Alumni

The Mount Wachusett Community College Alumni Network is a great way to connect with fellow graduates and stay connected as you continue on in your academic and professional endeavors.

Staying connected provides you the opportunity to keep up-to-date on happenings at MWCC, share experiences with fellow graduates and participate in events ranging from networking and professional development to social activities.

Our Alumni Network needs your involvement – and fresh, new ideas so that we can continue to provide relevant activities, events, and workshops. Become an active member!

Did you know…?

All graduates of MWCC are automatically part of the MWCC Alumni Network, in fact, according to the by-laws, as long as you have successfully completed one-credit course, you are considered an alum!

You’re Invited

We welcome any and all alumni to join us for our monthly board meetings (the first Monday of the month at 6PM in the Board Room). We’d love to meet you, hear your ideas, and talk about how you can get more involved! Be sure to check out the most recent meeting minutes for any cancellations or postponements.

Meetings

The MWCC Alumni Board of Directors meets on the first Monday of the month at 6PM unless otherwise noted, meetings are held at the Gardner campus. All alumni are welcome to attend. Please send an email if you have specific topics that you would like to discuss.

Officers

The Board of Directors is seeking new members. Please contact Kathy Matson at kmatson1@mwcc.mass.edu or Carla Zottoli at czottoli@mwcc.mass.edu to learn more.

Financial aid is not enough to cover the cost of tuition and fees for 2,773 of our students. Every gift, even a small amount, can have a life-changing impact for a student who is otherwise unable to pay for college.

Ways to Give



By Phone: Call 978-630-9387 to donate with a major credit card

By Mail: = Checks made payable to MWCC Foundation, Inc. can be sent to:

MWCC Foundation, Inc.
444 Green Street
Gardner, MA 01440

The Mount Wachusett Community College Alumni of the Year Award is the most prestigious honor that the college can bestow upon one of its alumni. Created in 1989, the Alumni of the Year Award recognizes a Mount Wachusett Community College graduate who has exhibited exceptional career leadership, and/or service to community and/or commitment to the college.

Selection Criteria

  • The nominee has demonstrated success in his/her vocation and/or has shown distinguished service and/or leadership in his/her community.
  • The nominee exemplifies the college’s mission and commitment to community, i.e. community, church, political or charitable service.
  • This award is presented only one time to an individual; therefore, all previous recipients are ineligible for subsequent consideration.

Nominations

  • Nominations will be solicited from faculty, staff, and friends of the college.
  • Nomination forms must be submitted to the MWCC Foundation by the published deadline.
  • The nominee must have graduated from Mount Wachusett Community College.
  • Nominations are confidential – all candidates remain unaware of their nomination.
  • The Alumni of the Year recipient is honored at Commencement in May of each year. The recipient is expected to attend the Commencement Ceremony to receive this award.
  • Completed nomination forms should be submitted to:
    • MWCC Foundation, Inc.
      Mount Wachusett Community College
      444 Green Street
      Gardner, MA 01440978-630-9276
      czottoli@mwcc.mass.edu

2022: Louis Kalber Somers, Class of 1990
2021: Christopher Shaddock, Class of 2019
2020:  All MWCC Health and First Responder Alumni
2019:  Nathan Haney, MWCC Class of 2006
2018:  Armand Savoie, MWCC Class of 1979
2017: Susannah Whipps
2016: Mark Hawke
2015 – Kevin Berg, Class of 1984
2014-  Chevenee Reavis, Class of 2000
2013-  Christopher Brown, Class of 2010
2012-  Alfred E. LeBlanc, Class of 1980
2011-   Denise Kindschi Gosselin & Richard Elmer
2010-  Harold E. Brown, Jr., Class of 1992
2009 – Salvatore L. Perla, Class of 1992
2008 – Birgit Brauer, Class of 1989
2007 – Diane Castelli, Class of 1983
2006 – Jimmy S. Pappas, Class of 1991
2005 – Robert A. Oakes
2004 – Todd Bajakian
2003 – Robert Gillis
2003 – Dean Mazzarella
2002 – Jeff Bean
2001 – Sharon Tibbetts
2000 – Karen Bettez Halnon
1999 – Tom Kole
1998 – Brian Meunier
1997 – Brian Roberts
1996 – Susan Suchocki
1995 – Anthony Cascio
1994 – Robyn Flynn
1993 – No award given
1992 – Marie Trottier
1991 – No award given
1990 – Jane Anderson
1989 – Robert J. Regan

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

Article I. Name and Offices

Section 1.1

Name: The name is Mount Wachusett Community College Alumni Network.

Section 1.2

Offices: The primary office of the Network shall be 444 Green Street, Gardner, Massachusetts, 01440.

Section 1.3

Definition: In this document the entity officially known as Mount Wachusett Community College Alumni Network hereinafter shall be referred to as the Network. Mount Wachusett Community College may be referred to as the College. Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation, Inc. may be referred to as the Foundation. Board of Directors may be referred to as the Board.

Article II.  Purpose, Legal Status, and Relationship with the Foundation

Section 2.1

Purpose: The purpose of the Network is to develop stronger relationships between alumni and students and to support and promote the goals, activities, and educational opportunities of Mount Wachusett Community College.

Section 2.2

Legal Status: The Network shall be an entity of Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation, Inc. The College reserves the right to revoke its recognition and authorization of the Network in the unlikely event of some unforeseen exigency. As a branch under the Foundation, the Network is authorized by the Foundation to use the Foundation tax ID. The Network may charge reasonable fees to offset costs associated with the programs it sponsors, and may collect dues for membership as established by its Board of Directors. All funds collected shall be deposited into the Network bank account.

Section 2.3

Relationship with the Foundation:

  • The Network supports the mission of the Foundation through the Network's focus on serving alumni.
  • The Network will provide periodic reports to the Foundation on all related business.

Article III.  Membership

Section 3.1

Membership: Membership in the Mount Wachusett Community College Alumni Network is open to any current or former MWCC student who has completed a course at the College.

Section 3.2

Honorary Membership: Honorary Membership is a privileged status conferred by a majority vote of the Board. This status is given to individuals who have shown exceptional dedication to the Alumni Network of Mount Wachusett Community College. The individual does not have to be an alumni member.

Section 3.3

Rights of Members: Rights of Members should include the following:

  • All notices of Board meetings will be published.
  • All members have the right to attend monthly meetings of the Board.
  • They also have the right to have their names published in Network records, to receive Network publications, and to be nominated to the Board of Directors of the Network. The board reserves the right to go into executive session at their discretion.

Article IV.  Board of Directors

Section 4.1

Board of Directors: The Board of Directors shall consist of not less than six members and not more than 14 members and shall include as an ex-officio member, the Executive Director of Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation, Inc. The election of board members will take place at the June meeting on years ending with "0" or "5" (e.g. 2015, 2020, etc.). Board members will serve for a term of five years and will need to be re-elected to continue on the board. Only active members of the Alumni Network are eligible to serve on the Board of Directors. Members voted onto the Board at times other than regularly scheduled elections will serve the remainder of the five-year term until the next regularly scheduled election at which time they will need to be re-elected if they wish to serve again.

Section 4.1.1.

Officers: Annually, the Board of Directors shall elect the following officers:

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer

Officers may be elected to successive terms. Officer candidates must actively serve on the Board for no less than one calendar year before they can be nominated for an officer position.

a. Duties of the President: The President of the Network shall preside over the Board of Directors of the Alumni Network and shall oversee all activities of the Network, except contracts that will be overseen by the Executive Director of the Foundation on behalf of the Network, in the name of the Board of Directors. The President shall perform such duties usually inherent in such office, except that such duties may be delegated as the President sees fit. The President shall act as a liaison between the Network and the Foundation, providing no less than quarterly reports documenting all business of the Network. The President shall attend the Foundation meetings as a voting member.

b. Duties of the Vice-President: The Vice-President of the Alumni Network shall act for the President in his/her absence and perform such other acts and duties as the President may direct.

c. Duties of the Secretary: The Secretary of the Alumni Network shall give proper notice of all Board meetings and keeps a true and complete record of the meeting minutes. The Secretary will distribute a draft of the minutes prior to the next meeting. The secretary will also publish and maintain an archive of records that will reside on the Alumni Network section of the MWCC website. When a new Secretary is elected, he/she must reach out to the Director of Marketing to obtain training and access to the website.

d. Duties of the Treasurer: The Treasurer of the Alumni Network, working with the Executive Director of the Foundation, shall keep a true and complete record of all monies held by the Network. The Treasurer is responsible for documenting and tracking the annual budget determined by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer will be responsible for all cash and check receipts. Any expenses and receipts will be made available during monthly report. Original expenses and receipts will be forwarded to Executive Director of MWCC Foundation on a monthly basis. The Treasurer is to keep copies of all expenses and receipts.

e. Dismissals, Resignations, and Recalls: Any officer elected or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors whenever, in the Board’s judgment, the best interest of the Network would be served thereby.

Section 4.1.2

Liaison: Liaison is a status given to an alumni director when they can no longer fulfill the full commitment of a director position but still wishes to participate on the Board. Liaisons are expected to participate at a greater level than a regular Network member, are not required to attend meetings and do not have the voting rights of a director. Liaisons must report their alumni-related activities biannually in March and September. Anyone who does not report their activities will be contacted by the President to confirm their continued interest.

Section 4.2

Quorum: One third of the current elected directors shall constitute a quorum, and a majority of the directors present at the duly constituted meeting shall have the power to act except as otherwise specifically provided. In the absence of a quorum, any meeting of directors may be adjourned by a majority of the directors present, and no other business may be transacted.

Section 4.3

Duties and Powers: The Duties and Powers of the Board of Directors of the MWCC Alumni Network are to direct the business and affairs of the Network and to provide guidance and oversight to the MWCC Alumni Network in a manner consistent with the policies of MWCC.

Section 4.4

Duties of Individual Directors: In addition to the duties prescribed in 4.3, individual directors shall sign the Board Oath of Office, attend Board meetings, shall select and participate in the activities of one or more committees of the MWCC Alumni Network, shall work together in a harmonious fashion for the good of the Network and shall use its best effort to promote and enhance the academic, athletic, civic and alumni programs of MWCC.

Section 4.5

Meetings: An Annual Meeting will be held during the month of April.  Notice of this meeting shall be published for the benefit of the Network’s membership. The Board of Directors may hold regular meetings at their discretion, with notice, at the registered office of the Network or at such other place as they may designate. Emergency meetings of the Directors may be called at any time by the President, Vice-President, two Directors, or by the Executive Director of the Foundation. Notices of both annual and regular meetings shall be posted on the Alumni Network web page and at two or more other public locations on the College campus a minimum of one week (defined as 5 business days) in advance of these meetings. The day after said notice is published shall count as day one of the required one week period. Notice of emergency meetings shall be given not less than 24 hours prior to the date of such emergency meetings. Board members, both regular and ex-officio shall be notified according to the same timetable required for public notice. A reasonable effort to contact a Director shall be acceptable.

Section 4.6

Voting: Each member of the Board of Directors shall have one vote in matters coming before the Board. Members must be present to vote. Voting by proxy shall not be allowed.

Section 4.7

Resignation: If a board member wishes to resign before the end of their elected term, they should do so in writing to the President of the Alumni Network. Members may resign at any time during their term if they so desire.

Section 4.8

Removal from Office: If a Board of Directors member is deemed to not be fulfilling their required duties or is in some manner deemed to be detrimental to the Board, the Board may vote to remove the member. The member must be notified in writing a minimum of
2-weeks prior to the scheduled vote, may choose to be in attendance at the meeting during the vote, and will retain their voting rights during the meeting. A majority of the directors present is needed to remove a member.

Article V.  Agents and Representatives

The Executive Director of the Foundation may appoint agents and representatives of the Network with powers to perform acts and duties on behalf of the Network as recommended by the Board of Directors, so far as may be consistent with the Bylaws, to the extent authorized or permitted by law.

Articles VI.  Contracts

The Board of Directors, except as in these bylaws, MWCC Foundation, Inc.  bylaws and MWCC policy, may authorize the Executive Director of the Foundation to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of, and on behalf of the Network and such authority may be general or confined to the specific instance; and unless so authorized by the Board of Directors, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power to bind the Network by any contract or engagement, or to pledge its credit or render it liable pecuniary for any purpose or to any amount.

Article VII.  Committees

Section 7.1

The Executive Committee: Shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Past President (if current president is serving their first term), and the Executive Director of the Foundation. During the intervals between the meetings of the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee shall possess and may exercise all powers of the Board of Directors in managing and directing the affairs of the Network in all cases in which specific directions shall not have been given by the Board of Directors. All actions by the Executive Committee shall be reported to the Board of Directors at its next meeting succeeding such action and shall be subject to revision and alteration by the Board, provided that no right of third parties shall be affected by such revision or alteration. The President of the Board of Directors will chair this committee. The Executive Committee shall be a permanent committee.

Section 7.2

Subcommittees: The Board of Directors may create ad hoc and standing committees as deemed necessary to accomplish its purpose. Committee members may be drawn from the Network’s Board of Directors or from the Network’s general membership, and also may include interested persons who are neither Board members nor Network members for the purpose of professional consultation. However, all committees shall be duly authorized by the Board of Directors and must contain at least one member of the Board.

Article VIII.  Fiscal Year

The Fiscal Year of the Alumni Network will be the first day of July each year and will end on the last day of June of each year.

Article IX.  Budget & Finances

The Alumni Network Budget will be drafted by the MWCC Alumni Board each year and presented to the Executive Director of the Foundation for review and approval by the Foundation Board of Directors.

Section 9.1

General Financial Procedures:

  • MWCC Foundation will obtain a bank account on the Alumni Network’s behalf
  • It will be limited to no more than one bank, one checking account, and one savings account.
  • MWCC Alumni Network bank account(s) will not be linked electronically to any other MWCC Foundation accounts.
  • Authorized account holder will be Executive Director of MWCC Foundation.

Section 9.2

Cash Receipts: All cash and checks received will be forwarded to Treasurer for deposit immediately upon receipt.

Section 9.3

Checks: The Executive Director of MWCC Foundation will be responsible for all blank checks. Credit cards and debit cards will not be issued for any MWCC Alumni network account.

Section 9.4

Bank Reconciliation: The Treasurer will provide a reconciliation report at each monthly board meeting. If no monthly board meeting scheduled, the Treasurer will e-mail a report to all officers for review. Treasurer and President will have electronic access to statements.

Section 9.5

Withdrawals: All withdrawals will be voted on during monthly board meeting if quorum is met. If quorum is not met at monthly board meeting, all deposits and withdrawals can be approved by all officers.

Section 9.6

Annual Tasks: Board of directors will create a budget for the upcoming year. The treasurer will be responsible for documenting planned expenses. The Treasurer will print annual financial spreadsheet at end of fiscal year and present at May meeting. MWCC Alumni Board will review spreadsheet and if approved, will then forward to Executive Director of MWCC Foundation for review. A copy of spreadsheet to be e-mailed to officers.

Article X.  Rules of the Meeting

Robert’s Revised Rules of Order shall govern all meetings of the Network and any of its Committees, unless it conflicts with the laws of the State of Massachusetts, or bylaws of this Network, MWCC Foundation, Inc. or MWCC policy. Robert’s Revised Rules of Order will be reviewed annually at the September meeting and distributed to members as needed.

Article XI.  Amendments

Bylaws can only be amended at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors by a two-thirds majority of the Board of Directors at the time of amending the bylaws. Amendments so adopted shall take effect immediately. The proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to each Board member no less than two weeks prior to said meeting.

The foregoing Bylaws were adopted by the action of the duly called meeting held at 444 Green Street, Gardner, Massachusetts on the first day of October 2018.

 

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