Jonathan Lothrop

Youbilee Director and Simon's Rock Village Chair

After Graduating from Simon's Rock in 1986 having met his future bride, Katy Miller 84' Jonathan remained in the Berkshires. In 1990 Jonathan and Katy married at the Blodgett garden on Campus. Shortly thereafter they moved to Pittsfield, eventually raising two daughters, Christina and Lily. Christina enrolled at Simon’s Rock in 2013 and graduated with her BA in 2017.

Jonathan Lothrop is a seasoned public servant and community advocate with deep roots in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He brings over two decades of experience in local government, social services, and community development to his role as a Director at Youbilee.

When it was announced that Simon's Rock would be ending its BA program and would move operations to Barrytown (next to Bard) Jonathan was part of a small group of Alumni who began to organize and work to reimagine the Simon's Rock campus as potentially an Alumni led re-use. As a Director of the Alumni Working Group, Jonathan is working with others to explore campus reuse options.

Jonathan got involved in local issues and eventually became the elected Ward 5 Representative on the Pittsfield City Council, from 2004-2016. His work on the council reflects a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility, transparent governance, and inclusive community growth.

In addition to his elected service, Jonathan is an Advisory Board Member for the Brownfield’s Advisory Group at MassDevelopment from 2007-2016. In this capacity, he collaborates with businesses and developers to transform contaminated properties into affordable housing and employment opportunities. Jonathan is a current member of the Pittsfield Conservation Commission (2014 to the present), which regulates the MA State Wetlands Protection Act in Pittsfield, MA

Jonathan’s professional background also includes a career with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF), where his most recent role was Supervising the Foster Care system in Berkshire County from 2014-2024. Jonathan holds a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Connecticut, where he specialized in Policy and Planning with a minor in Group Work In this role, he managed a team of child welfare social workers, overseeing their operations and ensuring the delivery of high-quality services to children and families in need. After 35 years, Jonathan retired from the service of the State in July 2024.