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State Sen. Paul Mark and state Sen. Robyn Kennedy of Worcester, holding gifts, visit Berkshire County Arc's programs earlier this month.

State Senators Tour Berkshire County Arc Programs

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — State Sen. Paul Mark and state Sen. Robyn Kennedy of Worcester, chair for the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, recently spent time visiting Berkshire County Arc's programs. Mark is also a member of the joint committee. 
 
During their visit, they spent time discussing short- and long-term plans for human services in Massachusetts.
 
BCArc offers a broad range of community-based services to individuals with developmental disabilities, brain injuries and autism.
 
In the photo above, from left: Pam Kight, director of employment and community-based day services; Cybele Kilby, vice president of day & employment services; state Sen. Paul Mark; state Sen. Robyn Kennedy; President & CEO Maryann Hyatt; Erin Manson, Department of Developmental Services residential services director; CFO Blanca Durant; Jessica Russo, director of family support & advocacy; and Scott Barschdorf, director of brain injury services.
 
 

Tags: bcarc,   paul mark,   state officials,   

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Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires Honors Leaders, Volunteers

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Liana Toscanini presented the Founder's Choice Award to Smitty Pignatelli for his years of support as state representative. 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires held its ninth annual nonprofit awards last week honoring the contributions of those who have helped the community in their own way.
 
The gathering at the Country Club in Pittsfield on Tuesday included the introduction of new nonprofit Executive Director Samantha Anderson, who steps in for retiring founder and director Liana Toscanini. State Reps. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, John Barrett III and Leigh Davis attended the event.
 
Toscanini, who created NPC in 2016, was honored at the conclusion of the evening to mark her decade leading the organization. 
 
"Founders don't just lead organizations, they are the organization in the deepest sense," said NPC Board President Emily Schiavoni. "Their relationships, their instincts, their fingerprints are on everything, and when someone has poured a decade of herself into building something from the ground up, the act of stepping back is not a simple handoff, it's an act of extraordinary trust and courage that brings me to what Leanna actually built." 
 
NPC became something of a chamber of commerce for nonprofits under Toscanini's guidance, creating a hub of support for leadership and networking for the small and large nonprofits that fuel much of the activity within the Berkshires. 
 
She developed more than two dozen programs, including Get on Board, which helps connect community members with nonprofit boards, and a giving-back guide, volunteer fairs, and a resource directory.
 
Schiavoni described Toscanini as a great mentor who has had a big impact in strengthening local nonprofits.
 
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