WELLESLEY HILLS (November 12, 2015) – Governor Charlie Baker announced the new appointment of Diane Schmalensee to the Massachusetts Bay Community College Board of Trustees and current Vice Chair Thomas E. Peisch has been designated as Chair.
“I am thrilled to appoint these distinguished leaders to our Commonwealth’s higher education boards,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Their breadth and depth of experience both in their careers and philanthropic activities will be – and continue to be – invaluable to our schools.”
“We are focused on creating and supporting regional strategies to solve our most difficult challenges, and our institutions of higher education play a central role in making these efforts a success,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Our colleges and universities play a central role in helping to improve education at all levels, and I thank these individuals for stepping forward to serve.”
Mr. Peisch has served on the MassBay Board of Trustees since his appointment by former Governor Deval Patrick in July 2012 and was elected to Vice Chair in November 2012. Ms. Schmalensee appointment fills the vacancy of former Board Chair Pamela Richardson, whose term expired in June 2015. The MassBay Board of Trustees have nine appointed members, all of whom have five-year terms.
“I look forward to working with all trustees as we strive to bring the higher education system in Massachusetts to the next level,” said Education Secretary Jim Peyser. “I thank all of the outgoing trustees for their service and contributions to the Commonwealth.”
“The College is pleased to welcome Diane to the Board. Her background in marketing is well-suited for our current areas of strategic focus,” said MassBay Interim President Yves Salomon-Fernandez. “We are equally pleased with the permanent appointment of Chair Peisch. MassBay is in great hands with a group of dedicated and astute trustees. ”Mr. Peisch has lived in Wellesley for more than 25 years and was an elected Town Meeting member from 1997 to 2011. He is a founder of and partner at Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford, LLP, a Boston law firm. Mr. Peisch earned his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College, later serving as President of the Dartmouth College Alumni Council. He earned his J.D. from Boston College. His spouse is former Wellesley School Committee Chair and current Massachusetts Representative Alice Hanlon Peisch.
“I am grateful to Governor Baker for appointing me as permanent Chair of Mass Bay's Board of Trustees, and I am looking forward to continuing my work to make the College the best in the system,” said Mr. Peisch. “MassBay's best years are ahead, and I am excited to be a part of its efforts to provide a quality and affordable secondary education to it students."
Ms. Schmalensee is the President and founder of Schmalensee Partners, a customer experience management agency in Boston. Ms. Schmalensee earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Wellesley College and her MBA from San Diego State University. She has been a board member of the Pioneer Institute for Public Policy since 2000 and an Overseer for the Boston Ballet since 2008. She has served on the Boards of Nichols College, the Association for Consumer Research, the American Marketing Association and the U.S. Census. She currently resides in Boston.
“I’m delighted to be joining the MassBay Community College Board for two reasons,” said Ms. Schmalensee. “First, I’m a firm believer in the importance of public education in general – both K-12 and secondary – for our youth. A strong education system provides a strong economy and strong society, and it is impossible to over-state the impact of a good education on individuals’ success and well-being. Second, I’m also a strong believer in MassBay in particular. My goddaughter graduated from MassBay in 2014, and I remain very impressed with the quality of education and career guidance she received. She’s gone on to a four-year college now and is doing well and feeling well-prepared. My hope now is that I can join the other Board members, the staff and faculty in helping MassBay grow in strength and impact on our students and our society.”
Mr. Peisch and Ms. Schmalensee will be sworn-in at an upcoming board meeting.
MassBay Community College was recently ranked by the Brookings Institution as one of the top schools for value added and earned salaries in the workforce. Ranked #1 for 2-year colleges in Massachusetts, #2 in New England and ranked #16 nationally. The College’s facilities in Wellesley Hills, Framingham and Ashland house day, evening and weekend classes that meet the needs of degree-seeking students and career minded life-long learners. Online options provide convenience and allow faculty to facilitate the learning process. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and strives to meet the needs of the diverse local communities it serves.