New Vice President Joins MountainOne Bank Commercial Lending Team

NORTH ADAMS, Mass mdash; Steven Munger has been named to the position of vice president of commercial lending for MountainOne's Berkshire County markets.

"Steve is well-versed in all aspects of commercial lending and sales development, in addition to having a solid knowledge of the Berkshire market. He is a great addition to our team, and we look forward to continued growth of our western Massachusetts loan portfolio," said Tim Rhuda, senior vice president of commercial lending for MountainOne Bank

As vice president, Munger is responsible for management of an existing commercial loan portfolio, business development and adherence to established commercial lending policies. Prior to joining MountainOne Bank, Munger served for nearly 30 years in roles of increasing responsibility in commercial lending, business banking and cash management services positions in Berkshire County. He is also experienced with SBA (Small Business Administration) lending.

Munger attended Berkshire Community College, as well as the American Institute of Banking, the Boston College School of Banking, and the Omega Commercial Lending program. He is very active in the local community, and has served on boards or volunteered with Berkshire County Head Start, the former Berkshire and Northern Berkshire Chambers of Commerce (now 1Berkshire), the Northern Berkshire YMCA, Louison House, Adams Thunderfest, Berkshire United Way, and Wahconah Country Club.

Munger lives in Adams with his wife, Tracy, and their daughter.

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.