PITTSFIELD, Mass.  July 23, 2015—Hillcrest Educational Centers, Inc. (HEC) has selected two Vice Presidents as they continue to grow the organization.

Michele Morin, Director of Workforce Learning, has been promoted to Vice President of Human Resources and Workforce Development.

She has a Bachelor’s of Education from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and a Master’s of Education in Learning, Media, and Technology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  Michele has 29 years of experience in the field of education including 5 years as a high school educator in the public schools and 24 years as a staff educator in human services.  In 2005, Michele joined Hillcrest Educational Centers as the Director of Workforce Learning.

She is responsible for all people functions including the strategic planning, managing, developing, evaluating, and improvement of human resources to provide the agency with an engaged and committed workforce that possesses the knowledge and skills capacity to meet the current and emerging needs of the children, youth, families, and communities served.

Mark Placido, Chief Financial Officer, has been promoted to Vice President of Finance. His responsibilities include overseeing the overall financial operations of the organization and affiliated organizations, preparing monthly financial statements, annual operating budgets for each company, coordinating the annual external audits and preparing the monthly financial reports, which he presents Boards of Directors for each corporation.  Mark joined Hillcrest in 2007 as Controller and was named Chief Financial Officer in 2011.

Mark’s experience includes serving as Treasurer of the Berlin Central School District in Berlin, New York for two years. Prior to that, he was employed in the Accounting Department at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA for thirteen years, serving as Accounting Manager for the last seven years. Earlier in his career he worked for Hillcrest as a childcare worker and in the Business Office processing Accounts Payable. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Government/Criminal Justice from Western New England University and a Master of Science in Accounting from Western New England University.

Gerard Burke, President and CEO of Hillcrest Educational Centers stated, “As we continue to grow as an organization, it’s important for us to have passionate leadership at the helm.  Michele and Mark both have a passion for our mission and posses the qualifications to continue to move our organization in a positive direction”.

About Hillcrest Educational Foundation, Inc.: A top area employer, Hillcrest Educational Foundation is a local, private not-for-profit parent company of three subsidiaries and one affiliate agency. They include:
 
Hillcrest Educational Centers, Inc. providing therapeutic treatment and special education to children and adolescents with unique psychological and learning needs in Berkshire County, Massachusetts and the Northeast.  Their campuses include a day student academy, and autism program, and three residential schools.  

Hillcrest Community Support Services offers a broad range of psychological services, counseling and evaluations for individuals, families and schools in Berkshire County through Hillcrest Community Support Services.  

Hillcrest Dental Care, Inc. is a complete general family dentistry practice and the largest provider in Western Massachusetts of oral healthcare services to MassHealth recipients and special needs patients. Hillcrest Dental Care has two locations; one in Pittsfield, MA and one in North Adams, MA  

Berkshire County Kids’ Place and Violence Prevention Center, Inc., an affiliate of Hillcrest, is a fully accredited Children’s Advocacy Center for child abuse victims and their non-offending family members located at 63 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, MA.  

Hillcrest’s Administrative Offices are located at 788 South Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201.  More information is available at www.hillcrestec.org or by contacting Katrina Cardillo, kcardillo@hillcrestec.org or (413) 499-7924 x114. Hillcrest can also be found on Facebook.  

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Media Contact:
Hillcrest Educational Centers, Inc.
Katrina Cardillo Director of Communications
413-499-7924 ext. 114
kcardillo@hillcrestec.org