Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity Reopens Homeownership Opportunity

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity has reopened the application process for a 3-bedroom, 2-
bath Habitat home at 112 B Robbins Avenue in Pittsfield, after the previously selected homebuyers became ineligible to move forward in the program.
 
"We are excited to offer another family the opportunity to achieve affordable homeownership," said Carolyn Valli, CBHFH CEO. "We encourage anyone who started an application but didn’t finish — or anyone newly interested — to apply now."
 
Habitat’s Homebuyer Services Team has no completed, qualified applications for this home despite over one hundred who have expressed interest.
 
"But unless families complete their applications, they cannot be considered for this opportunity," added Valli. "We have staff ready
to help families with the application process. Just call us."
 
Families who previously began the process are encouraged to complete their paperwork, and new applicants are welcome to start by calling the Homebuyer Services Team at 413.741.0221 to make an appointment. Inquiries can also be made to Homes@berkshirehabitat.org.

 

 

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BCC Trustees Vote to Hire Hara Charlier as Next President

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Catheryn Chacon Ortega, the alumni appointment, liked how Hara Charlier easily connected with students faculty; Melissa Myers, alumni representative, also noted how comfortable Charlier was with various groups. Charlier, right, was called after the vote and accepted pending negotiations and state approval. 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It wasn't hard for BCC's Board of Trustees to elect a new president from Minnesota on Monday.

One by one, during a special meeting at Berkshire Community College, board members expressed their conviction that Hara Charlier was the best candidate to lead after Ellen Kennedy retires. They unanimously recommended Charlier as the next president of BCC to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.

"We're not trying to hire a replacement for Dr. Kennedy; We are trying to hire our next leader," Chair Julia Bowen said.

Charlier, currently the president of Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Minn., was one of four finalists identified by the Presidential Search Committee who visited the campus. She was not on site, but was called after the vote.

Catheryn Chacon Ortega was impressed by how Charlier connected with students and faculty, as well as her passion and breadth of experience.  

"As the appointed alumni, I put myself in the students' shoes when I was thinking about this, and I think I feel very represented by her, like if I come back as a student here, I think she will be a person that will be open doors to me, to my community, to the immigrant community, to everybody," she said.

Danielle Gonzalez feels Charlier has a "very" clear commitment to the community part of community college, and a deep experience of serving underserved populations, "really just with great enthusiasm."

"I think that in addition to having really deep community college leadership experience, she was able to articulate a very thorough understanding of the issues of the college of Berkshire County, of what those opportunities might look like, and how she would connect what her experience has been with how she could drive the school forward," said Julie Hughes, a newer member of the board.
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