NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Northern Berkshire Community Coalition is venturing south to hold its annual meeting in Adams for the first time. 

 

The Adams Theater, reopened and under renovation, will be the site of the 38th annual meeting on Friday, June 28, from 11:30 to 1:30. 

 

Executive Director Amber Besaw sees it as a way to demonstrate that the coalition is really about all of Northern Berkshires. 

 

"We're sort of trying to make sure that people know we serve the whole region by not only having them in North Adams," she said. 

 

NBCC held its annual gatherings at the old Williams Inn, as did so many other organizations, then switched to GreylockWorks in the city's West End when the hotel was demolished. 

 

That worked out but the coalition is eager to include another venue in a community that it serves. The keynote speaker will be Yina Moore, an architect and financier, who purchased the theater three years ago. Moore is working to make the theater a community and cultural hub in Adams. 

 

She's also invested in the Topia Inn, now called the Trail, behind the theater and other real estate in the area.  

 

The meeting will also honor founding board member and NBCC's "biggest champion," the late Steve Green, with the Northern Berkshire Hero Award. "You know he's our hero," said Besaw.

 

Berkshire Catering Co. is serving the light luncheon and the meeting will include a look back over the past year, plans for the coming year and updates on initiatives and on projects, such as NBCC's plans for its new home on State Street.   

Besaw and communications coordinator Suzy Helme said they got some input from staff that maybe the description of the event as a "meeting" doesn't communicate that the public is more than welcome to attend.

 

"We did get a little bit of some thoughts from some staff who are new. We call it our annual meeting. And so people in the community might feel like it's not a thing for them, but it's really a celebration of community," said Besaw. "This is an event that we hold every year but it's really a celebration of community and community members are invited to come."

 

Tickets are $30 per person, but scholarships are available by request. Register online here (preferably by June 21) or for questions or to register by phone: 413-663-7588.