Williamstown Chamber Hosts Talk With Community Leaders

Adam Falk, left, Timothy Jones and Thomas Leavitt share a laugh at the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce breakfast on Tuesday.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Three leaders of Northern Berkshire tentpoles — education, health care and finance — participated in a wide-ranging discussion about their institutions, their challenges and their roles in the community on Tuesday morning.

The well-attended breakfast hosted by the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce at the Orchards featured the panel discussion with Williams College President Adam Falk, Northern Berkshire Healthcare President Timothy Jones and MountainOne Financial Partners President Thomas Leavitt. Chamber Executive Director Jennifer Civello was moderator, and took some questions from the audience.

While their institutions had very different challenges at times, the three men all agreed that an element of collaboration was important within the community.

"I often say Williams can't be successful if Williamstown and this whole region aren't flourishing," said Falk. "It's probably true this whole region won't flourish if Williams doesn't play an important role.  

He saw the college as a way to attract "really great people" into the area, such as Williams alum who return after "other experiences," to help offset the county's declining population.

Leavitt described the demographics as a barbell — a lean middle as high school graduates scatter for other opportunities. The difficulty lies in attracting people from outside the area but the key may be in North Berkshires' other college, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

MCLA attracts a large core from Massachusetts and the Northeast who may be more persuaded to relocate, he said. "So when you talk about keeping young people, there's an opportunity in North Adams."

With the development of life sciences, "Northern Berkshires are fertile territory for young minds," said Leavitt, referencing the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's most recent economic development report. "The good news is I think the county's leveled off; there's no more decline, it's only going up from here."

Recruiting primary-care physicians and nurses will be important as health-care services change, said Jones. The county's population of around 130,000 isn't enough to keep North Adams Regional Hospital healthy, or the other hospitals here either, so there's a need to grow here or attract from outside.

"The threats are pretty clear in health care today," he said, referring to the Affordable Care Act and changes to Medicare payments. "Health care is local, we need it to be local, but we have to have strength in numbers to survive.

"We have to make it really visible how attractive life is here," he said, adding that the college can play a role in that. Williams should be more "porous" to the people, one example being a game attended by 1,000 during spring break. "I think the college's main role is to make it appealing for people to live here."

Included in the appeal was ensuring workers could afford housing, educate their children, have access to health care and financial services, and find cultural and recreational activities to enrich their lives.

But the suggestion of more than doubling the college's enrollment to 5,000 to spark growth was rejected. "No, I think it would change the character of the place," said Falk, adding that it would also require a massive infrastucture.

Leavitt said recruiting wasn't as much an issue for him because the financial entity has been able to find a talented work force right here for its banking and insurance arms. "You put all of those in one room and it's a powerhouse," he said. Still, it needed people to take advantage of its services.

Williams alum also have been instrumental in the success of the banking institution's 121 years in supporting it and serving on its boards, Leavitt said. "We're interwoven with the community of Williamstown and Williams College."

Some of their collaborations have been straightforward — Williams, for example, is aiding NARH in finding applications for greater sustainability — while others are more on general issues, such as the well-being of the community through supporting local agencies and activities.

"I think collaboration will be the new direction for health care," said Jones. Leavitt said his organization was "open to building paths of progress with the hospital. ...  We believe in fitness, we believe in wellness."  

Falk said the college was aware of the needs of the community and has supported the town's schools and Youth Center. "We at Williams plan to be at the table and helping where it is appropriate."

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