Berkshire Workforce Board Presents FY25 Workforce Impact Awards

Staff Reports 07:39AM / Wednesday, June 25, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — MassHire's Berkshire Workforce Board recapped successes of FY25 and honored workforce professionals

The Board of Directors of the MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board (BWB) highlighted its FY25 successes and presented their FY25 Annual Workforce Awards on June 5.

The BWB recognized the following individuals for their tireless commitment toward enhancing the region's skilled workforce:

Community Health Programs, Inc./CHP Berkshires – Employer of the Year - Celebrating 50 years of serving Berkshire County residents, CHP Berkshires provides medical, dental and nutrition services throughout the region and is essential in supporting the region's health. CHP has been actively engaged in career readiness programs, and is a new partner in MassHire's Healthcare Hubs grant, CHP embraced the pay-to-train model and is aiming to onboard 15 certified medical assistant through this three-year training grant.
Heather Boyko & Chris D'Aniello – Educators of the Year. Heather has transformed Monument's internship model to allow all seniors to participate and has worked to engage a wide array of businesses in South County in providing these vital work-based-learning experiences. She has also instituted a portfolio project that allows students to document and showcase all of the knowledge and skills gained through their internship – and she does all of this while dually serving as a Math teacher. Chris has served as the driving force to enhance Monument's Automotive Technology CTE Pathway and has always been at the table for many years working to elevate career readiness and career-technical skill development as a priority for all students.
McCann Technical & Taconic High School – Workforce Professionals of the Year. McCann & Taconic implemented the first Career Technical Initiative (CTI) training grant for adults to address the persistent demand for skilled labor in Berkshire County. Partnering with MassHire, CTI programs develop talent pipelines to meet the skill needs of businesses in high-demand occupations. Partnering with MassHire, McCann & Taconic implemented adult training in advanced manufacturing, welding, and auto technician.

In FY25, the BWB provided more than 40 career awareness, exploration and immersion experiences to 2,800 youth in grades 6-12. Career Teams continued in all 11 school districts, two additional Innovation Pathways were established, and 350 internships were hosted in the region's critical industry sectors.

Together with its regional partners and the MassHire Berkshire Career Center, BWB worked with 800 Berkshire County businesses in supporting their workforce needs, ignited the CTI initiative, provided 14 on-the-job training opportunities for the manufacturing sector, and implemented fifteen healthcare training programs for 142 individuals embarking on a career in the Healthcare sector. Additional programs, services and accomplishments can be found at www.masshireberkshire.com.

Mayor Marchetti reappointed the following individuals to the Board & Youth Council for 2-year terms:

Deni Evans, Dept. of Transitional Assistance
Paul Gage, Adult Learning Center
Tammy Gage, Pittsfield Public Schools
Doug McNally, Frost Hollow Associates
David Moresi, Moresi & Associates
Brian Morrison, Central Berkshire Labor Council
Beth Petropulos, MountainOne
Eva Sheridan, CHP Berkshire

Youth Council

Bryan House, 18 Degrees
Kathy Yon, Pittsfield Public Schools liaison
Doug McNally, Frost Hollow Associates
Rebecca Lilley, Bliss Crumbs and Coffee

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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