image description — The board of trustees unanimously voted in favor of hiring Ellen Kennedy as the new president.

BCC Taps Ellen Kennedy As School's 7th President

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
06:44PM / Tuesday, May 22, 2012Print Story | Email Story

Ellen Kennedy, interim president, joined the BCC staff in 2008. She was not at Tuesday's trustee meeting.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Ellen Kennedy will take over as the new president of Berkshire Community College on July 1.

Kennedy, currently the interim president, was chosen by the college's board of trustees on Tuesday afternoon to replace Paul Raverta, who retired. Kennedy was the school's vice president of administration and finance and chief financial officer prior to being picked as interim president.

"I am 100 percent certain that Ellen Kennedy is the right choice for president of Berkshire Community College," trustees Vice Chairman Ross Dindio said.

Kennedy earned the vote after a search committee narrowed 38 applications down to three finalists — Kennedy; Stephen Budd, president of River Valley Community College in Claremont, N.H.; and Valerie Roberson, vice president of academic affairs at Joliet (Ill.) Junior College.

The board's recommendation of Kennedy will go before the Board of Higher Education for approval at its regularly scheduled meeting at Cape Cod Community College on June 19. Pending approval from the BHE, Kennedy will officially take the presidential post beginning July 1.

While the trustees spoke highly of the other finalists after interviewing them in May, Kennedy was chosen because of her understanding of the school, community and vision.

"She understands the mission of the college and she advocates for the students," Trustee Pamela Roberts said.

Kennedy has already made connections with government officials, the trustees, staff and students. The board members said they were more confident in her longevity and commitment to the school. Trustee Darlene Rodowicz said Kennedy can "hit the ground running" and the staff and community members have all spoken highly of her.

"I have a sense that people like to work for her," Trustee Paul Caccaviello said. "We can rely on her to have the best interests of the students in mind."

Trustees Michael Wynn and Al Ingegni listen to the other trustee's reasons behind endorsing Kennedy.

Chairwoman Susan Lombard said the only downside was that Kennedy does not have a doctorate degree. However, Kennedy will finish her graduate work shortly and erase that negative, Lombard said.

"She is the right person at the right time," Lombard said. "She sees not only the institution but the bigger community ... She definitely knows and is not afraid to make the decision to move this college forward."

Kennedy has a master of business administration from the University of Massachusetts, a master of public information from Harvard University and is completing her doctoral degree from Northeastern University.

She joined BCC in 2008 to oversee all of the business-related functions.

Tags: BCC, college administration, community college,

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Monument Mountain Sophomore Wins Congressional App Challenge

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
12:12PM / Saturday, January 17, 2026

Congressman Neal takes questions from students during his visit.

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Monument Mountain Regional High School sophomore Jonah Sanabria is the winner of this year's Congressional App Challenge for the 1st Massachusetts District.

His Health Advocate application acts as just that in your pocket, Sanabria said, helping resolve one of the biggest problems in health care — miscommunication.

"Every day, patients of all ages go to the doctor feeling stressed, confused, scared and uncertain, meaning they often forget what they wanted to say, and they leave without fully understanding what was said or the plan ahead," he said.

"It's not because doctors don't care; it's because the system is set up in a way that makes relaxed communications really hard. Appointments are abbreviated. Patients aren't always sure what they can ask physicians, and nerves often make them forgetful."

The challenge was authorized by Congress in 2015 to promote interest in science, technology, engineering and math. Each representative may host an official computer science competition in their districts. More than 85,000 high school students in all 50 states have since participated, with more than 18,000 in 2025.

Jonah beat out nine other submissions in the 1st Mass. His app will be featured on the challenge page and displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. In addition, he will have the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill in the spring at a celebration called #HouseOfCode, where winning teams from across the country hear from lawmakers, interact with sponsors and partners at the STEM Expo, and demonstrate their apps.

Before a scheduled doctor's appointment, the program asks the user about their symptoms, health issues, and health goals and organizes and prioritizes questions to ask during the doctor visit.

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