BArT Announces New Chair of Board of Trustees

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Dianne Cutillo

ADAMS, Mass. — Trustees of the BART Charter Public School elected a new board chair and treasurer, Dianne M. Cutillo and Jennifer Kerwood, and a new trustee, Maura Delaney, at the board's June meeting.

Officers re-elected were Christopher Perkins, vice chair, and Geraldine Shen, secretary. In addition to electing Delaney to a first term of two years, the board approved a third three-year term for Perkins and a second three-year term for Cindy Brown, Cutillo and Kerwood.

"It is a privilege to serve BArT as a Trustee," Cutillo said. "The school's work makes such a difference for area students by helping them achieve academic success and prepare for college through a rigorous program that supports students in graduation requirements that include earning a passing grade in a college course on a college campus and being accepted to college."

Cutillo, proprietor of Cutillo Communications, previously served on the BArT Board, from 2006 to 2014, including several years as chair. Before establishing her consulting business in 2015, Cutillo served as a marketing and public affairs executive or manager at Cooley Dickinson and North Adams Regional hospitals and Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. Previously, she was a journalist at The Berkshire Eagle and editor and publicist for Storey Books. She is a resident of Adams and succeeds Charles Swabey as chair; he remains a BArT trustee.

"The role of trustee for BArT is one fundamentally important to the Sshool," stated Jay White, BART's executive director. "While having fiduciary and ultimate oversight of the school's operations, trustees work closely with the executive director to ensure that the education and welfare of the students is paramount. Chair Cutillo, along with all other trustees, has a deep abiding love for and dedication to BArT and its students."


Jennifer Kerwood is vice president for development for the Berkshire United Way and previously served as director of development and alumni relations at Berkshire Community College. Kerwood, a parent of students at BArT, serves on other boards and committees in the community and lives in Pittsfield.  She succeeds Fred Puddester, who will continue to be a BArT trustee.

Perkins, who was re-elected vice chair and as a trustee, is retired from the position of technical systems lead at General Dynamics Advanced Information System. He has more than 28 years of experience in the engineering field and is the parent of a BArT alum and two current BArT students. He resides in Pittsfield.

Shen is executive director for Sand Springs Recreational Center and was previously senior development officer for Williams College and director of curriculum at Better Chinese in Palo Alto, California.  She serves on the board of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition and lives in Williamstown.

Newly elected trustee Maura Delaney previously served as a community volunteer on the BArT Board of Trustees' Charter and Accountability Committee, which oversees the school's faithfulness to its charter and compliance with the accountability plan the school has with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Delaney is interim vice president for Academic Affairs at Berkshire Community College and previously served as associate professor of English, English Department chair and Liberal Arts Program adviser at BCC. She is a resident of Pittsfield.

Reappointed Trustee Cindy Brown, who lives in Pittsfield, is vice president of Academic Affairs at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and has more than 20 years of experience in educational leadership at MCLA, Lesley University and Tacoma Community College.


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Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
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