Construct Inc. Seeking New Executive Director
— The Berkshire Edge / Shaw Israel Izikson, October 24, 2025
Both the president and vice president of Construct’s Board of Directors said the organization is looking to see its current housing projects through rather than take on new ones until it finds a new executive director to take the helm.
Former Construct Inc. Executive Director Jane Ralph, who stepped down from her role in late August, at a party held in her honor by the organization. Construct is beginning its search for a new executive director. Photo by Shaw Israel Izikson.
Great Barrington — Two months after Jane Ralph stepped down from her executive director position at Construct Inc., the nonprofit organization has started its search for her replacement.
The organization provides affordable housing and supportive services to 15 towns in Berkshire County.
Ralph took on the position of executive director in 2016 and oversaw multiple projects during her tenure, including an affordable housing project at Forest Springs in Great Barrington and the county’s first co-living workforce housing at The Windflower in Egremont.
Ralph was the third executive director to lead the organization, which was founded in 1969.
In late July, Ralph announced she would be stepping down from the organization by the end of August and relocating with her partner to Madison, Wis.
In early October, the organization announced that its board of directors had hired Peter Gray Executive Search of Madison, Wis., to conduct a national search for a new executive director. “The reasoning for hiring an executive search firm was because we had a long-standing leader in Jane Ralph, and many changes have taken place in the organization since she took the helm almost 10 years ago,” Construct Board of Directors President Betty Farbman told The Berkshire Edge. “We want to have a fair and open process in finding a new executive director, which is why we decided to hire a search firm.”
Farbman said that the organization grew substantially under Ralph’s leadership. “When Jane came on board, we only had one full-time employee,” Farbman said. “Now we have 12 employees, separate departments, more properties, and a very different organization. We need an executive director who will be a guiding light for the mission and vision of the organization, and we need to make sure that our day-to-day operations support that.”
Farbman explained that the organization is looking for someone “who can help our mission of making housing affordability a reality in South Berkshire County.” “We need someone who can see our mission and work with our staff, strategizing to our best advantage,” she said. “We also want someone who can communicate well within the community, works well with other organizations, and can work with our funders. Someone who knows how to communicate with the community is important because Construct is an outgrowth of the community, and we need to continue the very strong support that we have received.”
The organization approved a strategic plan in December 2024, Farbman said. “The strategic plan does not call for new housing projects, but it calls for completing the projects that we already have on the boards,” she said. “One of which is completing the Cassilis Farm Project in New Marlborough.”
In 2024, the organization purchased Cassillis Farm, and in July 2024, the Healey-Driscoll administration’s 2024 Affordable Housing Development program awarded a $3.1 million grant to the organization to help construct and subsidize 11 units on the property.
“There are a lot of things going on in the world right now, and I think it’s important for us to shore up what we have rather than look for other big projects on the horizon,” said Board of Directors Vice President Lisa Beede. “We are holding the fort in the interim while we search for a new executive director. We are not going to make any big changes without that person on board.”