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Lori Venezia, a Dalton native, was hired as the town's new executive assistant.

Dalton Hires Executive Assistant to the Town Manager

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board has appointed Lori Venezia as the new executive assistant to the town manager. She started her role on Monday.
 
Venezia grew up in Dalton and still has family in the area. She said she has a strong childhood connection to the community and is interested in making sure it remains a safe and caring community.
 
"I think it'll help me be in their shoes and put myself in their position and share their feelings and share their concerns," she said. 
 
In this role, Venezia expressed her commitment to supporting the town manager by assisting them to ensure they are successful and meeting deadlines. 
 
She said she would keep the town manager informed of any issues, help with the organization of town meetings, and support the work of committees.
 
"I'm hoping to, you know, reintroduce myself to people, and I was just amazed at the different number of people that I'm going to get an opportunity to work with and the diversity in the work that there's going to be," Venezia said. 
 
"So, for example, interacting with the different committees, I think, is going to allow me to wear different hats and keep it interesting and enjoyable." 
 
The Select Board approved the appointment of Venezia during its meeting on Feb. 24. 
 
During the meeting, Venezia said she noticed that there is a lot of passion within the community. 
 
"I'm happy that a lot of that there's a lot of representation at the meeting. I think that's a good sign," she said. 
 
Venezia has worked in administrative support roles for more than 25 years, since her first job out of college at Mass Mutual as an administrative assistant in the human resources department. 
 
She has particularly worked in the nonprofit and health-care sectors, including Pioneer Valley United Way. 
 
She said she was driven to this career path because it presented an opportunity to utilize her skills, including her "strong" attention to detail, coordination, and project management.
 
When she moved from Springfield to Adams, she was looking for a local job opportunity and landed a position at a law firm as a legal assistant.
 
Venezia has a bachelor of science in human resource management from Western New England University. 
 
Although she has not worked in the government sector previously, she has experience as a liaison between Bay State Health and government officials.
 
In this role, she coordinated with government officials from her role supporting the Government and Community Relations team at Bay State Health.

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Pittsfield Extends Interim School Superintendent Contract

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips' employment has been extended to 2027

Last week, the School Committee approved an employment contract that runs through June 30, 2027.  Phillips was originally appointed to a one-year position that began on July 1 and runs through the end of the fiscal year in June 2026. 

"You didn't ask me simply to endure challenges or struggle to prove myself. Instead, you believe in me, you've given me the space to grow, the encouragement to stretch, and the expectation that I can truly soar," she said earlier in last Wednesday's meeting when addressing outgoing School Committee members. 

"You question, you poke, you prod, but not to tear anything down, but to make our work stronger, grounded in honesty, integrity, and hope. You've entrusted me with meaningful responsibility and welcomed me into the heart of this community. Serving you and leading our public schools has been, thus far, a joyful, renewing chapter in my life, and I want to thank you for this opportunity." 

Chair William Cameron reported that the extended contract includes a 3 percent cost-of-living increase in the second year and more specific guidelines for dismissal or disciplinary action. 

Phillips was selected out of two other applicants for the position in May. Former Superintendent Joseph Curtis retired at the end of the school year after more than 30 years with the district. 

The committee also approved an employment contract with Assistant Superintendent for CTE and Student Support Tammy Gage that runs through June 30, 2031. Cameron reported that there is an adjustment to the contract's first-year salary to account for new "substantive" responsibilities, and the last three years of the contract's pay are open to negotiation. 

The middle school restructuring, which was given the green light later that night, and the proposal to rebuild and consolidate Crosby Elementary School and Conte Community School on West Street, have been immediate action items in Phillips' tenure. 

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