DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board has appointed Lori Venezia as the new executive assistant to the town manager. She started her role on Monday.
Venezia grew up in Dalton and still has family in the area. She said she has a strong childhood connection to the community and is interested in making sure it remains a safe and caring community.
"I think it'll help me be in their shoes and put myself in their position and share their feelings and share their concerns," she said.
In this role, Venezia expressed her commitment to supporting the town manager by assisting them to ensure they are successful and meeting deadlines.
She said she would keep the town manager informed of any issues, help with the organization of town meetings, and support the work of committees.
"I'm hoping to, you know, reintroduce myself to people, and I was just amazed at the different number of people that I'm going to get an opportunity to work with and the diversity in the work that there's going to be," Venezia said.
"So, for example, interacting with the different committees, I think, is going to allow me to wear different hats and keep it interesting and enjoyable."
The Select Board approved the appointment of Venezia during its meeting on Feb. 24.
During the meeting, Venezia said she noticed that there is a lot of passion within the community.
"I'm happy that a lot of that there's a lot of representation at the meeting. I think that's a good sign," she said.
Venezia has worked in administrative support roles for more than 25 years, since her first job out of college at Mass Mutual as an administrative assistant in the human resources department.
She has particularly worked in the nonprofit and health-care sectors, including Pioneer Valley United Way.
She said she was driven to this career path because it presented an opportunity to utilize her skills, including her "strong" attention to detail, coordination, and project management.
When she moved from Springfield to Adams, she was looking for a local job opportunity and landed a position at a law firm as a legal assistant.
Venezia has a bachelor of science in human resource management from Western New England University.
Although she has not worked in the government sector previously, she has experience as a liaison between Bay State Health and government officials.
In this role, she coordinated with government officials from her role supporting the Government and Community Relations team at Bay State Health.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Springfield Man Charged for Murder in Friday Night Pittsfield Stabbing
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Springfield man is being charged with murder in the stabbing death of a 36-year-old city man on Friday night.
Zyrus Jaynes, 24, was charged with one count of murder, and is expected to be arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Monday, June 1.
Police did not release the name of the stabbing victim.
According to a police report by Lt. John Soules, officers responded to a report of an assault at a residence on Hall Place at about 10 p.m. on Friday.
The found the Pittsfield man "suffering from a life-threatening stab wound." First responders treated him and transported him to Berkshire Medical Center, where the victim died of his injuries.
As a result of the ensuing police investigation, which included cooperation from a number of witnesses, a suspect was identified and arrested the following morning.
While a suspect has been arrested, police say the incident is still under investigation in conjunction with the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office. Anyone who wishes to provide information is asked to contact Detective James Losaw at 413-448-9700, Ext. 572. Information can also be provided anonymously by texting PITTIP and your message to TIP411 (847411.)
Zyrus Jaynes, 24, was charged with one count of murder, and is expected to be arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Monday, June 1. click for more
Wahconah Regional High School has named Haze Brown and Sophie Alsmaan as valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, for the class of 2026. click for more