Berkshire Money Management Welcomes Financial Paraplanner

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DALTON, Mass. — Berkshire Money Management (BMM), a financial and retirement planning firm with offices in Dalton and Great Barrington, announced that Michael O'Brien has joined the team as a Financial Paraplanner.
 
Most recently, Mike worked in the insurance industry. He has a strong background in client service and financial planning, with experience helping high-net-worth individuals protect their assets and their futures. 
 
He is a licensed Property and Casualty Insurance agent and is currently studying for the Series 65 exam so he can advance into a junior advising role. 
 
At BMM, he is focused on supporting the Director of Financial Planning and learning how to deliver personalized service to the firm's clients.
 
"Success is a team sport," said Natalie Wheeler, Chief Operating Officer at Berkshire Money Management. "We're excited to see Mike bring his talents to the table and grow with us. Stay tuned for updates as he continues to hit the ground running."
 
A lifelong resident of Pittsfield, Mike is a former Mr. Taconic and 2024 graduate of the Berkshire Leadership Program and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a minor in Spanish from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, attending concerts, and spending time with his fiancée and extended family, and stays active with Jiu Jitsu, golf, and cheering on his favorite sports teams.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Hinsdale Residents Air Policing Concerns During Information Session

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
HINSDALE, Mass. — Broken trust, cavalier officials, no faith in the town, and the need for accountability and change were sentiments that bellowed in the town hall on Tuesday during the community information session on the police department organizational analysis. 
 
Eric Daigle, Daigle Law Group principal attorney, stood before more than 30 community members who vociferously criticized the Hinsdale Police Department and public officials' reaction to past incidents. The meeting lasted more than an hour and 40 minutes. 
 
The meeting commenced with Daigle emphasizing that the firm was retained to conduct an organizational analysis, not to investigate the fatal police shooting of 27-year-old Biagio Kauvil during a mental health crisis in January. 
 
Early on in community comments, residents made it clear that the January incident and others are deeply intertwined with the analysis.
 
"This is an organizational study on how the department is operating, where it is, and where it should be, and how they get to those areas. The incident was the catalyst for the town in retaining the consultant," Daigle said. 
 
Although the aim of hiring a consultant was not to investigate the incident, it still needs to be taken into consideration when developing solutions to improve the department, attendees said. 
 
Some attendees emphasized that people do not feel safe calling 911 if they are experiencing a mental health crisis. More often than not, incidents that police are responding to involve people in desperate need of mental health services. 
 
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