BCC Announces New Staff

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Erica Barreto, Kathy Baugh, and Lauren Gregory.
PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces the addition of four staff members.   
 
Erica Barreto
joins BCC as Coordinator of Student Diversity Programs and Belonging. Born to first-generation immigrant parents from Brazil and Portugal, Barreto grew up in the Hudson Valley, New York, before moving to the Berkshires. In 2019, she returned to her alma mater, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, to coordinate the MCLA Institute for the Arts and Humanities (IAH). In 2022, Barreto was awarded the BCC 40 Under 40 Award to commemorate her work with IAH. She is the vice president of the board of directors for WAM Theatre. In her free time, she likes dancing at live music festivals, making collage art with girlfriends, reading with her lap cat Apollo and cooking for her loved ones.  
 
Kathy Baugh
joins BCC as Program Coordinator of the STEM Starter Academy, helping to recruit new students and prepare them to start at BCC. Baugh brings over 30 of experience in non-profit management, including 16 years in youth development through the Student Conservation Association (SCA), where she became National Director of program.  In her spare time, Baugh is an editor for the Becket Beat (a small monthly newspaper). She also serves on the MA Recreational Trails Advisory Board and as a judge for MA Envirothon. Baugh lives in Becket with her wife, two cats and a dog. In her leisure time, she enjoys hiking, x-country skiing, kayaking and gardening. 
 
Amy Emerson-Inhelder
joins BCC's Jonathan Edwards Library as Library Assistant III-Circulation Manager. Native to Berkshire County, Emerson-Inhelder comes to BCC after almost 10 years as library director of small local library. Previously, she was an elementary school teacher at Cheshire Elementary School after earning a B.S. in Elementary Education at North Adams State College. In her free time, she enjoys baking for friends and loved ones. 
 
Lauren Gregory
joins BCC as an Accountant II in the Business Office. A native of Pittsfield, she attended BCC before graduating and transferring to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in 2020. She graduated MCLA in December 2021 with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration (accounting concentration). Gregory brings six years of accounting experience, most of it working as a bookkeeper at David J. Tierney, Jr., Inc. She also worked as a staff accountant at a Brazee and Huban, CPAs, where she prepared taxes.  

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New Camp Is Safe Place for Children Suffering Loss to Addiction

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Last year's Happy Campers courtesy of Max Tabakin.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new camp is offering a safe place for children who have lost a parent or guardian to addiction. 
 
Director Gayle Saks founded the nonprofit "Camp Happy Place" last year. The first camp was held in June with 14 children.
 
Saks is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor who works at the Brien Center. One of her final projects when studying was how to involve youth, and a camp came to mind. Camp had been her "happy place" growing up, and it became her dream to open her own.
 
"I keep a bucket list in my wallet, and it's right on here on this list, and I cross off things that I've accomplished," she said. "But it is the one thing on here that I knew I had to do."
 
The overnight co-ed camp is held at a summer camp in Winsted, Conn., where Saks spent her summers as a child. It is four nights and five days and completely free. Transportation is included as are many of the items needed for camping. The camp takes up to 30 children.
 
"I really don't think there's any place that exists specifically for this population. I think it's important to know, we've said this, but that it is not a therapeutic camp," Saks said.
 
She said the focus is on fun for the children, though they are able to talk to any of the volunteer and trained staff. The staff all have experience in social work, addiction and counseling, and working with children.
 
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