Child Care of the Berkshires' President and CEO Anne Nemetz-Carlson, seen at the agency's annual meeting in February, has been recognized as a 'Commonwealth Heroine.'
Child Care Leader Recognized by State Women's Commission
Jane Winn, seen in this file photo, was also nominated as a Commonwealth Heroine for her environmental efforts.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The COVID-19 pandemic presented unheard of challenges for non-profit service agencies.
North Adams-based Child Care of the Berkshires faced more issues than many. But it had a leader who was more than up to the task.
"It is one thing to handle an $1.8 million construction project but to do it during a pandemic with a staff working remotely … it's been remarkable the way she has been able to keep up the morale, keep up the energy and keep the contact with some of the most vulnerable people in the county," CCB Board Chair Liz Costley said Wednesday of agency President and CEO Anne Nemetz-Carlson.
For her decades of devotion to children and families throughout Berkshire County, Nemetz-Carlson was recognized Wednesday as a member of the 2020 Class of Commonwealth Heroines by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.
"Anne is a proven leader and most worthy of this recognition as she has had a positive impact upon hundreds of children and families in Berkshire County," said Rep. John Barrett III, D-North Adams, who nominated Nemetz-Carlson for the honor.
She is one of three Berkshire County residents recognized in the 17th year of the Heroines program.
Dalton's Cheryl Rose was honored for her work on town committees and non-profits that promote environmental protection, equality, justice and empowerment of all people. "She participates in our democracy in a way that is very rarely seen. She engages with elected officials at all levels and tries to understand the political and legislative process completely," according to the nomination from Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru.
Jane Winn of Pittsfield is the executive director of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team, but her achievements go above and beyond even what one thinks of as conventional environmentalism. " She understands that people suffer similar loss of livelihood, health, and habitat at the hands of powerful interests and she works hard to recruit from
and include this population in BEAT's effort to achieve an equitable and sustainable future," according to the nomination from Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield.
Nemetz-Carlson, a resident of Williamstown, has been the leader of Child Care of the Berkshires since 1983. In addition to her professional service to the community, she has volunteered as a member of the Williamstown School Committee and with non-profits the Massachusetts Association of Day Care and the Children's Trust Fund.
At Child Care of the Berkshires, she oversees a staff of 70 and a budget of nearly $5 million. The agency provides child care services in North Adams, Adams and Pittsfield and provides families with parent education, home visits from trained staff and a Healthy Families program designed for parents 20 and under.
Nemetz-Carlson's steady leadership at the helm of CCB has never been more vital than it has in the last four months, Costley said.
"We spent the last few months doing whole new online/virtual childcare and family programs, and now we're trying to transition to a whole new ‘normal,' which has its own set of anxieties and expenses," she said. "Change is just constant right now, and uncertainty is constant. With her calm, determined manner, people are starting to realize we're going to do this in a safe, thoughtful kind of way."
Costley said that Nemetz-Carlson would be the first one to deflect credit for her accomplishments to her staff but agreed that it's worth noting much of that staff was hired and trained by Nemetz-Carlson over the last four decades.
"I can't say enough about her administrative team, and she can't either, but she's involved with those choices and the fact that people stay," Costley said. "In a child care agency, turnover is usually pretty great, but, in general, we're able to retain people."
Stability across the board gives Costley and her board more confidence in an unstable time.
"The idea of bringing back children in this situation is a little daunting," she said. "But we just had a board meeting yesterday, and it's incredible the amount of thought that Anne and her team are putting into this. The state has guidelines, but everyone is still figuring it out on their own. It's been phenomenal to see her team at work.
"We're all nervous, but nervous is a good energy too, because people care so much and want it to go so well."
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Colegrove Park Recognized as Top 10 School Statewide in Attendance
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Superintendent Barbara Malkas, left, Colegrove Principal Amy Meehan, Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Dean of Students Jonathan Slocum pose with the Celtics basketball award on Friday.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year.
Tim Connor, assistant director for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's west and central district, arrived with a gold basketball signed by the champion team to reward the students for their achievement.
"An award like this doesn't come easy. It takes a lot of work from all of you, the students, the parents, and especially Ms. Meehan and her wonderful staff, so a big round of applause," said Mayor Jennifer Macksey, after leading the assembly in the gym to chants of "Colegrove rocks!" "I am so proud of this school and the community that all of you have built. So everyone should be really excited about today, and this is an excellent way to start your school."
Superintendent Barbara Malkas asked last year's fifth-graders at Colegrove to join her at the front of the gym for a special applause.
"When we track attendance of all the students in the whole district, these students have the highest attendance rate, the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the entire district," Malkas said. "While all Colegrove students have been recognized as attendance all-stars, these students led the way in being attendance all-stars, so let's give them one more round of applause."
Colegrove switched this year to house Grades 3 to 6, so some of the younger students who helped earn the award are now at Brayton Elementary. However, all three elementary schools open last year saw improvement in attendance.
Schools statewide have been working to reduce chronic absenteeism — the percentage of students missing 10 percent of the school year, or 18 days — which peaked during the pandemic.
Last week, the nonprofit held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a 900-square-foot wooden structure with a full foundation and a composting toilet. The excavation process began this week, and completion is expected in 2026.
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The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year. click for more