North Adams Resident Appointed to Children's Trust

Print Story | Email Story
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced new leadership to the Board of Directors for the Children's Trust along with new appointments.
 
Included in the appoitments is Heidi Shartrand-Newell of North Adams.
 
According to a press release, Shartrand-Newell brings over a decade of experience in parenting support and building accessible communities. She has been an active member of The Family Center of Northern Berkshire since 2020 when she became a parent. Throughout her career, she has been involved in interconnected industries, including accessible education instruction, adult disability community support, accessible and inclusive photography, peer mentorship for school-aged children and youth, and higher educational support for students in recovery.
 
Kate Haranis, Founder of Haranis & Company, will serve as Board Chair, and Anna Lucey, Executive Vice President of Legislative and External Affairs for the New England Connectivity and Telecommunications Association (NECTA), as Vice Chair. The Children's Trust works to prevent child abuse and neglect in Massachusetts.
 
The Children's Trust has recently developed a new strategic plan to address the root causes of child abuse and neglect so that all Massachusetts families can thrive. Haranis and Lucey will be integral to this work by elevating the development of strong programs, family support workforce, communities, and policies.
 
As a public-private organization, the Children's Trust Board of Directors is composed of public officials and community representatives who guide the Children's Trust in its mission to prevent child abuse and neglect. The Children's Trust makes child abuse prevention possible by collaborating with family-serving organizations and investing in programming and innovations that address the root causes of child abuse and neglect. The Children's Trust also advocates for policies that support systems change by generating and sharing knowledge about protective factors proven to support children and families.
 
 

Tags: appointments,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Firm Chosen to Lead Study on 'Reconnecting' North Adams

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city has selected a Boston firm to lead the $750,000 feasibility study of the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
 
Stoss Landscape Urbanism and its partners are charged with providing North Adams options for addressing the failing overpass to create a more connected and thriving downtown.
 
"The city of North Adams is thrilled to be working with Stoss and their partners to make sure that we make inform decisions about our future and that we explore every  opportunity to remedy disconnected traffic patterns downtown caused, in large part, by the Route 2 Overpass. It is imperative that, unlike the Urban Renewal programs of the past, we do so in an inclusive, collaborative way." said Mayor Jennifer Macksey in a statement announcing the selection. "We are excited by the possibility that this collaboration among the city, Stoss, Mass MoCA and NBCC will result in a truly transformative project that will benefit of the people of North Adams, surrounding communities and visitors to the city."
 
The city partnered with Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art to apply for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act's Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. The program is providing a $1 billion over the next five years for planning, construction and technical grants for communities affected by past infrastructure projects. 
 
Connecting the city's massive museum and its struggling downtown has been a challenge for 25 years. A major impediment, all agree, is the decades old Central Artery project that sent a four-lane highway through the heart of the city. 
 
The 171-foot span is in dire need of repair and deemed "structurally deficient" after the most recent inspection by the state Department of Transportation. A set of jersey barriers narrows the four-lane highway to two lanes at the midpoint. The last time it was overhauled was in 1992 with the federal government and state picking up the $2.1 million tab.
 
The museum and city are seeking options that include its possible removal and a reconfiguration of that busy traffic area. 
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories