State board confirms Linda Thompson as Westfield State University president
Updated 1:19 PM;
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BOSTON The state Board of Higher Education has approved Linda Thompson’s appointment as the new president of Westfield State University.
State approval is normally a formality, though the board retains right of final approval. Thompson will begin her tenure as the 182-year-old university’s 21st president on July 1.
She will succeed Roy Saigo, who served as interim president through the 2020–21 academic year, following Ramon Torrecilha’s retirement in 2020.
Final approval came on May 18, three weeks after the university’s board of trustees chose Thompson from a list of five final candidates.
Linda Thompson, next president of Westfield State University, called ‘visionary’ by trustees
Updated Apr 28, 2021;
Posted Apr 28, 2021
Linda Thompson, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at University of Massachusetts Boston, has been chosen as the next president of Westfield State University.
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WESTFIELD This is the time of year when college administrative jobs across the United States are filled, so Westfield State University trustees didn’t want to hesitate and risk losing their top choice.
They chose Linda Thompson on Wednesday to become the 21st president of a university that was founded 182 years ago by Horace Mann, who is known as America’s Father of Public Education.
Linda Thompson, a public policy leader and UMass Boston dean, appointed as Westfield State University president
Updated Apr 28, 2021;
WESTFIELD The trustees of Westfield State University have chosen Linda Thompson, a public policy leader and a dean at the University of Massachusetts Boston, as the university’s 21st president.
Thompson is expected to begin her tenure this summer. Her appointment is subject to approval by the state’s Board of Higher Education.
“Based on Dr. Thompson’s credentials and wealth of experience in influential leadership and collaboration, paired with her highly engaging campus visit with Westfield State’s varied constituents, the Board voted to recommend her as the University’s next leader,” Kevin Queenin, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, said in a statement.