Paul Mark Appointed to Cultural Economy Advisory Council

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BOSTON — The Healey Driscoll Administration appointed members of the Cultural Economy Advisory Council.
 
The group is comprised of public and private sector stakeholders charged with exploring policies that support artists and cultural organizations, examining ways to create economic opportunities in the arts and culture sector, and promoting cultural equity in the arts. Governor Healey established the council earlier this year to bolster Massachusetts' creative economy, which adds $27 billion to the state economy each year and supports 135,000 jobs across the state. 
 
"We are excited to kick off this effort to support our cultural economy, particularly as Massachusetts cultural and arts organizations host festivities celebrating the 250th anniversary of America's founding as part of our Massachusetts 250 initiative over the next two years,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Thank you to these council members who will help our administration identify ways to support artists and drive economic opportunity for this important sector." 
 
The council consists of representatives of the creative tourism community, performing arts sector, and state and local government and is co-chaired by Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao and Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Executive Director Kate Fox. The Council will work in close partnership with the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the state's arts agency charged with bolstering the creative and cultural sector and will present recommendations for cultural development and jobs growth to Governor Healey.  
 
Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council Members: 
  • Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao (Co-Chair) 
  • Kate Fox, Executive Director, Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (Co-Chair) 
  • Michael Bobbitt, Executive Director, Massachusetts Cultural Council 
  • Tiffancy Allecia, Executive Director, Springfield Creative City Collective 
  • Luke Blackadar, Deputy Director, Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston 
  • Representative Mindy Domb, House Chair, Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development 
  • Magie Gaipo-Scott, Senior Director, Government Affairs & Legal Affairs, Museum of Fine Arts Boston 
  • Deborah Hall, Executive Director, YWCA of Central Massachusetts 
  • Candace "Lee" Heald, AHA! New Bedford 
  • Joyce Linehan, Assistant to the President for Special Projects, Massachusetts College of Art and Design 
  • Senator Paul Mark, Senate Chair, Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development 
  • Ming Min Hui, Executive Director, Boston Ballet 
  • Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Peabody Essex Museum 
  • Emily Ruddock, Executive Director, MassCreative  
  • Lindsey Schmid, Director of Marketing, 1Berkshire 
  • Annis Sengupta, Director of Arts and Culture, Metropolitan Area Planning Council  
  • Chad Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Boston Symphony Orchestra 
  • Julie Wake, Executive Director at Arts Foundation of Cape Cod 

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BRPC Outlines Busy Year Addressing Region's Needs

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Executive Director Thomas Matuszko highlights the work the commission as done this past year at BRPC's annual meeting.

RICHMOND, Mass.— Berkshire Regional Planning Commission had a busy year addressing the region's needs through a dozen cross-cutting programs.

"We really are out of the COVID era and have gotten into a real routine working with our communities and other organizations," Executive Director Thomas Matuszko said.

Community members filled the barn at Balderdash Winery on Wednesday for BRPC's annual meeting.  The regional planning agency closed fiscal year 2024 with a revenue increase of nearly $858,000 over the previous year, and a total income of more than $6.9 million from grants, local organizations, and nonprofit agreements.

State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli was given the Kusik Award for making outstanding contributions to planning in Berkshire County and Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Edward Augustus spoke about the Healey-Driscoll administration's $5.1 billion Affordable Homes Act.

Both commended BRPC on the dizzying amount of work it puts into the county.

"I'm exhausted just listening to all of the things that you're working on," Augustus said. "It's incredible, the breadth of topics and certainly the breadth of communities that you're working in."

Similarly, Pignatelli said, "You are the only countywide organization that has their fingerprints and footprints in every single community in Berkshire County."

The annual Kusik Award is named in honor of the late Charles Kusik, a Richmond resident who placed his expert imprint on the zoning bylaws of nearly every town in the Berkshires for over three decades.  

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