Berkshire Money Management Employees Earn Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional Designation

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DALTON, Mass. — Berkshire Money Management (BMM) announced that Sarah Curtiss, Front Office Coordinator, and Carla Cowdrey, Office Support Specialist, have each earned the Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional (FPQP) designation. 
 
The FPQP designation provides a foundation in personal financial planning for professionals who support advisory teams and client relationships. The training covers core areas of financial planning—retirement, investments, insurance, tax, and estate planning—giving designees the skills to analyze client information and support holistic planning.  
 
"Berkshire Money Management is committed to supporting and encouraging professional growth, providing team members with opportunities to expand their knowledge, skills, and credentials in service of our clients," said Allen Harris, Founder and CEO of BMM. "Sarah and Carla play an essential role in the client experience, and earning the FPQP® designation reflects their dedication to delivering thoughtful, high-quality support to both our clients and advisory team." 
 
Curtiss joined BMM in 2024 and is based in the Great Barrington office. In her role as Front Office Coordinator, she is often the first point of contact for clients and visitors. Known for her warmth, organization, and multitasking skills, she helps create a welcoming experience while also supporting the firm's social media efforts, scheduling appointments, and more. She lives with her son, Ethan, and their dog, Jeff. 
 
Cowdrey has been in BMM's Dalton office for four years, where she is known for her organization, reliability, and care for others. As the Office Support Specialist, she is a go-to resource for both clients and colleagues. She plans to use the skills gained through the FPQP program to perform paraplanning tasks, such as shepherding clients through the Social Security sign up process, in support of the firm's financial planning team. She and her husband Ryan have four children, and a golden doodle named Odie. 
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Dalton Considers Electronic Voting Devices

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass.— Town officials are considering using electronic voting devices at town meetings for privacy, efficiency, or even to increase participation. 
 
"The intent of these is to provide anonymity and privacy at our town meetings, to provide a faster, more efficient vote in light of controversial votes and amendments to town articles, and to potentially increase the number of voters at town meetings, given the above," said Select Board Member Antonio Pagliarulo at the board meeting on Monday. 
 
Several Berkshire County municipalities use Electronic Voting Devices, also referred to as clickers. 
 
The town previously established a Voting Options Ad Hoc Committee, which was made up of Town Clerk Heather Hunt, Assistant Warden Karen Filiault, Town Moderator Anthony Doyle and Pagliarulo. 
 
Hunt has indicated that 300 devices would be sufficient if the town decides to move forward, Pagliarulo said. 
 
"The ADA community, we had three responses from the community, and we've never really thought of this but there are a lot of elderly people that have a hard time lifting their hands up for a long time, and there's a lot of elderly people that don't have a voice," he said, highlighting how some older people have softer voices so may not be heard as much during a voice vote. 
 
There had been some concerns that the clickers would add time to meetings, as noncontroversial items that typically pass unanimously or nearly unanimously could take longer to vote on, Pagliarulo said. 
 
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