Berkshire Money Management Promotes Team Lead Office Coordinator

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Berkshire Money Management (BMM) has promoted Stephen Di Benedetto to Team Lead Office Coordinator.

Di Benedetto joined the firm in February as Client Experience Coordinator in its Williamstown office. In his new role, Di Benedetto coordinates the Front Office Team's operations across all three BMM locations.

Di Benedetto brings a diverse background in media, finance, and engineering to the role, along with his experience managing Provisions in Williamstown. His career has been shaped by a passion for building relationships, creating meaningful experiences, and serving the communities where he lives and works, according to a press release.

Originally from Connecticut, Di Benedetto was drawn to Berkshire Money Management because of its commitment to giving back. The firm's collaborative culture and community-minded approach aligned with the kind of organization he had always hoped to be part of.

"Stephen understands that great client service begins with genuine relationships," said Allen Harris, Founder and CEO of Berkshire Money Management. "His enthusiasm for our community, his diverse professional experience, and his welcoming personality make him a wonderful addition to our team."

In his role, Di Benedetto helps create a seamless experience for clients while supporting advisors and coordinating the Front Office Team's operations across the firm's three locations. His focus on hospitality, organization, and community engagement reflects Berkshire Money Management's belief that financial planning is ultimately about people.

Outside of work, Di Benedetto enjoys tending to his gardens, supporting the arts, volunteering in the community, spending time with his husband and dogs, and welcoming friends and family into his home.

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Letter: Incomplete Picture from Greylock School Committee

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

At the October Mount Greylock School Committee meeting, there was much celebration over the student growth percentiles (SGP) from last year's MCAS test data (Spring 2026). Growth is worth celebrating. But I worry the meeting, and the coverage of it, left families and our community with an incomplete picture of how our students are doing in math.

"Growth" sounds like it means scores went up, but that isn’t quite what SGP measures. SGP compares each student to students in the state who scored about the same the year before, then ranks how they did this year against that group. If a whole group of similar students decreases, the student who decreases the least can still earn a high growth percentile. A strong SGP tells us our students did better than their peers who scored similarly the year before. It doesn't tell us whether they are at grade level.

For example, the current 6th grade class at Williamstown Elementary School (WES) has decreased in their grade-level math proficiency every year since their 3rd grade MCAS. In 2024, 64 percent of the class was meeting expectations; in 2025 48 percent were at grade level, and in 2026 only 33 percent of their class met grade-level expectations. Our current WES 5th grade class follows a similar trend, with 48 percent meeting grade-level math expectations last year vs 56 percent meeting expectations in 2025 when they were in 3rd grade.

Not every class follows this pattern; our current 7th graders gained to 62 percent last year. But seeing entire classes decrease is something that deserves our attention.

Growth comparisons across the state provide useful information, but they do not tell the complete story. We also need to look at where our students are in terms of grade-level proficiency and how those numbers are changing from year to year within the Mt. Greylock school district. This will be our first year with the math interventionist role filled at WES and our second year with the new i-Ready curriculum.

As we watch whether these changes are working, I hope the School Committee will discuss proficiency alongside growth in its public meetings, so our community can see the full picture. Growth matters, but it isn’t enough if fewer of our kids are reaching grade level each year.

Sincerely,

Jenna Hasenkampf
Williamstown, Mass.

Hasenkampf is a parent of WES students in Grades 2 and 4.

 

 

 

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