Alumni Association Board of Directors

The MCLA Alumni Board of Directors exists to drive engagement across our community by connecting with, celebrating, and supporting the unique individuals who call themselves MCLA/NASC alumni. We operate with empathy as our guiding light, and we believe it’s the catalyst for inclusivity and respect. 

Education is the foundation of everything we do and set out to achieve. Not just the role it played in uniting us, but the assumption that — as humans and as Board members — we’re dedicated to the lifelong act of learning. We achieve this through transparent communication, intentional collaboration, and a deep-rooted belief that education empowers alumni everywhere, opening the door to a new realm of possibilities.

To contact a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, please email alumni@mcla.edu.

Board of Directors Elections

Considering running for a seat on the board? Learn more about what it's like to be on the Alumni Association Board of Directors here. To view a job description for the Alumni Association Board of Directors, click here. 

Meet the Board

OFFICERS

JAKE BOILLAT '18, PRESIDENT 

Student Clubs/Orgs: Resident Advisor for 3 years, Class of 2018 Treasurer, Environuts, Student Affairs Governance Committee, SGA, student worker in the Registrar's Office

"I hope to bring a new/younger perspective to the board that represents all members of the MCLA community. This is important to me because with every passing year, the population continues to change and so do their wants, needs, and how they want to feel supported. I want current and incoming students to have the same amazing experience I had while attending MCLA. Overall, I want to help the College and its alumni network connect more with current students, each other, and nearby community members."

KIMBERLY ROBERTS-MORANDI '91, '01, M.ED. '00, Vice-president

Student Clubs/Orgs: intramurals

"As a nation, we continue to face challenges that affect the College community and its students. It is of the utmost importance that the staff and students are able to live, learn, and work in a safe, supportive, and open environment that embraces individuality and equality. I hope the work the Board engages in can lead, or where appropriate support, the campus community in its efforts to reinforce the College's values.

As a Board member, I also want to be involved in the ongoing activities that raise funds for current and future students. Providing an opportunity for future generations of MCLA alumni is an obligation I take seriously."

CRYSTAL WOJcik '21, MCLA FOundation board representative

Student Clubs/Orgs: Class Council President, Student Activities Council (SAC), Accounting Club, Student Government Association (SGA), Admissions Ambassador, National Society of Leadership & Success (NSLS), Peer Mentor

"One of my goals as a part of the MCLA Alumni Board of Directors is to improve both current student and newer alumni engagement. Often times when students graduate, they move on to the next chapter of their life and tend to lose engagement with their alma mater. Since there are still many services and guidance available to MCLA alumni, I would like to work toward establishing a better connection with recent graduates who have joined the alumni network and linking them to resources that will allow them continued success throughout their professional careers. I would also like to expand current student engagement with the local communities around MCLA.

"For example, I currently work for the Town of Adams and I started working there through an internship. I felt a connection to the community and the internship is the reason I decided to stay in the area after graduation and find a job right here in my hometown. In Adams, we have discussed the possibility of building an internship program with MCLA that would connect students directly to the community through public service, while also allowing them to gain real-life work experience in a government setting. I believe we could expand the alumni base in the Berkshires if we work to connect students with the communities around us through avenues such as internships or volunteer opportunities."

DIRECTORS

JOHN CADIZ '88

Student Clubs/Orgs: theatre production, performance, and props

"NASC/MCLA prepared me for my journey of learning. As a psychology major and theatre minor, I continued on to Tulsa University for a degree in industrial and organizational psychology. After a short stint in military intelligence, I now have more than 30 years of experience in human resources across multiple industries. I bring my breadth of knowledge to the table, with the hope of keeping current and future alumni engaged with the values of learning."

patrice dwyer '81

Student Clubs/Orgs: WJJW Radio, TV Production, Orientation Leader

"This is my first year on the Alumni Board after serving as a Class Agent for many years. I am very excited to be part of a dynamic group of individuals, and to create more opportunities for alumni both online and in person. The confidence I gained as a student at NASC/MCLA helped shaped me into the person I am today. I am looking forward to collaborating with other alums to help MCLA continue to thrive."

LIZZ FURTADO '91

Student Clubs/Orgs: all things theatre—performance, direction, tech, audience; intramural sports; SGA, RA, WJJW Radio DJ

"I look forward to continuing to build better relationships between the College and its alums. NASC/MCLA gave me so much as a student, so much that I carry with me today in my work and personal life. I am honored to be able to give back to the school, the alums, and the local community. I hope our work builds bridges and strengthens our community."

dANIELLE GISMONDI '10, M.ED. '15

Student Clubs/Orgs: Founder of Good Vibes Yoga Club, Student Activities Council, Comedy Stop Chair, LEAD Academy Staff, Orientation Leader, Peer Advisor, Wellness Committee, Dance Company, Psi Chi, MCLA M.Ed. Commencement Speaker 2015

Danielle has been observing MCLA's growth for many years. She's excited to serve the institution that helped guide her current career. After eight years in the classroom and a few more in education management at Head Start, she is currently the Portland Pre-K program coordinator, which is in one of the largest school districts in Maine. For the last five years, she and her fiance have resided in Portland, where Danielle also teaches yoga and runs monthly women's groups.

CARLA HOLNESS '95

Student Clubs/Orgs: WJJW, Kappa Omicron, The Beacon, Black Student Union, TV Production Club

"I am hoping to help bring alumni back to College, and show them that MCLA is a thriving, progressive college. I hope to bring some of the issues being discussed both on campus and as a Board to the forefront and help to resolve some of these issues in order to ensure that MCLA continues to move forward."

SHALeigh howells '10

Shaleigh (she/her) is a non-Native representative of and advocate for the Pamunkey Indian Tribe of Virginia. Originally from Massachusetts, she is a graduate of the MCLA and Harvard University. Her areas of expertise include collections management, museum registration, deaccession, repatriation, cultural resources management, and community engagement. Her former appointment was with The Valentine in Richmond, Virginia, where she developed and managed the back end of the museum's large-scale deaccession project. Outside of her work in the cultural sector, she enjoys traveling, reading, creating with Legos and advocating for animals. 

scott lamountain '89

Student Clubs/Organizations: Beta Chi Gamma Fraternity, Executive and Managing Editor of The Beacon, Varsity hockey player, DIGS Leader for incoming freshman, and intramural.

Scott is a Massachusetts native, having grown up in Boston and then Pittsfield. He has devoted his 27-year legal career to law enforcement. Scott spent two years as a DA with the Northwestern District and then five years with the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office in New Brunswick, N.J. For the last eight years, he had the privilege of serving as Section Chief for the Major Crimes Unit. Scott now serves as the Sayreville Municipal Prosecutor. He and his wife live in Holmdel, N.J. with their four children.

"I look forward to re-connecting with the community where my academic career began. I am excited about spending time in Western Massachusetts and bringing our alumni together. I am grateful for the foundation MCLA provided for me and am excited to help propel our college forward and to give back to the North Adams community."

GARY LAVARIERE '16

Student Clubs/Orgs: Pi Upsilon Pi, Community Day of Service, cystic fibrosis fundraisers, Habitat for Humanity volunteer, admissions ambassador for the College, two internships in the Student Engagement department

"After graduating from MCLA, I joined New England Newspapers, Inc. as its consumer sales & events manager. Being a native of Berkshire County, I leaped at the chance to join a local media company that informs our community in a multitude of ways. After a few years, I was recruited to Las Vegas to join the Las Vegas Review-Journal as its sales director, overseeing subscription growth and digital analytics. Currently, I am back living in Adams, Massachusetts, leading New England Newspapers, Inc. as Chief Revenue Officer, overseeing business operations, finance, marketing, and advertising.

GLENN LAWSON '77

Student Clubs/Orgs: As a student in the 1970s, NASC soccer and baseball. History Club as an employee, men's and women's rugby since 1986.

"Having graduated in 1977, and worked in the Freel Library since 1983, I had been involved with generations of our students. I take pride in having helped students in the 1980s and, later, their children. I know thousands of our graduates and am still friends with many. However, many of them that are not involved with the College. I am convinced I can reach out to them and convince them to again become a part of the MCLA community."

Michael lee '95

Michael is an experienced business development veteran, with more than 25 years of experience working with clients of all types and sizes to facilitate employee benefit and insurance sales. He is also an NCAA Football official, and past president and member of the Association of Independent Football Officials. He earned his BA in business administration from NASC (MCLA).

JOE MCCUE '75 

"My years of business experience (growing and operating my own company, which conducted business throughout North America) aligns with much of the Alumni Board’s work. My company grew to nearly $30 million in annual sales with offices both in the U.S. and Canada. Operating and managing its growth, with its commensurate challenges, prepared me for advisory board roles. Eventually, I negotiated the sale of my business to one of the world’s largest IT companies. Prior to joining the Alumni Association Board at MCLA, I sat on the following boards: Northeastern University School of Architecture Advisory Board; The INLY School, Scituate, MA; The Irish Chamber of Commerce Boston branch; Rian Center, Boston.

"The College is an important and vital asset of Berkshire County. As an alum, I believe I have an obligation to help ensure the school remains a valuable economic and cultural contributor to the community and to western Massachusetts." 

BENTLEY MUNSELL '15

Student Clubs/Orgs: Undergraduate Research and Conferences (Psychology), Biology Teaching Assistant (Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, and Cell Biology). 

"MCLA created an environment that I could succeed in as a non-traditional student, one that was simultaneously challenging and supportive. The College created a stage for me to be successful. After graduating, I received my BA in nursing from the UMass-Amherst accelerated bachelor's degree program. Currently, I work at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in the Emergency Department. Last fall, I enrolled in Rush University’s Master of Science in Nursing program.

As an alumnus, nurse, and community member, I am most passionate about social justice work and the intersection of social justice, education, health, and healthcare. The liberal arts education I received at MCLA created a foundation and passion for social justice and DIEB (diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging). I hope to bring that lens to the alumni board, as well. I am looking forward to engaging with the current students and alumni community to both celebrate everything that MCLA and North Adams have to offer, as well as identify pressure points and opportunities for improvement."

MICHAEL OBASOHAN '11

Student Clubs/Orgs: Nexxus Step Team, Dance Company, a few Harlequin shows, and Black Student Union. I was a facilitator for Campus Conversations on Race and ALANA Club Council. I also served as an Orientation Leader and a Peer Advisor.

"Connecting alumni to current students attending MCLA is what I want to accomplish on the board. During my years at MCLA, I had very few connections with alumni and I often wonder what my life would be like if I connected early and often to alumni who look like me. There were very few positions I saw myself in, but there were people that came into my life who have taught me I can do anything I set my mind to. I want to create this opportunity for students now.

I will be doing this through the lens of diversity and inclusion, creating and opening up opportunities for students of color to establish a sense of belonging at MCLA. Showing POC that, yes, we also work in companies, own businesses, and have graduate degrees. We have a great Black alumni network to show off and it's time to showcase our talent."

THERESA O'BRYANT '86

Student Clubs/Orgs: Black Student Union, current volunteerism in addition to MCLA Board: Board of Directors for the Northern Berkshire United Way; Cive President and Governance Committee Chair of the Board of Trustees of Agassiz Village

"I am invested in making a difference for our current and future MCLA students. I think the Alumni Association is an important opportunity to engage MCLA alums in the work of giving back to an institution that gave us all a valuable and important starting point in our professional lives. Nowadays, achieving a college degree is harder than ever. MCLA students will benefit from the support and relationships an engaged alumni ensures."

bruce richman '78

Bruce, a CPA, is originally from Natick, Massachusetts. Upon graduation, he worked in Boston at a national accounting firm and was eventually transferred to the Chicago office of KPMG in the tax department. In his last position, he was a partner and national director of the Valuation Advisory Practice for Mazars USA, one the largest international accounting firms. It was there, in Chicago, where he raised his children, all of whom have attended college and several of whom have attended graduate school. Bruce has eight grandchildren and currently splits his time between Chicago and Florida, where his wife works as an ESL teacher.

"I plan to utilize my ties to the business community to inspire the community of alumni to become committed, knowledgeable, and supportive of the mission of MCLA as a public liberal arts college of distinction. I will utilize my leadership experience in providing strategic direction, resources, and professional expertise to help carry out the strategic goals of the College. I will use my 40 years of experience in the business community to be an advocate for the College with friends, acquaintances, prospective students, the media, and government policymakers."

CAROL K. SPECTOR '82

Student Clubs/Orgs: Intramural Sports, Orientation Leader

Carol has a significant background in professional career development and works to assist the Alumni Association in continuing to build career development programs for alumni and current students. She alsos help to engage other classmates of her decade, who represent an important segment of the College.

Alyssa "Laini" SPORbert '92

Laini is the assistant director of health education at Williams College, where she's been employed since 1997. She served on the board of directors of the Elizabeth Freeman Center from 2005-2022, founded a monthly folk-concert series in North Adams, and is on both the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Commission and the Public Arts Commission of the City of North Adams.

"I served on the MCLA Alumni Board from 2000-2012 and enjoyed my time there and the work we did. Since then, I have attended alumni events and stayed up to date with the goings-on at the College. I am interested in being on the board again to promote and support the institution that means so much to me. I truly believe that the time I spent at NASC was formative. While the landscape of the College has changed (literally and figuratively), what remains is the dedication to an affordable, personalized, and excellent education that helps young adults and non-traditional students achieve their dreams."  

amy tibbetts '97

Amy graduated from MCLA with a BA in biology and minor in chemistry. After completing her studies, Amy spent the early years of her career conducting pediatric HIV research. For the last two decades, she has worked in various business development and leadership roles in biotech and in 2023 she joined Paraxel as Vice President of Enterprise Accounts. Amy's liberal arts education at MCLA taught her essential soft skills like communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking. These skills have helped her excel in her career and become who she is today. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband Randy, and their two sons, Avery and Griffin.