Miss Hall's School Appoints Director of Advancement

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Miss Hall's School has announced that Merritt Colaizzi of Williamstown has joined the school as its new director of advancement.

In her new role, Colaizzi will manage all aspects of the Miss Hall's Development Office, with responsibilities for the school's campaign, major gifts and planned giving programs, annual fund, and alumnae and parent engagement. She will also work closely with the MHS Board of Trustees and campaign volunteer leadership, and will serve as a vital member of the school's Leadership Team, reporting to Head of School Julia Heaton.

"I am very pleased to welcome Merritt to the Miss Hall's School community," Heaton said. "Merritt's experience as a fundraising professional, her natural leadership skills, and her background as a graduate of an all-girls' school make her an outstanding addition to Miss Hall's. Her talents working with individual donors, driving annual giving, and spearheading a comprehensive capital campaign add to the strength of the talented MHS Development team as we work boldly to advance the School’s ambitious goals."

With Colaizzi joining Miss Hall's, director of development and Alumnae Relations Diane Wortis will continue in that role, focusing her considerable expertise on major gift fundraising. Wortis, who joined MHS in 2008 and will report to Colaizzi, will continue to work with MHS donors in support of the school's strategic design and increasing alumnae engagement.

Colaizzi most recently served as director of development at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown. During her tenure at the Clark, she also held the positions of campaign director and director of major gifts. Previously, Colaizzi held leadership positions at SmartBrief, a Washington, D.C.-based media company, and Streetmail, a digital media company based in North Adams. Additionally, she played critical roles in the Williams College Program in Leadership Studies and in Trinity College's Cultural Programs in Italy. Herself the graduate of an all-girl, K-12 education at The Ellis School, in Pittsburgh, Colaizzi earned a B.A. in Art History from Trinity College and an M.A. from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.

She will join MHS on Feb. 1.

Pittsfield City Council Weighs in on 'Crisis' in Public Schools

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
08:59PM / Monday, December 23, 2024

A half-dozen people addressed the City Council from the floor of Monday's meeting, including Valerie Anderson, right.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After expressing anger and outrage and making numerous calls for accountability and transparency, the 11 members of the City Council on Monday voted to support the School Committee in seeking an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct by staff members at Pittsfield High School that have come to light in recent weeks.

 

At the close of a month that has seen three PHS administrators put on administrative leave, including one who was arrested on drug trafficking charges, the revelation that the district is facing a civil lawsuit over inappropriate conduct by a former teacher and that a staff member who left earlier in the year is also under investigation at his current workplace, the majority of the council felt compelled to speak up about the situation.

 

"While the City Council does not have jurisdiction over the schools … we have a duty to raise our voices and amplify your concerns and ensure this crisis is met with the urgency it demands," Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey said.

 

About two dozen community members attended the special meeting of the council, which had a single agenda item.

 

Four of the councilors precipitated the meeting with a motion that the council join the School Committee in its search for an investigation and that the council, "be included in the delivery of any disclosures, interim reports or findings submitted to the city."

 

Last week, the School Committee decided to launch that investigation. On Monday, City Council President Peter White said the School Committee has a meeting scheduled for Dec. 30 to authorize its chair to enter negotiations with the Springfield law firm of Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas to conduct that probe.

 

Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre, the principal author of the motion of support, was one of several members who noted that the investigation process will take time, and she, like Kavey, acknowledged that the council has no power over the public schools beyond its approval of the annual district budget.