PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College (OLLI at BCC) presents Dana Bash as the 2026 Mona Sherman Memorial speaker on Saturday, May 23 at 5 p.m. at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, located at 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington. Bash will be interviewed by Lisa Sharkey.  

 

To register for the free event, visit https://berkshireolli.org/event-6598207. 

 

According to a press release:

 

Dana Bash is CNN's chief political correspondent, anchor of "Inside Politics with Dana Bash" and co-anchor of "State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash," the network's Sunday morning news show. Bash is an award-winning journalist who plays a key role in the network's political coverage, conducting high-profile interviews with candidates, serving as an anchor for CNN's "Election Night in America" special coverage and frequently moderating presidential debates and town hall specials. 

 

Bash's first book, "America's Deadliest Election," which she co-authored with David Fisher, details the 1872 Louisiana gubernatorial election. It debuted on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2021, Bash launched her CNN series, "Being…," which features in-depth conversations with individuals affecting American policy, politics and culture. Her digital CNN series, "Badass Women of Washington," profiles women who have shattered glass ceilings on their way up the ranks.  

 

Bash won the Radio and Television Correspondents Association's Joan S. Barone Award for her original reporting on a STOCK Act loophole that led Congress to pass legislation to close it. She is also a winner of the National Press Foundation's Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism and a three-time recipient of the Foundation's Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting of Congress. 

 

Bash graduated cum laude with her bachelor's degree in political communications from The George Washington University. 

 

Lisa Sharkey, a creative pioneer across multiple media platforms, is senior vice president and publisher of Harper Influence, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. She has overseen the acquisition and publication of more than 100 New York Times bestsellers, including multiple at number one. She has published such authors as former Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi, journalist Jim Acosta, former NFL football player Tim Tebow, Congressman Jamie Raskin, skier Lindsey Vonn, former Yankee Jorge Posada, gymnast Jordan Chiles, supermodel Christie Brinkley, journalist Chris Whipple and His Majesty King Charles. A two-time Emmy Award winner, Sharkey is also the recipient of Peabody and Dupont Awards for her work as part of the ABC News team during 9/11. 

 

Sharkey spearheads the annual Mona Sherman Memorial Lecture in honor of her late mother. The event brings high-profile speakers to the Berkshires at no cost to the community each Memorial Day weekend.