Rural Intelligence is the brainchild of journalists Marilyn Bethany, who lives full-time in Columbia County, NY, and Dan Shaw, who lives full-time in Litchfield County, CT. They have both worked as editors and reporters at The New York Times and New York Magazine, where they met 20 years ago.  They created Rural Intelligence because they recognized the need for a reliable information source for people like themselves, who routinely do business and seek recreation and entertainment in four counties—Berkshire, Columbia, northern Dutchess and northern Litchfield—that are spread over three states. This sprawling region is not well-served by mainstream media, which tends to hew to conventional jurisdictional lines. They combined their extensive experience in print journalism with the technology of the day to create Rural Intelligence, which treats this uniquely sophisticated region as one big neighborhood. Their hope was that sharing information would foster a sense of community that transcends county and state boundaries. Rural Intelligence is the place where full-time residents and weekenders can share their passion for culture and country life.

Publisher Mark Williams divides his time between Manhattan and the Tyringham Valley, though he’d much prefer to spend more of his time in the latter locale, where he and his wife Liz tend to a barnyard full of goats, chickens, and guinea fowl, as well as their mouser, Clack. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Jacob’s Pillow, and Liz serves on the board of Community Access to the Arts (CATA). Photo: Chris Jones.

Photo: Chris Jones

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