The Power 50: F. Javier Cevallos

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F. JAVIER CEVALLOS

President

Framingham State University, Framingham

Residence: Framingham

Colleges: University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez, University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Framingham State's student body is 95-percent Massachusetts residents, and most of those are from a short drive from its campus. But Cevallos, who was born in Ecuador and grew up in Puerto Rico, has given the school a much broader focus geographically. Since Cevallos became president in 2014, Framingham State has created partnerships with universities in Ecuador, Costa Rica and Brazil. Cevallos has made sure Framingham State stays on top of local hiring trends, such as its new master's degree in quality control for biotechnology. He's active in local groups, including serving on the boards of MetroWest Medical Center and the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce.

What advice would you give up-and-comers? Understand the culture of the industry they are interested in, and develop the appropriate credentials to succeed in that area. Then assess the tradeoffs they will need to make to get to the position they want to have. It is a cliché, but it will require hard work and success seldom happens overnight.

Good taste: I enjoy cooking. I find it very relaxing and creative. I love art but have no talent for it, so I use cooking as a way to be creative.

Read about the WBJ’s 2018 Power Players:

Retail

Harry Kokkinis, Table Talk Pies

Steve Rotman, Rotman’s Furniture & Vystar

Ernie Herrman, TJX Cos.

Michael Dundas, Sira Naturals

Ralph Crowley Jr., Polar Corp.

Christopher Baldwin, BJ’s Wholesale Club

Amy Lynn Chase, Crompton Collective & Haberdash

Food & Culture

Robb & Madeline Ahlquist, Worcester Restaurant Group

Troy Siebels, The Hanover Theatre