The 11-member Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ Board of Trustees is appointed by the governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each member is appointed for a five-year term, with the possibility of one additional term of five years. The alumni trustee is elected every five years by the Alumni Association and the student trustee is elected annually by the student body. Each member of the board is required to take an oath to discharge faithfully, impartially, honestly, and to the best of his or her abilities the duties of a trustee. While trustee terms do expire, the trustees continue to serve on the board until a replacement has been appointed. PENC (Public Education Nominating Council) is with the responsibility of nominating trustees to the governor.
Ali Salehi, Chair
Ali Salehi serves as Chief Executive Officer of Hansen Engineering and Machinery Co., Inc. of Danvers, MA. A former board member of the Greater Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ Chamber of Commerce, the Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ Foundation, and the Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ Redevelopment Authority, Salehi is a current trustee of Suffield Academy and a former vice-chair of the Baystate Health Foundation. He holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering and an M.S. in engineering management from Western New England University.
Melissa Alvarado ’99, Vice Chair
Melissa Alvarado is an assistant vice president in strategic planning and delivery at MassMutual Financial Group and prior to that worked in its compliance and information technology organizations. She previously served as the clerk of the Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ State Foundation. In addition to the B.S. in business administration that she earned in 1999 from Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ State, Ms. Alvarado holds an M.B.A. in finance from Western New England University and earned an executive certification in leadership and management from the University of Notre Dame.
Gloria Williams, Ed.D. ’77, Secretary
Dr. Gloria B. Williams is an educational consultant and leadership mentor, who previously completed a 21-year tenure as a master principal for the Springfield Public Schools. Her exceptional service in education, including as a representative for Superintendent’s Advisory Committee, was recognized when she received the 2019 Educational Legacy Achievement Award, presented by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is president of the consulting firm Coalition of Experienced Black Educators, Inc., and president of the Board of Directors for Families Against Violence. She earned a B.S. in education from Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ State College in 1977 and a Certificate in Advanced Graduate Studies, a M.Ed. and a Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Barney Garcia, Student Trustee
Barney Garcia was elected by the student body to serve as student trustee for Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥â€™s Board of Trustees for the 2025 – 2026 academic year. A senior pursuing a B.S. in Political Science with a concentration in Public Administration, Garcia recently served as a Senate Fellow for Massachusetts State Senator Adam Gomez. In 2023, he completed a Local Commonwealth Municipal Finance Fellowship through the Massachusetts Department of Revenue's Division of Local Services. Garcia is the co-founder and president of the Queer Straight Alliance at Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ State. In addition, he is a commuter representative on the Student Government Association.
George Gilmer '92
George Gilmer is chief financial officer for ActBlue, a Somerville-based non-profit, online fundraising platform working with democratic political candidates. Prior to this position, Gilmer held senior positions in finance and investor services with State Street Bank and BNY Mellon, both in Boston. Gilmer previously served as a trustee from December 2007 to March 2012. A 1992 graduate of Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥, Gilmer earned a B.S. in business management with a focus on accounting. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Rhode Island.
Theresa Jasmin
Theresa Jasmin is the Chief Financial Officer at Big Y Foods, headquartered in Springfield, where she served in progressive roles since 2005. Her professional financial experience also includes positions at Friendly Ice Cream Corporation. Her volunteer roles have spanned YMCA of Greater Springfield, Massachusetts Food Association, Connecticut Food Association, and Palmer United Boosters. Ms. Jasmin holds a B.S. in business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an M.B.A. in finance from Western New England College.
Tessa Lucey ’89
A 1989 Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ State alumna, Tessa Lucey is Director of Compliance Services and Chief Privacy Officer at the University of Vermont in Burlington. Prior to this position she was Corporate Compliance Officer/Chief Privacy Officer at Hallmark Health System in Medford. Prior to her position at Hallmark Health, Lucey was Director of Compliance and Chief Privacy Officer at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. In addition to her B.S. in Business with minors in Psychology and Women’s Studies from Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥, Lucey earned a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from Simmons College.
Chris Montemayor ’90, ‘09, Alumni Trustee
Chris Montemayor is senior vice president of rental assistance programs at Way Finders, Inc. Prior to joining Way Finders in 2011, Montemayor was chief financial officer for HCS Head Start. In addition to the B.S. in business management that he earned in 1990 from Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ State, Montemayor also holds an M.P.A. in public administration, also from Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥. Montemayor is member and co-chair of the rental assistance committee for the Regional Housing Network and also head men’s basketball coach at Holyoke Community College.
Michael O’Rourke '73
Michael O’Rourke is the owner of Belmont Driving School, which he has operated since 1975. O’Rourke has over 10 years’ experience on the Board of Assessors for the Town of Ludlow, where he currently serves as vice chairman. He is also member-at-large of the Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ State Alumni Association Executive Council. O’Rourke’s history of committee service includes, Ludlow School Committee, Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative, Massachusetts Advisory Committee on Athletics, the Special Education Committee for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, and Board of Directors of The Ludlow Chamber of Commerce. A graduate of Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥, O’Rourke earned a B.A. in History with minors in English and Secondary Education in 1973.
Jay Queenin
Jay Queenin is president and owner of Specialty Bolt & Screw in Agawam, Mass. Prior to this Queenin worked in the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Assistant Attorney General and Chief of Administration and Finance. He also has served as Assistant District Attorney in the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. Queenin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Providence College and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School.
William Reichelt ’09
A 2009 Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ State alumnus, William Reichelt was elected mayor of West Springfield in November 2015 at age 29, after serving as its town attorney for two years. He previously was a law clerk and attorney for the town of Agawam. Reichelt is serving his second term as mayor. He holds an A.S. from Holyoke Community College, a B.S. in business administration and management from Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ State, and an M.B.A. and J.D. from Western New England University and its School of Law, respectively.
