Springfield College Board Of Trustees Elects Walsh, Blake, Griggs, As Officers
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., May 30, 2006 -- The Springfield College Board of Trustees reelected James E. Walsh of East Longmeadow, Mass. as chair; and elected Helen Davis Blake of Somers, Conn. and Stuart, Fla. as vice chair, and Sally M. Griggs of Northampton, Mass. as secretary at its annual meeting on May 20, 2006 on the Springfield College campus, the college announced today.In announcing the elections, Springfield College President Richard B. Flynn said, “We are fortunate to have the leadership of Jim Walsh, Helen Blake, and Sally Griggs 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.”
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 more than 25 years.
A member of the Springfield College Board of Trustees since 1989, Walsh was elected vice chair in 2004, and chair in 2005. He is chair of the Executive Committee and Audit and Compliance Committee, and is a past chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and Buildings and Grounds Committee.
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 17 years. She is chair of the Committee on Trustees and a member of the Executive Committee. Recently, she completed two terms as secretary of the Board of Trustees, and she also served as chair of the Audit & Compliance Committee from 2003 to 2004. Last year, the college named her 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.
Griggs has been a member of the National Board of the YMCA of the USA, New England regional chairperson of the YMCA of the USA, and chair of the Hampshire Community United Way Endowment Committee.
A member of the Springfield College Board of Trustees since 2000, Griggs is chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee and serves on the Executive Committee. She is a graduate of Vassar College.
Newly elected to the Springfield College Board of Trustees was William A. Burke III of East Longmeadow, Mass. Burke is group vice president for business development of Newell Rubbermaid Corporation and group president of LENOX American Saw & Mfg. Co. and North American Tool Group.
Also elected was John A. Odierna of Longmeadow, Mass., a partner in the law firm of Odierna & Beaumier, P.A. Odierna served on the college’s board of trustees from 1980 to 2005, including as chair of the board from 2001 to 2004.
The board also elected Herbert J. Jervis of Amelia Island, Fla., who is the retired vice president and chief intellectual property counsel for Pioneer Hi-Bred International. He served on the Springfield College Board of Trustees from 1985 to 2002, including as chair of the Academic Affairs Committee from 1998 to 2001.
Elected student trustee was Brian Rose of Franklin, Mass. Rose is a fourth-year student majoring in criminal justice and psychology with a minor in history. Named ex-officio as board treasurer was John L. Mailhot of Somers, Conn., who is Springfield College vice president of administration and finance. Also named to the board ex-officio was Carl J. Pavano of Glastonbury, Conn., who is president of the Springfield College Alumni Council.
In other action, the board reelected the following members to new terms: Helen D. Blake of Somers, Conn. and Stuart, Fla., John L. Cutter of Wilbraham, Mass., Robert M. Sullivan Jr. of Longmeadow, Mass., and Harold C. Smith of New York City.
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