New Members Join the Flying Cloud Institute Board

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Alison Brigham, Leigh Doherty, and América López
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) announced that Alison Brigham, Leigh Doherty and América López have joined the organization's Board of Directors.
 
Alison Brigham is the AVP of Marketing & Community Engagement at Lee Bank and the Treasurer of the Lee Bank Foundation. She has an extensive background in science with degrees in physiology, psychology, and genetics. Alison is a member of the Lenox Business Partners, Lenox Finance Committee, and EforAll Advisory Board, while also acting as a board member and programming committee member with the New England Financial Marketing Association. She also serves on the board of Link to Libraries and is a Volunteer Reader through their program at Conte Community School in Pittsfield. In addition to her professional pursuits, Alison is an avid equestrian and competes throughout the year with her horse, Eloise.
 
"Flying Cloud Institute's involvement in our local schools inspires me, and I look forward to contributing to the organization's success as a Board Member," said Alison.
 
Leigh Doherty is an experienced organizational leader with diverse experience working in schools, as well as in the non-profit sector. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Literacy Network and previously worked at Berkshire Country Day School as an Associate Head of School, at the International School of Boston as the Lower School Director, and at Community Day Charter Public School as the Lower School Head. Prior to that, Leigh served as a Curriculum Coordinator at two international schools, one in Belgium and the other in Namibia. She has also been a preschool, elementary and middle school teacher, mainly in multilingual settings.
 
"I look forward to collaborating on new ideas for programs. I am also eager to engage and partner with the team to consider relevant strategic and cultural change for Flying Cloud in 2024 and beyond," remarked Leigh.
 
América López is a Mexican immigrant who has spent half of her life in the Berkshires. She works full-time as a community health worker at Volunteers In Medicine in Great Barrington and is an active member of Latinas413, a non-profit organization that empowers Latina women. She also leads hikes for the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, focusing on Spanish-speaking Latinx participants. América is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in social work and is excited to combine her professional knowledge with her love for nature to promote mental wellness through outdoor activities. 
 
"As the proud mother of a girl who has had the opportunity to participate in Flying Cloud programming, I am excited to join the organization's Board," said América.
 
These professionals join recently elected officers Cathy Ingram, Director of Development at Miss Hall's School, as Chair; Dana Vorisek, Economist for the World Bank Group, as Treasurer; and Barbara Viniar, retired former President of Berkshire Community College, as Clerk.
 
"As we soar into our 40th year at Flying Cloud, I am honored to serve as Board Chair with dedicated and talented board members and staff as we embark on a year of celebration, innovation, and community impact," said Cathy Ingram.
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Berkshire County Getting $4M Toward Housing Improvements

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Housing Secretary Ed Augustus has been a frequent visitor to the Berkshires and says a new rural designation for the Housing Choice Initiative grew out of conversations with small towns.  

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Millions of federal Community Development Block Grant funds are coming to Berkshire County for housing and economic development. 

On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said announced $33.5 million in federal CDBG funds, of which $5.45 million will be coming to the county. 

Great Barrington, in conjunction with Egremont and Stockbridge, has been allocated $1.25 million to rehabilitate approximately 14 housing units. 

"We really recognize the importance of having strong local partners who are doing that hard work every day, educating our kids, keeping our neighborhoods safe, investing in the best of what makes our community special, places we make memories, places that drive the economy," said Driscoll at the Housatonic Community Center.

"These dollars in particular can help do all of that, along with helping cure older housing stock and meet the needs of community members who might find a desire to have a new roof or make a housing unit more accessible, but don't always have the resources to do it. These dollars are really special, and we're really grateful." 

The federal fiscal 2025 CDBG awards, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, help small cities and towns undertake projects that benefit low and moderate-income residents.

The more than $33 million will be dispersed to 52 communities across the commonwealth. Hinsdale and Florida will share a total of $950,000 to rehabilitate 11 housing units; Lenox and Sandisfield will share a total of $1,050,000 to rehabilitate 12 housing units, and New Marlborough, Mount Washington, and Otis will see a total of $1,250,000 to rehabilitate 15 housing units. North Adams is getting $950,000 for the second phase of senior center improvements and road repairs.

The funds can be used for projects involving housing rehabilitation, sidewalk and road improvements, planning studies, public facility upgrades, and social services such as food pantries, youth programming, and homelessness prevention. 

Town Manager Liz Hartsgrove said this reflects what is possible when federal, state, and local governments work together, and that the public investment shares significance beyond dollars alone. 

"These programs and projects become instruments of stability, equity, and trust. It allows the government to meet real needs, strengthen neighborhoods, and ensure residents can remain safely and securely in their homes. Places where lives are built, memories are formed, and community identity is shaped for generations to come," she said. 

"Investments like CDBG reduce uncertainties for families, provide reassurance for seniors, and create pathways for households to remain rooted in the communities they contribute to every day. When individuals and families are supported in this way, they are better positioned to thrive, and when people thrive, communities grow stronger, more resilient, and more connected." 

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