2025-2026 Graduate Catalog 
    
    Dec 05, 2025  
2025-2026 Graduate Catalog

Trustees and Administration


     

Board of Trustees


MELISSA ALVARADO B.S., M.B.A., Vice Chair, Class of 1999, Assistant Vice President Strategic Planning and Development, MassMutual Financial Group

BARNEY GARCIA Class of 2026, Student Trustee, Majoring in Political Science with a concentration in Public Administration

GEORGE GILMER B.S., M.B.A., Class of 1992, Chief Financial Officer for ActBlue 

THERESA JASMIN B.S., M.B.A., Chief Financial Officer, Big Y Foods

TESSA LUCEY B.S., M.H.A., Class of 1989, Director of Compliance and Cheif Privacy Officer at University of Vermont

CHRIS MONTEMAYOR B.S., M.P.A., Class of 1990 and 2009, Alumni Trustee, Senior Vice President of Rental Assistance Programs at Way Finders, Inc.

MICHAEL O’ROURKE B.A., Class of 1973, Business Owner, Belmont Driving School

JAY QUEENIN B.A., J.D.,President and Owner of Specialty Bolt & Screw

WILLIAM REICHELT A.S., B.S., M.B.A., J.D., Class of 2009, Mayor, Town of West Springfield

ALI SALEHI B.S., M.S., Chair, Chief Financial Officer, Hansen Engineering & Machinery Co., Inc.

GLORIA WILLIAMS Ed.D., Class of 1977, Secretary, Educational Consultant and Leadership Mentor

 

The date in parentheses following the names below indicates the beginning of service at Westfield State University. Please note that names and titles are based on information available at the time of publishing. For more up-to-date information, please click here to view our directory.

 

AnchorSenior Administration


LINDA THOMPSON (2021) President; B.S.N., M.S.N., Wayne State University; Dr.P.H., M.P.H., Johns Hopkins University

WILLIAM SALKA (2024) Provost and Executive Vice President, Acedemic Affairs, B.S., Lewis & Clark College, Ph.D., Colorado State University

MICHAEL FREEMAN (2022) Executive Assistant to the President, Special Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, President’s Office; B.L.S., M.A., University of Iowa; Ph.D., University of Maryland

KEVIN HEARN (2023) Vice President, Enrollment Management; M.A., Rhode Island College, Ed.D., Nova Southeastern University

LISA McMAHON (2013) Interim Vice President, Institutional Advancement; B.S., College of Our Lady of the Elms

MELINDA PHELPS (2024) General Council and Vice President, Government Relations, President’s Office; B.A., Mount Holyoke; J.D., Western New England College School of Law

STEPHEN TAKSAR (2016) Vice President, Administration and Finance; B.A., Central Connecticut State University; M.Ed., Northeastern University; M.B.A., Providence College

PATRICIA BONICA (2022) Associate Vice President, Human Resources; B.A., Smith College; M.S.W., Washington University; M.B.A., University of Iowa

MARIA FEUERSTEIN (2018) Associate Vice President, Office of Strategic Financial and Institutional Planning, Administration and Finance; A.A., Fisher College; B.S., Simmons College

LISA M. FREEMAN (2000) Associate Vice President of Finance, Financial Accounting; B.S., Western New England College

THOMAS THERRIEN (2022) Associate Vice President, Facilities and Capital Planning

ALAN BLAIR (2013) Assistant Vice President, Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, Information and Instructional Technology; B.S., Westfield State University

BRIAN JENNINGS (2011) Associate Provost, Academic Affairs; B.S., M.S., John Carroll University; Ph.D., University of Michigan

HILLARY SACKETT-TAYLOR (2012) Assistant Provost, Educational Excellence and Retention, Academic Affairs; B.A., Smith College; M.S., Michigan State University; Ph.D., Michigan State University

RICHARD LENFEST (2005) Director, Athletics; B.S., University of Massachusetts; M.B.A., American International College

 

Administration


NORA PADYKULA Dean, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education; Ph.D., L.I.C.S.W.

JESSICA TANSEY Assistant Dean, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education; M.P.A

DANIEL FORSTER Senior Executive Director, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education; M.Ed.

BRANDON FREDETTE Associate Director, Lifelong Education, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education; M.S.

ELIZABETH HEARN Assistant to the Dean, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education; M.A.

JULIE HIILL-SPIVEY Assistant Director, Early College Access, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education; M.A.

GERALDO MALDONADO Assistant Director, Graduate Admissions & Marketing, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education; M.B.A.

AALIYAH MERCER-SEAL Early College Access Advisor, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education; B.A.

JENNIFER PROKOP Admissions Associate, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education

BRITTANY SCOTT Admissions Assistant, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education

BRIGETTE TOUCHETTE Administrative Assistant, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education

KEVIN URBAN Undergraduate Admissins Counselor, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education; B.A.