Miss Hall's School Appoints Director of Advancement

11:57AM / Friday, January 26, 2018Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Miss Hall's School has announced that Merritt Colaizzi of Williamstown has joined the school as its new director of advancement.

In her new role, Colaizzi will manage all aspects of the Miss Hall's Development Office, with responsibilities for the school's campaign, major gifts and planned giving programs, annual fund, and alumnae and parent engagement. She will also work closely with the MHS Board of Trustees and campaign volunteer leadership, and will serve as a vital member of the school's Leadership Team, reporting to Head of School Julia Heaton.

"I am very pleased to welcome Merritt to the Miss Hall's School community," Heaton said. "Merritt's experience as a fundraising professional, her natural leadership skills, and her background as a graduate of an all-girls' school make her an outstanding addition to Miss Hall's. Her talents working with individual donors, driving annual giving, and spearheading a comprehensive capital campaign add to the strength of the talented MHS Development team as we work boldly to advance the School’s ambitious goals."

With Colaizzi joining Miss Hall's, director of development and Alumnae Relations Diane Wortis will continue in that role, focusing her considerable expertise on major gift fundraising. Wortis, who joined MHS in 2008 and will report to Colaizzi, will continue to work with MHS donors in support of the school's strategic design and increasing alumnae engagement.

Colaizzi most recently served as director of development at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown. During her tenure at the Clark, she also held the positions of campaign director and director of major gifts. Previously, Colaizzi held leadership positions at SmartBrief, a Washington, D.C.-based media company, and Streetmail, a digital media company based in North Adams. Additionally, she played critical roles in the Williams College Program in Leadership Studies and in Trinity College's Cultural Programs in Italy. Herself the graduate of an all-girl, K-12 education at The Ellis School, in Pittsburgh, Colaizzi earned a B.A. in Art History from Trinity College and an M.A. from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.

She will join MHS on Feb. 1.

Tags: miss hall's school,

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

RIBCO Supply

Check out our great lineup of Boss Plows, and spreaders. 2 Locations Clarksburg & Pittsfield!

ribcosupply.com

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

View Full Story