image description — Sarah Eustis and Nancy Garton

Community Bancorp of the Berkshires Elects New Corporators

04:17PM / Friday, May 13, 2022Print Story | Email Story

Marnie Clough, Erica Samson Girgenti, and Pamela Green

ADAMS, Mass. — Community Bancorp of the Berkshires, MHC, the newly formed parent company of Adams Community Bank, held its annual meeting on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at Charles H. McCann Technical School in North Adams.

The following individuals were elected corporators of Community Bancorp of the Berkshires, MHC: Marnie Clough of Adams; Erica Samson Girgenti of Adams; Pamela Green of Pittsfield; and Sarah Eustis of Great Barrington.

Board chair Steve Pagnotta welcomed the newly elected corporators.

"These four individuals are all generous contributors to our surrounding communities and bring a unique background and skillset to the position, which will play an indispensable role in guiding and managing our banking activities," he said.

Marnie Clough is a partner at Donovan O'Connor & Dodig, LLP, a law firm in North Adams focusing on providing the highest quality legal solutions to individuals in need of answers. Ms. Clough has also served on the Massachusetts Bar Association, Boston Bar Association, American Bar Association, Berkshire Bar Association, Bart Development Committee, Bart Board of Trustees, and the Northern Berkshire YMCA Board of Directors. Clough holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Psychology from the State University of New York Albany and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.

Erica Samson Girgenti is the Executive Director of Sugar Hill Assisted Living Community, a local destination for fine retirement living, assisted living, and memory care. Ms. Girgenti's community service includes Executive Director of the

Adams Council on Aging, the Massachusetts COA Advisory Board, Adams Housing Authority Board, Elder Services Advisory Board, Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, and Age-Friendly Berkshires. Girgenti holds a B.A. in social work from

Salem State College and a master's degree in Human Services, Gerontology from Capella University.

Pamela Green is a Partner at Smith Green &a Holmes, LLP, a law firm built on expertise, experience, collaboration, and recommendations by satisfied clients. Along with her work as an attorney, she has served on the board of directors of

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Pittsfield Economic Development Authority, the Hancock Shaker Village Audit committee, and was named director of the Estate Planning Council of Berkshire County. Ms. Green's education includes a bachelor's and master's degree in World Politics from The Catholic University of America and a J.D. from Western New England College School of Law.

Sarah Eustis is the CEO of Main Street Hospitality, built on three generations of hospitality leadership and creating places that enable people to connect in meaningful ways. When she's not running the family operation, she serves on the board of directors of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Indian Mountain School Board of Trustees, and the Advisory Board of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Eustis holds a B.A. in Fine Art/Art History and Fine/Studio Arts from Smith College.

During the meeting, board chair Pagnotta also expressed his appreciation for longtime Trustee Nancy Garton, whose term expired.

"It's been a privilege to have Nancy on our Board of Trustees for the last 20 years," said Pagnotta. "Not only is she an upstanding member of our community, but she has helped shape our growth and success as a leading community bank in Berkshire County."

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State, Local Leaders Celebrate Funding Boost For Ashuwillticook Rail Trail Extension

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:39PM / Thursday, September 10, 2026

ADAMS, Mass. — State officials and local leaders kicked up their kickstands and took a ride along the final stretch of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail on Thursday to celebrate new investments in rural communities.

Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office (FFIO) Director Quentin Palfrey joined local leaders, including State Rep. John Barrett III and Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) Executive Director Laura Brennan, in Adams to highlight the newest round of FFIO funding. The grant will provide BRPC with $64,700 in state funds to help advance the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail expansion.

"When Governor Healey came into office, one of her big day-one commitments was to make sure that Massachusetts was fighting for every dollar possible coming out of Washington," Palfrey said, speaking about FFIO, a program created in 2023 to help the state aggressively pursue and coordinate federal funding opportunities.

This builds on a $17.3 million federal award secured last year for the project, dubbed the A2A project, which supports the design of a 9.3-mile shared-use path connecting the existing Ashuwillticook Rail Trail to the Williamstown Mohican Path.

"One of the things that she emphasized to me when we set up the Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office was that we need to make sure that these resources not only come into Massachusetts, but benefit all of Massachusetts," Palfrey added.

The additional $64,700 will allow BRPC to gather information about transportation needs in northern Berkshire County to help inform the design of the trail expansion. BRPC will partner with Williams College and Luminary Evaluation, LLC to use the University of Michigan's Transportation Security Index (TSI).

Brennan said BRPC will deploy a 16-question survey that will allow them "to research local and regional perspectives and surface the needs of our neighbors when it comes to transportation in the Berkshires."

"The best-case scenario would be if the survey turned up results that all needs are met and that everyone has access to the places and the things that they need to travel to – but we know that is not true," Brennan said. "We know that folks in Berkshire struggle to get to their place of employment, to be able to access important medical appointments, [and] other engagements. So, the transportation security index is going to help us really hone in on those specific needs, identify pockets of needs or areas where there is a strong concentration or depth of need."

She said FFIO's investment offers a "wonderful augmentation" to BRPC's current plans for the bike trail extension. It's also an investment that will make the region more competitive for other transportation opportunities.

"This is an incredibly multifaceted and valuable investment, and we deeply appreciate it," she said.

Barrett said these investments drive growth in the Berkshires.

"I've always found that if you're going to grow an area, you grow with what you have here to grow. You don't bring something in. We have a natural beauty. We have an environment that's second to none, and that's what we are going to grow on," he said.

Barrett said that in the First Berkshire District alone, 4,000 new people moved to the area.

"We're seeing that migration here. They're going to have activities. They're going to have jobs, and we're going to have a great educational system that goes with it with our two colleges that are here," he said.

Palfrey said it was clear during the initial creation of FFIO that federal funding often went to wealthier and more urban communities with larger planning departments and greater access to consultants. He added that FFIO helps reverse this trend and get projects in rural communities off the ground.

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