Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. Announces Senior Management Appointments.

Business Editors

PITTSFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 14, 2002

Michael Ferry and Linda Johnston Named Senior Vice Presidents;

Gayle Fawcett Assumes Additional Responsibilities

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company") (AMEX:BHL), the holding company for Berkshire Bank (the "Bank"), today announced a significant realignment of its senior management. Michael J. Ferry, currently First Vice President, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending and Linda A. Johnston, currently Vice President, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Human Resources. As part of the reorganization, Gayle P. Fawcett, Senior Vice President of Systems and Operations, will assume additional responsibilities of branch administration, marketing and facilities. All three executives will report directly to Michael P. Daly, President and CEO. Mr. Daly, who formerly served as Executive Vice President, was appointed to his new position on October 16th.

As a result of the consolidation of management duties, the positions of Susan M. Santora, Executive Vice President, and John A. Davidson, Senior Vice President, have been eliminated and their duties have been reallocated among other members of management. Charles F. Plungis, Jr., Senior Vice President, Treasurer and CFO, will be leaving the organization to pursue other interests, once his successor is in place. "We truly appreciate the contributions Sue, John and Charlie have made to our organization and wish them all the best in their future endeavors," said Mr. Daly.

"Mike, Linda and Gayle are all proven performers and I will be relying on them as key members of our management team going forward," said Mr. Daly. "I am pleased to have these individuals along with Charles A. Bercury, of Retail Lending, Thomas W. Barney, of Asset Management/Trust Group, Gerald A. Denmark, General Counsel, Terry W. Smith, Controller, and Robert A. Wells, Chairman, as part of our management team as we continue to focus on our customer-based franchise. The changes we are announcing today will result in a more efficient and streamlined management of Berkshire Bank. I have every confidence that the new management team has the leadership and capabilities to deliver for our shareholders, customers, employees and the community."

"Mike Ferry, Linda Johnston and Gayle Fawcett have longtime experience at the Bank and have the operating skills and talents to get the job done," said Chairman Robert Wells. "Mike has moved quickly to put his team in place, and I am confident these individuals will help lead the Bank through its next growth phase."

As Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending, Mr. Ferry will be responsible for the Bank's commercial lending operations and the day-to-day business of the commercial staff, including planning, regulatory compliance, and business development. His office will continue to be located at the Bank's Center for Business Banking at 66 Allen Street, Pittsfield.

Mr. Ferry joined Berkshire Bank in 1986 as a commercial credit officer and has held various management positions including commercial lender, loan workout specialist and senior commercial lender. He is a graduate of St. Michaels College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and has completed courses with the Small Business Administration, American Institute of Banking and the Center for Financial Studies at Fairfield University. He is an associate member of the Risk Management Association and is on the Board of Visitors at Miss Hall's School. Mr. Ferry has also served on various committees for the Chamber of Commerce of the Berkshires and as a volunteer for Dalton Youth Activities. Mr. Ferry and his wife JoAnn reside in Dalton with their two children.

In her position as Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Ms. Johnston will be responsible for the oversight of the human resources function including recruitment, compensation and benefits programs, compliance, policy development and all efforts to attract, motivate and retain high performers. Her office will continue to be located at the 66 West Street, Pittsfield office of Berkshire Bank. Ms. Johnston joined the bank in 1975 and held positions in Retail Banking, Administration and most recently in Human Resources. She is an honors graduate of the Massachusetts School for Financial Studies and completed courses with the School of Financial Studies at Fairfield University. Ms. Johnston is a member of the Employers Association of the Northeast, Society for Human Resources Management and the Northeast Human Resources Association. She serves as a Director of the Berkshire Natural Resources Council and is a past Co-Chair and Treasurer of the Berkshire County Sportsmen For Land Preservation. She has also served as a volunteer for United Way, Hospice and the American Cancer Society. She and her husband Gary reside in Stockbridge.

Ms. Fawcett, Senior Vice President of the Systems & Operations Division, will assume additional responsibilities for the Bank's network of offices, branch planning and construction, facilities, purchasing, marketing and insurance. Additionally, she will be responsible for the Bank's computer operations, electronic banking and deposit operations areas. Ms. Fawcett's office is located at the bank's headquarters at 24 North Street, Pittsfield. Ms. Fawcett joined the bank in 1977 in the retail banking area. She is a graduate of the Massachusetts School of Financial Studies and completed courses with the Center for Financial Studies at Fairfield University and is a Certified Financial Para-Planner. Ms. Fawcett serves on the board of the EastPoint Technology Users Group and the St. Mark's Church Finance Committee and is a past board member of the International Management Council. She and her husband Ken reside in Pittsfield and have two grown children.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for Berkshire Bank. Established in 1846, Berkshire Bank is one of Massachusetts' oldest and largest independent banks and is the largest banking institution based in Western Massachusetts. The Bank is headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts with 11 branch offices serving communities throughout Berkshire County. The Bank is committed to continuing to operate as an independent bank, delivering exceptional customer service and a broad array of competitively priced retail and commercial products to customers.

Statements contained in this news release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Legislation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to, factors discussed in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time.