People in the News
Eric Lesser, former Massachusetts state senator and Obama White House official, was elected to the University Board of Trustees
The University is pleased to announce that Eric Lesser, attorney, educator, and former four-term state senator, representing the First Hampden and Hampshire districts of Massachusetts, has been elected to the Bay Path Board of Trustees. He began his term in March 2023.
“Eric Lesser has been a loyal and longtime supporter of Bay Path University, and he has a strong commitment to our mission and our students,” said Bay Path University President Sandra J. Doran. “His many years of public service at both the state and the national level have given him incredible knowledge and insight on government and policy that will add significant value to both our board and in furthering our initiatives at the University.”
Lesser led and served on numerous committees and commissions as a state senator. He chaired the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies; the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development; and the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He also was vice chair of the Joint Transportation Committee and co-chaired the Massachusetts Special Commission on the Future of Work.
Among his many priorities, Lesser was a key proponent of the East-West Rail, a leading advocate for civics education, a champion for alleviating student debt and a national leader on the future of work.
Currently, Lesser is a senior counsel at WilmerHale, a Boston-based law firm, where he is a member of the Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs Group.
Lesser earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 2015 and his bachelor’s from Harvard College in 2007. He currently resides in Longmeadow with his family.
Welcome to the Bay Path community!
In memoriam
The University is saddened to share the passing of two longtime Bay Path supporters: Dr. George Frederick Kalf, 92, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, on March 1, 2023, and Leon E. Maglathlin, Jr., 96, of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, on February 10, 2023.
It was through his late wife, Jeanne, Bay Path class of 1951, that Dr. Kalf became a friend and supporter of the University. After Jeanne’s passing, he remained dedicated to this institution. The recipient of Bay Path’s President’s Award in 2015, Dr. Kalf was influential in the development of the MS in Physician Assistant Studies program and the Philip H. Ryan Health Science Center. He also established The Jeanne Williams Kalf ’51 Endowed Scholarship and The Dr. George F. Kalf Endowed Scholarship. In 2019, Dr. Kalf received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University.
Leon Maglathlin, Jr., was a former member and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Bay Path University and was named Trustee Emeritus in 1996. As Chair, he presided over the selection of Carol Leary as Bay Path’s fifth president. Through the years, he was a generous supporter of Bay Path, and our community benefited greatly from his philanthropy.