Berkshire Organizations Awarded Mass Cultural Council Grants

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — MassDevelopment and Mass Cultural Council announced the award of a $6,159,900 investment into 88 nonprofit and municipal cultural organizations through the Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF), which the two agencies jointly administer.
 
Berkshire County awardees include:
 
Barrington Stage was awarded $112,000 to install updated theatrical lighting and audio equipment for the St. Germain Stage at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center.
 
Berkshire County Historical Society was awarded $28,000 to support the creation of a new public sewer connection at arrowhead.
 
Berkshire Film and Media was awarded $200,000 was awarded $200,000 to complete predevelopment costs for the creation of BFMC+/Kemble Street Studios.
 
Berkshire Pulse was awarded $10,000 to study the feasibility of expanding studio space into the second floor of 420 Park Street.
 
Berkshire Theatre Group was awarded $153,000 for the installation of solar panels on the Colonial Theatre and warehouse roof.
 
Hancock Shaker Village  was awarded $200,000 to expand gallery space, create a new climate-controlled collections storage area, install an elevator, and reconfigure lobby and reception areas.
 
Sheffield Historical Society was awarded $78,000 for drainage, grout and foundation work to the Old Stone Store.
 
Monterey was awarded $33,000 for architectural and engineering plans for the construction of new open air pavilion as part of the Monterey Community Center.
 
The Triplex Cinema was awarded $200,000 to support the reopening their second largest theater by making the building ADA-compliant and improving health and safety measures.
 
Ventfort Hall was awarded $149,000 to repair and rebuild four chimneys on the mansion roof.
 
CFF provides capital and planning grants to nonprofit organizations, colleges, and municipalities that own or operate facilities primarily focused on the arts, humanities, and sciences. These awards invest in the acquisition, design, repair, renovation, expansion, and construction of nonprofit and municipal cultural facilities. All selected projects are subject to a 1:1 matching requirement.
 
The Cultural Facilities Fund is financed annually through the Governor's Capital Spending Plan. In FY24, the Healey-Driscoll Administration invested $10 million into the CFF, which supports the awards announced today.
 
 

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Berkshire Community College Names Presidential Finalists

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The state's first community college has narrowed down the field to replace retiring President Ellen Kennedy. 
 
Presidential Search Committee has recommended four finalists who will be participating in on-campus interviews and forums in the coming weeks. 
 
The finalists, "identified ... from a strong initial pool of applicants," according to a college statement, are Hara Charlier, president of Central Lakes College in Minnesota; Nicole Esposito, chief executive officer of Manchester Community College in New Hampshire; Karen Hynick, acting provost for Connecticut State Community College; and Albert Lewis Jr., chief of staff / executive vice president at Northwest State Community College in Ohio. 
 
The finalists were screened and evaluated using the "Presidential Profile" that was developed through conversations and listening sessions with members of the campus community and executive search firm Academic Search.
 
"From the outset, this search has reflected the very best of BCC — openness, collaboration, and deep engagement with our community," said Julia Bowen, chair of the BCC Board of Trustees, in a statement. "I have been incredibly impressed by the strength, experience, and passion of the candidate pool. These four finalists are exceptional leaders, and I am genuinely excited for our campus community to meet them and help us welcome the next president who will guide BCC into its next chapter."
 
Biographies: 
 

Albert Lewis Jr. 
Lewis holds a doctorate in education from Gwynedd Mercy University in Pennsylvania, a master's in industrial/organizational psychology from Grand Canyon University in Arizona, and a master's in education administration from the University of Akron in Ohiol. 
 
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