Letter: Sweeney for North Adams City Council

To the Editor:

I feel a sense of obligation and duty to bring a unique voice to the City Council chambers. I represent a younger demographic, which my work throughout North Adams and the surrounding towns has led me to connect and work with closely. I aim to connect those voices to our local government, as well as serve, and advocate for all residents who share my passion for North Adams.

Upon relocating here to attend MCLA in 2007, I immediately felt a calling to dive deeply into the community and embrace the incredible sense of growth that has been emerging here. I've been proud to contribute to this growth in the 12 years I've lived here. My path started with the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition (NBCC) where I organized UNITY Youth Programs and the Northern Berkshire Neighbors program. This work inspired me to found Roots Teen Center, where I served as executive director for close to three years. Recently my focus has been on furthering the growth of Common Folk Artist Collective, a project I've been working on since 2011. The collective provides a platform for local and emerging artists to grow and thrive in their creative work. I have also found myself a seat on the board of NBCC as my passion for the organization has not fizzled.

As a City Council member, I will focus my energy on supporting grassroots initiatives, community impact models, youth, and creative community development. I will also support downtown development and exploring opportunities for grassroots economic development.

Jessica Sweeney
North Adams, Mass.

North Adams Updated on Schools, Council President Honored With 'Distinction'

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
12:31PM / Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Superintendent Timothy Callahan gives a presentation on the school system at Tuesday's City Council meeting. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council got an update on what's up in the school system and its president was inducted into the mayor's Women's Leadership Hall of Fame.

 

Mayor Jennifer Macksey, as the city's first woman mayor, established the Hall of Fame in 2022, during March, Women's History Month, to recognize local women who have had a positive impact on the city. Past inductees have included the council's first woman president Fran Buckley, Gov. Jane Swift and boxing pioneer Gail Grandchamp. 

 

She described President Ashley Shade as a colleague and a friend and a former student. 

 

"Ashley is known not just for her leadership, but for her compassion, her ability to listen, to understand and to stand up for those whose voices are often gone unheard," the mayor said. "She has been a tireless advocate for the LGBTQ plus community and marginalized communities at both the local and national level here in North Adams."

 

Elected in 2021, Shade is the first openly transgender person to hold the role of council president in Massachusetts. She also leads the first-ever woman majority council in the city's history. 

 

The McCann Technical School graduate also has served on boards and commissions, "always working to make our city more inclusive, equitable and welcoming," said the mayor. "Ashley not leads not only with strength, but with a heart, and our community is a much stronger place because of it."

 

Shade, wearing her signature pink suit, was presented with a plaque from the mayor designating her a "woman of distinction."