Berkshire Museum Welcomes New Trustees

08:00AM / Saturday, October 22, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Trustees of Berkshire Museum held their Annual Meeting on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022 - the first fully in-person board meeting since early 2020 – at which they elected officers and appointed three new Trustees.

Ethan Kelpetar will continue as President for one more year. Jeffrey Belair will serve a full two-year term as Vice President, as will Rachel Melendez Mabee as Secretary, and Brian Tremblay as Treasurer.

Judith Bookbinder, James Greenfield, and Charles Walker were all duly elected to serve full terms on the Berkshire Museum's Board of Trustees.

"This is an exciting time at the Museum. We are thrilled to have Kim Bush Tomio as our new Executive Director, and we are working on the plans for a significant renovation of the first floor. It is the perfect time to welcome these new highly qualified and experienced people to our Board. We are so grateful for their commitment and to all Trustees, past and present, who have given so much to the Museum over the years," said Ethan Klepetar.

About the new Trustees:

Judith Bookbinder joins the Berkshire Museum Board of Trustees after being the Vice President of Creative Communications at The Hearst Corporation for 27 years. Judith retired from her position at Hearst in December 2021 and is currently working as a special projects consultant. Judith has established a deep connection to the Berkshire Museum through her grandchildren, having attended several birthday parties and many family events at the Museum. Judith and her husband, Larry Fischer, have resided in both New York City and the Berkshires since 1988. They now spend most of their time in their home in Lenox. Judith currently serves on the boards of the ANA Education Foundation (AEF) in New York, NY, and the Pine Cobble School in Williamstown.

James Greenfield has served on the Investment Subcommittee of the Berkshire Museum for the past two years. He brings with him 36 years of investment experience in serving wealthy families and endowments as an investment portfolio manager. Jim and his wife Marla have a connection to the Berkshires of over 40 years.

Charles Walker joins the Berkshire Museum Board of Trustees having recently retired from Disney/ABC News based in New York, NY where he served in multiple senior management roles including Director of Broadcast Engineering & Operations, Operations Producer, and Technical Production Manager. After retirement in 2021, Chuck decided to make Pittsfield and the Berkshires his permanent year-round home. For years prior to moving here, he would often visit the Berkshire Museum to learn more about the people, history, culture, and community of the Berkshires.

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MassDOT, CSX Agree on Improvements to Support Berkshire Flyer, Passenger Rail

Staff Reports iBerkshires
06:01AM / Thursday, October 08, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The state Department of Transportation and CSX have reached an agreement for local infrastructure improvements that will be a "major step" to making the Berkshire Flyer a permanent seasonal service.

Gov. Maura Healey's administration said the improvements will also help toward the years-long project of expanding passenger rail in Western Massachusetts.

"People in Western Massachusetts have been clear that they want better rail connections, and we're delivering," Healey said in a statement released on Thursday. "This agreement puts the Berkshire Flyer on a path toward permanent seasonal service and invests in the infrastructure we need to keep expanding West-East passenger rail service between Boston and Albany. Combined with new federal funding for modern trains, we're giving people more choices, supporting local businesses and better connecting Western Massachusetts to opportunities across the Northeast."

Mayor Peter Marchetti said the Berkshire Flyer is an important asset to the city and that he was grateful for the investment to make it permanent.

The Berkshire Flyer was established in 2022, connecting the Berkshires directly to New York City for the first time in a half-century. The Amtrak service was based on the seasonal Cape Cod Flyer with the goal to increase tourism opportunities. The 2026 season expanded service with an additional round-trip, including new opportunities for Berkshire County residents to travel to New York City.

The administration also announced that new federal funding awarded to Amtrak for additional modern trainsets will support Compass Rail services, including the Berkshire Flyer and the future Inland Route between Boston, Springfield and New Haven.

Under the new agreement with CSX, MassDOT will fund construction of a siding and other track improvements in the Pittsfield area to increase rail capacity and reduce conflicts between passenger and freight operations. MassDOT will also explore the feasibility of a new platform at the Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center.

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