(PITTSFIELD, Mass.) – Nina Garlington, most recently director of resource development for Berkhsire United Way, has been named director of development of Berkshire Museum, beginning June 4, 2012. Laurie Werner, who has served the museum as director of development since August 2010, has been appointed director of campaign and major gifts for the museum.

Before working with Berkshire United Way, where she was director of resource development for two years, Garlington served as director of donor relations at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in North Adams for four years, and prior to that was director of development at Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge. She also served as manager for institutional support at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket.

Garlington, who resides in Pittsfield with her husband and daughter, holds a bachelor of arts degree from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. She is a board member for the popular WordXWord Festival, a member of the Steering Committee of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce Berkshire Leadership Program, and past chair of the Berkshire County Development Alliance, among other volunteer affiliations.

“I am excited to work for an organization where I strongly believe in the mission and purpose,” says Garlington. “That is certainly true of my feelings for Berkshire Museum where I have been a member for most of my ten years in the Berkshires. I look forward to the challenge and I plan to enthusiastically contribute to the success and growth of the museum.”

“I am delighted to welcome Nina to our museum family,” says Van Shields, executive director of the Berkshire Museum. “She brings solid development experience in cultural institutions, academia, and social services, is familiar with a wide range of ‘donor communities’ in geographically diverse areas of the Berkshires, and most importantly, she adds enthusiasm and creativity to the team. Having Nina here to focus on cultivating membership, program support, and events will allow Laurie Werner to concentrate her considerable strengths and talents on working with volunteers to plan and execute our upcoming endowment campaign.”

“As an independent nonprofit organization, the Berkshire Museum relies on contributed, as well as earned income, to support its work, including serving nearly 16,000 schoolchildren annually in a variety of educational programs,” says Bill Hines, the president of the Board of Trustees. “The expansion of the development team is part of our strategy to meet our goals for annual support while we raise funds to preserve the Berkshire Museum’s future through endowment.”

Berkshire Museum is the first public museum in Berkshire County, established by Zenas Crane in 1903 as a museum of art and natural history. Taking Flight: Audubon and the World of Birds, featuring more than thirty prints from Audubon’s masterwork, The Birds of America, is on view through June 17. The Big Picture: Berkshire Museum Camera Club 75th Anniversary Exhibition will be on view June 14 through September 16, 2012. Liz Whitney Quisgard: Kaleidoscope will be on view May 24 through October 21, 2012. Rethink! American Indian Art at Berkshire Museum will be on view July 12 through January 6, 2012. Little Cinema is open year round, and the Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation, the aquarium, the Alexander Calder Gallery, Hudson River School, Worlds in Miniature, and other exhibits are ongoing.

The Museum, located at 39 South Street in downtown Pittsfield, is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. For more information, visit Berkshire Museum or call 413.443.7171.