BCC Announces Staff Members, Title Changes

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announced the addition of five new staff members and three title changes. 
 
New faculty/staff 
 
Meghan Bone joins BCC as Special Programs Coordinator, Bridge to College, bringing over a decade of experience leading college readiness programs for high school and first-year college students. Before joining the BCC team, she worked as the Eureka! Director at Girls Inc. of the Valley and as the STEM Starter Academy Director at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). Outside of work, she enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, digging in her garden and making joyful drumming music. 
 
Andrew Liebenow joins BCC as HVAC Mechanic II. He holds an associate degree in Environmental Science from BCC and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Broward College. Most recently, he served as a senior maintenance technician for the Florida Department of Transportation. When not working, he enjoys home improvement projects, walking/hiking, attending live concert events, playing the drums and antique car restoration. 
 
Dr. Anna Mester joins BCC as Coordinator of Instructional Design. Most recently, she served as Program Manager of Public Engagement and Research Impacts at the University of Michigan. She has also served as an instructional consultant at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching/ Dr. Mester began her career as a faculty of Spanish and Portuguese at UMass-Boston. She holds a B.A. in Romance Languages and Cultures and Critical Social Thought from Mount Holyoke College, and a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures with an African Studies concentration from the University of Michigan. She enjoys reading, sewing, and folk embroidery and cycling. 
 
Jane Singer joins BCC as Executive Director of Human Resources. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from New York University and brings more than a decade of HR leadership experience across diverse industries, including hospitality, retail and multi-state operations. Most recently, she served as Director of HR Strategy for Resort Operations at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, where she led organizational redesign efforts, enhanced HR data systems and partnered closely with business leaders to strengthen engagement, retention and succession planning. A Berkshire native, Singer lives in Lenox with her husband and two children. 
 
Joshua Visser joins BCC as a Graphic Designer. Having grown up in western Canada, he moved to the United States as a teenager. He attended the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, studying Digital Media Production, Television Production, and Graphic Design. After university, Visser participated in the Disney College Program, where he drove the WDW Monorail. Following his time at Disney, he began his career in digital media — first in educational publishing, and later in the music industry. His favorite hobbies are writing songs and playing bass with his punk-rock band. 
 
 
Title Changes 
 
Dana Buxton is now Disabilities Counselor. She had been the Special Programs Coordinator- Academic Success/Disability Resource Center Coach. Buxton joined BCC in September 2022. 
 
Katherine Elliot is now Assistant Professor of Nursing. She had been Adjunct Faculty for the Nursing, Health and Wellness Division. Elliot joined BCC in May 2022. 
 
Erin Morris is now Sr. Special Program Coordinator & Mentor - EEC Career Pathways Grant. She had been Special Program Coordinator- HRSA Grant Mentor. Morris joined BCC in January 2023. 

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Pittsfield Council Approves 'Green' Items

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council approved a couple of "green" items during its meeting last week. 

This includes more than $20,000 from the state for recycling initiatives, as well as cell phone recycling automated machines at Cumberland Farms on First Street and in Market 32 at 555 Hubbard Ave. 

Pittsfield received $21,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Sustainable Materials Recovery Program, which reinvests a portion of Waste Energy Certificates into recycling programs. More than $4.2 million was distributed across the state this year. 

WECs are tradable, unit-specific certificates (1 per MWh) generated by qualified waste-to-energy facilities. 

"It's supposed to be this self-sustaining cycle of you bring money in, you can continue reducing trash, increasing recycling, increasing diversion from the landfill, and at the same time, you bring money in and support that effort," Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales explained. 

In the last two years, the city has seen a slight increase in funds because of its categorization as an environmental justice community, and Morales would like to increase that number even more.  Communities of Pittsfield’s size can see up to $50,000 based on a point system for recycling efforts. 

The city received points for bulky items, curbside recycling regulation, diversity, equity, and inclusion, organics, and waste prevention outreach and education. These funds are used to purchase products such as the composting bins that Pittsfield sells to residents for half the price. 

Morales reported that the city has been saving funds to start a recycling program staffed by a contractor, but that is not being presented "in any way" at this point. 

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