March 8, 2023 - Letter from Lori Hindle
To the Lasell community,
When the Presidential Search Committee began our listening tour this past fall, we were eager to hear from our community. Through these conversations we learned quite a bit about what you were looking for in our next president: honesty, passion, a commitment to equity, and a responsibility to maintain the connection with who we are as an institution, even as we continue to evolve. We also asked for nominations either inside or outside of the Lasell community. While we considered a number of outstanding candidates, throughout this process we heard one name over and over again from students, faculty, staff, alumni and Village residents. That name was Eric Turner. The support for Eric has been overwhelming.
Therefore, it is with great excitement and enthusiasm that I announce, Lasell University Provost, Eric Turner has emerged as the final candidate in the search for our next president.
Before joining Lasell in 2017 as Vice President of Graduate and Professional Studies and as a member of the Senior Management Team, Eric served as Chair of the University's Board of Trustees and as a Lasell Village Trustee. Eric’s experience in both the private and public sectors is incredibly impressive, having played key roles at State Street, IBM, the Massachusetts State Lottery and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
To date, Eric has been interviewed by both the search committee and, most recently, the Board of Trustees. After spring break, Eric will be holding meetings with constituencies within our community. These meetings are your opportunity to hear from Eric and ask him any questions you might have. Invitations to these meetings will be forthcoming.
As the chair of the Presidential Search Committee, I am grateful for the support and collegiality this community has displayed over the past seven months.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to reach out to me directly via email.
Thank you for all you do, every day, to make Lasell the special place that it is.
Forever Forward.
Lori Hindle
Lasell University Board of Trustees Vice-Chair and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee
December 7, 2022 - Letter from Lori Hindle
Dear Lasell Community,
In September, we asked for our community’s participation as we began to create the job profile for the next president of Lasell University. You showed up with enthusiasm and heart and shared your hopes, your priorities, and your concerns.
Over the past six weeks I have had the opportunity to meet with several members of our community including students, faculty, staff, overseers, alumni, parents, Lasell Village residents and staff.
Our search firm, WittKieffer and I, conducted 15 listening sessions, I held six sessions of office hours and held countless individual Zoom calls.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I thank you for the time and care you gave to this process, and because of you, the Lasell University president job profile is now published and can be viewed here.
WittKieffer will begin the next phase to seek prospective candidates and they are also taking nominations from people within the Lasell community and from people outside of our community. If you would like to nominate an internal or external candidate, I encourage you to reach out directly to LasellPresident@wittkieffer.com.
The enthusiasm from our community throughout this process has been off the charts.
When Lasell asks our people to show up, they always do and that is what makes this community truly special.
Forever Forward.
Lori Hindle
Lasell University Board of Trustees Vice-Chair and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee
October 18, 2022 -Letter from Lori Hindle
Good afternoon,
As promised, I am writing to provide an update on the search for Lasell’s next president.
Starting tomorrow and continuing through next week, our consultants at WittKieffer will hold “listening tours” for Lasell’s campus constituents. I encourage everyone to attend your group’s specific session and make your voice heard. Henry Pugh, in the President’s Office, is starting to send out Zoom links for the confirmed meetings, so please check your e-mail for specific dates and times.
For those unable to participate in these listening tours, please remember that, except for October 31, I will continue to hold on-campus office hours every Monday from 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm in Stoller Room, located on the second floor of Brennan Library. If you cannot attend any of these in-person sessions, I invite you to share your comments and suggestions with me via email at lhindle@lasell.edu.
As part of my effort to hear from diverse members of our community, I will meet with SGA leadership tonight.
Thank you for your continued involvement and feedback, it is important and truly valued.
Forever Forward.
Lori Hindle
Lasell University Board of Trustees Vice-Chair and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee
September 14, 2022 - Letter from Lori Hindle
Good morning,
More than two months have now passed since President Alexander announced his retirement at the end of the 2022-23 academic year. The Board of Trustees has been working diligently to move the search process forward and, as promised, I now have a few updates I would like to share with our community.
After interviewing several firms, the Board has approved the hiring of WittKieffer to lead this search. Based on their experience in the higher education and nonprofit sectors we look forward to a productive working relationship. This firm is also leading the search for Lasell Village’s next president, and we believe this synergy will be beneficial to both institutions.
An important aspect of this process is hearing from our community. To that end, WittKieffer will be holding “listening groups” on campus. An announcement will be forthcoming in the next few weeks with dates and times, so please be on the lookout for invitations to in-person and zoom meetings.
In addition to WittKieffer hosting listening tours, I will also be holding office hours on campus each Monday beginning September 26th from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Stoller Room, located on the second floor of Brennan Library. For any Lasell community members who would prefer to meet virtually, please do not hesitate to email me to make an appointment. I encourage anyone in our community to please stop by (in person or virtually) and share any thoughts, comments or suggestions with me.
Recently the Board also approved a 15-person Presidential Search Committee. The members of this committee were selected to reflect a cross section of our campus community including Board of Trustees members, alumni, students, faculty, and staff.
Lasell University Presidential Search Committee:
Lasell University Trustees
- Lori Hindle – Committee Chair
- Susan Dunne ‘82
- Carlos Fonseca
- Keon Holmes
- Brad Kates
- Debby Mahony ‘67
- David McInnis ‘03
- Laurie Pascal
Non-Trustee Representatives
- Stormy Bell ’90, ’92, ‘20 – Chair, Board of Overseers
- Denny Frey – Lasell University Faculty member (Dean of Curricular Integration and Professor of History)
- Sally Jean-Baptiste ’12 – President, Lasell Alumni Association
- Sarah Neill – Lasell University Staff member (Philanthropy and Engagement Officer, University Advancement)
- Alanis Perez-Rivera ’21, ‘22 – Graduate student (also Lasell University Staff member Coordinator of Intercultural Engagement and Commuter Life)
- Kay Sloan – Lasell Village Resident (former president at Mass College of Art & Design)
- Michael Woo ‘23 – Undergraduate student and President of the Student Government Association
To help keep you apprised of our continued progress, we have created a Presidential Transition page on Lasell’s website that will be regularly updated throughout this process. All pertinent information can be found here.
As Chair of the Presidential Search Committee, I encourage you to share your feedback and ask that you send ideas or comments directly to me.
I thank you for your time and for your commitment to moving Lasell forever forward.
Lori Hindle
Chair of the Lasell University Presidential Search Committee
July 6, 2022 - Letter from President Michael Alexander
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
After much thought and consideration, I have decided to retire from my position as president of Lasell University and chief executive officer of Lasell Village on June 30, 2023. I informed the Board of Trustees of my decision during the June board meeting. It has been the honor and privilege of my professional life to serve these two wonderful institutions and the thousands of people who comprise the broad Lasell community.
When I stepped onto campus that first day as Lasell’s leader, in the summer of 2007, I stopped to fill my gas tank on the way to work. As I pulled into the Winslow parking lot, I realized that in my excitement to begin I had left the gas station without paying. I quickly retreated to the station, starting my day with an embarrassed apology. It was an appropriate lesson in humility for an ambitious new college president. On that day, I would never have guessed that my tenure would last for 16 years.
After so many years with you and so many adventures together, it is hard to know when is the right time to step down. Over the last several months, it has become clear to me that the time has come for a new voice and a new perspective at the helm. We have accomplished many things together, a list too long to enumerate here. We will have time over the coming months to celebrate those achievements.
Our years together have resulted in great memories and wonderful relationships. I still treasure greeting each new class of students as they arrive in the fall, sharing their excitement and empathizing with their anxieties. I love meeting with alumni all over the world, and take special pleasure when I run into one of the 8,000 or so to whom I have had the honor of handing diplomas. I have grown personally and professionally from the intellectual stimulation of daily interactions with faculty, staff and Lasell Village residents. I am most proud of the way we pulled together to weather the storm of the pandemic and maintained our focus on teaching and learning — always keeping the interests of our students foremost in our minds and actions.
One of the keys to overcoming the challenges we have faced and the many that will confront Lasell in the future is our adherence to a set of shared values that guide our decision-making. Values like integrity, equity, and kindness. A dedication to learning from those who are different from ourselves. A tradition of open and respectful discourse on even the most difficult and uncomfortable issues.
There are no shortage of problems In our society, in higher education, and even at Lasell, that require application of the skills, knowledge, and character that Lasell imparts on all members of our community. Lasell has been producing engaged, educated citizens of the world for 171 years. With continued solidarity, and enlightened leadership, it will continue to do so for centuries to come.
We will have time in the year ahead to say goodbye. In the meantime, Mary Barbara and I want you to know how appreciative we are for all that each of you have done and continue to do for Lasell and its students, and how grateful we are to have experienced these many years within your warm embrace.
With love and affection,
Michael Alexander