Leadership

Leadership
President James Vander Hooven

President’s Message 

Mount Wachusett Community College is a student-centered school in the heart of North Central Massachusetts.

We have been recognized nationally for our innovation and commitment to students, whether you are a first-time college student or returning to school. Our small class sizes and deeply engaged faculty and staff are here to help you navigate college life and meet your goals. Everyone at MWCC is here to support you as you complete the admissions and financial aid process, develop a class schedule, and find a healthy work-life balance. At the Mount, your classes will be challenging, but we will help you meet and exceed those challenges.

MWCC programs are designed to help you achieve your goals, whether you are a recent high school graduate, an adult returning to school, a military veteran, or a current high school student who wants to get an early start on college.

With more than 70 degree and certificate programs you will be able to match your goals to an education that will help you achieve them. You’ll also have a chance to be a part of a vibrant campus that has over 30 student clubs and organizations. You’ll also have the chance to make a difference in your community through the service-learning, volunteer, internship, and co-op programs offered by our Brewer Center for Civic Learning and Community Engagement. Our students contribute more than 121,000 hours of service to our surrounding communities. These opportunities make North Central Massachusetts a better place to work and live and also provide great resume-building opportunities for our students.

At the Mount, you will be able to find your place at the Gardner campus or one of our satellite campuses in Leominster and Fitchburg. Whether you plan to head into the workforce or transfer to a four-year college, the next phase of your life will begin when you enroll here as a Mount Wachusett student.

I look forward to you joining us here at the Mount and shaking your hand when you earn your diploma.

James Vander Hooven, Ed.D.
President

Board of Trustees, Leadership Team, and President

Leading MWCC Forward

 

Mount Wachusett Community College is led by a Board of Trustees comprised of alumni, a student trustee, and business people from the local community who have demonstrated a deep level of commitment to the College.

The College’s Leadership Team is comprised of the President, Vice Presidents and others who work together to keep the college unified and moving forward.

MWCC is led by President James L. Vander Hooven, Ed.D.

May 2025 — May 2026

  • Claire M. Freda, Chairperson, Leominster City Counci
  • Patti Bergstrom, Owner, The Velvet Goose
  • Beckett Caisse, Student Trustee
  • Irene Hernandez Guzman, (Alumni), Director, Active Life Adult Day Health Center
  • Denise Kindschi Gosselin, Professor Emerita, Western New England University
  • Lawrence NFOR, Senior Director of Finance and Administration, Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg, Leominster and Gardner.
  • Rozanna Penney, President/CEO, Heywood Hospital
  • Douglas Petersen, Workers Credit Union
  • Patricia Pistone, UMass Memorial Health – Health Alliance-Clinton Hospital
  • Rick Walton, Owner, Moon Hill Brewing Company, Gardner Ale House

Upcoming Meeting Notice

MWCC Board of Trustees
DATE: June 11, 2026
TIME: 3:00 pm
LOCATION: Murphy Room, Gardner Campus 

AGENDA

Join The Meeting Stream

2025-2026 Fiscal Year Schedule

(subject to change)

August 21, 2025
October 16, 2025
December 18, 2025
February 19, 2026
April 9, 2026
May 20, 2025 (Commencment)
June 11, 2026 (Annual Meeting)

Approved Presidents Report December 12, 2021

View the By-Laws of the Board of Trustees

James L. Vander Hooven
President
EdD, University of Maine
MA, University of Wyoming
BA, The Ohio State University


Senator Stephen M. Brewer
Senior Advisor to the President
Member of the Massachusetts Senate 1997-2015

BA, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
MA, Assumption College


Jay Bry
Vice President of Finance and Administration
MBA, Purdue University
BS, Purdue University


Adam Duggan
Vice President Lifelong Learning & Workforce Development
EdD, Northeastern University
MA, Boston College
BA, Emerson College


Ana Gaillat
Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs
PhD, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
MA Suffolk University


Daniel Horlander
Executive Director, Information Technology Services
MS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
BS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign


Heather Layton
Executive Director of Resource and Strategic Initiative Development
MS, Antioch New England Graduate School
BS, University of New Hampshire


Tiffany Parker
Executive Director, Office of Institutional Effectiveness
MA, Minnesota State University, Mankato
BA, University of Maine, Orono


Daniel Soucy
Professor, Philosophy
MA, The State University of New York at Albany;
BA, Westfield State College


Marcia Rosbury-Henne
Vice President for Enrollment Management
MEd, American College of Education
BA, Marist College


Peter Sennett
Vice President of Human Resources & Payroll, Affirmative Action Officer, Title IX Coordinator
LLM, George Washington University College of Law
JD & MPA, Syracuse University College of Law & Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs
BA, SUNY at Buffalo


Kim Shea
Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences
DNP, Regis College
MSN, Drexel University
BSN, Drexel University
AS, Mount Wachusett Community College


Stephanie Williams
Chief Diversity Executive
MS, Anna Maria College
BS, Becker College
AS, Quinsigamond Community College


Jason Zelesky
Vice President of Student Affairs, Dean of Students
MEd, University of Vermont
BA, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

James L. Vander Hooven, Ed.D., President, Mount Wachusett Community College

James Vander Hooven, Ed.D. has been committed to the ideas of access and opportunity in higher education for the majority of his professional career. After a few years of secondary education teaching and administration, Jim found his true calling when he stepped into a nontraditional college classroom, and as the instructor found that he was the youngest person in the room. From that evening on, he has focused his energy and time on increasing opportunities for students of all ages and backgrounds to achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals.

In his role as the third president at Mount Wachusett Community College, Jim has taken this student-centered approach and applied it to everything he touches. He approaches his role as the college leader with a unique student focus.

Prior to becoming president at MWCC, Jim served as the Vice President for Enrollment Management at Landmark College in Putney, Vermont. In this role, he served as the College’s chief enrollment officer, managed recruitment activities, enrollment, and admissions processes, and administered the Office of Financial Aid. He also oversaw the Office of Transfer, Career, and Internship Services.

Before joining Landmark College, Jim was President of Tohono O’odham Community College, a Tribal College located on the Tohono O’odham Reservation in Arizona. In that role, he oversaw the $9 million construction of a new main campus, strengthened programs in the areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and developmental education, and represented the Tribal Colleges in annual presentations on Capitol Hill.

The breadth of his experience gives him a keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities of educational leadership. He is dedicated to building strong teams designed to achieve important goals and improve student outcomes.

Jim serves on a number of community boards including the GFA Supervisory Committee, The Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster, the United Way of North Central Massachusetts, the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, the Wachusett Business Incubator, and the Massachusetts Community Colleges Council of Presidents.

Jim earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from The Ohio State University. He received his Master of Arts degree in American Studies from the University of Wyoming. In 2009, he was awarded his Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Maine, where he focused on student access. His dissertation was titled, “Lessons From Success: The Experience of Women Who Successfully Completed an Associate Degree While Parenting Children.”

Strategic & Operational Plan

Strategic Plan Download PDF  Operational Plan Download PDF

Testimonials

Your Journey Starts Here

Yasmine Kanaan
“I have gone from a lost young adult with no goals and no identity, to a student with a high GPA, an associate’s degree in business that I was able to complete in one year, and an acceptance to the University of Massachusetts.”
Yasmine Kanaan

Yasmine Kanaan

Business Administration, Class Of 2015

Ricardo-Scarello-cropped
“For those who are battling a disability, MWCC encouraged me and gave me a solid foundation to achieve my educational and career goals. There were times that I felt like giving up, but I kept moving forward and soon I will start a PhD program. It is all up to you.”
Ricardo-Scarello-cropped

Ricardo Scarello

Computer Information Systems, Class Of 2007

IMG_2509-e1538058375509
“My Natural Resources degree gave me the skills and knowledge to launch my career with the Department of Conservation and Recreation and truly helped me excel. I get to work outside and it is such a joy knowing I got where I am today because of MWCC.”
IMG_2509-e1538058375509

Lily Carr

Natural Resources, Class Of 2015

0115-1-scaled-1-cropped
“Mount Wachusett Community College pushed me out of my comfort zone or, should I say, gently nudged me with their guidance and assistance in completing my first degree at the age of 61. I am not your typical undergraduate. I am not the typical age, not the typical student, and I certainly did not take the typical amount of time to complete this degree.”
0115-1-scaled-1-cropped

Paula Morgan

Liberal Arts & Sciences, Class Of 2024

EntelaRoba-e1505217449638
“I feel comfortable and well prepared with what I learned at the Mount, and I’m proud to say that I graduated from this program.”
EntelaRoba-e1505217449638

Entela Roba

Physical Therapy Assistant, Class Of 2010

Elzbieta-Solimeno-Dental-Assisting-Student
“The Dental Assisting program at MWCC offers a hands-on training by faculty in the dental field. The professors are very helpful and knowledgeable, and the clinic is beautiful. If you enjoy helping people, wanting to make a difference in patients’ oral health and working in a professional environment then I really recommend Dental Assisting program at MWCC.”
Elzbieta-Solimeno-Dental-Assisting-Student

Elzbieta Solimeno

Dental, Class Of 2019

William-Boudreau-e1722010007953
“MassReconnect has helped me to pay for the college education that I never thought I’d earn, and show my four boys that its never too late.”
William-Boudreau-e1722010007953

William Boudreau

Engineering Physics

mackenzie-christensen-e1516390578539
“I am currently working towards my bachelor’s degree at Berklee College of Music Online and would not have been able to do it without the knowledge and skills I learned at MWCC.”
mackenzie-christensen-e1516390578539

Mackenzie Christensen

Media Arts & Technology, Class Of 2017

Ready To Take The Next Step?

Your journey starts with a single step. We have all the information you need to move forward with confidence. Reach out today to learn more about life at The Mount and how to get started.