CHP Welcomes New CEO

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Community Health Programs Inc. (CHP) has named Bethany Kieley as its new chief executive officer.  
 
She joined the countywide healthcare network effective July 17.
 
Kieley was most recently chief operations officer at Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center, a federally qualified health center serving 55,000 patients in greater New Haven, Conn.
 
At CHP Berkshires, she will oversee a $30 million budget and approximately 240 employees. The network's primary care, dental care, OB/GYN care and extensive family support services care for more than 30,000 Berkshire region residents, including patients in Vermont, Connecticut and New York.
 
Previously, Kieley worked for nearly 12 years with ProHealth Physicians, a large medical practice network in Connecticut. At ProHealth, she advanced through the ranks from her first role as a regional manager to the position of vice president in practice operations, programs and services.
 
Kieley also worked as chief operating officer for Women's Care Florida, and in her earlier career held operational roles at medical practices in New Hampshire and Western Massachusetts.
 
"Bethany brings an impressive leadership background to CHP, along with a true passion for the work of federally qualified health centers like ours, which provide health care for all," said Brian Drake, president of the CHP board. "She will be a strong asset to CHP, Berkshires, and to the wider Berkshire community as we move forward."
 
Kieley earned her master's degree in business administration from Plymouth State University and completed a healthcare executive leadership program at Stanford University. She earned her bachelor's degree in music and business from DePaul University. 
 
Prior to relocating to the Berkshires, she was an active volunteer tutor and board member for Literacy Volunteers of Southern Connecticut.

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Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
 

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director. 

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said. 

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