Longtime Leader of Berkshire United Way Joins Volunteers in Medicine Board

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Kristine Hazzard has joined the Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires as a member of the board of trustees.

Hazzard has 30 years of experience leading and managing health and human service organizations. Currently a principal consultant at Katalyst, she specializes in strategic planning, organizational development, executive coaching, community change processes and meeting facilitation. Prior to launching her own firm, Hazzard served as president and chief executive officer of Berkshire United Way from 2008 to 2019.

"Kristine's proven commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable members of our community, combined with her expertise in program development, fundraising, public relations, board development and coaching will be invaluable to VIM," said Arthur Peisner, VIM's chairman of the board. "VIM is needed now more than ever, and Kristine will be instrumental in helping ensure we grow strategically and sustainably."

Before Berkshire United Way, Hazzard spent 10 years as president and chief executive officer of The Center for Women and Families of Eastern Fairfield County, a nonprofit agency serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault as well as women returning to the community after incarceration. Prior to that, she was supervisor of school-based health centers for the city of Bridgeport, Conn.'s Department of Health. She began her career as site manager of Planned Parenthood of Connecticut's Stamford Clinic. 

Hazzard and her husband Larry, president of Berkshire Life Insurance Company and a former member of VIM's Board of Trustees, live in Hinsdale. Kristine received her bachelor's degree in social work from Albright College and a master's degree in social welfare administration from SUNY Albany.

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Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
 

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director. 

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said. 

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