Great Barrington Announces Personnel Changes

08:07AM / Tuesday, July 16, 2024Print Story | Email Story

Great Barrington, Mass. — Josh Risen has been promoted to the position of Great Barrington town clerk, one of several new appointments in Town Hall.

Risen joined the town in September 2023 as office administrator for the town manager and selectboard, after working in administrative roles in the town of Sheffield. He earned a law degree from Western New England University Law School and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 2011. As Town Clerk, Risen will serve as the town's chief election officer and maintain and preserve the town's archives and vital records, among other roles.

"I'm very much looking forward to working with Josh in his capacity as Town Clerk, as he has proven himself as a hard worker and he is well respected among staff and the residents we serve," said Town Manager Mark Pruhenski. "I'm confident he has the skills and abilities to succeed in this role",

Natalie Amendola, who joined the town manager and selectboard office in January as administrative assistant, has been promoted to the office administrator role. She is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany and has previously worked as associate for student development at Columbia–Greene Community College.

In the Board of Health department, James Massey has been appointed as health inspector, bringing his extensive background as an executive chef in the hospitality and healthcare industries. He has worked for Canyon Ranch in Lenox and Tucson, Essex (VT) Resort and Spa, Trinity Health Services and other settings. He has also operated his own food and beverage consulting business in the Berkshire area.

"Natalie's promotion to the role of office administrator is well-deserved too," said Pruhenski. "Although she's only been here for a short period of time, she is clearly a self-starter and incredibly capable of managing our busy administration office with ease. I'm also looking forward to working with James and welcoming him to our team here in GB".

Risen succeeds Jennifer Messina, who departed the Great Barrington position for a new opportunity.

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First Eagle Mill Units in Lee to Open in Springtime

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:02AM / Tuesday, February 03, 2026

Eagle Mills developer Jeffrey Cohen updates the Lee Chamber of Commerce as the project's phases, and the amount of heavy lifting to get it to this point.

LEE, Mass. — More than 50 affordable units are expected to come online at the Eagle Mill this spring.

This is the first of several planned development phases at the former paper mill that dates back to the early 1800s, totaling more than 200 units. The Lee Chamber of Commerce hosted an information session on the project during its Business Breakfast last Wednesday.

"We are here because we have a really big project that's happened for a very long time here in Lee, that, for myself, has provided a real sense of hope, and has has really defined this community as one of the few in the Berkshires that's really looking forward, as opposed to just being sort of stuck in the past," Chamber member Erik Williams said.

The estimated $60 million development broke ground in 2021 after nearly a decade of planning and permitting. Hundreds of workers once filed into the 8-acre complex, producing up to 165 tons of paper a week. The last mill on the property closed in 2008.

Hearthway is accepting applications for 56 affordable apartments called "The Lofts at Eagle Mill" with expected occupancy in May. The housing nonprofit was also approved for 45 additional units of new construction on the site.

Jeffrey Cohen of Eagle Mill Redevelopment LLC said the project dates back to 2012, when a purchase contract was signed for the West Center Street property. The developers didn't have to close on the property until renovation plans were approved in 2017, and the mill was sold for $700,000.

It seemed like a great deal for the structure and eight acres on the Housatonic River, Cohen explained, but he wasn't aware of the complex pre-development costs, state, and local approvals it would entail. Seven individually owned homes adjacent to the property were also acquired and demolished for parking and site access.

"If I knew today what I knew then, I'm not sure we'd be sitting here," he said, joining the breakfast remotely over Zoom.

Cohen praised the town's government, explaining that the redesigns and critiques "Could not have been done in a friendlier way, in a more helpful way," and the two Massachusetts governors serving during the project's tenure. The Eagle Mill redevelopment is supported by state and federal grants, as well as low-income housing tax credits.

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