Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

July 16, 2024

Anna Maria College president to retire

A woman with shoulder length blonde hair and bangs wears a black and white top sitting at a desk with her hands held together.. PHOTO/LAURA FINALDI Mary Lou Retelle, president of Anna Maria College in Paxton

Anna Maria College President Mary Lou Retelle will retire at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year following more than a decade with the Catholic institution of higher learning in Paxton.

“As I approach retirement, I reflect with great pride on all we have accomplished together, and the foundation laid to advance the work in the years ahead. The support, as president, that I have been offered by the board of trustees is beyond compare, and the college has benefited from that unwavering counsel,” Retelle wrote in a letter to students Tuesday.

One of four female college presidents in Central Massachusetts and the longest-tenured, Retelle began her time at Anna Maria in 2011 as executive vice president, supervising enrollment, student life, and athletics. She stepped into her current presidential position in 2015, according to a Tuesday press release from Anna Maria College.

The college is preparing to begin a search for Retelle’s replacement and will share updates to its website.

"President Retelle's leadership has been instrumental in guiding Anna Maria College through a period of significant change and accomplishment," David Trainor, Anna Maria College trustee chair, said in the release. "Her steadfast commitment to our mission and values has ensured that Anna Maria College remains a beacon of opportunity for students from all backgrounds. We are incredibly grateful for her service and wish her all the best in her retirement."

Anna Maria is the 12th largest college in Central Massachusetts when ranked by full-time enrollment for fall 2023, according to the WBJ Research Department. The college had 937 full-time students, 48 full-time faculty, 107 part-time faculty, and an endowment of $1.41 million, as of June 30, 2023.

“There is much work to accomplish in the year ahead. I am passionately committed to working together to ensure our continued growth and strength and to help ensure an excellent transition in presidential leadership,” wrote Retelle. 

Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.

Sign up for Enews

WBJ Web Partners

Related Content

0 Comments

Order a PDF