3rd ANNUAL BERKSHIRE NONPROFIT AWARDS HELD MAY 19th, 2020
Youth Leadership
Raei Bridges/NAACP, Berkshire County Branch
Sara Rawson/Southern Berkshire Health Coalition
Alix Ziaja/ROOTS Northern Berkshire Teen Center
Unsung Hero
Sabrina Allard/Railroad Street Youth Project
Joe Gunn/Barrington Stage Company
Mary Jo Ramos/Berkshire Immigrant Center
Volunteer
Melissa Myers/Berkshire Community College Alumni Association
Judith Nardacci/Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention
David Russell/Barrington Stage Company
Rising Star
Sharron Frazier-McClain/Barrington Stage Company
Jenney Maloy/Stockbridge Library Association
Caroline Wheeler/Sisters for Peace
Board Leadership
Sue Doucette/Berkshire County Head Start Child Development Program Inc.
Ann Gallo/IS183 Art School
Arwen Lowbridge/WAM Theatre
Super Staffer
Dale Abrams/Mass Audubon Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries
Thasia Giles/Jacob’s Pillow Dance
Aleta Moncecchi/Berkshire Community Action Council
Executive Leadership
Edward Forfa/Berkshire Retirement Home, Inc.
Kathy Keeser/Louison House, Inc.
Maureen O’Connell Atwood/The Pediatric Development Center
Lifetime Achievement
Wray Gunn, Sr./Clinton Church Restoration, Inc.
The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires, in partnership with The Berkshire Eagle, presented the 3rd Annual Berkshire Nonprofit Awards on Tuesday, May 19th, 2020. The awards recognize people who work tirelessly in the nonprofit sector to serve the Berkshire community. State Representative William “Smitty” Pignatelli served as emcee.
“The nonprofit sector employs a quarter of our workforce,” said Liana Toscanini, founder of the Nonprofit Center. “It’s important to honor their commitment and accomplishments, especially in our community which has one of the highest number of nonprofits per capita in the Commonwealth.”
Nominations were solicited from across the Berkshires in eight categories: Executive Leadership, Board Leadership, Super Staffer, Unsung Hero, Volunteer, Rising Star and Lifetime Achievement. A new category, the Samya Rose Stumo Youth Leadership Award, honors the memory of the Sheffield native who lost her life on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March of 2019. The 24-year-old was en route to Kenya for nonprofit work in global health development. NPC board member and contemporary of Samya, Auric Enchill, was deeply affected by the tragedy and her commitment to nonprofit work and suggested naming the award in her honor.
22 honorees (three in each of 7 categories and one lifetime achievement) were selected by a committee of business and nonprofit leaders. The deadline for submissions was April 15, 2020.
The NPC is grateful to the sponsors for this celebratory event. Major support came from The Berkshire Eagle with additional support from Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Feigenbaum Foundation, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Lee Bank, The Triplex Cinema and Warrior Trading. Our NEW Breakfast Club Sponsors include: Lamme and Linscott, October Mountain Financial Advisors, Salisbury Bank and Trust Company, The Berkshire Edge and WSBS.
Deadline for submissions was April 15, 2020.