Darcie Sosa is the first to admit she has a full and robust work schedule. But it allows her to interact with new people and travel all over her beloved Berkshires. After graduating UMASS in Amherst, she returned back home to the Berkshires and quickly immersed herself in the arts, culture and nonprofit scene. In her downtime from one of her half dozen jobs, she's an avid hiker and can usually be found on the Rural Intelligence party page. I have lived in the Berkshires almost all of my life. I did move away to attend University of Massachusetts, Amherst, but the unique beauty, culture, family and friends I have here led me back to the place I call home. I wear a lot of hats professionally. I have a bachelor's degree from UMASS in Human Nutrition and another bachelor's degree from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in Communications/Public Relations/Marketing. I am the marketing manager for the nonprofit Berkshire South Regional Community Center in Great Barrington and I am also a freelance writer for the Berkshire Visitors Bureau, a former columnist for The Berkshire Eagle and I write nutrition information for various health websites. Although I have worked for larger organizations based out of New York City, working for a nonprofit that serves the needs of so many diverse individuals in the Berkshires allows me to feel that I am personally making a difference in other people’s lives. I think that satisfaction in one’s work and social impact is an important factor in my generation's job requirements. I also belong to the Berkshire Community College Alumni Committee, head the Marketing Subcommittee for Berkshire Young Professionals and am the communications lead for the Friends of St. Mary’s Ad Hoc Committee. I will literally travel the entire county in a day to go to cultural/outdoor/community events. When someone new comes to the Berkshires, I try to tailor their visit to what I think they would appreciate most from our diverse beauty. Many of my friends love art, so a trip to the cool MASS MoCa in North Adams or the Clark Art Museum in Williamstown is always in order. Musician friends that visit during the summer are always taken to Tanglewood, as the outdoor lawn tickets and Beethoven compositions fill a warm night with memories. If they love the theater, I am taking them to Barrington Stage for the amazing theater and of course, they have to get a tour of the new Hotel on North, and I have such a passion for the outdoors, so everyone must see the top of Greylock.
My favorite activity in the Berkshires in hiking. I am well versed on all the hikes on Mount Greylock, but Thunderbolt Ski Trail for the sheer challenge and Stony Ledge for the breathtaking view are my favorites. It also helps that both of these hikes tire my two Lhasa Apsos out and are the times that my friends and I seem to have the deepest conversations. To me, this region is so incredibly special because of all it has to offer. But over all of the offerings, the thing that seems to make the Berkshires so special and really represent the area are the residents. No matter which county, which city or town you are in, there is such pride and passion for the Berkshires. People seem to appreciate all that we are lucky enough to be surrounded by and have a passion for finding progressive solutions to the issues that we have. I am so happy to call the Berkshires home.
