HOLYOKE — Gov. Charlie Baker has appointed HCC alumnus Steve Mitus, of Westfield, to the Holyoke Community College Board of Trustees.
Mitus, a native of Wilbraham, is a certified public accountant and the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Balise Motor Sales. He earned his associate degree in business from HCC in 1980 before transferring to the University of Massachusetts, where he received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance.
In 2009, Mitus and his wife, Moira, a graduate of the HCC class of 1993, were honored by the HCC Alumni Association with a Distinguished Alumni Award for their contributions to the college.
“I think it’s a remarkable educational facility, and I’m very much looking forward to this opportunity and getting reacquainted with the school,” Mitus said Monday during a visit to campus.
Over the years, Mitus has been active with other area community groups. He serves on the boards of Baystate Health, Health New England, PeoplesBank, and the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. He has also served on the boards of the Willie Ross School for the Deaf, the Springfield Technical Community College Foundation, the National Conference for Community & Justice, the Sisters of Providence Health System, Brightside for Families & Children and others.
“We are delighted to have Steve as a trustee,” said President Bill Messner. “He combines a knowledge of HCC, born from his days here as a student, with experience and knowledge of the community college sector, from his service on the board of trustees of Springfield Technical Community College, with a 30-year history as a businessman for one of the more visible firms in Western Massachusetts. He’s got a real interest in higher ed, particularly in using community colleges as a vehicle for promoting access to education and excellence for our students and the community as a whole.”
Mitus will join the board for its next meeting on Tues., Jan. 26.
