Name: Ellen Kennedy
Place of Employment: Berkshire Community College
Title: President
What is your 3 sentence biography? / What is your personal elevator pitch?
I grew up in Lynn, Mass., as the oldest of five kids born in six years and found my way to North Adams State College, which set the course for my life. After graduating, I spent 20 years at North Adams State working first in Administration and Finance and then in Development and was heavily involved in the transition from NASC to MCLA. After spending a few years in public radio, and completing a master’s degree at Harvard’s Kennedy School, I was so pleased to find my way back to higher education at Berkshire Community College.
Tell us about a challenge you faced on your path, and what you learned from it.
I have come to appreciate the possibility that every setback has the potential of being an opportunity for something even better. Every job I did not get allowed me to be available for one that provided me the opportunity to grow and to contribute with more impact (that is what I tell myself, anyway). Along the way, I learned about humility, the dangers of hubris and the magnitude of human frailty. I appreciate opportunities for second, third and fourth chances. Failure can be a great teacher.
What “secret to success” would you share with young women entering the (Berkshire) workforce?
Be your authentic self. Take every opportunity to learn or experience something new. Sometimes life presents unexpected opportunities that might not feel like opportunities in the moment. I have grown professionally from every experience and position I’ve held. Pitch in wherever needed, anticipate the needs of the organization or individual you are working with and address them. See nothing as beneath you.
What Berkshire women in business inspire you and why?
So, so many…but…Kris Hazzard is a standout for me. Kris is authentic to the core. She is fearless and reads situations and people with a clarity and accuracy that is breathtaking. She leads a multi-million dollar non-profit organization and approaches.