BRPC's Public Health Program Announces Recent Hires

11:48AM / Thursday, April 25, 2024Print Story | Email Story

Matthew Bryan, Monasia Ceasar, Daniel Hassett, Sophie Carnes Jannen and Nikki Lewis

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) announced the expansion of its Public Health Program through the recent hiring of staff members Matthew Bryan, Monasia Ceasar, Daniel Hassett, Sophie Carnes Jannen, Nikki Lewis, and Jazu Stine.

The BRPC Public Health Program supports Berkshire County and its municipalities in areas including emergency preparedness and response, substance use prevention and harm reduction, community health planning and education, climate resilience, and infectious and chronic disease prevention.

BRPC also provides public health inspectional services and public health nursing to municipalities through the Berkshire Public Health Alliance, applied local public health training through the Berkshire-Hampden Training Hub, and supports the local boards of health through Berkshire County Boards of Health Association (BCBOHA).

Matthew Bryan

Matthew Bryan has joined BRPC as a senior planner in the Public Health Program. He holds a BS in Behavioral Neuroscience, a BA in German, and recently acquired a master's in public health, with a concentration in Rural Health. With previous experience in infectious disease field epidemiology, toxic hazards epidemiology, and state-wide Public Health Emergency Response planning, Matthew now manages BRPC's Emergency Preparedness and Healthy Aging projects and will manage the Berkshire and Franklin County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) starting in FY 25.

Monasia Ceasar

Monasia Ceasar works as a public health trainer for the Berkshire-Hampden Training Hub hosted by BRPC. In this role, Monasia facilitates training efforts for Hampden County communities in accordance with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's workforce standards. She holds a bachelor's degree in environmental science and a master's degree in public health from the University of Bridgeport and is a Registered Sanitarian (RS).

Daniel Hassett

Daniel Hassett is the Public Health Housing Specialist within the Berkshire Public Health Alliance. Thanks to a state Public Health Excellence (PHE) grant, Hassett is available to Berkshire Public Health Alliance member municipalities for assistance in conducting environmental health inspections and enforcing the housing code and local regulations. He also helps to administer the Berkshire Country Board of Health Association septic installer certification program and assists with the Berkshire-Hampden Training Hub. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology with a chemistry minor from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and is currently pursuing his designation as a Registered Sanitarian.

Sophie Carnes Jannen

Sophie Carnes Jannen is a public health nurse educator at BRPC. She holds bachelor's degrees in psychology and nursing and a master's degree in nursing. As a nurse, Sophie has worked in community health, with experience in mobile health and harm reduction. She has also taught health and nursing classes at the college level. In her current position, Sophie will assist in county-wide health promotion through local education and wellness programs.

Nikki Lewis

Nikki Lewis has been hired as a senior planner at BRPC. Lewis holds a bachelor's degree in health science and a Master of Public Health degree in biostatistics and epidemiology. For the past five years, she's worked with community coalitions on substance use initiatives, including in her previous role as the Community Data Manager for the HEALing Communities Study in Pittsfield and North Adams. In her current role, Lewis co-manages substance use initiatives, including grants focused on youth substance use prevention and overdose prevention and cofacilitates the Berkshire Overdose Addiction Prevention Collaborative (BOAPC).

Jazu Stine

Jazu Stine recently joined BRPC as a Public Health Food Specialist, Inspector, and ServSafe instructor. In addition to providing health inspections to Berkshire Public Health Alliance member municipalities, Jazu will concentrate on food safety training with the Berkshire-Hampden Training Hub. With 15+ years in the restaurant and food service/retail industry, he brings a wide range of food handling experience. He previously owned a small, regionally sourced, whole-animal butcher shop that was USDA-inspected and State Certified for restaurant wholesale. He has spent most of his life educating, from home building to studio arts. As a food specialist, he has taught topics including knife skills, cooking techniques, charcuterie production, and whole animal processing, always prioritizing safety and the pursuit of knowledge.

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Fourth Shooting Occurs Day After DA Announces Gun Violence Task Force

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:20PM / Tuesday, August 18, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The day after Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue announced a task force to take on a spate of gun violence in the city, a another person was injured after shots were fired on Circular Avenue early Tuesday evening.

Pittsfield Police responded to a 5:30 p.m. ShotSpotter activation at 45 Circular Ave.on Tuesday night. Five rounds were shot, and there was one victim, police said.

"We're investigating it. We don't know if it's connected to anything else," Detective Lt. John Mazzeo said. "What's going on? We can't speculate. It's way too early for that, and the house was struck."

He could not speak to the identity or condition of the victim; a press release shortly afterward stated the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Berkshire Medical Center by private vehicle.

By around 7 p.m. when iBerkshires was on site, the area near the intersection of Circular Avenue and Division Street was blocked off with tape.

This is the fourth gun violence incident in Pittsfield since mid-June.

On Sunday evening, three people were taken to the hospital after a shooting near the intersection of Linden Street and Francis Avenue. This is the third gun violence incident in Pittsfield since mid-June.

The investigation into all three incidents is still active, and police are confident that they are targeted acts of violence.

"Right now, our community is rightfully extremely concerned and troubled," Shugrue said in a statement released on Monday.

"There are many unanswered questions surrounding these incidents of violence. There is an understandable feeling of frustration and fear that no one has been arrested and limited questions have been answered."

The task force will be led by First Assistant District Attorney Marianne Shelvey, who formerly served at the U.S. Department of Justice's Violent Crimes and Racketeering Section. It will support the Pittsfield Police Department's work and provide additional resources, including additional personnel and overtime funding through grants awarded to the Berkshire DA to support the investigation.

Members of the Pittsfield Police, the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit assigned to the District Attorney's Office, and the Berkshire County Law Enforcement Task Force will be present.

On June 18, a person died after being shot in the area of Tyler Street and Pleasure Avenue, and another person was injured. Following an extensive investigation, PPD applied for and was granted an arrest warrant for Terry Martizna, wanted for murder.

On Aug. 4, there was a report of approximately 25 rounds fired around the intersection of Onota and Walnut Street, leading to two non-life-threatening injuries.

This past weekend, on Aug. 16, there was a third incident of gun violence in the area of Francis Avenue and Linden Street, and three individuals suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The DA said all three incidents shattered a feeling of safety in the city.

"At this point, we also know that the incidents of violence involve both adults and juveniles. The investigation into all three incidents remains active," the DA wrote.

"While it is unclear if the incidents are connected, based on the investigations to date, law enforcement are confident that the incidents are targeted and NOT random."

Mayor Peter Marchetti on Monday assured the community that the city is diligently working with law enforcement officials to identify those responsible, as "these acts of violence are not acceptable in this community, and I remain committed to holding those responsible accountable."

Marchetti, in a written statement posted to social media, said he is in regular communication with the police chief and DA as they continue investigations. He is thankful for the formation of the specialized task force and additional resources.

"As Mayor, I am committed to providing updates to the public regarding public safety matters, when appropriate. I share your frustration about the limited information released but I will not compromise the integrity of any investigation. As these investigations continue, the public should know that the DA’s Office and Pittsfield Police Department are using every available resource they have to bring the cases to a successful conclusion," he wrote.

"However, we cannot do this work alone. I continue to ask anyone who may have witnessed any of the incidents or who has information, photographs, or video that could assist investigators to contact the Pittsfield Police Department."

He emphasized that all individuals need to be held accountable, and said he cannot jeopardize the case by providing information before it is appropriate.

Pittsfield has seen gun violence incidents uptick during the summer in the past decade. In 2021, from May 12 through mid-June, there were 13 shootings in Pittsfield, most of which happened in the city's West Side.

The DA said this violence, while carried out by people, is amplified by access to guns and ammunition. Anyone with information of someone with an illegal firearm or any information regarding these incidents is asked to contact Pittsfield Police, 413-448-9700, or provide an anonymous tip by texting PITTIP and your message to TIP411 (847411).