Dobelle Named Westfield President
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| Evan S. Dobelle |
Evan S. Dobelle, 62, who served as mayor from 1973 to 1976, serving before the age of 30.
The Pittsfield resident was selected by the Westfield board of trustees from an initial pool of 140. The state Board of Higher Education approved his appointment Friday.
Dobelle will take office on Monday, Jan. 14. He's been the president and chief executive officer of the New England Board of Higher Education since January 2005.
Dobelle's had a storied career, including as treasurer and deputy chairman of the Democratic National Commitee and a stint as chief of protocol of the United States with the rank of ambassador in the Carter administration. In Massachusetts, he left during his second term to become commissioner of the Department of Environmental Management and Natural Resources under Gov. Michael Dukakis, and was also executive assistant to former Republican U.S. Sen. Edward W. Brooke.
He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and his master's in public administration from Harvard University.
Dobelle turned to a career in education as president of Middlesex Community College, City College of San Francisco and Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., which he is credited with turning around. Under his leadership, the private liberal arts school began investing in its core mission and spearheaded a $250 million neighborhood revitalization initiative.
He left Trinity after six years to head the massive 50,000-student University of Hawaii system, only to leave within three years after a rocky relationship with the regents, faculty and lawmakers. Dobelle was fired by the regents in 2004 only to have that action rescinded a few weeks later. Dobelle agreed to resign in a settlement with the regents reportedly worth $1.8 million.
In their nomination of Dobelle, the Westfield trustees wrote "Dr. Dobelle is a candidate of unmatched experience, outstanding credentials, and demonstrated commitment to the ideals and goals of Westfield State College.
"The references examined by the college's search committee and by the board, as well as the feedback we received from the campus community, express utmost confidence that Dr. Dobelle would provide the kind of collaborative leadership that will enhance Westfield State's already considerable strengths well into the future," the report said, according to the Westfield Web site.
The trustees reportedly offered Dobelle the job on Dec. 12 after deliberating for only 20 minutes.
In his message on the NEBHE Web site, Doebelle stresses the importance of establishing good community relations, the need to nurture the area's technology base and the imperative to "continue to open the doors of higher education to all students regardless of income."
He told The Berkshire Eagle last month that he doesn't plan to move from Pittsfield.
