Co-Chairs

Gail DeNicola held roles as an educator and academic followed by over 20 years as a senior marketing and division executive in financial services. She subsequently led the Northeast division of the American Red Cross, managing a budget of $75M and a fundraising target of $100M. While living in France for seven years she worked with the leadership team of the American University of Paris on strategy, brand development and operations reengineering. Ms. DeNicola did her undergraduate work at Bennington College and holds an M.Ed. at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and an M.S. in business administration from M.I.T. Sloan School of Management. She was a board member of Management Sciences for Health, a global non-profit organization creating health systems in countries with limited health services delivery. 

Gray Ellrodt MD is a volunteer primary care physician and Co-chair of the ViM Board of Directors.  He was Vice Chair of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and Professor of Medicine at UCLA School of Medicine before moving to the Berkshires to be Chief of Medicine and Chief Quality Officer at Berkshire Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at UMass Medical School. He was a long-term volunteer with the American Heart Association and led several of their national quality improvement programs. 

Board of Trustees

Denyse Adler joined the Board of Volunteers of Medicine in 2014, after retiring from a decades-long career in healthcare program development, strategic planning and communication consulting.  She was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Cancer Program at St. Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey, the Palliative Care Institute of Calvary Hospital New York, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the Psychosocial Advisory Group of the NJ Commission of Cancer Research. 

Steve Bernstein has a passion for business and has enjoyed a nearly fifty-year career in the international global logistics industry. Having graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in accounting and economics, Steve launched a career that led to his founding and presidency of H.Z. Bernstein Co. and H.Z. Bernstein Airfreight Corp.  Later, Steve led Uti Worldwide, with 400 offices in 59 nations.  He stayed on when UTi Worldwide was acquired, and in 2012 he retired as Global VP for Customs and Compliance.  He is still active in the industry and consults through S. Bernstein Consulting. A long-term advocate for local healthcare initiatives, Steve is also a past present of the T. Grotta Center for Rehabilitation in West Caldwell, NJ.  

Michael Citrin is a partner in the law firm of Drury, Patz & Citrin, LLP, of Canaan, Connecticut, and currently practices in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Over the years, he has worked in law offices in Detroit and New York City. As a local attorney, he has counseled a number of nonprofits in the community. He is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the University of Detroit School of Law.  Michael lives in Great Barrington with his wife and three children. 

Robert C. Davenport, MD is a retired family physician. He practiced with the National Health Service Corp. in Hamilton, NY from 1979-1981, following residency at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, FL.  He then practiced in Valatie, NY from 1981-2010.  From 2010 until his retirement at the end of 2014, he was a PCP with Berkshire Faculty Services, associated with Berkshire Medical Center. In addition to volunteering at VIM Berkshires, he serves as VIM’s part-time medical director. He also continues to volunteer as a preceptor for the Berkshire Medical Center internal medicine residency out-patient clinic.  

Rebecca Hart Holder has dedicated her career to ensuring all people have access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care. As President of Reproductive Equity Now, Rebecca and her team have secured critical legislative victories to safeguard and expand reproductive freedom in the Commonwealth, including the Reproductive Health Access Law passed in response the fall of Roe, the ROE Act, the Contraceptive ACCESS Law that expanded birth control coverage in Massachusetts, and the NASTY Woman Act that repealed pre-Roe criminal abortion bans in Massachusetts. She has been recognized for her work by Out Magazine and the Boston Business Journal. Previously, Rebecca has served on Governor Healey's 2022 Healthy Communities Transition team and as Associate Director of Programs for Provide and the Federal Policy Director at the National Abortion Federation. She has held legal fellowships with the Center for Reproductive Rights and the National Congress of American Indians, has received a Fulbright Fellowship to examine human rights abuses against indigenous women in Guatemala, and has worked at Human Rights Watch. She holds a JD from the University of California Berkeley School of Law and a BA from Mount Holyoke College. 

Sharon Harrison has had a diverse career that has been dedicated to leadership and community development. Currently the School Business Official (CFO) overseeing the business and finance of a $37 million PK-12 regional school district, she is responsible for the efficient and effective use of public funding. Prior to this, she held various positions ranging from being the youngest elected state legislator in the country while serving in the Main State Legislature, to leading the Town of Lanesborough as the Town’s first Administrator, to serving as the Interim Executive Director of the Colonial Theatre during its final phase of renovation and initial programming, to working in international software marketing. Her community involvement extends to serving on local non-profit boards and sitting on the Governor’s Committee on Rural Schools. She holds a B.A. in Communication, and an M.B.A. as well as an M.S. in Media and Philanthropy. 

Patricia G. Hubbard has a BA in Journalism from George Washington University. She worked as a speech writer for a variety of political campaigns and corporations. She then had a career in Corporate Marketing for Kraft Food, RJR Reynolds, Chesebrough Pond’s, Revlon and Max Factor (where she was Senior Marketing Director). She left the corporate world in 1989 to raise her family in Litchfield County, CT. During her time as “a mother” she also worked as a marketing consultant and ran five family-owned retail stores.  Patricia moved to the Berkshires in 2007 and was the event planner for the Norman Rockwell Museum for seven years. In addition to private clients, Patricia chaired the VIM Gala beginning in 2016. In the past she has also served on the Board of the Sandisfield Arts Center and the North Carolina Arts Council. 

Jay Kistler, PhD is a retired computer scientist and entrepreneur.  He spent 30 years riding the tech wave in Silicon Valley, in systems research and then product development at a variety of companies, large and small.  In 2021, he and his wife, Christine Conklin, moved to her hometown of Lenox and are enjoying the tranquility and community spirit of the Berkshires.  He holds a BS in Business Administration from UC Berkeley and a PhD in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon. 

Gary Lazarus has a multifaceted background including law, real estate and hospitality on three continents and is presently engaged in real estate brokerage in Massachusetts, New York and Florida. He was a partner in the Manhattan law firm Boies & Lazarus where he refined his interpersonal and mediation skills. Gary graduated from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, earned a Master's degree from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a law degree from Oxford University.  The breadth of Gary's experience serves him well in bringing a balanced voice to VIM's Board. 

Alice Lustig is an Independent Contractor for Stand Up 2 Cancer, responsible for project management and grants administration for Convergence research teams. Formerly the Chief Operating and Financial Officer of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, her previous experience includes serving as Executive Vice President at Rockefeller University and as Chief Business Officer, Administrator and Department Manager for Princeton University’s Department of Molecular Biology. Her background is in academia, research and healthcare education, including: Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, Finance for Senior Executives; Harvard Graduate School of Education, Management Development Program; Bryn Mawr College, Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration. She currently serves as chair of Finance Committee for Sheffield Historical Society and is an Eagle Fund committee member. 

Matthew B. Mandel, MD, a co-founder of ViM, is extremely gratified to have participated in its creation and growth. He has served as Co-Medical Director, Vice Chair of the Board, and Co-chair of the Development Committee. He previously practiced Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham, Children’s, and Lying-in Hospitals in Boston and later in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Following his retirement, Matt and his wife made Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where they had been part-time residents since 1981, their primary residence. Matt has served on the boards of the Stockbridge Bowl (lake) Association, Community Access to The Arts, Berkshire Art Center, and the Berkshire District Medical Society. In 2013, he received the American Medical Association’s Award as the Volunteer Physician of the Year, and in 2012, he was the Massachusetts Medical Society’s Senior Volunteer Physician. BS, Western Reserve University, MD, Hahnemann Medical College, Residency and Fellowships, Harvard Medical School. 

Arthur M. Peisner is Chairman of the Board at Vistage Michigan, Inc. and an executive coach and consultant working with owners, CEOs, and senior executives of small and mid-sized firms. He has been the Vice President of the International for Ideal Toy Corporation; Vice President of General Mills and President of Fundimensions Division; and President and CEO of Lionel Trains, Inc. Art has served as as Director and Chairman at Toy Manufacturers of America and Director and Vice Chairman of Central Macomb Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the To-Ho-Ne Shores Homeowners’ Association. He holds a BS from Syracuse University and an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. 

Thomas J. Sakshaug, DDS, has been a dentist practicing in Pittsfield, MA since 1986 and a ViM volunteer since 2006.  Tom is the past Chair and Treasurer for Berkshire District Dental Society. He was a recipient of the 2016 William B. McKenna Volunteer Hero of the Year Award from the Massachusetts Dental Society, for which he was Delegate to the Annual House of Delegate for many years; Nominations and Trustee Selection Committee member several times; Yankee Dental Congress Presiding Chair or Room Coordinator for several courses annually for the past 20 years. Tom is very active in Pittsfield city government, serving as Chair of the Pittsfield Municipal Airport Commission, and Vice Chair of the Pittsfield Conservation Commission. He served as Campaign Manager for Linda Tyer for Mayor in 2005 and 2019. Tom is an avid hiker, landscaper, native plant enthusiast and forager, and handyman. 

Ana Suffish is the director of the Berkshire Community College Adult ESOL Program.  Before that, she worked in the Pittsfield Public School system as an ESOL tutor. Ana, a graduate of Pittsfield High School and of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, started her professional career in the Human Resources field in Boston. She returned to the Berkshires in 2001 to raise her family and has served on the Berkshire County Kids Place & Violence Prevention Center and Berkshire Health Systems boards.  Ana enjoys hiking and alpine skiing in the beautiful mountains of the Berkshires. 

Veronica Torres Martin is the Director of the Language and Translation Services and Spiritual Care Department at Berkshire Health Systems. She is a certified Medical Interpreter (CMI) from the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters with twenty years of translation and interpreting experience.  Veronica earned her bachelor’s degree from Smith College and an MBA from MCLA in Massachusetts.  She has also worked in bilingual classrooms as a translator for Pittsfield Public Schools. She has served as the interpreter/translator for the Chilean Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Fine Art).  A native of Chile, she moved to the United States in 1997 and then, in 2003, to the Berkshires, where she is raising her three children. Veronica enjoys kayaking, hiking, films and wine tasting, among other things. 

Matt Winter retired as President of The Allstate Corporation, in February 2018. Prior to serving as President, he served Allstate in various executive capacities, beginning in 2009. Before joining Allstate, Mr. Winter was Vice Chair of AIG, President and CEO of American General, and Executive Vice President of MassMutual. In addition, he spent more than 12 years on active duty with the US Army and also practiced law for several years before joining the insurance industry. Matt earned his B.S. from the University of Michigan, his JD from Albany Law School of Union University, and his LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He serves on the Boards of ADT, H&R Block, and the Hartford Financial Services Group. 

Susan Ellen Wolf is a retired corporate lawyer and governance consultant.  She served on the in-house legal teams at Schering-Plough (now Merck), The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Airlines, ConTel (now Verizon) and Constellation Energy (now Exelon). She founded Global Governance Consulting where her work included board and committee organization, board self-assessments, and optimizing C-suite interaction with directors.  She has served on many non-profit boards, including Temple University School of Medicine, Caldwell College, the Smithsonian Libraries, and Healthcare for the Homeless in Baltimore. Her background in corporate governance, coupled with her strong record of service to nonprofits, positions her as a key asset to the board.