MCLA Board of Trustees Adds Three New Members
NORTH ADAMS, Mass.—Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announced Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has appointed three new members to its Board of Trustees, Darlene Rodowicz, Yvonne Spicer, and Buffy Lord '98 who was voted to represent the MCLA Alumni Association.
All three trustees begin their terms of service this summer.
"I'm excited to welcome Dr. Spicer, Ms. Rodowicz, and Ms. Lord as our newest MCLA trustees," said MCLA President James F. Birge. "They are extremely accomplished professionals who will add a wealth of knowledge to the Board and I am grateful they agreed to join us."
The three new trustees join a board of volunteers chaired by Mohan Boodram, who has served on the Board since 2012 and also served as Chair from 2020-2022.
"I am pleased to welcome three members who have shown such dedication to the communities they serve," said MCLA Board of Trustees Chair Mohan Boodram. "I look forward to working with these new outstanding trustees and am honored to serve alongside them on a Board that boasts such a diverse range of talent."
According to a press release:
Darlene Rodowicz
As President and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) and a lifelong resident of Berkshire County, Darlene Rodowicz has dedicated her career to advancing the health and well-being of the community she loves.
Rodowicz joined BHS in 1984 and has served on the system's Executive Leadership Team since 2005. She has played a crucial role in the evolution of BHS through her various leadership positions, including ensuring the financial strength of the organization during her 15 years as Chief Financial Officer.
She also frequently steps forward as a community leader and advocate, having served for years as chair of both the Berkshire Community College Board of Trustees and the Hoosac Valley Regional School Committee. Rodowicz joined the board of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association in January 2023, where she leads the Standing Committee on Finance. Additionally, she actively serves on the board of directors for the Berkshire Business Roundtable and the Massachusetts Business Roundtable.
In 2023, she was recognized by The Women's Edge with a statewide honor as one of 10 Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcare. Rodowicz holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a master's degree in business administration from Western New England College.
Yvonne Spicer
A Framingham, Massachusetts, resident and longtime educator, Dr. Yvonne Spicer is currently the Executive Director of Life Science Cares, Boston and an adjunct lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is also a highly sought-after speaker on the topics of leadership, STEM, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Spicer was the first mayor of Framingham, serving from January 1, 2018-January 1, 2022. Prior, she served as the Vice President for Advocacy and Educational Partnerships at the Museum of Science, Boston and as an administrator for the Framingham and Newton Public Schools.
Spicer was appointed to the Massachusetts governor's STEM Advisory Council in 2010 and reappointed in 2017. She was instrumental in establishing the 2001 Massachusetts technology/engineering curriculum framework and the first ever kindergarten-12th grade assessment for technology and engineering. Dr. Spicer has also served as an advisor and content expert to the National Governors Association and as a consultant to numerous states on technology and engineering standards, strategic leadership development, and business engagement.
Spicer has served on the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, the Massachusetts Office of the Treasurer's Economic Empowerment Trust Fund, the Climate Mayors Taskforce, and the Standing Committee on Ways and Means, and as a Town Meeting Member. From 2017-2020, she served on the board of directors of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association and is currently on the board of directors of The Plumbing Museum, the Bob Moog Foundation, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass & MetroWest. In 2016, MCLA conferred an honorary doctorate of humanities on Dr. Spicer at its 117th Commencement exercises.
Buffy D. Lord
A practicing attorney with the North Adams based law firm of Donovan O'Connor & Dodig, LLP since 2005, Buffy Lord's main practice area is civil litigation but her work with the firm encompasses multiple practice areas, including personal injury and workers' compensation, domestic relations, municipal law, and appellate work. She is licensed to practice in Massachusetts and Vermont.
Beyond her professional experience, Lord has a direct understanding of the importance of MCLA and public higher education in providing access and opportunity to students. As a 1998 graduate of the College, she has committed herself to the stewardship of the institution through her volunteer work in leadership roles with the MCLA Alumni Association (2007-2011, 2018-2021), the MCLA Foundation (2009-2018 and 2023-present), and the MCLA Board of Trustees (2012-2018), as well as her financial support through the establishment of an endowed scholarship fund to help provide educational opportunities to current and future students.
Lord currently serves on the board of 18 Degrees and previously served on the board of Community Legal Aid. She earned her juris doctorate from Pepperdine School of Law in 2003.
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