Meet the Board
Meet Our Board of Directors
These five dedicated individuals work hard on your behalf.
The Berkshire County Retirement Board consists of five members. The first member, selected by the other four, is the Chairman of the Board. The second member is a member of the Berkshire County Advisory Council and is elected by a majority of the Council. The third and fourth members are elected by the membership. The fifth member is chosen by the other four members and shall not be an employee, retiree, or official of the retirement system.
Michael C. Ovitt - Chairman since October 2006, and member of the Berkshire County Retirement Board since June 1998.
Michael is a volunteer fireman and part-time police officer in the Town of Sheffield. He was the Treasurer/Collector of the Town of Sheffield from May 1988 until June 2018. Michael lives in Sheffield with his wife Lisa and has 2 adult children.
Mark Bashara - Elected member of the Berkshire County Retirement Board since January 2017.
Mark is retired from the Town of Lanesborough where he was a member of the Police Department for 28 years, serving 12 years as Police Chief. He has served on the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association as well as the Western Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. Mark resides in Lanesborough.
Timothy Sorrell - Elected member of the Berkshire County Retirement Board since January 2024. Tim Sorrell resides in Lanesborough with his wife of 30 years, Donna. They have two sons, Nicholas who is a Police Officer for the Town of Adams, and Matthew who is a student at UMass Amherst. Tim Sorrell started his municipal career in Lenox, working for the Lenox Highway Department, after his Honorable Discharge from the United States Marine Corps. Tim Sorrell then went on to serve 33 ½ years with the Town of Lanesborough Police Department, working his way up through the ranks, before retiring in June of 2021, after serving the last 6 years of his career as the Chief of Police for the Town of Lanesborough Police Department. Tim Sorrell currently serves as a Select Board Member for the Town of Lanesborough after winning the election in June of 2022.
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Sue Funk - Member of the Berkshire County Retirement Board since December 2022
Sue has been the Treasurer/Collector for the Town of Egremont since 2012. She has been the VP of the Berkshire County Treasure/ Collector Association for the past 5 years.
She resides in Ashley Falls.
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Beth A. Matson - Member of the Berkshire County Retirement Board since 2020
Beth is currently the administrator in the Town of Marlborough. She was the Administrator for the Town of Northbridge from 1999 to 2011 and the Administrator for the City of North Adams from 2011 to 2021. She is currently serving as the 5th Member to the Adams Retirement Board. Beth lives with her husband in Douglas, MA, and has two adult children.
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Chairman (6 years) - Michael C. Ovitt
Term: January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2026
The Chairman is elected by the other 4 Board members
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Advisory Council Member (3 years) - Sue Funk
Term: January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2024
The Advisory Council Member is elected by the Treasurers on the Advisory Council
Elected Member (3 years) - Mark Bashara
Term: January 1, 2023– December 31, 2025
The elected member is elected by the active and retired membership of the Berkshire County
Retirement System.
Elected Member (3 years) - Timothy Sorrell
Term: January 1, 2024– December 31, 2026
The elected member is elected by the active and retired membership of the Berkshire County
Retirement System.
Appointed Member (5 years) - Beth A. Matson
Term: October 28, 2020 – June 30 2025
The Appointed Member is appointed by the other 4 Board members, and cannot be an active
or retired employee or official in any of the 46 units of the System
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