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Biz Briefs: Nonprofit Leaders Participate in Training
12:54PM / Monday, May 16, 2016
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Area nonprofit leaders participated in Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s 2016 Nonprofit Leadership Institute.

Leading the way: Four Berkshire County nonprofit leaders participated in Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s 2016 Nonprofit Leadership Institute, a collaborative and peer-learning program for executive directors across the region to strengthen their leadership and management skills.

Facilitated by veteran consultant Janet André Block, the program includes small group meetings for five full days, followed by two full days of personalized coaching and consulting for each participant.

The Nonprofit Leadership Institute is made possible through the generosity of individual donors and four Berkshire Taconic area funds.

Participating were Nick Pohl, Housatonic Youth Service Bureau; Rosalie Girard, Berkshire Nursing Families; Janet André Block; Carolyn Valli, Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity; Gwendolyn VanSant, Multicultural BRIDGE; Ananda Timpane, Railroad Street Youth Project; Beth St. Dennis, Family Resource Centers of Columbia County; and Kassel Nightt, BTCF's program associate. Seated from left: Erica Joncyk, David M. Hunt Library; and Jenny Hansell, North East Community Center.

 

Radio retirement: WBRK is announcing that longtime Pittsfield radio personality and morning show host, Rick Beltaire is retiring at the end of this week, May 2.

Beltaire has been waking-up Berkshire County radio listeners since 1980 with music, news, information and his unique sense of humor. After growing up in Cleveland- where he became a di hard Browns fan- and graduating from Williams College, he began his radio career at WBEC in 1974 before taking a job at WCOD on Cape Cod in 1977. Missing the Berkshires, he returned to Pittsfield to become WBEC’s morning show host in 1980, replacing longtime radio personality Bob Cudmore.
 
Beltaire joined the ownership group that purchased WBRK in 1984, where he assumed the role of vice president of Programming, continuing his popular morning show on WBRK 1340-AM into this year.
 
In making the announcement, Chip Hodgkins, president of WBRK, said, “It is easy to throw the word 'great' around, but in Rick’s case it’s an accurate statement. He’s truly been an icon of Berkshire County radio and an iron man as well. His 30-plus years in the morning drive slot keeping all of us informed and entertained is an incredible accomplishment.”


At the pinnacle: Berkshire Bank has won a PINE Pinnacle Award for the 2014 Annual Report.

Printing Industries of New England (PINE) holds an annual Awards of Excellence event in order to recognize the quality within the New England realm of printing. Companies from across the region submit work in categories such as Best Annual Report, Direct Mail Campaign and Media Kits.      

Berkshire Bank has received the PINE Pinnacle Award (the highest honor) in the Division II Category, 2014 Annual Reports for the Berkshire Hills Bancorp 2014 Summary Annual Report. This award is given to the most exceptional entry and must be flawless.

Award recipients were presented with a hand-blown glass medallion from Simon Pearce, engraved with the honorable bestowment.


Heart this: The second annual Dine to Your Heart’s Delight — a week-long “shop local” week, $10,000 Save a Heart Cash Raffle, and upscale dance party — raised more than $17,000 for heart health programs and education at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

Twenty local businesses participated in the event by donating a portion of their proceeds from the week of April 1-8. Gold level sponsors included the Taconic Hotel in Manchester, Pangaea Restaurant in North Bennington, The Elm Street Market in Bennington, Time for Yourself LLC, and the Four Chimneys Inn in Bennington.

For information about attending or supporting next year’s Dine to Your Heart’s Delight event, contact the SVHC Foundation at 802-447-5017.


Investing in CDCSB: The state has awarded the Community Development Corporation of the Southern Berkshire (CDCSB) $50,000 in Community Investment Tax Credits.

These provide a 50 percent tax credit or cash refund to individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations for donations of $1000 or greater. The tax credits will enable CDCSB to raise $100,000 to help achieve its mission to create affordable housing and economic opportunity in building healthy and sustainable communities.

“This program encourages private investment in CDCs, increasing their capacity and ability to work with public, private and nonprofit organizations to execute a wide variety of programs,” Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said. “Our local CDCs lay the foundation for strong communities, and these incentives encourage collaboration with private stakeholders.”
 
Over the last three years, CDCSB has been awarded a total of $175,000 in Community Investment Tax Credits. Many local businesses and individuals took advantage of the tax credits in 2014 and 2015, receiving a direct credit on their Massachusetts taxes and a deduction on their federal taxes. These donations then support the work of the CDCSB as they create jobs and develop housing for low and moderate income members of the community.  

Entities without a Massachusetts tax liability receive a cash refund from the State. Current projects include 100 Bridge Street, Great Barrington, a mixed-use commercial and residential development that includes 45 new affordable apartments, and Sawmill Brook in Lenox, a site purchased by the Town of Lenox for affordable housing.

 

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