JOIN US for our 9th Annual Berkshire Nonprofit Awards! -May 19, 2026

 

The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires (NPC), in partnership with The Berkshire Eagle, will host the 9th annual Berkshire Nonprofit Awards on Tuesday, May 19 at Country Club of Pittsfield from 8-10:30am. The awards recognize exceptional work being done by individuals in the nonprofit sector.

BERKSHIRE NONPROFIT AWARDS HONOREES ANNOUNCED

 

Nominations were solicited from across the Berkshires in seven categories: Executive Leadership, Board Leadership, Rock Star, Unsung Hero, Volunteer, Youth Leadership and Lifetime Achievement. One honoree in each category was chosen by a panel of judges in April 2026 and will be profiled in The Berkshire Eagle in May 2026.

 

 

The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires is currently seeking sponsors for this celebratory event which is made possible by local businesses and foundations.

 

Sponsorship info

Board Leadership

Liliana Atanacio, Co-founder & Board member/Latinas413

 

Executive Leadership

Sabrina Allard, Deputy Director/Railroad Street Youth Project

 

Lifetime Achievement

Cathy Marchetto, RN, Clinical Coordinator, Operation Better Start, Berkshire Medical Center/Berkshire Health Systems

 

Rock Star

Jennifer Golin, Family Support & Data Specialist & Play Learn Connect Program Coordinator/Child Care of the Berkshires

 

Samya Rose Stumo Youth Leadership

Gloria Williams/R.O.P.E. & Price Memorial AME Zion Church

 

Unsung Hero

Kathryn Benson, Project Assistant/Berkshire Food Project

 

Volunteer

Lisa Alberti, Tutor Support Specialist/Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County

Thank you to everyone who helped shine a light on the remarkable individuals strengthening our community. We’re proud to share the full list of 2026 nominees below.

 

BOARD LEADERSHIP

Liliana Atanacio, Co-founder & Board member/Latinas413

Carolyn Butler, Vice President, Board of Trustees/WAM Theatre

Michael Ferry, Chair of the Board of Directors/Berkshire County Arc

Bruce Gamble, Treasurer/Lenox Library Association

John Halbreich, Board Member/Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad

James Harwood, Board President/Community Development Corporation South Berkshire (CDCSB)

Adam Klepetar, Vice President of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management/Berkshire Family YMCA

Theresa O’Brient, President of the Board of Directors/Berkshire Waldorf High School

Anne Pinkston, Board Chair & Former President/Coolidge Hill Foundation

Gina Puc, Trustee/Berkshire Arts and Technology (BART) Charter Public School

Mike Zippel, Board President/Berkshire Art Center

 

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Sabrina Allard, Deputy Director/Railroad Street Youth Project

Jennifer Beatty, Executive Director/Becket Arts Center of the Hilltowns

Theresa Denette, Senior Vice President Operations/BFAIR

Wendy Healey, Executive Director/Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion & Museum

Dan Hudson, Executive Director/Images Cinema

Rania Markham, Founder & Executive Director/Families Like Ours

Katelynn Miner, Executive Director/Berkshire Dream Center

Yina Moore, Artistic Director/Adams Theatre

Morgan Ovitsky, Executive Director/Berkshire Bounty

Alison Peters, Former Executive Director/Community Recreation Center

Angela Procopio-Rahilly, Executive VP of Operations/Nonotuck Resource Association

Stephen Sagarin, PhD, Executive Director & Faculty Chair/Berkshire Waldorf High School

Cass Santos-China, Executive Director/Berkshire Pride

Hayley Sumner, Founder & Executive Director/Berkshire HorseWorks

Andy Wrba, Executive Director/Mill Town Foundation

 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Cathy Marchetto, RN, Clinical Coordinator, Operation Better Start, Berkshire Medical Center/Berkshire Health Systems

James F. Birge, Ph.D., President/Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Jeffrey Cook, Past President/Berkshire Business Roundtable (And Many Others)

Jim Santos, President & Chair of the Board/Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad

William Sturgeon, Board Member/Pittsfield Community Television & WTBR-FM

 

ROCK STAR

Jennifer Golin, Family Support & Data Specialist & Play Learn Connect Program Coordinator/Child Care of the Berkshires

Jean Atwater-Williams, Board Member & Treasurer/The Sandisfield Times, Inc.

Lesa Bennett, Interim Executive Chef/Berkshire Food Project

Sharon Collins Newton, Family Resource Center Director/18 Degrees

Natalia DeRuzzio, Patient Services Manager/Volunteers in Medicine

William Dore, Associate Curator/Berkshire Museum

Hannah Herrera, Teacher/Berkshire County Head Start

Patricia Masoero, Financial Coordinator/Christian Center of PIttsfield

Ysmael Merino, Dining Room Manager/Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health

Lucas Pawelski, Director of Production/Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

Leah Thompson, Director of Advancement/Berkshire Arts and Technology (BART) Charter Public School

 

SAMYA ROSE STUMO YOUTH LEADERSHIP

Gloria Williams, Student/R.O.P.E. & Price Memorial AME Zion Church

Angelo Bassett, Volunteer & Former Intern/Berkshire Pride

Corey Charron, Student Volunteer/Adams Community Roundtable

Rose Dupuis, Student/Lenox Memorial Middle & High School

Sadiya Quetti-Goodson, Photographer & Alumni/R.O.P.E.

Harper Treschuk , College Intern & Staff Member/Greenagers, Inc.

 

 

UNSUNG HERO

Kathryn Benson, Project Assistant/Berkshire Food Project

Janet Curran, Managing Director (Former)/Images Cinema

Kamayue Gomes, Founder/Project New Growth (UCC, Pittsfield)

Lily McGartland, Education Department Coordinator/Clark Art Institute

Karen Ryan, Food Director & Resource Coordinator/Christian Center of Pittsfield

 

VOLUNTEER

Lisa Alberti, Tutor Support Specialist/Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County

Marianne Bailey, Volunteer/Berkshire Food Project

Joshua David Hall, Member & Board of Directors/Western Massachusetts Council, Scouting America

Rania Markam, Founder, Board President & Volunteer/Families Like Ours

Brandon Mauer, Volunteer Group Facilitator/18 Degrees

Dawn Stanyon, Board Member & Social Media Manager/ExtraSpecialTeas

Twenty-two judges from the corporate and nonprofit sectors dedicated their time and expertise to thoughtfully evaluate 62 nominations, ultimately coming together in a virtual meeting to select seven honorees. We sincerely thank them for their commitment and integrity.

Top row (left to right): McCaela Donovan/NPC, Liana Toscanini/NPC, Hannah Kogut/Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Britta Schellenberg/Pryjma Petals. 2nd row (left to right): James Abruzzo/DHR International, Ashlee VanDeusen/Renaissance Investment Group, Reid Warner/CDCSB, Lauren Smith/Berkshire Health Systems. 3rd row (left to right): Samuel Pascual/PCTV, Jennifer Connor Shumsky/Greylock Federal Credit Union, Heather Dunhill/Freelance journalist and writer, Giulia Laveto-Emery/CDCSB. Bottom row (left to right): Christine Hoyt/1Berkshire, Nicole Andrus/Mazzone Hospitality, Gary Lavariere/The Berkshire Eagle, Kelly Binder/Doctor Sax House. Not pictured: Scott Short/Belvedere Lenox, Ericka Hangar/Berkshire Film and Media, Liz Albert/Liz Albert Strategic Fundraising, Alÿcia Bacon/Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Rachael Bentz/Arts in Recovery for Youth- AIRY, Cathy Crosky/Charter Oak Consulting Group, Jeff Gagnon/CATA, Michael Obasohan/City of Pittsfield.

As the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires celebrates 10 years of supporting our region’s nonprofit community, we’re marking the moment with our “$10 for 10 Years” campaign. Whether you give $10, add a zero, become a monthly donor, or simply share the campaign, you are helping build a stronger nonprofit ecosystem for the Berkshires.

 

Thank you for being part of our first 10 years—and the next.

 

We’re grateful for the generosity of our community. Donors to our $10 for 10 campaign are listed below and will be updated weekly.