Mauro steps down as leader of Project SAGE

Since 2016, Betsey Mauro has guided Project SAGE through significant expansion and has solidified a network of support.
Photo by John Dolan, courtesy of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
Since 2016, Betsey Mauro has guided Project SAGE through significant expansion and has solidified a network of support.
After nearly a decade of dedicated service, Betsey Mauro has retired as the executive director of Project SAGE, leaving behind a legacy of growth, and a commitment to social justice and community health.
Her work at Project SAGE, a community-focused organization dedicated to supporting, advocating, guiding and educating victims of relationship violence through a range of services and outreach programs in Lakeville, Connecticut, began eight years ago in January 2016. Since then, she has guided the organization through a time of significant expansion and innovation, and has solidified a network of connections in the community and beyond.
Reflecting on her tenure at Project SAGE, Mauro described her departure as “entirely bittersweet.” A native of northwestern Connecticut, Mauro’s return to her roots was not merely a homecoming but a mission to make a substantial difference in the community she grew up in.
With a background in ministry and higher education, including work with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, Mauro brought a unique blend of compassion and leadership to Project SAGE. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in geology from the University of New Hampshire, a Master of Divinity from Earlham School of Religion, and a doctorate in ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Throughout her leadership at Project SAGE, Mauro was driven by a profound sense of social justice, influenced by her faith and her time at the Earlham School of Religion, a Quaker institution known for its focus on peace and social justice. Her approach to leadership has not been about seeking personal accolades but about creating a supportive, learning environment among her staff.
She said: “My role has really been to find the right people at the right time and put them in the right place. So, if I’m proud of anything, it’s the fact that I’ve been able to open the door for clients to work with really amazing people.”
When Mauro began in 2016, the organization was called Women’s Support Services. It has since changed its name to Project SAGE.
Under her stewardship, Project SAGE outgrew its old building, moving to a larger, more accessible location at 13A Porter St. in Lakeville. The new space, renovated with a focus on health and accessibility, reflects the agency’s growth from a staff of six to over a dozen dedicated professionals. This expansion has allowed for an enhanced range of services to victims of relationship violence, including counseling, legal advocacy and a robust prevention education program that has tripled the number of sessions taught.
Asked about her plans post-retirement, Mauro looked forward to some planned trips; hiking and kayaking; and spending time with her partner, Paul, who is the head of maintenance at Mountainside Addiction Treatment Center in Canaan. Yet her commitment to social justice and community remains at the center of her life.
“You know, I’m not the kind of person who’s going to sit still,” she said. “I don’t know if it will be paid or volunteer, but I’m really sort of taking time to just take a deep breath, come back to myself in a way.”
Having done prior work in hospice, Mauro shared that that would be an area she might be interested in taking up again. She shared, “Social justice wise, I’m really concerned about housing, and particularly housing in this area.”
She explained that COVID-19 led to a period of hiring people who worked remotely, with the express idea that they’d relocate to the area post-pandemic. But, she shared: “Housing has been a real barrier. And we find housing is a real barrier for our clients as well. How can people start anew when they can’t get affordable housing? It’s a huge challenge.”
In her ongoing pursuit of creating a better, more just world, Mauro will undoubtedly continue to be of service. “I really believe that my faith informs my strong sense of social justice and so in that regard, I see a continuum,” she said. “Whether I’m in a church or I’ve been in this role here, it’s all about how we lift up people and also challenge the systems that are unfair, that keep people from accessing their full selves.”
LAKEVILLE — Barbara Meyers DelPrete, 84, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, at her home. She was the beloved wife of George R. DelPrete for 62 years.
Mrs. DelPrete was born in Burlington, Iowa, on May 31, 1941, daughter of the late George and Judy Meyers. She lived in California for a time and had been a Lakeville resident for the past 55 years.
Survivors, in addition to her husband, George, include son, George R. DelPrete II, daughter, Jena DelPrete Allee, and son Stephen P. DelPrete. Grandchildren; Trey, Cassidy, and Meredith DelPrete, Jack, Will and Finn Allee, and Ali and Nicholas DelPrete.
A Funeral Mass was held at St. Mary’s Church, Lakeville, on Saturday, Oct. 4. May she Rest in Peace.
Ryan Funeral Home, 255 Main St., Lakeville, is in care of arrangements.
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com
SHARON — Shirley Anne Wilbur Perotti, daughter of George and Mabel (Johnson) Wilbur, the first girl born into the Wilbur family in 65 years, passed away on Oct. 5, 2025, at Noble Horizons.
Shirley was born on Aug. 19, 1948 at Sharon Hospital.
She was raised on her parents’ poultry farm (Odge’s Eggs, Inc.).
After graduating from Housatonic Valley Regional High School, she worked at Litchfield County National Bank and Colonial Bank.
She married the love of her life, John, on Aug. 16, 1969, and they lived on Sharon Mountain for more than 50 years.
Shirley enjoyed creating the annual family Christmas card, which was a coveted keepsake.She also enjoyed having lunch once a month with her best friends, Betty Kowalski, Kathy Ducillo, and Paula Weir.
In addition to John, she is survived by her three children and their families; Sarah Medeiros, her husband, Geoff, and their sons, Nick and Andrew, of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, Shelby Diorio, her husband, Mike, and their daughters, Addie, Lainey and Lyla, of East Canaan, Connecticut,Jeffrey Perotti, his wife, Melissa, and their daughters, Annie, Lucy and Winnie, of East Canaan. Shirley also leaves her two brothers, Edward Wilbur and his wife Joan, and David Wilbur; two nieces, three nephews, and several cousins.
At Shirley’s request, services will be private.
Donations in her memory may be made to the Sharon Woman’s Club Scholarship Fund, PO Box 283, Sharon, CT 06069.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
MILLERTON — Veronica Lee “Ronnie” Silvernale, 78, a lifelong area resident died Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, at Sharon Hospital in Sharon, Connecticut. Mrs. Silvernale had a long career at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, where she served as a respected team leader in housekeeping and laundry services for over eighteen years. She retired in 2012.
Born Oct. 19, 1946, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Bradley C. and Sophie (Debrew) Hosier, Sr. Following her graduation from high school and attending college, she married Jack Gerard Silvernale on June 15, 1983 in Millerton, New York. Their marriage lasted thirty-five years until Jack’s passing on July 28, 2018.
Ronnie is survived by her daughter, Jaime Silvernale (Wm. MacDaniel, Sr.) of Millerton, her beloved grandson, Wm. MacDaniel, Jr.; two special nieces, Shannon and Rebecca and a special nephew Sean Hosier. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her brother, Bradley C. Hosier, Jr. and her dear friend Ruth Fullerton of Millerton.
Visitation was private. A celebration of Ronnie’s life will be held in the future. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546. To send an online condolence to the family or to plant a tree in Ronnie’s memory, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com
Christine Gevert, Crescendo’s artistic director, is delighted to announce the start of this musical organization’s 22nd year of operation. The group’s first concert of the season will feature Latin American early chamber music, performed Oct. 18 and 19, on indigenous Andean instruments as well as the virginal, flute, viola and percussion. Gevert will perform at the keyboard, joined by Chilean musicians Gonzalo Cortes and Carlos Boltes on wind and stringed instruments.
This concert, the first in a series of nine, will be held on Oct. 18 at Saint James Place in Great Barrington, and Oct. 19 at Trinity Church in Lakeville.
For those unfamiliar with Crescendo, the award-winning organization was founded in 2003 and brings lesser-known works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods — along with contemporary fusion pieces — to new life. Its performances often blend classical composition with nontraditional instrumentation for a refreshing new take on an established body of work.
Gevert, who is German, Chilean and American, is a conductor, keyboardist and musical scholar. As the multi-national, multi-lingual (German, Spanish and English) creative director, she is a veritable whirlwind of talent, professionalism and inspiration who conceives of new musical treats for her audiences. She also hires and nourishes local talent, sources internationally known vocal and instrumental professionals, and provides her audiences with well-researched program notes for each concert, packaged in lush, full-color programs that resemble illuminated manuscripts.
“It is the excitement about and dedication to the music, along with the prerequisite vocal and instrumental talent, that characterizes a Crescendo member,” said Gevert. “I don’t care about things like how old or young you are or where you’re from — it’s all about bringing these performers together to provide unforgettable musical experiences for its audiences.”
“Traditional audiences for classical music performances tend to skew older,” Gevert continued. “For that reason, I’ve embarked on an effort to reach younger listeners, and have done things like taken a Crescendo choral group to perform at Housatonic Regional High School. I’ve also launched an effort to recruit and train young singers in Baroque singing techniques so they can perform with our existing choral group.”
The upcoming 2025-26 season includes, among other performances, a solo recital and benefit concert on Nov. 22 by the international Baroque opera star and countertenor Nicholas Tamagna. The curated program will include works by Handel, Vivaldi, and Monteverdi.
Two dazzling Christmas concerts follow: on Dec. 6 and 7, Crescendo presents J.S. Bach’s “Sweet Comfort” cantata and Mass in G minor, featuring the full chorus and soloists with a period instrument orchestra. On Dec. 21, the annual Holiday Concert will be presented: “A Tapestry of Traditions: Unraveling the History of Christmas Carols,” with the entire Crescendo vocal ensemble and Gevert on organ.
For the full schedule, concerts details and ticket information, visit: www.crescendomusic.org