BCC's '40 Under Forty' Winners to be Honored

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC), together with partners 1Berkshire and Mill Town Foundation, will honor the winners of its annual 40 Under Forty Awards on Thursday, March 28 at 5 pm in the Robert Boland theater, located on the main campus at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield.  
 
Tickets are $75 per person and may be purchased online at www.berkshirecc.edu/40-tix.
 
Proceeds benefit the BCC Foundation, which manages about 180 scholarships totaling more than $375,000 for BCC students and supports a number of programs at the College. 
 
40 Under Forty celebrates talented people in the Berkshires, under the age of 40, who try to improving the quality of life for those living and working in the community. Nominees, who hail from throughout Berkshire County, are eligible for the award through their professional work and how it makes a difference, their personal commitment to their community, or other efforts to improve the quality of life for those living and working in the Berkshires. 
 
This year, for the first time, Mill Town Foundation will provide funding for each 40 Under Forty Award winner to re-grant $1,000 to an eligible Berkshire-based nonprofit organization of their choosing.  A total of $40,000 will be given to our local non-profits. 
 
Designed to promote purposeful giving, the Mill Town Foundation initiative encourages each award winner to research area nonprofit organizations to gain an extensive understanding of their mission and work before choosing which group to support. 
 
"Mill Town Foundation is proud to partner with Berkshire Community College to celebrate and empower this year's 40 Under Forty award winners," said Program Manager Andy Wrba. "Our philosophy of philanthropy is rooted in the belief that impact requires a thoughtful and holistic approach to giving. It goes beyond the mere act of charity, with an emphasis on collaboration and sustainability. We hope that this empowerment
will lead to a lifetime of philanthropic engagement for future generations of community leaders." 
 
Because the nonprofit sector is extensive and vital to the fabric of the Berkshires community, Wrba explained, the role of philanthropy and charitable giving is of critical importance.  
 
The 2024 Berkshire County 40 Under Forty winners are: 
 
Princewill Abanulo, Quality Manager, Premium Waters 
 
Ciana Barnaba, Community Relations & Resource Development, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures 
 
Scott Barschdorf, Director of Brain Injury Services, Berkshire County Arc 
 
Jessica Bartle, Co-Founder, President, Investment Adviser, EvoQue Investments 
 
Christine Bile, Licensed Certified Social Worker (Clinician), Boston Neurobehavioral Associates 
 
Meaghan Bresnahan, Positive Options Program Coordinator, Lee Public Schools 
 
Josh Brilliant, Engineer, General Dynamics - Mission Systems 
 
Andy Cambi, Director of Public Health, City of Pittsfield 
 
Kalee Carmel, Treasury Management Manager, Adams Community Bank 
 
Zorelly Cepeda Derieux, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Williams College 
 
Jacob Dabrowski, AVP Mortgage Originations, Adams Community Bank 
 
Olivia Daly, Patrol Officer, Pittsfield Police Department 
 
Izinna Degraffenried, Police Officer, City of Pittsfield 
 
Emily Dominik, Corporate Controller, Mill Town 
 
Meghan Donnelly, School Counselor, Pittsfield Public Schools 
 
Paul Farella, Partner, Moneco Advisors, LLC 
 
Cameron Hadley, Financial Advisor, Northwestern Mutual 
 
Dr. Sonja Haecker, Executive Vice President, Berkshire County Arc 
 
Sidney Hamilton, School Adjustment Counselor, Pittsfield Public Schools 
 
Dr. Claire Horth, Physician, Community Health Programs 
 
Samantha Kendall, Prevention Supervisor and Harm Reduction Trainer, Berkshire Harm Reduction 
 
Christy Lemoine, Volunteer Coordinator/911 Dispatcher, Berkshire and Franklin Medical Reserve Corps/Williamstown Police 
 
Lenny Light, Executive Vice President, Lenco Armored Vehicles 
 
Sara Luciani, Principal, Stearns Elementary School 
 
Andre Lynch, Executive, A. Lynch DEI Consulting 
 
Caitlin McKinnon, Site Supervisor, Intensive Outpatient Program + Recovery Coach Services, The Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services 
 
Jay Meczywor, Physical Therapist, Berkshire Sports and Physical Therapy 
 
Shawn Mille, Program Associate, Community Access to the Arts (CATA) 
 
Brent Osborne, Director of Berkshire Lake Camp & Director of Special Projects, CampGroup 
 
Khalil Paul, Police Officer, City of North Adams Police Department 
 
Jordan Romeo, Teacher of Deportment, Pittsfield Public Schools 
 
Julia Sabourin, Director of Community Engagement and Communications, Berkshire District Attorney's Office 
 
Allison Schmitt, Executive Director, Entrepreneurship for All, Berkshire County 
 
Brian Seminara, Technical Manager, General Dynamics - Mission Systems 
 
Alicia Starsja, TRIO Academic Counselor, Berkshire Community College  
 
Colin Sykes, Environmental Health Inspector, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission 
 
Dr. Mark Taylor, General Surgeon, Berkshire Health Systems 
 
Kristen Tool, Managing Director, Heart & Soil Collective  
 
Crystal Wojcik, Finance Director/Town Accountant, Town of Adams 
 
Julie Zdon, AVP, Branch Officer, Adams Community Bank 

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ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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