Board Members
President
Loretta M. Mach, Esq.
Aaronson & Mach, P.C.
Loretta M. Mach, a partner at Aaronson & Mach, P.C., joined the law firm in 2003 and became a partner in 2018. Her areas of practice include estate planning, administration and probate, residential and commercial real estate, business organizations and environmental matters. You can learn more about Loretta at aaronsonmach.com or contact her at 413-499-1200.
Vice President
Kelly Sweet
Siena University
Kelly Sweet is the Director of Gift Planning at Siena University, where she partners with donors to create lasting charitable legacies through strategic gift planning. With more than 16 years of experience in philanthropy and planned giving, Kelly has worked extensively with individuals and families to develop charitable estate plans aligned with their personal values and philanthropic goals. She has also helped nonprofit organizations build and sustain planned giving programs that strengthen long term fundraising and deepen donor engagement.
Before joining Siena, Kelly served as Director of Philanthropic Services at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, where she worked closely with donors, professional advisors, and nonprofit partners throughout the region to advance charitable giving through both lifetime and legacy gifts.
Kelly is currently pursuing her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) designation through The American College of Financial Services. She earned degrees in Inclusive Elementary and Special Education and Sociology from Syracuse University.
Treasurer
Marianne S. Fresia, CTFA, CFP®
Lee Bank
Marianne Fresia is a dual employee of Lee Bank and October Mountain Financial Advisors. She is a VP, Trust Officer at Lee Bank and in Client Services with October Mountain. She has been in banking since 2000 and in wealth management since 2010. In addition to serving on the BCEPC board, Marianne is also the Treasurer for the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires She is an active member of the Berkshire Business and Professional Women and the Estate Planning Council of Hampden County. You can learn more about Marianne, Lee Bank, and October Mountain Financial Advisors here.
Clerk
James R. Loughman, Esq.
Donovan O'Connor & Dodig, LLP
James R. Loughman is a senior associate at Donovan, O’Connor & Dodig, LLP, with offices in North Adams and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, as well as Bennington, Vermont. A graduate of Amherst College and the University of Virginia School of Law, he has been with the firm since 1992, and is licensed to practice law in both Massachusetts and Vermont. A member of both the Massachusetts and Vermont Chapters of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, James’ practice areas include estate and Medicaid planning and probate matters. He also serves on the Boards of a number of civic organizations, including the Adams Board of Library Trustees, the Adams Historical Society and the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum, as well as the St. John Paul II Parish Council. You can reach James at (413) 663-3200 or [email protected].
Director
Grace L. Enchill, Esq.
Heller & Robbins PC
Grace L. Enchill is an associate at Heller & Robbins PC in Lenox, MA. Her areas of practice include estate administration, residential and commercial real estate, land use, zoning, and business law. Grace also serves on the Board of Berkshire Natural Resources Council and volunteers as a mentor with 18 Degrees (formerly Berkshire Children and Families) and the Berkshire Black Economic Council. You can learn more about Grace at hellerandrobbins.com or contact her at (413) 637-2255.
Director
Tanya L. Haas, CTFA, Certified Senior Advisor®
Lee Bank
Tanya L. Haas is a dual employee of Lee Bank where she serves as VP, Trust & Private Banking and October Mountain Financial Advisors where she serves as a Financial Advisor. She began her professional career in the financial industry in 1991. Tanya earned a degree in Business Careers with Banking from Berkshire Community College. She is a Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor and a Certified Senior Advisor®. In addition to serving on the BCEPC Board, she is a volunteer for the Money Management Program with Elder Services of Berkshire County. You may reach Tanya at 413.449.5232 or [email protected]
Director
Susan M. Smith, Esq.
Law Office of Susan M Smith, PC
Susan Smith is a sole practitioner, who concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, inclusive of planning for individuals with special needs, estate administration, and elder law, as well as residential and commercial real estate transactions. Susan is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Real Estate Bar Association, and the Massachusetts and Berkshire County Bar Associations. You can reach Susan at (413) 528-4300.
Director
Janice Ward, Esq., CFP®
Beacon Bank
Janice Ward, Esq., CFP® is the Senior Vice President & Head of Fiduciary Services at Beacon Bank & Trust, an Attorney and a Certified Financial Planner with over twenty years of experience in trust banking and wealth management. Janice is responsible for leading the bank’s fiduciary activities including its Trust business. Before rejoining the bank, Ward was FVP and trust officer at Greenfield Savings Bank in Massachusetts, where she was a member of the bank’s senior leadership team overseeing all fiduciary activities. She also previously served as senior fiduciary officer in Berkshire Bank’s Wealth Management Department based out of Lenox, Massachusetts, and chief wealth management officer at Citizens & Northern Bank in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. A resident of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Ward earned her law degree from Western New England University School of Law and her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. She is co-founder and former president of the Estate Planning Council of the Berkshires.
