Big Y Appoints Sheffield Woman as New Marketing Leader

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Big Y Foods has appointed Sarah Steven of Sheffield as senior director of marketing. 

In this new capacity, Steven will oversee all aspects of marketing across the company’s brands of Big Y World Class Markets, Big Y Express Gas and Convenience, Fresh Acres specialty market and Table & Vine wines and spirits. As such, she will lead the marketing team to further develop the brand's digital initiatives, including programming to support the launch of e-commerce. Her work on the brand will ensure that Big Y continues to grow its customer base within existing markets as it expands to new regions in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

"I am excited to dig in with the talented team at Big Y, to bring new concepts and ideas to the table, and to enrich the beloved Big Y brand with initiatives that will ensure its position as a leader in the competitive supermarket industry," Steven said.

Like her predecessor, John Schnepp who has retired, she reports to Guy McFarlane, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Throughout Steven's marketing career, she has worked to support and develop global brands distributed through a variety of channels – supermarkets, department stores, boutiques and spas, as well as online through e-commerce. She started her career with Pepperidge Farm as an assistant marketing manager in 1998 working on their flagship Goldfish brand. She later moved to Godiva Chocolatier, where she led the global re-launch of core product lines and was promoted to the position of business director, marketing, partnering with in-house stakeholders to drive promotions, develop advertising campaigns and media strategy. 

In 2008, Steven joined Iredale Mineral Cosmetics in 2010 as director, brand advocacy to focus on building brand awareness and brand equity for the growing company. She was promoted to vice president of marketing in 2012 and expanded her team to support growth initiatives and distribution expansion opportunities, as well as innovative digital-first initiatives including a Loyalty Program, eLearning curriculum, innovative social media and digital advertising strategies.

Steven holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from Duke University-Fuqua School of Business in Durham, N.C. She has received industry awards for her leadership such as the Campbell Soup Company CEO Extraordinary Performance, Godiva Chocolatier Proud Performance Awards as well as Godiva North America’s President’s Award. 

Steven lives in Sheffield, Mass., with her two children.


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North Adams Man Indicted on Murder, Arson Charges

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Darius Hazard was arraigned in Berkshire Superior Court on Thursday on two counts of first-degree murder related to deaths of his parents last November. 
 
Hazard, 44, pleaded not guilty to the charges and to a third charge of arson of a dwelling house.
 
He is being held without bail at the Berkshire County House of Correction, where he has been housed since Nov. 25. 
 
Hazard is accused of assaulting his parents, Donald Hazard, 83, and Venture Hazard, 76, on Nov. 24, 2025, and setting fire to the family on Francis Street. 
 
The bodies of his parents were discovered in the home by firefighters. 
 
North Adams Police said Hazard allegedly confessed to the assaults and the arson when he was taken into custody that day.
 
Hazard was initially arraigned in Northern Berkshire District Court on Nov. 26 and was to appear for a pretrial hearing on March 3. That hearing was postponed but he was indicted March 23 on the felony charges and his case removed to Berkshire Superior Court. 
 
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