MCLA Honors Higher Education Advocate

By Jen Thomas05:05PM / Friday, October 12, 2007Print Story | Email Story

Sheila Keator, joined by Mary K. Grant and Edward Adelman, receives a ceremonial shovel on Friday.

NORTH ADAMS - The cold drizzly weather didn't stop nearly 25 people from gathering at the Flagg Townhouse Complex on the Massachusetts of Liberal Arts campus today to honor Sheila N. Keator, a former member of the board of the Massachusetts State College Building Authority. Standing under tents and umbrellas, college officials - including President Mary K. Grant, Dean of Students Charlotte Degen and Dean of Academic Affairs Monica Joslin - gathered around a newly-planted linden tree accompanied by a plaque bearing Keator's name. "To MCLA, Sheila is more than a board member. She is a friend," said Grant. The littleleaf linden, which will grow to be approximately 40 feet tall, was planted beside the Residential Programs and Services office on Wednesday. MSCBA Executive Director Edward Adelman said the tree and Keator shared some striking common characteristics. "The linden tree grows deep roots in fertile soil and Sheila was always able to plant deep roots and help the state colleges grow," said Adelman. "Students from all nine state colleges benefited from her work, in more ways than they know." A longtime resident of Lenox, Keator worked on the MSCBA board for 11 years and "guided the authority's issuance of more than $500 million in bonds to finance new and renovated residence halls and student activity centers at the state colleges," according to information provided by MCLA. Keator retired in 2006 after serving as the treasurer and vice chairman of the board. "Sheila Keator nurtured and watched over our nine state colleges the same way she nurtured her own large family - with thoughtful advice, care and passion for improvement of quality of life. Her sage perspective made us think strategically about alternatives, whether it pertained to issuing a bond financing or building a new residence hall," said Tamara Davis, the chairwoman of MSCBA. "She has left a permanent impression which will always be remembered." A lover of the Berkshires and Western Massachusetts in general, Keator has a particular affinity for MCLA and she has worked tirelessly to promote it as an affordable public college with a private school atmosphere. "I am always amazed by the incredible leadership she has shown and the vision she has that it can be better. It's never been about one piece of the campus; it's about the quality of education for our students," said Grant. MSCBA Vice Chairman James Morris said his greatest joy in working for the Building Authority was sitting next to Keator, who made the work exciting. "If you planted a forest, it wouldn't be enough," Morris said.

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Winter Storm Warning Issued for Berkshires

11:52AM / Friday, December 26, 2025

Another snowstorm is expected to move through the region overnight on Friday, bringing 5 to 8 inches of snow. This is updated from Thursday's winter weather advisory.

The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has posted a winter storm warning for all of Berkshire County and parts of eastern New York State beginning Friday at 4 p.m. through Saturday at 1 p.m.

The region could see heavy to moderate snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour overnight, tapering off Saturday morning to flurries.

Drivers should exercise caution on Friday night and Saturday morning, as travel conditions may be hazardous.

Saturday night should be clear and calm, but warming temperatures means freezing rain Sunday night and rain through Monday with highs in the 40s. The forecast isn't much better through the week as temperatures dip back into the teens with New Year's Eve looking cloudy and frigid.

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