BCC to hold info session on Cannabis Industry Certificate
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will hold a virtual information session about its new Cannabis Industry Certificate program, on Wednesday, April 20 at 4:20 p.m. The session will be held via Zoom; to register, visit the BCC website.
The Cannabis Industry Certificate is designed to provide students with applicable skills and knowledge to work professionally in the areas of cannabis cultivation, processing, preparation, retail, and outreach. Courses in the program include business, communication, biopsychology and botany, along with an on-site industry practicum. Students must be least 21 years of age at the time of enrollment.
In Massachusetts, medical cannabis was legalized in 2012, followed by the legalization of recreational cannabis in 2016. Today, it is a $1.4 billion business in the Commonwealth, with salaries in the industry averaging $67,878.
For more information about the certificate program, call 413- 236-1630.
—A.K.
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1Berkshire announces new staff, board members, translation project
PITTSFIELD — 1Berkshire recently added two staff members to its marketing team and promoted four other staff members. Earlier this year, the organization also added five new board members.
New Hires: Amanda Alibozek has been appointed as the Digital Marketing Assistant. In this role, she will execute ecommunications, maintain the 1berkshire.com and berkshires.org websites, and manage the social media platforms. She brings with her experience in administrative and advancement roles, having served most recently in donor engagement for MCLA.
Cathleen King has assumed the role of Marketing Coordinator. In her position, she will support advertising schedules, membership and online events listings for both websites, assist with printed collateral programs, and will write blog posts of regional interest. King has experience in education and administration, and most recently worked for the City of North Adams.
Promotions: Lindsey Schmid has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Tourism & Marketing; Elizabeth Nelson has moved into the role of Director of Marketing; Kevin Pink is the new Deputy Director of Economic Development; and Katie Brelsford is now the Vice President of Finance.
Board Additions: The 1Berkshire Board has added Leigh Davis, director of development at Construct and vice chair of the Great Barrington Selectboard; Michelle Lopez, executive director of the Berkshire Immigrant Center; Alfred Enchill, president and manager of Elegant Stitches; Sue Kristjansson, president and COO of Berkshire Gas Company; and Barbara Guido, senior vice president of retail banking for Adams Community Bank
1Berkshire also recently announced that it has begun a several-months-long project to collect materials and resources focused on entrepreneurial resources and guidance in the region, and have them translated into Spanish. This effort, in partnership with the Berkshire Immigrant Center (BIC) and Berkshire Language Management (BLM), aims to help increase the accessibility of key information, resources, and marketing materials for Spanish-speaking businesses and entrepreneurs in the region.
Through the research period of the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0, it was noted that our immigrant population was the most rapidly growing population in the region, increasing by over 25% in the 10 years between 2007 and 2017. With the national trends indicating that immigrants are some of the most motivated and active communities of entrepreneurs and small business owners, 1Berkshire has been actively working with the BIC for more than two years to navigate opportunities and resources to support the needs of this critical group.
Over the next few months, 1Berkshire will work with its collaborative partners and fellow entrepreneurial support programs in the Berkshires to pull together the most critical resources to be translated. From there, translation experts from BIC and BLM will help get the documents and audio translated into Spanish, and potentially additional languages as capacity allows.
1Berkshire looks forward to sharing these materials in the coming months, and invites individuals, businesses, and entrepreneurial support partners in the region to feel free to reach out to the Economic Development team at [email protected] if they have thoughts or needs that could be supported by this endeavor.
—A.K.
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Salisbury Bank announces 2022 scholarship program
LAKEVILLE, Conn. — Salisbury Bank announces the start of its annual Time to Shine Scholarship Program. The Bank created the program in 2009 to assist students who have a proven financial need and who are already making a difference in their communities. Multiple scholarships may be awarded for up to $1,500 each to assist eligible students seeking a college degree in a variety of programs. Ideal candidates will be students of academic achievement who possess a variety of interests and leadership experience, show consistent community involvement, and have a desire to make their world a better place.
Eligible students must be residents of Dutchess, Orange, or Ulster County, New York; Berkshire County, Massachusetts; or Litchfield County, Connecticut. Applicants must be currently enrolled in a public high school, vocational, technical, or private school, be a homeschool student affiliated with such a school, or be a graduate or GED recipient entering their first year of college.
Applicants must be planning to enter an accredited college or university as a first-year undergraduate student for the 2022/23 academic year. Applicants will be evaluated according to a 100-point system that takes into account financial need, academic achievement, community service, volunteerism, and leadership.
All applications must be submitted online. The Scholarship Committee must receive complete applications and transcripts by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. For detailed information about the scholarship program and documents checklist, visit the Bank’s website or contact Megan Snow at 860-453-3555 or [email protected]
—A.K.
