Freeman Center Welcomes New Board Members

12:54PM / Friday, July 18, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Elizabeth Freeman Center has welcomed Myla Franklin, Laurie Gallagher, Chris MacBeth and Tess Sorrentino to its board of directors.

Franklin is a community leader and grassroots organizer with 10 years of experience in project management, advocacy and relationship building. She is currently the community lending officer at Greylock Federal Credit Union.

Gallagher is an attorney who served as senior counsel for 25 years for GE and SABIC. She has served locally as interim CEO and board chair for Berkshire United Way and as a mentor at 18 Degrees.

MacBeth has more than 35 years of experience working in social services and health care agencies 15 of which were at the Brien Center where she served as president and CEO.

Sorrentino is senior vice president and chief financial officer for Adams Community Bank. A 40 under 40 honoree, she is involved in many Berkshire non-profits, and a past Volunteer of the Year for St. Vincent de Paul Parish and Unico of Pittsfield.

"All four members bring their exceptional skills and their shared passion to advance the mission of the Elizabeth Freeman Center which for the past 50 years, has provided life changing services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault," according to the statement from Leslie Ioffredo, co-president of the board of directors.

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Teacher of the Month: Nickole Halvorsen

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:21PM / Monday, August 31, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — For many students, kindergarten is their first experience in a school setting and the beginning of ongoing growth and change throughout their lives.

Kindergarten teacher Nickole Halvorsen strives to instill in her students the foundational academic and social-emotional skills they need to succeed not only in her classroom, but throughout their educational journey and beyond.

It is this dedication, along with the fun, safe and welcoming environment that students describe her as cultivating, that has earned her the iBerkshires.com Teacher of the Month designation.

The Teacher of the Month series, in collaboration with Berkshire Community College, features distinguished teachers nominated by community members. You can nominate a teacher here.

The end of the year was bittersweet for Halvorsen and her students as they said goodbye to Morningside Community School, which closed its doors for the final time in May.

"Now at the end of the year, it gets sad and a little more emotional, especially this year because this is our last year at Morningside," she said during her interview in May.

So, really focusing on coming in, being here, being present [and] consistent for them matters the most for me, and they make me want to be here. I want to have fun with them. I want to enjoy every last bit we can of being in the school building."

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