Berkshire Taconic Elects Virginia Stanton Smith of Pittsfield as Board Chair
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Attorney Virginia Stanton Smith of Pittsfield, MA, was elected the new chair of the board of directors of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation on April 2, 2009. Berkshire Taconic is the community foundation for Berkshire County, MA, Columbia and Northeast Dutchess Counties, NY, and Northwest Litchfield County, CT.Smith has been a board member of the foundation for three years. “I have admired the work of Berkshire Taconic for over 10 years and it’s a great honor for me to take this leadership role,” Smith said, “My colleagues on the board and I look forward to helping address the many challenges that the current economic difficulties have brought to our communities.”
Virginia Smith is a partner with the law firm Grinnell Smith, LLP based in Pittsfield and Williamstown, MA. She has been practicing law in the Berkshires since 1984, specializing in estate planning, estate administration, and real estate law. She is a member of the steering committee of the Berkshire County Estate Planning Council and is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, as well as the Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts. She has lectured and written about various aspects of estate planning and has served on the boards of Hancock Shaker Village and the Berkshire Fund and on an advisory council for Elder Services of Berkshire County. She is married to Craig Smith and they live with their three daughters in Pittsfield.
Smith is one of six board members from Berkshire County: J. Williar “Bill” Dunlaevy of Lenox; Edward Hoe of Richmond; Charles O’Brien of Williamstown; Anthony Sheldon of Sheffield and John Stookey of Sheffield.
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents of Berkshire County, MA; Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY; and northwest Litchfield County, CT. Thanks to its generous donors, in 2008 Berkshire Taconic distributed nearly $9 million in scholarships and grants for programs in the arts and education, health and human services, and environmental protection. Berkshire Taconic is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.
