BCC Hires New Faculty and Staff, Reorganizes Staff Positions

Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College has hired new faculty and staff on campus – as well as new titles for other current staff.

Maryann Carnes has been hired as an assistant professor of nursing. Carnes recently retired from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, where she worked as the risk manager and subsequently as the diabetes educator and the program manager of care coordination and telehealth. She also has previously worked as an adjunct nursing instructor at BCC and has an associate degree in nursing from BCC, a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Elms College, and a master of science degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix.  

Sarah Polo has been hired as an associate professor of nursing, and she currently works as an IV therapist at Berkshire Medical Center. Polo lives in Pittsfield and has two associate degrees from BCC in theater and nursing, a bachelor in education degree from SUNY Albany, and a master in science degree in nursing leadership from Walden University.

Amanda Osgood has been hired as the assistant professor of nursing. Previously, she worked at Berkshire Medical Center for the past 18 years in a variety of nursing roles. She also works for Berkshire Health Systems as an instructor for the Certified Nursing Assistant Program. Osgood lives in Pittsfield and has her associate degree in nursing degree from BCC and her bachelor of science in nursing degree from University of Phoenix.

Karen Hines has been hired as an associate professor of business. She previously worked at Holyoke Community College. Hines lives in Lee and has her bachelor in science degree from Albright College in Reading, Pa., where she majored in marketing with a minor in communications, and she has her master in business administration degree from American International College. In addition to teaching, Hines speaks at national conferences about the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) that are freely accessible, openly licensed text, media, and other digital assets that are useful for teaching, learning, and assessing as well as for research purposes.


Andy Ottoson has been hired as the new administrative assistant to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at BCC. He previously worked for NADAP, which is asocial services agency contracted by NYC's Human Resources Administration to connect public assistant applicants and recipients to treatment services for substance use disorders and as a freelance director/producer/stage manager in theater and opera. He lives in Pittsfield and has a bachelor of arts degree in theater from Webster University in St. Louis.

Joshua Costa has been hired as the Institutional Security Officer III at the college. Previously, he worked as the college's facilities/evening crew leader. He is a graduate of the New Hampshire Part-Time Police Academy class and the New Hampshire Campus Safety Academy class. Costa is also a certified mental health worker issued by New Hampshire State Hospital. He is currently working on completing his associate’s degree in criminal justice at Eastern Gateway Community College.

Alicia Starsja, a recent BCC graduate, earning her associate's degree in social work, has accepted the position of program assistant for TRIO at the college. Starsja brings three years of TRIO experience and a national certification as a domestic violence and sexual assault counselor. She is studying to earn her bachelor's degree in social work at the Elms College.

Heidi Bailey, who was an administrative assistant in the Human Resources office, has moved to become an administrative assistant in the Student Financial Services office at the College.

Deborah Carderella, who was an administrative assistant in the Humanities division, has moved to become an administrative assistant in the Student Engagement Center.

 


Tags: BCC,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Officials: Unlimited Trash Not Sustainable, Toters Offer Cost-Savings

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Unlimited trash pickup is not sustainable and will lead to higher taxes, city officials say.

Mayor Peter Marchetti began public outreach on Monday on the proposed five-year contract with Casella Waste Management for solid waste and recyclables. Older residents packed into the Ralph J. Froio Senior Center for the first of three community meetings.

On the table is a move to automated pickup utilizing 48-gallon toters, which would be at no cost to residents unless they require additional toters and would save the city $80,000 per year.

The goal is to execute a contract by July 1, the start of the fiscal year.

"Trash collection is not free. You're already paying for it as part of your taxes that you pay. In this administration, in this proposal there is no 'I'm looking to create a trash tax,''' Marchetti said, explaining that trash pickup for fiscal year 2025 is around $5.1 million and has doubled since he first served on the council in 2002.

"So we need to find a way to stem the cost of trash."

Some of the seniors praised the new plan while others had concerns, asking questions like "What is going to happen to the trash cans we have now?" "What if I live in rural Pittsfield and have a long driveway?" and "What happens if my toter is stolen?"

"I've lived in a lot of other places and know this is a big innovation that is taking place over the last 20,30 years," one resident said. "It's worked in most places. It's much better than throwing bags of garbage on the side of the road."

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories