Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 27, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 9 LEI is a proud partner to our regional and local Construction Businesses and Architecture Firms. This year we were honored to be voted Best Commercial Landscaper by the Worcester Business Journal. We have been proudly serving the business community and our customers for over 35 years. LEI CORPORATION 200 Shrewsbury St. Boylston, MA 01505 (508) 865-4367 EXT. 201 www.leisite.com BOB A W A R D S B E S T O F B U S I N E S S Elmore co-led efforts at Boston University to facilitate a climate for free speech and expression – to expose, de- bate, and wrestle with ideas, understand bias, and encourage critical engagement. Early in his career as a dean of students, Elmore pushed for a long-standing weekly discussion series – Coffee and Conversation – to foster inclusive atmosphere through listening and idea exchange. "e ethos of common ground is really what I hope I can add to at Dean," said Elmore. "One of the things I did at BU was engage the community to just talk about the issues of the day in a way that was respectful and can lead to some meaningful action and ideas being exchanged. I hope to implement that here. We are at this juncture right now in higher education where we're really starting to interrogate what commonality means. I want to bring that conversation to Dean." Elmore has been an advocate of fostering an institutional mindset ensuring that traditional non-academic departments understand the student experience is multi-dimensional and not solely about social integration and skill-based experiences outside the classroom as a way to achieve greater outcomes for students. "Dean has done a great job in preparing students to launch out into the world," said Elmore. "Our academic programs are second to none, but it's also about the launch. It's about putting students out in the world and making sure they are in the community before they graduate. I want to put an emphasis on the community." Outside partnerships Dean maintains a long-standing ex- clusive academic partnership with Kra Sports + Entertainment of Foxborough. e ownership group presides over the New England Patriots, New England Rev- olution, and Patriot Place. Dean's partner- ship with Kra Sports + Entertainment allows students to gain access to a vast amount of opportunities in the sports and business world, including hands-on instruction from executives within Kra Sports + Entertainment "We want to continue to build on Dean's legacy of outreach," Augustus said. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve Dean College in this newly formed role. I look forward to working closely with Kenn and the Dean community. We are all going to form a tremendous team." Dean plays NCAA Division III sports for 16 athletic teams, has an alumni network of more than 25,000, and an endowment of more than $60 million. "I'm very excited," said Augustus. "I have had the privilege to serve as a member of the board of trustees for almost 10 years and have seen first- hand how special Dean is. e Dean difference is real, and I look forward to furthering the college's mission now and in the future." Elmore and Augustus will be on campus starting July 5, when their appointments begin. W PHOTO | COURTESY OF DEAN COLLEGE

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