Berkshire Benchmarks Releases State of the County Update

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Benchmarks data team recently released a State of the County Update for 2023. 
 
This brief report builds on the Berkshire Benchmarks State of the County Report published in May 2022 and highlights notable changes in regional indicators over the past year. The berkshirebenchmarks.org website has also been updated to reflect the most current available data. 
 
The purpose of the Benchmarks initiative and report is to highlight the region's successes and challenges.
 
The 2022 Berkshire Benchmarks State of the County report provided a comprehensive overview of our region's performance across eight sectors: Economy, Education, Environment, Government, Health, Housing, Social Environment, and Transportation.  
 
In the future, the Berkshire Benchmarks team will continue to monitor these and other indicators to aid with the regional understanding of changes in these sectors and whether the work happening throughout the region is having the intended impact. 
 
Berkshire Benchmarks is a collaborative initiative managed through Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC). Our sources are publicly available data, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the American Community Survey, various Massachusetts data sets, and periodic surveys of Berkshire County residents. 
 
Berkshire Benchmarks aims to work with the community to understand priorities and help inform the region on how we are doing and if we are improving. Berkshire Benchmarks enhances the region's access to quality data and analysis. 

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BCC's New President Gets Higher Ed Board OK

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education on Tuesday formally voted to approve the appointment of Hara Charlier as Berkshire Community College's next president.
 
The vote follows the recent unanimous recommendation by the BCC Board of Trustees and marks the final step in the college's presidential search process. Charlier will officially assume the role on July 1, 2026.
 
She is currently president of Central Lakes College in Minnesota and was selected following a comprehensive national search process guided by campus and community input.
 
Charlier replaces Ellen Kennedy, who will retire after 14 years as president of college at the end of the academic year.
 
With state approval now secured, BCC looks forward to welcoming Charlier as its next leader and continuing its commitment to student success, workforce development, and service to the Berkshires, according to a statement from the college. 
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