Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires Board Names New Director

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. – The Board of Directors of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires (NPC) announces the appointment of Samantha Anderson as the new executive director of the organization, following the retirement of founder Liana Toscanini at the end of April of this year.
 
Anderson, a Berkshire resident, brings 30 years of experience managing mission-driven organizations in both the nonprofit and private sectors.
 
Board Vice President Hari Kumar, who chaired the search committee, said that the NPC Board undertook a national search.
 
"With the support of our external search firm Eos Transition Partners. Our focus was on finding the right person to steward and grow NPC as an organization that centers the needs of the vital nonprofit sector in Berkshire County, which is home to over 1,200 nonprofits serving a wide range of community causes. Samantha emerged as the clear choice from an extensive pool of highly qualified candidates," he said. 
 
Anderson will enter this new role from her previous position as president of West Stockbridge-based Essential~Wholeness LLC, where she led philanthropic advising and nonprofit capacity-building work while also serving as a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach. 
 
Her career has been both local and international in scope, and she has demonstrated a consistent ability to design programs that respond to community needs, grow and diversify revenue, and elevate organizational visibility. These skills and capacities are at the forefront of NPC's work. 
 
Additionally, Anderson brings direct experience with the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires itself, having previously served as a board member. 
 
Her existing familiarity with the organization allows her to enter her new role with a firm grasp of the organization's membership, programs, finances, and stakeholders.
 
"I'm thrilled to step into this role, and deeply grateful to Liana for founding and nurturing such a vital organization and to the Board for their confidence in me," Anderson said. "It's an honor to carry the baton forward into the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires' next chapter."
 
"Samantha is the whole package and then some," said Toscanini of her successor. "The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires will benefit greatly from her experience and skillset as the organization enters its next phase of growth and impact."
 
NPC's Board of Directors invites the Berkshire nonprofit community to join them in both welcoming Samantha Anderson into her new role and celebrating the work of Liana Toscanini in founding and stewarding the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires for 10 years.
 
 
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Greenagers Founder Will Conklin Honored as Business Person of the Year

By Breanna Steele

Casey Pease of state Sen. Paul Mark's office presents William Conklin, right, with a state Senate proclamation.
EGREMONT, Mass. — The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce honored a local businessman and nonprofit leader on Sept. 24 at Catamount Mountain Resort.
 
William Conklin was this year's Business Person of the Year, recognizing his work as founder and executive director of Greenagers, a nonprofit that helps youth and children engage in work in environmental conservation, sustainable farming, natural resource management, and vocational skills building. 
 
Conklin and his family also run Sky View Farm and he is a managing partner of Konkapot Tree and Timber, a small-scale forest products business.
 
"If you spent any amount of time in Southern Berkshire, chances are you've heard his name, whether you realize the connection at the time or not," said board member Sierra King Watson, who emceed the event. "You might be having a conversation about farming, a new barn or structure that was built, students learning hands-on skills in sustainable agriculture, or a family that receives donated firewood to help keep their home warm through a cold Berkshire winter, or maybe you're simply talking about one of those community leaders who somehow manages to show up, support everyone, and seemingly be everywhere all at once.
 
"Well, one name has a way of continuously popping up, and that is Will Conklin."
 
Board President Mark Rulison said the region has more than 1,200 nonprofits. One in four jobs in the county is in the nonprofit sector, which ranks 27th nationally for nonprofit employment. He said the economic impact on the community is huge, thanking those who help.
 
For the event on Thursday, Conklin requested that as much of the food as possible was sourced locally. Most of it came from Greenagers, Sky View Farm, Indian Line Farm and Fancy Feast Supper Club, creative dinner series. 
 
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