Anita Heller is passionate about the Berkshire County artistic community. A Berkshire resident since 1971, she has enjoyed watching this area develop into a major cultural attraction, and she would like to continue to foster and support that growth through her involvement with Shakespeare & Company.

 Anita is currently an Emeritus member of the Council at Chesterwood, following her service as a Council Member for nine years. Anita’s focus at Chesterwood, the home of Lincoln Memorial sculptor Daniel Chester French, was on their annual sculpture show, fundraising and development. Anita and her husband Philip Heller also established an endowment for Chesterwood’s annual sculpture show in honor of Philip’s mother, Lillian Heller. Anita is a supporter of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston.

 In 1991, Anita and Philip Heller organized an advocacy coalition called “Save Our Schools” in Pittsfield, in which they lead the successful effort to bring additional funding to the Pittsfield Public Schools through a city-wide referendum.

 Anita was a high school English teacher and has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree in English from Adelphi University. Anita worked as the office manager and bookkeeper for the law firm of Heller & Robbins in Lenox for 33 years.

In 2019, Anita created the Philip Heller Distinguished Service Award for Shakespeare & Company, which honors the legacy of her late husband Philip and his extraordinary dedication to Shakespeare & Company, including the countless hours of pro bono legal services that he provided to the Company. The Philip Heller Distinguished Service Award is given annually to an outstanding volunteer for Shakespeare & Company, and the funds raised will contribute to capital improvements at Shakespeare’s facilities.