County Chapter of Administrative Professionals Sets Installation Ceremony

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The newly formed Berkshire County Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals is holding its installation ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at 6 p.m. at Zucchini's Restaurant.

The new chapter's 15 founding members elected the following officers in November 2008: President Beth Larrow of the Berkshire Economic Development Corp.; Vice President Pat Salvi of the Berkshire Taconic Foundation; Treasurer Tracy Bassette of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts; and Secretary Melissa James of MCLA.

Officers and members from the Greater New England Division of IAAP, the sponsoring Connecticut River Valley Chapter and the Springfield Chapter will also be in attendance to welcome the new members. The event is open to all area administrative professionals. For more information or to join the chapter, contact Larrow at blarrow@berkshireedc.com.

The IAAP is a not-for-profit association for office professionals with approximately 40,000 members and affiliates and nearly 600 chapters worldwide. Its mission is to enhance the success of career-minded administrative professionals by providing opportunities for growth through education, community building and leadership development. 
 
The association was founded in 1942 as the National Secretaries Association to provide a professional network and educational resources for secretarial staff. The association's name was changed in 1998 to the International Association of Administrative Professionals to encompass the large number of varied administrative job titles and recognize the advancing role of administrative support staff in business and government. 
 
IAAP's core values

Integrity: We demonstrate this cornerstone of our profession through honesty, accountability and high ethical standards. 

Respect: We create respect within our profession and association through listening, understanding and acknowledging member feedback.

Adaptability: We ensure the success of our association by embracing positive change and by nurturing diversity, creativity and visionary thinking.
 
Communication: We cultivate and maintain excellence by remaining approachable at all levels, communicating openly and building strong relationships.

Commitment: We are steadfast in our goals to develop learning opportunities for career-minded administrative professionals and to strengthen efficiency and effectiveness.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Multiple Departments Respond to Lanesborough Structure Fire

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Multiple fire departments responded to a structure fire off Narragansett Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. 

The Fire Department received a call from the owner of 6 Bangor St. reporting a smoke and flames at around 1:44 p.m.

Firefighters arriving on scene reported heavy smoke emanating from the the 1940s single-family ranch home in the thickly settle neighborhood.

The blaze was brought under control in less than an hour and there were no civilian or firefighter injuries. 

"The homeowner was outside doing some work, evidently, opened the door when she came back in the house, and there were flames and smoke, so she backed out and called us, and that's all we know right now," Deputy Fire Chief Glen Storie said around 2:35 p.m. 

The fire was out at that time, and first responders observed "quite a bit of damage" to the home. The cause is still under investigation. 

Lanesborough, Cheshire, and Pittsfield departments responded to the scene, and Hancock covered the station during the call. 

"The first crew in knocked the fire right down with the first engine," Storie said. 

Smoke could be seen coming from the back of the home. Part of Narragansett Avenue and Bangor Avenue were blocked off while firefighters battled the blaze. 

 

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