Louann Harvey/Lifetime of Achievements

October 12, 2009

Dear BerkShares Businesses,

The Sheffield Kiwanis Club awarded Louann Harvey its Lifetime Achievement
Award for her extensive community service on behalf of the people of the
Southern Berkshires. The Award was presented last week at a dinner at the
Egremont Country Club.

At the dinner Representative Smitty Pignatelli presented a proclamation from
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts House of Representatives signed by Speaker
of the House, Robert DeLeo:

In recognition of being named the Sheffield Kiwanis Lifetime Achievement
Award recipient for all your valuable work in the Southern Berkshire
community, the entire membership extends its very best wishes to Louann
Harvey and expresses the hope for future good fortune and continued success
in all her endeavors.

Those who know Louann realize she does this community work with high energy
and glad heart. She is a gracious, productive, positive, and creative
member of any board of directors. And she has no fear of difficult issues.
If there is a community problem unaddressed, Louann will use the goodwill
she has earned from her previous work and call prominent leaders in the
region together to take on a new organization to find solutions.

She has served, or currently serves on the following boards: The Berkshires
Visitor's Bureau; Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce (serving as
President for 4 years); Railroad Street Youth Project; Great Barrington
Rotary Club; Community Development Corporation of the Southern Berkshires;
Berkshire Pulse; Berkshire South Regional Community Center; Berkshire United
Way; Berkshire Bank Foundation; Community Action of Southern Berkshire;
Egremont Finance Committee. Louann has also served on the following
community committees: Hope Fire Department Parade Committee; Foreign
Exchange Student Program of Rotary International; Home Town Hero Celebration
- Honor our Elders; and Main Street Action. Also, Louann started the Parent
Support Group, re-started the Heroin Task Force, and was a Board Member of
Community Health Programs.

We are proud that Louann Harvey is a founding board member and Vice
President of BerkShares, the Berkshires own currency that has earned
extensive international press, attracting visitors to the region to
experience the unique can-do spirit we have here. Louann reflects that
spirit.

Never at rest, Louann has recently grown concerned about the number of women
she knows suffering from certain cancers and other medical issues specific
to women. With Sharon Gregory of Jane Iredale Cosmetics, Louann is
organizing "Women's Night Out." The event is scheduled for December 3rd at
Crissey Farm from 5:30 to 8:30 PM. Cost is $20, $10 of which goes to create
a "Woman's Health Research Room" at the Nutrition Center on West Street in
Great Barrington.

There will be a cash bar and great finger food. But most importantly there
will be 30 health care practitioners to answer questions of women, including
homeopathic and allopathic practitioners, spa specialists, and nutrition
counseling. And women will talk with women, as they always have, in a safe
environment about health solutions they have discovered. Mark your
calendars. This will be a sell out.

Louann is a Mortgage Officer at Berkshire Bank. She has over 25 years
experience writing mortgages and has been called "the Berkshires favorite
banker." Her community service has given her a deep knowledge of the
Berkshires and the people of the region, making her an effective advocate
for those applying for loans with her.

Louann lives in North Egremont with her husband of 32 years, Ed Harvey.
They have three children, Kim, Jen and Sonny, and three grandchildren,
Hunter, Joey and Andrew.

All of us at BerkShares extend congratulations to Louann Harvey for the
honor given by the Sheffield Kiwanis Club.

Best wishes,
BerkShares Team
P. O. Box 125
Great Barrington, MA 01230
www.berkshares.org