Williams College Museum of Art staffing update
Williamstown— Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) has appointed Devon Nowlin as Deputy Director for Operations and Art Services.
Nowlin came to Williams College in 2023 as the museum project manager of the new WCMA building, currently under construction and scheduled to open in the fall of 2027. Before that, she was Collection Manager and Museum Renovation Coordinator at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas. She holds an MFA in painting from Texas Christian University and worked in the field of public art in Texas for 20 years as a commissioned artist and contract project manager to help realize the public works of other artists.
This important new role at WCMA brings together in one division, under Nowlin’s leadership, the collections and exhibitions management team, operations, security and visitor services, and facilities and events.
“Devon Nowlin brings a unique combination of detailed knowledge of the new WCMA design and deep experience with the complex operations of art museums, and will be essential to realizing the full opportunity of our new state-of-the-art, purpose-built building,” said Pamela Franks, the Class of 1956 Director of WCMA. “Every aspect of the museum building project advances WCMA’s teaching mission, and Devon is ideally positioned to translate that potential into practice.”
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Beacon Financial staffing update
Pittsfield— Beacon Financial, holding company of Beacon Bank, has appointed Gary Levante as Chief Marketing Officer.
In this role, he will lead all aspects of the brand strategy, marketing, communications and public affairs and is responsible for advancing the company’s strategic goals by establishing Beacon’s new brand, deepening client engagement and delivering integrated marketing and communications programs. He will work closely with other members of the leadership team and board to strengthen the brand and deepen Beacon’s connection to its employees, clients and broader communities. Most recently, Levante served as Chief Communication & Sustainability Officer of Berkshire Bank which he joined in 2010.
“Gary’s extensive subject matter expertise, ability to drive business growth, navigate complex topics, build high-performing teams, and deep understanding of our business, clients and communities make him the ideal choice for this critical executive role,” said Beacon Bank President and CEO Paul Perrault.
Levante serves in many community positions including chairperson for the national nonprofit America’s Charities, member of the Massachusetts Bankers Association State Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Committee, trustee with the bank’s foundation, board member of Berkshire Omega, and vice chair of the City of Pittsfield Community Development Board.
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Berkshire Workforce Board board update
Pittsfield— Berkshire Workforce Board has announced the appointment of Maureen McLaughlin, Vice President of Operations & Strategy and Chief of Staff at Mill Town Capital, as its newest Board member.
In her dual executive role, McLaughlin leads operational and strategic initiatives across Mill Town Capital’s recreation and hospitality portfolio, with full P&L responsibility. She also serves as a trusted advisor to CEO Tim Burke, supporting capital planning, organizational strategy, human resources, and community impact efforts. Her work emphasizes connecting business growth to the needs of local communities across the Berkshires.
Prior to joining Mill Town Capital, McLaughlin served as Director of Strategic Initiatives at Berkshire Community College, where she led the institution’s five-year strategic plan and served as Interim Executive Director of Workforce Development. In that role, she advanced sector-aligned programming to better meet regional workforce needs. Her earlier career includes executive positions at Open Environment Corporation, BrainSell Technologies, and MDL Consulting.
McLaughlin holds a Doctor of Education in Leadership in Education from Endicott College, an MBA from University of Rochester, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Bentley University. She is also a published author on human-centered design in higher education and a strong advocate for equity, community access, and economic opportunity in the Berkshires.
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Literacy Network board update
Lee— Literacy Network (LitNet) has announced the additions of Jeanne Lemlin and Marcy Mann to its Board of Directors. Lemlin and Mann, both retired educators, are volunteer tutors with LitNet and have been serving on the organization’s Education Committee since 2024.
Jeanne Lemlin is the James Beard award winning author of five cookbooks, a former cooking instructor at the New School Cooking Center in Manhattan, and has written many articles for Gourmet Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Cooking Light, and Country Journal. After immersing herself in the world of food for over 25 years, Lemlin then became a high school English teacher at Mount Everett Regional High School, where she shared her love of literature and language. Lemlin was awarded Teacher of the Year in her school’s district. She has been an active LitNet tutor since 2022, serves as a mentor tutor, and leads tutor training workshops for LitNet tutors.
Marcy Mann’s first career was as a Spanish teacher in Los Angeles and New York City, which led her to pursue her master’s degree in Developmental Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, with a concentration in adolescent development. Mann proceeded to serve in senior administrative roles over the course of a long career at various New York City independent schools. Most recently, she was the Associate Director for Professional Learning at the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) where she planned and executed in-person and online professional development programs for teachers and administrators across the state. In addition, Mann co-founded and directed the Emerging Leaders Institute at NYSAIS, a 2-year program for aspiring school leaders. Mann has been a LitNet tutor since 2023, has taught several group classes for LitNet learners, and has participated in planning and leading tutor training workshops.
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Fairview Hospital awarded
Great Barrington— Berkshire Health Systems has announced that Fairview Hospital was recently named one of the “Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals” (CAHs) for overall performance in the country.
The top 20 CAHs have achieved success in overall performance based on a composite rating from eight indices of strength: inpatient market share, outpatient market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and finance. This group was selected from the Chartis Center for Rural Health’s 2026 top 100 CAH list, which was released earlier this year.
The top 20 CAH best practice recipients have achieved success in one of two key areas of performance including the quality index, rating of hospital performance based on the percentile rank across rural-relevant process of care measures; and the patient perspective index, a rating of hospital performance based on the percentile rank across all domains.
“Berkshire Health Systems is proud of the efforts of the many Fairview providers and staff who have all contributed to the achievement of this remarkable designation,” said Anthony Scibelli, BHS Vice President and Fairview Chief Operating Officer. “Our results as a top overall hospital means our community can count on us to deliver the exceptional care and services our patients expect and deserve, now and in the future.”
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BHS Hospitals awarded
Pittsfield— Berkshire Health Systems has announced that all three of its hospitals have been awarded Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
Fairview Hospital recently was awarded renewed accreditation and has been accredited since 2022. North Adams Regional Hospital, which reopened in 2024 as a Critical Access Hospital, received accreditation in late 2025. Berkshire Medical Center has been accredited since 2023. All three hospitals were awarded Bronze Level Accreditation for three years.
The GEDA program is the culmination of years of progress in emergency care of older adults. In 2014, ACEP along with the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Emergency Nurses Association, and American Geriatrics Society, developed and released geriatric ED guidelines, recommending measures ranging from adding geriatric-friendly equipment to specialized staff to more routine screening for delirium, dementia, and fall risk, among other vulnerabilities.
“Our Emergency Departments are often the front lines of care for our senior population, and this accreditation exemplifies our commitment to the highest level of care,” said Darlene Rodowicz, Berkshire Health Systems President and CEO. “The Berkshires has a significantly higher than average number of senior patients compared to much of the rest of the Commonwealth, and I applaud the providers in our Emergency Departments for their team-based approach to care that has led to these accreditations.”
