanced Manufacturing, Creative Economy, Education, Food & Agriculture, Healthcare, Hospitality & Tourism, and Housing. The committee was appreciative of the many speakers who gave of their time to participate in the sessions and the locations who hosted the group – Holiday Brook Farm, Hillcrest Academy, Berkshire Museum, Wheatleigh, Interprint, Community Health Programs (CHP), and the Town of Adams.
On June 29, at The Williams Inn in Williamstown, the Class of 2023 heard from BLP Class of 2010 Alum Tom Bernard of the Berkshire United Way about how to get involved in their community and information about board service and the opportunities that exist to serve on a board or committee. The Class of 2023 also presented their project as part of the Commencement ceremony.
Throughout the program, the class worked together on a project of their choosing. After much discussion and deliberation, the class chose to focus on Berkshire Gems as defined by the Class of 2023 and highlighted on an interactive, multimedia map to showcase Berkshire County as a magical place to live, work, and visit. This map features clickable links that reveal brief video, written, audio and/or multimedia testimonials about why that curated person, place, product, or space is such a gem.
1Berkshire and the BLP Steering Committee is proud to announce and celebrate the Class of 2023!
BLP Class of 2023
Al Bingham, EncourageYoga.com
Daniel Blaisdell, MountainOne Insurance Agency
Liam Castellan, Shakespeare & Company
Nicholas Darrow, Greylock Federal Credit Union
Alex Dion, General Dynamics Mission Systems
Lucy Hamann, 1Berkshire
Serena Johnson, The Love of T Foundation
Madeline Kelly, Berkshire Athenaeum
Alejandra Lima, Berkshire Housing Development Corp.
Christina Marcello, Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort
Dave Merhar, General Dynamics Mission Systems
Tami Minck, Berkshire Family & Individual Resources
Ryan Molloy, General Dynamics Mission Systems
Diandra Mongeon, Mativ (Neenah)
Michael O’Brien, Berkshire Fairfield Insurance Agency
Shane Ortega, MountainOne Insurance Agency
Geraldine Pinzón, Modern Mold and Tool
Abby Powers, General Dynamics Mission Systems
Bailey Prescott, The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank
Néstor Riva, Austen Riggs Center
Erin Seagrave, Berkshire Community College
Christine Seibert, Williams College: Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives
Daniel Shearer, Pittsfield Municipal Airport
Bryan Stowell, General Dynamics Mission Systems
Austin Thompson, General Dynamics Mission Systems
Gretchen Weber, Berkshire United Way
Emily Wojtkowski, Miraval Berkshires
Taylor Woodward, Berkshire Community College
Applications for the Class of 2024 will be made available late October/early November. For more information about the program please visit 1Berkshire’s website: https://1berkshire.com/programs/berkshire-leadership-program/.