Pictured: 40 Under Forty winners Mike Dell’Aquila, Auric Enchill, Ben O’Shaughnessy (bottom left to right) and Michelle Lopez, DLE President/Founder Linda Dulye and Kevin Pink (top left to right). Not in photo: Marcus Coleman.

Six of the 40 Under Forty Berkshires 2022 winners have something in common: They all are DLE leaders. 

Their selection reinforces the dividends of investing in rising leaders’ professional development – the mission of the DLE since its 2008 founding. 

“If you want to grow and retain your organization’s next gen leaders, then make intentional investments in opportunities for them to broaden their skills, perspectives and connections,” explains DLE Founder and President Linda Dulye, whose Pittsfield-based management consultancy Dulye & Co. underwrites and manages the DLE, which offers memberships and programs at no charge. 

The six DLE honorees are Auric Enchill, Marcus Coleman, Mike Dell’Aquila, Michelle Lopez, Kevin Pink and Ben O’Shaughnessy. These DLE leaders will join 34 other Berkshire-based professionals on Sept. 15 at the 2022 awards ceremony held at Berkshire Community College. Honorees are selected for their contributions at work, in their communities and in volunteer organizations like the DLE. 

Mike, Michelle and Ben are DLE Advisory Board members. Auric and Kevin have been active in DLE outreach and DLE retreats. Marcus is a former Advisory Board member. Kevin has facilitated team building exercises for DLE events using his trivia competition skills. 

For DLE Leader Auric Enchill, sales manager for family business Elegant Stitches, the organization’s networking opportunities have sparked valued personal and professional growth. “The DLE has helped bring me closer to individuals who are making an impact each and every day.”

Adds DLE colleague Michelle Lopez, executive director of the Berkshire Immigrant Center, “Impacting your community shouldn’t stop with your job. It’s important to be of service to others in different realms of life. This is why I’m so thankful to be a part of the DLE. It gives me the opportunity to broaden my network and help others in their professional journeys.”

Michelle adds, “This award means so much to me because it’s not only a recognition of work done within my organization, but with the DLE as well. Having been nominated by fellow DLE volunteer Andrea Lein is a real honor.”

“The selection of six DLE leaders to this year’s cohort of 40 winners is a remarkable achievement that illuminates the extraordinary character and caliber of DLE leaders,” notes Linda Dulye. “Our six leaders have taken active roles in strategic planning for the DLE’s future direction, planning and moderating the variety of year-round programs we produce for learning, networking, and organizing our community outreach.”

DLE volunteer roles are designed to flex skills in decision-making, project management, event planning, communications and relationship building with fellow members in diverse industries, positions and locations. The organization converted from strictly in-person programming to exclusively virtual with COVID’s arrival in March 2020. A hybrid model, introduced in spring 2022, crescendos with the exclusive DLE 2-day Leadership Immersion on Nov. 4-5, a world-class professional development experience in the Berkshires. 

“The diversity of our professional community is constantly challenging our members with new perspectives and practices–essential growth for leaders in any industry,” notes Linda. “In stepping out of their comfort zones through their interactions, they fine tune how they listen and connect with others, express curiosity, tell their unique stories, and build creativity through differences.” 

Continuous learning is a requirement for successful leaders. Ben O’Shaughnessy, co-owner of Sunshine Group, attests, noting that “professional development has been critical to my career and a passion of mine.”

He particularly appreciates being involved in planning topics and content for many DLE programs. “It has been an honor to serve with the DLE to bring high quality professional development opportunities to young professionals ‘under 40’ in the Berkshires and beyond.”

Since 2008, the Dulye Leadership Experience (DLE) has invested in the professional development of thousands of rising leaders worldwide. Critical skills and connections for career success are grown through year-round training, subsidized by DLE founder and entrepreneur Linda Dulye. 

The DLE’s diverse, global network of ambitious professionals learn from and inspire each other to find their passions and maximize their impact in their respective communities. Linda is the president and founder of Dulye & Co. consultancy in Pittsfield, MA, originator of the Spectator-Free™ workplace fueled by engaged leaders and employees.