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Dolan, Kisselbrock, and Manship
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Young and Farkas

BCC Announces New and Returning Staff

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Dolan, Kisselbrock, and Manship
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announced the addition of four new staff members and one employee returning to BCC.   
 
New hires 
 
Beth Dolan joins BCC as Executive Director of Human Resources. Prior to joining BCC, she had human resources leadership roles in health care, financial services and higher education. Previously, she was Chief Human Resources Officer for Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina and, more recently, she spent 16 years with Granite State College in New Hampshire. There, she was the Chief Human Resources Officer and also served as Vice President of Student & Administrative Services. Raised in the Berkshires, Dolan earned a bachelor of arts degree from Mount Holyoke College and a master's degree in administration from Boston University. She and her husband, Kevin, currently reside in Bennington, Vermont.  
 
Kim Kisselbrock joins BCC as Systems Analyst. Before coming to Berkshire Community College, she was the Director of Information Technology at Berkshire Country Day School for 15 years. With extensive experience in technology, Kisselbrock has previously served as a manager, database analyst, teacher and tutor. She is a certified Reiki Master and enjoys hiking, reading and writing.  She lives in Dalton with her husband George, daughter Kara and dog Scout.  Her son Joshua and his wife Sarah live nearby. 
 
Rebecca (Becky) Manship joins BCC's Human Resources Department as the Human Resources Coordinator. Previously, she was a City of Pittsfield employee for more than 15 years in the Parks and Recreation Department. Manship graduated with a bachelor of science degree from the University of New Hampshire in 2007. She lives in Pittsfield with her husband and dog and enjoys skiing, hiking, biking, kayaking and spending time with family. 
 
Casey Young joins BCC as Food Security Coordinator in congruency with Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA). She splits her time between BCC and MCLA, working with Student Affairs staff in both locations. A new resident of Pittsfield, Young recently graduated from MCLA with a bachelor of arts in History and Political Science and a minor in Behavioral Analysis. She has been an advocate for students in a variety of roles involving advocacy and programming efforts. Previously, she was a legal research intern for the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 
 
Returning to BCC 
Peter Farkas rejoins BCC as Associate Director of Workforce Development and Community Education. He previously held the same position from February to October 2022. Born and raised in Pittsfield, he has over seventeen years of workforce and community development experience, including developing, implementing and supervising grants at a MassHire Career Center and two MassHire Workforce Development Boards in Greater Boston. Farkas has strong experience in developing community partnerships and sector strategies to respond to the regional needs of industry. He holds an MBA from Suffolk University and a bachelor of arts degree from UMass Amherst. 

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Pittsfield to Decide Crosby/Conte Feasibility Study in October

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City and school officials are expected to vote on a feasibility study for the Crosby Elementary School rebuild by Halloween.

On Monday, Superintendent Joseph Curtis gave an overview of the study's timeline and components. It would determine the feasibility of rebuilding Conte Community School and Crosby on the West Street site with shared facilities.

"We at this point, do not know the feasibility study will actually occur," he told the Middle School Restructuring Committee.

"There has to be discussions of the School Building Needs Commission, who is actually meeting [Tuesday night], there has to be discussion with the School Committee, and then finally, approval by the City Council by roughly Oct. 31 to fund the feasibility study."

The study, estimated to cost about $1.5 million, is a part of the 80 percent reimbursable costs from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which accepted the project into its queue late last year.

The Crosby/Conte plan has the potential to house grades prekindergarten to first grade in one school and Grades 2 to 4 in another, with both maintaining their own identities and administrations.

Curtis explained that what begins now is a 270-day timeline with a "whole host of tasks" that have to be completed in that window.

"The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Feasibility Study is a key phase in the process of addressing the needs of public school buildings in Massachusetts. It is a collaborative effort between the MSBA and the participating school district to identify the most appropriate and cost-effective solution to a school facility problem," an overview provided by the Pittsfield Public Schools explains.

"The Feasibility Study ensures that the district and the MSBA have a well-researched and collaborative plan for addressing the school facility's needs. It provides a framework for designing a solution that signs with education goals, meets community expectations, and is financially responsible."

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