Berkshire Bank Appoints Farrell To Executive Team

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Former Berkshire Hills Bancorp Director Brings More Than 30 Years of Experience

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Berkshire Hills Bancorp (NASDAQ: BHLB) and its banking subsidiary, Berkshire Bank, has appointed former Board Director David B. Farrell to Executive Vice President, Integrated Services.

Farrell will be responsible for the company’s insurance and wealth management business lines, and their integration with the company’s other products and service offerings. These lines together produced 18 percent of the company’s total revenues in 2008, and Berkshire is actively pursuing expansion of these and related services through acquisitions and organic growth throughout its footprint. 

Farrell has extensive experience with Berkshire and a deep understanding of the company’s business. He has been a director of Berkshire Hills Bancorp since 2005 and also, a consultant who assisted with brand integration and expansion strategies for these business lines. In conjunction with his appointment as Executive Vice President, Mr. Farrell has resigned from his position as a director of the Company and Berkshire Bank.

“Dave Farrell has served Berkshire well as a director and most recently as a consultant. He has tremendous experience in building and managing sales and service cultures,” said Daly. “Berkshire has a great opportunity to develop our integrated financial service lines in our expanding regional markets, and to identify acquisition opportunities to further build market share. We look forward to Dave’s contribution in this new role with our executive team”

Farrell was previously a Division President with TJX Companies. Prior to that he was EVP and CFO of KB Toys, a division of the former Melville Corporation now known as CVS/Caremark. A longtime Berkshire County resident with deep ties to the community, Farrell resides in Sheffield with his wife Mary and two teenagers, Molly and Jake.

Background

Berkshire Hills Bancorp is headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It has approximately $2.7 billion in assets and is the parent of Berkshire Bank - America's Most Exciting BankSM.  Berkshire provides personal and business banking, insurance, wealth management, and investment services through 48 banking and insurance financial centers in western Massachusetts, northeastern New York, and southern Vermont. Berkshire Bank also offers the added benefit of providing its depositors 100 percent insurance protection, regardless of amount, based on a combination of FDIC insurance and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). For more information, visit www.berkshirebank.com or call 800-773-5601.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.

Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.

The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.

Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is  appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.

Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.

Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.

Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.

The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.

The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.

Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.

Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years. 

He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.

Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.

Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve  a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.

Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.

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