MWCC taps Vander Hooven as next president

Mount Wachusett Community College has selected James Vander Hooven as its next president.

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By Laura Finaldi

The Board of Trustees at Mount Wachusett Community College has selected the head of enrollment management at Landmark College in Vermont as its next president, concluding the college’s nationwide search for its third leader.

The board last week selected Dr. James Vander Hooven as the college’s next president from a pool of five finalists. A resident of Keene, N.H., Vander Hooven has focused his career on increasing opportunities for students of all ages and backgrounds. He is currently vice president for enrollment management at Landmark College in Putney, Vt., where he serves as chief enrollment officer; manages recruitment, enrollment and admissions; oversees the office of transfer, career, and internship services; and administers the financial aid office.

He will succeed Dr. Daniel M. Asquino, the college’s longtime president who announced his retirement earlier this year. Asquino is currently the longest-serving public higher education president in Massachusetts and is expected to stay on during a transitional period, according to Mount Wachusett.

Before joining Landmark, Vander Hooven was the president of Tohono O’odham Community College, a tribal community college located on the Tohono O’odham Reservation in Arizona. There, he strengthened science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs and developmental education, oversaw the $9-million construction of a new main campus, and represented Tribal Colleges on Capitol Hill in annual presentations. He has also held leadership roles at colleges in Colorado and New Hampshire.

Vander Hooven is a graduate of The Ohio State University and has a master’s degree in American Studies from the University of Wyoming. He earned a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Maine, where he focused on student access.

Vander Hooven’s appointment is subject to approval from the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. The state board is expected to take up the matter at its Jan. 17 meeting.