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Renee McBride (Rental Coordinator) is no stranger to the Berkshires, having lived on Mt Washington for 20 years with her family, as well as owning and operating a Home decor furniture store for the same amount of time. Two weeks after graduating with a degree in Economics from UMass Amherst, she flew to Japan to teach English for a year. A honeymoon to Indonesia inspired her future retail business, based in Thailand where she had a beach bungalow on a remote island in the south. Her children Lydia and Tai were brought up there and in the Berkshires. She now manages short-term rental properties in the Tri-State area, and loves community interaction and events. Current interests include searching for up-cycled goods, cooking, gardening, and spending time with family and friends.
Olivia Sblendorio (Operations Coordinator) is a retired Ringling Bros. flying trapeze artist, with a BA (Asian Studies) from Vassar College. Since moving to the Berkshires in 2017, she wears the many top hats of vaudevillian, actress, embodied intuition coach, somatic empowerment practitioner, and family budget counselor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she'd never even heard of the Berkshires when she met her now-husband who was born around the corner from Dewey Hall. Certified in feminine leadership, Olivia is honored to support the everyday magic that happens when a community gathers, transforming Dewey Hall into a true reflection of the people it serves.
Robbi Hartt (Sponsorships) earned her MA (English) from Georgetown University. She served as founding director (in 2000) of the Horizons Program at Greens Farms Academy in Westport, CT and subsequently built a 20-year career there as an English teacher and Writing Center director. After coming to the Berkshires for many years, she and her husband moved to New Marlborough full time in 2019, renovating a 1795 farmhouse to create a respite for families dealing with pediatric cancer. She writes regularly for The Berkshire Edge/Out & About, The B, and New Marlborough’s 5 Village News. After being introduced to Dewey Hall through a Business Monday spotlight, she became enamored with its mission of promoting “good and kindly feelings” and began working as a consultant to raise sponsorship funds.
Amy (Social Media) is Berkshire born and bred, with roots in Pittsfield and a heart that now beats in Ashley Falls. Though Berkshire blood runs through her veins, Amy’s spirit is far from tied down, mostly due to her love for language, culture, and adventure. A Spanish teacher by trade, she spent six years teaching in the public schools before earning her MA from Middlebury College. She then packed her bags and moved to Madrid, where she taught English at a pharmaceutical university—gaining international insight and a healthy dose of tapas—before returning to the U.S. Upon return, fate stepped in: she re-met the love of her life (and thus married), resumed teaching, and bought her home. After twenty years in the public schools, Amy founded her own language business, Polyglot Prose, where she is teaching, translating and interpreting. Now, Amy is happily settled in the southern Berkshires with her husband, two sons, and two dogs, sharing her passion for language and becoming more and more woven into the fabric of a community that has been there for her all along.
Patricia Strauch (Bookkeeper) was born and raised in Allendale, NJ. Patty and her singer-songwriter husband, Bruce Mandel, (proud “crazy-cat-parents” to Wolfie and BB), now reside at the top of a mountain in Otis, where their closest neighbors are the herons, moose, and beavers that frequent their pond, along with the occasional visit from a bald eagle. After retiring from a corporate legal career at Merck, Patty became involved in many of the region’s extensive music and other cultural venues; as a performer, organizer, and volunteer. She now enjoys using her organizational skills to assist nonprofits with streamlining office and financial procedures, both as the Treasurer at her church, and as the Bookkeeper at Dewey Memorial Hall. Patty is proud to be a member of the team at Dewey Hall working together to promote “good and kindly feelings”.