MountainOne President Leaving for Vermont Institution

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The president of MountainOne is returning to Vermont.

Northfield Savings Bank on Monday announced that Thomas S. Leavitt would become the company's 14th president and chief executive in a notice posted on Vermont Business. He was on the senior management team of Vermont's Merchants Bank for 16 years.

"Northfield Savings Bank is one of New England's premier mutual banking companies. Its long commitment to the well-being of the Green Mountain State is tops," Leavitt said in a statement. "I look forward to coming home to serve the interests of our customers and communities."

The 150-year-old Northfield, a $750 million mutual institution, has 13 branches throughout Central Vermont and Chittenden County.

Leavitt has been CEO and president of MountainOne Bank and Financial Partners for two years. MountainOne Chairman Daniel Bosley said Leavitt will be leaving the company Sept. 25.



"On behalf of the MountainOne board and corporators, I wish to thank Tom for his service to our company and communities in the Berkshires and Eastern Massachusetts. He has worked hard with our management team and board to unify our structure and lead a coherent strategy of growth," Bosley said in a statement. "We will miss his leadership, but feel we have a strong organization to carry our many exciting initiatives forward."

Bosley described Leavitt's departure as "a rare and unexpected opportunity to lead another quality institution" in the Green Mountain State.

He led the advancement of MountainOne Bank along with its insurance and investment divisions Coakley, Pierpan, Dolan & Collins, True North Insurance and True North Financial, said Bosley.

Leavitt said it was a privilege to work with MountainOne and was grateful for the board's "steadfast dedication to the very best practices of governance." He said he would be cheering the banking institution along from his new post in Vermont.

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Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A few projects are not getting funded by the Community Preservation Committee because of a tight budget.

The projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle.

"It's a tough year," Chair Danielle Steinmann said.

The panel made its recommendations on Monday after several meetings of presentations from applications. They will advance to the City Council for final approval.  

Two cemetery projects were scored low by the committee and not funded: A $9,500 request from the city for fencing at the West Part Cemetery as outlined in a preservation plan created in 2021 and a $39,500 request from the St. Joseph Cemetery Commission for tombstone restorations.

"I feel personally that they could be pushed back a year," Elizabeth Herland said. "And I think they're both good projects but they don't have the urgency."

It was also decided that George B. Crane Memorial Center's $73,465 application for the creation of a recreational space would not be funded. Herland said the main reason she scored the project low was because it didn't appear to benefit the larger community as much as other projects do.

There was conversation about not funding The Christian Center's $34,100 request for heating system repairs but the committee ended up voting to give it $21,341 when monies were left over.

The total funding request was more than $1.6 million for FY24 and with a budget of $808,547, only about half could be funded. The panel allocated all of the available monies, breaking down into $107,206 for open space and recreation, $276,341 for historic preservation, and $425,000 for community housing.

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