Berkshire United Way Welcomes Seven New Board Members to Board
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire United Way (BUW) Board of Directors has appointed seven new members: Arthur Milano, Beth Mitchell, Tiffany Moreno, Michael Obasohan, Timothy O'Donnell, Kristin Pedrotti and Stephanie Storie.
"The BUW board looks forward to working closely with these talented and dedicated community members to support and advance the work of this great organization. We appreciate the diverse backgrounds and experiences they each bring to the table," said Laurie Gallagher, board chair.
Milano has over 40 years of experience in the human resources field in banking and healthcare, including 29 years as the chief human resources officer at Berkshire Health Systems (BHS). He has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Northeastern University and an MBA from Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University. Milano returns to BUW, having served on the board from 2012-2018, as well as several committees. As the principal consultant at Milano HR Consulting, BUW tapped him to assist with the president and CEO search in 2018 and again in 2021.
Mitchell is the senior director of integration at General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS). She has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Boston University and has held numerous leadership positions over her 38-year engineering career. Mitchell has served on several local and state boards and committees, including Girls Inc. of the Berkshires, from which she is a recipient of the "She Knows Where She's Going" award. She has mentored young adults who want to enter the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields and won the "Advocating Women in Engineering Award" from the Society of Women Engineers in 2016. In 2021, she joined the Massachusetts Business Coalition for Early Childhood Education. Mitchell is a former member of the BUW Community Impact Committee and was a member of the Face the Facts: Reduce Teen Pregnancy initiative work group.
Moreno is the instructional program manager for health and social assistance at Berkshire Community College (BCC). She has years of experience working as a phlebotomist and lab technician at Ellis Hospital in New York, Berkshire Health Systems and the UltraWellness Center. Moreno is in the process of obtaining her associate's degree in psychology at BCC. She has joined Latinas413 as a mentor to connect with younger Latinas in the community and was a guest speaker for a webinar on Advancing Health Equity Among Hispanic/Latino Populations – broadcast in Spanish and nationwide for the Health Resources and Services Administration.
As the chief diversity officer for the City of Pittsfield, Obasohan pioneered the integration and development of the city's first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) department, and established Pittsfield's DEI Ambassador Program. He previously was an academic counselor at BCC and before that assistant director of student activities, assistant director of diversity programs and multicultural education, and associate director of college readiness and success at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA). Obasohan earned a bachelor's degree in arts management from MCLA and a higher education master's degree in general administration from Bay Path University. He remains involved at MCLA teaching DEI-related courses and currently serves on the boards and commissions of Multicultural BRIDGE, Roots Teen Center, MASS MoCA Commission and Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
O'Donnell, a native of Pittsfield, is head of distribution sales compensation administration for the Individual Markets division at Guardian Life, where he has served in various leadership roles since 2014. He previously worked in national ad sales for many years at NBCUniversal, Inc. He is a graduate of Boston College. O'Donnell served twice as BUW's employee campaign coordinator for Guardian Life's campaign and up until this year, served on the Downtown Pittsfield Inc. board for eight years.
Pedrotti is the senior vice president controller at Berkshire Bank and a certified public accountant. She previously held financial positions at SABIC and PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLC. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Pedrotti served as secretary for the Williams Elementary PTO and has participated in "Xtraordinary Day," Berkshire Bank's annual day of service.
Storie is a library associate at Lenox Library and previously held engineering positions at General Dynamics Mission Systems. She concurrently owns a small art business and is a certified birth doula. She earned her bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Union College and a master's degree in engineering management at George Washington University. While at GDMS, Storie was a member and then lead of the Engineering Culture Team, served on the Employee Engagement Committee, contributed to the success and continuation of the High School Design Competition, and was a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Team. She earned a GDMS Mission Excellence Award five years in a row. She is a 2018 graduate of the Berkshire Leadership Program and currently serves on the Pittsfield Conservation Commission.
"We're excited to welcome these phenomenal new directors to the BUW Board. Their knowledge and experience as well as their enthusiasm for our mission and vision of a community where everyone can thrive will help strengthen and deepen our positive impact in the community," said BUW President and CEO Tom Bernard.
The new members join a board led by Gallagher (community volunteer), Vice Chair Krystle Blake (GDMS), Treasurer Jaime Campbell (Williams College) and Clerk Rachel Melendez Mabee (Greylock Federal Credit Union) and will work alongside members Teri Billington (GDMS), Henry Botzum (Widex), Dr. Bill DeMarco (BHS), Barbara Guido (Adams Community Bank), David Harrington (Lee Bank), Brian Horan (Horan Law LLC), Matthew Kirchner (Pittsfield Police Department), Melissa Orazio (Hillcrest Educational Centers), David Reinhart (community volunteer) and Daltrey Turner (Austen Riggs Center). BUW thanks outgoing members Pat Callahan, Chris Montferret and Michael Stoddard for their dedicated service on the board and support of the organization.
