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                                                                   EXHIBIT 99.1

                      [BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP LETTERHEAD]

            BERKSHIRE HILLS ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS RECORD RESULTS
                   FIVE DIRECTORS ELECTED TO THREE-YEAR TERMS


PITTSFIELD, MA - May 16, 2008 - Berkshire Hills Bancorp (BHLB) held its Annual
Meeting of Stockholders on May 15, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pittsfield,
Massachusetts. Berkshire is the holding company for Berkshire Bank - AMERICA'S
MOST EXCITING BANK(SM).

President and Chief Executive Officer Michael P. Daly chaired the meeting. He
presented highlights for 2007 including:

o RECORD EARNINGS IN 2007, GROWING BY MORE THAN 20%, WITH SIMILAR RESULTS IN THE
  FIRST QUARTER OF 2008
o CONSERVATIVE LOAN UNDERWRITING AND SOUND ASSET QUALITY
o EXPANSION INTO VERMONT WITH THE ACQUISITION OF FACTORY POINT BANCORP
o EXPANSION IN NEW YORK, WITH FOUR NEW BRANCHES OPENED IN THE ALBANY AREA IN
  2007, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO TEN BRANCHES IN THE CAPITAL REGION.
o INSURANCE REVENUES MORE THAN TRIPLING TO BECOME THE LARGEST SOURCE OF FEE
  INCOME
o BRANDING OF BERKSHIRE BANK AS AMERICA'S MOST EXCITING BANK(SM)

Mr. Daly noted that the second quarter dividend payment was 14% higher in 2008
than in the previous year. He also showed that Berkshire's total return stock
performance in 2007 was better than the industry average. He concluded the
meeting with praise for the commitment and energy of all associates in the
Berkshire family for producing exceptional results in a challenging environment
in 2007. A copy of Mr. Daly's slide presentation will be available in the
Investor Relations section under the Presentations link at
www.berkshirebank.com.

The business agenda for the Annual Meeting included the election of directors,
approval of the Amended and Restated 2003 Equity Compensation Plan, and
ratification of Wolf & Company P.C. as the independent registered public
accounting firm for 2008. Voting results followed the Board's recommendations on
all items. The following five directors were elected for three-year terms ending
in 2011:

MICHAEL P. DALY - Mr. Daly is President and Chief Executive Officer of the
Company and the Bank.

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DAVID B. FARRELL - Mr. Farrell served as President and Chief Executive Officer
of Bob's Stores from 1999 until his retirement in 2008. Bob's Stores is a
subsidiary of The TJX Companies, operating 36 apparel superstores in the
northeastern U.S.

SUSAN M. HILL - Ms. Hill is President of Hill & Thompson, P.C., a Vermont-based
certified public accounting firm serving the hospitality industry throughout New
England.

CORNELIUS D. MAHONEY - Mr. Mahoney served as President and Chief Executive
Officer of Woronoco Bancorp, which was acquired by Berkshire in 2005 and became
Berkshire's Pioneer Valley region. Mr. Mahoney is a former Chairman of America's
Community Bankers and the Massachusetts Bankers Association.

CATHERINE B. MILLER - Ms. Miller was a Vice President and an owner of Wheeler &
Taylor, Inc., an insurance agency with offices in Berkshire County. She
previously held administrative and faculty appointments in higher education,
including the State University of New York in Albany.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp is a regional financial services company with $2.5
billion in assets. Headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, it is the parent
of Berkshire Bank - AMERICA'S MOST EXCITING BANK(SM). Through its subsidiaries,
Berkshire provides business and consumer banking, insurance, and wealth
management services through 48 banking and insurance offices in Western
Massachusetts, Northeastern New York, and Southern Vermont. For more
information, visit www.berkshirebank.com or call 800-773-5601.

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CONTACT
- -------

David H. Gonci
Corporate Finance Officer
413-281-1973


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