WESTFIELD – Westfield State University President Ramon S. Torrecilha announced today that Edward C. Sullivan, former Mayor of West Springfield, and James C. Hagan, ’84, president and CEO of Westfield Bank, have been appointed to the Westfield State University Board of Trustees.
“Both Mayor Sullivan and Jim Hagan are leaders with a track record of making a positive impact on their communities,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “They will be able to step in and contribute to the important discussions around public-private partnerships and workforce needs taking place right now in public higher education.”
Sullivan will be serving his first five-year term, replacing two-term trustee and outgoing Chair Elizabeth D. Scheibel, the former district attorney for the Northwestern District in Northampton. Hagan previously served from 1996 – 2006 and was appointed to complete the term of a vacated seat in 2014. This appointment officially begins his second five-year term.
“Jim Hagan is one of Westfield’s most admired business leaders, a champion for our university and a highly respected board member. Mayor Sullivan’s breadth of experience and management capabilities in both public and private sectors are critical across disciplines,” said President Torrecilha. “Both are wholeheartedly committed to the mission and values of public higher education and will enable us deliver even more for our students.”
Sullivan is a lifelong resident of West Springfield and a distinguished member of the West Springfield community. As a city councilor and as Mayor of West Springfield he is credited with advancing key economic development initiatives within the community. Sullivan is Executive Vice President of Sullivan Paper Company, Inc., a family-owned business. His responsibilities include oversight of facilities, personnel, environmental compliance and capital purchases.
Active in the community, Sullivan has been a school committee member, a town meeting member and with the change in government from a town to a city in 2000, he became the first President of the West Springfield City Council, serving for nearly six years.
He serves on national boards related to the paper industry and is an active member of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts. Additionally, he has volunteered on numerous boards within the West Springfield community serving as Director of the West Springfield Credit Union, Past President of the West Springfield Rotary Club, and Marshall of the West Springfield St. Patrick’s Committee among others. Sullivan also coached Girls Varsity Track & Field and Cross Country for six seasons at West Springfield High School.
Sullivan received his Bachelor of Science degree from Springfield College.
Hagan earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from Westfield State University and his MBA from American International College.
He previously served as a Westfield State University trustee from 1996 – 2006 serving as chair from 1999 – 2001. Prior to joining the board, he was a member of the Westfield State College Foundation from 1994 to 1996. His chairmanship of the Access to Excellence capital campaign, the university’s first major capital fundraising effort, resulted in the construction of the university’s award-winning athletic center.
Hagan has received numerous university honors for his commitment to the academic and athletic programs of Westfield State including: the Alumnus of the Year award, the first recipient of the James C. Hagan award, and the Horace Mann Award. In 2013, the university honored James and his father, longtime Westfield State baseball coach Charles “Bud” Hagan with the dedication of a baseball field. For his service, Hagan has been recognized by the Westfield Boys & Girls Club, the American Red Cross Greater Westfield Chapter, the Western Massachusetts Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Westfield Chamber of Commerce.
