DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board has appointed Lori Venezia as the new executive assistant to the town manager. She started her role on Monday.
Venezia grew up in Dalton and still has family in the area. She said she has a strong childhood connection to the community and is interested in making sure it remains a safe and caring community.
"I think it'll help me be in their shoes and put myself in their position and share their feelings and share their concerns," she said.
In this role, Venezia expressed her commitment to supporting the town manager by assisting them to ensure they are successful and meeting deadlines.
She said she would keep the town manager informed of any issues, help with the organization of town meetings, and support the work of committees.
"I'm hoping to, you know, reintroduce myself to people, and I was just amazed at the different number of people that I'm going to get an opportunity to work with and the diversity in the work that there's going to be," Venezia said.
"So, for example, interacting with the different committees, I think, is going to allow me to wear different hats and keep it interesting and enjoyable."
The Select Board approved the appointment of Venezia during its meeting on Feb. 24.
During the meeting, Venezia said she noticed that there is a lot of passion within the community.
"I'm happy that a lot of that there's a lot of representation at the meeting. I think that's a good sign," she said.
Venezia has worked in administrative support roles for more than 25 years, since her first job out of college at Mass Mutual as an administrative assistant in the human resources department.
She has particularly worked in the nonprofit and health-care sectors, including Pioneer Valley United Way.
She said she was driven to this career path because it presented an opportunity to utilize her skills, including her "strong" attention to detail, coordination, and project management.
When she moved from Springfield to Adams, she was looking for a local job opportunity and landed a position at a law firm as a legal assistant.
Venezia has a bachelor of science in human resource management from Western New England University.
Although she has not worked in the government sector previously, she has experience as a liaison between Bay State Health and government officials.
In this role, she coordinated with government officials from her role supporting the Government and Community Relations team at Bay State Health.
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Hinsdale OKs Police Department Audit After Fatal Shooting
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
HINSDALE, Mass. — The town has approved $25,000 for an administrative review of the police department, more than two months after police fatally shot 27-year-old Biagio Kauvil during a mental health crisis.
Town Administrator Robert Graves said the shooting on Jan. 7 is not the only focus of the audit, and it will be several months before the Select Board receives a final report.
During a special town meeting on March 11, an article appropriating $25,000 from free cash for an independent consultant to conduct a professional evaluation and audit of the Town's Police Department was approved. The audit includes a review of the department's policies, protocols, operations, and procedures, and concludes with a written report.
"The Berkshire County District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the shooting, and we await their conclusions. As we look to move forward, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, our insurance company (MIIA/Cabot Risk), and our legal counsel have recommended that the town hire an independent law enforcement consultant or firm to conduct a comprehensive administrative review of our police operation," Graves wrote in an email to iBerkshires on Friday.
"This event is not their focus; they will assess the overall operation. We want a written assessment of our police operation's strengths and weaknesses to help Hinsdale make future changes and improvements."
He said after completing the procurement process and signing a contract with a reputable consultant or business, it will most likely be several months before the Select Board receives the final report.
"Still, it will help the town and police department move forward," Graves wrote.
Last weekend, family and friends of Kauvil stood in Park Square asking for justice. A flier for the standout reads "Biagio was killed by police while experiencing a mental health crisis. Now, over seven weeks later, authorities have not yet provided any updates.
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