Leadership
New England College is proud to have a diverse and passionate team of people guiding and leading the college.
Michele D. Perkins, EdD President, New England College
Dr. Michele Perkins
Serving as New England College’s fifteenth president, Dr. Michele Perkins has built a successful record of higher education leadership and transformation to strengthen, energize, and grow New England College.
Dr. Perkins was appointed president in 2007. Her tenure as president has been highlighted by renewed strategic planning, curriculum innovation, financial well-being, campus improvement and expansion, significant enrollment growth, and robust external support.
She has led an integrated process of optimal enrollment planning. Since becoming President, New England College has tripled its enrollment: total enrollment has grown to over 2,600 students, the highest in the College’s 70-year history. The College offers multiple program delivery models, including on campus, on location, low residency, and online programs.
Dr. Perkins began her service to the College in the fall of 2001 as Vice President for Enrollment. Two years later, as Senior Vice President, her responsibilities included all areas of admission, student development, athletics, financial aid, student accounts, public information, and human resources. The College is now nationally recognized for its commitment to civic engagement and experiential learning in its undergraduate and graduate programs.
She was instrumental in founding New England College’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies, which currently offers diverse Masters and Doctoral programs on campus and throughout New Hampshire and Maine.
Dr. Perkins initiated and has led the College’s first, historic capital campaign, Bridge to the Future. With an original goal of $20 million, the campaign has raised over $35 million to-date. In addition to funding numerous campus improvements and renovations, the 19,000 square foot John Lyons Center (a multi-purpose academic center) recently opened its doors. Also, in the summer of 2018, construction will begin on the Rosamond Page Putnam Center for the Performing Arts, a 350-seat thrust stage theatre. Further, during this period, New England College has more than doubled its endowment.
Dr. Perkins holds Bachelor and Master degrees in Theatre and Performance Studies from Northwestern University and Emerson College, respectively. She earned her Doctorate in Education in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Perkins’ academic research interests include organizational change in the small college and leadership decision-making.
She teaches on occasion at New England College, providing voice workshops for the Theatre program and Organization and Administration coursework in the Higher Education Administration Master’s program. Early in her career Dr. Perkins taught speech and drama at Emerson College and Curry College.
Dr. Perkins continues to perform today, and has a particular interest in Shakespeare and solo performances of poetry. She has performed at the College’s MFA in Creative Writing residencies and also at various performance venues in New England. She will be a cast member in NEC’s 2018 staged reading of Waiting for Lefty.
She has been a member of the Milton Ensemble, a readers’ theatre group dedicated to performing all books of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, and a past board member and company member of the Champlain Arts Theatre Company. She has served for many years as a judge for the New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud state finals competition.
Prior to serving New England College, Dr. Perkins held positions in admissions and enrollment management at White Pines College, New York Law School, Trinity College, and Emerson College. As an independent consultant, she has worked with colleges and universities across the country on a wide range of projects focused on admission marketing strategies, enrollment management, and long range planning. She was a co-founder of the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP).
Dr. Perkins currently serves on a number of boards and advisory groups in higher education. She is the past Chair of both the New Hampshire College and University Council and Campus Compact for New Hampshire. She is a former board member and executive committee member of the Council for Independent Colleges where she also served as Chair of the Public Information Committee. Dr. Perkins is the Vice Chair of the New Hampshire Commission on Higher Education. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the New England Council, a member of the Board of Trustees at Emerson College, and was appointed by the New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan to serve as a member of the New England Board of Higher Education. Dr. Perkins was recently elected to the board of NAICU (the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities) and is a member of the New Hampshire Coalition for Business and Education.
Dr. Perkins and her husband live in Henniker, New Hampshire and their son attends Colby College.
New England College Board of Trustees
Mary V. Bell, BA
Mary V. first became involved at the College as a member of the President’s Advisory Board and later joined the Board of Trustees in 2011. Her career has been focused on management and sales along with volunteer service to the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Young Audiences of New Jersey, Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, the Hun School of Princeton Parent Board, and the Salisbury School Parent Board. She is a graduate from the University of Vermont.
Chris Brazill, BA ’81, MBA, CPMR
Chris serves as Vice President for Marketing and Sales at Brazill Brothers and Associates, Inc., an employee-owned manufacturer’s representative firm serving the electrical, energy management, and lighting markets. He received his BA in Business Administration and Political Science from New England College and earned his MBA in Finance from Montclair State University. Chris is a Certified Professional Manufacturers Representative (CPMR) and resides in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He also serves as President of the Ridgewood YMCA Board of Directors.
Thomas W. Farmen, BA ’74, MSA
Tom became a member of the Board of Trustees in 2000. He graduated from New England College with a BA in Business Administration and earned an MSA from Western Connecticut State University in Human Resource Management. Tom is the headmaster emeritus of the Rumsey Hall School, a member of the Washington Rotary Club (Connecticut), and on the Advisory Board of the First National Bank of Litchfield.
Stephen A. Geremia, BA ’85
Steve received his BA from New England College. He has been a member of the Board since 2008. Steve began his career in the financial services industry, worked for Merrill Lynch and BankBoston, and has successfully managed his own investment and insurance practice for years.
Elbridge T. Gerry III, BA
Ebby is the proud father of a New England College alumnus and joined the Board in 2013. He is the Managing Director and head of municipal fixed income management at UBS Global Asset Management, and also serves as vice president of several investment companies and funds. Among other areas, Ebby’s expertise includes investment strategy, municipal bond institutional sales, and municipal bond trading. He is a graduate of Colgate University.
Katherine Haley, PhD
Kate Haley is the former President of Gettysburg College (PA) and Whittier College (CA). She is Founder and President of Haley Associates, LLC, a higher education executive search and consulting firm in Manchester, NH. She advises colleges and universities on leadership succession, governance, and effective board performance. Prior to serving as the first woman President at both Gettysburg and Whittier, she was Provost and Professor of English at Kenyon College and Dean of Graduate Study and Director of General Education at Augustana College. Kate holds a PhD and AM from the University of Illinois and a BA from Tufts University.
Adam B. Kapner, BA ’02
Adam is the founder and owner of NYC Apartment Management, Inc. The company, established in 2013, manages 20 co-operative, brownstone, condominium, and rental buildings. A real estate entrepreneur and executive with an extensive understanding of the New York real estate market, Adam has 15 years of real estate and property management experience in Manhattan, the Hamptons, and the Tri-State area. He earned a BA in Business Administration from New England College, was a member of NEC’s ski team, and served as a White House Intern for President Bill Clinton.
Stephen Ketchum, BA ’83, MBA
Steve is CEO and Managing Partner at Sound Point Capital Management in New York City. Sound Point is a $7 billion asset management firm with particular expertise in credit strategies. He serves on the board of the East Side House Settlement, the New York Police & Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund, and the Museum of the City of New York. Steve earned an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from New England College and went on to earn his MBA from Harvard University.
Jay Lucas, JD
Jay Lucas serves as Chairman and Managing Partner of The Lucas Group, a strategy consulting firm that he founded in 1991, focused on the specialized needs of private equity investors and their portfolio companies. Previously, he served as Vice President and Partner of Bain & Company. In addition, he is the founder and Managing Partner of LB Equity, a fund that invests in small growing brands in the beauty sector. Lucas is a strong supporter of veterans, leading efforts in NH for Children of Fallen Patriots. He is also founder of the Newport Sunshine Initiative, an effort to revitalize his hometown of Newport, NH. Lucas earned his MBA from Harvard Business School, his JD from Harvard Law School, and a BA from Yale University. He attended Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar, where he studied International Relations and Military History.
Daniel Lynch, BA ’85
Dan earned a BA from New England College in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. He is now Senior Vice President and Director of Business Development in the Institutional and Fiduciary Services group of Natixis Global Asset Management. Dan is very active supporting the Home for Little Wonders, the Winthrop School mentoring programs in Boston, Dana Farber, and the Jimmy Fund. He holds his Series 26 Registered Principal license.
Thomas Markey, BA ’82
Tom earned a BA from New England College and joined the Board of Trustees in 2018 after serving on the President’s Advisory Board since 2014. As a student, He was member of the Lacrosse Team and spent a semester at NEC’s Arundel, England Campus, where he was a member of the school’s first Rugby Team. As the Lead Advisor for the Markey Group at Morgan Stanley, Tom earned the designation of Wealth Advisor and successfully completed The Senior Account Executive Program, at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is also designated as a Portfolio Management Director, Financial Planning Specialist and Senior Investment Management Consultant.
Lex Scourby, BA ’75, MBA
Lex is the current Chairman of the Board of Trustees and has been a member of the Board since 2000. He co-founded Orion Seafood International, Inc., Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1988. He received his BA degree, cum laude, from New England College, majoring in Mathematics/Environmental Science. He earned an MBA from Long Island University, with a major in Finance and International Business. Lex is a past President of the NEC Alumni Association Board of Directors and is currently the chairman of the Committee for Development, member of the Committee on Academic Affairs, Committee for Enrollment and Student Engagement, the Executive Committee, and the Committee on Infrastructure. He is also a past President of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Lex serves on the Board of Cross Roads House in Portsmouth and the Portsmouth Regional Hospital Board.
Scott Simpson, MArch
Scott is an award-winning architect and is a Senior Principal with The Greenway Group, and formerly a Senior Director at Kling Stubbins, an international design firm. He is involved with the Design Futures Council, the Rice Building Institute, and the Boston Children’s Museum. Scott has lectured at numerous universities including Harvard, Yale, Rice, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and has been a featured speaker at more than 50 national conferences and symposia. He has published 115 articles on innovation in the design profession and co-authored two books. Scott holds degrees from Yale University and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He is registered in twenty states and is both NCARB and LEED certified.
Clarke Smith, III, BA ’79
Clarke Smith, III, currently serves as Vice President at International Special Risks, the largest marine intermediary insurance broker in the country. From November 2012 to April 2018, he served as President of Norman-Spencer Recreational Marine Operations. Clarke has been underwriting marinas, boat dealers, boat manufacturers, boat rental operations, and yacht clubs for over 36 years. Previously, he served on the Association of Marina Industries Board of Directors from 2008 to 2016. Clarke is currently a Board Member of the Boating Industry Risk Management Council and is a Founder of the Joe Namath Foundation. He holds a BA from New England College.
Tom Stevens, JD
Tom Stevens served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Administrative Officer of KeyCorp from 2001 to 2013. Before joining KeyCorp in 1996, he was the Managing Partner of Thompson Hine, a large, national law firm based in Cleveland. At Thompson Hine, Tom served as the outside counsel for KeyCorp and Society Corporation for over two decades, as well as representing other publicly held clients such as Steris Corporation, Eaton Corporation, and American Consumer Products. He graduated with a JD degree from Duke University School of Law and received his BA degree, summa cum laude, from The State University of New York at Albany. Prior to joining the New England College Board, Tom served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the New Hampshire Institute of Art.
Mary Simon Streep, BA ’77
Mary graduated from NEC with a BA in Elementary Education and has been a member of the Board since 2005. Many members and two generations of the Streep family have attended and served New England College in various capacities. In addition to her work with the College, Mary supports a number of other associations and is the President of Mary Streep Interiors in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.
Michael K. Thomas, EdD
Michael is the President and CEO of the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) in Boston, a regional organization working with the 260 colleges and universities in the six New England states. Michael frequently lectures on issues related to education policy such as regional and global competitiveness, the internationalization of higher education, and college readiness. He also has experience in corporate training and human resources. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and master’s degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University, and Harvard University. He has also earned a doctorate from Harvard University and an MBA from Boston University.
Jeff K. Towle
Jeff’s son attended New England College and Jeff joined the Board of Trustees in 1996. He is President of Davis & Towle Group which provides personal, business, and professional insurance and financial services. Jeff attended the College of Insurance in New York City and received his Chartered Life Underwriters designation from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and his Certified Insurance Counselors designation from the same society in Austin, Texas.
TJ Whitelaw, BA ’76, MBA
TJ joined the Board in 2011 and is the current Vice Chair. He is a retired information technology executive and consultant with expertise in sales management, partner development, channels and operations management for a variety of high tech product lines and businesses. TJ held a series of management positions at industry leaders Digital Equipment, Compaq, and Hewlett Packard, joined Riverbed Technology in what was, at the time, the most successful start-up company in Wall Street history. In addition to his bachelor’s degree from New England College, TJ earned his MBA from Northeastern University.
Astrid Williams, BA ’81, MS
Astrid is the Clinical Office Coordinator at Emerson Hospital, and was formerly the Executive Director for a Concord-Carlisle Community Chest for over 16 years. She has managed the major fundraising for all human service organizations in her local community of Concord, Massachusetts. Astrid is also a sales associate at Sara Campbell LTD. She graduated from New England College with a BA in Sociology and earned a Masters in Non Profit Management at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.
William W. Wyman, MBA
Bill is co-founder of Oliver, Wyman & Company, a management consulting firm that serves the top executives of major companies throughout the world. Prior to Oliver, Wyman & Company, he held several positions at Booz Allen & Hamilton, including President of the Management Consulting Group, member of the executive committee, and member of the board. In recent years, Bill has worked as a director and advisor to more than a dozen public and private companies. He also has served as a trustee to several not-for-profit organizations and as an advisor to several private equity partnerships. Bill served in the United States Navy, graduated from Colgate University with a degree in economics, and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.
NEC Corporate By-laws and Amendments
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Senior Administration
Michele D. Perkins, EdD
President
Paula A. Amato, DLP, CMA
Senior Vice President and CFO
Dave A. DeCew, BA
Director of Athletics
Wayne F. Lesperance, Jr., DLP
Vice President of Academic Affairs
James Murtha, PhD
Senior Vice President of Academic Alliances
Michael Seidel, IMBA
Associate Vice President for New Business Development
Michael Taberski, EdD
Vice President of Student Affairs
Carol Thomas, MA
Vice President of Technology and Marketing Communications
Nicholas S. Zaharias, BA
Vice President of Advancement