Let It Shine! selects artist Jahna Rae to paint Morningside Mural on Tyler Street

Pittsfield— The Pittsfield Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership has selected artist Jahna Rae to create a new mural to be located at 288 Tyler Street in Pittsfield. Installation will begin on September 1st and will take about 2 weeks.

Inspired by the people and places she traveled to as a kid in a military household, Jahna Rae developed an interest in portraiture and spirituality as she and her artistic practice grew. She attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in 2017 where she studied Illustration and learned more about the fundamentals of artmaking. After college Jahna Rae moved to Denver, Colorado where she was selected to participate in her first ever mural festival in 2021, thus officially beginning her career as an artist. Since 2021, she has participated in numerous group exhibits, curated three solo shows, been awarded three artist in residence programs, and completed over a dozen murals around the state of Colorado.

Rae will create an 18-foot by 80-foot fruit market-inspired mural entitled “Harvest of Hope” on a prominent building in the Morningside neighborhood, directly across the street from Morningside Community School. This building holds deep roots in the community, with the owner’s family having operated one of Morningside’s original and most beloved businesses, a local fruit market. Jahna has drawn inspiration from this legacy, incorporating the fruit market theme as a creative foundation for a vibrant, engaging mural that honors the neighborhood’s history, reflects its cultural identity, and inspires a sense of pride and connection for all who pass by.

“Harvest of Hope” is a partnership between the Mill Town Foundation and The Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership. The project manager for “Harvest of Hope” is Huck Elling, Let It Shine! Artist in Residence. Permission to install the mural was granted by building owner Salam Herbert, who runs his nearby family business, Dairy Cone. The wall was primed this week by Choices Mentoring Initiative and the Rights of Passage and Empowerment (R.O.P.E.) volunteers.

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Pittsfield Cooperative Bank welcomes Bailey Prescott as new Human Resources Officer

Pittsfield— Pittsfield Cooperative Bank (Co-Op Bank) has announced the appointment of Bailey Prescott as their new Human Resources Officer. In this role, Prescott will oversee human resources initiatives that support employee engagement, professional development, and organizational growth.

Prescott has a bachelor’s in Business Administration with a Management & Leadership major, and a minor in Human Resources from Western New England University. She began her career in human resources in 2022 and previously served with the Co-Op from 2022-2024, where she played a key role in recruitment, employee relations, and building workplace culture. Her experience in fostering collaboration and supporting staff development has prepared her to take on this leadership position.

“We are excited to welcome Bailey back to our team. Her strong understanding of culture, combined with her expertise in HR, makes her the ideal person to help us continue strengthening our workplace environment,” said Lisa Negrini, Vice President, Human Resource Manager.

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MCLA welcomes three new faculty members for the 2025-2026 academic year

North Adams— Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is pleased to announce that three new faculty members will be joining the Trailblazer community for the College’s fall semester, Dr. Amr (Elkabbany) Ibrahim, Dr. Muge Karabag, and Professor Amanda Davis.

Amr (Elkabbany) Ibrahim, Ph.D., Pharm.D. joins MCLA’s Chemistry Department as a visiting assistant professor. A medicinal chemist, his research focuses on the design and synthesis of small-molecule antivirals and the use of structure-based drug design to interrogate host–virus interactions, including V-ATPase modulation and TIM-1–mediated entry. His expertise spans organic synthesis, SAR, computational modeling, and ADME profiling, and he is committed to mentoring undergraduates through research that bridges chemistry and biology. At MCLA, he will teach biochemistry and related courses while building collaborations that provide hands-on, publication-quality experiences for students.

Dr. Muge Karabag joins MCLA as a visiting assistant professor of multimedia journalism. She is a media scholar and practitioner with a background in broadcast journalism and digital communication. Dr. Karabag previously worked as a reporter and news anchor for television channels in Istanbul and served as an assistant university professor in the Department of New Media and Communication in Turkey. Her research interests include artificial intelligence, interspecies communication, AI and society, technology and society, and the impact of digital applications on social behavior. Dr. Karabag is also developing a digital services start-up focused on home-based solutions in the U.S., exploring the intersection of technology, user experience, and everyday life.

Amanda Davis is a part of MCLA’s Nursing Department, where she combines her love for teaching with her years of hands-on nursing experience as a visiting assistant professor of health professions. She earned her master’s in nursing education and has served as the Simulation Coordinator for the MCLA Nursing Program, Nurse Leader for the North Adams Public School System, and as a medical-surgical nurse. Passionate about end-of-life care, oncology, and school nursing, she strives to prepare future nurses through engaging, realistic simulations and a focus on compassionate, evidence-based practice. In both lecture and clinical settings, she emphasizes hands-on learning, critical thinking, and strong clinical judgment to help students develop both the skills and the heart needed to provide exceptional patient care.

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Community Access to the Arts welcomes Marybeth Johnson as Development Director

Great Barrington— Community Access to the Arts (CATA) announces the hiring of Marybeth Johnson as Development Director, joining a newly expanded fundraising team at the nonprofit.

Marybeth will work closely with Executive Director Margaret Keller to expand CATA’s fundraising activities and oversee the organization’s donor relations program, furthering its mission to enhance the lives of people with disabilities through the arts.

Marybeth Johnson (she/her) has over 20 years of executive experience in nonprofit development, with a focus on building relationships, inspiring generosity, and championing the arts. Most recently, she served as Director of Institutional Advancement at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH, where she led a team that raised over $10 million in capital and endowment support, expanded its annual contributed revenue by 28%, and grew its membership base to over 4,000 members annually. Her career also includes leadership roles in fundraising and marketing with orchestras in Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Winston-Salem, as well as major gift fundraising for performing arts programs at both The University of Maryland and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

“I’m thrilled to join CATA and to champion its mission of celebrating and amplifying the voices of artists with disabilities,” says Marybeth Johnson. “It’s an honor to be part of such a creative and inclusive community.”

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Greylock welcomes William A. Fontes as Vice President and Manager of Business Banking

Pittsfield— Following an extensive national search, Greylock Federal Credit Union has announced the hiring of William A. Fontes, Vice President and Manager of Business Banking. Fontes brings comprehensive experience in strategic leadership and vision in commercial banking.

As a key member of the Commercial Lending Department, Fontes will lead Greylock Federal’s business banking team while building relationships and strengthening services for Greylock members through commercial lending and business banking products. Fontes will also provide critical leadership through strategic oversight and expansion of Greylock’s annual business development plan and goals for local markets.

“Bill joins us after a remarkable 12-year tenure at Easthampton Savings Bank (ESB), where he held the position of senior vice president. During his time at ESB, Bill managed to create a relationship-driven and diverse portfolio,” said Rathbun-Briggs. Fontes, who holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Bryant University, said, “The entirety of my 30 years in commercial banking has been invested in Western Massachusetts’ community banks, supporting the needs of local business of all sizes and types.”

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UCP of Western Massachusetts to host Annual Meeting

Pittsfield— UCP of Western Massachusetts invites the community to their Annual Meeting on Thursday, September 25th from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Country Club of Pittsfield, located at 639 Pittsfield Road in Pittsfield.

This celebratory breakfast will bring together community members, supporters, staff, and friends to honor the incredible people who make UCP’s mission, creating a life without limits for individuals with disabilities, possible. The event will feature Massachusetts State Representative Leigh Davis as keynote speaker. Awards will be presented to community supporters, staff, and members whose dedication and impact have helped UCP of Western Massachusetts continue to grow and thrive, including UCP’s Life Achievement Award.

Breakfast includes fresh fruit, baked pastries, scrambled eggs, French toast, and coffee or tea. Tickets are $30 per person or $240 for a table of eight and can be purchased online at www.ucpwma.org or by calling 413-442-1562 x103. Please RSVP by September 18th to Elizabeth Filkins at efilkins@ucpwma.org or 413-442-1562 x103.

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Greylock’s first Wealth Builders Youth SummerFest

Pittsfield— This year marked Greylock’s first-ever Wealth Builders Youth SummerFest, with the theme “Rule Your Future,” featuring several free events in Berkshire County and Hudson, N.Y.

Youth SummerFest directly ties into the credit union’s rebranding of youth members up to the age of 22, now called Wealth Builders, who have access to a range of products, services, and education that can help to bolster their financial wellness.

More than 200 children and adults made their way through the Youth Party at Greylock’s Community Empowerment Center (CEC) – and that was just day one of this week-long series of events. “Our very first Wealth Builders Youth SummerFest was a success all around. Whether it was enjoying the festival-like atmosphere at our Youth Party, to learning how to master the FAFSA at the financial aid event, to enjoying delicious ice cream and games, to mini golf, the thread that joined them all together was financial literacy. We showed that learning about finances can be fun and exciting, and that’s what being a Wealth Builder is all about,” said Roberta McCulloch-Dews, Vice President of Marketing.

To learn more about the Wealth Builders program, visit www.greylock.org/wealth.