nbCC Marks 40 Years, Honors Northern Berkshire Hero Awardee

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Northern Berkshire Community Coalition (nbCC) will celebrate its 40th Anniversary on Thursday, June 18th, from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m with a formal dinner and celebratory dance party at GreylockWORKS.

The celebration will mark the launch of nbCC's first Capital Campaign — One Community, One Coalition — raising funds for a permanent Northern Berkshire community center at 192 State Street, North Adams, where our next 40 years begin.

This year's Northern Berkshire Hero Award will be presented to Jonathan Swartz. Jonathan is being recognized for his extensive civic engagement and extraordinary support of Berkshire organizations, nonprofits, and businesses.

In his own words: "I discovered that the best way to be active as an adult in the Berkshires was to find things I was interested in and just show up.  I decided the best way to do this was giving back and philanthropy."

Swartz's commitment to community service began at a young age in Sparkill, NY. As a teenager, he found his voice at local town board meetings, a journey that led him to pivotal mentors like Rockland County Legislator Ed Clark and teacher Carl Wright. These early influences instilled in him a foundational belief that "all politics are local," stated a press release.

RSVP's are requested by June 8, 2026. Tickets for the event range from $35-175/person or can be purchased by the table. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

Event sponsors: Diamond Sponsor Greylock Federal Credit Union, Ruby Sponsor Berkshire Health Systems, and Sapphire Sponsor NBT Bank.

Catering provided by Bounti-Fare. Registration is available online or by calling the Coalition at 413-663-7588. Registration link:https://bit.ly/nbCCturns40th

$175 - VIP tickets include: cocktail & hors d'oeuvres hour, VIP special gift, dinner, dessert & dancing

$100 - Dinner & Dancing tickets include: dinner, dessert & dancing

$35 - Dessert & Dancing tickets include: dessert table & dancing

MCLA Graduates Told to Make the World Worthy of Them

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:27PM / Saturday, May 16, 2026

Keynote speaker Michael Bobbitt was awarded an honorary doctor of fine arts. He told the graduates to make the world worthy of them. See more photos here.  

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Amsler Campus Center gym erupted in cheers on Saturday as 193 members of class of 2026 turned their tassels.

 

The graduates of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' 127th commencement were sent off with the charge of "don't stop now" to make the world a better place.  

 

You are Trailblazers, keynote speaker Michael Bobbitt reminded them, and a "trailblazer is not simply someone who walks a path. A trailblazer makes one, but blazing a trail does not happen alone. Every trailblazer is carrying tools made by somebody else. Every trailblazer is guided by stars they did not create. Every trailblazer stands on grounds shaped by ancestors, teachers, workers, neighbors, friends, and strangers."

 

Trailblazing takes communal courage, he said, and they needed to love people, build with people, argue with people, and find the people who make them braver and kinder at the same time.

 

"The future will not be saved by isolated geniuses, it will be saved by networks of people willing to practice courage together. The future belongs not to the loudest, not to the richest, not to the most certain, but to the most adaptive, the most creative, the most courageous, the most willing to learn."

 

Bobbitt was recently named CEO of Opera American after nearly five years leading the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He stressed the importance of art to the graduates, and noted that opera is not the only art form facing challenges in this world. 

 

"Every field is asking, who are we for now? What do we, what value do we create?" he said. "What do we stop pretending is fine. This is not just an arts question, that is a healthcare question, a climate question, a technology question, a community question, a higher education question, a democracy question, a life question. ...