Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com June 20, 2016 • Worcester Business Journal 7 presidential search was ongoing. She easily worked herself into the fabric of the community, which contributed greatly to the board of directors' deci- sion to hire her permanently, said Paul A. DiPierro, chairman of the Anna Maria College Board of Trustees. "She can walk into the room, get to know people, and people like her," DiPierro said. "She's not afraid to boldly go where she has to go." Over the past year, Anna Maria has added seven new board members, including Maureen Griffin, vice presi- dent of benefits operations at Unum, Peter J. Dawson, chair of the land use and environmental law group at Mirick O'Connell and former lieutenant gover- nor and Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Timothy P. Murray. The board has 24 members, and the college is looking for three or four more – perhaps leaders in the pub- lic safety sector or in the arts. "It's a group of men and women who are not on the payroll who are saying, 'I like what I'm hearing. I like where the students are centered, I like the message that's going out from the college, and I want to be a part of that,'" Retelle said. Having people like Murray on the board is an affirmation that the college is moving in the right direction, DiPierro said. "He had to like what he sees to agree to be part of the board," he said. Affordability One of the grants Retelle helped Anna Maria secure was a $10,000 Davis Educational Foundation grant, to look into ways the college could offer its degrees in a shorter period of time. The grant is part of a larger focus on affordability. Last year, Anna Maria launched the Higher Education and Active Responsiveness through Transfer (H.E.A.R.T.) Initiative, a partnership with Quinsigamond Community College. Through H.E.A.R.T., accepted students studying either criminal justice, fire science, human services or social work can start their studies at Quinsigamond and be guaranteed a spot at Anna Maria after their first two years, all for a maximum total price of $40,000. "We had to be mindful as a private institution; affordability is one of the things we continue to stress," Retelle said. "We have to have reasonable expectations for students and their fam- ilies. We just cannot continue to put that kind of a burden not only on stu- dents but also on families as well. So this is one way that we can do that." Quinsigamond was a natural partner because the schools had similar mis- sions and public service programs that matched up, Retelle said. Anna Maria is in talks to offer H.E.A.R.T. in conjunc- tion with other schools, including Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner. "We've already done template, why not sell to other institutions that have similar programs that would match up well?" Retelle said. Several public colleges, like Worcester, Fitchburg and Framingham state uni- versities have similar partnerships with local community colleges, but Anna Maria was the first local private school to take this step, said Dr. Christine Holmes, the college's vice president for academic affairs. Outside of the com- munity colleges, Retelle has made solid connections in the Central Massachusetts higher education sphere, Holmes said. "She has great relationships with other college presidents – she helps us get out there and network," Holmes said. "It's not about competition, it's about working together. She's a very community oriented person." Going forward Another key component of a success- ful college presidency is putting togeth- er your executive team, Retelle said. Since she came on, Holmes' title became permanent and David Breen has been named chief operations officer. A search for a vice president for institutional advancement is ongoing. As of late May, Anna Maria's strategic plan was in its early stages. Worcester academic consultant Keating Associates, Inc. had just been hired to work on the report and was in the process of gather- ing data on where the college currently stands, Retelle said. "They're right in the middle of a great deal of data research. We will find out where are we coming from, what the competition is like, what is the market, what are the future opportunities for students, how the economy will be, per- haps. And that should shape dramati- cally the decisions and conversations that will be coming forth," she said. "If you don't understand where you're at, and where you're coming from as a position of either strength or weakness, you won't have a good strategic plan." The plan should be ready to present to the board by early next year. Study abroad programs at Anna Maria have expanded over the past year, and Retelle said she would be surprised if partner- ships with foreign universities didn't appear as part of the strategic plan. It depends on how the data-gathering phase goes. "This isn't the Retelle plan," she said. n "We had to be mindful as a private institution; affordability is one of the things we continue to stress. We have to have reasonable expectations for students and their families." Mary Lou Retelle, president, Anna Maria College What's important to Robert: R A banker who understands small businesses R An account with more perks and benefits An account with more perks and benefits R A way to deposit checks right from his garage A way to deposit checks right from his garage ...so he can keep running on all cylinders. ...so he can keep running on all cylinders. ...so he can keep running If it's important to you, it's important to us. 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