Community Celebration, Impact Fund, Initiatives Planned as BCC President Prepares to Retire

07:49AM / Thursday, May 28, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In honor of Berkshire Community College (BCC) President Ellen Kennedy's 14 years of leadership, the College will hold a community-wide celebration on Thursday, June 4, from 4-6 p.m. in the Robert Boland Theatre.

The community celebration is open to all students, alumni, employees, retirees, partners, donors and community members, who will come together to celebrate BCC, reflect on shared memories and recognize President Kennedy's leadership and lasting impact.

She will retire at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year.

To register for the free event, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/retirement.

"President Kennedy's impact on Berkshire Community College and the Berkshires is profound. Her guidance has shaped generations of students, strengthened community partnerships and deepened BCC's role as a place of opportunity, access and transformation," said Board of Trustees Chair Julia Bowen. "She will be deeply missed."

In further recognition of her service to the College, BCC has launched a special fundraising initiative to grow the Berkshire Community Impact Fund, an endowed fund that reflects President Kennedy's values and priorities.

The Impact Fund, established by a donor, provides flexible, long-term support to address critical needs at BCC. Donations help to ensure that BCC can respond to evolving priorities and continue to build promising futures for students and for the Berkshires community.

Rather than being earmarked as a program-specific fund, it is a mission fund, designed to respond to evolving student and community needs. Specifically, the fund supports student success and persistence; basic needs and essential support; emergency assistance; equity-driven access to education; and long-term community impact.

"The Impact Fund will build a lasting foundation of access, dignity, opportunity and care for generations of BCC students to come. It ensures we can respond to critical priorities so that we may uplift our students and community," said Executive Director of Development Rebecca Wehry. "We can't imagine a more meaningful way to carry Ellen's vision forward and create a brighter future for our students and the Berkshires."

To give to the Berkshire Community Impact Fund, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/impact-fund.

A philanthropic legacy initiative called "Dear BCC" was created to reflect and sustain President Kennedy's values, her love for Berkshire Community College and her belief in education as a force for equity, dignity and opportunity. The collective, community-wide archival project invites the community to share stories, memories, reflections, photos and messages that celebrate the impact of BCC, the relationships built at the College, the opportunities created and the lives changed. The tribute will live as a digital collection on the BCC website and as a permanent physical archive in the BCC Library. In addition, a commemorative book will be presented to President Kennedy in honor of her service.

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Free Vaccinations Available Throughout Berkshire County

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
10:30AM / Saturday, October 10, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fall season is also the flu season, which means vaccine clinics are now available.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative will provide public vaccination clinics in Berkshire communities this fall, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. There are about 49 clinics.

The collaborative began during COVID-19 to help vaccinate people across Berkshire County. Berkshire Health Systems started the Get Vaccinated Berkshires website and still manages it. The group works with the Pittsfield Public Health Department, Community Health Programs, and the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative.

"The majority of people will always get the flu [vaccine] because, as I said, if you've ever gotten the flu, you will always get a flu vaccine because it's so bad. And just so you know, the flu is already in Berkshire County. It's an early season this year," said Leslie Drager, who is the senior public health nurse at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Drager said last year they issued 2,705 vaccines, with more than 1,100 of them being for COVID-19 and more than 1,500 being flu. In total, they were able to vaccinate 1,669 people in Central and North County, in addition to Pittsfield.

Drager also said she will be carrying three types of COVID vaccines this year, which is in high demand.

"We have a high demand of COVID vaccine, which is awesome," she said. "So we're doing a lot of COVID vaccines. Also, I provide Pfizer, and this year I have Moderna and the Novavax, which I think is real important to get out there because the Novavax, a lot of people want, people with long COVID. So I'm carrying all three vaccines this year, which I normally only carry the Pfizer."

Public health departments also can help people access other vaccines such as for measles or meningitis when they cannot get them through a pediatrician, she added.

Using the website, people are able to get vaccines even if they are homebound by filling out a form.

All public Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative clinics are free of charge, but registrants are asked to provide insurance information, when available, in order to defray costs. The clinics are open to anyone 6 months of age or older, the age group recommended to receive an annual flu vaccine and the latest COVID-19 vaccine.

"I always encourage everybody to wear a short sleeve shirt because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to get at," Drager said. "And children, we do carry the nasal flu, the live virus of nasal flu for kids that are afraid to get needles."

Registration is highly recommended for the clinics. Walk-ins may be accepted depending on the number of vaccine doses available at each clinic, with preference given to those who are registered.

"It's really important. I'm really encouraging vaccinations for the schools, because not only you know if the kids are vaccinated and the teachers are vaccinated, the schools won't have the flu go wild right through it," Drager said. "And of course, the best way to prevent infections: washing your hands. So don't touch your face, and wash your hands."

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