Shakespeare & Company welcomes Janet Egelhofer as Director of Development

10:04AM / Monday, May 07, 2007Print Story | Email Story

Lenox, MA - As the company gears up for its 30th Anniversary season, Shakespeare & Company's Executive Director Mark W. Jones, and Artistic Director Tina Packer welcome Janet Egelhofer as the Company's new Director of Development. Ms. Egelhofer replaces former Development Director Susan Bronson who stepped down earlier this year. S&Co opens the summer season May 25th with Tom Stoppard's comedy Rough Crossing directed by Kevin G. Coleman. Please call the box office at 413-637-3353, or visit www.shakespeare.org for tickets or to request a season brochure. Ms. Egelhofer comes to Shakespeare & Company from The Williston Northampton School where she worked since 1994, first as the Director of Parent Leadership Giving and Parent Relations, then as the Director of the Annual Fund which saw an increase in giving from $575,000 to $1.2 million over four years. During her recent tenure as Senior Major Gifts Officer, the school began a five-year $36 million endowment campaign, the first the school had undertaken. She traveled the country meeting Williston alumni, parents and friends of the school raising awareness and cultivating their interest in the campaign. In previous years, she also held positions at The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Brown University and The Boston Consulting Group Inc. in fundraising, communications, public relations, volunteer management and event planning. "We are extremely pleased to have Janet on-board with us," said Jones. "Tina, our Board of Directors and key staff members invested a considerable amount of time and energy in finding exactly the right person for this position, and I know that I speak on behalf of the entire Company when I say that we have found the perfect match. It was a unanimous decision to bring Janet on board, and it is particularly heartening that she has been a long-time supporter and friend of Shakespeare & Company." From 1989 to 1994, in the years prior to the explosion of the internet, Janet owned and operated Janet Egelhofer Rare Books. She enjoyed hunting though old barns and antique markets for unique finds and participating in large book fairs like NYC's New York is Book Country each September. Her background also includes a long history of volunteerism near her primary residence in Holyoke, including The Junior League, The YMCA, The United Way, The League of Women Voters, The Children's Museum, The Holyoke Public Library, The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, and Providence Ministries for the Needy. Janet and her husband John have two children who live in New York City. "Janet comes to us at a time when we are about to embark on some exciting changes, challenges and growth for the organization," says Packer. "How delightful it is for us to have someone with Janet's fundraising experience who also has a passion for Shakespeare, literature, education and community." In order to take better advantage of the exciting arts offerings in the Berkshires, the Egelhofer's recently purchased a second home in Winden Hill on Old Stockbridge Road. Shortly after, she heard about the opening at Shakespeare & Company: "When I accepted the position, the response from many of my friends was, but you've been saying for years that that's your dream job! And it is, says Egelhofer. "I am delighted to be living my dream here in this exciting, vibrant organization as it Celebrates the Dream on its 30th Anniversary, bringing first rate performance and education programs to admiring fans, such as myself."

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Pittsfield Cannabis Cultivator Plans Dispensary

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:57PM / Friday, December 26, 2025

PITTSFIELD. Mass. — A cannabis cultivator and manufacturer has opted to sell its products on site in Downing Parkway.

The Zoning Board of Appeals this month approved a special permit for J-B.A.M. Inc. to operate a dispensary out of its existing grow facility. There will only be changes to the interior of 71 Downing Parkway, as there will be less than 500 square feet of retail space in the 20,000-square-foot building.

"My only concern would be the impact, and really would be traffic, which I don't think is excessive, the odor, if there was one, but that doesn't seem to be an issue, and I think it's a good location for a marijuana facility," board member Thomas Goggins said.

The company's indoor cultivation site plan was approved in 2019, an amendment to add manufacturing and processing in 2021, and on the prior day, a new site plan to add a retail dispensary was approved by the Community Development Board.

J-B.A.M. cannabis products are available in local dispensaries.

The interior of the facility will be divided to accommodate an enclosed check-in area, front entrance, retail lobby, secure storage room, offices, and two bathrooms. There are 27 parking spaces for the facility, which is sufficient for the use.

No medical or recreational cannabis uses are permitted within 500 feet of a school or daycare, a setback that is met, and the space is within an industrial park at the end of a cul-de-sac.

"The applicant desires the restructuring of the business to be more competitive in the industry with the ability to grow and sell their own cannabis products so they have more financial stability," Chair Albert Ingegni III, read from the application.

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