Berkshire Museum Announces New Chief Development Officer

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Museum is set to welcome Lori Eastman as its new Chief Development Officer.
 
Eastman has spent her career at private liberal arts colleges, including the last 25 years at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, which she also attended as an undergraduate. At Skidmore, she served as the Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff in the college's Office of Advancement, where she acted as a frontline fundraiser, building relationships with donors and prospects, overseeing staff and teams engaged in fundraising, and managing larger fundraising projects. Before that, she spent ten years working at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, as a Director of Annual Giving, Special Gifts Officer, and an Assistant Director of Alumni Relations.
 
"What interests me most about joining the staff of the Berkshire Museum is the chance to work with the museum's current supporters, as well as prospective donors and volunteers, and to help them all learn about the progress and momentum happening at the museum," Eastman said.
 
The museum is currently undergoing a renovation, that is slated to be completed in Spring 2026. The work underway on the first floor will bring new exhibits and a children's activity center, along with other spaces and an upgraded aquarium to their doors, something Eastman herself is eager to see finished.
 
"It is incredibly exciting for the museum to have this moment to build on its past strengths and accomplishments, and to prepare for the future,"  Eastman said.
 
Berkshire Museum Executive Director Kim Bush Tomio spoke about her eagerness to see Eastman join the staff.
 
"The museum is thrilled to have Lori join our team," said Bush Tomio. "Her wealth of experience as a fundraiser, personal connection with the Berkshires, as well as support for our mission, were instrumental in our choice. We look forward to having her be a part of our community."
 
Lori Eastman's selection was the culmination of a competitive nationwide search for a Director of Development, led by Arts Consulting Group (ACG). ACG is a leading provider of hands-on executive search, interim management, revenue enhancement, strategic planning and community engagement, and facilities and program planning and research services for the arts and culture industry. 
 
Eastman is set to start at the museum on Monday, Aug. 18.

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Pittsfield Council to See 2-Year Moratorium on Data Centers

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council will consider a two-year data center moratorium from the Community Development Board. 

The board endorsed the moratorium on Tuesday; it had previously voted to become the petitioner. 

"I still think that it is a necessary, proactive, responsible measure by the city in order to take some time to assess the potential impacts of these improvements on Pittsfield and on the county, and make sure that we understand these systems and create some really truly responsible regulations that take into account all the different aspects of this technology," City Planner Kevin Rayner said. 

The petition would amend City Code Chapter 23 and create Article 23-4 Section 4.332, "Data Center, Temporary Moratorium." 

Last month, Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order that gives municipalities the power to say "no" to data centers, and earlier this year, Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren petitioned to explore implementing a moratorium on the establishment and siting of data centers.

Based on web results, there are as many as 75 data centers or projects in Massachusetts, none in Berkshire County. 

Rayner explained that he brought forward the same petition as before; it was sent to the council and then back to the board for a public hearing as part of the zoning amendment process. 

It defines a data center as a building or group of buildings where the primary use is to house computer systems, servers, data storage equipment, networking equipment, and associated infrastructure necessary for the processing, storage, and distribution of data and digital applications. 

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