NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The board of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition has named Adam Hinds as executive director of the coalition beginning Sept. 1.

 

Hinds brings a diverse background in community organizing, political campaigns and community dialogue in international settings to NBCC's mission of community support and action in northern Berkshire County.

 

He comes from the directorship of Pittsfield Community Connection. There he focused on positive development for high-risk youth and their families. At the core of the program is creating a circle of support around targeted youth that includes a team of outreach workers and community mentors and tangible supports to the caregivers of participating youth.

 

"I want to thank everyone for their on-going support of nbCC, especially during this time of transition," Courtney Shapiro-Van Dusen, board president, said. "The board of directors, together with the staff, is thrilled about the talents, energy and local and international knowledge that Adam brings to the coalition and we look forward to a new, exciting chapter in carrying out our important work."

 

He replaces longtime director and founder Alan Bashevkin, who resigned after 29 years to pursue new opportunities.

 

Hinds, a Western Massachusetts native, spent nearly 10 years with the United Nations with a focus on dialogue and community conflict mitigation in the Middle East. This included roles of negotiating over disputed internal boundaries in Iraq, conducting a mediation over power-sharing in an Iraqi Provincial Council, participating in UN efforts to promote dialogue between Israel and Palestine, and moving forward a political process in Syria.

 

"I am excited because I feel my background and current work match NBCC priorities related to community dialogue and problem solving, building strong neighborhoods, and youth-focused prevention programs," Hinds said. "As executive director, I will prioritize elevating neighborhood level connections in support of youth development and strong families.

 

"I am proud that we have gotten Pittsfield Community Connection to the point where it is making a real difference in the lives of youth, and I look forward to remaining centrally involved. In fact it provides a great model for important community work that could benefit most parts of the county," he said. "I am excited to be in the northern Berkshires."

 

Heading Pittsfield's Charles E. Shannon Grant, Hinds launched a massive mentoring and outreach program to combat youth violence. Mayor Daniel Bianchi said the program has made a tremendous impact. He does not expect Hinds' departure will be detrimental to the program.

 

"We have a good program and I expect it will crank along really unobstructed," Bianchi said. "It is a loss but he's staying in the county, which is a good thing."

 

Dr. Scott Murray will take over an interim basis once Hinds leaves in September. Murray is currently the director of mentoring with Pittsfield Community Connection. Hinds will remain centrally involved in the work of Pittsfield Community Connection as chair of its Steering Committee.

 

"I will obviously stay right in the middle of addressing vulnerable youth in Pittsfield. It is still my passion," Hinds said. "I'm happy to be able to stay involved in Pittsfield."

 

Both Hinds and the mayor said the change allows officials to take a countywide look at the issues. Hinds said he hopes to bring a lot of the aspects from Pittsfield Community Connection north.

 

"There is a lot of overlap with the current work I am doing," Hinds said.

 

He said the NBCC position provides a broader spectrum of issues but is still based on connecting resources with the people who need them. Hinds said the coalition is a "central player" in bringing the community together to solve problems.

 

"I'm motivated by tackling these big issues facing communities," he said. 

 

Bianchi said Hinds will be a good fit in his new role.

 

"While I am disappointed to see Adam go, I also recognize that he is a tremendous asset to our entire community of Berkshire County," he said. "In his new role, Adam can now act as a unifying link in the county as it relates to confronting some of the big challenges that require a collaborative approach.

 

"With Adam in North County, I envision Pittsfield expanding the Shannon Grant beyond the lines of our city. Creating solutions for youth violence in one part of Berkshire County while ignoring it in another is not a reasoned approach to solving the problem," he said. "Adam will connect Central and North County to create a strong, long lasting framework to enhance success for all of our young residents. I am confident that he will do an excellent job as executive director of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition and I look forward to working with him in his new role."

 

He said he will start looking for a replacement in the coming weeks. The mayor says he'll be changing the position from a contracted one to a city staff position dependent on the grant funding. 

 

"He's been terrific for the program. We are delighted with the work Adam has done," Bianchi said.

 

The executive search was led by the Executive Transitions Program of Third Sector New England, which offers comprehensive consultation services, including an organizational assessment, professional recruitment services, and post hire support.