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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USDA Funds May Aid Lanesborough Public Safety Proposal

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town would only see about $60,000 in USDA grants for the proposed public safety building but could finance it through a loan with the federal department.

Last month, the Select Board voted to work with RCAP Solutions as a consultant in the financing application for the U.S. Department of Agriculture funding. This will have to be formalized in a community service agreement.

"My help is writing the entire application for you for free," representative Madison Wellman explained, as the USDA funds non-government organizations like RCAP Solutions to assist communities with the application process.

The Public Safety Building Committee is in the final steps of recommending four designs to the Select Board. Chair Mark Siegars reported that the board has everything but the estimated cost for each, which is being processed and expected soon.

Aside from choosing an option, funding is a huge consideration for this project. At last year's annual town meeting, voters shot down a nearly $6 million proposal for a combined police and ambulance facility.

"The USDA does an awful lot more than simply make sure we're producing enough food, fiber, and timber. They're also the main economic development engine at the federal level for rural America," Wellman explained.

"They have a very broad collection of grant programs that rural communities can apply to, one of them being the Community Facilities Program. Community Facilities is probably the most flexible program they have. It can be invested in just about anything."

The program can help provide funding for public safety buildings to purchase equipment but typically, the grant funds cannot be used for construction itself. This would require a USDA loan, which requires more financial work to prove that the town can repay the debt.

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