by Barbara Pastie
Stephen Valenti can’t re-
member a time in his life when he was not on the board at the Berk-
shire County Arc. Past board
president Cliff Nilan recruited
Steve more than ten years ago,
and he eagerly answered the call,
knowing that his service would
provide him an opportunity
thank BCARC for its commit-
ment to his cousin, Ed C. He had watched Ed grow and struggle for many
years, but now, says
Steve, “I see the smile on his face
and know that BCARC has made
a big difference in his life.” In
addition to strong family support,
Steve believes that the tools pro-
vided by BCARC have allowed
Ed to get a job and feel like a
contributing member of the com-
munity.
As a member of the board,
Steve enjoys visits to the BCARC
residences. He is always pleased
at how well the houses are run,
and he appreciates both the clean-
liness of the homes and the care
that the individuals receive. Steve
feels experiencing the tremen-
dous dedication of the staff makes
him a better person as well.
A Berkshire native born in
North Adams and raised in
Pittsfield, Steve is the owner of
two men’s clothing stores (voted
“Best Men’s Clothing Stores in
a recent poll in the EAGLE). He
and his wife Carolyn, who runs a
|
Berkshire County Arc Board
Member Stephen Valenti: "Noth-
ing gives me the personal grati-
fication that I find in serving on
The BCARC board."
|
florist shop out of their home in Dalton, have two children, Michael,
12, and Evan, 8, who are involved in a “jillion things” that keep Steve
close to home.
In addition to his BCARC ser- vice, Steve
is past president of the Downtown Association which recently named him
“Person of the Year.” He has served on several other boards and has
been involved in fund-raising activities for the United Way and the
Berkshire Community College Endowment Campaign. “But,” added Steve,
“nothing gives me the personal gratification that I find from serving on
the board at BCARC.”
When asked about his vision for the future
of BCARC as it en- |
ters the next millennium, Steve noted that the agency is doing great
things under Executive Director Ken Singer’s leadership. Care for
the individuals, the style in which they live, their increased independence,
new skills and job training are providing new opportunities for people
like his cousin Ed.
“Ken and the staff just keep pushing the envelope,”
Steve exclaimed. “The agency is constantly striving for the
next level and the words ‘Where do
we go from here?’ are often heard at board meetings.”
As a result, “The agency is a model for the
state, if not for the entire country, and I will proudly serve on the board
as long as they want me to.” |
|
Next Page