American Mural Project hires Jennifer Chrein as new Executive Director
Winsted, Conn.— American Mural Project (AMP) announced the hiring of Jennifer Chrein as their new executive director. Bringing a wealth of experience in the children’s television sector including leadership roles at Sesame Workshop and Common Sense Networks, Chrein joins Artistic Director and Founder Ellen Griesedieck in stewarding the vibrant arts, tourism and education destination into its next period of growth.
Chrein arrives at AMP with over 30 years of experience in the global programming and media distribution business. She specializes in children’s content creation and creative development, co-production funding and partnerships as well as program distribution and acquisitions. Jennifer is the founder and CEO of JBMW Media and a partner in Storynauts Entertainment, an entertainment company that focuses on purpose-driven, commercially-viable IP and franchise development for kids and families. Jennifer’s work at Storynauts includes bridging the divide between commercial and non-profit arms of corporations. She is the co-creator of the pre-school animated series, Powerbirds (Universal Kids,) with two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and author, Steve Breen, and played the role of supervising producer on The Adventures of Doki (S1-Discovery Kids.) Jennifer has held senior executive roles at Common Sense Networks, Sesame Workshop, All American Fremantle, Telescene Entertainment, and DMB&B.
“The first time I saw the mural, I was awed by its scale, Ellen’s artistry, and what it says about the central role of work in our lives. I immediately was captivated and felt the need to share the space, the mission, and the live performances and educational programs with as many people as possible,” said Chrein.
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Springfield Museums appoints Nina Antonetti as Vice President of Advancement
Springfield— Springfield Museums announced the appointment of Nina Antonetti as Vice President of Advancement. In this leadership role, reporting directly to President and CEO Kay Simpson, Antonetti will be responsible for strategic development, design, and direction for all philanthropic initiatives and programs in support of the Museums. In addition, Antonetti will oversee the marketing and communications team, as well as special events and membership activities.
Nina Antonetti. Courtesy Springfield Museums.
Antonetti brings more than twenty years of senior leadership experience in fundraising across museums, cultural institutions, higher education, and international consulting. Most recently, Antonetti served as Chief Advancement Officer at The Mount in Lenox, where she inaugurated the role and held a central leadership position on multiple strategic planning and campaign task forces. Previously, she was Managing Director at Carter Global, where she provided governance, strategic, and fundraising counsel to major nonprofit organizations in the United States and Canada, including museums, cultural centers, disability services organizations, and international humanitarian institutions. Earlier leadership roles include Chief Development Officer at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, and Associate Vice President for Corporate and Foundation Relations at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Holding a Ph.D. in Art History from the University of London, her career also includes senior advancement and donor relations roles at the Williams College Museum of Art and the Conway School of Sustainable Landscape Planning and Design, alongside a distinguished academic career at Smith College, where she founded the nation’s first Landscape Studies program and served on the faculty for fifteen years. She currently serves on the boards of Berkshire Country Day School and the Emily Dickinson Museum.
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Donovan O’Connor & Dodig, LLP names Attorney Jennifer M. Breen as partner
Berkshire— Donovan O’Connor & Dodig, LLP announced that Attorney Jennifer M. Breen has been named as a partner in the firm.
Jennifer M. Breen. Courtesy Donovan O’Connor & Dodig, LLP.
Breen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Union College in 2001 and her Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law in 2004. After her admission to the Massachusetts Bar in 2004, she joined the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She then ran her own successful solo practice for over 13 years before joining the firm. Her practice is focused on family law.
In 2018, Breen was recognized as one of the area’s outstanding young professionals when she was selected as a member of Berkshire County’s 40-Under-40 list. Notably, in 2024, she earned he great honor of admission as a Fellow by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, founded in 1962 to promote professionalism and excellence in the practice of family law
Breen served as a city councilor in North Adams from 2011 to 2015 and has volunteered for various organizations and task forces, including the Berkshire County Domestic and Sexual Violence Task Force and the Pro Bono for the Child Program, as well as Community Legal Aid.
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Berkshire Community College respiratory care student Marlena Pellon wins Brad Leidich Memorial Scholarship
Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College student Marlena Pellon has been selected as the winner of the 2025 Brad Leidich Memorial Scholarship, with an award of $1,500. She is the first BCC student and the first in New England to win the prestigious award.
Marlena Pellon. Courtesy Berkshire Community College.
The scholarship is presented to a first-generation student enrolled in an associate degree program in respiratory therapy. The winner has shown exemplary academic performance and has demonstrated a commitment to his or her career goals, as well as scholarly and community activities in respiratory care.
During Covid, Pellon worked as a patient attendant, an experience that made her realize she had missed her calling. “I spent 30 years working in business administration and never really felt that what I did made a difference, but providing patient care gave me a sense of pride and made me feel like I was really helping someone,” she says. She began taking classes at BCC to explore health sciences, and it was professor Maggie Goss piqued her interest in respiratory care. She is now studying for board exams and plans to work as a respiratory therapist.
“As a first-generation college student, this recognition is a meaningful milestone. It affirms both my academic dedication and professional aspirations, while also reminding me of the encouragement I have received from those who champion future respiratory therapists,” said Pellon.
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New canoe take-out for the Housatonic River in South Lee
Lee— In the final days of 2025, a consortium including the State, the Town of Lee, a conservation group, and a private consultant purchased a 4-acre parcel in South Lee for public access and a canoe take-out.
The parcel is located upstream of Willow Mill Dam and opens a reach that has been difficult to access for lack of a safe take-out. This reach is described in the Housatonic Valley Association’s A Paddling Guide to the Housatonic River in Berkshire County, as featuring, “magnificent views of Beartown Mountain, and opportunities to see a variety of wildlife: blue herons, muskrats, beavers, deer, bald eagles and more.”
View from the newly accessible stretch of the Housatonic River in Lee. Courtesy Berkshire Natural Resources Council.
Whether fishing, birding, or floating for fun, paddlers will see an extensive network of protected lands. The run starts at the Lee Athletic Fields, owned and protected by the Town of Lee, then the paddler passes through reserves held by the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, MassWildlife’s Hop Brook Wildlife Management Area, past private Agricultural Preservation Restrictions, and past part of DCR’s Beartown State Forest.
The partners include the Town of Lee, who will own the property; Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and its Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (“MassWildlife”), whose purchase of Conservation Restriction helped make the acquisition possible; the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA); and Narain Schroeder whose consulting firm, Tanager LLC, applied for and received a Community Preservation Grant of $100,000 for the acquisition. Schroeder donated his time.
“This project reconnects people to an extraordinary stretch of river and ensures it will remain accessible for generations to come,” says Erik Reardon, Berkshire Watershed Director for the Housatonic Valley Association.
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Berkshire Community College awarded $202,000 for microelectronics project grant supporting workforce and technology development
Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College (BCC) is a recipient of a Supporting Chip Advancement from Lab to Enterprise (SCALE) Capital Program grant, awarded by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC), in the amount of $202,200.
The SCALE awards are designed to supercharge the microelectronics industry across Massachusetts, including AI hardware, nanotechnology and quantum computing. Grants will fund the purchase of capital equipment to support workforce and technology development at higher education institutions, companies and nonprofit organizations.
Courtesy Berkshire Community College.
At BCC, the grant funds will be used to purchase a scanning electron microscope, as well as sample preparation equipment, for the Workforce Microelectronics Training Program. Associate Professor of Engineering Dr. José Colmenares explained that the scanning electron microscope is a powerful device that uses electrons instead of light to magnify images so small that a traditional light microscope would be inadequate.
SCALE builds on NEMC’s mission to rapidly accelerate microelectronics ecosystem development by supporting projects that unite the microelectronics community, develop technologies to attract additional investment, and boost workforce development programs to fill regional gaps.
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Greylock Federal Credit Union free financial literacy workshops
Pittsfield— On Wednesday, January 21st, Greylock Federal Credit Union will offer free financial literacy workshops.
From 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., in conjunction with partner GreenPath, Greylock will offer the free webinar, “Setting and Reaching Financial Goals in 2026.”
From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Greylock will host “Avoiding Financial Crisis” 6-7 p.m., a virtual class designed to help people develop a budget, build up savings, minimize debt, and carefully weigh risk.
Courtesy Greylock Federal Credit Union.
Registration and more information can be found online.