The Berkshire Leadership Program aims to bring together community-minded individuals from diverse backgrounds who are committed to addressing challenges and improving the quality of life in the Berkshires. This 10-week program gives participants an opportunity to learn about the opportunities and challenges the Berkshires face in a wide variety of topics, ranging from education to healthcare, and an economic development bus tour to community engagement.
Each class is tasked with using the consensus building and leadership skills that they’ve learned to brainstorm, select, develop and deliver a full team project at Commencement. This project should be based on either an economic development need, a critical community need, or an immediate need.
The Class of 2019 did not disappoint with their class project. This class chose to implement the Berkshire Gives: One Day, One County supplies drive on Saturday, May 18. Using the skills that they acquired during their weekend-long retreat at Jiminy Peak, the class decided on six organizations to benefit from their drive. The beneficiaries were Community Health Programs, The Christian Center, Soldier On, Elizabeth Freeman Center, Louison House, and Volunteers in Medicine. The class chose these organizations because they serve diverse needs and populations throughout The Berkshires. Each of these organizations partnered with the class to create a list of needed items and welcomed donations.
The Berkshire Gives: One Day, One County supplies drive was held throughout Berkshire County with drop off locations at The Dollar General stores in North Adams, Lanesborough, Cheshire, and Sheffield, The Adams Community Market in Adams, BJ’s Wholesale Club in Pittsfield, H&S Auto in Pittsfield and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Great Barrington. In total, the class raised $11,000 worth of supplies for organizations in Berkshire County. Way to go BLP team!
We are so proud of all that this class has accomplished, please help us congratulate the Berkshire Leadership Program Class of 2019!
- Melissa Agosto, Austen Riggs Center
- Haider Ali, General Dynamics
- Kerry Bartini, Berkshire Design, Inc.
- Rebecca Brien, Hilton Garden Inn Lenox Pittsfield
- Toni Buckley, Berkshire Community College
- Kalee Carmel, Bay State Elevator Company
- Amanda Carpenter, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
- Samantha Cesario, Berkshire Athenaeum
- Patrick “PJ” Danahey, R3SET Enterprises
- Ryan Eckert, General Dynamics Mission Systems
- Allison Egan, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission
- Candice Farrell, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
- Jena Furforo, General Dynamics Mission Systems
- Cecilia Hirsch, Williams College
- Kris Keane, City of Pittsfield
- Cybele Kilby, Berkshire County Arc
- Amber LaFogg, Youth Center, Inc.
- Sopheap Nhim, Positive Behavior Support Corp.
- Kathie Penna, Mill Town Capital
- Rebecca Sawyer, North Adams Public Schools
- Annamaria Sebastino, Western Mass Training Consortium
– The Support Network - Dan Shandor, Security Plumbing & Heating Company
- Elizabeth Shaw, 1Berkshire
- Somwang Shepherd, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
- Kaitlyn Shook, Iredale Cosmetics
- Robert “Bear” Sitzer, General Dynamics Mission Systems
- Emily Stanford, Greylock Federal Credit Union
- Liana Toscanini, Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires
- Elizabeth Tully, Cohen Kinne Valicenti & Cook, LLP
- Rebecca Weinman, Main Street Hospitality
