Lenox Names New Police Chief

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LENOX, Mass. — The Town of Lenox has hired 30-year Massachusetts law enforcement veteran Mark L. Smith, currently the Chief of the North Brookfield Massachusetts Police Department, to be the next Lenox Police Chief upon the retirement of Chief Stephen E. O'Brien.
 
Chief Smith holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Westfield State University. He is an FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA) Trilogy Award recipient, having successfully completed LEEDA's Trilogy Series of leadership training comprising the Supervisor Leadership, Command Leadership and
Executive Leadership Institutes.
 
These programs provide comprehensive leadership education for law enforcement professionals. Chief Smith belongs to various regional professional associations including the Massachusetts and International Chiefs of Police Association. From 1998 through 2017, Chief Smith was the program manager and training coordinator with the Western Massachusetts Reserve Intermittent Police Academy, where many entry level police officers began their training across the four Western Massachusetts counties.
 
Chief Smith began his law enforcement career with the Town of Granby in 1995 as a patrol officer, eventually earning the rank of Sergeant in 2006. While serving Granby, Chief Smith worked as a Detective and School Resource Officer. Chief Smith developed and managed the Town's canine program, various grant programs, supervised patrol officers and commissioned a new police station. He also implemented a Citizen's Police Academy and held officer roles within the local police officer's collective bargaining unit.
 
Chief Smith has 11 years of experience as a municipal police chief. For the past 10 years, he has been the Chief of Police for North Brookfield, developing and managing budgets, capital requests, grants, collective bargaining agreements and focusing on officer wellness, recruitment and retention. He also served as Chief of the Hinsdale Police Department from 2014-2015.
 
"Chief Smith brings substantial experience, education and familiarity with municipal law enforcement in Massachusetts to the Lenox Police Department," Town Manager Jay Green said. "He will be a resource for our officers and an asset to our Town. His experience as a veteran Chief of a small-town police department will allow for a smooth transition of leadership."
 
The search for the Town's next police chief kicked off with the formation of a Screening Committee that was made up of Town Manager Jay Green, Human Resources Director Lyndsay Patenaude, Selectboard members Dave Roche and Marybeth Mitts and retired Pittsfield Police Chief Michael Wynn and retired Massachusetts State Police Detective Lieutenant Ed Culver. Chief O'Brien served as an advisor to both Green and the Committee during the process. 
 
The Screening Committee sought applicants who met the Town's minimum requirements which included a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, 10 years of law enforcement experience and 5 years of supervisory experience. Four candidates were offered the opportunity to interview with the screening committee whose experience demonstrated relevant administrative, leadership, and management roles. Two candidates were then invited to a second round which included touring the existing police station, the new Public Safety Complex, a "meet and greet" with Town Department Heads and an opportunity to speak with members of the Lenox Police Department, Chief O'Brien and a final conversation with the Screening Committee.
 
"I would like to thank members of the screening committee, Chief O'Brien, our Town staff and LPD officers who took time to provide valuable feedback during the selection process. We had a talented pool of candidates and it was a difficult decision, but we are confident that Chief Smith is right person to lead the Lenox Police Department in its next chapter," added Green.
 
Chief Smith is anticipated to assume his duties in late November and the Selectboard is anticipated to ratify Green's appointment of Smith on or about Oct. 8.

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A Boutique Hotel is Bringing Guests a Luxury Stay in Lenox

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

LENOX, Mass. — A new Inn is bringing a boutique-style stay for visitors and locals to enjoy.

Owners, Sullivan Capital LLC, purchased the property, located on 135 Main Street, in 2024. After a year or renovations, Garden Gables Inn is open for business. 

"Garden Gables started off as one of the many Berkshire cottages, 1790 was the date on that, and it's always operated as an inn," said Hospitality Manager Yvonne Walton. "It's just a great gathering place and relaxation spot for people to come and get the feel of Lenox, and just slow down and enjoy the nature and the surrounding area...get culture and art and see some great concerts. I think it'll be a wonderful place, definitely does more of the upper-scale hospitality." 

Owners Niko Giallouis and Eric Sullivan bought the property from the former owner. Sullivan had his eye on Lenox since attending a wedding almost 10 years ago.

"I came to a wedding in Lenox, probably six or seven years ago. Personally, just kind of fell in love with the area, and I guess that's kind of how it got on my radar. So you know from that perspective, as we got into the hotel business out towards an area, it was a place I was kind of monitoring and waiting for the right property to show up."

After purchasing the two underwent a full renovation, a project that cost around $1.5 million. The building, first built in 1780, required some TLC. Sullivan's wife, Jessica, who owns Jessica Sullivan Design, designed the inn.

Sullivan said they installed a new roof, repainted everything, renovated the bathrooms, installed new floors, a new HVAC system, and new plumbing.

"We really touched everything from the outside...I mean, all the aesthetics and layouts changed a bit," he said. "As I said, put about a million and a half into it. All new furniture, fixtures, everything. The design's completely different. It wasn't a full gut, but it was a heavy, heavy renovation."

The two like to collaborate with local businesses, and they make a point to direct visitors to local restaurants, businesses, and attractions.

"If guests are asking for recommendations, our customer service team, our guest services team, will relay that kind of information. Even if we can call and make a reservation for somebody, happy to do it," he said. "We aren't doing breakfast, but what we do is we have partnerships with a lot of the breakfast places downtown. We actually purchase a gift certificates for each person each day, so that they can use that to go downtown."

Sullivan hopes that guests don't see their inn as just a place to sleep and dump their bags, but make it an experience for anyone who stays.

"We really focus on kind of the experience side of things, so again, we want to give you the best experience you can have here...and we want that not just to be the place you put your bag and go do things. It's important to think of everything," he said.

Sullivan said partnerships are important to their business and are a way to connect with locals.

"The local partnerships, I can't stress that enough, because no matter how much and how great the room is, people are still going to want to go do other things," he said. "So, I think it just benefits everybody if we're all working together and so forth, and supporting the community, being neighborly too, because we are surrounded by residential homes...But we really try to put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, a lot of love into the building, all the details, really care about the senses," Sullivan said.

The Inn's check-in and reservations are completely online. When guests arrive, all they have to do is check in online and receive their code that they will use to enter their room. Sullivan hopes this helps create less stress for guests and gets them to their room as fast as possible, especially after a long trip.

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