Two Trustees Join Hancock Shaker Village Board of Directors

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Hancock Shaker Village has appointed two trustees to its board of directors.

Caroline Holland, managing director of Mill Town in Pittsfield, Mass., and William H. Vogt, retired managing director of JP Morgan Chase & Co., join 17 additional members of the board, chaired by Diane Eshleman.

"On behalf of the trustees and staff at Hancock Shaker Village, I want to express my enthusiasm and gratitude about our two new board members," Eshleman said. "We are thrilled to welcome Bill back to our family, as he served as a trustee and energetic board chair for the Village some years ago. Carrie’' experience, combined with her knowledge of the local community, brings valuable perspective and great creativity to our endeavors."

"We're growing, and a dynamic, well-rounded board is essential in helping achieve our goal of preserving the Shaker legacy and making it relevant for generations to come," Hancock Shaker Village Director Jennifer Trainer Thompson said. "I am personally delighted to welcome Bill and Carrie."

Holland leads operations, strategy, and project execution for Mill Town, an impact investment fund focused on the Berkshires. She has broad experience in finance, national security and risk management. Previously, she was strategy and business development manager for General Dynamics Mission Systems in Pittsfield. Holland also serves on the boards of Berkshire Natural Resources Council and Barrington Stage Company. She holds a master of arts in international conflict and security studies from the University of Oregon and a bachelor of arts from the University of Richmond.

Vogt, during a 30-year career at JP Morgan Chase & Co., held various management positions in corporate and municipal finance and private banking in New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Lagos and London. He is a director of both Camphill Village USA, a nonprofit community of adults with developmental disabilities in Copake, N.Y., and of Camphill Ghent, an elder community in Chatham, N.Y. Vogt is also a director of the Camphill Village Copake Foundation and serves on the town of Stockbridge's planning board. He previously served as a Hancock Shaker Village trustee from 2005-2010, serving as chairman from 2008-2010. He holds an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and served in the U.S. Army for four years.


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Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A few projects are not getting funded by the Community Preservation Committee because of a tight budget.

The projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle.

"It's a tough year," Chair Danielle Steinmann said.

The panel made its recommendations on Monday after several meetings of presentations from applications. They will advance to the City Council for final approval.  

Two cemetery projects were scored low by the committee and not funded: A $9,500 request from the city for fencing at the West Part Cemetery as outlined in a preservation plan created in 2021 and a $39,500 request from the St. Joseph Cemetery Commission for tombstone restorations.

"I feel personally that they could be pushed back a year," Elizabeth Herland said. "And I think they're both good projects but they don't have the urgency."

It was also decided that George B. Crane Memorial Center's $73,465 application for the creation of a recreational space would not be funded. Herland said the main reason she scored the project low was because it didn't appear to benefit the larger community as much as other projects do.

There was conversation about not funding The Christian Center's $34,100 request for heating system repairs but the committee ended up voting to give it $21,341 when monies were left over.

The total funding request was more than $1.6 million for FY24 and with a budget of $808,547, only about half could be funded. The panel allocated all of the available monies, breaking down into $107,206 for open space and recreation, $276,341 for historic preservation, and $425,000 for community housing.

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