Berkshire County Development Alliance Announces New Leadership Team

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire County Development Alliance announced a new leadership team for the 2026-27 program year. Hannah Kogut and Kara Matthews will oversee group programming and operations. They succeed outgoing chairs Kate Gigliotti, Jackie Kelly-Olson, and Miranda Meyers.

Kogut is a skilled, Berkshires-based arts and nonprofit professional with nearly a decade of experience spanning development, digital communications, and marketing. She currently serves as Membership and Stewardship coordinator at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, a regional performing arts organization with a multi-state donor base. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Clark University in film/video production and European history and a postgraduate certificate in museology from Tufts University. She is a Fulbright Summer Institute scholar and a graduate of the Berkshire Leadership Program.

Matthews is an experienced development professional with more than a decade of experience leading advancement efforts for arts, cultural, and social sector organizations. She currently serves as director of Institutional Giving at MASS MoCA. She holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from the New School and is based in North Adams.

Founded more than two decades ago, the Berkshire County Development Alliance is an informal group of more than 150 development professionals who represent Berkshire area nonprofit organizations in a fundraising capacity. Members gather up to six times per year to share information and engage in dialogue about advancement issues affecting the industry. There are no fees to join, and the group is open to all interested parties.