MCLA Presidential Pick Staying in Wisconsin

06:10PM / Tuesday, March 31, 2015Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — MCLA's choice for its 12th president will not be accepting the position.

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts announced on Tuesday that Greg Summers has bowed out because of personal issues.

"Dr. Summers was deeply apologetic as he was very impressed with the MCLA community. Unfortunately his family is dealing with a confluence of health issues that have recently surfaced, making it impossible for him and his family to relocate. The board was excited to have found someone of the caliber of Dr. Summers, however, we will take this in stride as MCLA is a well-led and well-managed institution," said Tyler Fairbank, chairman of college's board of trustees.

Summers was the unanimous choice of the trustees on March 5; each trustee gave him high marks, referring to his "fierce commitment to public higher education" and his easy relationship with MCLA community.

He was also approved by the Board of Higher Education a few days later and was expected to start in his new post later this year. He is currently provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point

Summers was one of three finalists selected from an initial 59 candidates after about a five-month search.

Fairbank said the board "will be evaluating options moving forward." Cynthia Farr Brown will continue as interim president, a post she's held since the departure of President Mary Grant last fall to her new job as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

"MCLA remains in an excellent position to manage this process," Fairbank said. "We have an outstanding, committed senior team, faculty, staff, and supportive community coupled with an experienced and engaged board of trustees and foundation board of directors."

Tags: college president, MCLA, search committee,

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McCann Committee Gets First Look at $17M Renovation Progress

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Monday, October 12, 2026

The project is in the home stretch with roofing and some windows and doors still to be installed. Superintendent James Brosnan also pointed above to HVAC improvements in the Guidance Office.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The McCann School Committee got a first look at the final stretch of a $17 million overhaul aimed at making the 64-year-old vocational school safer, quieter and more energy-efficient.

After a brief School Committee meeting Thursday, Superintendent James Brosnan led the members through the school, highlighting some of the changes made in the 64-year-old building.

"Just seeing this gives you a magnitude of the amount of work that goes on," he said.

The upgrades are being funded through the Massachusetts School Building Authority's Accelerated Repair Program and the Northern Berkshire Vocational School District's member towns.

Work was supposed to be completed before the start of the school year, but weather and the removal of materials caused a delay.

The tour was all indoors, and Brosnan told a disappointed committee that he was hesitant to take them onto the roof at night, but said the new roof is near 80 percent down.

"We have another 10, and 10 percent of that missing 20 is in the AVB [air and vapor barrier] and removal phase," Brosnan said. "That particular area is across the front, down the post-secondary ... we are going to pick up from guidance. So we have that plan going through next week. Fingers crossed, within two weeks we will have that piece down."

He said the roof has been built up and insulated for more efficiency.

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