Executive Director – Liana Toscanini
Associate Director – McCaela Donovan
Board Bios:
Samantha Anderson
Samantha is a strategic visionary with decades of experience in nonprofit management, philanthropy, impact investing, social entrepreneurship, and innovation. She helps organizations clarify their vision, plan strategically, and secure funding. As a wellness coach, she is passionate about guiding leaders to succeed without sacrificing their well-being, helping them navigate the demands of leadership while avoiding burnout.
Samantha holds a B.A. from Tufts University and an M.A. in U.S. Women’s History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach trained at the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, a Qoya Inspired Movement teacher, and an Usui Ryoho Reiki Master. Learn more about her work at Essential-Wholeness. She co-authored Beyond Resilience to Rootsilience: A Revolutionary Women’s Leadership Framework for Balance, Well-being, and Success (The Unbound Press, 2024) and co-edited Generating and Sustaining Nonprofit Earned Income: A Guide to Successful Enterprise Strategies (Jossey-Bass, 2004).
Samantha is thrilled to join the board of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires, where she looks forward to supporting local organizations in strengthening their impact and building sustainable strategies. Outside of her work, Samantha is the mother of six adult children who are thriving across the country. She treasures the times they visit her and her husband in the Berkshires. When not working, you’ll find her gardening, reading, or making herbal remedies — grounding herself in the rhythms of nature.
Kim Baker
Kim Baker is a Senior Account Executive at the Toole Insurance Agency. She has been with the agency for 20 years, focusing on their business clients, particularly nonprofits, working closely with them to understand their operations, risks, and goals. With that knowledge, she collaborates with her clients to design insurance and risk management programs specific to their needs. Kim is a graduate of Michigan State University and is a certified Worker Compensation Advisor. Kim has over twenty years of board experience, including Berkshire Business & Professional Women, where she served as chair for two years, the United Cerebral Palsy Board, Berkshire County Kid’s Place Board, and Berkshire Family and Individual Board, where she is currently the Co-Chair. This past board experience includes serving in various capacities. Kim is an avid runner completing several marathons, and very active in the community. She would love the opportunity to bring her work and non-profit board experience to NPC to continue its mission of helping to sustain non-profits within the Berkshires.
Brian Berkel (TREASURER)
Brian Berkel has spent most of his life in Berkshire County, where he and his wife, Jennifer, raised their two daughters and started a small business. Brian retired from the Massachusetts State Police as a Detective Lieutenant in 2021. During his 25 year career, he was involved with various local nonprofit organizations and volunteered as a mentor to at-risk youth through Big Brothers of Berkshire County and 18 Degrees. Affiliated with the Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention since 2009, he currently serves as the board President. He also serves as Treasurer on the board of Berkshire HorseWorks and for the Pittsfield Lions Club. He is a graduate of Berkshire Community College and Westfield State University. Having been drawn to the nonprofit sector in retirement, he has engaged in opportunities such as the Transformational Nonprofit Leadership Retreat at the Kripalu Center and the 1Berkshire Leadership Program, where he now sits on the BLP steering committee. Brian recognizes that the Berkshires are best served when nonprofit organizations collaborate to achieve their goals and realize their missions. He believes the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires can support that effort.
Cynthia Brown
Cynthia Brown (Cindy) is a lifelong educator and community-minded volunteer. Her professional career has been in higher education as a faculty member and administrator. She is currently Senior Associate Commissioner for Regulatory and Veterans Affairs at the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. She has a doctorate in U.S. history, and her scholarly publications have included co-editing the institutional history, Lesley University: Celebrating Excellence 1909-2009 (2011) as well as other book chapters and articles. She also researches and presents on Berkshires history and culture.
Serving the communities in which she lives and works has been a passion of hers. Cindy volunteers for and has been the president of the board of the Berkshire County Historical Society – Arrowhead. She also serves on the Executive Committee of BERK12, and was an Associate Member of Pittsfield’s Community Development Board. She recently signed a contract with American Ancestors to make her compiled research on Berkshires Black people available in a new (free) database that will be linked to the 10 Million Names project.
Cindy hopes her wide experience, commitment to service, and understanding of the connections between and among communities, organizations, and federal and local government will help advance the mission of the Center. She believes its work is more critical and timely than ever, and looks forward to a role in helping steward the organization.
Maggie Buchwald
Maggie Buchwald is a retired fundraising professional, specializing in areas of board development, major gifts, and strategic planning. During her career in New York, she held senior positions at American Ballet Theatre, WNET/Channel 13, and the NYU Medical Center, before establishing her own firm, consulting for arts organizations. She has taught professional workshops at the New School, the Arts and Business Council, and ART/New York.
A graduate of Cornell University, Maggie is active in community service, formerly in NYC and currently in the Berkshires. She has served as chair of the board of the Dicapo Opera Theatre and as president of Women in Development/New York. She is an active member of the board of the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, where she served as chair for six years.
She lives in North Egremont with her dog Banksy, who would like it known that he is a good boy.
Dr. Kevin Fleming, PhD
Kevin has 20 years of expertise in alumni engagement, non-profit management and teaching. He has led transformations of alumni boards of directors, overall alumni engagement and communications strategies, volunteer programs, signature events, staffing alignments, and cross-departmental collaborations at several institutions. An excellent meeting facilitator, he is also a thought leader in the areas of alumni engagement and fundraising, having authored a ground-breaking theory of alumni engagement in the peer-reviewed Journal of Philanthropy and Education, entitled “The Pots of Water Framework for Alumni Engagement.” He also served as a member of the Council and Support of Education (CASE) District I Board of Directors, and serves as the co-chair of the Horizon Issues Committee.
HARI KUMAR
Hari Stephen Kumar is the founder and CEO of Convivo, a training and coaching company with the mission of helping people connect by building authentic communication skills. He is a facilitator and storytelling coach who is passionate about creating transformative and joyful learning experiences. Hari brings 20+ years of expertise in training and facilitation across wide ranging careers in both academia and the tech industry, with graduate degrees in engineering (M.S. Boston University, 2000) and in communication (M.A. UMass Amherst, 2011). He has worked as an engineer and trainer at tech companies (MathWorks, Slack/Salesforce) and as a scholar and college instructor in the humanities and social sciences (UMass Amherst, Amherst College). In 2020, he founded VoPro Pros, a nationwide all-volunteer organization focused on voter protection, now over 2500 members strong. Hari is also an immigrant with routes and roots that include India, Yemen, Arizona, and 27 consecutive winters in New England. Hari is a volunteer with Berkshire Bounty, is an active member of the 1Berkshire Youth Leadership Program Steering Committee, and serves on the board of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires.
Cassey Santos-China (she/her)
Cass graduated from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts with an Interdisciplinary Studies Degree in Business Leadership. She has also completed several certificate programs specializing in Senior Services and End-of-Life doula work, currently she works as the Coordinator for Rainbow Seniors of Berkshire County, a 60+ group of LGBTQ+ seniors and their allies. Cass also serves Berkshire Pride as their President and Executive Director. Cass has learned so much from The Nonprofit Center of The Berkshires and truly believes in their mission and vision and would be proud to serve on the Board of Directors. She is celebrating her 10th year of marriage in 2023 and loves to travel with her wife and dachshund-terrier mix, George. She has recently become a first-time grandmother and spends much of her free time with her granddaughter Hazel. Cass truly sees the world in rainbows, glitter, tacos and tequila!
Emily Schiavoni
Emily is Community Outreach Coordinator for North Adams Public Schools. She had a role in the launching of TEDx North Adams and has been a strong advocate for Berkshire Nursing Families. She has also served on the boards of Louison House and Berkshire Family YMCA. Previously, held the role of Major Gifts Coordinator for Williams College, Director of Residence Life for Southern Vermont College, and Residence Director at MCLA. She lives with her husband Ben Lamb (of 1Berkshire) and two children in North Adams.
Tom Sharpe
Tom Sharpe is the Relationship Builder and Co-Founder of Mungy, a creative design studio that he operates with his partner, Susanna, in the Berkshires. He excels in identifying promising partnerships and nurturing them to yield lasting results. Drawing from his life experiences and building Mungy from scratch, Tom is dedicated to supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs. One of Mungy’s most recent projects is The Massachusetts Founders’ Network, a platform designed to provide startup founders across the state of MA with equitable access to resources essential for scaling their companies.
Laurie Werner
Laurie Werner has been working in nonprofit management and development since 1994, as both staff member and consultant, with a focus on capital and annual fundraising and organizational strategy. She was employed in senior fundraising positions at The Mount, MASS MoCA, and the Berkshire Museum. Prior to this, she was a research analyst in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and a marketing research director in the corporate sector where her experience included design and analysis of surveys, business strategy, and brand development. Laurie graduated from Barnard College (Columbia University), and has a Ph.D. in Economics from City University of New York Graduate Center. She is a resident of Pittsfield and is currently serving on the board of the Berkshire County Historical Society at Arrowhead.