Berkshire United Way Announces New Hires, Promotions

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire United Way has announced new hires and promotions that position the organization to expand its leadership role in the community and enhance fundraising efforts to create sustainable change in the community.  

Jennifer Kerwood has been hired as vice president of Development and Joey Esposito as coordinator of Marketing and Communications. In addition, the organization has promoted five: Nancy Stoll to vice president of Community Impact, Karen Vogel to Community Impact program manager, Jonah Sykes to Development manager, Erin Breen to Donor Database specialist and Valerie Schueckler to senior accountant.

Kerwood returns to Berkshire United Way after 15 years. She will oversee the development team that works to acquire and maintain the financial support that ensures Berkshire United Way can continue to lead the efforts for community improvement. Kerwood has a master of business administration from UMass Amherst and prior to her return to Berkshire United Way served as the director of Development and Alumni Relations at Berkshire Community College.

“We’re very excited about the new additions and growth happening at Berkshire United Way,” said Kristine Hazzard, President and CEO. “Jenn’s return is a welcome one. She’s proven herself as a leader in the community and we’re confident she’ll help diversify our funding and strengthen our impact in the Berkshires.”

Esposito will be managing Berkshire United Way’s contact with the press as well as coordinating its marketing initiatives across Berkshire County to raise awareness of the organization’s continued efforts to improve the quality of life for all in our community. Esposito is a writer and was a senior editor for the entertainment website IGN in Los Angeles, until returning home to the Berkshires and serving as trade show coordinator at Laurin Publishing.

“Joey comes to us with an eclectic background that we think will help offer a fresh pair of eyes to the way Berkshire United Way communicates with our constituents and is represented in the community,” Hazzard said.

As vice president of Community Impact, Stoll  is continuing her tenure at Berkshire United Way after serving as director of Community Impact for six years. In her new position, she will continue to oversee Berkshire United Way’s persistent efforts to improve early childhood literacy, positive youth development, and financial stability in Berkshire County. In addition, she will lead the implementation of new strategies to work with local businesses to address the financial challenges faced by their workforce.   



Stoll will be assisted by Vogel, currently in her third year with Berkshire United Way. Vogel most recently served as coordinator of Early Childhood, a function she will expand on with the hiring of a South County Liaison to lead the efforts of Chapter One: Our Towns, Our Kids, Our Future, an early literacy campaign being initiated with the communities served by the Lee, Lenox, Berkshire Hills, Southern Berkshire, and Farmington River School Districts.

Sykes has been with Berkshire United Way four years in a variety of roles, previously serving as executive assistant to the president and most recently as coordinator of Marketing and Communications. His new position as Development manager will find him supporting the development team in the planning and execution of more than 200 workplace campaigns, as well as working with the staff and board in connecting with donors, volunteers, and community advocates year round.

Breen has been a key asset to the development team for two years as a Resource Development assistant and will transition to the new role of Donor Database specialist where she will manage Berkshire United Way’s ever-growing list of businesses, donors, and volunteers that are essential to the organization’s success.

Schueckler began as finance associate with Berkshire United Way in November 2014 and will be taking on more responsibility as senior accountant, handling various financial duties, including grant reporting, to ensure the organization is compliant with the expectations of its expanding funding sources.  

      

 


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North Adams Regional Reopens With Ribbon-Cutting Celebration

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

BHS President and CEO Darlene Rodowicz welcomes the gathering to the celebration of the hospital's reopening 10 years to the day it closed. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The joyful celebration on Thursday at North Adams Regional Hospital was a far cry from the scene 10 years ago when protests and tears marked the facility's closing
 
Hospital officials, local leaders, medical staff, residents and elected officials gathered under a tent on the campus to mark the efforts over the past decade to restore NARH and cut the ribbon officially reopening the 136-year-old medical center. 
 
"This hospital under previous ownership closed its doors. It was a day that was full of tears, anger and fear in the Northern Berkshire community about where and how residents would be able to receive what should be a fundamental right for everyone — access to health care," said Darlene Rodowicz, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. 
 
"Today the historic opportunity to enhance the health and wellness of Northern Berkshire community is here. And we've been waiting for this moment for 10 years. It is the key to keeping in line with our strategic plan which is to increase access and support coordinated county wide system of care." 
 
Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, under the BHS umbrella, purchased the campus and affiliated systems when Northern Berkshire Healthcare declared bankruptcy and closed on March 28, 2014. NBH had been beset by falling admissions, reductions in Medicare and Medicaid payments, and investments that had gone sour leaving it more than $30 million in debt. 
 
BMC was able to reopen the ER as an emergency satellite facility and slowly restored and enhanced medical services including outpatient surgery, imaging, dialysis, pharmacy and physician services. 
 
But it would take a slight tweak in the U.S. Health and Human Services' regulations — thank to U.S. Rep. Richie Neal — to bring back inpatient beds and resurrect North Adams Regional Hospital 
 
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