For 11 years running, Berkshire Magazine has recognized individuals who work to make a better Berkshires. What stands out among this year’s honorees is not only their actions, but their attitudes. No matter how challenging the path or how long the road, these Berkshire 25 get to “yes we can” with unmatched determination. From giving voice to individuals with disabilities to taking care of the terminally ill, from teaching our students to make smart decisions to creating affordable housing, from creating a healthy, natural environment to making our cultural richness the envy of the world, these 25 individuals—your neighbors, friends, and coworkers—are shining examples of extraordinary.
Every year, we ask a new advisory committee to help in the selection of the Berkshire 25. It wasn’t easy for this year’s judges—we had more nominees than ever. We’d like to thank this year’s panel, who are all Berkshire 25 alumni. They include Berkshire Innovation Center Director Ben Sosne; BIFF Founder & Director Kelley Vickery; BRIDGE CEO & Founding Director Gwendolyn VanSant; and Berkshire Athenaeum Director Alex Reczkowski.
This year’s Berkshire 25 reception will be held on Monday, September 30, at 5:30 p.m. at Barrington Stage Company’s Boyd-Quinson Stage, located at 30 Union St. in Pittsfield. Please go to this link to purchase tickets. Proceeds from the ticket sales will go toward celebrating Barrington Stage’s 30th season. Catering for the reception will be provided by KJ Nosh Catering Company, and beverages will be provided by Nejaime’s Wine Cellars. The event is presented by Old Mill Road Media and Barrington Stage Company. Masters of Ceremonies will be State Representative Smitty Pignatelli and Berkshire Magazine Publisher Dr. Joshua Sherman.
And now, we are thrilled to bring you this year’s Berkshire 25!
Dr. Nisar Ahmad
Truly one of the Berkshires’ unsung heroes, Dr. Nisar Ahmad is a board-certified and fellowship-trained hematologist oncologist. He joined Berkshire Health Systems in 2018 and is a member of the Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) medical staff and the provider staff of the Phelps Cancer Center at BMC. Dr. Ahmad is partnered with Drs. Trevor Bayliss and Sean Mullally in providing hematology and oncology care across the county. Dr. Ahmad received his medical degree from King Edward Medical College, Pakistan, and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the Mt. Sinai/Bronx VA Residency Program. He was fellowship trained in Hematology Oncology at the University of Cincinnati. “The Phelps Cancer Center at BMC cares for patients who are facing life-altering illnesses,” says Dr. Bayliss, “and Dr. Ahmad’s approach to care is guided not just by his exceptional clinical judgement, but also his great compassion.”
Amy Aldrich
One of the reasons Tanglewood is so magical is Amy Aldrich, Boston Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO’s) director of patron experience. With her staff and enthusiastic volunteers, Aldrich makes sure you leave Tanglewood contented, whether from a laid-back lawn party or a seat in the Koussevitzky Music Shed. This Dalton resident began her 25 years at Tanglewood as a teenager in the box office and today is responsible for customer service, box office, ticketing services, group sales, front of house, and accessibility. She knows exactly where to park a stroller and has an uncanny ability to find lost possessions! “Amy is dedicated to continually improving the Tanglewood experience for audience members and visitors of all ages and abilities,” says Jan Devereux, BSO’s senior director of public relations & communications.
Sabrina Allard
As deputy director of the Railroad Street Youth Project (RSYP), Sabrina Allard is an extraordinary advocate for youth and marginalized populations. She started with RSYP in 2016 as the mentoring coordinator and became deputy director in 2020. Before RSYP, she worked in the mental health field, social services programs for low-income families, and both insurance and sustainability industries. Her work at RSYP has been recognized by the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires and focuses on supporting high school students and young people by amplifying their voices and helping them to navigate the world. Allard is also vice president of the NAACP Berkshires. “Sabrina is a wonderful advocate for systemic reform and a great thought partner,” says Peter Dillon, superintendent of Berkshire Hills Regional School District. “Her contributions ripple throughout the Berkshires.”
Emanuel Ax
How lucky are we that eight-time Grammy®-winning classical pianist Emanuel Ax chose to enrich our Berkshire community not only with his extraordinary music, but with his generous spirit? Born to Polish parents in what is today Lviv, Ukraine, Ax moved to Winnipeg, Canada, with his family when he was a young boy. He now splits his time between New York City and the Berkshires. He regularly performs at Tanglewood, has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma on a series of Grammy® Award-winning recordings, and has a strong commitment to young musicians, evidenced by teaching at Julliard and working with students at Tanglewood Learning Institute. He also finds time to perform for local causes, like Greenagers, an organization that engages teens and young adults in environmental work, and Kids 4 Harmony, a program that uses classical music as a vehicle for social change.
Carmen Baker
As outreach volunteer for Latinas 413, Carmen Baker works to connect Latinas with arts and cultural organizations in the Berkshires. Living the organization’s mission to empower Latino women in a wide range of roles, Baker has created partnerships with Jacob’s Pillow, Tanglewood, and, most recently, with MASS MoCA, recreating an altar for the Day of the Dead last November. She is currently working on this year’s exhibit for MASS MoCA. “Latinas413 is honored with Carmen’s work and contributions to continue our mission to represent Latinas and connecting them with resources in the county,” says Liliana Atanacio Garcia, founding member of Latinas413.
Kevin Coleman
Shakespeare & Company’s founding member and director of education, Kevin Coleman proudly acknowledges the more than 40,000 students and teachers who take part each year in Shakespeare & Company performances, workshops, and residencies—nearly one million participants since 1978. The Lenox-based theater group is recognized as having one of the most extensive arts-in-education programs in the Northeast. Coleman was honored by the White House for Shakespeare & Company’s work with juvenile offenders, received the Massachusetts Teaching Artist Award, and was a finalist for the 2016 Tony Education Award. “Maybe we should stop teaching Shakespeare as literature,” says Coleman. “Honestly, too many kids just hate it. Maybe we should approach Shakespeare on his own terms, plays to be played—that is when kids catch on fire.”
Oskar Hallig and Mike Zippel
Serial entrepreneurs, grassroots organizers, and supporters of LGBTQIA+ businesses in the Berkshires, Oskar Hallig and Mike Zippel own Only In My Dreams Events, creating galas for Berkshire Immigrant Center, Railroad Street Youth Project, The Mount, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, and others. In 2020, Hallig and Zippel opened The Shop in South Egremont, an “over-the-top candy store for grown ups looking for unique gifts,” as they describe it. Both businesses are Certified Safe Spaces by Berkshire Pride. Hallig is on the board of the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce and a mentor for EforAll Berkshire County; Zippel is board chair of Berkshire Art Center and an artist in his own right with his Beloved Buildings series. “Oskar and Mike ARE the community. They know everyone, support local businesses, and were my first clients,” says Trace Augcomfar, founder of digital visitors guide BerkHub.
Kayla Hollins
MCLA Executive Director of Student Persistence Kayla Hollins focuses on the drive and determination that propels students to succeed. Since she implemented success coaching, which identifies a person (or two or three) on campus who students can go to for support, the retention rate of first-year undeclared students—a group with typically high dropout rates—was 92 percent in 2023. “Kayla’s impact has been nothing short of transformational,” says Bernadette Alden, director of marketing and communications at MCLA. Hollins is on the board of the Elizabeth Freeman Center and is a former member of the North Adams Planning Board and Lever Inc.’s Inclusive Internship Preparation Program for entrepreneurs. She teaches dance and is a member of MCLA alumni dance troupe DysFUNKcrew.
Margaret Keller
As executive director of Community Access to the Arts (CATA), Margaret Keller has led the organization through a period of dramatic growth over the past ten years, increasing the number of people CATA serves by 70 percent while forging collaborations with major cultural organizations and expanding community partnerships with disability agencies, day-habilitation programs, and schools. From its fully accessible facility in Great Barrington and beyond, CATA provides over 2,500 arts workshops annually for 1,000 people with disabilities across the Berkshires, and the vibrant work of CATA artists can be seen and heard throughout the community in art exhibits, performances, and poetry readings. In March, CATA was selected as an awardee of MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Open Call. Because CATA was among the highest-scoring applicants, the panel doubled the award to $2 million dollars to support CATA’s innovative work serving people with disabilities through the transformative power of the arts.
Lori Gazzillo Kiely
“She is fearless,” says John Bissell, president and CEO of Greylock Federal Credit Union, “truly one of the highest impact leaders in the Berkshires.” As chair of the 1Berkshire Alliance Board and coordinator of Berkshire Funders Roundtable, Lori Gazzillo Kiely brings together the region’s primary funding entities, driving collaboration and boosting economic development initiatives in the Berkshires. A consistent and thoughtful voice for equity and inclusion, Kiely is also managing director of the Berkshire Bank Foundation, which supports many local nonprofits who work with our most vulnerable populations. She currently serves on the board of the Brien Center and the board of trustees of Berkshire Community College. “We need more people like this,” says Jonathan Butler, CEO of 1Berkshire. “Both personally and professionally, she impacts the quality of life in the Berkshires.”
Barbara Malkas
Named Commonwealth Superintendent of the Year in 2024, Barbara Malkas, superintendent of the North Adams Public Schools since 2016, has guided her district through reconfiguring the elementary schools, including a proposed new $65 million elementary building. She serves as past board president of Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, board president of Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, and board member of Northern Berkshire Community Coalition. She is also a certified yoga instructor, and her district is a research site in the Breathe for Change program, identifying positive outcomes for students and staff. “With over 36 years’ experience, Dr. Malkas strives to improve the quality of education for all students, believing that education is the key to lifelong satisfaction and meaning,” says Tom Bernard, president and CEO of Berkshire United Way.
Yina Moore
Three years ago, Yina Moore was the visionary who bought the Adams Theater that had been shuttered since 1967. Today, Moore is founder and artistic director of the “new” Adams Theater that offers diverse programming, artist residencies, and community events. To get to that point, Moore was general contractor, cheerleader squad, grant writer and more, all while slowly gaining support of the community and local and state leaders. But the Harvard School of Design graduate didn’t stop with the theater. Last year, she became co-owner of the former Topia Inn behind the theater and renovated it into an art hotel, The Trail in Adams. “Transforming Adams Theater into a vibrant community performing arts center, Yina has revitalized the town,” says Julia Marko, director of finance and operations at BART Charter School in Adams.
Michael Obasohan
A man of Berkshire firsts, Michael Obasohan was the first Black person to serve on North Adams City Council, Pittsfield’s first diversity officer, and the first employee in Pittsfield’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Focusing on racial justice and inclusive communities, Obasohan works across higher education and local and state government and fosters strategic partnerships with local businesses to champion DEI practices. He consults on LGBTQIA+ and competency trainings for local businesses and nonprofits throughout Berkshire County. Obasohan has served on the boards of Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, ROOTS Teen Center, and North Adams Licensing Commission. He currently serves as a member of Massachusetts Municipal DEI Coalition, Berkshire Taconic Foundation, and co-chairs the Multicultural BRIDGE board of directors.
Maeve O'Dea
Berkshire Taconic Foundation’s longest-serving (over 30 years) employee, Program Director Maeve O’Dea is an integral part of its growing impact on the region. She oversees all the foundation’s grant-making, working with hundreds of donors, advisory committees, and applicants. O’Dea is the foundation’s first point of contact for many nonprofits and serves as a mentor for her foundation colleagues. “She has been thoughtful and steady,” says Gwendolyn VanSant, CEO and founding director of Multicultural BRIDGE. “She has shown curiosity and support that has been transformative for our organization. From an immigrant family herself, she understood our mission right away.”
Melissa Provencher
Keeping our Berkshires green, Melissa Provencher is the environmental and energy program manager at the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Provencher oversees the Berkshire Brownfields Program, which marks its 20th anniversary this year. She led the effort that recently saw the program receive $3.5 million from EPA to recapitalize the Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund, helping private, public, and nonprofit entities cleanup contaminated sites in the Berkshires. Not only will this money help remove pollution, but it will encourage investment in previously developed locations, conserving undeveloped land in our region. “Melissa’s work is fundamental to economic development in the Berkshires, but remediation of brownfields is often an underappreciated early-stage step of many investments that lead to housing and other projects that have a positive impact on our residents,” says Laura Brennan, assistant director & economic development program manager at BRPC. “She should be recognized for this quiet but critical work!”
Jane Ralph
Construct, Inc.’s executive director since 2016, Jane Ralph leads the nonprofit in creating affordable housing and supportive services in 15 southern Berkshire towns. In 2022, Construct, which was founded in 1969, partnered with New Marlborough to purchase the town’s Gilded Age mansion, Cassilis Farm. Ralph led the charge in transforming the property into the Cassilis Designer Showcase this summer—the first fundraiser of its kind in Construct’s history—which drew over 1,000 visitors. Construct got closer to creating 11 affordable housing units on the site with a recent $3.1 million state grant. “We have nearly 400 households waiting for our approximate 90 units,” says Ralph. The need is huge.
Cass Santos-China
With a profound commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community, Cass Santos-China, executive director of Berkshire Pride, has been instrumental in establishing Berkshire Pride as its own non-profit. She has propelled the Berkshire Pride Festival from a small event with a few hundred attendees in 2018 to a major annual celebration drawing over 3,500 in 2024. Her dedication to creating safe spaces and fostering inclusion has significantly enhanced the community. Santos-China also serves on the board of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires, coordinates The Rainbow Seniors of Berkshire County, and is a former board member of the Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition. “She contributes so much to the Berkshires, working hard to ensure safe, fun activities for LGBTQIA+ individuals of all ages,” says Emma Lenski, director of education and outreach at Berkshire Pride.
Steve Sears and Maria Cruz
While The Stationery Factory in Dalton did indeed manufacture Crane stationery in the early 20th century, Steve Sears and Maria Cruz, who bought the building in 2013, envisioned a different kind of manufacturing—a space for development that enables creativity, diversity, and a sustainable community. The Stationery Factory now boasts 25 tenants—including arts and entertainment, food, wellness, manufacturing, and retail—as well as Stationery Factory Events that launched in 2017. Sears and Cruz have created a collaborative environment for business, private events, and top-notch performances, year-round. “They have done a tremendous amount for the local community in terms of economic and cultural development,” says Mark Greenlaw, content director for Music in the Berkshires. “As a home for small businesses, community events, and live music, The Stationery Factory is a valuable asset in Berkshire County.”
Yvette "Jamuna" Sirker
As founder of the Pittsfield Public Schools (PPS) Arts Integration and Community Partnership program, Yvette “Jamuna” Sirker’s mission is to ensure that all PPS students experience equitable and embedded access to arts-based learning by partnering with dozens of cultural institutions. A recipient of the Arts|Learning Kathy Tosolini Excellence in School Administration Award, Sirker designs and administers classroom-based artist residencies, field trips, and after school programs. Of Nicaraguan and South Asian Indian heritage, this award-winning playwright, producer, director, and choreographer came to the Berkshires from New Orleans in 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and is active in local theater and dance. “Yvette’s program provides life changing learning experiences for all 5,000 PPS students,” says Shirley Edgerton, education committee co-chair for NAACP Berkshires and cultural proficiency coach for Pittsfield public schools.
Pamela Tatge
Named one of the most influential people in dance by Dance Magazine in 2017, Pamela Tatge has been Jacob’s Pillow executive and artistic director since 2016. She leads an organization anchored by an annual nine-week, international dance festival, a prestigious school for professional dancers, renowned archives, and community engagement programs. Tatge has strengthened the Pillow’s year-round activity, including the creation of Pillow Lab, an incubator for new work, and engagement with local schools and community through programs such as Curriculum in Motion, Dance for Social Justice, Pittsfield Moves, and Jacob’s Pillow on the Road. She is shepherding the rebuilding of the Doris Duke Theatre, destroyed by fire in 2020 and reopening in 2025. Tatge served as jury member for the Pulitzer Prize in Music and is on the Board of the New England Foundation for the Arts.
Nancy Thomas
Queen of the bistro scene, Nancy Thomas is creative director and co-founder of Mezze Hospitality Group (MHG)—two award-winning restaurants (Williamstown’s Mezze Bistro+Bar and BLUEBiRD & CO. in Hancock), Mezze Guesthouse capsule hotel, and Mezze Events, creating the most ambitious celebrations in the county. Thomas is just as much about the people as about the food, prioritizing Berkshire agriculture, farmers, and community, as well as providing a safe space for others in the industry to grow. “For 30 years, Nancy has led consistent business and employment growth at MHG, providing a beacon of quality and ethics for all, including many alums that have gone on to run other successful hospitality ventures,” says Mezze’s co-founder Bo Peabody. “She is a culinary advisor to BCC and McCann and is most people’s first call for information about hospitality in the Berkshires.”
JV Hampton-VanSant
JV Hampton-VanSant is content creator and operations manager at Multicultural BRIDGE. They are a Black nonbinary transfemme person, drag performer, seamstress, voice actor, children’s book author, and outspoken advocate for the queer and trans community in the Berkshires, working with grace and positivity. Her gender-inclusive sewing class, Sew
Runway Ready, is always full. They co-designed BRIDGE’S youth education program Happiness Toolbox. She is a reader with Drag Story Hour Berkshire. They work with Berkshire Pride, having performed at their 2024 Festival. She served as Board President of Stonewall Community Coalition and has worked with Berkshire Coalition Suicide Prevention. “JV has been a model for youth on their journey. They live by their values, and poured their heart into their home community,” says Gwendolyn VanSant, CEO and founding director of Multicultural BRIDGE.
Nicki Wilson
When Nicki Wilson heard last year that Great Barrington’s Triplex Cinema was permanently closing, she held a meeting in her living room, and the grassroots organization Save The Triplex was born. In less than four months, the nonprofit, with Wilson as its board president, bought The Triplex. She continues to lead fundraising efforts to renovate and transform The Triplex into not just a movie theater showing a full range of movies, but a community resource. Since opening in November, The Triplex partnered with local schools, civil-rights and envrironmental groups, and has hosted celebrated artists Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Karen Allen, Lauren Ambrose, Jayne Atkinson, Michel Gill, David Rasche, and the acclaimed Berkshire International Film Festival. Wilson’s energy and vision have indeed saved The Triplex and Great Barrington’s heartspace.