Mass Cultural Council Launches LCC Program Grant Cycle

BOSTON – Mass Cultural Council announces that grant applications are now available for the FY25 Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program.

In FY25, Mass Cultural Council will invest $5.7 million into the LCC Program, the nation's largest volunteer-based, grassroots arts and culture public funding network. In total, 329 local and regional cultural councils award annual grants, ensuring public investment in, and access to, arts and culture in every Massachusetts community.

LCC grant awards, typically between $500-$750, support a broad range of projects and programs, such as operating support, ticket subsidies, field trips, artist residencies, public art, fellowships, community events/programs, site specific projects, and other activities, based on local priorities. Both individuals and organizations are eligible for funding.

• September 5, 2024 – Information Session
• October 16, 2024 – Applications Due

Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the program guidelines for more information, including directions on how to apply.

 

Berkshire Community College Names Presidential Finalists

Staff Reports 11:05AM / Thursday, February 19, 2026

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.