Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | June 27, 2022 | wbjournal.com In replacing its long-time president, Dean College chose a long-time academic and a former city manager to take over Dean's dual leadership BY STEPHEN UNDERWOOD Special to WBJ D ean College in Franklin announced in June two historic appointments to its leadership team. Kenneth Elmore will serve as the school's 14th president and former Worcester city manager Edward Augustus will be the school's first-ever chancellor. Founded in 1865, Dean is home to 1,121 full-time students and 400 part- time students enrolled in 30 bachelor's and associate degree programs. Elmore will become the college's first Black president aer succeeding former president Paula Rooney, who served for 27 years before retiring at the end of the spring semester. Elmore previously served as the associate provost and the dean of students at Boston University, where he has been a member of the leadership team for more than 20 years. He previously worked as a practicing attorney. Augustus, who officially le his post as Worcester city manager at the end of May, will be responsible for business development, alumni and community relations, facilities, technology, and strategic planning at Dean. Meanwhile, Elmore will focus on academic affairs, student life, enrollment, and retention. "We found in Kenn and Ed a perfect combination," said Board Chair Mark Boyce. "We wanted to split up the roles of president and chancellor because we want to foster an atmosphere that is in- novative and collaborative and let people do what they do best because we want to invest in all levels of the organization. e first investment we're making is in Ed as chancellor to look at revenue sources we haven't looked at in the past. His depth of experience will help forge new partnerships for our school. With Ken we want to take the student expe- rience to a new level. Both of these men will help carry out our mission for many years to come." e choice to have both a president and a chancellor is a first for a private central Massachusetts college and will split the leadership responsibilities between external and internal relations. e only other Central Massachusetts college or university with a chancellor is UMass Chan Medical School in Worces- ter, which doesn't have a president. Finding common ground As the landscape in higher educa- tion evolves, Boyce said it was critical Dean expand its leadership team to include experienced higher education and community leaders with diverse backgrounds. "I'm excited about the notion that I can add to the incredible Dean story," Elmore said. "ese are challenging times for sure in higher education. But I like to be challenged. Issues we're going to face include navigating a climate impacted by COVID-19 and economic downturn. But I'm really excited about the possibilities of joining a wonderful new community and being able to have an impact." roughout his career in higher education, Elmore has been dedicated to making and keeping the common ground compelling. Elmore's signature is his commitment to public engagement and the pluralistic ideal. His goal is to break barriers of divisiveness by pushing communities to discover their shared humanity and to foster meaningful, au- thentic friendships. He has worked with students – graduate and undergraduate – to expand their intellectual, social, and spiritual growth, he said. 0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 0 $20 $40 $60M $80M '17-'18 '18-'19 '19-'20 '20-'21 '21-'22 2018 2019 2020 2021 1,121 1,112 $46.3M $62.1M Full-time student enrollment Endowment amount *Dean College was online only for the fall 2020 semester and hybrid for the spring semester. Source: Dean College Dean College enrollment and endowments (Left) Kenneth Elmore, dean of students at Boston University, will become the first Black president at Dean College. (Right) Former Worcester city manager Edward Augustus, seen here at a 2018 rally for the Worcester Red Sox, will be Dean's first chancellor. PHOTO | COURTESY OF DEAN COLLEGE

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