The Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Inc. has announced its newly elected Board of Directors, which includes Clark’s president-elect, David Angel. Board members officially take office on July 1, 2010 and all appointments are for two years.

Dr. Gail E. Carberry, president, Quinsigamond Community College, takes over as board chair for Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J., president, College of the Holy Cross, who will now serve as board past chair. Dr. Jack Calareso, president, Anna Maria College, will serve as board vice chair.

“Having served the Consortium for the past three years as chair of the Higher Education Access and Retention Committee, I plan to further engage our colleges, in partnerships with local public schools, to better prepare our young people to succeed after graduating from high school,” said President Carberry. “About half of all American students drop out of colleges throughout the country before finishing their degrees. In Worcester, the Consortium is committed to ensuring student retention and academic success because we know that any loss of human brain power will surely impede our community’s capacity to meet the workforce challenges of a knowledge-based economic recovery.”

Other new appointments within the board are: Dr. Timothy R. Austin, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, College of the Holy Cross, clerk & chair, Chief Academic Officers Committee; Jacqueline D. Peterson, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, College of the Holy Cross, chair, Chief Student Affairs Officers Committee; Dr. Annmarie Samar, associate vice president for enrollment management, Worcester State College, chair, Higher Education Access and Retention Committee; Gerald Fels, interim president, Nichols College; Dr. Robert E. Johnson, president, Becker College; and Dr. David P. Angel, president, Clark University.