Berkshire Community College Hires, Promotes Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College has announced a number of changes in personnel at the college.

Toni Buckley has accepted the role of director of Alumni Relations. Previously, Buckley coordinated the Roads Scholar program for the college this summer, and for much of last year she worked with faculty on a Mass Humanities grant. She oversaw the Berkshire Immigrants Stories that encouraged immigrants to share their experiences of coming to this country. Buckley is also serving on the Human Rights Commission in Pittsfield and the Four Freedoms Coalition. She has a master's equivalent degree from the University for Applied Sciences in Dortmund, Germany, in communication design. Toni owns a photography business and teaches a photography course at the college as well.

Shela Hidalgo has accepted the director of Development role. Hidalgo was the community engagement officer with Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and has extensive nonprofit experience and currently serves on the Boards of Hillcrest Education Center, the Junior League of Berkshire County and is active with Berkshire Business and Professional Women. She graduated summa cum laude from both Mesa Community College and Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University. She is in the final year of a master in public administration from Northeastern University.  

Melissa Loiodice has accepted the position of the special assistant to the president and will serve as the Title IX Liaison and will work with on diversity and inclusion in our recruitment efforts and with professional development programming.  Loiodice, a practicing attorney, has worked on Title IX issues, and served as a panel attorney at the UMass Amherst Student Legal Services Office.  She has spent a year as the director of Operations with Pittsfield Community Connection, a grant funded effort to address gang violence in the city. She graduated with her bachelor's degree from UMass Amherst, and was a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society and the ALANAI Honor Society.  She earned her Master's degree In Social Work from Springfield College and her Juris Doctorate from Western New England University of Law, both with honors.

Cara Borelli has joined the college as the graphic designer. Borelli, who previously worked at the Williams College Museum of Art as a communications and design coordinator, will be responsible for overseeing all creative direction of the College’s branding elements. Borelli is a graduate of the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of fine arts in communication design, and is currently studying at UMASS Amherst as she pursues a professional certificate in arts management. She lives in Troy, N.Y., and is the chapter leader of Ladies, Wine & Design Albany–a community group that meets monthly to foster creativity and community amongst women with the goal of achieving more equity and female empowerment in the creative fields.

Jay Miller has accepted the graphic design and marketing specialist position. Miller, who previously worked as the graphic designer for the Moscow Ballet, graduated from Mesa Community College in Arizona and then received his bachelor's degree in fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design. He was a senior graphic designer for Feld Entertainment, working with clients like Disney and Marvel, and has directed large scale projects, including designing and running the American Cancer Association's Big Top Gala, which brought in more than $250,000 in donations. He currently lives in Adams, Mass.

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