Board Of Trustees Elects Walsh, Blake
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., June 9, 2005 -- The Springfield College Board of Trustees elected James E. Walsh of East Longmeadow, Mass. as chair, and elected Helen Davis Blake of Somers, Conn. and Stuart, Fla. as secretary, at its annual meeting, May 21, 2005, on the college campus, the college announced today. Walsh succeeds R. Lyman Wood of Hampden, Mass.
Newly elected to the Springfield College Board of Trustees were Jack Lund of New York, N.Y. and Norman Chambers of Annisquam, Mass. Lund is president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of Greater New York. Chambers is president and chief operating officer of NCI Building Systems, Inc. in Houston, Texas.
Kate Baumann of Berlin, Conn., was elected student trustee. She is a fourth-year student majoring in communications/sports journalism and English.
In announcing the elections, Springfield College President Richard B. Flynn said, “We are fortunate to have the leadership of Jim Walsh and Helen Blake as we continue to achieve the goals of the College’s strategic plan. They have a wealth of experience on the Board of Trustees and have been deeply involved in strategic planning for the College. At the same time, we are grateful for having had the service of R. Lyman Wood. During his tenure as board chair, the college undertook a number of important steps to serve tomorrow’s world by extending its century-old tradition of educating leaders in service to humanity.”
Walsh is president of Baystate Environmental Consultants, Inc., a civil and environmental engineering firm with offices in East Longmeadow, Mass. and East Hartford, Conn. He also is president or partner in development firms that have built residential projects in Western Massachusetts for 25 years.
A member of the Springfield College Board of Trustees since 1989, Walsh was elected vice chair in 2004. He has been a member of the executive committee for several years and has been chair of the academic affairs committee since 2002. He is a past chair of the buildings and grounds committee and has served on other board committees.
Walsh earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Springfield College, and a master’s degree and a Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts. He is past president and a member of the board of directors of the Home Builders Association of Western Massachusetts, which awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. He also is a former board member of the National Association of Home Builders.
Blake, a retired biochemist and mathematics teacher, has been a member of the Springfield College Board of Trustees for 16 years. She first was elected secretary of the board in 2004. She is a member of several board committees, including the executive committee, and is chair of the committee on trustees and past chair of the audit and compliance committee. In addition, she is co-chair of Leadership for the 21st Century: the Campaign for Springfield College.
Blake earned her associate’s degree from Quinnipiac College, bachelor’s degree from Bates College, and master’s degree from Springfield College, and completed advanced study at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She has served on the boards of WGBY, Stage West, Martin County Library Foundation, and Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.
In other action, the Springfield College Board of Trustees reelected the following members to new terms: John Doleva of Wilbraham, Mass., Peter Andruszkiewicz of West Hartford, Conn., Kenneth Gladish of Chicago, Ill., and Sally M. Griggs of Northampton, Mass.
Recent Headlines
- Springfield College Dance Concert, William Simpson Fine Arts Series
- Springfield College, MCDI to Serve Community Thanksgiving Dinner
- Springfield College Featured in New Museum of Springfield History
- Springfield College Receives Super 60 Award as Major Contributor to Regional Economy
- Springfield College Event to Address Baha’i Persecution in Iran