BOSTON (AP) — Gov. Charlie Baker has named education activist Chris Gabrieli to serve as chairman of the Board of Higher Education.
Gabrieli is well known in education circles in Massachusetts. He’s co-founded three nonprofit focused on education issues and is a lecturer at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.
Gabrieli also ran for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2006, losing to Deval Patrick after spending about $10 million in personal funds. He spent about $5 million on an unsuccessful 1998 bid for Congress.
Baker also appointed Sheila Harrity to the same board yesterday.
Harrity is superintendent of Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District and a former Worcester Technical High School principal.
She was named the 2013 Massachusetts Principal of the Year.
Gabrieli and Harrity replace board members Charles Desmond and Keith Peden.
“These new board members not only have practical experience as leaders in education, but also have a strong commitment to excellence in higher education in both academic and vocational fields,” said Baker. “Chris Gabrieli’s background as an advocate for public education and an innovative social entrepreneur gives him first-hand insight into the challenges and opportunities to make positive change happen for students. I am proud of our Commonwealth’s world-class institutions of higher education and I’m confident that these new Board members will help ensure that our state and community colleges get the attention they deserve and continue to rise to the next level.”
“I look forward to working with these top-notch education leaders who have made an impact both inside and outside of the classroom,” said Secretary of Education Jim Peyser. “The combination of their background in education as advocates, practitioners, and thought leaders will add great value to our ability to make a difference in the lives of the students and families.”
“I am delighted to welcome Chris Gabrieli to the Board,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Richard M. Freeland. “He has a deserved reputation as an education reformer with a deep and personal commitment to students in the Commonwealth. I know him to be an innovative thinker who has worked very hard to give young people in urban districts more time to learn and more opportunities for academic success.”
“It is an honor serve in this role. This is a crucial moment for higher education as the stakes for students and our society are higher than ever, and there is pressing need and opportunity for transformative innovation to address access, cost and impact,” said Gabrieli. “I share Governor Baker’s goals of making higher education more affordable and better connected to both K-12 education and employers.”
“I want to thank Dr. Desmond and Mr. Peden for their commitment and service to the Board and our Massachusetts education system,” said Baker.
“I also want to thank our departing chair, Dr. Charles Desmond, for his service to the Board and his outstanding leadership across many areas, including the Vision Project, our strategic agenda for higher education, and especially, our work in teacher education,” said Freeland. “Much of the progress we have made in public higher education in recent years is a reflection of Dr. Desmond’s commitment to academic excellence at all our colleges and universities.”
